It’s a Big Year for Josh Vitters and Other Bullets

It seems like there’s a little less excitement coming out of Sox Fest than came out of the Cubs Convention, even though both teams are likely in for a rough 2012. I suppose it’s largely because, when you look three, four years down the road, the Cubs’ future looks brighter than the White Sox’s right now. That’s not a shot at the Sox, mind you. I’m just thinking out loud.

  • Some fluff on Cubs’ prospect Josh Vitters, who’s likely to play at AAA Iowa this season. It’s a big year for the 2007 third overall pick, both with the bat and the glove. Though a third baseman by trade, few believe Vitters has come far enough there to stay at third should he make the bigs. The Cubs started playing him a bit at first last year, and then some in the outfield in the Fall. If his bat finally comes around, the Cubs might eventually find a place for him, but if his defense doesn’t improve, finding that place could prove very difficult. He’s just 22, so there’s no rush for him to make the team in 2012. But if he doesn’t show what he can do this year, the Cubs might stop planning on him being a part of the club in 2013 and beyond.
  • Gordon Edes reported yesterday that a deal between the Cardinals and Roy Oswalt was happening, but GM John Mozeliak says the report is “not true.” With a rotation already full – Carpenter, Wainwright, Garcia, Lohse, Westbrook – the Cardinals don’t appear to have a spot for Oswalt, and the two trade candidates from that group (Lohse and Westbrook) both make too much money and have no-trade clauses. That’s not to say something won’t happen with Oswalt, but it hasn’t happened yet. Your rooting interest here is a bit conflicted – on the one hand, no one wants to see the Cardinals get better. But, on the other hand, the Cardinals are not a suitor for Matt Garza – so their signing him would leave other teams who are interested in Garza still theoretically looking for a pitcher.
  • If you’re one of those Cubs fans who takes pleasure in the suffering of the White Sox, here’s a fun read on Adam Dunn’s historically bad season.
  • This isn’t news, but I love the way the Boston media continues to frame the Theo Epstein compensation issue in the most negative light possible. Boston Globe writer Peter Abraham, describing the issue: “The Cubs agreed to pay ‘significant’ compensation for Theo Epstein in return for his skipping out on the Red Sox with a year left on his contract to become Chicago’s president of baseball operations.” If you’re a Red Sox fan, your blood is angry just reading the mere description. No wonder Sawx management is squeezing for every last drop – the whole city still wants the Cubs and Epstein to pay for the Red Sox’s collapse in September. I promise you, Red Sox nation: you won’t feel any better about what happened if you get Matt Szczur instead of Austin Kirk. You’ll just be reminded of the disappointment every time you hear Szczur’s name. And you’ll be reminded more often.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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