The Bullets are a Prospect Explosion and Other Bullets

I’m finally going to see ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ today after weeks of avoiding spoilers. I don’t see too many movies in the theaters these days, so I’m pretty excited.

  • Matt Garza threw yesterday, but not for as long as he or the Cubs might have hoped. The birth of his daughter this week naturally caused him not to do much work for a few days, so he was coming in pretty cold. He’ll throw again today, and the Cubs are still waiting to see if he can start on Tuesday. At this point, the Cubs would be best served letting him get to 100% before he starts. A dominant stretch of starts from here on out would be quite the good thing for both Garza and the Cubs.
  • As I hinted at in the post about Chris Volstad’s call-up, and then again in the post about the Cubs looking at Derek Lowe, Sveum says he anticipates giving Chris Volstad a long look in the rotation from here on out so the Cubs can see what they have.
  • Cubs’ brass and Dale Sveum met yesterday, as planned, to discuss the organizational plan for guys like Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters. “We didn’t determine anything, but we had some good conversations about some of the guys that will be up in September for sure,” Sveum said, according to the Tribune. “But when and how all that’s going to play out … they’re still in the development process … The development clock is where we want it …. [Jackson and Vitters] have gotten their development in. It’s just a matter of when we decide to do it- this month or wait until September.”
  • Javier Baez and Brooks Raley are your Cubs’ position player and pitcher of the month for July. From the announcing press release, on Baez: “Baez, 19, batted .368 (39-for-106) with six doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 20 RBI and 21 runs scored in 28 July games for Peoria. Last month he led the Midwest League in hits (39), total bases (72) and slugging percentage (.679), and was second in extra-base hits (16), batting average, runs scored and OPS (1.076). Baez was named Midwest League Player of the Week for July 9-15, and his 39 hits were the most in a month by a Peoria player since Justin Bour had 40 in August of 2010.” On Raley: “Raley, 24, posted a 2.12 ERA (7 ER/29.2 IP) in five July starts for Iowa, walking just 12 while striking out 28 and limiting opponents to a .254 batting average. His 2.12 July ERA ranked fourth-lowest among Pacific Coast League pitchers. Raley allowed two or fewer runs in each of his five outings while recording three quality starts, and surrendered just two home runs in 132 batters faced.”
  • Ben Badler chatted at Baseball America, and there were plenty of nice Cubs-related tidbits. The best? It wouldn’t surprise Badler if the Cubs had a top 5 farm system by next Spring. (Edit: I’m awesome at reading. Ben said that WOULD surprise him. I say it depends on the trades the Cubs can make, but quite unlikely. That’s why I thought it was so nice of him to say….)
  • A feature on former Cubs prospect/player Adam Greenberg, who’s still playing baseball after his scary debut with the Cubs (he’s the kid who had one plate appearance in the bigs, and it was a fastball to the helmet).
  • A feature on Boise prospect Dan Vogelbach, including quotes from his hitting coach, Bill Buckner.
  • Tim Sheridan over at Boys of Spring has an *excellent* video package on Cubs’ prospects who’ve made their way through Arizona this year, including an interview of Albert Almora. It’s pretty much 7+ minutes of Cubs prospect porn, and if you’re remotely into that kind of thing, you should get some popcorn and enjoy:
  • 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.

    more cubs news

    Still Thinking About That Incredible Christopher Morel Play

    I don't want to overreact to a relatively brief stretch of success, and I certainly don't want to jinx anything. But Christopher Morel has looked pretty darn solid at third base the last couple weeks, hasn't he? Maybe some of...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Diamondbacks 3 – April 17, 2024

    UNCLENCH. They did it. There was 9th inning drama, because of course there was, but Drew Smyly was able to get the job done, pitching for the third consecutive day. Cubs win the game, Cubs win the series. Cubs win...

    Cody Bellinger’s Third Homer of the Year Breaks the Tie in Arizona!

    Thank god. I was starting to think Brandon Pfaadt was Cy Young in disguise or something. I can't stand (or understand, for that matter) how this guy carves up the Cubs while getting destroyed by almost everybody else. But at...

    Watch Owen Caissie Launch His First Triple-A Home Run (Off a Lefty, Too!)

    Owen Caissie is just one of several Cubs top prospects at Triple-A Iowa this season, but after a monster Spring Training performance (following an equally impressive Double-A debut last season), he's got a lot of eyes on him this summer....

    Cubs Call Up a Couple of Fresh Arms from Iowa

    In discussing the potential for a Cubs move today for a fresh arm, I wondered if they'd go down and grab someone already on the 40-man roster or if they'd shift Julian Merryweather over to the 60-day IL to make...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs vs Diamondbacks – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — How many rubber matches can one team have? After two wild games to start the series, the Cubs are looking to win their second-consecutive series this afternoon in Arizona. Jordan Wicks is on the mound for Chicago....

    MLBits: Orioles Can’t Stop Hitting Home Runs, Learn Jac Caglianone’s Name, More

    If you have an MLB.TV subscription: I suggest you try to catch a Baltimore Orioles game soon. The Orioles lineup is chock-full of young talent, and they're absolutely mashing the baseball right now. They're fun to watch if you can...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 17, 2024: PCA Goes Yard, Cade Horton Dominates, More

    Pete Crow-Armstrong showed some life on Tuesday with a solo home run for the Iowa Cubs, but it was Luis Vázquez who played hero for Iowa in the end. Plus, Cade Horton dominated for the Smokies once again. That and...

    Baseball America Has Added Another Chicago Cubs Prospect to Their Top-100 List

    If you have been paying attention at all, I think it's going to be very easy for you to fill in these blanks: https://twitter.com/BaseballAmerica/status/1780601113198383137 Yes, that'd be Jefferson Rojas, the still-18-year-old shortstop for the High-A South Bend Cubs, currently hitting...

    Cade Horton Dominated Once Again at Double-A, So What’s the Plan There?

    As he's done nine times before, Cade Horton dominated in his latest outing for the Tennessee Smokies. It took him just 47 pitches to cruise through 4.0 innings of work and carve up the Rays' Double-A squad. https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1780387010039210247 Horton has...

    Latest News

    Oh, Uh: Jimmy Butler “Feared” to Have MCL Injury, Will Undergo MRI

    The Miami Heat have some serious concerns after their Play-In Tournament loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Jimmy Butler is "feared" to have suffered an MCL injury in his knee. An MRI...

    Giants vs. Diamondbacks: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Thursday, Michael Conforto and the San Francisco Giants (8-11) begin a series versus Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks (9-10) at Oracle Park, with first pitch scheduled for 9:45 PM ET.Keep reading to see how to watch the San...

    San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Series April 18-21: Odds, Starting Pitchers & Predictions

    In the opener of a four-game series, on Thursday, April 18 at 9:45 PM ET, the San Francisco Giants will host the Arizona Diamondbacks.Giants vs. Diamondbacks Series Info Diamondbacks @ Giants Time: Thursday, April 18 at 9:45 PM ET Giants...

    Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins Series April 18-21: Odds, Starting Pitchers & Predictions

    In the opener of a four-game series, on Thursday, April 18 at 7:40 PM ET, the Chicago Cubs are hosting the Miami Marlins.Cubs vs. Marlins Series Info Marlins @ Cubs Time: Thursday, April 18 at 7:40 PM ET Cubs Starting...

    WATCH: DeMar DeRozan WOWS with Huge Slam Against the Hawks

    DeMar DeRozan is almost 35 years old and led the NBA in minutes this season. I want you to remember that as you watch what you're about to see. The Chicago Bulls' veteran forward was tearing apart the Atlanta Hawks...

    How to Watch Cubs vs. Marlins: Live Stream or on TV

    On Thursday, Jameson Taillon will start for the Chicago Cubs (11-7) against Andrew Jacob Puk and the Miami Marlins (4-15), with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 PM ET at Wrigley Field.Keep reading to find out all the details on how...

    Kings vs. Pelicans Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 1 – Friday, April 19, 2024

    The New Orleans Pelicans are slight 1-point underdogs heading into Game 1 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Smoothie King Center on Friday, starting at 9:30 PM ET on TNT. The matchup has...

    Still Thinking About That Incredible Christopher Morel Play

    I don't want to overreact to a relatively brief stretch of success, and I certainly don't want to jinx anything. But Christopher Morel has looked pretty darn solid at third base the last couple weeks, hasn't he? Maybe some of...

    Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians Series April 15-18: Odds, Starting Pitchers & Predictions

    The Boston Red Sox are playing the Cleveland Guardians in a four-game series, and are trailing 2-0 -- the action resumes at 1:35 PM ET on Thursday.Red Sox vs. Guardians Series Info Guardians @ Red Sox Time: Monday, April 15...

    Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers Series April 15-18: Odds, Starting Pitchers & Predictions

    The Texas Rangers are playing a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers, and are in front 2-1 going into the next matchup, at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday.Tigers vs. Rangers Series Info Rangers @ Tigers Time: Monday, April 15 at...

    more cubs news