Jeimer Candelario is Awesome and Other Bullets

dominican flagDay Three of Daddy Duty begins. Thankfully, The Mother has arrived to assist. The Little Boy scoffs at sleep. Me tired.

  • A profile on Cubs third base prospect Jeimer Candelario, who is participating in the DWL this year despite being just 19 (he turns 20 tomorrow) – Candelario is already big on giving back in the Dominican Republic, which is great to see from such a young man (seriously, read the piece and tell me you don’t think he’s just an awesome dude). Candelario didn’t quite have the breakout at low-A this year that many were projecting (.256/.346/.396), but he did have a very solid .343 wOBA and a 12% walk rate. All in all, very good numbers from a 19-year-old in the Midwest League. He could start the year as the everyday third baseman at High-A Daytona next year, where he’d figure to be one of the youngest players in the league (possibly with his teammate Albert Almora). Remember when third base was a serious organizational deficiency? That was so last year. Now there’s Kris Bryant, Mike Olt, Christian Villanueva, Jeimer Candelario …
  • Cubs prospects from the AFL speak with the Smokies Radio Network about their Winter plans.
  • Chris Cotillo reports that Cubs’ minor league free agent pitcher Yeiper Castillo is signing with the Angels. Castillo had some success late in the year at AA after starting the year fantastically at High-A, but control problems lingered. The Cubs, who had signed Castillo on a minor league deal the year before, apparently saw enough to let him give it a go with another organization. Castillo turned 25 in September.
  • It sounds like the Cubs won’t be doing the annual Cubs Caravan anymore, in which players and coaches had visited schools and other locations throughout the state in the offseason for a few days. Instead, the Cubs will focus on Chicago community projects, per the Peoria Journal Star.
  • Cubs fans really chipped in to help out victims of the tornados downstate over the weekend.
  • Alex Rodriguez’s arbitration case has wrapped, and a decision is expected after the holidays. That is significant because, if he’s suspended for the 2014 season, at least, the Yankees will have an additional $25 million to spend under the luxury tax cap. If you’re a big-time free agent with whom the Yankees have been speaking, aren’t you going to want to wait to see whether they’ve got the money to spend on you before inking with another team? I really wonder if we’re going to see a hold-up because of this, and the delayed Masahiro Tanaka posting. Remember the trickle down effect: Free Agent A is waiting on the ARod decision (because the Yankees are waiting), so Team X has to wait on Free Agent A’s decision. Meanwhile, Team Y would like to make a trade with Team X, but Team X is waiting on Free Agent A for that position. And Team Y might sign Free Agent B, but only if they can’t make that trade. So Team Z has to wait on a decision from Free Agent B, who thinks he might get more money from Team Y. And so on and so on.
  • Two more writers/scouts are leaving Baseball Prospectus for big league jobs.
  • 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

    Now We Know Why Ian Happ Was Removed Mid-game

    In the top of the seventh inning of today's 8-3 win over the Miami Marlins, Alexander Canario trotted out to left field in place of Ian Happ. At first, we thought (or maybe just hoped) that Craig Counsell was giving...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 8, Marlins 3 – April 19, 2024

    And just like that the Chicago Cubs are the first team in the NL Central to reach 12 wins! They're not technically in first place yet because the Brewers (11-6) have played fewer games, but we're talking about a matter...

    Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson with Back-to-Back Slick Defensive Plays

    With a lefty Marlins starter on the mound this afternoon, Nico Hoerner lead off today's game for the Chicago Cubs. And he did it in style, ripping a leadoff double to the left-center field wall, before coming into score a...

    Pre-Gamin’: Marlins at Cubs – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *The Cubs were rained out yesterday, but today? Today, we've got a Friday 1:20 start at Wrigley Field, and that means all is right in the world. Before you take a look at the Cubs lineup against Miami, check out...

    MLBits: The White Sox Might be the Worst Team Ever, What Games I’m Watching this Weekend, More

    Happy Friday! Well, for everyone except for the pilots who were supposed to be manning the Colorado Rockies flight last week but instead allowed a member of the Rockies coaching staff to hop in the pilot's seat for a fun...

    Can I Interest You in a Positive Injury-Update on Justin Steele?

    Justin Steele, arguably the single most irreplaceable player on the Chicago Cubs 2024 roster, went down with a hamstring injury just 4.2 innings into his Opening Day start against the Rangers on March 28. In his place, the Cubs sixth...

    FAA Reportedly Investigating How a Passenger on Colorado Rockies Team Flight Was Seen Accessing the Cockpit

    If you do this job long enough, it's really wild to see the range of topics that can somehow become attached to sports. That is to say, I did not envision myself at some point writing about flight safety, cockpit...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 19, 2024: Kevin Alcántara is Heating Up!

    The Iowa Cubs were rained out, but the rest of the farm was in action, and so was Kevin Alcántara, who picked up four hits and now has seven in his last three games as he breaks out of an...

    It’s Not Kyle Hendricks Last Chance (But…), Ben Brown, Jameson Taillon, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Well, the rain stole one from us yesterday, which is a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, the bullpen gets an extra day of rest (on top of the day Hayden Wesneski bought them). But on the flip...

    The Chicago Cubs Are Not Stealing Bases So Far This Year

    The Chicago Cubs are against theft. Of bases: https://twitter.com/codifybaseball/status/1781046629103231339 The Chicago Cubs this year have stolen just three bases, the fewest in all of baseball. Dansby Swanson has stolen two bases, Nick Madrigal has stolen one. That's it. I don't...

    Latest News

    Phillies vs. White Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – April 20

    After winning four games in a row, the Philadelphia Phillies (12-8) play at home against the Chicago White Sox (3-16) at 6:05 PM ET on Saturday.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Phillies will send Zack Wheeler (0-3) to...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – April 20

    The Cleveland Guardians (14-6) host the Oakland Athletics (8-12) at Progressive Field on Saturday, beginning at 6:10 PM ET.The probable pitchers are Logan Allen (2-0) for the Guardians and Alex Wood (0-1) for the Athletics.Guardians vs. Athletics Pitcher Matchup and...

    FanDuel Promo Code for $150 Bonus, NBA Playoff Odds, and More for Saturday

    It's that time of the year again – playoff season in the NBA kicks off TODAY, promising months filled with relentless excitement! New users are in for a treat with an amazing FanDuel promo code offer. By signing up today,...

    Knicks vs. 76ers: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In Game 1 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, the New York Knicks will go up against the Philadelphia 76ers.In their last time out, the Knicks won on Sunday 120-119 against the Bulls in overtime. The 76ers' last...

    Dodgers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Saturday, April 20, 2024

    Following a four-hit effort last time out, Harrison Bader leads the New York Mets (11-8) into action as +156 underdogs against the Los Angeles Dodgers (12-10). The game gets underway from Dodger Stadium at 4:05 PM ET on Saturday, live...

    Diamondbacks vs. Giants Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Saturday, April 20, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks (10-11) will look to Ketel Marte, red hot after a four-hit game, to lead them in a matchup with the San Francisco Giants (9-12) on Saturday at 4:05 PM ET on ARID. The Diamondbacks are -122 favorites...

    Astros vs. Nationals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Saturday, April 20, 2024

    The Houston Astros will take the field against the Washington Nationals (8-11) on Saturday. The game begins at 4:05 PM ET on SCHN, with the Astros listed as -181 favorites on the moneyline.Houston's Ronel Blanco gets the start, and he'll...

    Pirates vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Saturday, April 20, 2024

    The Pittsburgh Pirates (11-9) will try to put a stop to their current four-game losing streak when they host the Boston Red Sox (11-10) at 4:05 PM ET on SportsNet PT Saturday. Bookmakers consider the Pirates to be -121 favorites...

    Astros vs. Nationals Probable Starting Pitchers – April 20

    The Washington Nationals (8-11) play at home against the Houston Astros (7-14) at Nationals Park. The matchup is set to start at 4:05 PM ET on Saturday.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Astros will send Ronel Blanco (2-0)...

    Diamondbacks vs. Giants Probable Starting Pitchers – April 20

    The Arizona Diamondbacks (10-11) visit the San Francisco Giants (9-12). The matchup at Oracle Park starts at 4:05 PM ET on Saturday.The probable pitchers are Zac Gallen (3-0) for the Diamondbacks and Kyle Harrison (2-1) for the Giants.Diamondbacks vs. Giants...

    more cubs news