I have not seen anything come through the transaction wire about Javier Baez returning to Iowa yet, but it looks like Iowa’s roster is back at 25 players now. I believe that means someone will need to be moved to free up a spot for Baez to return. If the Cubs make a trade or two, though, that may not be a problem.
The Iowa roster is loaded with potential trade candidates right now. Christian Villanueva or Mike Olt could be included in any number of deals as supporting pieces, and Villanueva in particular is playing as well as he’s ever played. If he were an option on the middle infield, he might be getting a shot in Wrigley already.
Junior Lake, Matt Szczur and Rubi Silva are all three also trade candidates. They won’t carry a mega-deal on their own, but they could be key cogs in smaller trades. And the same could be said for names like Eric Jokisch, Carlos Pimentel, and Armando Rivero on the pitching side. Carl Edwards, Jr. could come into play here as well, but I think it would take a larger deal before the Cubs would put him on the table.
And if no trades are made, there are still plenty of ways the Cubs could easily find room for Baez on the Iowa roster in the next day or so.
Scores From Yesterday
Iowa – Iowa needed a win, and with a four run burst in the eighth inning they secured an 8-3 win in this one. Tennessee – The Smokies had the day off. Myrtle Beach – The Pelicans rallied back from a two run deficit to win 4-3. South Bend – The Cubs were also off today. Eugene – Eugene scored in every inning but two on their way to this 9-5 win. Arizona – These Cubs enjoyed an off day as well.
Performances of Note
[Iowa] Tsuyoshi Wada struck out 6 in his 6 innings of work. He threw 85 pitches and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk.
[Iowa] Carl Edwards, a trade candidate himself, struck out 4 in his 2 innings of relief. He allowed a run on a hit and no walks.
[Iowa] Mike Olt homered (his 5th), doubled, and finished 3 for 5.
[Iowa] Christian Villanueva continued his run of excellent work at the plate. He finished 2 for 5 with his 14th homer in this one.
[Iowa] Chris Valaika went 2 for 3 with his 5th homer.
[Iowa] John Andreoli, back off the DL, doubled and walked. He had been one of Iowa’s more consistent hitters before he missed some time.
[Myrtle Beach] Jen-Ho Tseng allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and a walk in this one. He struck out 4.
[Myrtle Beach] Working in relief, Josh Conway was very effective over 2 innings. He struck out one and allowed nothing but a walk.
[Myrtle Beach] Jason Vosler homered (his first) and drove in 3 of the Pelicans’s runs.
[Myrtle Beach] Cael Brockmeyer and Pin-Chieh Chen each finished with 2 hits.
[Eugene] Donnie Dewees homered (his 3rd) and finished 2 for 4 with a walk. He also stole 2 bags and now has 7 on the year.
[Eugene] Matt Rose and Ian Rice each finished with 2 hits, including a double in both cases.
[Eugene] Pedro Araujo allowed just 2 hits over 3 innings in this one. He struck out one.
Other News
This season long time minor league closer Frank Batista was dominate as a starter for the Smokies. When the Cubs moved him to Iowa, though, the magic vanished and he got hit around pretty badly. Yesterday the I-Cubs moved him back to the bullpen. The result? One innings, no hits, and a strikeout.
This is probably the most awesome statistic I’ve looked at all season. Bleacher Nation readers, that’s you, are now at 107% of the Blogathon goal. I’m not sure how we stat-ify that (weighted Reader Awesomeness+ of 107? Generosity / Goal of 1.07?), but it is amazing. Seriously. Every year you prove it anew that you are the greatest community on the Internet.
Speaking of amazing things, check out the uniforms Eugene will be wearing on Springfield night, Aug 15:
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NEWSLETTER
I have not seen anything come through the transaction wire about Javier Baez returning to Iowa yet, but it looks like Iowa’s roster is back at 25 players now. I believe that means someone will need to be moved to free up a spot for Baez to return. If the Cubs make a trade or two, though, that may not be a problem.
