Where the New Cubs Prospects Rank, Betting on Development, Espinoza, Weirdness, and Other Cubs Bullets

Yeah, but SHOULD old acquaintances be forgotten? Maybe sometimes, right? I can think about a lot of 2020 that I’d like to forget.

•   More on the Cubs’ new foursome of prospects, and where they slot into the system for MLB Pipeline:

•   I think on most lists, you’ll see these guys close in the rankings, and mostly behind the top two tiers of the Cubs system (which, for me, is a top tier of Miguel Amaya, Brennen Davis, Brailyn Marquez, and Ed Howard, and then a second tier of Ryan Jensen, Chase Strumpf, Kohl Franklin, and Cole Roederer (I consider Adbert Alzolay as already having graduated, since he’s like a third of an inning away or something)).

•   There’s really only so many ways you can unpack the trade at a high level: the Cubs got four additional prospects into the system who are either (1) top half of the second rounders, or (2) really good IFA signings. Those are great categories of prospects that you can add only so many of in a calendar year. Cubs got to add four more than they normally would. That’s great. It’s a lot. We just don’t love it as the return on Yu Darvish trade. But we’ve done this dance for three days now, and I guess I just have to move on.

•   Interesting reinforcement on the idea that you can’t just look at where a guy ranks in a given farm system and presume that means much of anything? These four guys ranked in approximately the same spots in the Padres’ farm system, too. And the Padres’ farm system is loaded, so that means the Cubs’ farm system must be loaded, too, right?!?! Well, not exactly. Not only is the Padres’ farm system uncommonly deep behind these guys, they also have much, much higher-impact types ahead of these guys. So, then, how much does the prospects’ strict ranking within the farm systems really tell you? Not much. Something! But not much.

•   Michael Ernst did a great job laying out so many things we think and know about the state of the Cubs farm system over the past few years – how things have changed in really significant ways behind the scenes, and should start manifesting in the next two years – and I highly recommend it. I really think we would have seen some noticeable changes this year if there’d been a minor league season.

•   As it relates to the Darvish return, I’d add that, in a way, the Cubs have now done more of what they’ve done over the past few years when it comes to acquiring amateurs: accept more risk in exchange for more upside, believing in your own organizational ability to maximize development. I’m not saying I love that approach when it comes to trading an incredibly valuable big league player, but I do at least see some consistency there. If you do believe in your investments in/philosophy changes in scouting and player development, well, then you might prefer four very young, very raw, very high-upside prospects over one or two nearer-term, already-there, surer-things.

•   … but, uh, you better be right. Because you get only one shot to trade a guy like Darvish every few years (at most), and the harm to the organization if you accept four high-risk prospects and none develop is significant. Here’s hoping by this time next year, we’ve seen a Brennen-Davis-like breakout or two.

•   This is a great read every year:

•   Among the Cubs mentions:

Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward are what we like to call “famous Cubs.” Did you know the three of them combined to hit six home runs at Wrigley Field … all season?

José Abreu is what we like to call “a famous Chicago baseball player but not a Cub.” Did you know he also hit six home runs at Wrigley Field this year … in one series?

•   You’ll also remember the game in Cincinnati where each Cubs outfielder hit exactly two home runs, something that had literally never happened before. Obviously Alec Mills’ no-hitter works its way in. There’s just so much more fun stuff in there.

•   Young Cubs righty Manuel Espinoza keeps dominating in Mexico, allowing just one run over his last 17.0 innings (7 hits, 2 walks, 16 strikeouts). Only 20, Espinoza is pitching well against much older competition, in a competitive league. In a year that we otherwise get almost no data points on prospects, this one is going to shout pretty loudly when considering where Espinoza bumps up the rankings.

•   Greg Maddux knows what’s up:

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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