The tabs on Cubs prospects and minor league stuff had really built up on me, so I needed to park them all somewhere …
⇒ Adbert Alzolay (hamstring) made his first rehab start last night for Iowa, completing his scheduled two innings having allowed four earned runs on three hits (including a homer), a walk, and a HBP. Not exactly what you’d want to see in the results department, but that wasn’t really the point for Alzolay, who threw 38 pitches. The point is to get out there and throw your normal stuff (sounds like his mid-90s velocity was normal), and then see how the body recovers the next couple days. Obviously Alzolay had hit a rough patch even before the injury, so you don’t hate that he was getting this opportunity to pause and reset in any case. But, once he starts ramping back up deeper into games at Iowa (next two starts maybe?), you’d certainly like to see better results.
⇒ Meanwhile, with Alzolay’s arrival, there was a flurry of moves at Iowa, including veteran reliever Tony Cingrani, who had pitched very well for Iowa, getting released (presumably so he could try to catch on with an organization whose big league team has playoff aspirations):
A ton of Iowa Cubs roster moves:
-INFs Matt Burch, Edwin Figuera, C Caleb Knight sent to Tennessee.
-LHP Tony Cingraini now a free agent (released).
-RHP Aneuris Rosario has joined Iowa from ACL Cubs.
-RHPs Adbert Alzolay and Jonathan Holder join Iowa on rehab.— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) August 25, 2021
⇒ And hey, there’s Jonathan Holder five months later (he gave up a walk and a homer in his inning of work). One of the Cubs’ few big league signings in the early part of the offseason, Holder, a formerly quite good reliever with the Yankees, has missed the whole season thus far with injury issues. I expect the next month is about him showing he’s healthy, and showing enough that the Cubs bring him back on a good minor league deal with a non-roster invite to Spring Training. The Cubs could retain him via arbitration if they wanted, but I don’t see that happening no matter how good he looks the rest of the way.
⇒ Alexander Canario is back on a hot one, homering twice yesterday (including a grand slam), raising his slash line with the South Bend Cubs to .274/.315/.536 (126 wRC+).
Tatered, before the rain came pic.twitter.com/uOcKPE7Ui8
— Todd ⚾️🐻🦌 (@CubsCentral08) August 25, 2021
⇒ That 27-ish% strikeout rate is concerning at High-A, but then again, he only turned 21 a few months ago, he has so much power … maybe he’s just gonna be a guy whose strikeout rate always holds steady in the high 20s as he climbs the ladder? You wouldn’t love that, but it would be playable if he takes some walks and keeps hitting the ball 800 feet.
⇒ Speaking of that kind of profile, Nelson Velazquez continues to obliterate Double-A following his promotion. The 2017 5th rounder is now hitting a bonkers .333/.410/.725 (203 wRC+) in his first 78 PAs at Double-A after breaking out at High-A earlier this year. It’s pretty hard at this point to see the Cubs risking exposing the 22-year-old to the Rule 5 Draft, so your hope is that he just keeps on raking to finish the year, and then gets added to the 40-man roster in November.
⇒ In the meantime, he gets some love from the Pipeline crew, getting added to the top 30 (ignore the, um, typo … ):
Nelson Velazquez enters the #Cubs‘ Top 30 Prospects list as Riley Steele graduates: https://t.co/UTGBBmLxqe pic.twitter.com/xMsL359eyi
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 24, 2021
⇒ It was just within days of him getting some national love for his defense at shortstop – something I’ll admit I hadn’t heard much about before that – that Kevin Made did this last night for the Pelicans:
Kevin Made, web gem. pic.twitter.com/AOdm5d9b6p
— Itsacon (@thats_so_cub) August 26, 2021
⇒ And this:
Web gem #2 for Kevin Made pic.twitter.com/V1WzvAlpgJ
— Todd ⚾️🐻🦌 (@CubsCentral08) August 26, 2021
⇒ Ed Howard, who is regarded by most as one of the best defensive shortstop prospects in all of baseball, slid over to second base to accommodate Made. Now, I’m not saying Made is going to permanently displace Howard as the shortstop on any teams they share in the future, but when the Cubs are making an effort to get him starts at shortstop while giving Howard other looks? Clearly the Cubs are also big on Made’s glove. Note that Made, who is a half-year younger than Howard, was a big-time bonus baby, and is actually hitting well over the last month+. I think we’re going to find a lot of rankings services, after they talk to scouts this fall, will wind up ranking Made over Howard next year.
⇒ Fun to see Owen Caissie video now that he’s in a full-season league, including a particularly rocket-like single last night:
Owen Caissie single <drink>
exit Velo 114
With video pic.twitter.com/advTt3L1h2
— Todd ⚾️🐻🦌 (@CubsCentral08) August 25, 2021