January 23, 2015
Cubs.com
Young Baez impressing Cubs with work ethic
By Carrie Muskat
CHICAGO -- Javier Baez is back in Santurce's lineup, and back at work on his swing.
The Cubs infielder took a brief break from his Winter Leagues at-bats in Puerto Rico to come to Chicago for the
team's fanfest last weekend. Baez has lost 15 pounds since the 2014 season ended, which impressed the Cubs, and
he is also working hard to improve after batting .169 in 52 games last season.
"His approach to the game and to practice has been really good all winter," Cubs president of baseball operations
Theo Epstein said of Baez. "He's been showing up to the park [in Puerto Rico] early and working to get better. He's
been playing the game hard, he's been playing good defense, he's been staying focused and helping his team win."
In nine playoff games, Baez was 9-for-40 with one double, three RBIs, nine strikeouts and two walks. He joined
Santurce late in the regular season, and batted .233 in 11 games (10-for-43) with three doubles, two home runs
and seven RBIs. But he also struck out 21 times. Now, Santurce faces Mayaguez in a best-of-seven championship
series to determine Puerto Rico's representative in the Caribbean Series, which begins Feb. 2. In two games so far,
Baez went 0-for-9 with six strikeouts.
New Cubs hitting coach John Mallee spent five days with Baez in Puerto Rico, and they watched a lot of video.
"My timing was really late, so that's why I wasn't getting to the fastball and other pitches," Baez said of what he
learned from the film sessions. "I'm working on getting the timing back and we'll see what happens from there."
Baez has the power -- he hit a game-winning home run in the 12th inning in his big league debut Aug. 5, and belted
two more on Aug. 7 -- but he also strikes out a lot, whiffing 95 times in 213 at-bats.
"We didn't want to take him out of the lineup," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said of the plan last season.
"Every at-bat he was going to get while he was struggling was something he could learn from over the course of
the winter. We wanted to make sure he got very consistent at-bats."
Baez is projected as the Cubs' starting second baseman in 2015, but he'll have to "earn his playing time," Hoyer
said.
"He has to make more contact to stay in the big leagues," Hoyer said.
Baez admitted he was getting advice from everyone last season, which may not have helped.
"I was really confused, because I had a lot of people talking and trying to fix my swing," he said. "I can't care about
what everybody says."
The Cubs know they need to be patient with Baez, who turned 22 on Dec. 1.
"It's not a binary thing with Javy -- he's not going to show up and be a full-formed hitter and reach his ceiling right
away," Epstein said. "It's a process. Winter ball can only help as he continues to make adjustments."
-Cubs.com
Schwarber No. 3 on MLB Pipeline's Top 10 C Prospects list
By Jim Callis
Though only one catcher (Blake Swihart of the Red Sox) fits in the top 40 spots on MLBPipeline.com's upcoming
2015 Top 100 Prospects list, talent behind the plate actually runs deep. The Minors are teeming with backstops
who have the tools to contribute offensively and defensively in the big leagues in the near future. This list could
see a lot of turnover a year from now, as Christian Bethancourt figures to be the Braves' starter and Swihart, Kevin
Plawecki (Mets) and J.T. Realmuto (Marlins) could be playing regularly in the Majors by season's end.
1. Blake Swihart, Red Sox
Though he didn't become a regular catcher until 2010, he's now the game's top prospect at the position, with tools
and athleticism that call to mind a young Buster Posey. Swihart makes consistent hard contact from both sides of
the plate and earns plus grades for his throwing and receiving. His power took a step forward in 2014, when he
threw out 46 percent of basestealers and didn't commit a single passed ball in 97 games.
2. Jorge Alfaro, Rangers
His well-above-average raw power and arm strength have been evident since he signed for a Colombia-record $1.3
million bonus in January 2010. Alfaro's game still needs a lot of refinement, as he's too aggressive at the plate and
raw as a receiver, but at age 21, time is still on his side. He's also the best athlete on this list, with the exception of
Swihart.
3. Kyle Schwarber, Cubs
He lived up to his reputation as the consensus best all-around college hitter in the 2014 Draft by hitting
.344/.428/.634 while reaching high Class A in his pro debut. Schwarber's strength, bat speed, pitch recognition and
strike-zone management give him the highest offensive ceiling of any catcher on this list, though he's also the least
likely among them to stay behind the plate.
4. Austin Hedges, Padres
The best defensive catcher to come out of high school in recent years, he's now the best defensive catcher in the
Minors. Hedges is extremely advanced as a receiver and game-caller, and his plus arm plays up because of his
quick release and accuracy. While he struggled at the plate in Double-A last year, he makes regular contact and his
defense alone will send him to the big leagues.
5. Justin O'Conner, Rays
He has a cannon arm that may be the best among catching prospects and the hands to become a good receiver,
not to mention impressive raw power. O'Conner struggled mightily against pro pitching, however, until breaking
through in 2014 and carrying that success over to the Arizona Fall League, progress that greatly enhances his
chances of becoming an everyday player.
6. Kevin Plawecki, Mets
New York already has the guy who ranked No. 1 on this list a year ago, but Plawecki could push Travis d'Arnaud for
the Mets' starting job in the second half of 2015. Plawecki doesn't have a standout tool, but he also doesn't have a
weakness, as he makes repeated contact with gap power and is an efficient thrower and receiver.
7. Reese McGuire, Pirates
The earliest selection among high school catchers in the past six Drafts, he went 14th overall in 2013. McGuire's
defense ranks ahead of his offense at this point, with his throwing, receiving and framing all rating as above
average. He has a knack for making contact and using the entire field, and he should develop at least gap power
once he gets stronger.
8. J.T. Realmuto, Marlins
After he set national high school records with 88 hits and 119 RBIs in 2010, it took Realmuto a while to adjust to
pro pitching, because he was focusing on making the transition from shortstop to catcher. Realmuto has become a
solid receiver with a strong arm, as well as a line-drive hitter with doubles power and surprising baserunning savvy.
9. Christian Bethancourt, Braves
A star on Panama's 2004 Little League World Series team, he has shut down pro basestealers since he signed in
2008, thanks to his strong arm, quick release and uncanny accuracy. Bethancourt is a contact hitter who has yet to
show much in the way of power or on-base ability, but his defense can carry him if he gets more consistent as a
receiver.
10. Max Pentecost, Blue Jays
In the last 18 months, he has won Cape Cod League MVP honors, led Kennesaw State to the NCAA Super Regionals,
became the highest-drafted player in Owls history (11th overall) and hit .324 in his brief pro debut. A rare catcher
who has a chance to have average or better tools across the board, Pentecost stands out most for his bat and arm,
and he could rocket up this list a year from now.
Next up
The Yankees' Gary Sanchez has seen his stock drop since his bat has stagnated in the mid-Minors, yet he still
possesses the same rocket arm and huge raw power. Signed for $3 million out of the Dominican Republic, Sanchez
is still just 22 and just needs to tone down his aggressive approach and work on his receiving.
Andrew Susac won't start for the Giants unless they shift Posey to a less demanding position, though he already
has earned a World Series ring last October as a backup. He has the tools, including solid power and arm strength,
to play for someone on a regular basis.
-CSNChicago.com
Cubs see Arismendy Alcantara as Joe Maddon’s type of player
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs tried to trade for Ben Zobrist before the Tampa Bay Rays flipped the super-utility player to the Oakland
A’s in an arbitrage deal.
The Cubs now hope they can develop their own version of Zobrist in Arismendy Alcantara, who slides into a fill-inthe-blank role after this week’s Dexter Fowler trade with the Houston Astros.
Cubs fans and the Chicago media can wear out managers with all the lineup questions. Remember when Lou
Piniella blasted Steve Stone over Tyler Colvin’s playing time? Or how Rick Renteria kept talking around Mike Olt
and Junior Lake?
But this sounds perfect for Joe Maddon, the mad scientist with a lineup card “dripping with analytics.”
“Joe’s been a part of a lot of meetings about our team,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “Alcantara, for one,
certainly brings a smile to his face every time, because it’s exactly the kind of player he loves. He can play all over
the field. He can run the bases. He’s a good defender. He’s got good power.
“If having Fowler in center field allows us to move Alcantara around the field, I think that will make Joe a better
manager, because he will have that kind of guy that he’s always had in Tampa.”
Zobrist was a late bloomer, growing up in downstate Illinois and playing at Olivet Nazarene University in
Bourbonnais and Dallas Baptist University before getting drafted by the Astros and eventually traded to Tampa
Bay. Zobrist made his big-league debut in 2006 – Maddon’s first year managing the Devil Rays – and set the
standard for super-utility guys.
Zobrist became a role player for the worst-to-first team that went to the 2008 World Series. He put up 27 homers
and 91 RBI in 2009, earning the first of two All-Star selections. He played all over the infield and the outfield,
leading all American League position players in WAR in 2009 (8.6) and 2011 (8.7).
“It’s such a valuable position,” Maddon said. “A guy like Zobrist, as an example, you would play him every night,
even though he was a utility player. Those ‘Super-U’ kind of guys, you could play them almost seven days a week,
or six days a week. And while you’re doing that, you’re giving other guys days off.
“We spoke about the youth (here) – I’m still into giving guys days off, regardless of their birth certificate, because
you want a fresh body and mind at the end of the season.
“The thing that I’m really eager and curious about is to figure out this day-game stuff, and how to keep people
fresh. Three o’clock Friday afternoon, what does that mean?
“I don’t know what it means or feels like over the course of a season.”
Theo Epstein’s front office has noticed how the St. Louis Cardinals have kept their roster so flexible, stressing
versatility with homegrown players. Relearning the outfield will probably be an excuse for Kris Bryant to start the
season with Triple-A Iowa instead of being the Opening Day third baseman.
If the Cubs are going to build around All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro, then elite prospect Addison Russell will have
to find a new position. Javier Baez came up through the system as a shortstop, transitioned to second base in Des
Moines last summer and will probably see some time at third base in spring training.
A natural shortstop, Alcantara moved to second base to accommodate Baez in the minors and wound up playing
48 games in center field during his big-league debut last season. He’ll also be part of the third-base mix with Luis
Valbuena heading to Houston in the Fowler trade.
“I love players like that,” Maddon said. “It really expands your roster. It takes a 25‑man roster or a 13‑man bench
and almost makes it 15 and 27 when you have this kind of versatility.
“Theo and I are on the same page. We’ve talked about that with Jed, those same kinds of concepts or thoughts
regarding expanded roles for players. It’s really interesting when you can do that.”
Alcantara is only 23 years old and has a unique combination of power and speed for someone who’s listed at 5foot-10, 170 pounds. He put up 10 homers, 11 doubles, two triples and eight stolen bases in 70 games with the
Cubs last season. He also hit .205 with 93 strikeouts in 300 plate appearances.
So Alcantara has to live up to his end of the bargain, the same way Baez has to cut down his strikeouts, and Jorge
Soler has to stay on the field, and Bryant has to deal with face-of-the-franchise expectations as soon as he shows
up at Wrigley Field.
“I don’t like the entitlement program,” Maddon said. “We got really good young players. The challenging
component is the accountability factor. (When) our young guys get up there, they’re going to have to understand
they have to earn it.”
--