Trey Heureux at Fitch Park

Trey Martin ripped two doubles and a home run, drove-in two runs, and scored three, and James Pugliese threw four innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts, leading the Cubs to an 8-2 victory over the Reds in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ.

Over his last four EXST appearances, Pugliese has thrown 14.2 consecutive scoreless innings, allowing ten hits and four walks, with 15 strikeouts.

1B Rock Shoulders gave-up switch-hitting this week and is now hitting only left-handed. He never could find a power-stroke from the right side, and as long as he can at least hold his own when facing LHP, it is probably better that he hit only LH. (He struck out against the two left-handers he faced today, however).

With Shoulders having given up switch-hitting, 3B Jeimer Candelario and SS Marco Hernandez are now the only switch-hitters among Cubs position players presently at Extended Spring Training. (2B Brian Inoa gave-up switch-hitting at Minor League Camp).


1. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-4 (P-5, K, 5-3, BB, P-6, SB)
2. Marco Hernandez, DH #1: 1-3 (3B, 4-U FC, BB, P-4)
3. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 0-3 (K, BB, 6-4 FC, K)
4. Rock Shoulders, 1B: 1-4 (K, K, F-7, 1B)
5. Dan Vogelbach, DH #2: 1-3 (6-3, 2B, BB, K, RBI, PO)
6. Xavier Batista, LF-DH: 0-3 (F-7, 6-5 FC, BB, F-8, 2 R)
7. Trey Martin, CF: 3-4 (6-3, 2B, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI)
8b. Wilson Contreras, C: 1-1 (1B, HBP, R, 2 RBI)
9a. Justin Marra, C-DH: 1-3 (1-3, 1B, 5-3, RBI, SB)
9b. Brian Inoa, PH: 0-1 (K)
10. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-3 (1B, 4-3, P-5, BB)
11. Eduardo Gonzalez, RF: 1-3 (BB, L-8, 1-3, 1B, RBI)
12b. Dong-Yub Kim, LF: 1-2 (1B, HBP, K, R)

1. James Pugliese: 4.0 IP, 3 H. 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 54 pitches (37 strikes), 3/3 GO/FO
2. Ramon Garcia: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2/3 GO/FO
3. Ryan Hartman: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 34 pitches (17 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO
4. Bryce Shafer: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 31 pitches (18 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO


1. Justin Marra: 0-1 CS
2. Wilson Contreras: 0-2 CS

RF Eduardo Gonzalez threw out baserunner 9-5 trying to advance from 1st to 3rd on a single to RF


WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90’s

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It wasn’t a Cactus League Extended Spring Training game so the stats don’t count, but the EXST Cubs did play an eight-inning intra-squad game Tuesday morning (6/5).

RHP Zach Cates (acquired from SD in the Cashner/Rizzo trade) saw his first game action since being sent to Fitch Park from Daytona last month, and tossed 2.1 IP of no hit shutout ball.

On the offensive side, Dong-Yub Kim ripped a two-run triple and a single, Shawon Dunston Jr tripled, singled, drove-in a run, and scored another, Neftali Rosario doubled twice and knocked-in a run, Justin Marra slammed a solo home run, and Danny Lockhart belted a two-run inside-the-park HR.

3B Dustin Geiger (left hand surgery rehab) took ground balls on Field #4 at 8:00 but did not play in the intrasquad game. Also, 2B Gioskar Amaya is out of action with a minor injury and did not play in the game.

Fitch Park player-coach David Macias was the bullpen catcher.

Here is the box score from the intra-squad game:


1. Shawon Dunston Jr, CF: 2-5 (4-3, K, 3B, K, 1B, F-7, R, RBI)
2. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-4 (3-U, HR, 6-3, BB, K, R, 2 RBI)
3. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-4 (F-8, 6-3, 5-3, 1-4 SH, 6-3)
4. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 1-4 (F-8, BB, 2B, FC, K, R, RBI, SB)
5. Neftali Rosario, C: 2-4 (K, 2B, 2B, 5-3, RBI)
6. Jair Bogaerts, 3B: 2-4 (1B, K, 5-3, 1B, PO)
7. Garrett Schlecht, RF: 0-2 (BB, BB, 3-U, 3-U, 2 R)
8. Trevor Gretzky, LF: 0-4 (F-7, 1-3, 4-3, K)
9. NO DH

1. Justin Marra, DH #1: 1-4 (K, K, HR, K, R, RBI)
2. Marco Hernandez, SS: 1-4 (K, 3B, F-7, P-6, R, RBI)
3. Eduardo Gonzalez, CF: 1-4 (4-3, 1B, 4-3, 3-U, RBI, SB)
4. Trey Martin, DH #2: 0-3 (L-7, K, F-8, BB, R, 2 SB)
5. Xavier Batista, RF: 1-4 (K, F-9, 1B, P-6, R)
6. Rock Shoulders, 1B: 0-1 (BB, K, BB, R)
7. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 0-2 (P-6, 4-3, BB, R)
8. Wilson Contreras, C: 1-3 (5-3, K, 2B, R, 2 RBI)
9. Dong-Yub Kim, LF: 2-3 (1B, P-6, 3B, 2 RBI, PO)
10. Brian Inoa, 2B: 1-3 (3B, 4-3, 1-3, R)

1. Zach Cates: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 29 pitches (17 strikes), 2/2 GO/FO
2. Amaury Paulino: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 1 PO, 47 pitches (32 strikes), 2/2 GO/FO
3. Ethan Elias: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 BALK, 40 pitches (24 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
4. Rafael Diplan: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 20 pitches (11 strikes), 2/2 GO/FO

1. Jose Arias: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 73 pitches (48 strikes), 6/3 GO/FO
2. Carlos Martinez: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 47 pitches (28 strikes), 6/1 GO/FO
3. Pete Levitt: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 13 pitches (7 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO

C Neftali Rosario – E-2 (overthrow on SB attempt at 3rd base allowed runner to score unearned run)


Neftali Rosario: 0-3 CS, 1 PB, 1 E (see above)

Wilson Contreras: 0-1 CS, 1 PO, 1 PB

G.Concepcion (A) + McNutt (AA) + Volstad (AAA) go tonight...

GCon with a no-hitter through 5ip...4bb, 3k.

...and a single, 1 out into the 6th...

Nice job, JACOS!



oops...volstad goes tomorrow...night off tonight for Iowa.

GCon - 5.2ip 2h 4bb 4k 0r/er

TMcN - 5.2ip 3h 4bb 3k 0r/er

Sahadev Sharma‏@sahadevsharma
Asked Chiefs manager about Concepcion's slow start, said he's really working on his FB, if he threw just CH & SL, he'd dominate low-A

Carrie Muskat‏@CarrieMuskat
New free agent Jorge Soler had workout today, and several teams attended, including ‪#Cubs

Soler's agents Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro have given clubs a deadline of June 7 to submit sealed bids with their best and final offers

This is not the best strategy for getting the best price. If I bid x, you bid x + 20K, maybe I'll go to x + 50K to get it done.

Japanese baseball owners disagree with you.

wow, soriano can barely run.

he looks like barry bonds in his last season(s) running the bases...minus the 100lbs of pure muscle bulk.

lol...z.greenkey just threw a 53mph "curveball" to p.maholm on a 0-2 count...went wide for a ball.

he followed it up with a low-90s fastball that was fouled off....then he K'd maholm with the bases loaded. wee.

In other words, he possesses most of the negative qualities but few of the positive qualities of an old Barry Bonds?

would not being on steroids be negative or positive?

Cubs drafted Swaim Jr. with the 1184th pick. blah.

heh, MIL drafted their manager's son really late today, too.

lulz...tate matheny 23rd round, cards.

NL Central hooked up their manager's kids.

also, cal ripken jr's kid got drafted by BAL.

I wonder how much of this is 'unwritten rule' territory. Like everyone knows not to draft Swaim's kid because the Cubs are going to take him later on.

If the kid has not been Sveum's son, he never would have been on anyone's board.

In his last 5 games, he is 10 for 19 with a double, triple, two homers, 6 rbi, 1 walk and a stolen base. He struck out alot when he first got there, but only 3 times during this streak (and only once in the last 4 games).

I'm expecting a career year out of Baez this year in Peoria. There. I said it.

Springs: If his success continues in Peoria, where should we expect Baez to start 2013? Or in other words, how fast track can a teenage hitter move before they mess him up?

note the age 19-22 stat line for this comp:

If it is possible a player can be messed up, historically the Cubs will find a way to make it happen. Realistically if he continues his hot hitting, hits well over the winter, etc., he could start in AA, though I'd hope he would go to Daytona.

I think it is more likely he cools down, pitchers adjust to him again, and he starts next year in Peoria.

Besides Rizzo, whom we know/assume/ was rushed to the bigs, are there any examples of TheoCorp draftees that seem to have been moved along "just right," to the best of our knowledge? Other than that cringe movie "Town" and the Green Monster I know nothing of Beantown or the Red Sox. Oh, and I do know that Bobby Valentine used to be able to manage---not so sure about that anymore.

Another Q for those of you that have opinions on most everything. What was Terry Francona's problem? How in the heck would Theo let that situation get out of hand? He does seem to tinker a bit with the Cubs dugout, what with his recent approval of Dale's handling of Castro's mental lapses and Soriano's cripple play.

Thanks for any and all help in my wonderings...

Theo didn't let the Francona situation get out of hand, that was all Luchinno.

another article on #22. I once knew a man from Pawtucket,...

Finally some word on why Matt Szczur hasn't been playing. He has a strained knee and was placed on the DL.

Boo lower body injuries to Cubs prospects with + to elite speed.

I haven't had time to comment on Blake Parker going on the 60 day DL. His pitching elbow diagnosis of "stress reaction" is the term they are using now for elbow symptoms that show up with some signal changes on an MRI but are not as linear a pattern to the signal as one would see on a "stress fracture". The treatment is the same although the timetable to recovery is longer for a stress fracture. For a stress reaction, it's complete rest for a month then exercises before gradual resumption of throwing activities.

This is similar to a write-up I did last May (Beware the 6 inch screw) when Matt Garza had some elbow symptoms and missed a few starts. Obviously Garza's problem was much less significant.

Bruce Miles tweets...

"Rehab stints for catchers Soto and Castillo may be delayed, said Sveum."

Koyie Hill must have strong political connections with the Greek God Asclepius.

+2 for the Asclepius reference.

fun fact: Cubs with the worst OPS in the NL versus lefties (.602) and least runs scored (31).

Haha... how fun.

But ... Mather? Baker? Johnson? That can't be true.

John Gaub designated for assignment by the Rangers.

Andrew Cashner to start Saturday for the Padres v. Brewers.

cashner to start sounds sane...but now? maybe he's capable of 3ip right now...maybe.

article on the twitter feed quote...

"San Diego general manager Josh Byrnes said that Cashner will be optioned to the Minor Leagues after Saturday's start to build his endurance and pitch count before he returns to the big leagues -- this time as a starter and not in the eighth-inning specialist role he had been pitching in."

Wanted to give props to our AZ PHIL not only for his incredible coverage out in the desert, but this post's FRENCH headline pun, Trey Huereux (Tres Huereux, or "very happy") which is the first I can recall here at The TCR!


Nice job PHIL.

Larry French, former Cub, would have liked it. As would Claude "Frenchy" Raymond, aka Jean-Claude Marc Raymond.

Bon Travail!

Don't forget about the 2006 additions, Jacque and Pierre.

And almost Marquis Grissom.


Where's the Ralph Pierre LaCock love?

Baseball America draft chat:

Mike (Chelmsford): What are the chances that Rhett Wiseman is able to get a deal done with the Cubs?
Jim Callis: Unlikely. He fell to the 25th round because of signability. That said, the Cubs can probably take some deep discounts in rounds 4-10, so it's possible they could throw all of that money at Wiseman.

Dan (Chicago): Would you rank Almora ahead of Javier Baez on a list of Cubs top prospects?
Jim Callis: It's close ... would have to see how this season plays out. Baez has more offensive ceiling, Almora a good ceiling and higher floor.

Benny (Cubs Central): Looking forward to seeing Theo lock up Almora, Underwood and Johnson. Can he get all three done, in your opinion?
Jim Callis: Yes. Combined pick value for those three is $5.3 million, which should be close enough to get it done.

thanks QuietMan...

also noted this one from the Callis chat:

Dan (Chicago): What do you make of Almora's comments about going to college? Should I be concerned he won't sign or are they just Boras tactics?

Jim Callis: He'll sign. I'd be stunned if he didn't.

Callis just on the radio and said he thought he'd sign for around $3M or so.

Kerry gave his hands the Moises Alou treatment.

(stole the subject from Craig Calcaterra's twitter)


cubs take a 3-2 lead, top 8th.

don't start him against left handers, though, whatEVER you do.

Giant stage set up on the field at Wrigley for Roger Waters' concert.

(Paul Sullivan photo)

And they pitch to corey hart but not ARam, typical blowing of lahero's heroics

The Royals signed 5th overall pick Kyle Zimmer. $3 million. Slot was $3.5M.

Looks like Carlos Correa also signed under slot.

$4.8M so well under the $7.2M allotment.

L. McCullers money...

the way the system was "supposed" to work was guys like m.appell were supposed to go in the top 1-3 picks...what seems to be happening is teams realizing how much less money they have to work with signing their own top picks vs. filling up most of their round 1-10 slot money on 1 guy.

the money is somewhat reasonable...but the year after a highschool kid picked 5th got more than the #1 overall slot's value...the agents/players got a pretty severe shock to their money system. it was probably done all too quickly.

if a guy who was "bargain picked" #1 overall is still worth $5m...what's that make a "real" pick worth?

what happens when the next b.harper shows up in the draft and he's not picked #1-3 overall? do you wait it out til someone flinches or he becomes a college senior and loses his leverage?

the suck thing...especially for the highschool kids drafted by this draft may play out to be such a disaster that they make an emergency "fix" for it for 2013...which wouldn't do much at all for this season's signings because they could wait it out for a season in indie ball or a community college.

it's nice some picks are already signing, but there's a lot of "going back to school" talk that's hard to tell posturing from seriousness.

I agree that maybe it's just too fast...BUT, in my most humble opinion, no highschooler deserves $5M. So, again, in my most humble opinion, the agents and kids with monster egos can go fuck themselves feel free to pursue other avenues of employment. Eventually, the ship will right itself and these kids will all have to earn their stripes in pro-ball before the "big" payday. Ideally, the smaller market teams will continue to be able to sign the top picks (yeah, I know Appel dropped), but hopefully they kids and agents will come to realize that the money isn't changing much if they hold out.

The above should be prefaced with the admission that I really don't know nothing about nothing, especially when that nothing involves economics, baseball, fruit, zebras, agents, ships or high school kids. I do know a little about monsters and egos, though.

Most of the back to school talk, unless the name is Thornton Mellon, has to be posturing. Unless a guy jumps up to one of the first couple overall picks, the upside is incredibly outweighed by the downside. Not to mention the money given up by wasting that year (or 3 if a HS kid goes to college) and not getting to free agency more quickly. So in that sense, if the intent to keep costs down (and the union and owners have different reasons for wanting that), the changes are going to effectuate the intent.

The draftees and agents can cry all they want about it. But rationally thinking, why should a drafted guy get so much money when he hasn't proven a damn thing? The current MLB players don't want it because they think that money should go to them. The owners don't want it because they'd just rather not spend it.

Kevin Goldstein‏@Kevin_Goldstein
@BleacherNation Every pick is individual. If (when) Almora signs, he's going to get way more than Zimmer.

I would think a lot of it has to have something to do with if the kid has any real brains or not. If a kid like Almora has a brain, he can do well in college and maybe survive the loss of his big payday if he gets severely injured playing for whatever school he claims he is planning on going to. He'll survive, but still really rue the day he didn't grab that big bucket of money that would have set him up for life.

In other words, if he's got a brain, at all, he'll take the money. He can go to college and pay for it easily if his career goes to hell. But if goes to college, and gets hurt, or somehow just loses it or can't excel for some reason, pffffft, he's in student loan land borrowing thousands of dollars instead of racing around in a fancy car with a babe on his lap.

AzPhil- As far as pitchers go, who have you been most impressed with through Ext ST? Thanks

double rainbow @yankee stadium

i wonder what it means.

They have good taste in ice cream?

93rd and western

But was it a double complete rainbow?

I thought the combination of Jeter and ARod was considered a double rainbow?

Should've been at Marlin's Park.

A.J. Pierzynski was almost a Cub in 2004.

volstad (AAA)

7ip 8h 4r 3er 0bb 7k (1hr)

Does the money caps include scholarship money? If a man thinks lambskin is important (such as Cardenas), clubs should include a plan maybe worked out with considerations for family as well. Good will all around...

Keith Law article on where each first round draft pick ranks in their respective clubs minor league system:

Chicago Cubs: Albert Almora

Almora immediately becomes the Cubs' best prospect, even over Anthony Rizzo.

Gotta sign him first.

That seems odd. I didn't think Almora was a really high ceiling prospect (high floor but low ceiling). Rizzo may not be either, but there would seem to be much less risk that he will reach that ceiling.

So I wonder if this means that Law thinks Almora has a higher ceiling or that Rizzo has a lower one?

Not sure about Rizzo, but somebody (maybe Goldstein?) put Almora over Baez, saying that Almora had a higher floor but probably a lower ceiling. People seem to think that Almora is more of a sure thing, though won't be a superstar.

Rating him over Baez makes given how far each are away from the majors, but Rizzo is like two-three weeks from being called up so either his ceiling is real low or Almora's floor is real high.

Maybe with all these kids signing quickly we can actually see some of these first and second rounders get in some playing time before the season ends. Then I'll listen, at least a little, to the comparisons pundits want to make between them and players already in pro ball.

More on the Soler saga:

(Not a signing report)

Anybody else notice that the walk rates for Ha, Szczur, and Lake are all up this year? Vitters needs to get on that train, but it makes me wonder whether that might not be partly the influence of organizational philosophy. It could just be coincidence, though.

Vitters needs to get on that train

The Chicago Cubs need to get on that train.

True. Castro's walk rate is way down this year. I'm not really psyched about what Castro has done in the first few months. More of what we all new he could already do.

Seems like we ought to be farther into the season than we are. Wow. Four more months of this and then a whole off-season of waiting for them to field a better team.

It is, must be, The Cubs Way, grasshopper.

Lake was on the DL, but Ha, Szczur and Jackson all had rough Aprils, and I remember thinking that they might have undergone some high-level "coaching" and were trying to sort a few things out. So yes, I think they all tried to look at more pitches (though Jackson probably was looking at enough already).

I thought the same thing just looking at the box scores and stats, it seems like other than Rizzo at Iowa they all were starting out slow, and I think they were making big adjustments. Not just the obvious guys but everyone down through the system. If you will recall there were some pretty high numbers last year but average OBP's. I don't get to see the minor leaguers because I'm in the Chicago area but there must be some of you guys out there who go to the minor league games who have a better feeling for it than I do.

per Muskat...Ty'Relle Harris to Iowa, Frankie De La Cruz on DL with quad strain

(Harris was obtained in DLee trade to Bravos)

Harris looks unhittable, it seems, but unfortunately it also appears the strike zone is often unhittable when he is on the mound.

Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN
Sources: Next round of bids for Jorge Soler are due this weekend, and right now, the most aggressive teams are Cubs, Yankees, ATL, and LAD.

tonight lineup vs PJ Walters (RHP)

Johnson7/Castro6/DeJesus9/Soriano,DH/LaHero3/Mather8/Clevenger2/Barney4/Stewart5...and TWood

at least stewart can get some more walks on his line batting 8th.

this team is bleh...just bleh...

no hope out of the gate...delivered.

"at least stewart can get some more walks on his line batting 8th."

Actually 9th. (AL rules.)

oh yeah...they had him 8th the other day...forgot it's time to play DH league ball...bleh.

Next round of bids for Jorge Soler
What is this, the NCAA tourney?

Cubs get the play-in game?

First set of bids disappointing to agents and they're giving it another try?

Latest article up on it:

Bruce Levine on the radio said the White Sox were still very much in on him.

for those of you that won't be attending the concert at Wrigley Field tonight...

Here is the preceding setlist from June 4th. Video clips of each song included (although most are from older shows including guest appearance with David Gilmour in a London show):

So you think you might want to go to the show?

Playing 1b though, so he probably isn't close to coming back. RBI single in his first at bat.

2 run HR in his second AB.

Rizzo hit HR #18 tonight vs Nashville. Solo shot

oooooooo sori...that's an oldschool sori homer (career 350).

cubs up 2-0, top 1st, 2 out.

sori beats out an infield hit to 3rd busting his ass running the whole way...

that umm...uhh...

it's been so many years.

twins tie on the 3rd triple of the game (i.stewart/castro + some itallian sandwich meat that plays for MIN)...5-5 in the 6th.

upper deck solo sori bomb...cubs lead 7-6, top 8

wow...bottom 9th, another triple (almost a homer)...tie game...0 out, man on 3rd.

So when do you think soriano will get suspended ?

i'd rather he just share.

oh's time for the 5-man infield, 2 OF'r setup.

he's 0/2 using it so far. looks like this may be a favorite of his.

...make it 1/3...2 outs, mather returns to the OF...and out baseball.

10th inning...1st/3rd, 1 out...5-man infield time again.

also, dejesus to LF - soriano to RF because a righty pull hitter is up.

fail...twins win.

Watching cubs and listening to " Bitch's Brew" for first time

Quite the contrast

Miles blows, the Cubs just blow.

LouPa at Lasorda's could have been last supper

Weird bullpen usage tonight

2ip 1h 0r 1bb 4k for m.prior (BOS, AAA)

if he keeps this up BOS could have a m.prior/r.hill bullpen. lulz/sigh.

3g 4.2ip 3h 0r 2bb 10k (fastball 90-92mph when he left extended spring camp at the end of may)

prior and hill ever on cubs same time?

Last night Pink Floyd was at Wrigley, stink Floyd was at the Cell;_ylt=AjN...

cubs in the top 3 for least efficient teams.

From the twitter feed: ESPNStatsInfo #Cubs lose their 12th straight 1-run game. Elias tells us that's a franchise record. Previous mark of 11 set in 1915.

Baseball Prospectus posting from yesterday sums up the Cubs 2012 season succinctly:

Daily Hit List
Friday, June 8

by Matthew Kory

And the Cubs' playoff odds are at 0.

Ugh. Enough of Johnson, Baker, and Mather in the lineup all at once. Sit one of them so that LaHair can start. I don't care that a lefty is on the mound. Probably keep playing Baker, at 3B against LHP, so that maybe he can have a little success against lefties and become tradeable. Johnson is probably the guy to sit. And it's time to dump 1 or 2 of them pretty soon.

Clevenger throws out someone, well not really as he was safe, but close enough.

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