My 2014 Hall of Fame Ballot

This years Hall of Fame ballot is filled with numerous stars and very talented players that makes it tough to determine who should get in.

1. Greg Maddux
Easily one of the best pitchers of all time. Had great command and got outs without throwing too much pitched. He had a lifetime 3.16 ERA with 999 walks in 5008.1 innings. At one point in his career he won 4 straight Cy Young Awards posting a 1.98 ERA in that time period. He pitched for the Braves, Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres.

2. Craig Biggio
One of the greatest hitters to ever play on the Astros. He hit .281/.363/.433 with 3060 hits and 291 home runs as primarily a second baseman for the Astros. He hit well compared to other second baseman.

3. Frank Thomas
A great power hitter with 521 career home runs and a .555 career slugging percentage should lead him into the HOF. He had his best years in a White Sox uniform hitting .307/.427/.568 for them with 448 home runs. His plate discipline was also well known as he walked more times than he struck out in his career with 1667 walks and 1397 punchouts. He played for the White Sox, A's, and Blue Jays.

4. Barry Bonds
Despite being dogged by steroid rumors Bonds still makes my ballot. He is baseballs all-time home run leader and is the only player eligible for the Hall of Fame with an OPS over 1.000. He drew an unprecedented 2558 walks in his career for an OBP of .444. The 7-time MVP played for the Giants and Pirates in his career.

5. Sammy Sosa
The Cubs most prolific slugger hit .273/.344/.534 in his career with 609 career home runs. He is probably best known for chasing Mark McGwire in 1998 for the single season home run record. The 7-time All Star played for the Cubs, White Sox, Rangers, and Orioles.

6. Jack Morris
One of the most underrated pitchers of all time Morris pitched 3824 innings in his career with a 3.90 ERA. He punched out 2478 and walked 1390. He is best known for his 10 inning complete game in game 7 of the 1991 World Series in which the Twins eventually won. Morris pitched for the Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays, and Indians.

7. Roger Clemens
The great pitcher pitched to a 3.12 ERA in 4916.2 innings in his career with a 354-184 W-L record. Clemens punched out 4672 in his career while walking 1580.  He is also known for his involvement in baseballs steroid scandal being a suspected user and his involvement in multiple bench clearing brawls. He played for the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, and Astros in his career.

8. Mike Piazza
One of the best hitting catchers of all time Piazza hit .307/.377/.545 in his career with 427 career home runs. He was drafted in the 60th round of the MLB draft as a favor but he has become a Hall of Fame caliber player. Piazza had a .922 career OPS and has been one of the best hitting catchers of all time.

9. Tom Glavine
A member of Atlantas "Big Three" in the 90's Glavine was one of baseballs best pitchers during the 90's with a 164-87 record with 2228 innings pitched and 1465 strikeouts and adding 2 Cy Young Awards. Glavine finished 305-203 in his career with 2607 strikeouts and 4413.1 innings pitched. He pitched for the Braves and the Mets in his career.

10. Tim Raines
A very underrated hitter has been on the ballot far too long without induction but I am going to vote for him. He was a very good hitter and quick on the base paths. He hit .294/.385/.425 in his career with 808 career stolen bases. He had 2604 career hits and hit 170 career home runs. Raines played for the Expos, White Sox, Yankees, A's, Marlins, and O's in his career.

Javier Baez is a Top 5 Prospect

According to Baseball Prospectus writer Jason Parks Javier Baez will be in the Top 5 in BP's top 101 Prospects due out early next year. It should come as no surprise as Baez had a wonderful season for Daytona and Tennessee hitting .282/.341/.578 with 37 home runs in 130 combined games. He also showed some speed with 20 stolen bases and 4 triples.

One of the concerns about Baez is his plate discipline. He was able to walk 40 times in 577 plate appearances but also struck out 147 times which is a 25% rate which is up from 21% in 2012. The issue is not a big one yet. He still has another season to improve his discipline before he is considered big league ready.

 Baez was better defensively than current Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro. Baez fielded only .932 with 44 errors but he had a range factor of 4.88 which is much better than Castros 4.11.

Baez has the potential to be a superstar and with the "Big Four" of Jorge Soler, Baez, Albert Almora, and Kris Bryant coming up soon the Cubs could be contenders as soon as 2015.

Cubs should sign Tanaka

The Cubs are building from the farm, but the problem is that they do not have many top pitching prospects at higher levels which means they need to go the trade route/open market to find pitchers. The Cubs do have Kyle Hendricks, a 24-year old RHP who was lights out in 166.1 innings pitched for AA and AAA. But they could always add more and adding Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka would add to their rotation.

Tanaka is a very special talent posting a 24-0 record last season which is absolutely amazing. Over a quarter of Rakutens wins came from Tanakas season. He has a splitter which drops out and he can command it. He doesn't have the power Yu Darvish has but he can locate his pitched effectively and efficiently. Tanaka also rarely gives up home runs with 6 given up in 212 innings.

Cubs rotation if they sign Tanaka:

1. Tanaka
2. Jeff Samardzija
3. Travis Wood
4. Edwin Jackson
5. Jake Arrieta

Cubs rotation if they do not sign Tanaka:

1. Samardzija
2. Wood
3. Jackson
4. Arrieta
5. Chris Rusin/Kyle Hendricks

Very early 2014 Cubs predictions

 Starting Lineup:
C Welington Castillo .265/.321/.452 16 home runs 72 RBIs
1B Anthony Rizzo: .273/.351/.478 28 home runs 95 RBIs
 2B Darwin Barney .221/.274/.321 2 home runs 26 RBIs
SS Starlin Castro .290/.336/.412 7 home runs 58 RBIs
3B Luis Valbuena .231/.326/.401 5 home runs 32 RBIs
LF Junior Lake .286/.321/.426 17 home runs 67 RBIs
CF Justin Ruggiano .251/.321/.436 22 home runs 71 RBIs
RF Nate Schierholtz .256/.308/.421 11 home runs 55 RBIs

Pitching Rotation:
SP Travis Wood 12-11 3.43 ERA 156 strikeouts
SP Jeff Samardzija 13-13 3.61 ERA 212 strikeouts
SP Edwin Jackson 8-12 4.12 ERA 143 strikeouts
SP Jake Arrieta 10-6 4.16 ERA 112 strikeouts
SP Chris Rusin 11-13 4.63 ERA 104 strikeouts

These are very early predictions so don't put too much weight on them. When Spring Training rolls around we will know more about who looks good and who doesn't. Also the offseason isn't done so any of these players could be traded as well.

Cubs sign reliever Jose Veras

The Cubs have added to their bullpen again as they have signed reliever Jose Veras to a 2-year 9.5 million dollar deal with the second year being a team option according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com also reported that Veras would be the Cubs closer. Veras, 32, had a nice season for the Astros and the Tigers in 2013 posting a 3.02 ERA in 67 games last season while saving 21 games.

Veras gave up 45 hits in 62.2 innings and has given up 300 in 377 career innings. A fantastic rate and something the Cubs would like to improve upon as they had an 8.3 H/9 last season. Veras also strikes out batters at a high rate as he struck out 60 batters in 67 games pitched.

I really like what the Cubs have done to their bullpen by adding 2 relievers who had nice years last year. If not closing Veras is at least a solid set up man.

Cubs interested in Jonathan Sanchez?

A report came out from Mark Gonzales in the Chicago Tribune that the Cubs were interested in FA LHP Jonathan Sanchez. This interest doesn't surprises me as the bottom of the rotation would be Jake Arrieta and Chris Rusin. It would be nice to be able to add another pitcher into the mix for the 5th spot.

Sanchez struggled in 4 starts for the Pirates this season posting a 11.85 ERA in 13.2 innings. He was released by the Pirates in early May and was picked up by the Dodgers where he struggled in their minor league system.

I think Sanchez, 31, could have a rebound year in 2014. He hasn't pitched well since 2011 but he actually walked less and struck out more batters than in 2012. The problem was giving up hits and giving up home runs but that could be fixed by trying to pitch down more.

If the Cubs sign him it will be on a minor league deal. It would be better to play it safe than risk some money on a struggling starter.

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Should the Cubs go after Kurt Suzuki or Lou Marson

Some of the free agent catchers on the open market include Lou Marson, John Buck, Hector Gimenez, and Kurt Suzuki. Some of these options are viable options to compete for the Cubs backup job. But only 2 of them I would actually consider signing and that would be Marson or Suzuki because they are in the 27-31 age range and have been productive in the past.

Lou Marson could be a good fit because he plays solid defense and has shown a good batting eye, including 36 walks in 235 plate appearances last season. He only played in 3 games in an injury plagued 2013. The only downside about Marson is hitting for average as he is hitting .219 in 882 MLB ABs. He also doesn't have much power with 5 career home runs. Most teams would probably look at him for his defense rather than his offense.

Kurt Suzuki could be a fit because like Marson he is solid defensively but doesn't have as good a batting eye as Marson. He does have offensive potential with some strong seasons behind the plate but he has slown down in recent seasons hitting only .234 in the past 2 seasons with 11 home runs. He is a much better slugger than Marson and that could be the biggest difference between them.

Both would be solid options for the Cubs but I think that Suzuki slightly edges out Marson because he has more power and has shown a much better offensive game than Marson.

Projecting the Chicago Cubs lineup and rotation

It is still early enough in the offseason that some free agents are available that the Cubs could target. But here is my projection for the Cubs lineup and starting pitchers.

1. Starlin Castro
Reason: Had a down year in 2013 that was helped by a .290 BABIP. Has good speed but batting eye is a cause for concern. Still has tremendous potential.
2. Darwin Barney
Reason: Another solid player who had a down year. Barney is likely going to have a bounceback year as he suffered from a awful BABIP. Not a power hitter by any means but could be someone who gets runners in scoring position for the 3-4-5 hitters.
3. Anthony Rizzo
Reason: Showed good power last year with 23 home runs in 160 games. Was able to draw 76 walks which was 6th in the NL. Another Cubs player who had a down year because of a low BABIP. Has moderate speed with 2 triples and 6 stolen bases.
4. Nate Schierholtz
Reason: Drove in 68 RBIs last season for the Cubs and was one of their better hitters with RISP. Had the best offensive season of his career ripping 21 home runs and hitting .251.
5. Wellington Castillo
Reason: Had a breakout 2013 with a .274 batting average and 8 home runs in 113 games. Also showed good eye with .349 OBP. He did have a .347 BABIP so it is possible his numbers could decline next year.
6. Junior Lake
Reason: Impressed the Cubs with a very impressive rookie year for the Cubs. Belted 6 home runs and stole 4 bases in 64 games for the Cubs. 5-tool potential and had a 1.3 oWAR. I am a bit concerned by his walk number but it could just be trying to get as many hits as possible in the MLB in his rookie season.
7. Luis Valbuena
Reason: Doesn't hit for the best average but provides power and can draw a good amount of walks. Most likely won't be the starter long if Mike Olt starts well in AAA.
8. Justin Ruggiano
Reason: The recently acquired outfielder will most likely be in the starting lineup for the Cubs. He did hit 18 home runs but had a low average and a low OBP that would most likely leave him in the bottom of the lineup.

Pitching staff
1. Travis Wood
Had a breakout year for the Cubs on the mound. Pitched 200 innings for the first time in his career and should do it again unless he gets hurt. Was the Cubs only all-star representative.
2. Jeff Samardzija
Had a good year for the Cubs in 2013. Set career highs in nearly every statistical category. He gave up over 200 hits and walked over 75. But managed to give up only 103 earned runs.
3. Edwin Jackson
Struggled in his first season in Chicago. Had a sharp decline in K/9 and a sharp increase in H/9. Expect him to bounce back in 2014.
4. Jake Arrieta
Pitched well in 9 starts for the Cubs. He lowered his BB/9 and H/9 after trade. Should fill in nicely in the rotation.
5. Chris Rusin
After a lights out July and August Rusin slumped in September. He is a good finesse pitcher and will close out the Cubs rotation.

Report: Yankees interested in Darwin Barney

With Robinson Cano leaving for the Seattle Mariners and their target to replace him Omar Infante signing with the Royals the Yankees have turned to smaller options. One of the options is Cubs 2B Darwin Barney.  Barney is coming off his worst offensive seasons as he hit .208 with a .569 OPS. Both are dismal numbers but were helped by a .222 BABIP. Barney is expected to earn somewhere between 2-4 million this year as he is eligible for salary arbitration..

What Barney is known for however, is his defense. He won the Rolaids Gold Glove in 2012 and should've won it this season but Brandon Phillips stole it from him. Barney made only 4 errors in 141 games at second base this tear. A great number but was double the amount of errors than his 2012 season where he tied an MLB record with most consecutive error less games. His defensive numbers were down in 2013 with a 4.36 range factor which was down from his 5.16 range factor last season.

I doubt the return for Barney will be much, but people have been saying the Cubs are interested in Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner who is reportedly available. Gardner, 30 is entering his last year of arbitration and is made 2.85 million in 2013. He had his best offensive season since 2011 hitting .273 with 24 steals and 10 triples. The Yankees want to trade Gardner because of their projected outfield of Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro, and Vernon Wells. All of them are owed big contracts and may be hard to move.

Hello!

You might know me from my other blog but I have decided to start another one focusing on the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are undergoing a massive rebuild as they are revamping every part of the organization. They already have a great farm system. But they need to wait until those players start to produce. I hope you follow my blog as we follow the Cubs adventure to win a championship.