Why could they not have waited until they hired a new GM to do some of this though? Now the new GM has douchebag Crane Kenney to deal with and while Flieta has some credibility and respect to him prospective GM's may not agree with his philosophy. I will tell you one thing though. The minor league field director better be gone after this season.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

fleita basically is the minor league director.

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Git on back there.

He is a suit though. Think of him as the GM of the minor leagues. There is a uniformed guy who is like a super manager of all the minor league teams and he runs minor league spring training and the instructional league. This guy essentially oversees the teaching of fundamentals and the fundamentals look like shit on too many young players for him to keep his job.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

By Bruce Levine

A meeting with scouting director Tim Wilken is next on Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts’ to-do list before he hires his next general manager.

Ricketts already extended the contract of vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita for four years, including a good-sized raise, in order to keep him from taking a job with the Detroit Tigers.

According to MLB sources, Wilken will meet with Ricketts over the weekend of Sept. 16 to discuss the state of the scouting department and his current contract status.

As it stands, Wilken has one year remaining on his deal, the same as Fleita before his extension last week.

Part of the Cubs’ recent success in developing talent has been directly linked to Wilken and his scouts signing better players for the system.

Darwin Barney, Andrew Cashner, Casey Coleman, Jeff Samardzija, Tyler Colvin and farm-system jewel Brett Jackson are just a few of the Cubs’ signings since Wilken took over the amateur and pro scouting job in December of 2005.

Before joining the Cubs, Wilken had a long, successful career in scouting and development with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays. A sample size of players he was directly involved in the signing and development of includes Roy Halladay, Shawn Green, Michael Young and Vernon Wells.

Like Fleita, Wilken will have a number of teams interested in his services. If the Cubs decide to make a further commitment to Wilken, the next general manager will have two vital positions in place when he takes over. There will, however, be some flexibility for Ricketts and his next general manager to make changes to those spots in the near future. Fleita’s deal (and a possible one for Wilkens) will be structured creatively with buyouts and options to benefit both the team and the executives.

It’s possible that some GM candidates may initially balk at having both a minor league director and scouting director in place. However, Ricketts is staunchly supportive of the current and future value of Fleita and Wilken in the Cubs organization.

IMO This guy is vastly overrated.

Might be overrated. Wonder how much input Hendry had on decisions as well. Need to look at the whole picture.

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And FanBoy is going to make the decision, not the new GM, nor a Team President.

Depends on the GM. Given that Ricketts threw a lot of money out for this year's draft, I can only assume he doesnt give that much input and trusts the GM and staff. If he by some chance gets a good proven GM, I can't see him having much oversight.

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You missed the point. The guy evaluating Wilken is FanBoy, not the new GM or a Team President such as Pat Gillick.

These guys both have 1 yr left on their contracts. FanBoy should focus on the new GM and give him a free reign.

It's absolutely stupid to sign these people who have done nothing to deserve extensions before hiring a GM.

Ricketts is a joke.*


*I reserve the right to change my mind if he hires Friedman.

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Git on back there.

Chris Carpenter not happy about not getting called up and apparently a bit emo


CCarp37 Chris Carpenter
Nice to know how ppl really feel about you....headed back home for the offseason.

CCarp37 Chris Carpenter
9 hr drive home... To much time to think bout things, driving myself crazy... #hardworkpaysoffonlysometimesiguess

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Team Cutler.

There was absolutely no reason to not bring him up other than Quade won't pitch him. They already burned his option for this year. I have no idea why this organization does anything that it does.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

FanBoy pinching pennies is the most logical explanation. Total joke once again.

How is Carpenter not being called up a financial issue, aka pinching pennies?

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Minor league salary vs major league salary and daily meal money allotment and travel costs. If that were the reason it would be serious penny pinching. 5-10 k at the most.

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Darwin Barney, a role player on a championship team.

Andrew Cashner, I still don't get the hype, one good start this year, gets hurt. ERA close to 5 last year. In a Sun times article, was called a rookie pitching sensation....WHAAAAAt?!

Jeff Samardzija, good year this year, still only a middle reliever.

Tyler Colvin, in over 600 career plate appearances, batting avg of .216, over 150 K.

Brett Jackson, who knows.

So this is Bruce Levine's idea of developing talent successfully? If this is the best the cubs can do, it is more of a reason to fire Wilken and Fleita and his scouts...unless you think ( like I do) that the instruction the Cub prospects receive is greatly inadequate and player development is more of an issue that scouting talent.

The Cubs were also able to package some prospects and acquire a big time pitcher (whether they should have done this at this juncture in time is debatable).

There are some other guys at the lower levels who are better than some prospects they have had in the past.

Szczur, Easterling, Jae Hoon Ha

Justin Bour, Evan Crawford (Fontenot trade), Rebel Ridling all had nice years.

Guy to keep your eye on.....Junior Lake. He will probably end up at 3rd. Young Dominican player who is at SS now but at 6'3 215 he probably projects to 3rd or a corner spot in the OF.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

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Congrats to the 2011 Florida State League Champion Daytona Cubs!!

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Disappointing 2011 Prospects: NL Central

Chicago Cubs
FanGraphs 2011 Top 10 Prospects
Decreased Value: Josh Vitters, 3B; Hayden Simpson, RHP

I can’t decide who disappointed me more in 2011 so I’m going to touch on both Vitters and Simpson – two former No. 1 draft picks. Vitters continues to tease prospect watchers with flashes of potential with the bat. He has a nice swing but his approach leaves a lot to be desired and he has yet to connect two and two together to make four when it comes to the underlying cause for his offensive struggles (the lack of patience and his inability to work the count to gain favorable pitches to hit). Yes, his overall offensive numbers look better in ’11 but not significantly so and his glove work at third base suggests a move to first base could be in the cards, which will put even more pressure on his bat.

The organization went out on a very thin, brittle limb when it took Simpson with the 16th-overall pick of the 2010 draft. Considered by most as a huge over-draft, the right-hander never really recovered from a nasty case of mononucleosis that caused him to lose about 20 pounds (and he wasn’t a big guy to begin with). His fastball reportedly sat in the low-to-mid 80s during while pitching this past season. A college draftee, Simpson will turn 23 towards the end of May in 2012 so time is not on his side. He didn’t get out of low-A ball in ’11 and might have to return there next season.


http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... l-central/

Vitters was a top prospect at one time, anyone would have taken him as a top 10 pick.

Simpson, on the other hand was all Tim Wilkens, many didnt have this kid top 10 rounds, yet alone first round!

Your are going to have busts, I can live with that, but this Simpson kid had nothing and still has nothing.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Agreed. Vitters was highly touted. Wilken actally compared Simpson to Lincecum. What a joke. He never should have been drafted any higher than the 4th round.

I'll give Simpson 1 more year due to the the severe mono. If he sucks next year, then jettison him.

Vitters blows. Just get rid of him so we don't need to hear about him anymore.

They never get rid of guys, because you need bodies and just in case a guy gets it later in life they dont want to lose him.

I am still waiting on our first above average pacific rim player!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

He is....or was until the season ended.....kicking ass in High A and AA for the Rays. They had another kid in Ha who looked like a good outfield prospect in AA this year.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

It would be a shame to see this kid actually be a really good MLB player at 29 next year! Knowing hendry never promoted the kid even when he was team MVP at AAA.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I would have liked the Cubs sign a few more FA SP last presesaon and just give 1st base to some ML guys.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Vitters hit 2 bombs to kick off the Arizona Fall League. Not a damn thing wrong with that. Great to see. This is usually a very solid league of prospects.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

The Arizona Fall League is a hitters paradise. There were 7 home runs hit in that game. That's why most teams shy away from sending their top pitching prospects to the AFL because they're afraid they'll get shell-shocked.