http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2013 ... -the-call/

By John Arguello, today at 9:43 am

The Cubs are putting Luis Valbuena on the DL and 2B Logan Watkins is getting the call to replace him on the roster. Watkins is hitting .243/.333/.379 with 8 HRs and 10 SBs, though he has been caught 9 times.

Watkins is an athletic player but he's more of a grinder than the kind of guy who will blow you away with his skills. He can do a little bit of everything; run, solid defense, hit for a little pop, and he'll take a walk (11% rate this year). He has struggled this season at the plate and the question is how much he can hit. He has especially struggled against LHP (.226/.320/.338) and has done so for the past two seasons.

So what we can probably expect is that he can help fill in around the infield along with the recently called up Donnie Murphy. Watkins has the arm to play 3B. though he has played there only once in his professional career. He can also fill in in the OF, having played 45 games in CF, including 3 this season.

Watkins is an interesting story as a draft pick, having been more known for his football skills (QB, DB) in Goddard, Kansas. But the Cubs selected him in the 21st round and paid him an overslot bonus of $500,000 to forgo a potential college football career. He has bulked up a bit since being drafted and isn't quite the runner he was back then, but he has substituted a little pop, putting up a decent ISO for a middle infielder of around .140 over the past two seasons.

He's an exciting player who will grind things out and if he hits, he'll be a favorite among many Cubs fans for his style of play. Looking forward to seeing how he fares against MLB pitching.

Excellent news. I will be very interested to see how he does. I think he might be a pleasant surprise.

....and Cole Gillespie is still brutal at the plate. Hopefully Murphy replaces him in the lineup. IDK how you can keep trotting .188 out there Dale.

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A 2 run double for Olt!!!!

Edwards was going to pitch for Daytona but it rained...like it does everyday. They may never play again this season.

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Olt with a Home Run and 3 walks!!!!!! What a beast

Veterano Edgar Gonzalez though.....god damn man.....3 bombs. Brett Jackson would have to strike out 125 times before hitting 3 home runs and this cat did it in 1 game.

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Hendricks has been promoted to AAA after a dominant season in AA this year. He was part of the dempster deal.

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Baez said he has been working hard with the hitting coach in AA and it is showing. He is hitting the ball all over the field now and not just the bomb and 3 k's. Average is up to .262. I love seeing that he is willing to work with the coaches and is not content being a .200 all or nothing power hitter.

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Baez is now 4-4 tonight and has the average up to .277 and no homers either tonight.

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Pierce Johnson in Daytona and Kyle Hendricks in Iowa both absolutely shoved tonight which is awesome considering they are 2 of the few pitchers that actually matter in the Cubs system. Starling Paralta was great as well but he has blown plenty of times. Once of the most bipolar pitchers I have ever followed. It was Hendricks AAA debut after dominating the Southern League earlier this season.

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He just might be a thing. Definitely on pace to be here late 2014.

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Since when is May considered "late"?


Hey I stumbled upon this on a baseball reference link

2014 Contending Cubs
http://www.obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/2014-contending-cubs-part-1-payroll.html

http://www.obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/2014-contending-cubs-part-2-depth.html

Bryant hit his 4th in Boise last night. He has knocked the rust off himself and probably some groupies in Idaho. Time for KC.

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Bryant promoted to Daytona where it began to rain. Again.

Sending a prospect to Daytona in August is the same thing as giving them the rest of the summer off. Hopefully they send him to the AFL with the rest of the Daytona prospects who aren't playing because of the weather.

Daytona is in first while Kane County is in last. He'll play more games in Daytona.

Daytona is going to make the playoffs so he will get his AB's there.

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In celebration of Bryant's promotion.....Olt, Vitters and Baez all go yard and Jackson goes 0-3 and is out of the lineup for game 2.

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Looks like Cougars 1B Dan Voglebach is joining Bryant in Daytona

Josh Timmers (@Cubsminorswrap)
8/12/13, 9:49 PM
RT @KevinDruley Cubs promote @KCCougars 1B/DH Dan Vogelbach (@Flowbro3) to Advanced-A Daytona after Monday's game

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If he gets healthy, I wonder if Albert Almora will be joining Daytona before the season is over or does the latest injury set him back.

Maybe Soler can come back. He only had a stress fracture. Its a 7 day DL in the minors for everything so technically they could. Almora could very well go up for the playoff push if he is healthy.

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Vogelbach and Bryant both go deep for Daytona today.

So far so good on Bryant.

Bryant has left the yard again in Daytona!!!

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Fucking Vitters is back on the DL after pulling yet another lower body muscle this year.

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This kid is gonna be a monster.

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Isn't Brett Jackson another one who is injury prone. I seem to remember seeing him rehab for the Cubs AZL team around the time Bryant got there and DeJesus was there.

I think he just sucks like Brandon Wood did. He is in AA now and he can't hit there either.

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Don't forget about me...........Baez is 2-3 with 2 doubles and 3 rbi early in tonights game for the Smokies. Jackson not in the lineup. Maybe he went up to take vitters spot or he is hurt again.

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While we are talking about this crop of players, the TheoThinkTank (Triple T) has amassed quite a collection of 16 and 17 year old International players this year, who will not be ready for next year or the year after, but these are the guys other teams will want and will trade players for.

If the Cubs played in the Sox division I would look for a better result in 2014, but playing in a division that will produce 3 playoff teams, you cant collect some veterans and hope to win, because the other teams arent that good.

I dont think the Cubs are that far behind a team like Cleveland, who is about 10 games above .500 in AL Cent, even KC is above .500. I think the Cubs could easily become other of those teams, but that doesnt get them over Cinci, St Louis or Pitt.

Lets see if this can become a realistic debate, instead of the Sox fans getting bent out of shape because they have a bad divsion.

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“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.’”

become? The Cubs essentially ARE the Royals3-5 years ago

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