MLB Pipeline released its prospect team on Monday. And the three Cubs received the weekly honor.
3B Kris Bryant, 1B Dan Vogelbach and C Kyle Schwarber grabbed three of the 10 spots. Which as Jim Callis said should not come as a surprise because the Cubs “have the best collection of young hitters that baseball as seen in years.”
Kris Bryant is still considered a prospect and according to Jim Callis, “no prospect performed better during the week of May 11-17 than Bryant” and he put up the numbers in the majors. Bryant went 10-for-25 with a triple, three home runs, eight RBI, six strikeouts and he walked seven times in seven games (.455/.567/.955). With his recent power surge, as Jim Callis pointed out Bryant has hit 59 home runs in 210 games in pro ball.
Kyle Schwarber made the prospect team for the third time in four weeks. In seven games, Schwarber batted .360/.467/.880 with a double, four home runs, eight RBI, eight runs scored, five walks and seven strikeouts.
In seven games, Dan Vogelbach hit .421/.633/.684 with two doubles, a home run, seven runs scored, 11 walks and four strikeouts.
• MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Week (May 11-17)
Roster Moves
The Cubs posted four roster moves on the team’s official transactions page Monday.
LHP Phil Coke was designated for assignment. RHP Brian Schlitter and RHP Dallas Beeler were optioned to Triple-A Iowa and LHP Tsuyoshi Wada was activated from the 15-day DL. Wada is scheduled to make his first big league start of the season Wednesday. The Cubs are one of three teams to use only five starters this season. When Wada takes the mound Wednesday, the Brewers and Tigers will be the two teams left that have used five starters this season.
The Cubs are expected to recall OF Junior Lake from Triple-A Iowa prior to Tuesday’s game.
There have not been any official announcements of the changes the Cubs made to the active roster.
Dallas Beeler
The Cubs activated RHP Dallas Beeler from the disabled list and optioned the right hander to Triple-A Iowa. Beeler was sent on a rehab assignment on April 25 after starting the season on the 15-day DL.
The move was procedural and had to be done with his rehab assignment set to expire.
Dallas Beeler has struggled with Iowa as he basically has been going through Spring Training. Beeler is 0-3 in five starts with a 10.53 ERA and a 2.19 WHIP. Beeler has allowed 26 runs, 23 earned, on 28 hits with 15 walks and 15 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings.
Iowa Batting Order
RHP Donn Roach started Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. And Roach batted eighth in the I-Cubs lineup, in what appears to be the first time Marty Pevey hit his pitcher eighth this season.
Iowa’s starting nine Monday: Arismendy Alcantara 2B, Matt Szczur CF, Javier Baez SS, Christian Villanueva 3B, Mike Baxter LF, Taylor Teagarden C, Taylor Davis 1B, Donn Roach P and John Andreoli RF.
The I-Cubs beat the Dodgers 3-2 on Monday night. Matt Szczur went 4-for-4 with a run scored. Szczur stole home in the first inning as part of a double steal with Javier Baez (1-for-4 with a run scored, a strikeout and a stolen base). Taylor Davis was 3-for-4 with two doubles and John Andreoli was 2-for-4.
Donn Roach improved to 5-0 on the season. Roach gave up two runs, one earned, on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts in six innings. Chris Heisey took Roach deep, a solo homer in the sixth inning. Roach has allowed 12 runs, 11 earned, on 43 hits with 20 strikeouts and 11 walks in 50 1/3 innings this year over eight starts.
Blake Cooper recorded his second save of the season.
Blake Cooper
RHP Blake Cooper gave up a hit and a walk in the ninth inning on Monday. But he kept Oklahoma City off the board. Cooper has appeared in 15 games for the I-Cubs this season. In 20 2/3 innings, Cooper has allowed nine runs, four earned, on 14 hits with 21 strikeouts and seven walks (1.74 ERA, 1.02 WHIP).
Cooper has been mentioned as a possibly for the Cubs bullpen at some point this season as the front office searches for solutions.
Blake Cooper and his wife decided to forgo living in an apartment or renting a house in Des Moines. The couple lives in a camper at the Adventureland Campground according to a report from the Des Moines Register.
Iowa Roster
LHP Daniel Schlereth was added to Iowa’s roster as he tries to pitch his way back to the majors. The Cubs signed Schlereth to a minor league contract on April 26. Schlereth spent time at the Cubs facility in Mesa before reporting to Iowa.
Schlereth has not pitched for the I-Cubs.
The 29-year old lefty last pitched in the majors for the Detroit Tigers in 2012. Schlereth made 38 appearances in the Pirates and Tigers systems last year. Schlereth was 2-3 with a 5.94 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP.
• Cubs Sign LHP Daniel Schlereth to a Minor League Contract
News, Notes and Rumors
• The Sun-Times took a look at the Kris Bryant effect and what having him and Anthony Rizzo in the lineup has done to the Cubs’ production. And Comcast SportsNet also noted the Cubs are seeing The Kris Bryant Effect.
• The Red Sox outrighted OF Allen Craig to Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday. And Craig was removed from the Red Sox 40-man roster. The Cubs were reportedly interested in Craig in Spring Training but those rumors went away as quickly as they popped up. Craig passed through waivers, so all 29 teams passed on Craig. Before he was optioned to Triple-A, Craig hit .135/.237/.192 in 24 games for the Sox. The former All-Star is expected to accept the assignment. Craig is owed $5.5 million for this season and $23 million over the final three years of his contract ($9 million in 2016, $11 million in 2017, $13 million in 2018).
• Mark Grote got the backstory of why Pedro Strop wears his hat the way he does.
• The Tribune reported Doug Glanville thinks a Sammy Sosa-Cubs reunion would be a win-win.
• ESPN Chicago reported roster moves loom and asked how aggressive with the Cubs be?
• Cubs landed at No. 7 on Comcast SportsNet power rankings.
• Ken Davidoff talked to scouts about Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz … and asked them to compare the Mets’ top two young arms.
• Jon Heyman pointed to the Mets as the reason the Cubs and Mets have not made a trade. The Mets are not the easiest team to make a deal with according to Heyman. As for the Cubs, they “are dealers.” The Cubs are “a team willing to deal but it takes two to tango.”
And last, but not least, with the Marlins making a change and going way outside of the box by naming Dan Jennings their new skipper, Ken Rosenthal looked at the other managers that may be on the hot seat.
This Day In Cubstory
2012 – Kerry Wood voluntarily retired from the Cubs
2012 – Cubs purchased Koyie Hill from the Reds
2004 – Cubs released Ariel Prieto
2002 – Fred McGriff tied Ellis Burks’ record of homering in 40 different Major League ballparks when he hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning at Miller Park that tied the game at three. The Cubs beat the Brewers 4-3 in 11 innings.
2001 – Cubs signed free agent Ron Mahay
1973 – Cubs traded Joe Pepitone to the Braves for Andre Thornton
1972 – Scott McClain, born
1970 – Cubs traded Garry Jestadt to the Padres for Chris Cannizzaro
1967 – Turk Wendell, born
1960 – Cubs traded Art Ceccarelli to the Yankees for Mark Freeman
1959 – Cubs traded Chick King to the Cardinals for Irv Noren
1956 – Luis Salazar, born
1942 – The St. Louis Browns returned Babe Dahlgren to the Cubs after he failed to hit in two pinch-hit at bats. The Brooklyn Dodgers purchased Babe Dahlgren from the Cubs.
1941 – Cubs pitcher Claude Passeau hit a grand slam off of Hugh Casey and the Cubs scored nine runs in the second inning in route to a 14-1 win over the Dodgers at Wrigley Field. Brooklyn manager, Leo Durocher protested the game by claiming the Cubs were over the 25-man roster limit. The protest was tossed out but the Cubs were fined for $500 for the infraction. The Dodgers also protested the mound at Wrigley was several inches over the 15 inch height allowed. At the suggestion of the umpires, Hugh Casey pitched from several inches in front of the mound.
1928 – Cubs won their 13th game in a row as they edged the Braves 3-2 at Wrigley Field on a Charlie Root sacrifice fly. Hack Wilson homered in the victory. The winning streak ended the next day.