http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/08/cubs-to-promote-javier-baez.html
The Cubs will promote star prospect Javier Baez in time for tomorrow’s game
against the Rockies at Coors Field, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports
(Twitter link). Corresponding moves still need to be made to make room for the Puerto Rico native on both the Cubs’ 25- and 40-man rosters. Baez is a
client of the Wasserman Media Group, as he just hired his new representation
last week.
Baez is a consensus top-10 prospect in the game,as detailed in recent midseason
minor league rankings by Baseball Prospectus (which puts him at #5),MLB.com
(#6), Baseball America (#7) and ESPN’s Keith Law (#8).
The 21-year-old impressed many with a big Spring Training performance but then
got off to a slow start in his first couple of months at Triple-A. After 434
plate appearances for Iowa, however, Baez is hitting .260/.323/.510 with 23
home runs, so it seems his power swing is ready for the big league spotlight.
Originally drafted ninth overall in the 2011 draft, Baez has a .278/.336/.545
slash line over 1350 PA as a professional, cranking 76 homers and stealing 62
bases (of 79 attempts) over his four minor league seasons. The 2014 Baseball
America Prospect Handbook says that Baez could stand to slow down some of the
natural aggressiveness in his game, yet raved about his “special bat speed”
and baseball instincts. The Handbook gave Baez’s power a 75 scouting grade
(out of 80) and said “he profiles as an all-star-caliber, 30-homer infielder
wherever he lands.”
It seems likely that Baez will land at second base for his Major League
debut, with Starlin Castro entrenched at shortstop at Arismendy Alcantara
(another well-regarded prospect) capable of shifting to center field. Baez
is a natural shortstop but has seen playing time at the keystone at Triple-A
in preparation for both playing alongside Castro and because there is some
concern that he might be better suited for second or third base over the long
term. With Castro locked into an expensive contract through at least 2019
and a wealth of strong infield prospects (Baez, Alcantara, Kris Bryant,
Addison Russell) in Chicago’s system, it will be interesting to see how the
Cubs juggle all these young talents in the coming years.
小熊将顶级新秀 Javier Baez升上大联盟
Baez将在明天在Coors Field对上落矶生涯以二垒手Debut(因为SS已经被Castro占走了)
原本的二垒手Arismendy Alcantara将被移防至中外野
小熊农场体系二三游充满了一堆棒子(Baez, Alcantara, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell)
当家看板游击手Starling Castro的合约要到2019年才到期 如何让这些新秀都可以上场
将是小熊球团最伤脑筋的一件事
垄断游击手 美国Lamigo?!