Tomorrow is the big day! As such, I'm sure that preparations for large family gatherings, massive amounts of cooking, last minute gift shopping and wrapping, etc. etc. are all under way. No one has time to read baseball card blogs right now. Right?
Well, apparently I have a little time to write for one. The perks of having to be up for work at 5:30...
Anyway, in the last day or so, the Cubs have officially parted with a couple of role players. Nothing says "Merry Christmas!" quite like kicking someone out of the door. Since the name of this blog is Wrigley Roster Jenga and these moves fit that nameplate, I feel obligated to knock out a quick post.
Since this isn't all that interesting to anyone who doesn't root for the Cubs, it's no big deal since I'm sure everyone has far more important things going on.
First off, the Cubs have already parted ways with Brendan Ryan, the veteran utility man acquired as the PTBNL in the Starlin Castro/Adam Warren swap. His inclusion felt weird from the get-go; what use would the Cubs have for an all-glove, anemic bat middle infielder when the system is basically busting at the seems with better players up the middle.
Well, I think it's obvious now that he was sent to Chicago as a bit of salary relief for the Yankees, which feels weird to type having lived through the George Steinbrenner era.
Peace out Brendan, sorry you didn't get to be a real Cub.
Additionally, though he was designated for assignment last week; ironically, his removal from the 40-man was necessary to add the aforementioned Brendan Ryan to the roster (Roster Jenga'ing at it's finest, right here). He was officially commandeered... ahem.... I mean claimed by the Pirates yesterday.
The reliever with a live arm wasn't able to put anything together in Chicago, logging a 4.71 ERA and losing two full mph on the radar gun. Not good. All it cost to add Medina to the system was Welington Castillo, who went on to pop 17 homers in just 80 games with Arizona.
Well, not every trade can be of the Jake Arrieta/Pedro Strop fleecing variety, right?
To be fair, I don't think anyone saw his break out coming
And there you have it. There have been several other minor league signings in the last few days as well; however, I'll save coverage of those deals for my annual spring training ranking of the NRI's. I need to spread out my talking points, after all.
Besides, like you the readers, I too have a lot to accomplish in the next two days. Three different family parties in two different states and three different towns, not to mention I work both mornings. The holiday stress is real.
I guess it could be worse - I could have been cut from my job right before... sorry Mr. Ryan.
As everyone and their brother knows by now, the Cubs traded away Starlin Castro to the Evil Empire in exchange for Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan; this was done in order to make room for Ben Zobrist's big new contract. Until yesterday, Starlin was the longest tenured Cub on the roster... yadda, yadda, yadda.
Castro is wildly inconsistent but possesses great talent, which made him a bit of a "love 'em or hate 'em" type in the Windy City. He set a rookie record by driving in 6 runs in his first MLB game and, as such, the expectations set for him were never really fair. Still, he lead the league in hits (207) in his second campaign, was a 3x All-Star and managed to knock out almost 1,000 hits in his 6 years here. He's no slouch.
6 RBI, 6 years in Chicago.... hmmmm.... in honor of this new beginning, let's take a look at my top 6 favorite Starlin Castro cards currently residing in my collection. Everybody does top 5 and top 10 lists, so I'm going to be all different and eccentric and such.
Without further ado, let's start counting.
#6 - 2013 Panini Triple Play, No. 13
I know you think I've lost my mind already. This card is horrific, nightmare inducing and... you've all probably left to go throw up and rinse out your eyes... I'll wait.
Anyway, that's exactly why I love this card - it's so awful that it god-awfully awesome. It's cards like this one that probably put the nail in the coffin for this set, too many lawsuits about children gauging out their own eyes.
Bonus points for it being card no. 13, which was Starlin's jersey number here on the Northside.
#5 - 2010 Bowman Prospects, No. BP100
This was Starlin's second mass-produced baseball card his first to pass into my binders. He may have been a prospect when this card went to the presses, but by May of that season he was the starting shortstop for Chicago. It being my oldest card of him is enough for it to make this list alone; admittedly, there's nothing else particularly notable about this card.
This card gets bonus points for the chain-link fence cameo in the background; you don't see too much of that with cards of professional baseball players, do you?
#4 - 2015 Topps Heritage (DP Combo), No. 156
This card is symbolic - it represents the log jam that made his departure almost necessary for the team. By all accounts, he was the third best defensive middle infielder on the squad, behind his high-five partner Javy Baez and Addy Russell. While they might have briefly been a DP combo late in 2014, Castro was soon surpassed by both Baez and then Russell on the depth chart for SS.
This card gets points because I love symbolism and bonus points for the Ricky Renteria cameo right in the middle. Ricky never did get a Cubs card and, for that, I am sad.
#3 - 2012 Topps 1987 Minis, No. TM47
I started collecting baseball cards in the early to mid 90's, so there were a lot of '87 Topps floating around (ok, there still are A LOT). My collection had more than it's fair share of these wood-grained call-backs to 1962. The nostalgia is strong with this card; plus, I have a healthy love for wood-finishing when it comes to trading cards and furniture. Not even the fact that it's a mini can ruin this card for me.
The bonus tallies for this bad boy are earned by prominently displaying his proper knee-high socks, a look that just screams baseball to me.
OOOOO... shiny! I don't have many refractors in my collection, despite my fascination with shiny objects. I don't normally seek out parallels and I almost never pull them with a Cub as the subject. So, with it being fairly unique to my collection, it was definitely going to make my list; the only question was where.
Additionally, I think the lineage design was highly underrated and I wish it would have lasted longer. It's always reminded me of the graphics from a baseball video game like MLB Showdown or the Show or what have you. So, ummmm, bonus points for that.
And now the moment you've all been waiting for folks; certainly the anticipation is palpable out there in the blogosphere. Are you ready for this?
Drum-roll please!
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#1 - 2015 Topps Opening Day Franchise Flashback, No. FF17
It seems appropriate that an insert that shines the spotlight on the past should take the first spot in a retrospective countdown, doesn't it? I love throwback jerseys, you love throwback jerseys, everybody loves throwback jerseys - as evidenced by the plethora trotted out every year. It's about damn time a set was centered around the phenomenon.
While the design of the cards clearly evoke a 1970's vibe, Starlin is sporting a look from a decade previous. That right there is the 1964 road outfit, a look I am very much fond of. The Cubs dusted these off for a tilt in Philadelphia, honoring the 50th anniversary of Jim Bunning's perfecto, a game which I missed attending by one measly day. Drat.
Anywho, the red piping on the front and on the blue lettering really makes for a slick look on the gray faux-wool top. I'm not going to lie, the reason that this card takes the number one spot is because A) it might be my favorite Cubs uniform ever (road, at least) and B) I love the concept of the insert. Honestly, Starlin is playing third-banana here, not even second.
Spotlight stolen on his own countdown - sorry Starlin!
There you have it, my top 6 Starlin Castro cards in honor of his 6 seasons wearing Cubbie blue. It's been a wild ride for him, with some big time highs and some lowly lows in 2015 alone. Here's hoping that he finally is able to lay down some consistent success playing second base for the Bronx Bombers. I imagine that Yankee Stadium will assist his power numbers immensely.
So, I've beaten the acquisition of Dan Haren into the ground in my last two posts. It's time to properly give due to the second acquisition the Cubs made in the waning minutes of the MLB trade deadline: Tommy Hunter.
I put this one off because, unlike Haren, I didn't have a single card of this bullpen piece, However, yesterday I made a quick pit stop at the LCS to hunt down this 2013 Topps Heritage to represent the fire-baller in my CATRC:
Unlike the last reliever the Cubs added to the roster. Tommy actually made it into a game for the Northsiders before being sent away, making his debut last night in Milwaukee. Not that I thought he'd get the Ben Rowen treatment; but, the irrational side of me gets annoyed when the Cubs do that to a guy - see Varvaro, Anthony and Bard, Daniel as other recent examples.
Anyway, Hunter impressed in his first Cub appearance. Summoned to bail Jason Motte out of a jam with one out in the ninth of a 4-1 game, Hunter lit up the radar gun with 99mph speed and excellent control. Though he allowed an inherited runner to score (on a ground out), he got the job done and earned the save.
One more note on his Cubs debut: apparently, blue shoe are tough to come by on short notice:
Speedy and thrifty, Tim "the Toolman" Taylor would be proud!
Meanwhile, the cost to add Hunter to the roster wasn't particularly steep; but the name going the other way should be familiar:
As frustrating a player as has ever been seen on the Northside. Junior Lake has the athleticism and look of a MLB player, but has yet to capitalize on his flashes of brilliance. He has the tools and makeup, so here's hoping he figures it out in Baltimore.
Junior has never looked as good on the field as he does here on this 2014 Allen & Ginter card.
A product of the Hendry regime, Lake looks like another in the toolsy mold of Corey Patterson and Felix Pie; who, coincidentally, were also booted off the Baltimore. Interesante.
In the end, I will always hear his name in my head in the voice of Sean Connery:
I can't help it; the Indiana Jones franchise is near and dear to my heart - I even like the fourth one!
Back to baseball, while I've got your attention, the Cubs made a couple of roster moves today as well, DFA'ing Yoervis Medina and Taylor Teagarden to make room for Clayton Richard and Dan Haren:
A couple of spare parts who likely won't be missed much. They may very well clear waivers and be stashed back in AAA; but, just in case, I'll say my goodbyes to them right now - before I forget.
I mean, I did kind of forget that they were on the roster, after all. Teagarden had become the third-string catcher on the call-up of Kyle Freakin' Schwarber and Medina is a reliever who can't be trusted in close games. Both = easily replaceable.
Amusingly, while both were added to the roster today, Haren is essentially the replacement for Richard. Clayton is needed today to make a spot start since Dan already pitched on Thursday; however, this is likely his last appearance in a Cubs uniform. Make it count Clayton!
Thus concludes the roster ramifications of the 2015 MLB non-waiver trading deadline. As the first one in which the Cubs were buyers since 2009, it was certainly an eventful one.
Of course, trades can still be made through waivers and rumor has it the Cubs are seeking to add Chase Utley at some point; so, stay tuned into what's going on, things might yet be intriguing!
The first moves of this young offseason are slowly trickling in. As a result, the Cubs coaching staff will look a little bit different next season.
The biggest move made thus far in Chicago was Bill Mueller's resignation from the hitting coach position.
The former Cub and curse-busting Red Sox 3rd baseman was valued for his patience at the plate and obviously had strong connections with Theo Epstein. He'd only just taken the job last offseason.
Though it's hard to quantify the true value of a coach, the re-emergence of Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo's bats may be at least partially a result from his tutelage.
On the whole, the offense was rather meager; their .239 BA ranked 12th in the NL and .313 OBP ranked 13th. Though it should be noted that they were second in the league with 157 homers.
At any rate, it still came as a surprise that Bill was stepping down from his post so quickly.
Turns out that the reason he gave for his departure was the sacking of assistant hitting coach Mike Brumley.
One week previously, the former Cub utilityman was demoted from his spot on the staff. Although he was offered a position as a scout in the system, it appears likely that he'll seek employment elsewhere.
As tough as it his to quantify the affect a hitting coach has on a club, I'd say it's downright impossible to do so for the assistant.
No reason was given publicly for the change, however rampant speculation around these parts centers around another former Red Sox star....
That's right; the grapevine has been telling us Chicagoans that Theo & Co. might have let Brumley walk so that they could offer the assistant position to Manny Ramirez.
In addition, did Mueller bolt due to a long-standing frustration with the "Manny Being Manny" act?
No matter, as far as a coaching hire can be, that'd be quite the blockbuster!
It's not that crazy though. Ramirez received rave reviews from everyone in the system during his stint as a player-coach at AAA and it seems that he has honestly turned his life around for the better.
I guess we shall see. In the meantime, Tom Brunansky's name has been floated as potential replacement for Mueller.
Finally, not to be forgotten, the Cubs officially said goodbye to one player as well:
Eli Whiteside filed for minor league free agency a few days ago. He had a cuppacoffee with the big league club this summer as an injury replacement, but the catcher spent the bulk of the year in AAA.
For the record, his official Cub batting line is as follows: .120/.115/.160 in 26 PA's over 8 games. I don't think fans will miss him too much.
Although a Cub is a Cub and I have yet to obtain a card of Eli for my CATRC. I highly doubt that he'll be featured in Topps' Update set so his Iowa Cubs team issue card is the closest thing to a Cubs card he'll have.
If anyone has one they're willing to part with (or any Eli Whiteside card really), I'd love to work out a trade!
Fare thee well Bill, Mike and Eli! Thank you for your services and I wish you nothing but the best of luck. You will forever be remembered in my CATRC as Cubs players and, in the case of Bill and Mike, as coaches as well.
As I posited yesterday, Mike Olt is a part of my All-Time Roster Collection now. Jed Hoyer officially confirmed that Olt has made the team today; but, he wasn't the only one who made it.
Ryan Kalish has climbed back into the major leagues!
Just like he climbed this wall. He was once a top prospect with the Red Sox under Theo, but neck injuries really stunted his career. Ryan went under the knife to have a cervical fusion surgery, performed by the same doctor who fixed up Peyton Manning, but 2013 was a completely lost season. He wasn't able to get into any minor league games and the Sawx decided to cut ties with him in October.
The Cubs picked him up as an NRI this offseason and he did nothing but impress in spring training. In 15 games, he's batted .275 with a .370 OBP, stole 6 bases and showed that he's a fine fielder in all 3 outfield positions. He'll make a fine 5th outfielder for now, but he could turn out to be much more than that.
Welcome to the binder Ryan!
But, by taking Ryan and Mike, that meant that the Cubs were leaving some people behind.
Chris Coghlan, also fighting for that 5th outfielder spot will go to Iowa, where he'll be ready in case of an injury to the parent club. A former NL ROY, he'd make a decent substitute and could very well end up in my collection at some point.
Ryan Roberts though, will not. Since the Cubs are taking Olt and Emilio Bonifacio, the Cubs have no need for the utility man. Rather than sit around and wait in the minors, he decided to opt out of his NRI contract and try his hand at finding a major league deal somewhere else. With his versatility, he'll likely find one soon. Good luck to you Ryan!
This time of year is always crazy for my collection. But, the craziness isn't over yet; the Cubs have yet to announce who will fill in the back of their bullpen. However, no new faces are expected to be in the running. That said, you just never know for sure!
Today the Cubs cut ties with their projected back up catcher, George Kottaras. They had acquired from Milwaukee in a cash deal this past January.
Even though he had a rough spring, he was thought to have a secure roster spot. Its even more of a surprise since there was also some speculated trade interest from Texas.
Since he was released before he could make a regular season appearance, he does not appear on the official Cubs All-Time Roster and thus has been released from my collection as well. Sorry George, you almost made it. Now he joins my discard pile, along with Daniel Bard, Omar Infante, Garrett Wolfe and all the other near misses.
It's assumed that the Cubs will use his roster spot to call up his replacement, NRI John Baker. So, I get to add him to my binder at least!
In other news, Donnie Murphy's Cubs career is officially over; he was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers earlier today. But, since he obviously appeared as a Cub during the 2013 season, his spot in my collection is safe forever.
What this likely means though is that Mike Olt will go north with the team as the starting third baseman and that Emilio Bonifacio will be added to the roster as a super sub. Welcome to my binder guys!
So, in summation, I was forced to remove George Kottaras from my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection, but I also likely get to add John Baker, Emilio Bonifacio and Mike Olt.
The end of an era is here - ok, not really, but the Cubs did just made their first cut of the spring. Tonight's victim is... drumroll please....
...Aaron Cunningham. We have no further details as to why he's been let go after six Cactus League appearances, although it really isn't necessary. The Cubs are almost overrun with low risk-high reward/scrap heap outfielders. Plus, they have some actual outfield prospects (Matt Szczur, Jae-Hoon Ha, Josh Vitters etc.) who will play regularly in the minors and aren't too far away from joining the parent club. In short, the former top-prospect for the White Sox, A's and Indians simply did not have a spot in the Cubs organization.
It looks like I was right in putting him near the bottom in my Non-Roster Invitee post yesterday, where I ranked the likelihood of which NRI's (of whom I have cards) will make the big league club in 2014. That said, I had him second-to-last to Casper Wells. Oh well, no one is perfect.
Thus, this fairly run-of-the-mill Bowman Heritage piece will not be making my Cubs All-Time Roster binder. Hopefully, Cunningham and his socks get scooped up by another club and he can work his way back to the bigs.
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