Beyond the "Core Four": A Short Look at Other Prospects at High-A Daytona

After having the pleasure of watching the Daytona Cubs play three games in Tampa over the past three days I thought it would be fitting to quickly go over some of the highs, lows, and overall perceptions I have on some of the prospects in the minor league system outside the "core four" of Almora, Soler, Bryant and Baez, which are covered by many analysts and reporters quite often. 

I will caveat this post by saying that I don't plan on lingering too much on stats here, as I don't want to fall victim to the dreaded "small sample size" analysis. What I plan on doing is giving you my perspective on how I feel about the following players going forward to include, their attitude, instincts on the diamond, and some of the other unmeasurable traits that are often overlooked, particularly by writers and analysts who don't actually watch these players play the game. Hopefully, this will give everyone a fresh look at some of the players we may see in the big leagues in the coming years.

SP Rob Zastryzny (Series Line: 1-0, 1.59 ERA, 5 Ks)
Rob pitched game two of the three game series on Saturday and looked sharp overall, scattering 6 hits and 1 run over 5 2/3 innings and notching 5 strikeouts along the way. While he did earn the win, he put himself in a jam too often with at least one base runner per inning. Thankfully, he had the mindset and was able to hit his spots to get through the game pretty much unscathed. He had a very good changeup that kept Yankees hitters off balance all night and was able to outsmart several hitters over the course of his start. While there is no radar gun at the Tampa Yankees stadium, it was pretty obvious he wasn't throwing all that hard, but hitting his spots and changing speeds often kept him one step ahead, leaving Tampa just short of figuring him out before he exited the game in the end of the sixth. I can easily see him being quite successful throughout this season and  expect him to be a go-to starter in Daytona while he is with the club. 

1B/DH Dan Vogelbach (Series Line: 2-12, 2 RBI, 1 Double)
Dan is a very passionate player. I could tell that just by watching him warm up. He loves to get out on the field and play the game and it was clear that he wants to win. Unfortunately throughout the three game set he seemed to be unable to figure out a variety of pitchers the Yankees threw at him, often swinging at bad breaking balls and watching fastballs down the heart of the plate whiz on by. He had two RBIs in game two, both coming off a double in the 5th inning. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to see much of a display of power due to him being unable to find his groove at the plate. Hopefully it was just an off week and a slow start, but he will definitely have to perform at the plate with big numbers if he hopes to keep the eye of prospect watchers. While he made a couple difficult plays at first base (which is the only position I could see him playing), his glove is by no means made of gold and I worry that he may have a steep hill to climb if he expects to be a regular starter in the national league. I do think he understands the fact that many eyes are on him and his progress. All in all, I think he will improve and capitalize on his opportunity by moving up the ladder, although I am not sure how long it will take and with what organization. 

3B Jeimer Candelario (Series Line: 2-13, 0 RBI, 2 Singles)
Candy is one of the Cubs top 10 prospects and is only 20 years old but my first impression was not very inspiring to be honest. To be blunt, I am concerned about this guy. I know, I know, he is still very young and he will undoubtedly develop ten fold. Let me stop you there while I say, I am not questioning his abilities, I am concerned about his attitude. Throughout the Tampa series, Candelario seemed to not want to be there. He appeared disinterested, detached, and frankly, bored. There was more than one occasion where he clearly frustrated coach Keller, particularly during game two when he tried to stretch a double out of a routine grounder to right field while his base coaches repeatedly told him to stay at first. Attitudes like his concern me and if I had to compare him to current baseball players I would first name guys like B. J. Upton and Alfonso Soriano. Both great players but I think we can all agree their dedication to the game and lack of full-out effort has left their careers less than what they could have been. I truly hope he was having a bad weekend and maybe was in a bit of a funk, but I will be watching his development and gameplay closely in the coming months.

Once again, it is still very early in the season and these guys still have much to learn. I hope each of the end up being major contributors in the Cubs MLB organization in the coming years and I look forward to seeing their development first-hand when they come back to Tampa in June.

Cubs Managerial Search Continues with Renteria as the Frontrunner, Mattingly and Leyland Raise Fans Eyebrows

One of the major stories surrounding the Chicago Cubs during this offseason is who the manager will be going forward. While I believe Theo Epstein did the right thing by cutting ties with Dale Sveum, there is still a bit of uncertainty as to who would be the best fit for this young, growing club going forward. Several sources have stated the Cubs are highly interested in a manger who is bilingual, as there are many Latin players coming up on the team and the club believes it will help with the development of guys like Starlin Castro, Javier Baez, and Jorge Soler. Additionally, the Cubs need a manager capable of handling and supporting young talent.

At this point it looks as if former player and Padres bench coach Rick Renteria is currently sitting atop the list of potential managers. Renteria has experience with molding young players in the minor leagues and has a relationship with Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer. Additionally, Renteria is in fact bilingual and coached the Mexican team in the most recent World Baseball Classic  Other potential candidates include Tampa Bay Rays bench coach and former Cub Dave Martinez, and former major league managers Manny Acta and A.J. Hinch. Acta and Hinch have a good amount of experience managing MLB teams, and it is hard to overlook the successes Tampa Bay has had in grooming young players into a contending team, which Martinez could bring to Chicago should he get the job. Additionally, the Cubs look to be interested in interviewing Boston Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo but will obviously have to wait to interview him after the World Series.

While it seemed like the Cubs first choice would have been Illinois native Joe Girardi, who ended up resigning with the New York Yankees, the candidates that remain still look promising. Also, its worth noting that Dodgers manager Don Mattingly stated he is unsure if he will return to L.A. next season, citing his frustrations with the perceived lack of confidence by Dodgers ownership. I doubt the Cubs will put effort towards bringing Mattingly over, but you never know.Additionally there have been a few discussions on whether it would be worth it to the Cubs to entertain an offer to Jim Leyland, who just announced he would not be returning to the Detroit Tigers. I don't see Leyland as a good fit going forward with this young and inexperienced team and there is no telling what it would take, if anything, that would pry him out of retirement.

The Cubs need a manager who can focus both on teaching and molding young, raw talent but also work on winning and being consistent for 162 games. Cubs fans have surely took note of the Red Sox "worst to first" turnaround and while the Cubs don't have near the veteran star power on the team, they still must show signs of improvement and competitiveness in 2014. The Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds are unlikely to fade in the near term and it is crucial that the cubs don't fall into the classic "one step forward, two steps back" mantra that the fans know all too well.

Pending any weird happenings, which we know is not unheard of with the Cubs, I expect a manager will be selected before the November 11th MLB general manager meetings. If Renteria is the guy, he better show up with a solid list of short and long term goals, and be prepared to stand up to the uncertainty and challenges next season will throw at the club.