If you’re a Cubs fan, do you even care anymore? Sure, the Cubs still have a decent system, with three top-100 guys and quite a few others who are interesting because they’re close to the majors or are far but have huge ceilings … but who are we kidding? Your team just won its first World Series since before my grandparents were born. Haven’t you had enough? I think you’re just being greedy, looking to see what future stars the Cubs might still have in the minors.
NL Central reports: Cubs | Reds | Brewers | Pirates | Cardinals
1. Eloy Jimenez, OF (Ranked No. 12)
2. Ian Happ, 2B (Ranked No. 63)
3. Dylan Cease, RHP (Ranked No. 86)
4. Albert Almora, OF
5. Oscar de la Cruz, RHP
6. Trevor Clifton, RHP
7. Jeimer Candelario, 3B
8. Eddy Julio Martinez, OF
9. Thomas Hatch, RHP
10. Jose Albertos, RHP
Non-top-100 guys
Albert Almora is a soft 50 for me, a borderline big league regular, thanks to his defense, or a great extra outfielder because he’ll put the ball in play a lot and can handle all three outfield spots. He has never walked much and isn’t going to have more than fringy power, which makes regular duty anywhere but center unlikely, but I think he’ll have a few years as someone’s everyday guy there, even if that isn't with the Cubs.
Oscar de la Cruz missed a large chunk of 2016 with elbow soreness but came back reasonably strong, throwing 93-95 mph. He shows a plus curveball and changeup, and he overpowered low minors hitters last year in 38 innings across three levels.
Trevor Clifton got an over-slot deal after getting picked in the 12th round in 2013, and he has made steady progress each year since. He throws 90-94 mph and a true curveball with some deception in his delivery that helps him get away with the lack of life on the fastball. He’s a high-probability fourth or fifth starter.
Jeimer Candelario has exceptional timing at the plate and puts the bat on the ball as well as anyone in the high minors. He makes a lot of hard contact without much present or projected power. The Cubs think he’s an above-average defender at third, but he hasn't been when I’ve seen him, and I get a broad range of opinions on his defense from scouts.
The Cubs signed Eddy Julio Martinez for $3 million as a free agent from Cuba in October 2015, but his pro debut last year was a little disappointing, as the balanced, all-fields approach he showed in workouts and still has in BP became a rotational, pull-oriented approach in games. He isn't that type of hitter. I don’t think there are 20 homers in here, but he has the bat speed and hand-eye to hit for a high average with lots of doubles.
Thomas Hatch was the team’s first pick in 2016, coming in the third round after they gave up two picks to sign Jason Heyward and John Lackey. He’s a power sinker guy, throwing 92-94 mph as a starter and 94-96 in instructs during shorter stints, with an above-average slider and average change. He slipped to the third round in part because he missed 2015 with a UCL sprain that never required surgery.
The Mexican-born Jose Albertos made one appearance in 2016, throwing four innings, after which the Cubs shut him down without further explanation. He was 94-97 mph with a plus changeup that day, and he threw strikes, and then suddenly he had a "sore forearm." But the story around Arizona is that he wasn’t really hurt. Needless to say, I’ve never laid eyes on him; all I know is that the scouts I talked to who saw him said he was electric.
Second baseman Carlos Sepulveda (11) is undersized but has great hands and has hit all kinds of pitching so far. He might not end up with much power, but he has a good enough eye at the plate that he could end up a high average/OBP regular at the position.
Victor Caratini (12) is a switch-hitter with a patient approach, but he hasn’t developed the power commensurate with his size. He has caught and played third and first base. He isn’t great at any of them due to his arm strength, but he could work as a multi-function bench bat.
D.J. (Darryl) Wilson (13) hurt an oblique muscle out of spring training and never got his bat going all summer. He’s a quick-twitch athlete with the speed to add value in center and on the bases, but first he has to hit.
Outfielder Mark Zagunis (14) has a strong history of getting on base and might end up a below-average regular in left on the strength of his OBP, but he has shown little power through his age-23 season and probably won’t be any more than that.
Donnie Dewees (15) has the speed to play center and steal 30-40 bases a year, but he has so little power that he probably isn't a regular and legitimately has a 20 arm that limits him to left. (I asked one scout how Dewees got four assists in 2016, and he said, “Because everybody runs on him!”)
Infielder Chesny Young (16) quintupled his career home run total in 2016 -- he came into the year with one -- and hit over .300 at each of his three stops last season. Players with this little power have it tough because pitchers have no reason to not just challenge them. He can play a handful of spots but fits best at second base.
Isaac Paredes (17) won’t stay at shortstop but can hit and might have some power in the end. The Mexican-born infielder won’t turn 18 until late February but had a very strong AZL season last year.
Over the past five years, the Cubs have paid a handful of other prep arms who just haven’t worked out so far.
Duane Underwood has had trouble staying healthy and hasn’t kept the big velocity he flashed when younger. Bryan Hudson had a big curveball in high school, lowered his arm slot before last season and walked as many guys as he struck out in the Northwest League (41 of each in 58 innings). Justin Steele and Carson Sands, both drafted and signed the same year as Cease, struggled in Low-A South Bend, and neither has come along as expected, though I’d give Steele a bit of a chance because he’s left-handed and missed a few bats.
2017 impact: Almora could end up with a lot of playing time in center this year, depending on how Jon Jay plays. Candelario is ready for a big league job, but there’s no room for him anywhere on the roster.
Sleeper: It was de la Cruz last year and it still is. If he’s healthy, he has No. 2 starter upside, already possessing the stuff and control to get there.
The fallen: He’s a big leaguer now and might even be a regular, but I can’t omit Dan Vogelbach entirely. The Cubs gave him seven figures to sign as the 68th overall pick in 2011, and while the kid can hit and has power, he never quite made sense as a born DH drafted by a National League team. The Cubs traded him to Seattle, where he should get a chance to play.