Winter League Report, December 17
I-CUBS WINTER LEAGUE UPDATE
December 17, 2012
With Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton signing deals with new teams, the dominoes have started falling around baseball's free agent market, including former Cub Ryan Dempster signing with the Boston Red Sox. Many former I-Cubs are in action around winter ball and we've got news, notes, and stats in this week's report.
TRANSACTIONS:
The Chicago Cubs officially announced the signing of 3B Ian Stewart on a one-year deal and designated LH Jeff Beliveau (2012 with Iowa) for assigment. Beliveau struck out 52 batters in 44 innings with Iowa and was 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in 22 games with Chicago for his major league debut last season. He was the Cubs' 2011 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. The Cubs claimed RH Sandy Rosario off waivers from the Red Sox. The Cubs are Rosario's fourth organization since September going from Miami, to Boston, to Oakland, back to Boston and now to the Cubs on waiver claims. Rosario only pitched for the Marlins last year, including time with New Orleans in the PCL. He recorded 16 saves in 25 appearances and was leading the league in saves when the Marlins called him up in June. The Cubs signed RH Jensen Lewis to a minor league deal. Lewis was 7-2 with a 3.65 ERA and four saves in 52 games with Reno last year. He pitched a scoreless inning and earned a win in his only appearane against Iowa on August 5 at Principal Park. Lewis pitched collegiately at Vanderbilt University where his pitching coach was Derek Johnson, the Cubs' new minor league pitching coordinator. Korean-born RH Chang-Yong Lim signed with the Cubs on a minor league deal. The 36-year-old has pitched 17 seasons between Korea (1996-07) and Japan (2008-12) and pitched for Korea in the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He is currently rehabbing from "Tommy John" surgery. He underwent the operation after getting sidelined nine games into last season with the Yakult Swallows in Japan.
Dempster (2004, '07) signed a two-year deal with a reported $26.5 million. Some were surprised that he signed with an American League team. The San Francisco Giants signed OF Andres Torres (2008) to a one-year deal. The Giants had traded Torres to the New York Mets last off-season and now have him back. On the coaching side, the Baltimore Orioles named Bobby Dickerson as their third base coach. Dickerson managed in Iowa in 2009. The Los Angeles Dodgers named Pat Listach as their infield coordinator. Listach was the PCL Manager of the Year with Iowa in 2008. SS Andres Blanco (2008) was one of nine players the Philadelphia Phillies invited to spring training.
VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE:
Another week and another change at the top of the standings with Caracas (30-24) and Magallanes (30-24) tied for the top spot. Zulia (28-25) is in third place, a game and a half back. OF Dave Sappelt continued his impressive hitting streak. He has hit safely in 15 straight games from Nov. 28 through Dec. 15 (still going at post time), and has 11 multi-hit games during this stretch. During the streak, he is batting .509 (28-for-55) with four doubles, three home runs, 16 runs scored, and 10 RBI. His overall average has gone from .196 to .366. OF Tony Campana (2011-12) and OF Josh Kroeger (2007-08) are riding hitting streaks for Caracas. Campana has hit safely in eight straight games, batting .313 (10-for-32) with a triple, five runs scored, three RBI, and six stolen bases. This streak helps him recover from a slow start that had his average at .125 before the streak began. Kroeger has hit safely in six straight games and is batting .450 (9-for-20) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Kroeger is tied for eighth in the league in batting (.308) and is fourth in on-base percentage (.424). IF Luis Valbuena (2012) is tied with Kroeger in batting and ranks third in the league in OBP (.429) and walks (31). The Cubs' free agent signees are having mixed results. OF Johermyn Chavez broke a 1-for-9 stretch by going 4-for-7 with two RBI in his last two games. SS Alberto Gonzalez missed a month from Nov. 2 through Dec. 4, but is back on the field and hitting .326 (14-for-43) in 12 games. C J.C. Boscan is 3-for-25 in his last 11 games. On the mound, RH Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2010-11) is putting together an outstanding season. He has allowed just three runs in 23.1 innings over his last four starts and is second in the league with a 1.41 ERA. He also leads the league in WHIP (1.07) and is fourth in strikeouts (51). He pitched six shutout innings in his last start on Dec. 13 to earn a win over Carlos Zambrano (2000-02, '10) and Magallanes. Zambrano gave up two homers and five runs in the first inning of that loss. Cuban-born RH Yoanner Negrin (2012) has won his last four decisions going back to Oct. 16. In his last four starts, he has allowed four runs (two earned) in 20 innings. LH Renyel Pinto (2004-05) has lost his last three starts, allowing 17 runs in 13.2 innings in those games. Control has been his issue. Opponents are hitting .233 against him, tied for the third-best mark in the league, but he leads the league with 29 walks. RH Sean Gallagher (2007-08) had four rough starts for Caracas and made his last appearance out of the bullpen. 2008 Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year Mitch Atkins (2008-10) joined Magallanes this week and RH Roberto Coello (2011) joined LaGuaira.
REGULAR SEASON STATS:
| Player | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs |
AVG |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
OBP |
SLG |
OPS |
| Juan Apodaca | Zulia | 2012 | .188 |
19 |
48 |
6 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
7 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
.286 |
.229 |
.515 |
| Andres Blanco | Magallanes | 2008-09 | .167 |
26 |
66 |
9 |
11 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
12 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
.305 |
.227 |
.532 |
| Henry Blanco | Margarita | 2007 | .186 |
37 |
102 |
8 |
19 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
14 |
14 |
37 |
0 |
1 |
.283 |
.314 |
.597 |
| J.C. Boscan | Caracas | Cubs Signee | .269 |
24 |
78 |
6 |
21 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
.321 |
.295 |
.616 |
| Tony Campana | Caracas | 2011-12 | .231 |
16 |
52 |
7 |
12 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
8 |
2 |
.322 |
.288 |
.610 |
| Ronny Cedeno | Aragua | 2004-05, '07 | .268 |
17 |
71 |
8 |
19 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
0 |
1 |
.297 |
.324 |
.621 |
| Johermyn Chavez | Caribes | Cubs Signee | .258 |
26 |
66 |
10 |
17 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
13 |
5 |
22 |
1 |
1 |
.355 |
.424 |
.780 |
| Robinson Chirinos | Magallanes | 2010 | .158 |
6 |
19 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
.304 |
.158 |
.462 |
| Alberto Gonzalez | Margartia | Cubs Signee | .326 |
12 |
43 |
4 |
14 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
.348 |
.419 |
.766 |
| Marwin Gonzalez | Caracas | 2011 | .180 |
18 |
61 |
8 |
11 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
.282 |
.230 |
.511 |
| Jae-Hoon Ha | Aragua | Cubs Prospect | .218 |
27 |
78 |
7 |
17 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
8 |
26 |
6 |
0 |
.291 |
.295 |
.586 |
| Josh Kroeger | Caracas | 2007-08 | .308 |
37 |
130 |
14 |
40 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
15 |
25 |
22 |
5 |
4 |
.424 |
.392 |
.816 |
| Jackson Melian | Margarita | 2003 | .250 |
32 |
100 |
17 |
25 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
22 |
18 |
29 |
1 |
3 |
.394 |
.420 |
.814 |
| Max Ramirez | Margarita | 2011 | .290 |
34 |
107 |
13 |
31 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
16 |
16 |
1 |
0 |
.397 |
.336 |
.733 |
| Dave Sappelt | Margarita | 2012 | .366 |
26 |
101 |
21 |
37 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
14 |
7 |
16 |
4 |
2 |
.405 |
.554 |
.960 |
| Luis Valbuena | Lara | 2012 | .308 |
41 |
146 |
27 |
45 |
13 |
1 |
5 |
29 |
31 |
26 |
3 |
0 |
.429 |
.514 |
.942 |
| Josh Vitters | Caracas | 2012 | .000 |
2 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
.000 |
| Ty Wright | Aragua | 2010-12 | .247 |
20 |
73 |
6 |
18 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
.257 |
.384 |
.640 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Josh Kroeger: .308 AVG (T8), .424 OBP (4)
Luis Valbuena: .308 AVG (T8), .429 OBP (3), 31 BB (3)
| Pitcher | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs | W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
SVO |
IP |
H |
R
|
ER |
HR |
HB |
BB |
IBB |
SO |
WP |
OPP AVG. |
| Mitch Atkins | Magallanes | 2008-10 | 0 |
0 |
6.75 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.333 |
| Austin Bibens-Dirkx | Zulia | 2010-11 | 2 |
1 |
1.41 |
10 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
44.2 |
39 |
7 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
0 |
51 |
0 |
.242 |
| Robert Coello | La Guaira | 2011 | 0 |
0 |
0.00 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
| Sean Gallagher | Caracas | 2007-08 | 1 |
2 |
4.01 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
24.2 |
29 |
15 |
11 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
20 |
3 |
.287 |
| Yoanner Negrin | Caracas | 2012 | 4 |
1 |
2.61 |
12 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
58.2 |
64 |
19 |
17 |
3 |
3 |
18 |
0 |
38 |
0 |
.281 |
| Renyel Pinto | Caribes | 2004-05 | 3 |
4 |
4.87 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
44.1 |
37 |
25 |
24 |
7 |
4 |
29 |
0 |
40 |
1 |
.233 |
| Hector Rondon | Caracas | Cubs Rule 5 | 2 |
1 |
4.50 |
22 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
20.0 |
15 |
11 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
.214 |
| Les Walrond | La Guaira | 2006-08 | 0 |
4 |
4.12 |
10 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
43.2 |
57 |
25 |
20 |
2 |
3 |
20 |
0 |
28 |
0 |
.320 |
| Carlos Zambrano | Magallanes | 2000-02, '10 | 2 |
2 |
4.86 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
16.2 |
18 |
12 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
.281 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Austin Bibens-Dirkx: 1.41 ERA (2), 1.07 WHIP (1), 51 K (4)
Yoanner Negrin: 2.61 ERA (4), 12 GS (T1), 53.2 IP (3), 2.85 ERA (5)
Renyel Pinto: 29 BB (1), .233 OPP AVG (T3)
DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE:
Estrellas de Oriente (30-17) and Aguilas Cibaenas (30-17) have a comfortable lead on top of the standings and have clinched post-season berths. Gigantes del Cibao are in third place at 21-25, eight and a half games out of first place. Cubs' prospect SS Junior Lake continues to be a shining star for the organization this winter. Lake has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games and belted a grand slam on Dec. 16 in a win over Gigantes. Lake is tied for the league lead in hitting (.324), rankes third in stolen bases (10), and ffth in slugging (.493). OF Brad Snyder (2009-11) joined Lake with Estreallas and has five home runs in his first nine games. Snyder's brother Ben, who pitched for Round Rock this past season, is also on the team. OF Felix Pie (2006-08) is also contributing for Estrellas, batting .375 (6-for-16) with a double, four RBI, and four runs scored in his last four games. RH Frankie De La Cruz (2012) and RH Rafael Dolis (2012) are a formidable, hard-throwing duo out of the bullpen for Estrellas. De La Cruz has allowed one run in 14.2 innings over his seven relief appearances and Dolis has allowed one unearned run in his last 5.1 innings combined in his last five games. LH Jeff Antigua (Cubs Prospect) has hit a rough patch in his last two games. He has allowed five runs and four hits in just a third of an inning combined in those contests. RH Jairo Asencio (2012) had an impressive streak of 11 consecutive scoreless innings over 10 appearances snapped last week when he allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning on Dec. 16 at Escogido.
REGULAR SEASON STATS:
| Player | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs |
AVG |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
OBP |
SLG |
OPS |
| Arismendy Alcantara | Gigantes | Cubs Prospect | .333 |
21 |
12 |
8 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.500 |
.667 |
1.167 |
| Ryan Flaherty | Escogido | 2011 | .209 |
13 |
43 |
7 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
.306 |
.233 |
.539 |
| Diory Hernandez | Toros del Este | 2012 | .261 |
42 |
153 |
18 |
40 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
8 |
2 |
.335 |
.301 |
.636 |
| Junior Lake | Estrellas | Cubs Prospect | .324 |
41 |
142 |
23 |
46 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
23 |
14 |
43 |
10 |
3 |
.394 |
.493 |
.887 |
| Felix Pie | Estrellas | 2006-08 | .252 |
40 |
143 |
24 |
36 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
19 |
25 |
29 |
9 |
2 |
.365 |
.343 |
.707 |
| Brad Snyder | Estrellas | 2009-11 | .375 |
11 |
32 |
9 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
14 |
5 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
.462 |
.906 |
1.368 |
| Nate Spears | Gigantes | 2008-09 | .063 |
6 |
16 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
.063 |
.263 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Junior Lake: .324 AVG (T1), 43 K (2), 10 SB (3), .394 OBP (4), .493 SLG (5)
Felix Pie: 25 BB (T3)
| Pitcher | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs | W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
SVO |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
HB |
BB |
IBB |
SO |
WP |
OPP AVG. |
| Jeff Antigua | Toros del Este | Cubs Prospect | 4 |
1 |
5.24 |
24 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
22.1 |
22 |
13 |
13 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
18 |
1 |
.278 |
| Jairo Asencio | Toros del Este | 2012 | 0 |
2 |
2.66 |
24 |
0 |
11 |
11 |
23.2 |
25 |
8 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
13 |
2 |
18 |
2 |
.269 |
| Miguel Batista | Aguilas | 1997 | 2 |
2 |
4.08 |
10 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
39.2 |
48 |
22 |
18 |
5 |
2 |
12 |
0 |
20 |
7 |
.294 |
| Michael Bowden | Aguilas | 2012 | 3 |
3 |
3.62 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
32.1 |
33 |
15 |
13 |
3 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
17 |
1 |
.264 |
| Alberto Cabrera | Toros del Este | 2011-12 | 0 |
0 |
3.14 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
14.1 |
11 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
20 |
2 |
.269 |
| Lendy Castillo | Escogido | Cubs Prospect | 0 |
1 |
7.36 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7.1 |
15 |
10 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
9 |
2 |
.417 |
| Frankie De La Cruz | Estrellas | 2012 | 3 |
2 |
2.37 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
19.0 |
15 |
8 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
10 |
3 |
.221 |
| Rafael Dolis | Estrellas | 2012 | 1 |
1 |
3.00 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6.0 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
.261 |
| Randy Keisler | Escogido | 2008 | 0 |
2 |
3.86 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
21.0 |
18 |
9 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
.231 |
| Adalberto Mendez | Toros del Este | 2005-06 | 1 |
1 |
4.20 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
15.0 |
12 |
9 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
.207 |
| Ramon Ortiz | Licey | 2011 | 0 |
1 |
1.08 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
8.1 |
9 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
.281 |
| Horacio Ramirez | Toros del Este | 2012 | 0 |
2 |
3.18 |
10 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
28.1 |
33 |
16 |
10 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
0 |
21 |
1 |
.287 |
| Polin Trinidad | Toros del Este | 2011 | 0 |
0 |
*.** |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
| Raul Valdes | Toros del Este | 2005-06 | 1 |
2 |
3.81 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
26.0 |
23 |
14 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
23 |
3 |
.225 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Miguel Batista: 5 HRA (T2), 9 GS (T3), 4.08 ERA (8)
Jairo Asencio: 11 SV (1), 21 GF (T1)
Frankie De La Cruz: 16 BB (T2)
MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE:
The Mexican League is in the second half of their season. Culican finished 22-13 to win the first half. Guasave and Obregon tied for second at 21-14. Culiacan (13-7) leads the second-half race by a game over Obregon (12-8). Navojoa (12-9) has won five straight games and to move to within a game and a half in third place. IF Alfredo Amezaga (2012) is hot again. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games, batting .556 (15-for-27) with three doubles, five RBI, and nine runs scored during this stretch. He is back in second place in the league in hitting (.337) and ranks third in hits (68). OF Marlon Byrd (rehab in 2011) is in the top five in the league in seven different categories and his week was highlighted by a 3-for-5 game with two doubles and a homer in a 10-6 win vs. Guasave on Dec. 12. RH Rodrigo Lopez (2012) followed up a complete game with seven shutout innings in his last start, a win over Hermosillo on Dec. 14. He has allowed two runs in 27 innings over his last four outings. RH Esmailin Caridad (2009-12) continues to do a nice job out of the bullpen for Obregon. Has has allowed one run in four innings over his last four appearances. If Caridad can carry his winter ball performance over into spring training, he could be an interesting bullpen candidate. He finished last season strong with Iowa, going 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 16 games after the All-Star Break. RH Marco Carrillo (2011-12) continues to pitch well for Obregon as well and ranks third in the league in ERA (3.20). Two interesting names surfaced in Mexico this week. Recording artist and 1B/OF Ben Broussard (2008) joined Navojoa. He has hit safely in all six games he has played and was 3-for-5 with two home runs on Dec. 16 at Mochis. Broussard has been out of baseball for the last three seasons. He last played with triple-A Charlotte in 2009. OF Chris Walker (2007) is with Mazatlan. Walker last played affiliated baseball in 2008 with Salt Lake and has been in the independent Atlantic League since then with Camden and York.
REGULAR SEASON STATS:
| Player | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs |
AVG |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
OBP |
SLG |
OPS |
| Alfredo Amezaga | Obregon | 2012 | .337 |
49 |
202 |
36 |
68 |
12 |
2 |
5 |
23 |
14 |
31 |
5 |
5 |
.376 |
.490 |
.866 |
| Ben Broussard | Navojoa | 2008 | .455 |
6 |
22 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
.538 |
1.000 |
1.538 |
| Marlon Byrd | Culiacan | 2011 | .333 |
50 |
195 |
43 |
65 |
10 |
0 |
16 |
43 |
23 |
50 |
3 |
1 |
.406 |
.631 |
1.037 |
| Greg Rohan | Mazatlan | 2012 | .205 |
11 |
39 |
4 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
.244 |
.205 |
.449 |
| Christian Villanueva | Obregon | Cubs Prospect | .176 |
23 |
51 |
9 |
9 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
25 |
0 |
1 |
.283 |
.353 |
.636 |
| Chris Walker | Mazatlan | 2007 | .310 |
24 |
100 |
13 |
31 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
12 |
8 |
17 |
7 |
5 |
.361 |
.410 |
.771 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Marlon Byrd: .333 AVG (5), 43 RBI (2), .631 SLG (2), 43 R (2), 123 TB (T2), 16 HR (3), 50 K (4)
Alfredo Amezaga: .337 AVG (2), 68 H (3)
| Pitcher | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs | W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
SVO |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
HB |
BB |
IBB |
SO |
WP |
OPP AVG. |
| Esmailin Caridad | Obregon | 2009-12 | 1 |
2 |
2.75 |
32 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
36.0 |
33 |
15 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
43 |
4 |
.244 |
| Marco Carrillo | Obregon | 2010-11 | 5 |
4 |
3.20 |
11 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
70.1 |
66 |
25 |
25 |
5 |
1 |
28 |
1 |
45 |
2 |
.260 |
| Jay Jackson | Mazatlan | 2009-12 | 2 |
2 |
3.22 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
36.1 |
35 |
13 |
13 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
0 |
22 |
1 |
.250 |
| Rodrigo Lopez | Culiacan | 2012 | 3 |
1 |
0.95 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
28.1 |
16 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
.165 |
| Sergio Mitre | Mexicali | 2004-05 | 1 |
1 |
1.59 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
11.1 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
.200 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Marco Carrillo: 3.20 ERA (3), 70.1 IP (2), 28 BB (T3)
Esmailin Caridad: 11 Holds (T1), 32 G (T2)
PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE:
Caguas (18-10) maintains a two-and-a-half game lead on Mayaguez (15-12) in the standings. Santurces (14-13) is in third place, three-and-a-half games back. Cubs' signee IF Edwin Maysonet is coming alive at the plate. In his last eight games, he is batting .345 (10-for-29) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI, and four runs scored. OF Lou Montanez (2006, '11) has a four-game hitting streak and is batting .353 (6-for-17) with a double, a home run, and three RBI during this stretch. Cubs' prospect Justin Bour has hit safely in six of his last seven games for Carolina and is a teammate of 39-year-old Pedro Valdes (1996-98). Valdes is second in the league with 17 walks. Eight of those have been intentional passes. RH Ty'Relle Harris (2011-12) made his debut with Carolina on Dec. 15.REGULAR SEASON STATS:
| Player | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs |
AVG |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
OBP |
SLG |
OPS |
| Justin Bour | Carolina | Cubs Prospect | .226 |
9 |
31 |
3 |
7 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
.355 |
.688 |
| Luis Figueroa | Santurce | 2008 | .278 |
27 |
108 |
7 |
30 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
3 |
10 |
4 |
2 |
.295 |
.333 |
.628 |
| Edwin Maysonet | Manati | Cubs Signee | .241 |
18 |
58 |
6 |
14 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
.297 |
.362 |
.659 |
| Lou Montanez | Caguas | 2006, '11 | .216 |
10 |
37 |
4 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
.293 |
.378 |
.671 |
| Pedro Valdes | Carolina | 1996-98 | .264 |
27 |
87 |
6 |
23 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
13 |
17 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
.404 |
.402 |
.806 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Luis Figueroa: 84 AB (4)
Pedro Valdez: 12 BB (T3)
| Pitcher | Team | Yr(s) with I-Cubs | W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
SVO |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
HB |
BB |
IBB |
SO |
WP |
OPP AVG. |
| Ty'Relle Harris | Carolina | 2011-12 | 0 |
0 |
0.00 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2.0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
.143 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE:
The Peoria Javelinas beat the Salt River Rafters 4-3 on Nov. 17 to win the AFL title. The Javelinas' roster was made up of prospects from the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, Philadilphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners. The Rafters pulled players from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals. Cubs' prospects played for the Mesa Solar Sox who finished 10-20. IF Javier Baez was impressing scouts with his power and offensive tools, but missed the last two weeks with a broken thumb. IF Logan Watkins replaced Baez and finished 1-for-13 in his final four games. Watkins was the Cubs' Minor League Player of the Year his past season after hitting .281 with 20 doubles, 11 triples, nine home runs, and 52 RBI in 133 games at double-A Tennessee. OF Matt Szczur gained valuable experience by batting leadoff in 23 of the 24 games he appeared in. OF Rubi Silva went 3-for-6 in his final two games to push his AFL batting average above the Mendoza Line (.200). RH Tony Zych finished tied for third in the league with 13 appearances, but allowed three runs in two innings over his final two appearances to finish with an ERA of 3.86. RH Nick Struck (2011) allowed six runs (five earned) in 4.1 innings over his final three games. Struck was the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year at double-A Tennessee during the regular season. Dae-Eun Rhee and Kevin Rhoderick didn't pitch in the final week of the AFL. Both pitchers should compete in spring training for a shot at making Iowa's Opening Day roster and their Triple-A debuts.
| Player | AVG |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
OBP |
SLG |
OPS |
| Javier Baez | .211 |
14 |
57 |
9 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
16 |
2 |
14 |
3 |
0 |
.250 |
.456 |
.706 |
| Rubi Silva | .206 |
20 |
68 |
8 |
14 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
21 |
3 |
1 |
.260 |
.265 |
.525 |
| Matt Szczur | .264 |
24 |
91 |
13 |
24 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
14 |
10 |
9 |
3 |
.368 |
.363 |
.731 |
| Logan Watkins | .219 |
9 |
32 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
.375 |
.344 |
.719 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Javier Baez: 16 RBI (5)
Matt Szczur: 83 AB (T4), 22 G (T4)
| Pitcher | W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
SVO |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
HB |
BB |
SO |
| Dae-Eun Rhee | 0 |
2 |
6.27 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
18.2 |
26 |
16 |
13 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
12 |
| Kevin Rhoderick | 0 |
1 |
4.82 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
9.1 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
14 |
| Nick Struck | 1 |
0 |
5.51 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
16.1 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
12 |
11 |
| Tony Zych | 1 |
0 |
3.86 |
13 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
14.0 |
18 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
LEAGUE LEADERS:
Tony Zych: 7GF (T5)
JAPANESE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL:
1B Micah Hoffpauir (2004-10) and the Nippon-Ham Fighters won the Pacific League title, but fell 4-2 in the best-of-seven Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants. Hoffpauir finished 1-for-10 with an RBI and a run scored during the series. The Fighters did announce that a contract extension for Hoffpauir through the 2013 season. Hoffpauir had this quote in the Fighters' official release: "I am happy that I will be able to return as a member of the Fighters in 2013 and fight to win with my teammates and the fans. While we were able to win the pennant, we unfortunately failed to win a Nippon Series. Next season, I will prepared to use all my abilities to in order to win a Nippon Series. I look forward to the continued support." During the regular season, Hoffpauir was second on the team in home runs (14) and helped the Fighters to a 73-58 record. IF/OF Edgar Gonzalez (2012) left Iowa after two weeks in April to join the Yomiuri Giants in Japan this year. He hit .236 with four homers and 19 RBI in 57 games during the regular season. He made one start at DH and entered one game as a pinch-hitter in the Japan Series. He was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored against the Fighters. IF Bobby Scales (2008-11) started the season with the New York Mets' organization at Triple-A Buffalo and was leading the International League in hitting in April before going back to Japan. He played for the Orix Buffaloes and hit .262 in 85 games. OF Matt Murton (2005, '07-08) continued his three-year run in Japan and hit .260 with five homers and 38 RBI in 121 games for the Hanshin Tigers. LH Renyel Pinto (2004-05) made the move to Japan this year, but lasted just two starts with the Hawks. He was one of the top pitchers in Venezuela last winter.
| Player | Team | AVG |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
OBP |
SLG |
OPS |
| Micah Hoffpauir | Nippon-Ham Fighters | .234 |
109 |
296 |
28 |
73 |
13 |
0 |
14 |
37 |
25 |
81 |
1 |
1 |
.311 |
.432 |
.743 |
| Matt Murton | Hanshin Tigers | .260 |
121 |
453 |
39 |
118 |
18 |
2 |
5 |
38 |
18 |
56 |
2 |
4 |
.290 |
.342 |
.632 |
| Bobby Scales | Orix Buffaloes | .262 |
85 |
305 |
42 |
80 |
16 |
3 |
5 |
23 |
47 |
103 |
4 |
1 |
.373 |
.384 |
.757 |
| Edgar Gonzalez | Yomiuri Giants | .236 |
57 |
174 |
13 |
41 |
12 |
0 |
4 |
19 |
0 |
2 |
13 |
46 |
.291 |
.374 |
.665 |
| Pitcher | Team | W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
SVO |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
HB |
BB |
SO |
| Renyel Pinto | Fukuoka Softbank Hawks | 1 |
1 |
7.36 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7.1 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
6 |
WOLRD BASEBALL CLASSIC QUALIFIERS:
The World Baseball Classic will be played again in March and the first round of qualifying tournaments are complete. Brazil upset host Panama 1-0 to win their pool that also included Colombia and Nicaragua. RH Manny Corpas (2012) pitched well for Panama, allowing one run in 5.1 innings over four relief appearances. Chinese Taipei beat New Zealand 9-0 to win their pool in their home stadium. Former I-Cub RH Hung-Wen Chen (2010-11) made one appearance and struck out three in an inning and a third of scoreless relief. RH Yao-Lin Wang is a current member of the Cubs' organization and went 4-5 with a 3.92 ERA in 37 games (nine starts) with the single-A Peoria Chiefs this past season. Thailand and the Phillipines were also included in that pool. In September, Spain beat Israel 9-7 in the first pool play at Roger Dean Stadium in Florida. South Africa and France were the other teams in the round robin. OF Adam Greenberg (2004, '06) played in two games for Israel before the Miami Marlins gave him his famous at-bat against R.A. Dickey in the regular season finale. Of note, Greenberg didn't register an official at-bat in his two games for Israel. He was a sub in one game and walked in his only plate appearance. C Chris Robinson (2007, '09-11) was an offensive leader for Team Canada's win in the second tournament at the Armin-Wolf Baseball Arena in Germany. Canada beat the host Germans 11-1 in the final game. LH Sheldon McDonald (2012) pitched for Team Canada. He spent one day with Iowa this season, but didn't pitch. He spent most of his year with Peoria and was 1-3 with a 1.89 ERA in 33 appearances for the Chiefs. LH's Will Ohman (2001, '05, '07) and Luke Sommer (2011) pitched for Germany. Ohman began last season with the Chicago White Sox and finished the year with triple-A Louisville in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Great Britain and the Czech Republic also played in that tournament.
| Player | Country | AVG |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
OBP |
SLG |
OPS |
| Adam Greenberg | Israel | .000 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
.000 |
1.000 |
| Chris Robinson | Canada | .455 |
3 |
11 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.500 |
.727 |
1.227 |
| Pitcher | Tournament | W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
SVO |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
HB |
BB |
SO |
| Hung-Wen Chen | Chinese Taipei | 0 |
0 |
0.00 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Manny Corpas | Panama | 0 |
0 |
1.69 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5.1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Sheldon McDonald | Canada | 1 |
0 |
6.75 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Will Ohman | Germany | 0 |
0 |
0.00 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2.0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Luke Sommer | Germany | 0 |
1 |
2.70 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6.2 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
| Yao-Lin Wang | Chinese Taipei | 1 |
0 |
0.00 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3.2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
*Stats are courtesy of Major League Baseball Advanced Media, USA Baseball, and NPB Offical Website.
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We hope you enjoy the Winter League report this off-season. Don't forget to check back each week for more updates. If you know of any players that we should be following in this report that aren't included, please email Media Relations Director Randy Wehofer at [email protected].