In next month’s draft, the Chicago Cubs hold the 16th overall pick. Let’s look at several successful players taken at the same slot.
On June 10, the Chicago Cubs will begin a three-day journey of adding the next wave of prospects to a farm system that has been depleted by players graduating to the big leagues or being traded away for assets. Various media outlets have recently ranked the Cubs’ farm system near the bottom of the league.
While they have promising stars in the likes of Brailyn Marquez, Brennen Davis, and Miguel Amaya, they have no prospects ranked within the Top 50, according to MLB Pipeline. Per recent mock drafts, the Cubs have been linked to several top high school prep stars with the 16th overall pick.
Pitching would seem to make the most sense, given the lack of talent in the farm and the impending free agency of 60 percent of their rotation. Regardless if there’s a season in 2020, the Cubs will be losing Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Chatwood, leaving just Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish.
Last year, the Cubs went heavy on pitching in the draft, taking Fresno State’s Ryan Jensen with the first-round pick, but he’s likely to make his big league debut either next year or in 2022, depending on how things play out with the coronavirus pandemic. Jensen could be an intriguing player to add to expanded rosters, but he’s unlikely to have any meaningful innings in 2020.
So as the north siders continue to do their due diligence on draft prospects, we look back on several players that have also been selected with the 16th overall pick.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 16: Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot talks with Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts outside of Wrigley Field on April 16, 2020 in Chicago Illinois. Wrigley Field has been converted to a temporary satellite food packing and distribution center in cooperation with the Lakeville Food Pantry to support ongoing relief efforts underway in the city as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs cut two minor league players on Thursday as the purge on Minor League begins for Major League Baseball teams.
The Chicago Cubs cut two minor league players on Thursday as what is sure to be a purge on minor league players and affiliates begin.
Under normal circumstances, the transaction of the Cubs cutting two minor league players likely does not make the news cycle.
But these are not normal times.
Major League Baseball has suspended all on field activities due to the Coronavirus pandemic and they have begun a negotiating war with their players over what the players should be paid once the shortened season begins.
With the expected loss in profit, Major League Baseball owners are looking to save money where they can. That is why there is a rather large target on Minor League players and affiliates considering they are on the lower end of an organization’s baseball operation budget.
In what may be the first domino to fall, Major League Baseball teams have began cutting minor league players. The Cubs were among those teams.
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Like other teams, the Cubs are in the process of releasing some players who will also be paid through June. Those cuts include former Illinois State pitcher Brock Stewart (according to his Twitter account) and infielder Carlos Asuaje (per @sahadevsharma).
Brock Stewart signed with the Cubs on a minor league deal this past off-season. In 13 appearances between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays in 2019, Stewart posted a 9.82 ERA.
Carlos Asuaje was non-roster invitee to Spring Training for the Cubs and did not appear in a Major League Baseball game last season.
The Cubs have already committed to paying their players, including minor leaguers like Stewart and Asuaje, through the end of June. But the issue for Stewart and Asuaje becomes what happens after June.
Even before the Coronavirus had a direct impact on Major League Baseball, commissioner Rob Manfred was aiming to significantly decrease the number of Minor League Baseball affiliates in Major League Baseball.
Manfred, as outlined by the Bill Madden of New York Daily News, was planning on taking a bulldozer to the Minor Leagues:
Forty-two of the 160 minor league teams (26%) guaranteed under the present, expiring Professional Baseball Agreement between the majors and minors will be eliminated, most of them from the four short season Rookie Leagues — the New York-Penn, Appalachian, Northwest and Pioneer.
When this plan was outlined last fall, Manfred faced immediate pushback from baseball purists as even the common follower of Major League Baseball is aware that the Minor League Baseball affiliates is often the long-term investment for the Major League team’s roster.
The suspension of the Major League Baseball season due to the Coronavirus pushed the talk of the destruction of Minor League Baseball to the side.
But with Major League Baseball owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association beginning the talks of how to begin the season, the destruction of Minor League Baseball is slowly coming back to the forefront.
With that comes a frightening realization.
Manfred, under the mask of the Coronavirus, could begin to push his agenda of purging Minor League Baseball. That is why the post-June futures for players such as Stewart and Asujae is frightening.
Reason being there is no known future. Stewart and Asuaje are just the beginning of what likely will be hundreds if not thousands of Minor League Players that will soon be released by their respective organization. Such a purging would have a massive impact on a team like the Cubs that have invested a significant amount of resources into their Minor League operations.
For the Cubs, much of the coming two years were dedicated to restoring the talent that they had in their Minor League system. The idea being that the restored talent would eventually lead to the reconstruction of the streamline of talent from the Minor League level to the Major League level.
Without that reconstruction, the Chicago Cubs may not see a World Series window for quite some time. And that is why, the idea of Minor League Baseball players beginning to be cut is quite noteworthy.
Why do so many in the Chicago Bulls’ organization like Jim Boylen?
The Chicago Bulls have to fire Jim Boylen right? Don’t they? I mean, there’s no chance he can be the head coach heading into next season, can he? Despite every logical fiber of my being telling me there is no chance he’s patrolling the sidelines when the Bulls kickoff the 2020-21 season, the irrational side of me, like the flip side of a Frosted Mini-Wheat, is getting nervous.
At the time, it was hard to understand his mercurial nature, but as new information emerges, it starts to make a little more sense.
Chicago Bulls’ owner still in Jim Boylen’s corner
Yesterday, while appearing on ESPN 1000 with Kap & Co., Ramona Shelburne mentioned that in her interview with owner Jerry Reinsdorf, that he’s practically emploring the new front office to give Boylen a legitimate chance to keep his job and has urged them to “take him seriously.”
Let’s put aside what it says about your head coach that your owner needs to request that the people you hired to run the team “take him seriously” as if he’s a five-year-old asking for a $1 million investment in a lemonade stand.
Instead, let’s take the statement for what it appears to be — and that is a level of confidence in Boylen held by the most important person in the organization — the owner. Now, you’d certainly like to think that the owner wouldn’t meddle and instead would let the people he hired do the job they were hired to do.
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But it’s at least a tad concerning that Boylen has the support of Reinsdorf, and also John Paxson, who remains with the team, though admittedly in a role with less influence. How much of their influence collectively though will they choose to exert over the new front office? How far will Reinsdorf go to insist they “take him seriously?”
You’re right — I’m sure I’m just being paranoid. Or am I?
As we all struggle to stay busy and break the monotony, Chicago actress and acting coach, Jossie Harris-Thacker has been holding rehearsals for her first-ever play on Zoom . . . with kids! Her KidsWAY Acting Academy was set to perform their production of The Enchanted Bookshop by Todd Wallinger when Governor Pritzker issued the Stay at Home Order for Illinois. All of the hard work and rehearsals looked like it would be in vain. But, like a true performer, Harris-Thacker showed her young actors that the show must go on! Online!
“Everyone is on Zoom now. In one of our first online acting classes, I asked them to run their lines and I saw it,” recalled Harris-Thacker. “My imagination is always running wild with ideas that aren’t always simple and conventional.”
The Harlem-born actress, dancer, director, and producer started her career as an In Living ColorFly Girl before landing roles on many top television shows. She then parlayed her acting skills and passion for teaching into coaching actors through her Respect for Acting Academy for adults and her KidsWAY Acting Academy for kids and teens. She moved to Chicago a few years ago to be a part of Chicago’s emerging film and television scene and in hopes of having her acting academy help save kids and teens from the violence on Chicago’s streets.
These days Harris-Thacker does most of her coaching virtually – coaching actors throughout the Chicagoland area and all around the country. Her KidWay actors have been practicing and learning how to use Zoom to bring together a production that is likely the first of its kind.
“The hardest part about doing it on Zoom was being able to get 20 kids to sit still and focus!! Technically what was challenging was making sure that the kids had their props and showing them how to hold it right in frame”
Even though the world is set to “reopen” soon, the virtual production will showcase the talent, creativity and ingenuity of these committed kids and the inventiveness of their coach, all while continuing to keep everyone safe. You can experience the first ever virtual theatrical production of The Enchanted Bookshop this Saturday, May 30th at 4pm PST, 6pm CST, 7pm EST.
I really hate these things, the blurb about yourself that is supposed to sum up who you are in a few succinct sentences. Most people’s “About Me’s” are full of snark (which I haven’t mastered), and quips about their quirky life. Well, I ain’t got all that. I’m just a wife, mother, writer and educator born and raised on THE South Side of Chicago; East side to be exact, where it’s Cooler by the Lake . . .
I have a complex perspective, very interesting tastes, and my pedigree is that of food stamps and hand-me-downs, government cheese and a library card.
I like things Righteous AND Ratchet, Filet Mignon AND Flaming Hots, Talk Radio AND Trap Musik, Pellegrino AND Pepsi . . . . and all cool things in between. I love a good party and great conversation! Join the guest list by subscribing to my blog below and let’s get the party started!
With most sports around the world on pause, revisit iconic sports moments from the past to help fill that void.
Andrew Bernstein, NBA photographer, discusses what Ahmad Rashad was like during the ChicagoBulls’ 1990s dynasty and why him and Michael Jordan were so close.
This restored 5,900-square-foot home in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Wrightwood Neighbors has six bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms. The corner lot house features custom millwork, a three-story foyer, a wood-burning fireplace and a grand staircase. Custom cabinets complete the kitchen, which leads to the great room. The master suite offers a sitting room, a custom walk-in closet and a bathroom. A recreation room is on the lower level. A landscaped yard and multiple decks complete the home’s exterior.
Agent: Nancy Ackerman of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty, 312-751-0300
Sabra is a big, bubbly, friendly and loving, seven-year-old, 12-pound, green-eyed, female white and grey, well-groomed, long-haired cat looking for a loving guardian.
Sabra is playful with toys, but will also allow you to hold her in your arms and will jump in your lap when asked. She is not a shy cat. I think she’d prefer a home as the one and only animal in the home.
Sabra lost her home when her human passed away. She was brought to Crawford County Animal Control in Robinson, Illinois.
She has all her claws and enjoys a cat scratching post.
She was matted and had a skin infection when she came into rescue but now she is healthy, spayed, vaccinated for rabies and distemper, dewormed and treated with Revolution for fleas and worms. She has also tested negative for FIV/Felv, and is microchipped.
Sabra’s adoption fee of $150 benefits the rescued pets of Friends of Petraits Rescue.
If you’re interested in meeting and possibly adopting Sabra, please contact [email protected] for an adoption application.
She is currently being fostered in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.
To state the obvious, shelter-in-place is wearing on me. I miss my friends. I am done exercising by myself. I yearn for hugs so much that I had a dream about embracing random people.
But every time I want to complain during this pandemic, I remind myself how truly good my life is.
As I write this, family members of George Floyd are planning a funeral. Not only was his death unjust and unnecessary, but he and his family will be robbed of a “normal” service, due to the coronavirus.
This past month, Ahmaud Arbery’s mom did not decorate his home with balloons or plan a Zoom call with family on his birthday. She mourned him. Others honored him by walking or running 2.23 miles.
Friends of ours have lost spouses and parents to COVID and non-COVID related illnesses. None of them have gotten to experience the full grieving process, surrounded by loved ones.
So, yeah: I’ll remove my complaint of “boredom” from the pity pile.
I live a privileged life in normal and pandemic times. Being bored is a first world, white person problem, and I own that completely. We’re combating this petty problem with a new family tradition: Saturday Surprise.
Saturday Surprise’s purpose is to give the kids something fun to start the weekend. Its purpose is NOT to add more clutter to my house or to give my kids more sugar. I don’t need any help where that’s concerned, thankyouverymuch.
My boys are eight, five, and two, so the gap can be tough in terms of an age-appropriate item that suits all three of them. The older two clearly let me know which were their favorite. Here are their rankings:
#7 Books. It’s no “surprise” that this one comes in last. But we’ve opened them almost every day since receiving them.
#6 Soccer trainer rebound net.“Wait. Now you expect me to PRACTICE???” Yes, child. That’s the idea. *sigh*
#5 Scooters. Man, all three of them love these. It pays to be the only grandchildren. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!
#4 Spider web tree swing. This is the one that best fits the difference in age. The little guy enjoys gently swinging, and the older ones attempt to spin the other into a vomiting state.
#3 Dinosaur egg dig kit. WHOA. I did not foresee their excitement, but they were so into these. And I mean that literally: hatch these babies outside, because to get into them, it makes a huge mess. On the plus side, my husband and I sipped our morning coffee in peace.
#2 Trampoline. This has been our largest Saturday Surprise yet! Near-empty nester friends of ours offered their trampoline to us in December, and we declined. A few weeks into quarantine, we were relieved to hear that their kind offer was still on the table.
#1 Lego Incredibles game for the Xbox. I mean, who can compete with a video game?
These Saturday Surprises have brought a lot of joy (and several fights) to our shelter-in-place time at home. It’s a tradition that can be as big or small as we make it. When all the days roll together, and there’s not much differentiation, it’s nice to have something to look forward to.
In June, we kick off our focus on food. 2018 was our Ice Cream Adventure, 2019 was our Doughnut Hunt, and 2020 will be…
“Your life will never be the same after a kid!” Um, duh. I’m a French teacher turned stay-at-home mom who strives to maintain her social life with and without her kid. By day, a French speaking, cloth diaper changing, baker extraordinaire in both real and pretend kitchens. By night, a cabaret performer, below average triathlete, and club hopper. (Book club, that is.) Email at: [email protected].
Mike Novotny said, “Light when you’re not used to it, hurts.” It rained a lot this week. Today, on my morning jog, the fog had lifted, and it was cool and sunny.
Happy Friday, and welcome to another edition of Release Radar. A place where I talk about all the new music in my feed.
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My favorite track this week is “Tape,” by Starchild & The New Romantic with Toro y Moi. It’s a super chill jam for the summer, something that I think the boys over at MiS would really appreciate. The nice part is the length, it clocks in at a speedy 02:30:00.
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This sparse ballad, anchored on just a keyboard, by Zola Jesus feels apocalyptic. It’s beautiful for a morning jog in the streets; with masks on.
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I’m a fan of The Hunna, and it’s nice to see them try new things. From last Friday’s rocker to this week’s two-minute love song. I’m loving the shorter songs these days. There’s a time and a place for a 6-minute jam.
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Oh boy, new Boy Pablo? Man, he picks up right where he left off, channeling Pheonix in the best ways possible. “Hey Girl” is pure pop. Get ready to sing along, and bop your head.
Soulwax is in my radar with a track that ushers in contemplation, while Clean Bandit offers up some clean fun with their remix of The Killers “Caution.” The original version of “Caution” is one of my favorite singles this year.
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Many moons ago I saw Prof open for Murs, and he was interesting, to say the least. His energy on stage was manic, and his flow was really tight. His subject matter was sexually explicit, and things haven’t changed on his latest single, “Outside Baby.” Don’t we all want an outside baby? Sometimes it would be fun. Btw, is this the new “Me So Horny?”
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Speaking of Murs, the man returns again with “Flowers For People Under The Stairs.” I can’t say enough good things about this guy, he just does rap right. Great beats and stories for days.
Jimmy Buffet returns with more island music, and HAIM is back with “I Know Alone.” These three women are putting together one heck of an album, and I can’t wait to hear the songs side-by-side.
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The hardest working, most versatile, artist is back again this week with “Don’t You Know By Now.” I swear he has been in my #RADAR for two months straight now. I’ve written over and over about his talents and once again I’m blown away by his artistry. His live show was even more impressive. Folks, don’t sleep on this man.
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So you know how we do here every week, here’s your jazz cold cut. Kim Cypher gives us “Water From An Ancient Well.” Keep drinking, ya’ll.
