Well today the Cubs finalized their deal with the Boston Red Sox that send Jermaine Van Buren away. In return the Cubs received LF/RF Matt Ciaramella (nickname C-Mel). He’s a 6′1, 190lbs, 23 year old (won’t be 24 til Oct) switch hitter who throws lefthanded and was taken in the 2004 draft (13th round) from University of Utah.

In 2004, Ciaramella led the Utah Utes in games played, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage. He was second in batting average, walks, on-base percentage, sacrifice flies and stolen bases. He also led the Mountain West Conference in doubles, and ranked second in total bases and slugging percentage, third in home runs, RBI, sacrifice flies and at bats, fourth in hits, and seventh in batting average.

Last year he played the majority of the season for the Greenville Bombers (low A). In 60 games, he was 68 for 225 with 27 runs, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 4 hrs, 30 rbi, 21 bb, 39 k, 2/3 sb, .302/.360/.422/.782.

He has solid plate discipline skills and is a very intelligent like Boston has been drafting the last few years. Ciaramella has good contact, power, speed and plays the outfield corners pretty well but his arm is average at best. He’ll likely fill out adding more muscle taking him from just a gap hitter to a hitter with some real power.

Odds are he’ll start the season in Daytona (high A).

According to the Denver Post, his agent, and few other “sources”, Marquis Grissom will be a Cub for the 2006 season. Grissom will turn 39 during the first month of the season.There is still no word on the finiancial aspects of the deal, but it won’t break the bank. It’s believed to be a minor league deal. But most fans will take it, especially if it means Murton is still in left and no addition of Preston Wilson to the roster.

The conventional thought right now is that Grissom will serve as a platoon partner with Jacque Jones, with Grissom playing against lefties. But that’s not Grissom’s only possible role with the ballclub, if Murton tanks, Grissom will move into the starting lineup.

2005 was not a season Grissom would like to remember. It was by far his worst season in his 17 year career. But the Cubs are willing to gamble that he’s an adequate 4th outfielder for the 2006 season and that he continues to hit lefties.

Here are his lefty splits from 2002-2004 and his career against them:

2002: 39 for 133, 28 runs, 6 2B, 2 3B, 11 hr, 29 rbi, 11 bb, 25 k, .293/.354/.617/.970

2003: 51 for 140, 28 runs, 12 2B, 1 3B, 9 hr, 25 rbi, 8 bb, 12 k, .364/.399/.657/1.056

2004: 47 for 149, 27 runs, 6 2B, 11 hr, 34 rbi, 10 bb, 19 k, .315/.356/.577/.933

Career: 693 for 2428, 417 runs, 137 2B, 20 3B, 88 hr, 315 rbi, 185 bb, 353 k, .285/.336/.467/.803

Here is the second installment of Cub prospects’ scouting report. With the first being Felix Pie.Angel Guzman
Height: 6-3
Weight: 190 lbs
Position: SP
B/T: R/R
DOB: 12/14/81
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela

2005 season at Peoria (Low-A)

Appeared in 2 starts with a 0-1 record, going 6 1/3 IP giving up 10 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 hr, 0 bb, 7 K, 4.26 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, .345 BAA

2005 Arizona Fall League:

Appeared in 7 starts with a 1-2 record, going 30 2/3 IP, giving up 28 hits, 13 earned runs, 2 hrs, 12 bb, 28 K, 3.82 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .233 BAA


Angel Guzman has an amazing and talented right arm. He has four pitches that are considered by scouts to be so good they are all strikeout pitches. Guzman was ready for the Cubs 2003 rotation but was held aside in favor of Shawn Estes. Since then Angel has suffered various arm and shoulder ailments that cost him half of the 2003 and 2004 seasons, and nearly the entire 2005 season. Some many think that Angel is growing too old, but he just turned 24 a few weeks ago, so he still has his prospect status. He is another testament to the incredible job that Oneri Fleita is doing as the Cubs Farm Director and Director of Latin American Operations.

During the 2003 spring training, Angel Guzman was given one of the highest praises possible in the baseball community. When Barry Bonds, one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, was asked which Cub pitcher, Prior, Zambrano, or Wood, was the hardest to hit, he said none of them. Yet instead Barry said Angel Guzman. And it’s true, Guzman uses the same arm slot for his his two and four seem fastball as he does for his changeup and curveball.


Pitching: Angel Guzman possesses perhaps one of the best repitories of pitches in all of minor league ball. Not only does he have great location of his pitches, but he has four pitches that he can throw for strikes at any count to a hitter. His four seam fastball was topping out at 97 mph during the AFL, with average speeds of 93-96 mph. His two seam fastball topped out at 93 mph with average speeds of 89-91 mph. Factor in his offspeed stuff, changeup and curveball and he becomes deadly. During the AFL in 2005, he had good control of both especially during the early innings. It was later in his starts that he started to lose his control and his velocity would drop. But that is being related to his lack of pitching during the regular season.


Durability: Angel Guzman has been sort of the fragile man the last few years for the Cubs. He has never recorded more than 156 IP in 2002 between Lansing and Daytona as a 20 year old in 2002. Beyond that season, he’s recorded just 143 1/3 during the regular season 2003-2005. He’s suffered from various arm injuries from serious shoulder problems to forearm cramps. This season Guzman was having forearm issues early which caused the Cubs to shut him down. Instead of pitching, the Cubs had him lifting weights, and he gained 15 lbs of muscle during his rehab. Still as he entered the 5th or 6th inning, Angel lost the bite on his offspeed stuff and his control.


Defense: Guzman fields his position very well. His mound delivery allows for quick reaction to infield hits and bloopers. And with his stuff, he has already been accustomed to weak grounders in the infield.


Biggest Strength: Unlimited potential.

Just like Felix Pie, what makes Angel Guzman so enticing is his age and his unlimited abiity to use his assests. Angel just now turned 24, which is usually the age that most minor league pitchers get their first chance on the MLB level. But if you add in the factor that Guzman should have been starting in 2003 for 2/3 of MLB teams and that he would have been starting for most teams in 2005 season, he would still be one of the top young arms.


Biggest Weaknesses: Health and condition of his right arm.

In 1999, the Kansas City Royals signed Angel Guzman but released him due to serious arm troubles. The Cubs took their opportunity Guzman has shown when his right arm is healthy that he is a top arm not only on the farm club but in organization. But over the course of the last few seasons his fragile frame has not been able to handle an MLB load. That’s why the Cubs’ made Angel Guzman lift weighs more extensively during his rehab than most pitchers in his position. Guzman added 15 pounds of muscle this offseason. With his 2005 forearm problems, the thought was that’d be able to rebound quicker and more effiently than most pitchers with muscle addition. And his appearance in the Arizona Fall League, showed what he was capable of. Even with his average start going 75 pitches. The belief is that the Cubs organization purposefully withheld Angel Guzman during the 2005 season citing “forearm troubles” instead the organization had him add muscle buildup.


Keys to Success: Adjusting to longevity and dependency

Previously mentioned Guzman has never logged more an 160 IP or 25+ starts. He has never been the sole leader of a rotation. As long as the Cubs’ don’t rely upon him and take him as a guarentee, the club should be good.


In the AFL this winter, Guzman showed absolutely no signs of injury to his forearm or shoulder. His conditioning seemed off but not pitching for a year will do that to a pitcher. It became evident that around the 50 pitch mark Guzman’s control started to fade and his breaking ball lost it’s crispness.


MLB Comparison: Carlos Zambrano

There are not many arms in baseball today that can go the distance with 4 excellent pitches. The only player that comes to mind with Guzman’s ability and potential is Carlos Zambrano. Zman has the MLB experience over Guzman but just a few years ago Carlos was pegged as a #5 starter at best or possible closer due to his questionable arm and dynamic stuff.


Bob’s Bottom Line: If the Cubs need one of their youngsters to make a few spot starts this season, Guzman will be the first callup from the minors. If Guzman stays healthy, there is no reason not to believe that he will be in the Cubs 2007 rotation (or someone else’s rotation if trade), especially with the likely losses of Kerry Wood and Greg Maddux.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be doing scouting reports on various top Cub prospects and will take requests. This week’s report is on the Cubs Top Prospect and phenom Felix Pie. Felix Pie (PEE-ay)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Position: CF
B/T: L/L
DOB: 02/08/85
Hometown: La Romana, DR

2005 season at West Tennessee:

Appeared in 59 games, going 73 for 240 with 41 runs, 17 doubles, 5 triples, 11 hrs, 25 rbi, 16 bb, 53 k, 13/22 sb, .304/.349/.554/.903

2005 Winter League in Dominican:

Appeared in 29 games, going 19 for 91 with 12 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 hr, 10 rbi, 4 bb, 19 k, 1/1 sb, .209/.250/.319/.569


Pie is an exciting young 20-year old center fielder with five-tool capabilities who makes scouts drool. He has established himself as the crown jewel of the Oneri Fleita regime as Cubs Farm Director and Director of Latin American Operations.

Blessed with blinding speed, an accurate cannon of an arm, and a sweet left-handed stroke, Pie posted solid numbers in 2004 and received an invite to the FSL All-Star game, a second trip to the Futures Game and was eventually crowned “2004 FSL Prospect of the Year” by Baseball America. 2005 wasn’t as kind to Pie, but he flashed the power that scouts have often said that he’d grow into. Felix was looking good to lead the DiamondJaxx to a SL Championship but a bruised ankle on 6/16 turned into a stress fracture during rehab causing Pie to miss the second half of the baseball season. And the DiamondJaxx finished second to the Jacksonville Sun (revered as one of th best Minor League teams of all time). Before this season Pie had won championships in Boise in 2002, Lansing in 2003, and Daytona in 2004.


Batting & Power: He’s a natural line-drive gap hitter who has great pop for someone with a 175-lb frame. 2005 was Pie’s first season post big homerun numbers. Scouts had long predicted that the homers will come naturally with his swing and big frame. Mix that in with his uncanny ability to turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples, and he’s an extrabase hitting threat.


Baserunning & Speed: Pie possesses as much pure speed as anyone in the Cubs’ farm system, including stolen base guru’s Dwaine Bacon and Chris Walker and newcomer Eric Patterson. The problem is that Pie’s base-running is very sloppy and undisciplined. He gets caught stealing entirely too much because of late jumps and poor slides near the base. He’ll be working this Spring Training with Vince Coleman again and likely pick up a few tips from Juan Pierre as well.


Defense: Much like his base-running, Pie runs wild routes in center field, which sometimes gets him in trouble and forces his teammates and coaches to hold their breath. He plays very shallow, but most of the time his strong arm and quick feet bail him out on any fly balls that he misjudges.


Biggest Strength: Unlimited potential.

The thing that makes Pie so exciting at age 20 (21 in Feb) is that nobody really knows how much better he can get. With time, he will certainly become stronger and more polished fundamentally, and only then will we really know if that potential as a major league outfielder will be realized. Hopefully Chicago won’t be forced to quickly callup Pie like that were with Corey Patterson.


Biggest Weaknesses: Lack of experience; poor on-base skills.

Anyone who has ever seen Pie on an 0-for-4 night knows just how raw and immature he really is. Some games he can strike out in four consecutive at-bats chasing balls in the dirt, pitches above his head and looking like a deer in headlights. The next day he can go back out, hit for the cycle and make amazing plays in the outfield. The truth is that if he expects to make it to Chicago in a leadoff role, Pie needs to stay focused at the plate and learn how to take a pitch once in a while. In 2004, he had 39 in 431 at-bats, that just isn’t good enough to keep him at the top of the lineup at the higher level. In 2005, he had 16 in 240 at bats.


Keys to Success: Attitude and Adjusting

Sometimes Pie’s carefree attitude can be a refreshing addition to the clubhouse, but sometimes it makes coaches want to pull their hair out. Some scouts question if he has the maturity to succeed at an MLB level. Or that he won’t make the proper adjustments to his swing as the competition constantly makes adjustments to him. The Cubs have had surrounded Pie with good baseball men in terms of coaching whom have spent countless hours trying to help Felix focus and play the game the right way. The only question now is how bad Pie wants to dedicate himself to becoming a better ballplayer night in and night out.


MLB Comparisons: Carl Crawford (OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays), Corey Patterson (OF, Chicago Cubs)

It’s tough to draw a comparison to a rising young star who has only played three and half seasons of big-league ball, but both Pie and Crawford are putting up the same numbers that scouts are projecting Pie to accomplish in a few years. Both players are speedy left-handed outfielders with smooth swings that produce solid contact. In the end, Crawford is a much more polished baserunner (46/54 stolen bases in ’05), but Pie has the potential to have much bigger power numbers than Crawford when he adds some muscle to his frame.

The Cubs envision the same thing out of Pie, that they once did for Corey Patterson. But Patterson couldn’t make the needed adjustments, and some question whether Pie will either. Both Corey and Felix were very immature as the Cubs rushed them through the system without taking the proper care of strikezone judgement, plate discipline, and focusing on changing to the opposing pitchers. Both players possess a “care-free attitude” that some coaches and scouts will see as not taking themselves or game seriously, laziness, or stubborness. Other coaches and scouts see it as a character that players need in the majors to block out the fans and critics.


Bob’s Bottom Line: I expect to see Pie at some point in the 2006 season, probably as a September callup or if needed due to injury. If Felix Pie stays healthy, there is no reason not to believe that he will be competing for center field in Chicago in 2007. But to think he’s the Cubs’ leadoff savior might be premature and overhyping unless Pie quickly develops a good strikezone judgement and patience at the plate. Pie will eventually work his way into a middle of the order role as his power develops, and not into the leadoff hitter Chicago once envisioned for him.

Be scared, be very scared. Hendry is not denying the rumored trade between the Cubs and the Orioles. With the loss of Furcal to the Dodgers in free agency, Hendry still seems adament about acquiring a big bat especially if it’s at SS, despite signing Jacque Jones to play RF on an everyday basis.Reportedly if the deal were for Prior and Tejada, the O’s would bite immediately. But Chicago wants the return of Eric Bedard, someone to come in immediately and help fill a rotation spot, if they are to trade Prior. The O’s reportedly would want Felix Pie in return if they are to include Bedard, that is the hold up in the deal.

I’ve developed an ulcer the past 48 hours thinkings about the sheer magnitude of this rumored deal. Trading for perhaps one of the greatest overall SS in the history of the game in his prime, and dealing off a 25 year old pitching marvel that has the world of potential and ability that he’s already shown on the MLB level. Those of you that have followed me know I’m a stats guy, but despite the calls that positional players play 5x as much as a starting pitcher and that Tejada would add 7 more win shares even with the departure of Prior. You just don’t trade a pitcher that is not only ace caliber but elite ace caliber before he is entering his prime. A pitcher, especially a great one, dictates the flow and confidence of a ballgame and becomes ever so critical in the postseason where he is called upon to pitch up to 3 games in a 7 game series. Pitchers like Prior with fluid mechanics, stuff, ability, and intelligence of the game come around ever so often. It’d be a shame that the Cubs gave up on such a rare commidity twice in my short life time.

Prior’s mechanics are so fluid, that he his mechanics are used as the computer model at the the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama which is the frontliner for biomechanical issues to prevent injuries with pitchers and other players.

And Prior is getting alot of unfair flake for being "injury prone". His two most debilitating injuries were the basepath collision with Marcus Giles

and being nailed with a liner on the mound from Brad Hawpe

Back to the hot stove rumor, Bedard is a former top O’s prospect that will be 27 to start the 2006 season. The 6′1 lefty has steadily got better the last two seasons, with lowered BB and Hits rate. Yet he’s still never thrown more than 150 IP in a professional season. Still the O’s are so hard up for pitching that they don’t want to give up any even in the return for Prior.