The beginning of the.....The beginning

TL1961

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Alcantara up: The beginning of...The Beginning

I understand this is temporary.

I understand it is only because Barney is going on Paternity leave.

But Arismendy Alcantara has been called up to join the Cubs.

It is, indeed, the beginning of The Beginning.
 

JZsportsfan

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I see the light!

Supposedly he is getting sent back down after the 2 games remaining in the series but w/e. Still gets a taste of the action

Hendricks and Alcantara!
 

SilenceS

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Kind of interesting. I would say they would send him back down, but why call him up then? You could have easily called up Watkins. Maybe they are trying to get some life into the lineup.
 

SilenceS

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I see the light!

Supposedly he is getting sent back down after the 2 games remaining in the series but w/e. Still gets a taste of the action

Hendricks and Alcantara!

See, why do that? Why not just call up Watkins if you are going to send him back down? I dont think Watkins is out of options or anything.
 

beckdawg

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It'll be interesting to see where he plays...
 

TL1961

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Yeah...maybe the fact that it is not Watkins means it will be for more than a couple days.

Dump "Stumbles" Valbuena.
 

JZsportsfan

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If he's staying for awhile he'l be in CF I would assume. Gotta learn eventually
 

SilenceS

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I just read that he was told he is going to play Center more the rest of the year. I think the Cubs are still preparing for him to be a super utility guy, but thats just my opinion.
 

Captain Obvious

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This is so exciting! I have an exam tomorrow at 6, so I'm going to have to speed through it and get home to watch lol.

I feel like he's playing 2nd tomorrow since he's taking Barney's spot? But I could be wrong.
 

beckdawg

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I just read that he was told he is going to play Center more the rest of the year. I think the Cubs are still preparing for him to be a super utility guy, but thats just my opinion.

Not a fan but hopefully he can be decent in CF. It just bugs me that a top 50 type talent is being talked about as a super-utility guy. Unless he's Ben Zobrist this seems like a horrible idea to me.
 

JZsportsfan

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I think the Cubs should see what they have before shifting him to a utility role. What if he can hit .300 at the ML level as well? Become a true leadoff hitter? Doesn't make sense for him to not have a position. Should just give him this season and re-evaluate at some point in the winter, or next year. Have to see what these kids have before we label them
 

beckdawg

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I think the Cubs should see what they have before shifting him to a utility role. What if he can hit .300 at the ML level as well? Become a true leadoff hitter? Doesn't make sense for him to not have a position. Should just give him this season and re-evaluate at some point in the winter, or next year. Have to see what these kids have before we label them

Besides this and other things I've said numerous times else where, I truly worry you call him up to play CF which he's not all that familiar with it may effect his hitting. If he makes a bad defensive play in the field he may be thinking about that the next time he's up at bat and then have a bad at bat and compound the problem. I just worry its too much at once.
 

SilenceS

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I think yall are undervaluing super utility players. They get around the same amount of bats but the flexibilty is huge. Mark Derosa of 2008 comes to mind.
 

beckdawg

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I think yall are undervaluing super utility players. They get around the same amount of bats but the flexibilty is huge. Mark Derosa of 2008 comes to mind.

Did Mark Derosa ever make an all-star team? Was Mark DeRosa ever considered a top 50 prospect? Believe me, I love players who have flexibility(see: anything I said about Bonifacio pre-season). However, if a top 50 prospect becomes a super-utility player instead of a starter at one position you're likely talking about a failure. Super-utility guys are generally bench players who play because a team isn't a complete team. Zobrist is the only guy I can think of that was a starter on a first division team.
 

dabears253313

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They should keep him in the outfield and keep him on the roster. I'd rather have Barney starting at second base with Alcantara starting in the outfield than have Barney on the bench while Alcantara starts at second base. Barney has played well this month, hopefully he keeps it up.
 

Boobaby1

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Did Mark Derosa ever make an all-star team? Was Mark DeRosa ever considered a top 50 prospect? Believe me, I love players who have flexibility(see: anything I said about Bonifacio pre-season). However, if a top 50 prospect becomes a super-utility player instead of a starter at one position you're likely talking about a failure.

Not that he is in the same conversation, but Pujols played a couple of positions before settling in.

Right now, they are try to find a spot for Arismendy. CF seems the obvious choice right now with where Almora is. Baez and Bryant project to be on the team next year, and if Alcantara takes 2B, then you either have to trade Castro, or send Baez or Bryant to the outfield.

Either way, somebody is going to be playing a position they are unfamiliar with.
 

SilenceS

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Did Mark Derosa ever make an all-star team? Was Mark DeRosa ever considered a top 50 prospect? Believe me, I love players who have flexibility(see: anything I said about Bonifacio pre-season). However, if a top 50 prospect becomes a super-utility player instead of a starter at one position you're likely talking about a failure. Super-utility guys are generally bench players who play because a team isn't a complete team. Zobrist is the only guy I can think of that was a starter on a first division team.

You do know that top 50 prospects for hitters still bust over 60 percent of the time? They becomes superior players around 22 percent of the time. Alcantara has a couple of season being Mark Derosa esque then the Cubs did well.
 

SilenceS

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Not that he is in the same conversation, but Pujols played a couple of positions before settling in.

Right now, they are try to find a spot for Arismendy. CF seems the obvious choice right now with where Almora is. Baez and Bryant project to be on the team next year, and if Alcantara takes 2B, then you either have to trade Castro, or send Baez or Bryant to the outfield.

Either way, somebody is going to be playing a position they are unfamiliar with.

Pujols, Braun, and a plethora of others have changed multiple positions in their career. If the stick plays, they will sort it out later.
 

JZsportsfan

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Also if the Cubs plan pans out where is Alcantara exactly going to fill in regularly. I doubt the Cubs plan on benching Russell, Castro, Baez, Bryant/etc a few times a week to make a spot for Alcantara in the lineup. I think the best thing for him and the Cubs would be to put him in CF. There will be some growing pains but no better time to do it than now.
 

Boobaby1

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Also if the Cubs plan pans out where is Alcantara exactly going to fill in regularly. I doubt the Cubs plan on benching Russell, Castro, Baez, Bryant/etc a few times a week to make a spot for Alcantara in the lineup. I think the best thing for him and the Cubs would be to put him in CF. There will be some growing pains but no better time to do it than now.

I am waiting to see what kind of bat he will be at the top of the order. Won't hurt to get a little speed on the base paths in front of the power.

Speed never goes in slumps, and when he is on, the pitcher is pitching out of the stretch and is generally not completely focused on the batter as his attention has to be somewhat split between batter and base runner. That usually leads to good at bats for the better hitters.
 

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