On The Corner of Clark & Addison: A Chicago Cubs Dynasty (MLB The Show - PS4)

[k_mac]

Welcome to my franchise thread. Hopefully this is the start of many years worth of Cubs franchises via MLB: The Show. What I plan on doing is mirroring the Cubs moves in real life*, and playing as many games as possible. I've found that with most franchises that I post, I rush through most of the season. With this, I'm going to take it slow. Since my only deadline is next year's version of the game, I plan on playing all 162 games. I'll recap all of them in some way, shape, or form. Once I'm done with 2014, I'll wait until MLB 15 drops, then continue where I (and the real Cubs) left off. I figured that if I'm going to do a Cubs dynasty, I might as well do it right.

Some of the writing in this thread will be original and written by me. Some will be copied from various websites. I will credit the author and the website when applicable. Generally, prospect bits will be borrowed from a minor league analyst, such as Jason Parks, John Sickels, or Kieth Law. Some season preview stuff will also be used from websites like espn.com or csnchicago.com.

*I may go off the strict realism path with a few minor moves, but all major moves will reflect those that actually happen IRL.

I hope you enjoy.

Settings:
Sliders: TNK 2014 Realism Sliders (with a few slight tweaks)
Rosters: Custom (Seanjeezy pitch edits + MLB draft picks)
Hitting: Timing
Pitching: Pulse
Quick Counts: Off (for now)
30 Team Control: Definitely

[k_mac]

Spoiler

reserved for records, stats and such

(feel free to post)

[Deuce2223]

Figured with the most recent trade we would be seeing a few more Cub's Franchises show up on the boards. Hopefully you can stick with it and realize for true realism it probably means losing 100 games this year unless that is one of the paths you plan on taking, because obviously if they were winning games, Shark and Hammel would still be with the team instead of dealt for prospects..

Good luck and I will be following..

[k_mac]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

Figured with the most recent trade we would be seeing a few more Cub's Franchises show up on the boards. Hopefully you can stick with it and realize for true realism it probably means losing 100 games this year unless that is one of the paths you plan on taking, because obviously if they were winning games, Shark and Hammel would still be with the team instead of dealt for prospects.. Good luck and I will be following..

Lol, had this planned before the trade, but I'm ecstatic that we were able to acquire such a highly touted prospect in Russell.

I'm definitely keeping things realistic. I expect to lose a whole bunch of games this year. Lol, I've upped my difficulty and found some different sliders hopefully wins are going to be even harder to come by. You don't have to worry about seeing Javy Baez and Kris Bryant starting the year off in Chicago. Unless literally everyone on my team gets hurt, they're going to be in the minors this year before the expanded rosters in September.

As always, thanks for the follow Deuce. Happy to have you aboard.

[jmcole33]

Look forward to following. Will be interesting to see how the real life Cubs and you deal with the abundance of young shortstops they have.

[k_mac]

[k_mac]

Quote: Originally Posted by jmcole33

Look forward to following. Will be interesting to see how the real life Cubs and you deal with the abundance of young shortstops they have.

I'm just going to let it play out. As of right now, Castro is my SS. It's hard to argue against a 3x All-Star SS under 25. Baez has a bat that could carry him at any position, Alcantara is versatile, and Russell can play SS/2B. Nobody's getting traded to open up room for anyone.

It's a great problem to have, and I think the real life Cubs agree with my thinking there.

Thanks for the follow!

[k_mac]

Javier Baez
Iowa Cubs (AAA)........................ ETA: 2014
Position: SS ............................... Age: 21, DOB: 12/01/1992
Bats: R, Throws: R ..................... Height: 6'0", Weight: 190
Drafted: 2011, 1st (9) - CHC .......Twitter: @javy23baez

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 50 | Overall: 65

Spoiler

Baez has lived up to his lofty expectations since the Cubs selected him eighth overall in 2011. He reached Double-A Tennessee two years later as a 20-year-old, and his 75 extra-base hits and 111 RBIs led the Minor Leagues.

Baez generates incredible bat speed, resulting in big power. He also has the ability to hit for average if he is able to develop more plate discipline. But Baez is a good bad-ball hitter and often finds a way to get his bat on the ball in spite of his aggressiveness.

Baez isn't as advanced defensively. His average speed begets solid range, and he has a good arm, but he still commits too many errors. Some scouts feel Baez is destined for a move to third or second base, which would be eased by Starlin Castro's presence in Chicago. No matter where he plays, Baez's bat has the ability to make him a star.
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Other Lists: 100 Prospects (#6) | Top 10 Shortstops Prospects (#1)

Kris Bryant
Iowa Cubs (AAA)......................... ETA: 2015
Position: 3B ................................ Age: 22, DOB: 01/04/1992
Bats: R, Throws: R ......................Height: 6' 5", Weight: 215
Drafted: 2013, 1st (2) - CHC .......Twitter:@KrisBryant_23

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 70 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 65

Spoiler

Bryant began his incredible run in 2013 by winning the Golden Spikes Award at the University of San Diego, and he ended it by winning the MVP Award in the Arizona Fall League. In between, the Cubs made him the No. 2 overall pick, and he crushed pitching everywhere he went.

Bryant has well-above-average power and drives the ball to all fields. There is some swing-and-miss in his game, but he has worked to eliminate some of the holes in his swing and projects to be able to hit for a good average.

Bryant has a strong arm and is more athletic than his large frame would suggest. He should be able to stay at third base, but he played some outfield in college and would be able to handle a move to right field if necessary. Bryant wowed in his professional debut, and the Cubs likely won't have to wait long for him to get to Wrigley.
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Other Lists: 100 Prospects (#8) | Top 10 3rd base Prospects (#2)

Addison Russell
Tennessee Smokies (AA).............. ETA: 2015
Position: SS ................................. Age: 20, DOB: 01/23/1994
Bats: R, Throws: R ...................... Height: 6' 0", Weight: 195
Drafted: 2012, 1st (11) - OAK ..... Twitter: @Addison_Russell

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 65

Spoiler

Russell rose up Draft boards in the spring of 2012 and has continued that upward trend in the Minor Leagues. He began the 2014 season with Double-A Midland, where he was the second-youngest player in the Texas League. While he missed most of the first half of the year with a hamstring injury, he returned to health in time to headline the package the Cubs acquired in exchange for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel on July 4. Russell has established himself as one of the best shortstop prospects in baseball and erased any concerns about his long-term future at the position. He has the hands, range and arm strength needed to make stunning plays in the field.

Russell uses the whole field to hit, and his quick hands enable him to make consistent hard contact. He has surprising pop and could develop above-average power in the future. He isn't a speedster, but he gets the most out of his solid speed, and he's aggressive on the base paths.
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Other Lists: 100 Prospects (#11) | Top 10 Shortstops Prospects (#4)

Albert Almora
Daytona Cubs (A Adv)..................ETA: 2016
Position: OF.................................Age: 20, DOB: 04/16/1994
Bats: R, Throws: R.......................Height: 6' 2", Weight: 180
Drafted: 2012, 1st (6) - CHC........Twitter: @albertalmora

Scouting Grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 75 | Overall: 60

Spoiler

Almora was more polished than most high school hitters, and the Cubs happily took him with the sixth overall pick in 2012. Injuries limited him somewhat in his first full professional season, but he made up for the lost time with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, where he was the second-youngest player.

Almora has a loose, easy swing and sprays line drives to all fields. He is an aggressive hitter, but he doesn't strike out a ton, thanks to his feel for the bat. Almora has more power than his lithe frame would suggest, and he projects to have average power. He is an excellent center fielder and has a strong arm.

Almora has five-tool potential, and his makeup and baseball instincts allow his tools to play up. If he can avoid further injury troubles, he has the skill set to start moving quickly.
Bernie Pleskoff's scouting report »

Other Lists: 100 Prospects (#15) | Top 10 outfield Prospects (#4)

C.J. Edwards
Tennessee Smokies (AA).................ETA: 2015
Position: RHP..................................Age: 22, DOB: 09/03/1991
Bats: R, Throws: R..........................Height: 6' 2", Weight: 155
Drafted: 2011, 48th (1464) - TEX.....Twitter: @CEdwardsSBS

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 60

Spoiler

Lightly scouted in high school, Texas nabbed Edwards in the 48th round of the 2011 Draft. He quickly developed into much more than a typical 48th-round pick and was a key component to the package the Rangers sent to the Cubs in exchange for Matt Garza in July 2013.

Edwards throws his fastball in the low- to mid-90s and can touch 97 mph. He does a good job of keeping his fastball down in the zone and only gave up one home run in 116 1/3 innings in 2013. Edwards' best offspeed pitch is his 12-to-6 curveball, and his changeup has improved as a professional.

Edwards is skinny, and some scouts question his long-term durability as a result. If he can prove that won't be a problem, his stuff is good enough to make him a front-line starter.
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Other Lists: 100 Prospects (#34)

Jorge Soler
Tennessee Smokies (AA)...............ETA: 2015
Position: OF..................................Age: 22, DOB: 02/25/1992
Bats: R, Throws: R........................Height: 6' 4", Weight: 215
Signed: June 11, 2012 - CHC.........Twitter: @JorgeSoler68

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 65 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60

Spoiler

Soler joined fellow Cuban natives Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig in signing big contracts with Major League teams in 2012. While Cespedes and Puig have already made their impact felt in the big leagues, Soler -- the youngest of the three -- continues to progress toward Chicago. His development was stilted in 2013 by a stress fracture in his left tibia, which caused him to miss half the season.

Soler has big raw power and drives the ball to all fields. He has a good approach at the plate and shows a willingness to take a walk.
Soler has a strong arm and covers ground well in right field. While his makeup has been questioned at times, Soler is still young and profiles well as a prototypical right fielder.
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Other Lists: 100 Prospects (#41) | Top 10 outfield Prospects (#8)

Arismendy Alcantara
Iowa Cubs (AAA)...........................ETA: 2014
Position: SS/2B.............................Age: 22, DOB: 10/29/1991
Bats: S, Throws: R........................Height: 5' 10", Weight: 170
Signed: Nov. 3, 2008 - CHC

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Spoiler

Scouts had long waited for Alcantara to put together his exciting package of tools. That finally happened in 2013, and he earned a spot in the Futures Game as a result.

Alcantara has a short, compact swing from both sides of the plate. His swing is more suited for line drives, but he does have some pop in his bat. Alcantara is athletic and has well-above-average speed, making him a threat to steal.

The Cubs have used Alcantara at shortstop and second base. He has a strong arm and is a good defender at both positions, but he is probably best suited for second base. Though the Cubs have a burgeoning group of middle infielders in Chicago and the upper Minor Leagues, Alcantara's potential assures that he won't be lost in the shuffle.
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Other Lists: 100 Prospects (#71) | Top 10 2nd base Prospects (#2)