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- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 5:00 pm
Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:56 am
Olt was a top prospect of the Rangers a couple years back. Almost every trade discussion began with the other team asking for Olt followed by Profar. Olt was showing 30 HR potential with a good reputation for defense. Seemed to be one of those can't miss prospects. A brief September callup was cut short by an injury.
Then Olt went off to play winter ball. He got hit in the head while batting. Vision problems followed and strikeouts mounted early in 2013. But he recovered enough during that year to convince Cubs he might have the vision problems behind him. He along with a couple pitching prospects were included in the Garza trade. He started last year in Iowa hitting 7 HRs in 103 ABs before being called up and hitting 12 HRs for the Cubs but struck out 100 times. If the vision problems ever get completely behind him and he realizes his potential he could be a 30 HR guy playing in Wrigley. Rangers experimented some with moving him to corner OF and he seemed athletic enough to handle that so he might be useful as a utility man once Bryant is called up and given third. Or I have heard talk Cubs might experiment with Bryant as a corner OFer. If I were a Cub fan I would keep an eye on Bryant to see if he plays any OF for Iowa.
Olt has a slash line this spring of .283 .389 .565 and should open the season as the starting third baseman. He has played in 21 games with 54 plate appearances. Other than Bryant no other Cub third baseman has reached double digits so far.
I understand why the Cubs are sending him down to get the extra year of control. I also understand why Bryant and Boras would not like it. One can assume if he stays healthy Bryant will eventually get the huge money though it will be delayed one year. But as the Olt history shows any injury, any pitch can change that.
For me bottom line on Bryant is he has nothing left to prove at the minor league level. If Cubs want their best shot at winning and making playoffs this year he should be playing in Chicago now instead of Iowa. On the other hand this is the Cubs which means any discussion of what is their best strategy for winning it all is pretty much meaningless. Only difference the Bryant situation might make is they have opportunity to go off the rails now instead of having to wait until late in season.
Then Olt went off to play winter ball. He got hit in the head while batting. Vision problems followed and strikeouts mounted early in 2013. But he recovered enough during that year to convince Cubs he might have the vision problems behind him. He along with a couple pitching prospects were included in the Garza trade. He started last year in Iowa hitting 7 HRs in 103 ABs before being called up and hitting 12 HRs for the Cubs but struck out 100 times. If the vision problems ever get completely behind him and he realizes his potential he could be a 30 HR guy playing in Wrigley. Rangers experimented some with moving him to corner OF and he seemed athletic enough to handle that so he might be useful as a utility man once Bryant is called up and given third. Or I have heard talk Cubs might experiment with Bryant as a corner OFer. If I were a Cub fan I would keep an eye on Bryant to see if he plays any OF for Iowa.
Olt has a slash line this spring of .283 .389 .565 and should open the season as the starting third baseman. He has played in 21 games with 54 plate appearances. Other than Bryant no other Cub third baseman has reached double digits so far.
I understand why the Cubs are sending him down to get the extra year of control. I also understand why Bryant and Boras would not like it. One can assume if he stays healthy Bryant will eventually get the huge money though it will be delayed one year. But as the Olt history shows any injury, any pitch can change that.
For me bottom line on Bryant is he has nothing left to prove at the minor league level. If Cubs want their best shot at winning and making playoffs this year he should be playing in Chicago now instead of Iowa. On the other hand this is the Cubs which means any discussion of what is their best strategy for winning it all is pretty much meaningless. Only difference the Bryant situation might make is they have opportunity to go off the rails now instead of having to wait until late in season.