Cubs add three pitching prospects |
Ever since Cody Bellinger's signing, things have been quiet on the Cubs' front. You have heard some rumors about Jordan Montgomery signing a short-term deal, but those are rumors, so don't look too far into that.
However, even though the public eye has seen this team as quiet, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins continue to add pieces behind closed doors. They have signed three new pitching prospects. Two of them are International players expected to begin play in the Dominican Complex League this summer, while the other appeared in camp for the first time on Tuesday. Although most international deals are agreed upon during the International Free Agent signing day, some deals sporadically take place throughout the season. The Cubs have done this in recent seasons, as those deals tend to come cheaper and more often than not fill a need that the Dominican Summer League teams need. There is always a need for pitching, as the Cubs have added a pair of young arms to their organization. Both are expected to see time this summer in the DSL. Those arms are 19-year-old Jhon Rosario and 20-year-old Cesar Pierret. Neither of them has a ton of information on them, as they have gone un-scouted most of the year, so to see them land in Chicago is a bit puzzling. Clearly, someone in the organization must've scouted them and liked what they saw. At 5-10 and 180 pounds, Rosario is tiny for a pitcher and has yet to grow into his body. Although there is a limited amount of information on him, we do know that his fastball sits in the 90-91 MPH range, but there has been a slight uptick from last season. He expected to land on the DSL Cubs Blue organization and look for Rosario to continue working on his velocity while adding some secondary stuff into the mix. Like Rosario, Pierret has only a little information surrounding Him, but there is some potential with him. Expected to be part of the DSL Red squad, Pierret has much more of an MLB frame, as he is 6-3 and 200 pounds. That alone caught the eye of the Cubs scouts, as they felt he could grow into his frame a bit more. Not a flame thrower, Pierret was seen touching 92-93 earlier this winter while also displaying a potential plus changeup. Of the three pitchers the fans will have an opportunity to see, Hunter Viets is the name to watch, as he has already appeared in camp to work out with his new team. The former Florida A&M starter was an undrafted product coming out of college, but has spent some time working on his craft in the Independence League to earn this opportunity. A bit older than a lot of college pitchers, Viets is 25 years old and pitched in college last season. While with Florida A&M, he went on to put up good numbers, posting a 3.45 ERA across 91 1/3 innings. Viets also struck out 81 compared to just 20 walks in his outings, and his command was impressive all season. Once his college days were over, Viets participated in the newly created Draft League, where his numbers continued to turn heads. In his eight starts, Veits went 47 2/3 innings and posted a 3.23 ERA. Once again, the command was solid, with 13 walks to 44 strikeouts, but there are other things to like about his game. Along with his excellent command, Viets is known as a ground ball pitcher, as 51% of his outs recorded came on the ground. For an organization that prides itself on defense, that plays into their hands, which could be why the team loved what they saw during his pro day workout. Not only can you look at the body of work last season and see why he has earned this opportunity, but in his final two years, Viets has given his teams 229 innings pitched with a 3.22 ERA, 60BB, and 218K. In his most recent workout session, Viets was seen averaging 92-94 MPH with his fastball, but also was seen touching 96. Not only that, but he has three additional off-speed pitches, as he can use four plus pitches to get hitters out. His best secondary offering at this point has to be his 88 MPH slider, but he also has an 81 MPH curve and an 87 MPH changeup. Throw in his 6-4 and 220-pound frame, and you can see why the Cubs liked a lot of what they saw in him. Despite being an older prospect, look for Viets to see some time in the pitching lab before beginning this season with the ACL Cubs. However, it shouldn't be too long before he has an opportunity to pitch in the full-season leagues, as he could reach AA Tennessee by the season's end. 🚨 Pro Day Recap @TreadHQ:
Hunter Viets (@hviets_20) 🚨
Dude is polished with a proven track record and tons of room to grow. Would immediately be a great addition to any org.
Sat 92-94 in a pen. Been up to 96. Commands 4 plus pitches pic.twitter.com/JzFZQFIDCs
