Roster Shuffle

As Jordan indicated yesterday Ryan Flaherty will be going to Iowa alongside Brett Jackson, and we already knew that Matthew Szczur would be moving up to Daytona. However, those aren’t all the moves. At least two more have already been announced, and I anticipate a few more in the days to come. Here are the summaries.

Brett Jackson
Leaving Tennessee, going to Iowa
We have been waiting on this one for awhile. If the Cubs do move an outfielder in Chicago, Jackson might be up before September 1st. I am not sure that he will be the first outfielder out of Iowa, that could be Tyler Colvin, but if Jackson gets off to a hot start he may not be in Iowa long.

Ryan Flaherty
Leaving Tennessee, going to Iowa
And it is about time. Flaherty could have gone to Iowa two months ago. He could have gone to the majors two months ago. The Cubs could use him in the majors right now. Flaherty can play all over the diamond and brings some left handed power off the bench. He is one of those guys who could start a game on the bench, come in to play left, then move to third, then short, then second, and finish the game in right. And he might hit two doubles and a home run while he’s at it. Cub managers will love having this guy around.

Interestingly, that means most of Tennessee’s infield has moved to Iowa. LeMahieu is already there, as is Marwin Gonzalez. That means there should be plenty of opportunity for Junior Lake to establish himself. Keep an eye on David Macias as well.

Jae-Hoon Ha
Leaving Daytona, going to Tennessee
Ha has already spent some time in Tennessee this season, and I like the numbers this guy is putting up. It looks like he will be able to do a little bit of everything for the Cubs one day. If Colvin ultimately does not pan out, Ha or Flaherty will be the guy who steals his job.

Matt Szczur
Leaving Peoria, going to Daytona
The more Szczur plays baseball, the better he gets. In many articles, Szczur starting to be listed alongside Jackson and McNutt as true top-tier prospects for the Cubs. When Jackson reaches Wrigley, he’ll be the center fielder, but he will only be keeping the spot warm for Matt Szczur. If Szczur does well in Daytona, we can start thinking Tennessee by the end of the season, and maybe Chicago as soon as late 2012.

Ben Klafczynski
Leaving Boise, going to Daytona
Klafczynski was drafted out of college in 2011, and even though he was not exactly setting the short-season league on fire, his experience in college ball should mean that adapts to Low-A in a hurry. A left handed hitter, Klafczynski thrived in RBI situations with Boise, and his record with Kent State suggests that was no fluke.

I’m not sure the Cubs are done moving players yet. If there are any other promotions of noteworthy prospects, we’ll be sure to bring them to you.