The Cubs got 21-year old righty swinging 3B Christian Villanueva from the Texas Rangers in the Ryan Dempster deal last July.  Villanueva came into this season as the Cubs’ #12 prospect according to Baseball America.  He has played in 29 games in AA-ball so far this year and he is 22 for 108 (.204 avg, .567 OPS) with 10 runs scored, 1 homer, 16 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.  He has now played in 339 games in his first five years in the minors and he is 344 of 1,246 (.276 avg, .770 OPS) with 179 runs scored, 34 homers, 206 RBIs and 56 stolen bases.  The Cubs have a glaring hole at 3B, so Villanueva could get his first shot at the show in 2013…..it he starts hitting the ball soon.

The Cubs have released 29-year old righty reliever Cory Wade.  Wade pitched in 10 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball for the Cubs and he was 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA and a 2.18 WHIP.  Wade gave up 28 hits (3 homers) in 16 innings pitched in AAA-ball year, so he got hit pretty darn hard.  Wade has pitched in 161 games (0 starts) in his four years in the majors and he is 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP.  This is not much of a loss for the Cubs.

24-year old righty reliever Zach Rosscup was a “throw in” in the big trade that brought Matt Garza from the Cubs a couple of years ago.  Rosscup is looking sharp in AAA-ball so far this year.  He has pitched in 8 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball for the Cubs so far this year and he is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.  He has given up only 7 hits and 3 walks while whiffing 16 batters in his first 10 innings so far this year, which is very impressive.  Rosscup has now pitched in 56 games (27 starts) in his first five years in the minors and he is 12-8 with 1 save, a 2.72 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP.  He will get his first shot at the show in 2013, if he keeps pitching well in AAA.

The Cubs have released 28-year old righty reliever Jensen Lewis.  Lewis pitched in 5 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball for the Cubs this year and he was 0-1 with a 17.18 ERA and a 3.55 WHIP.  He gave up 10 hits (4 homers), walked 3 batters and only whiffed 1 of them in 3 2/3 innings in AAA-ball this year and that is pathetic.  Lewis has pitched in 161 games (0 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 7-11 with 14 saves, a 3.68 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.  Lewis deserved to get let go with how horrible he was pitching in AAA-ball for the Cubs this year.

The Cubs have high hopes for 20-year old righty swinging SS Javier Baez’ future, as he comes into this season as the Cubs’ #1 prospect according to Baseball America.  Baez is off to a slow start in A-ball for the Cubs so far this year.  He has played in 8 games for the Cubs in A-ball so far this year and he is 5 for 34 (.147 avg, .534 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 1 homer, 4 RBIs and 1 stolen base.  Baez has now played in 93 games in his first three years in the minors and he is 96 for 345 (.278 avg, .842 OPS) with 55 runs scored, 17 homers, 51 RBIs and 27 stolen bases.  When Baez is ready to play for the Cubs, he will likely bump Starlin Castro to 2B.

21-year old righty swinging outfielder Jorge Soler has been suspended for give games as he charged the Clearwater Thresher’s bench with a bat earlier this week.  Soler said that some of the Threshers were saying stuff about his family.  Soler comes into this season as the Cubs’ #3 prospect according to Baseball America.  Soler has played in 6 games in A-ball so far this year and he is 10 for 23 (.435 avg, 1.258 OPS) with 6 runs scored, 2 homers and 4 RBIs.  Soler has now played in 40 games in his first two years in the minors and he is 50 for 157 (.318 avg, .895 OPS) with 34 runs scored, 7 homers, 29 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.  The Cubs hope that Soler learns from this and he grows up as a man, because he has a huge upside.

The Cubs have six rookies that could make impacts for them in 2013.  Here is a look at them:

Arodys Vizcaino:  22-year old righty reliever Arodys Vizcaino comes into this season as the Cubs’ #4 prospect.  He had Tommy John surgery last March, which wiped out last season for him.  He pitched in 26 games (17 starts) in A+AA+AAA-ball for the Braves in 2011 and he was 5-5 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.  Vizcaino also pitched in 17 games (0 starts) for the Braves in 2011 (his only taste of the majors so far) and he was 1-1 with a 4.67 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.

Brett Jackson:  24-year old lefty swinging outfielder Brett Jackson comes into this season as the Cubs’ #5 prospect according to Baseball America.  Jackson played in 44 games in his first taste of the majors for the Cubs last year and he was 21 for 120 (.175 avg, .644 OPS) with 14 runs scored, 4 homers, 9 RBIs and an amazingly awful 59 whiffs.  Jackson also played in 106 games in AAA-ball for the Cubs last year in which he was 104 of 407 (.256 avg, .817 OPS) with 66 runs scored, 15 homers, 47 RBIs and 27 stolen bases.  Jackson has now played in 402 games in his first four years in the minors and he was 435 of 1,540 (.282 avg, .867 OPS) with 303 runs scored, 55 homers, 207 RBIs and 91 stolen bases.

Kyuji Fujikama:  32-year old righty reliever Kyuji Fujikama comes into this season as the Cubs’ #9 prospect according to Baseball America.  He pitched in 48 games (0 starts) in Japan last year and he was 2-2 with 24 saves, a 1.32 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.  Fujikama pitched in 562 games in his career in Japan and he was 42-25 with 220 saves, a 1.77 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP.  He could wind up being the Cubs’ closer at some point in 2013.

Alberto Cabrera:  24-year old righty reliever Alberto Cabrera comes into this season as the Cubs’ #13 prospect according to Baseball America.  Cabrera pitched in 25 games (0 starts) in his first taste of the majors for the Cubs in 2012 and he was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP.  Cabrera also pitched in 36 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 4-1 with 5 saves, a 3.11 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.  Cabrera has now pitched in 155 games (94 starts) in his first seven years in the minors and he is 40-35 with 6 saves, a 4.59 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.

Josh Vitters:  23-year old righty swinging 3B Josh Vitters comes into this season as the Cubs’ #25 prospect according to Baseball America.  He played in 36 games in his first taste of the majors for the Cubs last year and he was 12 for 99 (.121 avg, .395 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 2 stolen bases and a pathetic 33 whiffs.  Vitters also played in 110 games in AAA-ball for the Cubs last year and he was 126 of 415 (.304 avg, .869 OPS) with 54 runs scored, 17 homers, 68 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.  Vitters has now played in 529 games in his first six years in the minors and he is 555 of 1,962 (.283 avg, .781 OPS) with 258 runs scored, 64 homers, 297 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.

Lendy Castillo:  23-year old righty reliever Lendy Castillo is the Cubs’ #28 prospect coming into this season according to Baseball America.  He pitched in 13 games (0 starts) for the Cubs last year in his first taste of the majors and he was 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP.  He also pitched in 7 games (all starts) in Rookie+A+AA-ball for the Cubs last year and he was 0-0 with a 0.90 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP.  Castillo has now pitched in 45 games (19 starts) in his first three years as a pitcher in the minors (he started out as a SS) and he is 7-4 with a 2.20 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP.

24-year old lefty swinging 1B Justin Bour is turning in another rock solid year in the minors for the Cubs. Bour has played in 126 games in AA-ball so far this year and he is 137 of 462 (.297 avg, .839 OPS) with 54 runs scored, 16 homers, 108 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. He has now played in 448 games in his first four years in the minors and he is 476 of 1,676 (.284 avg, .806 OPS) with 202 runs scored, 55 homers, 320 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Bour might move to the outfield at some point as he appears blocked at the major league level by Anthony Rizzo.

22-year old righty swinging 3B Josh Vitters could be nearing his first shot with the Cubs. He came into this season as the Cubs’ #9 prospect according to Baseball America. Vitters has played in 90 games in AAA-ball so far this year and he is 100 of 331 (.302 avg, .864 OPS) with 45 runs scored, 13 homers, 50 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. He has now played in 509 games in his first six years in the minors and he is 529 of 1,878 (.282 avg, .776 OPS) with 249 runs scored, 60 homers, 279 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. It’s about time the Cubs started letting the kids play.

The Cubs have released 19-year old righty swinging 1B Jair Bogaerts. Bogaerts came over from the Red Sox in the Theo Epstein deal. He didn’t play any games in the minors this year before he was cut. He has played in 93 games in his first two years in the minors and he is 73 for 321 (.227 avg, .641 OPS) with 29 runs scored, 4 homers and 47 RBIs. This is no loss for the Cubs moving forward.