The list seems endless: Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Mark Prior, Kevin Orie, Gary Scott, Hee Seop Choi. They were all in some ways labeled as "can't miss" prospects who would have impact careers for the Cubs. History is a cruel reminder for heightened expectations.
One needs to consider the current Cub front office has chosen its words more carefully. They don't address their signed prospects as "can't miss" players. They hedge everything by saying that each player needs to meet development goals in order to be promoted through the system. They think their selections are good, but they admit that they are purely running a numbers game. For every 10 prospects you sign, maybe one will be an impact player and one will have a major league career. The Cubs have been pushing for quantity over quality labels in restocking the minor league system.
Even at the major league level, management only states that Castro and Rizzo are "core players." They are not saying that they are going to be elite, impact players for the next five years. "Core" means the central part of something, in this case creating a major league roster. But a core player may not be the best player or the most improved player on the squad. A core player is a starter who you can play without much criticism. A player that has a season WAR of 2.0. An entire team of 2.0 WAR players can get you on pace to win 70 games. Truly competitive teams need several impact players.
The Cubs continue to state that management has a plan, and that the process needs time. But again, there are vague statements in regard to the overall plan to fill the major league roster year by year and more importantly, no time frame for the plan's completion. It is possible that despite the efforts to sign the quantity of talent the past two years, none of them will make an impact with the Cubs, due to injury, or just not having the skill level to be a major league ball player.
