Bryce Shafer

[VU75]

Bryce Shafer has been assigned to the  Peoria Chiefs, the Cub's low  A team in the Midwest League.

[valporun]

Just to clarify, while Bryce is in Peoria, IL playing for the Chicago Cubs Single A Midwest League team, it isn't the low A club. The Cubs have a "short-season" team mostly made up of recent draftees or free agent minor league signees that will start around mid-June.

[valpo84]

Technically, Peoria is the Cubs Lo-A team. Daytona is its High-A team. There is a short season rookie team (Boise) usually made up of the most recent draft class.

[covufan]

According to minorleaguebaseball.com, the Cubs have an "A Advanced" team in Daytona, and a regular "A" team in Peoria.  The lesser "A" teams are the short season and rookie leagues:

Iowa Cubs (AAA)
Tennessee Smokies (AA)
Daytona Cubs (A Adv.)
Peoria Chiefs (A)
Boise Hawks (SS)
AZL Cubs (R)
DSL Cubs1 (R)
DSL Cubs2 (R)

[jetz]

What determines whether a player gets assigned to a SS team (Boise in this case) or the single-A club (Peoria).  Timing as to when you become available ?  Talent?

[valpotx]

It is a combination of talent and age.  Your superstars will skip SS and head to single-A regardless of age typically (Bryce Harper for the Nationals as an example).  Usually, your college-age kids head to single-A right away unless they need to learn a few things, with HS going to SS to get acclimated to the raised bar.

[covufan]

In Bryce Shafer's case, he went from AZL (rookie) in 2010 to Peoria, then to Boise this year.  I would say that the move from Peoria to Boise was to learn the role of closer, and to get chances at closing games, which might not have been the case in Peoria.

[valpotx]

He seems like a good closer candidate based on his k to inning ratio.  I don't know how hard he throws, but he does seem to be getting groomed for that role

[mj]

The best pitching prospects normally start their careers as starters in the low minors, before switching to relief in the high minors. I've read that being a closer in the minors is actually a job given to non-prospects. Bryce was demoted from Peoria to Boise this year, so I'd be concerned that he was viewed as an organizational player rather than an actual prospect.

[valpotx]

This is mostly true, but as with anything, there are always outliers.  Off the top of my mind, Huston Street rings a bell, as he was a closer in college, minors, and now pros.