The Latest Dish on Cubs Prospects Brett Jackson and Anthony Rizzo

As Cubs fans, whether we are hoping to defy the odds and win early—or, like me, want to see Theo Epstein's plan mature to fruition—we all want what's best for the team we bleed Cubs blue for. Recognizing that, we all agree that two of the more immediate pieces to the puzzle are Cubs prospects Brett Jackson and Anthony Rizzo.

With that in mind, I set out to talk to colleagues and even some scouts in the Cubs organization. They told me that they would not be surprised to see Rizzo called up before Jackson, but that neither will likely be up before the All-Star break.

We won't see Jackson for awhile, but the Cubs are open to bring up Rizzo sooner. However, the main thing holding him back is what happened to him last season in San Diego and the current roster situation.

As former Padres GM and current Cubs GM Jed Hoyer admitted, he probably called up Rizzo too soon last year. With a lot of their combined reputations on the line—remember, Epstein and Hoyer have long regarded Rizzo as a "can't miss" prospect—the next time they bring him up, they want it to be for good.

Hopefully, the current major league roster situation won't have a bearing on whether they do decide to bring up Rizzo, but I am not naive. I realize that the presence of Bryan LaHair does have something to do with the decision, even if it should not.

What I mean is, LaHair is performing well, but the decision on when to recall Rizzo should not be based on another player. It should solely be based on what's good for the kid and the team. As for the team, if they are trying to win now, they need LaHair in the lineup.

But if they are truly rebuilding, their record this season doesn't matter.

Regardless, the Cubs could move LaHair to left field and sit Alfonso Soriano on the bench—though with Soriano's salary, that's about as likely as me dating Megan Fox.

Here's what I've learned.

Rizzo hit his 14th homer of the season, but then again, his minor league stats have never been the problem. If the Cubs can find a way to relieve themselves of Soriano without having to pay 100 percent of his contract, they will do so. No matter what, Rizzo will be up by the All-Star break, if not earlier.

Rizzo seems to have corrected a lot of the overswinging he was doing last year.

While LaHair will eventually move to the outfield, Rizzo will play first base—there are definitely zero plans to move him. Not only does he have a solid hit tool, he is a plus defensively at first base. I expect a lower batting average for Rizzo—possibly around .260 or so—and he will have his share of strikeouts (20.5 percent career minor league rate), but with big power and a decent on-base percentage.

This is unrelated, but Jay Jackson and Chris Rusin may get tryouts with the big league club sooner than later. And don't be surprised if Travis Wood comes up to take the rotation spot of Chris Volstad soon. But don't expect to see Josh Vitters any time soon—he makes contact, but still has reverted back to a ridiculously low BB rate. He has hit three homers over his past nine games and he actually walked on Thursday.

Brett Jackson will need at least 500 at-bats in the minors before the Cubs will call him up. I do not expect to see him until September. But he does appear to be breaking out of his slump. He was a double shy of the cycle on Thursday.

Meanwhile, having Jackson and Rizzo on the big league club—to go along with Starlin Castro—is a good start. But major league ready starting pitching is nowhere to be found right now, and the Cubs don't have an answer at second or third base long term yet. 

If Castro increases his power, he could end up at the hot corner someday.

The plan to build a consistent winner without having a top five payroll will take time. I understand that many Cubs fans may be in denial about that. In the meantime, Jackson and Rizzo are great pieces to have waiting in the wings.

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