The White Sox have come to terms on a deal with first round draft pick Jared Mitchell. Mitchell hit .327 for LSU this season with 11 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases. Mitchell was considered one of the most athletic players in this years draft, which comes as no surprise being a two-sport star for LSU. 

The Cubs optioned Kevin Hart back to Triple-A Iowa to get more work in as a starter. The Cubs would like to have Hart start either the July 19th game against Washington or the July 20th game against the Phillies. 

The White Sox traded first base prospect Brandon Allen to the Diamondbacks for power arm reliever Tony Pena. Allen, considered one of the teams top prospects, was hitting .290 through 62 games at the Double-A level before being promoted to Triple-A. He had a .372 on-base percentage with 7 home runs before his promotion to Charlotte where he hit .246 in 15 games. 

After putting up impressive numbers for the Kannapolis Intimidators, the White Sox have promoted pitching prospect Gregory Infante to the Winston-Salem Dash. In 88 1/3 innings, Infante was 3-5 with a 3.26 ERA and striking out 75. Infante struggled in May, but was impressive enough in April and June for the White Sox to give him the opportunity in Double-A.

After giving up an impressive seven earned runs in 42.0 innings for the Daytona Cubs, pitching prospect Andrew Cashner gave up one run in five innings of work, striking out six. The Cubs' experiment to move Cashner from the closer role to the starter role is proving to be a success, as he has a 1.53 ERA this season. 

After hitting .455 in three games with the Mesa Cubs, 2009 first round draft pick Brett Jackson is hitting .200 (2-for-10) in his first three games for the Boise Hawks, with an RBI and a walk. Jackson is playing with a slew of minor league prospects, including Hak-ju Lee, Robert Hernandez, and Larry Saurez, among others.

The Cubs have traded minor league prospect Al Alburquerque to the Rockies for infielder Jeff Baker. To make room for Baker, the Cubs designated Ryan Freel for assignment. The Cubs bring in another player to fill the role that was left when they traded Mark DeRosa last off season. Baker is a career .257 hitter, however, he hit .268 with 12 home runs last season for the Rockies, with 23 extra-base hits and playing time at first, second, third, and right field. 

White Sox prospect Tyler Flowers ended the month of June with a .338 batting average, 4 home runs, and a .443 on-base percentage. Flowers was voted to the teams Futures Game at the All-Star Game this month, and is hitting .360 in his last ten games.

The Cubs have recalled pitcher Jeff Samardzija from Triple-A Iowa and optioned Jose Ascanio in his place. Samardzija went 5-3 with a 3.72 ERA and 53 strike outs in 67 2/3 innings with Iowa, including one complete game. Samardzija will work out of the bullpen with the Cubs, something the young starter has struggled to make the transition to. However, a rejuvinated Samardzija could help the Cubs bullpen, which has been inconsistent during the month of June.

White Sox prospect C.J. Lang is tearing it up for the Barons, hitting .394 in his last 10 games. Lang hit .286 in 14 games with the Winston-Salem Dash and is now hitting .355 in 20 games with a .467 on-base percentage. Lang, 25, was signed by the White Sox in 2006 and is starting to put things together.

The Cubs have place second baseman Aaron Miles on the disabled list with a hyper extended right elbow. The Cubs will call up Sam Fuld in his place after he hit .286 with 20 stolen bases in his campaign with the Iowa Cubs. Fuld has been hitting .417 in his last ten games, and hits an impressive .326 versus lefties. 

Cubs prospect Jake Fox continued his hot streak in his second go around with the Cubs, going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run. Fox is hitting .395 in 17 games this season, with 2 home runs and 11 RBIs. Fox is confident in his ability to play third base and is even more confident in his ability to hit, which could set up for a intimidating middle of the order with the Cubs.

Cubs top pitching prospect Andrew Cashner is putting together an impressive season for Daytona Cubs, posting a 1.66 ERA in 11 starts. The Cubs are slowly converting Cashner from a reliever to a starter, and are mindful of his innings. In his last ten outings, Cashner hasn't gone more than five innings, but has only walked 11 batters, an impressive statistic considering he has pitched in 35.1 innings. 

White Sox prospect Justin Greene is starting to heat up for the Intimidators, hitting .375 with a double, triple, and home run in his last 10 games. He had an average April, but turned it on in May with a .325 average and is now hitting .391 in June with a .476 on-base percentage. 

Iowa Cubs pitcher Mitch Atkins has won three of his last four starts, going 3-0 with 12 strike outs and four walks. In his last outing, Atkins went 7.1 innings, not giving up a hit until the eighth inning. He did strike out four but was handed a no decision. This is Atkins' best month so far, going 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA in five starts with 22 strike outs and 4 walks. 

The Futures Game at the All-Star Game is a way to give fans a inside look at the games youngest talent. The game is split between a World Team and a USA team, with players from the Cubs and Sox representing both sides. For the Cubs, they will be sending Josh Vitters and Starlin Castro while the Sox will be sending Tyler Flowers and Dayan Viciedo. 

The Cubs' June hot streak appears to have been just a fluke as they fell to the Tigers for their fourth straight loss. However, Cubs prospect Jake Fox had a breakout game as the teams DH, going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI. Fox was a triple short of the cycle, bringing his average up to .353. After Ted Lilly went six innings, pitching prospect Kevin Hart pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, walking two and surrendering just two walks.

It was a promising outing for Cubs pitching prospects despite a 5-2 loss to New Orleans. The game's starter, Esmalin Caridad, surrendered one hit over four innings and struck out five. Caridad hasn't been spectacular, but he is preforming better than his numbers show. Despite being 3-8, he owns a 4.14 ERA in 15 starts striking out 57 and walking 26. Caridad was relieved by pitcher Jeff Stevens, who has been one of the top relievers in the Pacific Coast League. 

In yesterday's defeat to Mississippi, White Sox prospect Dayan Viciedo went 2-for-3 with a walk, bringing his season average to .279. Viciedo has been hovering around the .280 mark for over a month, and I do not see the White Sox promoting him unless he can bring his average way up. He is still adjusting to professional baseball in America, and deserves a full season to get adjusted. 

The Cubs and their first round pick Brett Jackson have agreed to terms, pending a physical. Jackson is coming off an amazing season at the University of California Berkeley, hitting .321 with 42 runs scored, 23 extra-base hits, and 8 home runs in 53 games this year.  

-1B Brandon Allen continued his torrid start in Triple-A, sporting a .417 batting average with a home run and 4 RBI's. I think its safe to say this trend won't continue all season, but his ability to adapt quickly to Triple-A pitching has been extremely impressive. After making his way around the league and adjusting the opposing team's adjustments will he prove if he is ready for the Big Show. Either way, these gaudy numbers are sure catch the eye of the White Sox front office.

-It was a good weekend for the Chicago Cubs and much of the credit goes to their unheralded minor league call-ups, with Randy Wells, Andres Blanco, and Jake Fox all making key contributions in their sweep of the Cleveland Indians. Blanco hit a game tying single in the 13th inning and went on to score the winning run in Saturday's extra inning thriller. His stellar defense and strong arm seemed to have gained the trust of Lou Piniella, who has said he will use Blanco to give shortstop Ryan Theriot some rest. Fox led the Cubs with 3 RBI's on Sunday in support of Wells, who went 6 2/3 strong innings to secure the weekend sweep and his first career win. The energy and care-free attitude of these youngsters seems to have lifted a weight off of the team's collective shoulders, and fans can only hope their success continues to be a spark for the improving Cubs. 

Brandon Allen, Charlotte Knights: In his first game at the Triple-A level, Allen went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI. We could see Allen replace Gordon Beckham if he continues to play well at Triple-A. He is hitting .298 with 7 home runs in 63 games between Double-A and Triple-A. 

Peoria Cheifs prospects Josh Vitters, Ryan Flaherty, and Kyler Burke powered the Peoria Chiefs to a 12-10 victory over Burlington. Ryan Flaherty, who is trying to get into a hot streak, went 1-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Flaherty is hitting .242 in June, but has hit 4 home runs and is hitting .301 with runners on base. Flaherty, a compensation pick in the 2008 MLB draft, is taking a little bit longer to find his swing at the professional level. 

White Sox prospect Dayan Viciedo is starting to come together for the Barons, hitting .277 with 5 home runs and 41 runs batted in. Viciedo struggled in April, hitting .234, but he turned that around in May, hitting .293 but with an unimpressive .314 on-base percentage. Viciedo is still defining his approach at the plate, but he is very aggressive with runners in scoring position, hitting .295 with 2 home runs. 

CUBS

Iowa 9, Memphis 3: Pitcher Mitch Atkins pitched seven strong innings, giving up two earned runs but giving up two home runs.

Tennessee 7, Carolina 6: Tyler Colvin powered the Smokies past Carolina with two home runs, bringing his season average to .319.

Carolina 6, Tennessee 3: Jason Adduci went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Peoria 5, Burlington 4: Catcher Michael Brenly continued his hot streak, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Hitting in the DH spot, Ryan Flaherty went 0-for-4 with 3 strike outs.

WHITE SOX

Charlotte 5, Pawtucket 0: Carlos Torres pitched a rain shortened perfect game, striking out five. This is the second rain shortened no-hitter for the White Sox minor league teams this season.

Birmingham 5, Huntsville 4: White Sox prospect Tyler Flowers went 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks..

Winston-Salem versus Wilmington - Postponed

Kannapolis 5, Greensboro 0: Jon Gilmore went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs in a 5-0 shutout over Greensboro.

It's about time. The Cubs have recalled hitting prospect Jake Fox from Triple-A Iowa after placing lefty pitcher Jason Waddell on the disabled list for a non-baseball related medical issue. The move gives Fox, who hit .417 (5-for-12) with 2 doubles in 8 games for the Cubs, another opportunity to earn more playing time. Since his demotion, Fox was hitting .231 with 2 runs, a triple, and 4 walks. 

CUBS

Iowa 5, Oklahoma City 4: Cubs prospect Matt Camp had a big date at the plate, going 4-for-6 and bringing his average up to .340. He is hitting .312 this season between Double-A and Triple-A.

Tennessee versus Carolina - Postponed

St. Lucie 4, Daytona 1: Cubs pitching prospects struggled against St. Lucie tonight. Ryan Searle and Jose Pina walked four batters, allowed four earned runs, and gave up six hits in 5.1 innings. These promising young pitchers need to make the proper adjustments so they can continue to find success this season.

Peoria 7, Quad Cities x3 Cubs prospect Ryan Flaherty is starting to show signs of life, hitting 2-for-4 with a triple. Catcher Michael Brenly went 3-for-3 with an RBI.

WHITE SOX

Pawtucket 9, Charlotte 3: The Knights were dominated by John Smoltz and Clay Buchholz, but catching prospect Cole Armstrong went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

Birmingham 11, Huntsville 5: White Sox Tyler Flowers contributed in a big way for the Barons, going 2-for-5 with 5 RBIS, a triple, and a home run. Clevelan Santeliz pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball to pick up his third win of the season.

Winston-Salem 8, Frederick 7: Prospect Brent Morel broke out of his June slump with a 3-for-5 night, hitting a double and scoring three runs. Chris Marrero continued his hot streak, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. If he continues his hot streak, he should receive a promotion to Double-A.

Kannapolis 14, West Virginia 4: Prospect Tyler Kuhn went 4-for-6 in Wednesday's rout over West Virgina, with a double and a RBI.

CUBS

Iowa 6, Oklahoma City 2: Cubs prospect Kevin Hart threw six innings of one run ball, striking out seven. He improves to 3-3 with a 3.10 ERA, despite walking three. Hart does have pretty good stuff that could suit a struggling bullpen, like the Cubs. However, he is inconsistent and needs to command his secondary pitches before the Cubs give him another chance.

Daytona 6, St. Lucie 0: Since including him in my 'Who's Hot-Who's Not' post, Opitz has been on a tear, going 5-for-8 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs. Opitz may not project long term as a power hitter, but if he can develop a better idea of the strikezone, he could make for an average major league hitter.

Peoria 10, Quad Cities 0: It was a very promising outing for Cubs prospects, who two-hit the Quad Cities. Aaron Shafer and Jeremy Beliveau combined for a two hitter, walking two and striking out 13. Cubs infield prospect Ryan Flaherty broke out of his June slump with a 2 hit, 4 RBI night.

WHITE SOX

Pawtucket 3, Charlotte 2: Derek Rodriguez struggled with his command tonight, lasting just 0.1 innings and walking two. He has a 1.21 ERA, so keep an eye on him if his strong start starts to fizz.

Winston-Salem 4, Frederick 1: Although Carter struggled with his command, he pitched six strong innings to pick up his sixth win of the year.

West Virgina 6, Kannapolis 0: The bats were just not awake against West Virgina, as they were shut out for the fourth time this season.