2016 Cubs could be one of MLB's best ever teams

[Omeletpants]

I thought I read where you were a 50 year fan of the Cubs...if that is true, then you should know better. I've seen this team throw away youth on veteran players over and over again thinking "this is the year". Do these names ring a bell...Heredia, Karchner,Broglio, Clemens, Schiraldi, Nipper,Ruthven, Tabler, Reitz, Ontiveros, Murcer, Renko, Biitner, Paul and Locker. Some of the young talent they saw fit to dump to pick up that list of "stars" were Madlock, Holtzman, Moyer, Garland, Smith, Palmeiro, Eckersley, Sutter, Brock, Caudill, Thornton and North.

I'm positive Eggpants knows and remembers.

All I will say about this is that most people thought the Brock/Broglio trade was a good one at the time. No one was bitching when it happened

 

[Parade_Rain]

1969 Cubs had 4 HOF players and choked away the pennant.

Holy cow! Rory is right about this.

 

[brett05]

Add to it they should ... can the ASG having control of the WS home team. Make it the best record getting there hold the home field. This puts more emphasis to the regular season vs a exibition game

Can't do that without a balanced schedule IMO. Allow the IL record to make the call. Of course that would mean the AL would always be the home team.

 

[CSF77]

Can't do that without a balanced schedule IMO. Allow the IL record to make the call. Of course that would mean the AL would always be the home team.

It is possible. The constant series AL/NL was a stroke of genius. The whole stopping regular series to cater to a inter league time was a joke.

But it gives weighted advantage to the season. Say a WC team pulls it off. They win their bonus game then go all the way at a disadvantage in sites. WS most likely they are again in disadvantage but it matters little at that point as it did not before.

All it really means is the first 2 and last 2 games are played at the better team's park in ever series. If the worse regular season record team wins their 3 at their home they would sit at worst 3-2 for the final 2 games.

 

[brett05]

It is possible. The constant series AL/NL was a stroke of genius. The whole stopping regular series to cater to a inter league time was a joke.

I actually liked it when they took two breaks to do the IL games. It added more intrigue. With it happening daily with the odd number of teams in each league it's just not the same for me anymore.

 

[SilenceS]

Not sure if serious.

Dead serious. MLB network was talking about them just the other night.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CSF77]

I actually liked it when they took two breaks to do the IL games. It added more intrigue. With it happening daily with the odd number of teams in each league it's just not the same for me anymore.

Each their own

 

[DanTown]

The 69 Mets played some of the best baseball ever (they went 48-18 after July, they won the WS obviously). While the Cubs blew a big lead to the Mets and went 8-17 in September, they'd still lose the division if they went say 15-10 in September and finish with 98 wins. That's the nature of pre-wild card baseball.

I simply highly doubt the Cubs can lose this division at this point of the year. They're too well balanced for me (#2 in FIP, #3 in fWAR for pitching, #2 in offensive production, #1 in fWAR for position players) and St. Louis doesn't have pitching (3.85 FIP, no starter with a FIP under 3.5) for me to think they're just going to play baseball well enough to catch even a slumping Cubs.

Also, last year there were only 12 pitchers with a fWAR above 5 and only 20 position players with a fWAR above 5. Right now, the Cubs project to have three starters with a fWAR above 5 (Lackey, Arrieta, Lester) and they project to have three position players to have fWAR around or above five (Bryant, Rizzo, Zobrist, Fowler probably drops off with the injury). While guys might not make the HOF, that's HOF level production that almost any team in the history of baseball would be hard pressed to match.

 

[Washington]

I thought I read where you were a 50 year fan of the Cubs...if that is true, then you should know better. I've seen this team throw away youth on veteran players over and over again thinking "this is the year". Do these names ring a bell...Heredia, Karchner,Broglio, Clemens, Schiraldi, Nipper,Ruthven, Tabler, Reitz, Ontiveros, Murcer, Renko, Biitner, Paul and Locker. Some of the young talent they saw fit to dump to pick up that list of "stars" were Madlock, Holtzman, Moyer, Garland, Smith, Palmeiro, Eckersley, Sutter, Brock, Caudill, Thornton and North.

I'm positive Eggpants knows and remembers.

I am a fan of over 50 years and I do remember. However, I ask what you mean by "know better"? I do know that with championships being rare and no guarantees of success with players in the minor leagues, you make big moves if you feel they put you over the top. If your organization is structured well, losing a couple/few parts from A to AAA won't set you back.

This team needs help in the pen. I believe Theo "gets it" in Bowman-style and will make moves. He knows his legacy is based on championships alone and he knows he'll be the biggest Hero in Chicago sports annals if the Cubs win a World Series. Getting that monkey off the back would be huge. It was in Boston and now they are no longer the butt end of a million jokes like the Cubs still are which will be even worse if they don't win it all this year with the start they have had and the expectations.

The season is still young and injuries can change everything. We have not had one with the starters. If that happens, I think Theo gives up prospects to get another SOR pitcher. He might do the same for Miller if the NYY are not in serious contention around the trade deadline.

 

[CubsWin]

I thought I read where you were a 50 year fan of the Cubs...if that is true, then you should know better. I've seen this team throw away youth on veteran players over and over again thinking "this is the year". Do these names ring a bell...Heredia, Karchner,Broglio, Clemens, Schiraldi, Nipper,Ruthven, Tabler, Reitz, Ontiveros, Murcer, Renko, Biitner, Paul and Locker. Some of the young talent they saw fit to dump to pick up that list of "stars" were Madlock, Holtzman, Moyer, Garland, Smith, Palmeiro, Eckersley, Sutter, Brock, Caudill, Thornton and North.

I'm positive Eggpants knows and remembers.

Good list. But it makes me sick thinking about all the talent traded away for nothing. In the interest of accuracy, none of those guys listed were brought in when the Cubs traded Ken Holtzman. They got Rick Monday for him. And Sutter was traded for Leon Durham (along with Reitz, who you have listed).

 

[cubsmann]

The Cubs have 6 losses by more than 2 runs. That is ridiculous at this point in the season.

They are just 8-9 in 1 run games. What they need is some help in the bullpen. Strop is average at best and Cahill is pretty bad. That failed save attempt in Washington was ugly.

All that said, the only team that scares me in October is San Francisco. In a 7 game series, Bumgarner could single handedly win 3 games. That guy is so clutch.

I seriously doubt that any pitcher could effectively pitch 3 games of a 7 game series. Even God would be in the bullpen by the 4th. The Giants scare me more than the Nationals but even the Giants don't really scare me. This team is dismantling teams on a daily basis. Their starting pitching is far and away the best in MLB. They have three starters under 2.50 and two under 2.00. That doesn't happen in this hitters era of baseball. The 1907 Cubs had a staff ERA of 1.73 but that was the "dead ball" era when no one was hitting anything and good pitching totally shut down good hitting. The same will be true in October so if this team was scoring a ton of runs maybe I would be concerned but how many teams can you remember had a staff where their starters almost guaranteed to give up 3 runs or less. Takes a lot of pressure off of the offense. The Cubs are 44-3 when scoring more than 4 runs. That stats tell more than any other about how dominant this team has been.

 

[cubsmann]

I simply highly doubt the Cubs can lose this division at this point of the year.

.

It would take a historic collapse to not win the NL Central. The Cubs are 13 games up on June 20. And the Cardinals are not the team they were last year. Even if they were they wouldn't catch the Cubs this year. Especially after we sweep them over the next 3 games. If that happens game over. The Cubs would be 16 games ahead and probably about 19 ahead of the Pirates. The Cards and Pirates are playing for the wildcard and I don't think either of them is going to get it...

 

[TC in Mississippi]

I am a fan of over 50 years and I do remember. However, I ask what you mean by "know better"? I do know that with championships being rare and no guarantees of success with players in the minor leagues, you make big moves if you feel they put you over the top. If your organization is structured well, losing a couple/few parts from A to AAA won't set you back.

This team needs help in the pen. I believe Theo "gets it" in Bowman-style and will make moves. He knows his legacy is based on championships alone and he knows he'll be the biggest Hero in Chicago sports annals if the Cubs win a World Series. Getting that monkey off the back would be huge. It was in Boston and now they are no longer the butt end of a million jokes like the Cubs still are which will be even worse if they don't win it all this year with the start they have had and the expectations.

The season is still young and injuries can change everything. We have not had one with the starters. If that happens, I think Theo gives up prospects to get another SOR pitcher. He might do the same for Miller if the NYY are not in serious contention around the trade deadline.

He's going to make moves I'm just not sure he's going to make the huge moves some think. If there's value sure but he's not going to completely mortgage the future for player that may be even more than they need. I think having Miller in Chicago would be fantastic and make a good bullpen much better. I also think unless you got him in an extremely favorable deal, he's probably overkill when a LOOGY is probably all that's necessary to replace Richard as a lefty in the pen. Chapman also seems like overkill to me when you have one of the game's best closers in Rondon. What would you be saying to hector if you replaced him with a rental and then said "oh by the way you're our guy in 2017"? These guys are human and you have to take that into account.

This is a very good baseball team. If the playoffs started tomorrow they would be the favorite, but the playoffs are essentially random events so you never know. The Nats and Giants are also very good teams and you've seen that when the Cubs have played them. These are likely the teams that the Cubs will face deep in the playoffs. I don't see any moves that any them can make to insure victory. It just doesn't work that way. That said you want to make to shore up areas of concern which I am certain the Cubs FO will do.

 

[cubsmann]

Theo came out and said they were looking for the right moves that will help this team and not mortgage the future. So, I think its safe to assume he isnt just wheeling and dealing because its been "108" years. That kind of logic is what has doomed the Cubs to begin with. Run this organization like you are the Cardinals and the rest will take care of itself. These players have nothing to do with "108" years and its comical thats what fans point to. Theo is going to do what is best for the long term future and success of this franchise. He isnt going to give in to the pressure of screaming fans because of "108" years.

He's going to pick the Yankees pockets for Chapman or Miller I can almost guarantee it. I would love to have Miller because he's signed for a couple more years but his price tag may be more than the Cubs are willing to pay. Chapman would help tremendously as a 7th inning reliable arm to get the game to Strop and Rondon. I think were good even without a single move but you know Theo would like to add an arm if nothing else just to give the team a shot in the arm.

 

[Washington]

He's going to make moves I'm just not sure he's going to make the huge moves some think. If there's value sure but he's not going to completely mortgage the future for player that may be even more than they need. I think having Miller in Chicago would be fantastic and make a good bullpen much better. I also think unless you got him in an extremely favorable deal, he's probably overkill when a LOOGY is probably all that's necessary to replace Richard as a lefty in the pen. Chapman also seems like overkill to me when you have one of the game's best closers in Rondon. What would you be saying to hector if you replaced him with a rental and then said "oh by the way you're our guy in 2017"? These guys are human and you have to take that into account.

This is a very good baseball team. If the playoffs started tomorrow they would be the favorite, but the playoffs are essentially random events so you never know. The Nats and Giants are also very good teams and you've seen that when the Cubs have played them. These are likely the teams that the Cubs will face deep in the playoffs. I don't see any moves that any them can make to insure victory. It just doesn't work that way. That said you want to make to shore up areas of concern which I am certain the Cubs FO will do.

Big moves are only required if a big move is required. I agree with that. No need to make any for the sake of doing it. With the roster as it sits now, that would not be required although one could argue for what Miller would mean to the team.

Injuries can still alter all of Theo's plans. No big moves are needed now, but one key injury could change that. I believe if that big move is needed, he will make it and shoot for the stars.

The phrase "mortgaging the future" is always used. What exactly is that? I don't see one move mortgaging the future of any team unless someone does something as stupid as a Herschel Walker move. If your organization is solid, you can weather the storm of losing a couple/few prospects.

Of course no move guarantees victories, but I don't want a GM that is afraid to make one worrying about next year. I once again applaud KC and their guts in paying to rent Cueto last year which is the move IMO, that got them a World Series championship. Right now, the weaknesses in our pen over a 7 game series against top notch teams, could be a differentiator.

 

[SilenceS]

He's going to pick the Yankees pockets for Chapman or Miller I can almost guarantee it. I would love to have Miller because he's signed for a couple more years but his price tag may be more than the Cubs are willing to pay. Chapman would help tremendously as a 7th inning reliable arm to get the game to Strop and Rondon. I think were good even without a single move but you know Theo would like to add an arm if nothing else just to give the team a shot in the arm.

Cashman and the Yankee's dont sell often and they may not even sell this year. Cashman doesnt just give up people. I think Chapman is the only real option. They want way to much for Miller.

 

[SilenceS]

Big moves are only required if a big move is required. I agree with that. No need to make any for the sake of doing it. With the roster as it sits now, that would not be required although one could argue for what Miller would mean to the team.

Injuries can still alter all of Theo's plans. No big moves are needed now, but one key injury could change that. I believe if that big move is needed, he will make it and shoot for the stars.

The phrase "mortgaging the future" is always used. What exactly is that? I don't see one move mortgaging the future of any team unless someone does something as stupid as a Herschel Walker move. If your organization is solid, you can weather the storm of losing a couple/few prospects.

Of course no move guarantees victories, but I don't want a GM that is afraid to make one worrying about next year. I once again applaud KC and their guts in paying to rent Cueto last year which is the move IMO, that got them a World Series championship. Right now, the weaknesses in our pen over a 7 game series against top notch teams, could be a differentiator.

The Cubs need an 7th inning guy that is preferably a lefty. If they have to use Richards or Grimm in the playoffs then the game is probably already lost. Strop and Rondon is one of the best duo's in the league.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Big moves are only required if a big move is required. I agree with that. No need to make any for the sake of doing it. With the roster as it sits now, that would not be required although one could argue for what Miller would mean to the team.

Injuries can still alter all of Theo's plans. No big moves are needed now, but one key injury could change that. I believe if that big move is needed, he will make it and shoot for the stars.

The phrase "mortgaging the future" is always used. What exactly is that? I don't see one move mortgaging the future of any team unless someone does something as stupid as a Herschel Walker move. If your organization is solid, you can weather the storm of losing a couple/few prospects.

Of course no move guarantees victories, but I don't want a GM that is afraid to make one worrying about next year. I once again applaud KC and their guts in paying to rent Cueto last year which is the move IMO, that got them a World Series championship. Right now, the weaknesses in our pen over a 7 game series against top notch teams, could be a differentiator.

I'm not disagreeing with any of that. You can only win in the year you're playing and Theo knows that. Yes the system is deep but you have to use it to get value not overrpay for a guy you may not need. Still I don't think we're far apart on this. Yes, this should be the year that the Cubs win and Theo and company will use that position to make moves.

The one thing I'll disagree with you on though is Cueto being the move that put KC over the top. I would argue that it was Zobrist that added the offensive punch they needed. Tomato/tom-ah-to though.

 

[Omeletpants]

Cashman and the Yankee's dont sell often and they may not even sell this year. Cashman doesnt just give up people. I think Chapman is the only real option. They want way to much for Miller.

If Cashman has been paying attention to the recent Cubs games he knows that we need what he has got. He needs one of our SS so expect him to ask for Baez or Russell or Schwarber and additional players

He is just not going to take the triple A talent that is blocked and we would love to trade

 

[Omeletpants]

He's going to pick the Yankees pockets for Chapman or Miller I can almost guarantee it. I would love to have Miller because he's signed for a couple more years but his price tag may be more than the Cubs are willing to pay. Chapman would help tremendously as a 7th inning reliable arm to get the game to Strop and Rondon. I think were good even without a single move but you know Theo would like to add an arm if nothing else just to give the team a shot in the arm.

Chapman is not going to be happy as a 7th inning guy. He is one of the best closers in the league and arguably better than Rondon. You dont want him brooding on the bench. I have issues with him fitting on this team culturally given his past problems. He is not like the guys they have

Also why do you think Theo is going to pick the Yankees pocket? He didnt in the Castro trade. Do you think Cashman is an idiot?