In season thread

[chibears55]

@CarrieMuskat: #Cubs roster moves: Coke DFA; Wada and Lake to join team wp.me/p1rXwp-8YNp


1 down 1 to go.. Coke is gone

Lake is recalled

 

[CSF77]

@CarrieMuskat: #Cubs roster moves: Coke DFA; Wada and Lake to join team wp.me/p1rXwp-8YNp


1 down 1 to go.. Coke is gone

Lake is recalled

Wada was an extra body. Not a part of the roster on Iowa. They are allowed 2 rehab assignments and Wada one of them. Lake just means they are not willing to commit to LF yet and are playing the status que game. I see Shitter going down thus balancing the rosters. Coke would be an extra man on Iowa's roster even if he passes wavers. I doubt he takes the assignment and will opt out.

I'm crossing my fingers that they promote Schwarber though. Was pulled after his 3rd AB. Tenn got blown out bad. But Schwarber is rocking that league right now. Theyu really need to get agressive and push it with him and see if he responds. From what I've seen he mirrors Rizzo in his approach and power. It wouldn't be dumb to push him up and get him in LF sooner than later.

 

[beckdawg]

Lake just means they are not willing to commit to LF yet and are playing the status que game.

Think you're reading too much into things. Lake is getting called up because they sent down their 4th OF to call up Schlitter due to over use of the bullpen. That spot was never destined for Baez or anyone else but a bench bat. You can't realistically go with 3 OFs for very long and that is all they have. They arguably should have another bench player too but for whatever reason they've gone with a deeper bullepn. It's honestly kind of crazy that they can even get away with 3 OF, 5 IF and 3 catchers for any period of time. Even with Lake you're sort of left with one C to pinch hit, 1 IF and now Lake. If anyone goes down to injury or whatever then you start getting really cramped in a game.

 

[chibears55]

@GDubCub: Wada joins Cubs Tuesday in SD for season debut Wed.; Lake also to be recalled. Coke to be DFA'd, Schlitter optioned to make room.

Shitter gone too...

 

[CSF77]

Think you're reading too much into things. Lake is getting called up because they sent down their 4th OF to call up Schlitter due to over use of the bullpen. That spot was never destined for Baez or anyone else but a bench bat. You can't realistically go with 3 OFs for very long and that is all they have. They arguably should have another bench player too but for whatever reason they've gone with a deeper bullepn. It's honestly kind of crazy that they can even get away with 3 OF, 5 IF and 3 catchers for any period of time. Even with Lake you're sort of left with one C to pinch hit, 1 IF and now Lake. If anyone goes down to injury or whatever then you start getting really cramped in a game.

Status Que as in keeping Coghlan in LF still. They cut Coke (wow I just said that...) but retained a .200 hitting LF who impacts (or lack of impact) the team more on a every day basis than Coke ever did this year. So adding Lake just means that. They are not making a commitment to LF yet.

I would be surprised if they don't push up Schwarber's time line now. I'm waiting for him to hit AAA really soon and pushed into LF duty.

Some things put out today:

http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/125116460/phil-rogers-10-things-weve-learned-about-the-cubs

7. The Cubs' one question mark is left field.

Chris Coghlan, the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year Award winner in Miami, is mentally tough and has been a harder out than his .194 average suggests. But there's a thick knot of outfield prospects in a farm system that MLB.com and others rank as the best in baseball, and the competition between Billy McKinney, Albert Almora and others will be fierce.
The infield logjam could eventually force Bryant to the outfield. Or Epstein could switch tracks with Double-A catcher Kyle Schwarber, a left-handed-hitter cut from the same cloth as Bryant, and consider him as a left-field option for the stretch run. Schwarber's tearing up the Southern League (1.105 OPS in 33 games) almost as badly as Bryant did a year ago.

I'm not the only one thinking along these lines.

8. The Cubs need a starter.
Because pitching depth rules in September and October, the Cubs will look to add one starter and maybe a bullpen arm or two before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. Lester, Arrieta and Jason Hammel are strong at the top of the rotation, but the back end is unreliable. Wada, Wood and Edwin Jackson are available for depth, but the Cubs have few highly-regarded starting pitching prospects.

They are going to have to deal out for a arm. There is no way that I see them getting around this.

 

[chibears55]

Think you're reading too much into things. Lake is getting called up because they sent down their 4th OF to call up Schlitter due to over use of the bullpen. That spot was never destined for Baez or anyone else but a bench bat. You can't realistically go with 3 OFs for very long and that is all they have. They arguably should have another bench player too but for whatever reason they've gone with a deeper bullepn. It's honestly kind of crazy that they can even get away with 3 OF, 5 IF and 3 catchers for any period of time. Even with Lake you're sort of left with one C to pinch hit, 1 IF and now Lake. If anyone goes down to injury or whatever then you start getting really cramped in a game.

I agree they've been super lucky so far getting away with a short bench...


Lake got recalled because LaStella got hurt and i believe Sczur hurt his chances of being brought back up by his 2 pop ups late in friday game ...

Carrying Jackson in the pen right now is part of reason their going with a deeper pen n short bench..

 

[SilenceS]

Think you're reading too much into things. Lake is getting called up because they sent down their 4th OF to call up Schlitter due to over use of the bullpen. That spot was never destined for Baez or anyone else but a bench bat. You can't realistically go with 3 OFs for very long and that is all they have. They arguably should have another bench player too but for whatever reason they've gone with a deeper bullepn. It's honestly kind of crazy that they can even get away with 3 OF, 5 IF and 3 catchers for any period of time. Even with Lake you're sort of left with one C to pinch hit, 1 IF and now Lake. If anyone goes down to injury or whatever then you start getting really cramped in a game.

Maddon thinks of Travis Wood as a bench player. He said it the other day in an interview. I dont think he wants it that way, but with their situation he thinks of Wood as another player off the bench.

 

[CSF77]

Maddon thinks of Travis Wood as a bench player. He said it the other day in an interview. I dont think he wants it that way, but with their situation he thinks of Wood as another player off the bench.

He has hit less this year but I could see him helping Rondon with giving him days off in 9th inning duty while PH here and there. His stuff is good. He was just getting his pitch count up too fast. I think he will excel in the pen.

 

[beckdawg]

Maddon thinks of Travis Wood as a bench player. He said it the other day in an interview. I dont think he wants it that way, but with their situation he thinks of Wood as another player off the bench.

I feel like that made more sense when he was a starter but using him as both a bench player and a bullpen arm causes some issues.

 

[CSF77]

I feel like that made more sense when he was a starter but using him as both a bench player and a bullpen arm causes some issues.

No he could PH for the pitcher and then pitch the next inning. I see little issue with that.

 

[chibears55]

Cardinals lose to mets.. yep the mets the cubs swept 4 straight from...

3 1/2 back. ; ))

 

[beckdawg]

No he could PH for the pitcher and then pitch the next inning. I see little issue with that.

Pretty specific scenario you're talking about that happens roughly every third inning. Also, it works under the assumption that you're wanting a lefty to start the next inning which may or may not be true. Still additionally, it forces you to use him at that point if you want him as a hitter rather than arguably when you want him as a pitcher which is what he's paid for.

I'm sure there will be cases where it makes sense but my point was basically to the effect that if it's a tie game in the 9th you have to seriously be cautious with how you use him as a hitter because if you don't end the game quickly you've thrown away one of your bullpen arms for the game.

 

[CSF77]

Pretty specific scenario you're talking about that happens roughly every third inning. Also, it works under the assumption that you're wanting a lefty to start the next inning which may or may not be true. Still additionally, it forces you to use him at that point if you want him as a hitter rather than arguably when you want him as a pitcher which is what he's paid for.

I'm sure there will be cases where it makes sense but my point was basically to the effect that if it's a tie game in the 9th you have to seriously be cautious with how you use him as a hitter because if you don't end the game quickly you've thrown away one of your bullpen arms for the game.

Wood should be fine going up vs a lefty or righty.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/30789/roster-moves-loom-how-aggressive-will-cubs-be

Every manager likes to say their lefties can get out righties, but it's simply not true, and even if the raw numbers prove otherwise they can be skewed. Most of the time, a lefty reliever enters the game to face the other team's best left-handed hitter -- many times some of the best in the game. When he stays in to face the righties, it's usually not the same case. They might take care of the bottom of the order, but when Miguel Cabrera gets back in the batter's box it's back to the righty relievers. So a lefty's numbers might look very productive against some below-average hitting righties while maybe they're not as dominant against the top lefties. Plus, Rosscup is struggling against righties anyway. He gave up two hits and a walk to right-handed hitters on Sunday, not long after giving up back-to-back home runs in Milwaukee to the bottom of the Brewers' lineup.

"I'm not afraid of him anywhere," Maddon said over the weekend. "Woody, having been a starter, knows how to get out good right-handed hitters, too. The nice thing would be if you have that kind of thickness in the bullpen, then you don't have to beat up somebody daily.

LH Cut fastball pitchers tend to have more success vs RH hitters. Terry Mulholland did this back in the day. Terry Mulholland is a fair comp to Travis Wood.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Looks like Welington Castillo has been traded to the Mariners. Don't know what's coming back yet.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Good luck to Weli.

 

[Shawon0Meter]

Very interested to see who the Cubs got..

would Castillo for Furbush be reasonable?

 

[brett05]

Very interested to see who the Cubs got..

would Castillo for Furbush be reasonable?

It would appear the Cubs would need to offer a bit more, but perhaps not.

 

[chibears55]

@CarrieMuskat: #Cubs acquired RHP Yoervis Medina from Mariners for catcher Welington Castillo. Medina will report to @IowaCubs .

@Cubs: Medina has gone 10-9 with 43 holds, 2 SV, 140 K, .216 BAA and a 2.82 ERA over 137 IP during his three seasons in Seattle.

 

[CSF77]

Cubs Notes: Baez, Bryant, Russell, Maddon, Castro
By Steve Adams [May 21, 2015 at 10:06pm CDT]
Earlier today, Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago appeared with host Jeff Todd on this week’s edition of the MLBTR Podcast, and the two discussed a variety of Cubs topics, from the Welington Castillo trade to Starlin Castro and the team’s rotation. For Cubs fans (and others) who have already checked that out, though, here are a few more notes on the team that sits four games back in the NL Central and currently leads the Padres 3-0…

Infielder Javier Baez has hit well at Triple-A this season, posting a .296/.375/.423 batting line in 80 plate appearances, but there doesn’t seem to be any rush to get him back to the big leagues at this time. Via David Kaplan of CSN Chicago (on Twitter), GM Jed Hoyer said that the Cubs “…want to take our time on Javy Baez. He is playing well, but we want to let him continue to keep working right now.” Addison Russell has seen most of the time at second base, where many thought Baez would play this season. After some early struggles, Russell has settled in and is hitting .273/.333/.455 over a 22-game stretch.
Speaking of Russell, agent Scott Boras, who represents both Russell and Kris Bryant, praised the Cubs organization prior to tonight’s game, writes Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago. Boras feels that both Bryant and Russell have “dramatically” improved since joining the team, leading him to praise the organization’s developmental techniques. Boras said that his main gripe in Spring Training was that he wanted Bryant to know that his fate wasn’t pre-determined (presumably, that is, to know that he wouldn’t be reassigned to minor league camp at the end of Spring Training). He also praised manager Joe Maddon for his communication skills and work with young players. “Joe Maddon is a talent,” said Boras. “He’s very good at giving the players a focus at a variety of levels of their careers. And that has a lot to do with why they’re performing so well in their careers.”
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports feels that the Cubs should think twice before considering a trade of Castro. Rosenthal spoke to a number of Castro’s teammates as well as Maddon, assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske and president Theo Epstein — all of whom feel that the 25-year-old has made strides in terms of maturity, preparedness and defense this season. Rosenthal notes that with $37MM owed to Castro from 2016-19, his contract is highly affordable as well. Of course, Castro has struggled at the plate early this year, as even after a pair of singles tonight he’s hitting .272/.304/.346, which translates to a wRC+ of just 76 (24 percent worse than the league average).

 

[chibears55]

For those who feel Schwarber the answer for LF in the near future. ...

@TommyBirch: Madison on Kyle Schwarber's career as a catcher: "We're more certain than ever that he's going to stay behind the plate long term." #Cubs

With Montero signed thru 2017, i see Schwarber coming up at some point in 2016 as Montero back up and if all goes as planned, he will start in 2017 ..