IST: Cubs @ Reds

[TL1961]

Playoffs. We are talking playoffs.

Of course you have issues if starters dont go 7 in reg season.

But get to the two-three week stretch in Oct where you can lock down a game on a night where your starter only goes 6, and you save him for later. That's valuable.

 

[CSF77]

This is the Yankees 1st baseman of the future

Don't matter with a DH and your DH is 40 and worn out.

Yanks are old as dirt and I'm betting they would pack Chapman and Miller to get a haul. Cubs have depth in 2nd tier talent and can be parted with Tores. Just Tex alone is hitting .200. 36 yo and looks like crap. Beltrain is not going to last too much longer. This is a team that is in dire need of young controllable talent.

That is the bottom line. You get a power bat like Vogelbach. Then add in a few players like Tores and maybe even McKenney. Add a arm like Black (think he came from them in the Sori deal anyways)

 

[beckdawg]

Arrieta is hitting .294/.368/.500 this year with 2 HRs over 39 PAs. Not enough PAs to be "meaningful" but that's still dumb. Maybe he should be given a shot at LF.

 

[chibears55]

Funny, when I started talking about trading for Miller or Chapman, I was getting ragged about it...

Now the pen is showing its weakness and you guys are all over it..

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Funny, when I started talking about trading for Miller or Chapman, I was getting ragged about it...

Now the pen is showing its weakness and you guys are all over it..

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk

No, I have no issue with acquiring Miller but I don't want an overpay. Chapman I want no part of whatsoever.

 

[CSF77]

I don't have a issue with Chapman. His personal life is none of my business. All I care about is his performance as a pitcher. He is the one who has to live with the rest.

Miller has connections to Theo and is the most likely target. But I believe in stacking the deck.

I was hoping that Conception would have solidified the 2nd LH in the pen but no. Add to it the pen's ERA is over 4 this month. They have to address this issue.

 

[beckdawg]

The cubs bullpen has the 13th best ERA in baseball at 3.70. Only teams with better ERAs are KC, BAL, LAD, WAS, HOU, SEA, CLE, NYM, CHI, BOS, MIA and SF. And to be honest it's not even that wide a gap. The difference between the cubs and #5 Houston(3.22) is half a run. Additionally, the schedule for the next bit is fairly brutal. From june 17th through July 10th(All-star break) cubs play 24 straight days. If their starters don't go deep the bullpen is going to look bad because they aren't going to get rest. They need a guy who can get lefties out but people are blowing the need way out of proportion. They've given up 83 earned in 202.0 innings. The breakdown of that is as follows

Justin Grimm - 18 ER 26.2 IP
Adam Warren - 13 ER 25.2 IP
Trevor Cahill - 10 ER 32.2 IP
Pedro Strop - 10 ER 30.1 IP
Clayton Richard - 10 ER 12.1 IP
Travis Wood - 8 ER 31.0 IP
Hector Rondon - 4 ER 26.0 IP
Neil Ramirez - 4 ER 7.2 IP
Spencer Patton - 3 ER 4.0 IP
Carl Edwards Jr. - 1 ER 2.2 IP
Gerardo Concepcion - 1 ER 2.1 IP
Joel Peralta - 1 ER 0.2 IP

If we assume at some point soon Richard is gone and exclude Ramirez as he's no longer with the organization you're talking about 69 runs in 182.0 IP or a 3.41 ERA. If you also ditch Grimm or he just gets better that's down to 51 runs in 155.1 IP or a 2.96 ERA. Top 3 bullpens are KC(2.77), O's(2.91) and Dodgers(3.02). The majority of Richard's time was vs lefties(36 of 63 batters faced 57%). Whoever replaces Richard is going to see the bulk of lefties. Only one other pitcher has seen 40% or more lefties and that's Wood at 52%. Richard was by definition a lefty specialist albeit not a very good one. Replacing that with a Chapman or Miller just doesn't make sense to me. You're not going to burn one of those two for 1 tough lefty in a line up the way you would a lefty specialist and as mentioned Wood is the only other reliever you have that predominantly pitches to lefties.

That's why they strike me as overkill. Undoubtedly they are good pitchers but the reason they make so much money is you pay them to get through the 8th/9th not to get one out when your starter gets into a jam and a lefty comes up. It's an entirely different role that what Richard was here for.

 

[cubsmann]

Arrieta is hitting .294/.368/.500 this year with 2 HRs over 39 PAs. Not enough PAs to be "meaningful" but that's still dumb. Maybe he should be given a shot at LF.

Yeah Arrieta has been a great hitter this year. I think they should consider PH with the guy. He can get the clutch hit plus he has tons of power. Arrieta has the longest HR of any pitcher in MLB this year.

 

[cubsmann]

I don't have a issue with Chapman. His personal life is none of my business. All I care about is his performance as a pitcher. He is the one who has to live with the rest.

Miller has connections to Theo and is the most likely target. But I believe in stacking the deck.

I was hoping that Conception would have solidified the 2nd LH in the pen but no. Add to it the pen's ERA is over 4 this month. They have to address this issue.

I have been wondering about whether Chapman would fit in on this team. The guy has already been arrested for domestic violence so he's clearly a piece of shit in his personal life. Im not saying the Cubs are a team full of altar boys but we don't need a guy who would come in and upset the chemistry that so obviously exists on this team. Im thinking Miller should be the target and Epstein should pull the trigger if the price is no too dear. No one knows what the Yankees want but they're not going to get Baez, Almora, or Contreras. Im thinking too front line prospect should be enough. Given how well the Cubs have been developing talent, two AAA starters could likely start this year for the Yankees and start right away next year.

 

[cubsmann]

I was hoping that Conception would have solidified the 2nd LH in the pen but no. Add to it the pen's ERA is over 4 this month. They have to address this issue.

Concepcion has sucked so far and is not ready. I don't want him to be out LH setup man yet. He may never be ready but its clear based on how bad he has gotten rocked that he's not the solution this year.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

I don't have a issue with Chapman. His personal life is none of my business. All I care about is his performance as a pitcher. He is the one who has to live with the rest.

Miller has connections to Theo and is the most likely target. But I believe in stacking the deck.

I was hoping that Conception would have solidified the 2nd LH in the pen but no. Add to it the pen's ERA is over 4 this month. They have to address this issue.

My issue with a Chapman acquisition is only partly due to his domestic violence/anger issues. The other part is what that kind of an acquisition would do to Rondon who has done nothing to lose his job. How do you tell a guy that he's now the 8th inning guy to a rental and then come back and ask him to be the man again next year? That kind of thing rarely works. These are human beings.

 

[Omeletpants]

My issue with a Chapman acquisition is only partly due to his domestic violence/anger issues. The other part is what that kind of an acquisition would do to Rondon who has done nothing to lose his job. How do you tell a guy that he's now the 8th inning guy to a rental and then come back and ask him to be the man again next year? That kind of thing rarely works. These are human beings.

Yup. With a team like the Cubs and it's culture, everyone needs to buy into this

 

[TL1961]

My issue with a Chapman acquisition is only partly due to his domestic violence/anger issues. The other part is what that kind of an acquisition would do to Rondon who has done nothing to lose his job. How do you tell a guy that he's now the 8th inning guy to a rental and then come back and ask him to be the man again next year? That kind of thing rarely works. These are human beings.

How?

As you're handing him a very hefty paycheck. That's how.

He's a player, not manager, GM or owner.

 

[CSF77]

You don't. You turn Chapman into a inning stopper. Rondon is the 9th inning guy

 

[CSF77]

There is times when you need a stop. Those moments mean more than who opens the 9th.

Right now Wood has been used in that role but with his stuff you have to wonder if it will last. Chapman hits over 100 mph. Left or right that factor changes the dynamic of an inning.

 

[SilenceS]

Glad to see Szczur get a start. Guy has stayed hitting the ball hard all year.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

How?

As you're handing him a very hefty paycheck. That's how.

He's a player, not manager, GM or owner.

Again, these are humans. Who's to say this wouldn't affect his confidence and his performance? When Washington acquired Jonathan Papelbon and demoted a then solid 9th inning performer Drew Storen in 2015, Storen's performance fell off sharply. There have been many similar instances over the years. Plus this is an organization that stresses the individual as a huge part of the whole.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

You don't. You turn Chapman into a inning stopper. Rondon is the 9th inning guy

Chapman has always demanded that he only be used in the 9th inning.

 

[Omeletpants]

Chapman has always demanded that he only be used in the 9th inning.

Chapman is not going to be happy pitching the 7th inning, plus he has other personality quirks. He is not a cultural fit for this team. I dont see unhappy, pouting players being a fit on this team

 

[Omeletpants]

Glad to see Szczur get a start. Guy has stayed hitting the ball hard all year.

All year I have not been liking the 5th and 6th slots in this batting order. Just seemed to be less than what it should be. Now with Contreras in the 5 hole I'm feeling one with nature again