IST: Cubs vs. Mariners

[beckdawg]

In terms of help from Iowa, these are the guys on the 40 man who they could grab

Andury Acevedo
RJ Alvarez
Dallas Beeler(15 day DL)
Aaron Brooks(15 day DL)
Trevor Cahill(15 day DL)
Gerardo Conception
Pierce Johnson
Clayton Richard
Giovanni Soto
Spencer Patton

Brooks and Johnson have been terrible in Iowa. Soto and Conception less terrible but still a 5 ERA. Beeler's only pitched 8 innings this year. Alvarez hasn't even pitched for the cubs in AAA and has a 11.45 ERA in AA. Acevedo has a 7 ERA in AA. So basically assuming they DFA Matusz as you would expect that leaves really only like 3 choices. Cahill, Patton, and *shudders* Richard assuming they don't bring an outside arm in. DFA'ing Matusz would open a slot on the 40 man but i'm not sure there's anyone banging down the door for a shot in Iowa/Tenn.

 

[beckdawg]

ROFL @ this leverage index graph. The M's were at a 98.4% win expectancy.

http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2016-07-31&team=Cubs&dh=0&season=2016

 

[hyatt151]

Thinking the same thing..

Excited all week thinking their getting a Hendricks and Hernandez match up on National TV and the Cubs pull this guy out of the trash can to start..

Even worse is if someone bought tickets off a STH right before the change was mentioned...

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Wish it would have been me!!! Take a hike, sox board misses you.

 

[beckdawg]

Over his last 9 games Zobrist is hitting .406/.500/.563. Kind of an arbitrary sample size and all but if he's getting hot again that's a big deal.

 

[DJMoore_is_fat]

Woke up at 2am to feed my son and read a text from a friend saying "F yeah!" Checked my ESPN app and sure enough, we won 7-6 in extras. I was stunned.

Perhaps most stunning was that JHey helped win it. Forget the team W, it's JHey that needed it. He's rapidly approaching a .200/.300 stat line.

And Maddon played Wood in LF? Wtf. Sometimes his mad scientist stuff blows up - but sometimes he looks like a genius.

Only problem for tonight is we have nobody in the pen. Kyle better take us 8 innings.

Still, big win on the day when the Cards lose. We need to keep the pedal down in August and secure a bye in the WC round.


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[Diehardfan]

Wish it would have been me!!! Take a hike, sox board misses you.

You mean people actually post over there?

 

[CSF77]

In terms of help from Iowa, these are the guys on the 40 man who they could grab

Andury Acevedo
RJ Alvarez
Dallas Beeler(15 day DL)
Aaron Brooks(15 day DL)
Trevor Cahill(15 day DL)
Gerardo Conception
Pierce Johnson
Clayton Richard
Giovanni Soto
Spencer Patton

Brooks and Johnson have been terrible in Iowa. Soto and Conception less terrible but still a 5 ERA. Beeler's only pitched 8 innings this year. Alvarez hasn't even pitched for the cubs in AAA and has a 11.45 ERA in AA. Acevedo has a 7 ERA in AA. So basically assuming they DFA Matusz as you would expect that leaves really only like 3 choices. Cahill, Patton, and *shudders* Richard assuming they don't bring an outside arm in. DFA'ing Matusz would open a slot on the 40 man but i'm not sure there's anyone banging down the door for a shot in Iowa/Tenn.

The pen is 7 deep right now. They could drop Matsuck and add a bat. Grimm was the weakest link in the pen anyways. He was not a loss.

Soler is getting there. Not hitting yet but had 7 walks and 7 SO's. So it seems his eye is there but not his timing

 

[anotheridiot]

They screw over Hendricks again for a chance at a great pitching duel to showcase this guy, Grimm needs to stay down for 5 days unless there is an injury. Yes, wood made a nice catch at the wall, but slammed hard into it too, he might be pretty sore today.

 

[beckdawg]

The pen is 7 deep right now. They could drop Matsuck and add a bat. Grimm was the weakest link in the pen anyways. He was not a loss.

Soler is getting there. Not hitting yet but had 7 walks and 7 SO's. So it seems his eye is there but not his timing

Think after killing your bullpen for 9 innings you have to bring up another reliever. Cubs don't have a day off for the next 3 days. Hopefully Hendricks gives them like 7 and they can then throw primarily Nathan, Mongomery and Chapman who weren't used as much yesterday(all under 20 pitches).

 

[Parade_Rain]

Can someone explain to me what the point of seeing Matusz start was? If it was for showcasing purposes, that didn't work out too well.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Over his last 9 games Zobrist is hitting .406/.500/.563. Kind of an arbitrary sample size and all but if he's getting hot again that's a big deal.

Just think if Heyward starts hitting better than he has, too.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Haha it's so weird. This game was won by all of the pitchers doing all kinds of crazy.

And yet there is talk about the NL adopting the DH. Very sad.

 

[beckdawg]

Russell makes that look way too easy.

 

[beckdawg]

Can someone explain to me what the point of seeing Matusz start was? If it was for showcasing purposes, that didn't work out too well.

I'm not going to try to talk people off hating Matusz because clearly he pitched poorly but at the same time I don't particularly think it's fair to shit on him for last night. He hadn't started since 2012 and had only made 5 minor league starts. Most guys getting stretched out in that situation probably pitch poorly. He also had some rather glaring command issues as he was way out of the zones multiple times. Not sure if that was just him being shit, nerves, mechanical changes he's working on or some form of all 3. Maddon alluded to that probably being the root cause of the HRs. If he'd had another 3-4 starts in Iowa, who knows...

As for why the cubs did it, they had a 7 game lead coming into the game. They can afford to take a few chances. The idea was likely to get 5 innings out of Matusz with him only giving up like 3-4 tops and buying some extra rest for the starters for the playoffs. And in a way it did work. The starters did get rest but they also murdered their pen in the process though if they can get through the next few days that might not be as big of a deal because in september you'll be able to expand the roster and limit the BP's usage.

Also, they had to do it if they wanted to keep him because he could void his contract tuesday if he wasn't on the active roster. So, they took a shot. If Matusz had pitched well which let's just say was a 10% chance, they might have been able to deal him(I'm dubious here) or they might have found someone to allow them to rest their starters some. It's the same sort of risk they took on Cahill and Richard last year and they payed off. This one looks like a bust but even had they lost does it really cost that much?

 

[Omeletpants]

Woke up at 2am to feed my son

He's 26 he can feed himself

 

[TC in Mississippi]

I'm not going to try to talk people off hating Matusz because clearly he pitched poorly but at the same time I don't particularly think it's fair to shit on him for last night. He hadn't started since 2012 and had only made 5 minor league starts. Most guys getting stretched out in that situation probably pitch poorly. He also had some rather glaring command issues as he was way out of the zones multiple times. Not sure if that was just him being shit, nerves, mechanical changes he's working on or some form of all 3. Maddon alluded to that probably being the root cause of the HRs. If he'd had another 3-4 starts in Iowa, who knows...

As for why the cubs did it, they had a 7 game lead coming into the game. They can afford to take a few chances. The idea was likely to get 5 innings out of Matusz with him only giving up like 3-4 tops and buying some extra rest for the starters for the playoffs. And in a way it did work. The starters did get rest but they also murdered their pen in the process though if they can get through the next few days that might not be as big of a deal because in september you'll be able to expand the roster and limit the BP's usage.

Also, they had to do it if they wanted to keep him because he could void his contract tuesday if he wasn't on the active roster. So, they took a shot. If Matusz had pitched well which let's just say was a 10% chance, they might have been able to deal him(I'm dubious here) or they might have found someone to allow them to rest their starters some. It's the same sort of risk they took on Cahill and Richard last year and they payed off. This one looks like a bust but even had they lost does it really cost that much?

Yeah, I think you summed it up pretty well. This was a management decision and it some logic behind it. The fact that he was awful makes it seem like it was a worse decision than it is. Either of your two options made it viable to give it a go. I'm not sure I would have done that in a crucial game heading in the stretch but that's why they get the big bucks I suppose.

 

[anotheridiot]

Just made no sense when you are going for a series win and you push back arguably your best pitcher over the past 12 starts. Would they have pushed back Arietta or Lester when they had til Tuesday to call this guy up? Was it national TV and them thinking every executive in baseball was going to watch the game and offer something to trade him for? Is the Marlin series going to be such a statement series that they want to not give up a game to this goof?

 

[beckdawg]

Yeah, I think you summed it up pretty well. This was a management decision and it some logic behind it. The fact that he was awful makes it seem like it was a worse decision than it is. Either of your two options made it viable to give it a go. I'm not sure I would have done that in a crucial game heading in the stretch but that's why they get the big bucks I suppose.

I mean I guess that's the thing here... you now know. At some point you have to give players a shot. As I mentioned, I'm not sure Matusz was ready but it would have been a rather sickening feeling to not promote him, see him void the contract and then suddenly go on to another team and pitch well. Put the odds of that however you like but it was one of the possible outcomes. Additionally, if they plan to use this 6th starter idea more heavily, doing this now means you have a pretty good idea Matusz wont work for that and you have time to look in the trade market for another piece.

It's always easy to say "Ah-ha! I knew that was a stupid move." when things like this don't work out. But is this really that different than the play they made with Arrieta? Or for a more down to earth example, is it really that different than Hammel/Maholm/Feldman plays? Ultimately, I'd rather have a front office that takes these chances than one who sits back and does nothing. Guys every year come out of no where and are suddenly really useful players. Someone has to find them and I'd rather the cubs were trying.

 

[chibears55]

@TheCCO: #Cubs | Cubs Release LHP Brian Matusz bit.ly/2aJuu80 #MLB

They didn't allow him back in clubhouse ?

Guessing they probably bring Patton back up for tonight
Then reset tomorrow depending on trades, etc.

I hope they go with 7 pen guys, they need an extra bat on bench..especially if 2 of them are catchers who can barely hit

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[DJMoore_is_fat]

He's 26 he can feed himself

The little guy needed a hot pocket microwaved. Don't judge me!


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