IST: Pirates at Cubs

[CSF77]

Well after that day David should just leave Rivas at 1B and DH Schwindel.

Ortega as a lead off. .282 OBA. Enough said. Fluke season.

Now on DH in general. Villar makes the most sense after Simmons returns. Schwindel gets hot for a day and just shuts down. .664 OPS.

David is enamored with Suzuki hitting #2. He has a .527 OBA and really battles the pitcher. I would lead off with him. When q guy is that good you want to give him 5 PA's per game.

So

Suzuki. RF.
Villar DH
Contreras C
Happ LF
Wisdom 3B
Rivas 1B
Madgral 2B
Heyward CF
Hoerner SS

In May the roster slims down to 26.

Bench

Simmons
Schwindel
Gomez

I would cut Ortega for 1 roster spot Frazier will be still recovering. Rivas also plays OF so that is a wash with Schwindel at 1B.

Mills pitched today. 63 NP got past the 3rd. I really do not know how long Jed is going to wait on a DFA for Leiter then bringing Mills up. Most likely on Lieter's next turn. Good thing Monday is a off date. The can skip him one time. But the 3rd inning really is not something to book a slot over.

The other roster spot should be Hermosillo. He is starting to come around but let's face it. The kid sucks. Enough said.

If they carry excess depth it should be in the pen. The whole stack left or right has not worked. It did not affect Q. Today with a balance they blew up the ship and sent the Bucks off the plank.

So this whole mat h up is bull shit. You hit you play. Simple.

 

[knoxville7]

Warm up. Shitty line up yet again. Hope Hendricks shows up today.

cue 21 runs lol

 

[CSF77]

cue 21 runs lol

Ya. Ortega still goes 1 for 6. I really don't see the love affair David has with this guy.

The rest. Well warm weather and a good approach. They finally played the shift. Find the hole and shoot it.

That was 21 runs with the wind blowing out to left and the only HR was to right with the wind pushing at it. Just shows how Rivas just wrecked that pitch.

Regardless Rivas is hitting. He gives a good AB pretty much most of his PAs. He is a plus D 1B while Schwindel is a pole that catches a ball.

At this point Schwindel really needs to find what made him good again because his job is not a secure thing.

 

[CSF77]

Well Cubs now lead the majors with 81 runs scored. If they keep punching the hole in the shift teams are going to have to play them strait.

 

[knoxville7]

Well Cubs now lead the majors with 81 runs scored. If they keep punching the hole in the shift teams are going to have to play them strait.

They also went from a -1 run differential to a +20 run differential. That’s what winning a game 21-0 in game #15 of the season does lol

Over 25% of those 81 runs were scored today lol

 

[CSF77]

They also went from a -1 run differential to a +20 run differential. That’s what winning a game 21-0 in game #15 of the season does lol

Over 25% of those 81 runs were scored today lol

I was on the tred with my wife watching the MLB feed. I was amazed after Rivas nailed that pitch. Standing in the opp batters box after that hack.

I always said I liked the kid but he was like Mark Grace. After that smash I think that he might have more upside in him. David should let him roll at 1B and move Schwindel to DH. If he slumps oh well he is a 45 grade player.

 

[CSF77]

I believe the point is this. They scored 21 runs and only 3 came via the HR. The wind was blowing out so they could have gone hacking like last year's team did. But no they attacked the shift mand made it a joke. The majority of the runs came via shooting the holes in the shift.

Personally I love that. The shift has wrecked the game. Theo took a job at MLB and he is tasked with improvement. One of his targets is banning the shift. Running the game. Good to see a team just go out and say screw your data.

 

[ijustposthere]

Ya. Ortega still goes 1 for 6. I really don't see the love affair David has with this guy.

The rest. Well warm weather and a good approach. They finally played the shift. Find the hole and shoot it.

That was 21 runs with the wind blowing out to left and the only HR was to right with the wind pushing at it. Just shows how Rivas just wrecked that pitch.

Regardless Rivas is hitting. He gives a good AB pretty much most of his PAs. He is a plus D 1B while Schwindel is a pole that catches a ball.

At this point Schwindel really needs to find what made him good again because his job is not a secure thing.

Ortega fucking sucks.

 

[beckdawg]

heyward is picking a good year to have one of his best months of april ever(typically is a really slow starter). Cubs look like a .500 team thus far and given Davis may push his way onto the team near midseason, if Heyward can push his trade value to actually being tradable with one year left on his deal cubs might be able to eat the rest of 2022 to move him for a minor prospect. His leadership and being a LH bat will likely hold some value for a contending team not to mention being able to cover all 3 OF spots is a plus.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

I was on the tred with my wife watching the MLB feed. I was amazed after Rivas nailed that pitch. Standing in the opp batters box after that hack.

I always said I liked the kid but he was like Mark Grace. After that smash I think that he might have more upside in him. David should let him roll at 1B and move Schwindel to DH. If he slumps oh well he is a 45 grade player.

...yes because if he was just Mark grace then that wouldn't be worth giving an opportunity too.

I agree I think he's a solid hitter and thought he should be given more opportunity with Schwindel @ dh. But I don't give a shit if he hits for power, as long as he is a high average and IQ hitter.

 

[Diehardfan]

In spite of the fact that I love the new contact over swing and miss philosophy....they are not a good team. Maybe .500 at best....but if that's their ceiling, I'd prefer they go .400 and draft higher.

 

[SilenceS]

They are a .500 team. What I think we are going to see? I think we are going to be very active at the trade deadline and unload the short term vets we have for lottery prospects. I think we will see guys like Davis and Velazquez come up and build towards the future.

I dont know if Velazquez is part of the future but I dont see how the Cubs dont see what he has this year. He is on the 40 man and he has started out in AA hitting very well. At 23, the momentum he has would be a call up with him and Davis

 

[CSF77]

...yes because if he was just Mark grace then that wouldn't be worth giving an opportunity too.

I agree I think he's a solid hitter and thought he should be given more opportunity with Schwindel @ dh. But I don't give a shit if he hits for power, as long as he is a high average and IQ hitter.

He has a calm approach. I like that also.

It really was not a knock on Gracie. He was one of the best two bag hitters in his generation. But if you are going to sacrifice power in a power premium position then you better be doing a Tony Gwynn channeling vs a Mark Grace channeling.

 

[CSF77]

They are a .500 team. What I think we are going to see? I think we are going to be very active at the trade deadline and unload the short term vets we have for lottery prospects. I think we will see guys like Davis and Velazquez come up and build towards the future.

I dont know if Velazquez is part of the future but I dont see how the Cubs dont see what he has this year. He is on the 40 man and he has started out in AA hitting very well. At 23, the momentum he has would be a call up with him and Davis

He has put himself on the map. I really see him as trade bait. Guys like him take notice but rarely does it translate. Take the Cole Hammels trade. Cubs had a unheard of go on fire. To date I have not seen him make it. That trade ended up a steal.

RH power is really not something that the Cubs really need to stock pile for the future. They need more pitching and more quality LH bats in the pipe. Much of that can be targeted this year.

Heyward IMO would take a bad contract flip. Right now Heyward provides more value to the Cubs as they can asorb his deal rather easily.

What they need to do is make a decision on Happ and Contraras. Pay or trade. Simple as that.

Now Miley should be traded after building value. Unless adding him then Kilian turns this team into a contender. Could happen then you are in the market to add and Velazquez and Franklin (up to triple digits) become solid trade chips.

 

[SilenceS]

He has put himself on the map. I really see him as trade bait. Guys like him take notice but rarely does it translate. Take the Cole Hammels trade. Cubs had a unheard of go on fire. To date I have not seen him make it. That trade ended up a steal.

RH power is really not something that the Cubs really need to stock pile for the future. They need more pitching and more quality LH bats in the pipe. Much of that can be targeted this year.

Heyward IMO would take a bad contract flip. Right now Heyward provides more value to the Cubs as they can asorb his deal rather easily.

What they need to do is make a decision on Happ and Contraras. Pay or trade. Simple as that.

Now Miley should be traded after building value. Unless adding him then Kilian turns this team into a contender. Could happen then you are in the market to add and Velazquez and Franklin (up to triple digits) become solid trade chips.

The Cubs arent trading a 23 year old who has greatly improved every year for a veteran rental. That is not their window.

 

[jooo83]

Steele is garbage.

 

[Diehardfan]

Good Lord.......can the Cubs please throw Steele's lame ass either to the pen or AAA. 70 some pitches and he's still in the 3rd inning. Nothing more annoying than watching so called ML pitchers that can't throw strikes.

 

[Szlachcic]

Steele is overrated.

 

[zack54attack]

willson tried crushing the ball to Lake Michigan. Swinging through three pitches. Just make contact dude.

 

[jooo83]

Fucking ridiculous that Ortega was not send home on the Suzuki double. Cost the cubs the game. This team is poorly coached.