It's time

[fatbeard]

I don't doubt you being lost.

Good...good. Let the hate flow through you.

 

[brett05]

Good...good. Let the hate flow through you.

Nope, I LOOOOOOOVVVEEEEE YOUUUUU!

 

[anotheridiot]

saw this on sportscenter this morning


http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2018/03/08/polite-vendor-crawls-on-wall-during-game/

 

[anotheridiot]

Didnt we learn last year that Schwarber doesnt perform well in a pressure position at the top of the order? He's a 5,6,7 hitter

But Joe never put the 182 million dollar guy back up there either did he? Schwarber, Bryant Rizzo should be 2,3 and 4. Looks like Happ should have that shot at the pressure position this year Getting Bryant back to third should get him back to 100 rbi's with Rizzo and back to getting MVP votes.

 

[CSF77]

But Joe never put the 182 million dollar guy back up there either did he? Schwarber, Bryant Rizzo should be 2,3 and 4. Looks like Happ should have that shot at the pressure position this year Getting Bryant back to third should get him back to 100 rbi's with Rizzo and back to getting MVP votes.

RBI is a team stat completely dependent on circumstances. That is why it has little influence on the MVP voting because RBI’s can be inflated and doesn’t represent the quality of the hitter.

 

[SilenceS]

RBI is a team stat completely dependent on circumstances. That is why it has little influence on the MVP voting because RBI’s can be inflated and doesn’t represent the quality of the hitter.

Yankees are throwing around ideas about batting judge at 1. Don’t think they will do it but they considered it


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[CSF77]

Yankees are throwing around ideas about batting judge at 1. Don’t think they will do it but they considered it


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AL is a better league to concider it with no pitcher hitting. That team I would push the rookies to the bottom of the line up and push AB’ at the top.

Adding PA’s to your most productive hitters is the main goal. Not adding ab’s To lesser hitters to set up your best.

 

[CSF77]

With the Cubs I would push Happ, Bryant, Rizzo, Contreras. After that is more of a L/R/L thing that Joe likes. But that would be my staple.

 

[CSF77]

But as far as ST goes it seems that they are playing the AAA team the most right now. Bote has seen plenty of action at 3B thus far so I’m thinking that they are having a good look at injury depth right now. I See them lining up Bate at 3B, Freeman at SS, Young at 2B and Vosler at 1B right now.

OF looks more match up vs anything else.

 

[Omeletpants]

Article on Happ

http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cu...an-ian-happ-is-turning-heads-atop-cubs-lineup

 

[chibears55]

Mike Freeman having a nice ST with 13 hits...



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[beckdawg]

Apropos of nothing I was thinking about the forthcoming MLB draft. Didn't really wanna dedicate an entire topic to it because it's sort of a passing comment so figured I'd just drop the thought here because it loosely relates to the recent spring training cuts. If we look at the pitching depth in the organization shit gets really crowded. For the sake of argument if you go off roster resource's depth chart(not saying it's the best but just to get an idea here) the starting rotations will look like this

AAA
Tseng
Mills
Butler
Anthony Bass(this spot is kinda iffy but given how well he's pitched this spring in 4 innings and his familiarity with this front office as I think Jed drafted him I think he makes it)

AA(this staff is loaded so much that I think some of these guys stay at A+ or some guys like Hultzen/Clifton/Underwood may be in AAA)
Alzolay
De La Cruz
Underwood
Hatch
Danny Hultzen
Trevor Clifton
Michael Rucker
Duncan Robinson

A+
Tyson Miller
Jose Paulino
Bryan Hudson
Erling Moreno
Justin Steele

A
Alex Lange
Brendon Little
Javier Assad
Cory Abbott
Keegan Thompson

A-
Jose Albertos(assume he'll actually be in A)
Jeremiah Estrada

There's other lessor known guys who'll likely pop up making starts as well but these are likely names that are either known to fans or were recent high round picks or are top 30 types. The thing that's striking to me is just how little room there is even in the lower levels for guys. Sure A- isn't exactly over filling but that tends to be where college arms go to after drafted and that's a half season league. What that tells me is that I think we're going to see a stronger focus on hitters this june. I can see them still looking for 1 or maybe 2 starters with their first 4 or so picks but I think you're going to see a lot of the first 10 rounds come in as hitters. Supposedly they are also tied to one of the better pitching IFA prospects for this coming period as well as having a few guys over the past 2 years who are sort of interesting low level arms.

The other thing that I think is worth noting is we are finally seeing the "waves" of pitchers the front office spoke about initially. Obviously few if any of these guys have tippy-top tier potential but think you could argue a vast majority of them have a half decent shot of making the major even if it's only as a spot starter who sits in AAA or a #5 type.

 

[chibears55]

Apropos of nothing I was thinking about the forthcoming MLB draft. Didn't really wanna dedicate an entire topic to it because it's sort of a passing comment so figured I'd just drop the thought here because it loosely relates to the recent spring training cuts. If we look at the pitching depth in the organization shit gets really crowded. For the sake of argument if you go off roster resource's depth chart(not saying it's the best but just to get an idea here) the starting rotations will look like this

AAA
Tseng
Mills
Butler
Anthony Bass(this spot is kinda iffy but given how well he's pitched this spring in 4 innings and his familiarity with this front office as I think Jed drafted him I think he makes it)

AA(this staff is loaded so much that I think some of these guys stay at A+ or some guys like Hultzen/Clifton/Underwood may be in AAA)
Alzolay
De La Cruz
Underwood
Hatch
Danny Hultzen
Trevor Clifton
Michael Rucker
Duncan Robinson

A+
Tyson Miller
Jose Paulino
Bryan Hudson
Erling Moreno
Justin Steele

A
Alex Lange
Brendon Little
Javier Assad
Cory Abbott
Keegan Thompson

A-
Jose Albertos(assume he'll actually be in A)
Jeremiah Estrada

There's other lessor known guys who'll likely pop up making starts as well but these are likely names that are either known to fans or were recent high round picks or are top 30 types. The thing that's striking to me is just how little room there is even in the lower levels for guys. Sure A- isn't exactly over filling but that tends to be where college arms go to after drafted and that's a half season league. What that tells me is that I think we're going to see a stronger focus on hitters this june. I can see them still looking for 1 or maybe 2 starters with their first 4 or so picks but I think you're going to see a lot of the first 10 rounds come in as hitters. Supposedly they are also tied to one of the better pitching IFA prospects for this coming period as well as having a few guys over the past 2 years who are sort of interesting low level arms.

The other thing that I think is worth noting is we are finally seeing the "waves" of pitchers the front office spoke about initially. Obviously few if any of these guys have tippy-top tier potential but think you could argue a vast majority of them have a half decent shot of making the major even if it's only as a spot starter who sits in AAA or a #5 type.

Barring injuries, They have 2 years (Quintana Hendricks) or 3 years to groom these guys before they have to decide on them, so there really no rush...

Some of these guys may end up in the bullpen or at least start there as a Montgomery type reliever til a spot opens..

Im sure others as they add younger depth in system can be used in trades ..

I can see them targeting a couple bats early, maybe even HS kids, looking more towards 5 yrs down the road with them...

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[CSF77]

AAA should be Mills/Butler/Tseng/Roth. 4th is under debate.

I see this as injury fill for the most part.

AA: Alozay/Underwood/DeLaCruz for sure. I see them sitting and developing this year vs the distraction of injury fill to interrupt their year.

Rest are bubble guys

 

[beckdawg]

Barring injuries, They have 2 years (Quintana Hendricks) or 3 years to groom these guys before they have to decide on them, so there really no rush...

Some of these guys may end up in the bullpen or at least start there as a Montgomery type reliever til a spot opens..

Im sure others as they add younger depth in system can be used in trades ..

I can see them targeting a couple bats early, maybe even HS kids, looking more towards 5 yrs down the road with them...

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Yeah I mean generally thats how fringy arms end up. For example, someone like Duncan Robinson probably isn't a MLB starter but his stuff may play up out of a bullpen. My main thing was that there's 40 rounds of a draft if memory serves. So sure they are going to draft some pitching but I think the focus will be more on hitting early. That's in contrast to the past few years. If you look at the drafts in the Theo era they have been overwhelmingly pitching heavy at the top save for the first round picks. Last year they took Chris Carrier, Austin Filiere and Nelson Velazquez as the only hitters in the first 10 rounds. Other 8 picks were pitchers. In 2016, Michael Cruz was the only hitter in the first 10 rounds. Other 7 picks were pitching. In 2015, you had Happ, Dewees, DJ Wilson and Vimael Machin with the other 6 picks being pitching. In 2014 you had Schwarbs, and Zagunis with the other 8 picks being pitching. In 2013, you had Hannemann, Bryant and Burks with 7 pitchers. And in 2012 you had Almora Chadd Krist and Stephen Bruno with 9 other pitchers.

So in summary you're looking at the last 6 drafts they've taken 16 hitters and 45 pitchers. Honestly their success rate on hitters is pretty nuts when you look at that ratio. Granted they were spending high round picks you expect to amount to stuff but guys like Burks, Hannemann, Wilson and Zagunis were really good picks.

Edit that is to say 16 hitters and 45 pitchers in the first 10 rounds. Anything after the 10th round is more or less a crapshoot.

 

[CSF77]

Yeah I mean generally thats how fringy arms end up. For example, someone like Duncan Robinson probably isn't a MLB starter but his stuff may play up out of a bullpen. My main thing was that there's 40 rounds of a draft if memory serves. So sure they are going to draft some pitching but I think the focus will be more on hitting early. That's in contrast to the past few years. If you look at the drafts in the Theo era they have been overwhelmingly pitching heavy at the top save for the first round picks. Last year they took Chris Carrier, Austin Filiere and Nelson Velazquez as the only hitters in the first 10 rounds. Other 8 picks were pitchers. In 2016, Michael Cruz was the only hitter in the first 10 rounds. Other 7 picks were pitching. In 2015, you had Happ, Dewees, DJ Wilson and Vimael Machin with the other 6 picks being pitching. In 2014 you had Schwarbs, and Zagunis with the other 8 picks being pitching. In 2013, you had Hannemann, Bryant and Burks with 7 pitchers. And in 2012 you had Almora Chadd Krist and Stephen Bruno with 9 other pitchers.

So in summary you're looking at the last 6 drafts they've taken 16 hitters and 45 pitchers. Honestly their success rate on hitters is pretty nuts when you look at that ratio. Granted they were spending high round picks you expect to amount to stuff but guys like Burks, Hannemann, Wilson and Zagunis were really good picks.

Edit that is to say 16 hitters and 45 pitchers in the first 10 rounds. Anything after the 10th round is more or less a crapshoot.

Pretty much agree with this and add to it the imposed spending limits in the international side you really see why the system is lacking impact arms.

Going back to the first year they took Paul Blackburn, Pierce Johnson and Underwood early round after Almora. Blackburn was traded and has seen some action at the major league level. Underwood was the higher risk/reward guy. Thus far he is still a fringe prospect. Johnson is out and a disapointment. Over all a poor draft IMO but it was their first and they traded/let more talent go via rule V vs took it on.

I look at the drafting of Bryant that turned the franchise around. At that point they attacked acquiring talent via intl/draft/trade etc.

Right now it is more of a push for sustainable run with the current core. Anything upwelling really has to have a opertunity like Happ had. So it is more to do with luck and timing vs talent.

All talent does is get you noticed on a contender and it could just mean as a set up for a future trade vs a role.

What happen to Eloy is more common then what happen to Happ. You really want low risk on a contender. Higher risk prospects are for teams with little to lose

 

[CSF77]

But best pitcher that they drafted:

Godley was drafted by the New York Mets in the 50th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft out of Bamberg-Erhardt High School, but did not sign and attended the University of Tennessee to play college baseball.[1] He was then drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round of the 2013 MLB Draft and signed.[2] On December 9, 2014, Godley, along with Jeferson Mejia, was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Miguel Montero.[3]

 

[chibears55]

If there no positional preference in who get the final bench spot, have to think mike freeman has the lead right now..

LH hitter, he can play all 4 IF spots and has played RF and LF...

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[chibears55]

Remember when i said i wouldnt be surprise to see Arrieta and others signing for 1 or 2 yr deals...

Lynn 1 yr 12 mil with Twins

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[beckdawg]

Remember when i said i wouldnt be surprise to see Arrieta and others signing for 1 or 2 yr deals...

Lynn 1 yr 12 mil with Twins

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Lynn getting a 1 year deal isn't that surprising. He was never favored among starters and probably waited to long to deal. Arrieta strikes me as someone who'll sit out the first part of a season if he has to in order to get what he wants.