Thoughts after the season

[Steve_A]

Not saying any of these guys are doable but how would you rank these three considering the need of the team.

Gerrit Cole
Anthony Rendon
Nicholas Castellanos

 

[CSF77]

Not saying any of these guys are doable but how would you rank these three considering the need of the team.

Gerrit Cole
Anthony Rendon
Nicholas Castellanos

Cole #1
Castellanos #2
Rendon #3

 

[CSF77]

A perfect off-season:

sign Giradi to manage.
Ross becomes his bench coach

Whit traded for. Takes over 2B.
Nico works in winter ball at CF. Man's the spot on opening day.

Russell and Almora DFA.

F/A signings

Dellin Betances
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Zack Wheeler

Traded for prospects

Q and Chatwood.

 

[Castor76]

I think Sale will some day in the future go under the knife.
Innings are piling up + there was always doubts about his delivery holding up.

Sale just went under the knife this year. He's supposed to be back in time for Spring Training.

 

[CSF77]

Sale just went under the knife this year. He's supposed to be back in time for Spring Training.

I don't concern myself with what if.

 

[Castor76]

I don't concern myself with what if.

I'm not either. All reports are he's coming along as expected.

 

[CSF77]

I'm not either. All reports are he's coming along as expected.

I still wouldn't trade for him. Yu is a solid #1. Cubs need to focus on the quality of the top 4 vs a huge upgrade.

Right now they have Yu and Hendricks whom are play off quality pitchers. Lester is serviceable but most likely avoided. Q is a bad choice when a game matters.

So it is going to take 2 guys.

 

[Steve_A]

I don't concern myself with what if.

I'm not either. All reports are he's coming along as expected.

Cole or Sale?

 

[Steve_A]

Hyun-Jin Ryu

Injury prone 33 year old? No way sir.
Better keep Quintana at that point to take the workload off of the pen.

 

[Castor76]

Cole or Sale?

Sale is progressing as I've read.

 

[TL1961]

Like trying to make due with Russel and Descalso wasn't?

Are you suggesting we make a poor decision going forward because we have done so before? I don't follow that "logic".

BTW, we didn't actually open a season with both of those guys, but that's moot. Let's just plan to open next season with neither.

 

[Castor76]

I still wouldn't trade for him. Yu is a solid #1. Cubs need to focus on the quality of the top 4 vs a huge upgrade.

Right now they have Yu and Hendricks whom are play off quality pitchers. Lester is serviceable but most likely avoided. Q is a bad choice when a game matters.

So it is going to take 2 guys.

I think Sale is the safer of the two, and if Boston covers the deferred money, he's less expensive. But not complaint either way from me.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

I still wouldn't trade for him. Yu is a solid #1. Cubs need to focus on the quality of the top 4 vs a huge upgrade.

Right now they have Yu and Hendricks whom are play off quality pitchers. Lester is serviceable but most likely avoided. Q is a bad choice when a game matters.

So it is going to take 2 guys.

The Astros, while they have great talent in the field, are favored every year because of their top of the rotation. Cole and Verlander make them the favorites in 4 of 7 games in a 7 game series. Grienke makes the odds even better. So I don’t agree with wanting solid depth instead of dominant top end rotation guys.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

I think Sale is the safer of the two, and if Boston covers the deferred money, he's less expensive. But not complaint either way from me.

Sale is safer than Cole? How do you figure?

 

[Steve_A]

I think Sale is the safer of the two, and if Boston covers the deferred money, he's less expensive. But not complaint either way from me.

My personal belief is that a sure fire ace leads to championships
Jake and Lester at their primes was way better than Yu and Hendricks
or whatever combination of brittle Ryu or Wheeler you want to put out there

Not sold on the bunch of 2s and 3s concept at all

 

[Steve_A]

The Astros, while they have great talent in the field, are favored every year because of their top of the rotation. Cole and Verlander make them the favorites in 4 of 7 games in a 7 game series. Grienke makes the odds even better. So I don’t agree with wanting solid depth instead of dominant top end rotation guys.

Can't agree more

 

[Fred Garvin]

Cubs could afford Rendon, Castellanos AND Cole if they really wanted to. The Ricketts crying poor is ridiculous. They may wanna keep it to themselves...but they have the money. It amazes me how the Rays are doing what they are doing with a 60 mill payroll. Anyway...I guess we are trying to be realistic based on the self imposed money restrictions Ricketts has. Nobody gives a shit about the kids playing outside Wrigley or any of the other amenities in and around Wrigley. Real Cub fans wanna win...first and foremost.

 

[Castor76]

Sale is safer than Cole? How do you figure?

I meant between Sale and Ryu.

 

[Castor76]

Cubs could afford Rendon, Castellanos AND Cole if they really wanted to. The Ricketts crying poor is ridiculous. They may wanna keep it to themselves...but they have the money. It amazes me how the Rays are doing what they are doing with a 60 mill payroll. Anyway...I guess we are trying to be realistic based on the self imposed money restrictions Ricketts has. Nobody gives a shit about the kids playing outside Wrigley or any of the other amenities in and around Wrigley. Real Cub fans wanna win...first and foremost.

They could, and after you presumably traded away Quintana and Bryant, it would add about 50 M to the payroll. You still don't have a legit leadoff hitter unless you want to go Rizzo there. Believe me, as someone who has little faith in the draft due to its pure crapshoot nature, I'm not opponent of the loss of pick in 2020 and drop of pick afterwards. The 28 M that would be coming off after 2020 by letting Lester go and Chatwood's contract ending just about pays for Cole. Depending on where else money was spent, they might even avoid the CBT afterwards.

 

[JimJohnson]

I still wouldn't trade for him. Yu is a solid #1. Cubs need to focus on the quality of the top 4 vs a huge upgrade.

Right now they have Yu and Hendricks whom are play off quality pitchers. Lester is serviceable but most likely avoided. Q is a bad choice when a game matters.

So it is going to take 2 guys.

Yu is a #2 and an injury prone one at that. Hendricks is a #3. Lester a #4 at this point.

Cubs need to go all out for Cole and possibly try to work a trade for Q.