Tyler Colvin hits for the cycle

[nwfisch]

Again once in playoffs anything can happen. 6 losses in row just happen. What is more fun to watch though, team competing for playoffs like in 2007 and 2008 or team this year. And yes i know they in this spot this year cause of spending money in 2007 but those contracts coming off books so Big Market has to try it again.

Depends, I hate seeing fake playoff teams like the Cubs in 07 and 08 get swept.

Hopefully you don't believe in buying the entire big league team's holes through free agency.

 

[daddies3angels]

Depends, I hate seeing fake playoff teams like the Cubs in 07 and 08 get swept.

Hopefully you don't believe in buying the entire big league team's holes through free agency.

They werent fake playoff team. They had the best record in 2008, and guys there is ton of pressure on Cub players to win in playoffs. You cant tell me the players feel all the fan pressure, media. Just like when BOS won in 2004 it took all the pressure off and they added another one 3 years later. I dont believe in buying every hole on the Big league roster but i do believe they should spend the money coming off the books to make this team a contender.

 

[nwfisch]

They werent fake playoff team. They had the best record in 2008, and guys there is ton of pressure on Cub players to win in playoffs. You cant tell me the players feel all the fan pressure, media. Just like when BOS won in 2004 it took all the pressure off and they added another one 3 years later. I dont believe in buying every hole on the Big league roster but i do believe they should spend the money coming off the books to make this team a contender.

I'll give you 08, but if these players were so great, they shouldn't have let the pressure get to them sorry.
What positions do you view as needs?

Here's mine
1B
3B
SP
middle relief.

 

[daddies3angels]

I'll give you 08, but if these players were so great, they shouldn't have let the pressure get to them sorry.
What positions do you view as needs?

Here's mine
1B
3B
SP
middle relief.

1B: Need HUGE impact bat here
3B: honestly i think A-Ram can still be good for 2-3 years when he not the guy. If he has to protect Fielder i think he feels more comortable, then having to be the guy like last couple of years. Plus FA 3B really suck.
SP: Would like to add a top 3 SP
RF: I would like to add a NICE BAT here. Rumor is Either will be avaible.

MR: i dont spend money on. ARI proved this year you can build bullpen and with Marmol, Marshall, Wood the back end is very good. Just vetaran or use some kids to fill MR.

If cubs added great 1B, very nice RF bat and kept A-Ram to be in 5 hole the lineup to me would be TONS better

SS: Castro
2B: Barney
1B: Fielder
3B: A-Ram
RF: Either
LF: Soriano
C: Soto
CF: Brett Jackson
P:

If Jackson show he can handle MLB pitching would love to bat him leadoff with Castro 2 and Barney 8th

SP: Demp
SP: Z
SP: Garza
SP: FA or trade signing
SP: Cashner

CL: Marmol
SU: Marshall
SU: Wood
MR: Carpenter (has really good shit)
MR: Shark (has good shit_
MR: Russell (doing very well in RP)
MR: vet signing or minor league deal guy

So with 3 really good moves at 1B, RF, and SP this team looks like contender espicially taking away Fielder from MIL and if Pujols leaves STL it be dream offseason.

 

[X]

I'll give you 08, but if these players were so great, they shouldn't have let the pressure get to them sorry.
What positions do you view as needs?

Here's mine
1B
3B
SP
middle relief.

add RF...add C. Add 2b.

 

[daddies3angels]

add RF...add C. Add 2b.

Soto i still trust in. only 27 or 28...2B be nice but if they could add huge RF and 1B they could bat Barney 8th and let him hit .280 with nice D....

 

[X]

Soto i still trust in. only 27 or 28...2B be nice but if they could add huge RF and 1B they could bat Barney 8th and let him hit .280 with nice D....

agreed.

 

[nwfisch]

Soto i still trust in. only 27 or 28...2B be nice but if they could add huge RF and 1B they could bat Barney 8th and let him hit .280 with nice D....

Soto's great, but it seems like he's on the DL annually. I can't trust him to stay healthy.

 

[daddies3angels]

Soto's great, but it seems like he's on the DL annually. I can't trust him to stay healthy.

He does go on DL atleast 1 time but if Cubs actually had a backup C and not Koyie Hill it wouldnt hurt as much. I do like this Castillo kid and think he should be up over Hill. So if Soto does go on DL next year u have Castillo ready to play.

 

[dabynsky]

Depends, I hate seeing fake playoff teams like the Cubs in 07 and 08 get swept.

Hopefully you don't believe in buying the entire big league team's holes through free agency.

Completely missed my point because the 06 Cardinals were a worse team than either than 07 or 08 Cubs but they won the World Series. In a 7, and especially a 5, game series it is about whatever team is capable of getting hot. Even bad teams go through stretches were they play well in baseball. The problem for the Cubs and why we are in year 103 of rebuilding is that we had 39 year stretch of not making the playoffs at all, and in 27 years since only been in the playoffs 6 times.

 

[daddies3angels]

Completely missed my point because the 06 Cardinals were a worse team than either than 07 or 08 Cubs but they won the World Series. In a 7, and especially a 5, game series it is about whatever team is capable of getting hot. Even bad teams go through stretches were they play well in baseball. The problem for the Cubs and why we are in year 103 of rebuilding is that we had 39 year stretch of not making the playoffs at all, and in 27 years since only been in the playoffs 6 times.

Why i have been saying the goal is to get in playoffs and lets see what happen. To me its easier to get into playoffs by spending money when need be then trying to do a total rebuild and if that fails have to do it all over again

 

[dabynsky]

1B-is the top of the list because of the options available. If you didn't have a historic free agency period were two elite level players are available then it would be much farther down the list.

SP-This team really could use that front of the rotation of the guy that slots everyone down a spot, but they are next to impossible to find. And I wouldn't feel too bad about our chances next year if the 5 guys we had at opening day could make it through next year. That is a big if though.

2B-Next to catcher has the lowest OPS on the team this year, but we have 3 options at the position for next year under team control that are currently 25 years or younger.

3B-Aramis Ramirez has serious questions about health and overall his numbers have been down this year, but look around baseball and you will see that production at 3B is down around baseball. I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back on a short term deal (couple years at the most), and hope for the best while we wait for the young guys in the system to develop.

More later, the game is about to start.

 

[Jntg4]

Why i have been saying the goal is to get in playoffs and lets see what happen. To me its easier to get into playoffs by spending money when need be then trying to do a total rebuild and if that fails have to do it all over again

If you try a total rebuild, odds are you get at least 3 quality position players out of it, and THEN you spend... total rebuild doesn't mean to only develop and never spend until all of the players you developed retire.

 

[daddies3angels]

If you try a total rebuild, odds are you get at least 3 quality position players out of it, and THEN you spend... total rebuild doesn't mean to only develop and never spend until all of the players you developed retire.

Dont Cubs ALREADY have 3 qualitity positions?

 

[Jntg4]

Dont Cubs ALREADY have 3 qualitity positions?

Our starters at these positions are under team control for 2013:
LF
SS
2B
C

Soriano will be really old by then, and you guys say Barney sucks, and Soto is very inconsistent from one year to the next year.

I don't think we make the playoffs this year or next, no matter how well we do in the off-season, just an opinion, so I'm using 2013 as the absolute earliest.

For the reasons I've listed after the list of starters under control, I'd say we have one quality position player produced for 2013, Starlin Castro.

Still need to see Brett Jackson and then another position player come up and succeed before I think we should spend.

 

[nwfisch]

Completely missed my point because the 06 Cardinals were a worse team than either than 07 or 08 Cubs but they won the World Series. In a 7, and especially a 5, game series it is about whatever team is capable of getting hot. Even bad teams go through stretches were they play well in baseball. The problem for the Cubs and why we are in year 103 of rebuilding is that we had 39 year stretch of not making the playoffs at all, and in 27 years since only been in the playoffs 6 times.

OK reaching the playoffs should be a goal for the 2012 Cubs. That's the goal of every team leaving spring training.

 

[Captain Obvious]

I said they were past their primes, meaning their best years are behind them. Didn't say they couldn't be good or productive, but the Cubs can't bank on career years from those guys you bolded.

You should never bank on a career year from anyone. That's a bit ridiculous. I'd be willing to bet that none of them have career years. However, if they can just play the way they have been playing, even with a slight decline, they will still be productive.

For how long though? They won't be around, or good anyway, when we are in position to win a championship.

How do you know that they won't be good? That's literally impossible to say. Hundreds of variables.

Soto i still trust in. only 27 or 28...2B be nice but if they could add huge RF and 1B they could bat Barney 8th and let him hit .280 with nice D....

.280 is like a .305 OBP for Barney. That's terrible. DeWitt can do much better than that.

1B-is the top of the list because of the options available. If you didn't have a historic free agency period were two elite level players are available then it would be much farther down the list.

SP-This team really could use that front of the rotation of the guy that slots everyone down a spot, but they are next to impossible to find. And I wouldn't feel too bad about our chances next year if the 5 guys we had at opening day could make it through next year. That is a big if though.

2B-Next to catcher has the lowest OPS on the team this year, but we have 3 options at the position for next year under team control that are currently 25 years or younger.

3B-Aramis Ramirez has serious questions about health and overall his numbers have been down this year, but look around baseball and you will see that production at 3B is down around baseball. I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back on a short term deal (couple years at the most), and hope for the best while we wait for the young guys in the system to develop.

More later, the game is about to start.

I think that we are fine at SP. Like you said, if our SP can stay healthy, but I think that next year enough of our pitching prospects can be ready enough to be a 6th starter in case of injury. I'd much rather see money spent elsewhere.

As far as 2B is concerned, Kelly Johnson is pretty easily the best option there. With Johnson, it allows us to have like DeWitt and Barney or LeMahieu as utility INFers, which would be such a big asset to the team. I feel like one of Baker or DeWitt will be gone, though. I think that this team values Barney too much. Although, I suppose we could see a bench of Baker, DeWitt, Barney, 4 OFer.

I'm perfectly fine with Ramirez as long as it is not for 16 million. He can continue to be a decent 3B for us for a couple years, so let's sign him and hope that Vitters can find it or that Lake will be ready.

By the way, you're an awesome poster! Hope to see you around here more!

 

[Jntg4]

You should never bank on a career year from anyone. That's a bit ridiculous. I'd be willing to bet that none of them have career years. However, if they can just play the way they have been playing, even with a slight decline, they will still be productive.



How do you know that they won't be good? That's literally impossible to say. Hundreds of variables.



.280 is like a .305 OBP for Barney. That's terrible. DeWitt can do much better than that.



I think that we are fine at SP. Like you said, if our SP can stay healthy, but I think that next year enough of our pitching prospects can be ready enough to be a 6th starter in case of injury. I'd much rather see money spent elsewhere.

As far as 2B is concerned, Kelly Johnson is pretty easily the best option there. With Johnson, it allows us to have like DeWitt and Barney or LeMahieu as utility INFers, which would be such a big asset to the team. I feel like one of Baker or DeWitt will be gone, though. I think that this team values Barney too much. Although, I suppose we could see a bench of Baker, DeWitt, Barney, 4 OFer.

I'm perfectly fine with Ramirez as long as it is not for 16 million. He can continue to be a decent 3B for us for a couple years, so let's sign him and hope that Vitters can find it or that Lake will be ready.

By the way, you're an awesome poster! Hope to see you around here more!

Ya, because the vets have been so productive this season.

Same can be said to you about Colvin.

If Vitters isn't ready by 2013, Flaherty probably will. And Vitters is 21 and already in AA, so I faith in his potential.

 

[dabynsky]

Ya, because the vets have been so productive this season.

Same can be said to you about Colvin.

If Vitters isn't ready by 2013, Flaherty probably will. And Vitters is 21 and already in AA, so I faith in his potential.

There are real questions about Vitters defense at third base. I think last I saw his fielding percentage at 3B this year was sub .900. I know fielding percent is not a great metric to use for defense, but there are questions about his range, footwork and throwing at third base. While I think his bat will get him to the majors at some point, he is either going to have to figure it out defensively at 3B or learn to hit for more power to be an impact player at 1B.

 

[Captain Obvious]

Ya, because the vets have been so productive this season.

Same can be said to you about Colvin.

If Vitters isn't ready by 2013, Flaherty probably will. And Vitters is 21 and already in AA, so I faith in his potential.

Yes, our veterans have been productive this year. I already posted about this, but since you struggle in reading, I will go ahead and post again for you

Soriano has a 129 sOPS+, Soto who has been pretty awful, still has managed a 92 sOPS+, Ramirez has a 105 sOPS+, Fukudome a 130 sOPS+, and Byrd a 116 sOPS+.

So yes, they have been productive except for Soto, but given that he was the top offensive catcher in the league last year, I'll go ahead and take my chances with him having another bounce back year.