You're the GM (Game)

[chibears55]

Agreed on your reasoning except for Russell struggling and sucking. He might struggle a bit at the dish early, but he isn't going to get replaced for defensive purposes. Russell has a swing that has less moving parts.

Im just saying. . You never know what could happen

 

[beckdawg]

What if Russell struggles out of the gate and sucks, who plays short then ?

I mean didn't he do that last year and he played all year?

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Id hold onto Baez until at least the deadline. .

What if Russell struggles out of the gate and sucks, who plays short then ?

I don't think the cubs are looking to make a big trade now, maybe a minor one involving lesser minor leaguers..
Smarter to hold onto the better prospects to get themselves someone that can help them more at deadline. .

I agree on Baez but more due to injury than ineffectiveness from Russell. I actually do believe he'll hit better, if for no other reason is that he's not being asked to play a brand new position like in 2015, but even if there's no growth his defense is invaluable. The Cubs have plenty of sticks in that lineup and I think that people forget that, while its sexy to have a SS that hits for average with power, SS is primarily a defensive position. If I was assembling a team from scratch I'd probably take Andrelton Simmons and after that look to someone like Russell. You'd like to see the K rate go down and a little more contact, and in a couple of years I think you'll see some power and the average go up, but for now provide 3 fWAR or something close and make all the "boring" plays at SS and I don't move Russell out of there unless he's below the Mendoza line for months.

 

[Parade_Rain]

I agree on Baez but more due to injury than ineffectiveness from Russell. I actually do believe he'll hit better, if for no other reason is that he's not being asked to play a brand new position like in 2015, but even if there's no growth his defense is invaluable. The Cubs have plenty of sticks in that lineup and I think that people forget that, while its sexy to have a SS that hits for average with power, SS is primarily a defensive position. If I was assembling a team from scratch I'd probably take Andrelton Simmons and after that look to someone like Russell. You'd like to see the K rate go down and a little more contact, and in a couple of years I think you'll see some power and the average go up, but for now provide 3 fWAR or something close and make all the "boring" plays at SS and I don't move Russell out of there unless he's below the Mendoza line for months.

I think most here will be pleasantly surprised with Russell's production this season.

 

[beckdawg]

I agree on Baez but more due to injury than ineffectiveness from Russell. I actually do believe he'll hit better, if for no other reason is that he's not being asked to play a brand new position like in 2015, but even if there's no growth his defense is invaluable. The Cubs have plenty of sticks in that lineup and I think that people forget that, while its sexy to have a SS that hits for average with power, SS is primarily a defensive position. If I was assembling a team from scratch I'd probably take Andrelton Simmons and after that look to someone like Russell. You'd like to see the K rate go down and a little more contact, and in a couple of years I think you'll see some power and the average go up, but for now provide 3 fWAR or something close and make all the "boring" plays at SS and I don't move Russell out of there unless he's below the Mendoza line for months.

Given the difference in hitting and the surprise that was Russell's defense last season I"m not sure I'd take Simmons over Russell. I've talked about it before but the defensive metrics put each very close and Simmons outside the one year to start his career has been a pretty terrible hitter. Though, I do tend to agree with your concept of defense first.

As for Baez staying for injury, couldn't you just find another Brenden Ryan if you're worried about injury? Someone like Cesar Izturis who's been ok defensively is still sitting in FA. I guess my problem with the "someone could get hurt" argument is that is an argument that will occur every year. In other words, why's that need to be Baez? I get his bat's a plus and all that but frankly he's not been very good defensively at SS which is counter to your other point on building defense there. Also, if we're willing to live with Russell's meh bat from last year so long as you find someone who's good defensively couldn't you find someone who hits say .300 OBP with great defense to do the back up job just the same? Obviously you don't want Darwin Barney levels of bad hitting with the defense but there is a middle point between that and Baez.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Given the difference in hitting and the surprise that was Russell's defense last season I"m not sure I'd take Simmons over Russell. I've talked about it before but the defensive metrics put each very close and Simmons outside the one year to start his career has been a pretty terrible hitter. Though, I do tend to agree with your concept of defense first.

As for Baez staying for injury, couldn't you just find another Brenden Ryan if you're worried about injury? Someone like Cesar Izturis who's been ok defensively is still sitting in FA. I guess my problem with the "someone could get hurt" argument is that is an argument that will occur every year. In other words, why's that need to be Baez? I get his bat's a plus and all that but frankly he's not been very good defensively at SS which is counter to your other point on building defense there. Also, if we're willing to live with Russell's meh bat from last year so long as you find someone who's good defensively couldn't you find someone who hits say .300 OBP with great defense to do the back up job just the same? Obviously you don't want Darwin Barney levels of bad hitting with the defense but there is a middle point between that and Baez.

Move Zobrist to SS. Baez at 2B. Problem of Russell injury solved.

 

[DanTown]

If Fowler's market is dead because of the QO, would the Cubs/Fowler do a pillow deal for a year, agree they won't offer a QO, then move Kyle to C and have maybe the greatest offense? Move Montero to a team willing to eat his deal this year (Cubs throw in money for next year). Makes you wonder.

 

[beckdawg]

If Fowler's market is dead because of the QO, would the Cubs/Fowler do a pillow deal for a year, agree they won't offer a QO, then move Kyle to C and have maybe the greatest offense? Move Montero to a team willing to eat his deal this year (Cubs throw in money for next year). Makes you wonder.

I wouldn't be apposed to it. If they did a 1 year deal it actually probably benefits the cubs anyways because rather than losing Fowler's compesnation for Heyward/Lackey they would instead lose their 2nd round pick which would be less pool money. Then presumably if they QO him again next year they would have another pick in a draft where they'd have more total pool money.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

If Fowler's market is dead because of the QO, would the Cubs/Fowler do a pillow deal for a year, agree they won't offer a QO, then move Kyle to C and have maybe the greatest offense? Move Montero to a team willing to eat his deal this year (Cubs throw in money for next year). Makes you wonder.

Schwarber is not ready to catch in any way shape or form.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Schwarber is not ready to catch in any way shape or form.

Could we sticky this post? It gets really tiresome reading that Schwarber is going to take over catching duties.

 

[beckdawg]

Schwarber is not ready to catch in any way shape or form.

I'm not entirely sure I agree. I mean I get where you're coming from. You don't want him as a full time catcher which is reasonable but honestly if Ross wasn't on the roster they'd be ok with him as a back up catcher. If you're willing to accept your lumps with his defense in LF then surely you're willing to do like wise at C. Honestly, his "defense" at catcher doesn't really bother me. It would be his lack of game calling experience that bothers me though given the cubs have 4 vet pitchers in lackey hammel lester and Lackey they probably don't need him to be Yady back there calling a game. The framing aspect comes with experience and some natural talent though IIRC he graded out around average there in his limited time last season.

The sad truth is the cubs seem semi committed to trying him at C and the only way he's ever going to get better is to do it. Honestly, I'd rather them throw him in the thick of things and see him fail quickly rather than doing this 30-50 games of catching a year spread over 3-4 years only to find out he can't do it. Least in the first case you know and can have him work on defense exclusively at LF and maybe 1B to give them a back up option in case Rizzo ever gets hurt.

 

[czman]

I'm not entirely sure I agree. I mean I get where you're coming from. You don't want him as a full time catcher which is reasonable but honestly if Ross wasn't on the roster they'd be ok with him as a back up catcher. If you're willing to accept your lumps with his defense in LF then surely you're willing to do like wise at C. Honestly, his "defense" at catcher doesn't really bother me. It would be his lack of game calling experience that bothers me though given the cubs have 4 vet pitchers in lackey hammel lester and Lackey they probably don't need him to be Yady back there calling a game. The framing aspect comes with experience and some natural talent though IIRC he graded out around average there in his limited time last season.

The sad truth is the cubs seem semi committed to trying him at C and the only way he's ever going to get better is to do it. Honestly, I'd rather them throw him in the thick of things and see him fail quickly rather than doing this 30-50 games of catching a year spread over 3-4 years only to find out he can't do it. Least in the first case you know and can have him work on defense exclusively at LF and maybe 1B to give them a back up option in case Rizzo ever gets hurt.

????????

Some people, maybe not you, place different value on positions defensively. Also, the lumps may be worse at one than the other.

 

[Parade_Rain]

I'm not entirely sure I agree. I mean I get where you're coming from. You don't want him as a full time catcher which is reasonable but honestly if Ross wasn't on the roster they'd be ok with him as a back up catcher. If you're willing to accept your lumps with his defense in LF then surely you're willing to do like wise at C. Honestly, his "defense" at catcher doesn't really bother me. It would be his lack of game calling experience that bothers me though given the cubs have 4 vet pitchers in lackey hammel lester and Lackey they probably don't need him to be Yady back there calling a game. The framing aspect comes with experience and some natural talent though IIRC he graded out around average there in his limited time last season.

The sad truth is the cubs seem semi committed to trying him at C and the only way he's ever going to get better is to do it. Honestly, I'd rather them throw him in the thick of things and see him fail quickly rather than doing this 30-50 games of catching a year spread over 3-4 years only to find out he can't do it. Least in the first case you know and can have him work on defense exclusively at LF and maybe 1B to give them a back up option in case Rizzo ever gets hurt.

He isn't a starter. He can't call a game and you want to upset the pitching. I'd rather see the Cubs win the WS than teach someone how to call games at the MLB level. Contreras doesn't need that assistance. The people who post about trading Montero and letting Schwarber catch either don't know or keep forgetting about Contreras and his potential. If all goes well, he's a Sept call up.

 

[beckdawg]

He isn't a starter. He can't call a game and you want to upset the pitching. I'd rather see the Cubs win the WS than teach someone how to call games at the MLB level. Contreras doesn't need that assistance. The people who post about trading Montero and letting Schwarber catch either don't know or keep forgetting about Contreras and his potential. If all goes well, he's a Sept call up.

You'll notice I didn't suggest he should start. There's a large difference between the statement "Schwarber is not ready to catch in any way shape or form." and "Schwarber is not ready to start." I think people have this vision of him being basically unplayable at catcher when he's frankly not. If you actually read the scouting reports on him which I have they will suggest his arm as a catcher is strong but it's not presently accurate and he has some trouble blocking balls because of his size. His framing graded out around average. I can't speak to his game calling but I'd honestly be surprised if he was telling a pitcher to throw anything at this point. Scouting will vary but I've read some who believe the blocking aspect will improve over time once he's more comfortable in his stance. Similarly, I've read that he might improve with reps in the throwing game by getting used to the throw. And obviously there is some skill to framing but it largely comes from practice. None of that is to suggest Schwarber will ever be a gold glove catcher. My point here is that the league average catcher hit .238/.302/.376 with a .138 ISO and a 85 wRC+. Schwarber hit .246/.355/.487 with a .241 ISO and a 131 wRC+. That is a MASSIVE improvement as a hitter.

Now I want to make crystal clear what I'm saying here because there seems to be some confusion. In my ideal world you're probably giving Schwarber 400-600 innings behind the plate which is essentially what Ross and him combined for this past season. In other words, he'd be your back up catcher. If Contreras hits in the majors he'd probably get your lion share of starts but he also happens to be right handed and what with Schwarber being a lefty that dovetails nicely into Schwarber backing him up. Whether or not they would roster another C I'm not 100% sure but if they didn't have to that would obviously be a nice benefit. However, even if they did roster a 3rd guy you probably would be able to go 100% defensive C and care very little about his bat since in a perfect world he wouldn't see many PAs. Which actually, now that I say that could be interesting to see how they use Schwarber with Ross because essentially that is the set up we're talking about for 2016.

At the end of the day, with that bat comparative to what other average catchers do Schwarber doesn't have to be a gold glove catcher. Hell, we sort of had this same discussion before with Castro at SS. Castro was routinely between 7 to 10 runs below average at a similarly important SS position and largely got away with it because he was often a superior hitter to the other SS he was against. Schwarber has an even bigger gap between him and the average player at C. If you prorate his DRS last season over 1000 innings he would be around -15 DRS. Just to throw a comparison out there, A.J. Pierzynski has routinely been in the -8 to -9 range as a full time catcher. So, when I suggest Schwarber isn't *that* bad that's what I'm getting at. Obviously he needs some work. But the cubs think he can do it and the front office has been entirely transparent so I see no reason to call that smoke screen. And if you listen to what Schwarber himself has said he's suggested it pisses him off people don't think he can do it. So the motivation to improve is there. And let's also keep in mind he's only had 623.2 innings in the minors at C plus the 136.0 he played in the majors as a professional.

I don't personally think they should really consider the idea of him as a full time C for numerous reasons. For one thing, do you really want one of your top 3 hitters getting that sort of wear and tear on his body? For another, there's times when defense will matter a lot more(ie tight games). However, having that flexibility to drop him in against particularly strong right handed pitching(Contrareas has .254/.316/.366 vs righties, .308/.367/.487 vs LHP in the minors and Schwarber hit .278/.396/.557 vs RHP last season in the majors) is nice. Also, being able to double switch with him or move him to C in a game where you are down multiple runs to perhaps get a stronger bat in LF has value.

 

[Parade_Rain]

You'll notice I didn't suggest he should start. There's a large difference between the statement "Schwarber is not ready to catch in any way shape or form." and "Schwarber is not ready to start." I think people have this vision of him being basically unplayable at catcher when he's frankly not. If you actually read the scouting reports on him which I have they will suggest his arm as a catcher is strong but it's not presently accurate and he has some trouble blocking balls because of his size. His framing graded out around average. I can't speak to his game calling but I'd honestly be surprised if he was telling a pitcher to throw anything at this point. Scouting will vary but I've read some who believe the blocking aspect will improve over time once he's more comfortable in his stance. Similarly, I've read that he might improve with reps in the throwing game by getting used to the throw. And obviously there is some skill to framing but it largely comes from practice. None of that is to suggest Schwarber will ever be a gold glove catcher. My point here is that the league average catcher hit .238/.302/.376 with a .138 ISO and a 85 wRC+. Schwarber hit .246/.355/.487 with a .241 ISO and a 131 wRC+. That is a MASSIVE improvement as a hitter.

Now I want to make crystal clear what I'm saying here because there seems to be some confusion. In my ideal world you're probably giving Schwarber 400-600 innings behind the plate which is essentially what Ross and him combined for this past season. In other words, he'd be your back up catcher. If Contreras hits in the majors he'd probably get your lion share of starts but he also happens to be right handed and what with Schwarber being a lefty that dovetails nicely into Schwarber backing him up. Whether or not they would roster another C I'm not 100% sure but if they didn't have to that would obviously be a nice benefit. However, even if they did roster a 3rd guy you probably would be able to go 100% defensive C and care very little about his bat since in a perfect world he wouldn't see many PAs. Which actually, now that I say that could be interesting to see how they use Schwarber with Ross because essentially that is the set up we're talking about for 2016.

At the end of the day, with that bat comparative to what other average catchers do Schwarber doesn't have to be a gold glove catcher. Hell, we sort of had this same discussion before with Castro at SS. Castro was routinely between 7 to 10 runs below average at a similarly important SS position and largely got away with it because he was often a superior hitter to the other SS he was against. Schwarber has an even bigger gap between him and the average player at C. If you prorate his DRS last season over 1000 innings he would be around -15 DRS. Just to throw a comparison out there, A.J. Pierzynski has routinely been in the -8 to -9 range as a full time catcher. So, when I suggest Schwarber isn't *that* bad that's what I'm getting at. Obviously he needs some work. But the cubs think he can do it and the front office has been entirely transparent so I see no reason to call that smoke screen. And if you listen to what Schwarber himself has said he's suggested it pisses him off people don't think he can do it. So the motivation to improve is there. And let's also keep in mind he's only had 623.2 innings in the minors at C plus the 136.0 he played in the majors as a professional.

I don't personally think they should really consider the idea of him as a full time C for numerous reasons. For one thing, do you really want one of your top 3 hitters getting that sort of wear and tear on his body? For another, there's times when defense will matter a lot more(ie tight games). However, having that flexibility to drop him in against particularly strong right handed pitching(Contrareas has .254/.316/.366 vs righties, .308/.367/.487 vs LHP in the minors and Schwarber hit .278/.396/.557 vs RHP last season in the majors) is nice. Also, being able to double switch with him or move him to C in a game where you are down multiple runs to perhaps get a stronger bat in LF has value.

The context of my post regarded people wanting to trade Montero and let him be the guy. I can see Schwarber working hard and turning himself into the #2 guy, which adds to the versatility available in the lineup and defense.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Also, the top 2 prospects in Cubs system are Catcher, and short stop.

When I realized this a couple days ago I calmed down about the difference between the off season I wanted and the one Epstein designed. The Cubs are in perfect position to acquire just about any arm they want at the deadline, and so while I feel one arm short Epstein has managed salary, kept assets, and enough ammo to win any bidding war if it looks like it's the year come July.

Soler, Baez, Russell, Schwarber, Montero, that SS, catcher, and host of CF prospects as well as about 4 middle long relievers with upside to start who will be given chances.

This will once again be a competitive environment where guys are playing for attention and spots at both the major league and minor league levels. Madden showed he knows just how to push both young guys and veterans. Americans and foreign players. Madden is one of the best of all time and setting all kinds of rookie records while also guiding Castro out of a funk showed his incredible versatility even with a crowded, young, and in Castros case difficult set of players.

I have my concerns about Lackey, but I have a feeling one of the guys we took a chance on emerges and Lester has a better year. If the Mets look invincible at the break, or the Pirates are surprising, maybe the Giants, I am relaxed because I think this roster is malleable and able to survive a couple injuries as well as make any trade they end up needing.

All we can do is aprrciate the work of a master GM here. No games, no predictions. Just sit back and enjoy the artwork of a master analyst.

To be clear, I am a white sox fan, but I aprrciate genius and good play. I admired the team the Cubs had in the Lou P years because of players like Ramirez, Zambrano, lee. Players you have to respect, just as bears fans learned to respect #4.

This young Cubs core is a group you have to enjoy, the quality and depth extending into the minors is astonishing. I have to watch Kenny Williams work in the south so forgive me for gushing this hard this long, I'm a tortured man breathing in clear genius when I look north, and like the smell when you are vomiting into a filthy toilet at a friends house down south.

At the end of the day the Cubs now carry the torch for baseball in Chicago, and short of ponying up a fair price for cespedes, upton, or Davis in the south I already know the frustration I can expect and waste of s golden arm in sale I have to watch this year. Forgive us for hoping the blue represents Chicago responsibly until our cheap ass owner gets smart and hires a real GM or buys an outfield.

 

[beckdawg]

The context of my post regarded people wanting to trade Montero and let him be the guy. I can see Schwarber working hard and turning himself into the #2 guy, which adds to the versatility available in the lineup and defense.

Fair enough. My initial tangent on this was more that I felt he can be used as I outlined this season particularly with them also have Cogs.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

You'll notice I didn't suggest he should start. There's a large difference between the statement "Schwarber is not ready to catch in any way shape or form." and "Schwarber is not ready to start." I think people have this vision of him being basically unplayable at catcher when he's frankly not. If you actually read the scouting reports on him which I have they will suggest his arm as a catcher is strong but it's not presently accurate and he has some trouble blocking balls because of his size. His framing graded out around average. I can't speak to his game calling but I'd honestly be surprised if he was telling a pitcher to throw anything at this point. Scouting will vary but I've read some who believe the blocking aspect will improve over time once he's more comfortable in his stance. Similarly, I've read that he might improve with reps in the throwing game by getting used to the throw. And obviously there is some skill to framing but it largely comes from practice. None of that is to suggest Schwarber will ever be a gold glove catcher. My point here is that the league average catcher hit .238/.302/.376 with a .138 ISO and a 85 wRC+. Schwarber hit .246/.355/.487 with a .241 ISO and a 131 wRC+. That is a MASSIVE improvement as a hitter.

Now I want to make crystal clear what I'm saying here because there seems to be some confusion. In my ideal world you're probably giving Schwarber 400-600 innings behind the plate which is essentially what Ross and him combined for this past season. In other words, he'd be your back up catcher. If Contreras hits in the majors he'd probably get your lion share of starts but he also happens to be right handed and what with Schwarber being a lefty that dovetails nicely into Schwarber backing him up. Whether or not they would roster another C I'm not 100% sure but if they didn't have to that would obviously be a nice benefit. However, even if they did roster a 3rd guy you probably would be able to go 100% defensive C and care very little about his bat since in a perfect world he wouldn't see many PAs. Which actually, now that I say that could be interesting to see how they use Schwarber with Ross because essentially that is the set up we're talking about for 2016.

At the end of the day, with that bat comparative to what other average catchers do Schwarber doesn't have to be a gold glove catcher. Hell, we sort of had this same discussion before with Castro at SS. Castro was routinely between 7 to 10 runs below average at a similarly important SS position and largely got away with it because he was often a superior hitter to the other SS he was against. Schwarber has an even bigger gap between him and the average player at C. If you prorate his DRS last season over 1000 innings he would be around -15 DRS. Just to throw a comparison out there, A.J. Pierzynski has routinely been in the -8 to -9 range as a full time catcher. So, when I suggest Schwarber isn't *that* bad that's what I'm getting at. Obviously he needs some work. But the cubs think he can do it and the front office has been entirely transparent so I see no reason to call that smoke screen. And if you listen to what Schwarber himself has said he's suggested it pisses him off people don't think he can do it. So the motivation to improve is there. And let's also keep in mind he's only had 623.2 innings in the minors at C plus the 136.0 he played in the majors as a professional.

I don't personally think they should really consider the idea of him as a full time C for numerous reasons. For one thing, do you really want one of your top 3 hitters getting that sort of wear and tear on his body? For another, there's times when defense will matter a lot more(ie tight games). However, having that flexibility to drop him in against particularly strong right handed pitching(Contrareas has .254/.316/.366 vs righties, .308/.367/.487 vs LHP in the minors and Schwarber hit .278/.396/.557 vs RHP last season in the majors) is nice. Also, being able to double switch with him or move him to C in a game where you are down multiple runs to perhaps get a stronger bat in LF has value.

There's some solid stuff in here and I get where you're coming from. When I made my statement it was in weary reaction to the "get rid of Montero and let Schwarber start crowd" it wasn't disparaging Schwarbs at all. The kid is my favorite Cubs player and I see a potential in that bat the likes of which hasn't been seen in a while. Also, with knowing a few people close to the game, I understand he is about as hard a worker as you'll ever find. I have no doubt he can improve at catching but being in the majors does hamper his ability to do so. A year ago I posted here and elsewhere that some of my sources said the he was already ready to hit in MLB but that his catching skills, if he was going to stick there and a few thought he might, were two years away optimistically. Most folks argued that his bat couldn't possibly be ready and that he'd get his time, some even insisted he would never play LF. It turned out the way it did and here we are. I've seen a lot of bad LF play in my day and with the exception of a couple plays in the playoffs, a lot worse than Schwarber. He's always going to have a problem with his hands but he's more athletic than the consensus and I think he'll improve there. I also think he has a chance to improve at C. Personally I don't think he's ever going to be a starter largely because his bat started out too far ahead of his catching as I said before. Do I think he'll continue to catch once in a while? Absolutely. Will he ever get significant playing time there? Maybe. Even this year, if he shows something there in spring training, he could be valuable especially if Baez starts to hit and is viable in the OF. That opens up some scary offensive days. Maddon lines flexibility, the kid gives you that, but so many are ready to do a disservice to the pitching staff, trade a more than serviceable veteran catcher and possibly harm Schwarber's development as a total player in the process. There's no logical argument for that.

 

[beckdawg]

There's some solid stuff in here and I get where you're coming from. When I made my statement it was in weary reaction to the "get rid of Montero and let Schwarber start crowd" it wasn't disparaging Schwarbs at all. The kid is my favorite Cubs player and I see a potential in that bat the likes of which hasn't been seen in a while. Also, with knowing a few people close to the game, I understand he is about as hard a worker as you'll ever find. I have no doubt he can improve at catching but being in the majors does hamper his ability to do so. A year ago I posted here and elsewhere that some of my sources said the he was already ready to hit in MLB but that his catching skills, if he was going to stick there and a few thought he might, were two years away optimistically. Most folks argued that his bat couldn't possibly be ready and that he'd get his time, some even insisted he would never play LF. It turned out the way it did and here we are. I've seen a lot of bad LF play in my day and with the exception of a couple plays in the playoffs, a lot worse than Schwarber. He's always going to have a problem with his hands but he's more athletic than the consensus and I think he'll improve there. I also think he has a chance to improve at C. Personally I don't think he's ever going to be a starter largely because his bat started out too far ahead of his catching as I said before. Do I think he'll continue to catch once in a while? Absolutely. Will he ever get significant playing time there? Maybe. Even this year, if he shows something there in spring training, he could be valuable especially if Baez starts to hit and is viable in the OF. That opens up some scary offensive days. Maddon lines flexibility, the kid gives you that, but so many are ready to do a disservice to the pitching staff, trade a more than serviceable veteran catcher and possibly harm Schwarber's development as a total player in the process. There's no logical argument for that.

Yeah I get where you're coming from. Like I said with Parade I just wanted to show the contrast for him as a back up catcher. The only way we're going to find out is for him to take his lumps doing it. Either way, I think his bat out performs any defensive issues in LF or C. Obviously you want to put him where he's the best value.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Yeah I get where you're coming from. Like I said with Parade I just wanted to show the contrast for him as a back up catcher. The only way we're going to find out is for him to take his lumps doing it. Either way, I think his bat out performs any defensive issues in LF or C. Obviously you want to put him where he's the best value.

A LF touches the ball what? maybe 6 times a game (I can't find the actual stats so this is a guess). A catcher is involved in setting the defense, calling the pitches and is involved in every pitch and play.