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Please don't let anyone know. I wouldn't want my reputation tarnished.
JimJohnson
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It's like getting caught whaling.
TC in Mississippi
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Yep. The Cubs at least on paper matchup better at this point. I feel pretty comfortable that Cespedes will eturn to his career numbers and not those of catching fire last off-season. I also feel really comfortable, as in 100%, in saying that Murphy won't have as good of a series for the Mets this season.
As if on cue Cubs Den has a nice piece on why the Cubs should be better prepared to face power pitchers in 2016.
http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/...in-2016-and-beyond-vs-high-velocity-pitchers/
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The info in that article is one of the reasons I am higher on Soler than some others.
ChiSoxCity
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I'm surprised at the confidence on this board.
You guys would have been one and done in the playoffs, if not for Arrieta's superhuman effort against a pretty good Pittsburgh team.
I'm pulling for ya, but I still don't think Jake is enough to get you in the WS.
You guys would have been one and done in the playoffs, if not for Arrieta's superhuman effort against a pretty good Pittsburgh team.
I'm pulling for ya, but I still don't think Jake is enough to get you in the WS.
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That's why it's a baseball team and not the PGA Tour.
DanTown
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People are high on this team for the following four reasons
1. Their team is made up of mostly youth that is likely to progress and not regress. Sure some guys might be worse but when you have a plethora of high draft pick/prospect players, you expect their second years to be better.
2. They have an incredibly deep team (their fourth OF was 25th in baseball in WAR)
3. They have an elite manager
4. They have depth in the farm system to address a need at the trade deadline
5. They have improved a weakness of the team last year (reliance on walks with many SO) with two high value hitters (Zobrist, Heyward)
I mean, last year happened and it's over. But just imagine that the Cubs were built entirely this off-season. What would you say about them? Unless they have super major regression (i.e Arrieta/Lester go from 12.5 WAR to sub 6 WAR combined in roughly the same number of starts), I just don't see how this team is worse. They're one of the deepest teams in recent memory.
beckdawg
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And they might have won the division had Bryant and Russell broke camp with the team. The cubs had the 3rd best record in the league last year. They added Zobrist, Heyward and Lackey who happened to be the starting 2B for the WS champs, the best position player on the team with the best record in the league, and the best pitcher based on fWAR from that same team. Of course people are going to be excited about them.
If you're looking at reasons for negativity there aren't many. I mean I suppose some of the younger players could slump in their second season. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. But the thing is, many view Soler's season last year as a down year. Russell largely didn't hit until the last 1/4 of the season or so. Schwarber only played around half a season. It's far more likely that the non-rizzo/heyward young players are a net positive compared to last year than those players getting worse. Rizzo and Heyward are obviously established enough to know what to expect.
Obviously injuries can always change things but they have 5 players right now who had .350 or better OBP last year. There were only 46 players in the entire league with qualified PAs last year who did that though Schwarber wouldn't be on that list either because he was short around 100-150 PAs. In other words, you can lose one maybe even 2 guys and still have a really good team offensively especially when you consider Coghlan was great last year and Baez is their back up infielder. I'm will known as not loving Baez but he's still a former top 10 prospect as your back up infielder. If Arrieta and Lester get hurt maybe then there's some issues as they don't really have answers there. But do the dodgers have answers if Kershaw is hurt? Do the Dbacks have answers if Grienke's hurt?
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ChiSoxCity is the new KBisBack.
Diehardfan
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[video]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjil7601d7KAhVFeSYKHbVrBeAQtwIILzAG&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D86 MO-JWTNjo&usg=AFQjCNFoc6Nm8GW2bbx5GnmpzVcKlPNVzA&sig2=I47hMtiJIwO5I-He8W260g[/video]
beckdawg
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So if Fowler is going to struggle to get 2 years $20 mil as presently rumored is there any chance Jackson gets starter money from someone? We're presently a week from when full squad stuff is supposed to happen for the cubs and like 16 days before the first spring training games. Granted as a vet it's not super important that Fowler/Jackson be there day one but seems to me that's it's going to be rather unlikely Jackson finds anyway to get a starting gig at this point of the offseason. He makes a world of sense for the cubs to bring back. He's a very good defensive CF and hits LHP extremely well(.281/.333/.437 last year, .261/.336/.393 on his career). If we look at the present cubs, Cogs hit .264/.355/.476 vs RHP and .116/.208/.140 vs LHP last season. Schwarber hit .278/.396/.557 vs RHP and .143/.213/.268 vs LHP. Heyward's pretty split neutral but he was going to start the majority of the time with .272/.344/.364 vs LHP and .301/.364/.470 vs RHP. Soler on his career for a bigger sample has hit .250/.351/.375 vs LHP and .273/.318/.448 vs RHP.
This is a pretty slam dunk concept assuming they can get Jackson as far as I can tell. Schwarber will get better vs LHP but it's probably not the worst idea to give him a few days off vs particularly tough lefties. That sets up nicely for Jackson in CF, Soler in LF and Heyward in RF on days when facing lefties. For Jackson he gets a good team situation and a chance to likely get another go at FA next year if we assume a short term deal because of Almora. And him and Cogs give you a nice OF bench especially if Baez comes around and can play half decent defense though I still am inclined to believe he's a utility infielder and they just haven't got the Jackson role yet.
This is a pretty slam dunk concept assuming they can get Jackson as far as I can tell. Schwarber will get better vs LHP but it's probably not the worst idea to give him a few days off vs particularly tough lefties. That sets up nicely for Jackson in CF, Soler in LF and Heyward in RF on days when facing lefties. For Jackson he gets a good team situation and a chance to likely get another go at FA next year if we assume a short term deal because of Almora. And him and Cogs give you a nice OF bench especially if Baez comes around and can play half decent defense though I still am inclined to believe he's a utility infielder and they just haven't got the Jackson role yet.
TC in Mississippi
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I'm right with you except that I don't see how you can sign Jackson and keep Coghlan if they're planning on going with 13 pitchers which seems to be the plan. Right now the bench looks to be Ross, Baez, La Stella and Coghlan with all looking like locks for the roster. The money might be a bit tricky too. All that said if you could get Jackson on a 1 or 2 year deal for say $7 mil AAV I trade Coghlan tomorrow and the money almost balances out. I like Cogs fine but the lineup is fairly left handed a versatile righty in Jackson would be a slightly better fit.
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absolutely. Jackson would balance the R/L in the outfield and would be an improvement defensively over Coghlan(which is more what you want from a #4 OF), while also being able to play all 3 outfield spots. whatever you get back for Coghlan is just extra bonus really
TC in Mississippi
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I'm guessing that the Angels would be all over Coghlan too. They're in desperate need of an OF with some pop but didn't want to go into the luxury tax. His salary would be easy to offset and he's a FA after the season.
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Im reading the Cubs are still talking to Fowler, but they seem to want the pick over him.
CSF77
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Rather they give Murtant a chance vs resign Jackson. At the end of the day it is about a RH bat and Matt is going to cost a fraction. Add to it Matt is pretty much a proven hitter at this point. Hit .294 for the Cubs then went to break records in Japan. Nothing wrong with bringing a pure hitter into the mix. From what I've seen in a hitting video he did he has some history with Zorbrist already so him coming to the Cubs at this point in his career made sense.
Little full circle IMO. Theo traded him with Nomar to the Cubs and takes him back to the states.
TC in Mississippi
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Murton is not even the defensive player that Coghlan is. Jackson would be an upgrade as a defensive substitute. On the cubs 4 man bench you've got Ross who's strictly a backup catcher, La Stella who is a contact bat and an extra infielder, Baez who is both pop off the bench and a defense oriented infielder, and Coghlan who can play LF, RF and 2B in a pinch and gives a little pop off the bench. Jackson replacing Coghlan gives you another RH bat and a solid defensive player in the OF similar to Baez in the IF. I see Murton as AAA depth at this point.
CSF77
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Not really about a OF sub at all. More about a RH bat that can hit for contact. That is a weakness this team has shown last year.
I see the team as: Schwarber LF/Heyward CF/Soler RF. Baez all over the place and plus D. Coghlan due to them giving him Arb. He would fill as a late LF sub. Ross C. That is 3 filling 3B/SS/2B (Cog covers that also and has played 3B i.e.: he becomes Baez's counter part). All OF spots are covered by both.
With that said and Bryant and Zirbrist's flexibility you could say they could just focus on contact hitting at that point as depth.
Diehardfan
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Jackson strikes out 25% of his ABs. That's incredibly inept for someone with negligible power. You only got 4 guys on your bench and one of them is strictly defensive already in Ross...just can't afford to waste a spot on a guy like Jackson. You could do better by bringing up one of the kids or even Murton.