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#Post#: 235590--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: CUBluejays Date: August 4, 2015, 3:32 pm
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His contract was up at the end of the year and he has been
connected to the Blue Jays in the off season. I wonder if the
Red Sox might want to bring him back to replace Larry.
#Post#: 235640--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: CUBluejays Date: August 4, 2015, 9:54 pm
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Mets acquired Eric O'Flaherty from the A's and DFA'd Alex
Torres. If Torres could get some of his control back, he'd be a
nice upgrade over Russell.
#Post#: 235643--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: JR Date: August 4, 2015, 10:09 pm
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Just wondering what do you have against Russell? Yeah I know he
doesn't throw hard, doesn't K a guy per inning, and I'm sure
Fangraphs is saying he'll blow up any day now.
But the guy is doing his job and holding lefties to a .600'ish
OPS. What else do you want from a LOOGY?
And I'd also venture to say, if you start cutting guys who do a
good job just because advanced metrics suggest a blow up is
about to happen, what kind of message does that send to other
players in the clubhouse? Or potential free agents like he was
earlier this season who can help us out?
#Post#: 235645--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: CUBluejays Date: August 4, 2015, 10:31 pm
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Russell has to be really perfect with his pitches to be
effective. He has zero room for error. Torres ERA was 3.18 and
O'Flaherty was 5+. I think it sends the message that the Cubs
are looking to improve the team. I really doubt Price would care
if the DFA'd James.
#Post#: 235647--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: JR Date: August 4, 2015, 11:11 pm
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[quote author=CUBluejays link=topic=321.msg235645#msg235645
date=1438745467]
Russell has to be really perfect with his pitches to be
effective. He has zero room for error. Torres ERA was 3.18 . . .
[/quote]
So what if Russell has to be perfect with his pitches? Doesn't
that go for most guys who aren't in the Zack Greinke/David Price
class of pitchers? He's done pretty well with what he has up to
this point.
And judging by Torres's 26 BB's and 6 HR's in 34 IP and his .799
OPS vs. lefties, he's been a little less than perfect with his
pitches this season and has been a little less perfect than
Russell.
Not everyone has to throw 95 mph to be effective in the league.
[quote]I really doubt Price would care if the DFA'd James.
[/quote]
Yeah I'm sure if we offer David Price the most money and the
most years, he doesn't give a flip about what we'd do with a guy
like Russell. He's asking "where do I sign?"
I'm thinking more along the lines of minor league free agents or
middle of the road free agents who can help a team out. If I'm
a minor league free agent and I see the Cubs are going to cut a
guy like Russell who's done a good job just so they can get a
shinier castoff from another team who has been inferior to him
in every other way this season other than that he throws a
couple of mph harder, is that a team I really want to join if I
have some other opportunities available?
Or if I'm in the Cubs clubhouse or in the Cubs bullpen and see
us cut a guy who's been doing his job just so we can sign
someone like that? Perhaps clubhouse morale and all of that
doesn't mean much today, but I can't imagine a transaction like
that does a lot create a positive atmosphere on the team,
especially when we're in the playoff hunt.
Advanced metrics, velocity, and all of that are things to
consider when making personnel decisions, but too much can
definitely be read into them. Teams can't be run totally by
computer or like someone's fantasy team.
#Post#: 235648--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: Reb Date: August 4, 2015, 11:25 pm
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Look at Alex Torres minor league walks. The guy has walked a
ton of guys forever.
The anomaly was the one year in SD when he didn't.
I've said this before (more than once) about Russell. He has had
a major league career not because of his stuff but due to his
toughness and determination. Managers and teammates like that
type of guy---so long as he's getting hitters out at a useful %
of the time. If you can replace Russell with a power guy who's
really tough on lefties and can get righties out too, without
too many walks, I'm all for that. Alex Torres is not that guy.
#Post#: 235649--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: CUBluejays Date: August 4, 2015, 11:38 pm
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[quote author=JR link=topic=321.msg235647#msg235647
date=1438747907]
So what if Russell has to be perfect with his pitches
Not everyone has to throw 95 mph to be effective in the league.
I'm thinking more along the lines of minor league free agents or
middle of the road free agents who can help a team out. If I'm
a minor league free agent and I see the Cubs are going to cut a
guy like Russell who's done a good job just so they can get a
shinier castoff from another team who has been inferior to him
in every other way this season other than that he throws a
couple of mph harder, is that a team I really want to join if I
have some other opportunities available?
[/quote]
Throwing 95 gives you a margin of error. Miss with a 95 mph it
might get fouled off. Miss with a 88 mph fastball and it is
likely going a long way. Russell has been very anti-HR this
year, chances are that won't last.
Minor league free agents will also likely go to where the most
money is, they just cost a lot less money. If they think they
have a chance to get to majors because of a weakness in the org
they will also sign. I don't think cutting Russell will affect
them either.
The team chemistry is something I didn't really consider so
maybe you have a point. I think a lot of the guys want to win
so if they think it will improve the team, I don't think it will
matter. A lot of people want Castro gone or benched for Baez,
myself included. That might affect the team more than Russell.
I'd also put somebody like Hendricks in a different category
than Russell. His change up mad command are difference makers.
So while he may get lit up in some games, he isn't some body I'd
want to replace yet. See it isn't always about the fastball.
#Post#: 235660--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: Jes Beard Date: August 5, 2015, 4:15 am
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[quote author=CUBluejays link=topic=321.msg235649#msg235649
date=1438749529]
Throwing 95 gives you a margin of error. Miss with a 95 mph it
might get fouled off. Miss with a 88 mph fastball and it is
likely going a long way.
[/quote]
I wonder if Kyle Farnsworth is still available....
#Post#: 235685--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: jacey1 Date: August 5, 2015, 1:07 pm
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you go JR
#Post#: 235807--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around Baseball
By: AndyMacFAIL Date: August 6, 2015, 12:57 am
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[quote author=CUBluejays link=topic=321.msg235590#msg235590
date=1438720346]
His contract was up at the end of the year and he has been
connected to the Blue Jays in the off season. I wonder if the
Red Sox might want to bring him back to replace Larry.
[/quote]
Bring him back? He never worked in the Red Sox organization.
Dombrowski has worked for 4 MLB organizations atarting with the
White Sox before moving on to the Expos, then the Marlins and
finally the Tigers. He did work for Red Sox owner John Henry in
the past but that was when Henry owned the Marlins.
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