DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Bleacher Bums Forum
HTML https://bbf.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Archives
*****************************************************
#Post#: 328947--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: Playtwo Date: October 25, 2017, 7:52 am
---------------------------------------------------------
If, as seems likely, we go into next season with a slightly
above average rotation and below average bullpen, we will
probably be competing with the Brewers for the NL Central.
Perhaps high 80s, low 90s win total. To separate ourselves, we
would need to acquire a #1/2 starter and/or completely revamp
the bullpen to improve it dramatically.
#Post#: 328954--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: Deeg Date: October 25, 2017, 10:07 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I'll buy that. I wouldn't count the Cardinals out of that mix,
too - they're going to spend a lot of money this winter.
#Post#: 328968--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: CUBluejays Date: October 25, 2017, 1:10 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Playtwo link=topic=496.msg328947#msg328947
date=1508935951]
If, as seems likely, we go into next season with a slightly
above average rotation and below average bullpen, we will
probably be competing with the Brewers for the NL Central.
Perhaps high 80s, low 90s win total. To separate ourselves, we
would need to acquire a #1/2 starter and/or completely revamp
the bullpen to improve it dramatically.
[/quote]
The Cubs are still one of the better teams in MLB.
Getting a great 1/2 would be nice, but it isn't a need.
Quintana, Hendricks, Lester is going to be in the upper echelon
of production for a teams top 3 starters and is just fine. A #4
starter worthy of the playoff rotation should be the goal and an
#5 that is better than Anderson improves the rotation over last
year.
The bullpen was 14th in fWAR last year. Losing Davis will be
difficult to replace, but the Cubs also have some impact arms
that could make this pen really special if their control
improves just a little bit. The pen needs work, but I have a
lot of confidence that Theo is up to the task. There was a
freak on on this board when Duensing was signed, but he was one
of the Cubs better relievers. I mean the Dodgers second best
reliever this year was a 33 year old minor league free agent.
Bullpens are hard to predict.
The Brewers had a lot go right for them this year. Maybe Chase
Anderson becomes a 3 WAR pitcher at 29. Maybe Nelson comes back
from his torn labrum, but he is going to miss a large amount of
2018 and that is a huge loss. Maybe Hader can step in or some
of their you guys will. Travis Shaw is in Chris Taylor
territory for me, he needs to prove that his improvement is
permanent. Add Thames and Pina to that mix too. The Brewers
have a lot of questions.
The Cardinals could be good again, but they are getting old.
Are Pham and DeJong just this years version of Gricheck,
Piscotty and Diaz or are the real. Their rotations is Martinez,
Wacha, Wainwright and Weaver. Maybe Reyes comes back, maybe it
takes him 18 months to recover. He had control/command issues
before TJS and that is the last thing to return. Maybe they are
great or maybe they are just kinda average. The Cardinals
bullpen makes the Cubs situation look amazing. Rosenthal is
going to miss all of 18 or at least a large chunk of it. They
have Brett Cecil, Tyler Lyons and Matt Bowman returning. The
Cardinals can spend a ton of money to try and paper over these
issues. It might work or the might end up 4 games over .500
again after the spent $113 like last off season.
#Post#: 328978--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: Chris27 Date: October 25, 2017, 4:15 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Four days old but a pretty good piece on the Cubs' future from
Joel Sherman:
HTML http://nypost.com/2017/10/21/diagnosing-the-next-steps-for-cubs-to-remain-a-title-contender/
#Post#: 328982--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: CUBluejays Date: October 25, 2017, 4:52 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Thanks Chris. That was was a good read.
"But the issue goes beyond just the ninth inning. Chicago might
have to find a couple of relievers it has faith in. This is the
right market place for that. There are a lot of free agent
relievers coming off of strong years such as Jake McGee, Mike
Minor, Brandon Morrow, Pat Neshek, Addison Reed, Bryan Shaw, Joe
Smith and Anthony Swarzak."
I wonder if you could get say McGee to close, Shaw and Swarzak
for the cost of Davis. That could give you McGee, Shaw, Strop,
Swarzak, Edwards, Wilson, Montgomery for the pen.
#Post#: 328986--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: Ron Date: October 25, 2017, 7:12 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Patrick Mooney article on Albert Almora with some interesting
quotes from Epstein and Scott Borus.
First Epstein:
“The real key for Albert,” Epstein said, “and his future
development and what will dictate whether he reaches his very
high ceiling or not is his ability to have really good,
consistent at-bats against right-handed pitching (.711 OPS this
year).
“He’s proven that he destroys left-handed pitching (.898 OPS)
and is a real weapon that way – and any team would love to have
him certainly against left-handed pitching. He made really nice
strides against right-handed pitching as the year went on. This
kid worked so hard using the slider machine, just seeing slider
after slider after slider in the cage.
“Training his eyes to recognize – not so much to hit it,
although it helps hitting mistake breaking balls – but just
really training his eyes on what lanes to expect the slider to
come out of, say, with runners in scoring position or two-strike
counts and really learning which one to lay off, to put himself
in position to get favorable counts to get fastballs or get
mistake pitches that he can drive.”
Then Boras:
“The Cubs are such a good team is the (only) reason he’s not
playing every day,” Boras said. “I remember we had the
conversation when he came to the big leagues. He wasn’t playing,
and I said: ‘Albert, the goal here is not learning how to play
every day in the big leagues. The goal is learning how to win in
the big leagues. You get to learn that at a young age. Take
advantage of it, because it’s going to be so valuable. You’re
going to be able to share this when you are an everyday
player.’”
HTML http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/albert-almora-jr-ready-show-cubs-he-can-do-bigger-and-better-things-epstein-boras
HTML http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/albert-almora-jr-ready-show-cubs-he-can-do-bigger-and-better-things-epstein-boras
#Post#: 328988--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: craig Date: October 25, 2017, 7:24 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=CUBluejays link=topic=496.msg328982#msg328982
date=1508968379]....."There are a lot of free agent relievers
coming off of strong years such as Jake McGee, Mike Minor,
Brandon Morrow, Pat Neshek, Addison Reed, Bryan Shaw, Joe Smith
and Anthony Swarzak."
That could give you McGee, Shaw, Strop, Swarzak, Edwards,
Wilson, Montgomery for the pen.[/quote]
I like your line of thinking, blue. Brett Cecil was $30.5/4 for
Cardinals, Cubs have plenty of discretionary money for a couple
of guys like that. Koji was $6. So you'd think if they figured
to commit $25-30/year on FA relievers over the next 3 years,
that would chew up a chunk of their cash, but they could reshape
the bullpen pretty significantly.
Not sure the pen will become a strength, money doesn't buy
success, and it may be a problem again. And there is something
to having a known, trusted, confident, shut-down guy for the 9th
inning, so that not every 9th inning is an ordeal.
But, despite the late-season failures, Edwards and Strop and
pre-Cub-Wilson gave a lot of good innings during the season.
Montgomery too. I think Theo's comments about trying to throw
more strikes and being less afraid of hard contact might be good
for each of those guys.
With the weirdness of relievers, it's not inconceivable that
Wilson will come back and be quite effective. Or that Rondon
might show up healthy, get locked in, and give a very good
season.
Obviously very different to give enough competent innings in the
regular season to get into the playoffs; without actually being
a knockout shut-down guy in the playoffs. Should be interesting
to see how they spend their money relief-wise.
#Post#: 328998--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: CUBluejays Date: October 25, 2017, 9:11 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I guess part of the reason is I have a tough time seeing who the
knock out reliever is that the Cubs can trade for. The only guy
that has been rumored to be on the market is Britton, but he has
a lot of questions and I have doubts that the Orioles will
actually trade him.
One guy who I sold short on is Mike Minor. He was fantastic
last year, but the 2 TJS scare me a lot.
I think you can add a lot of depth to the Cubs bullpen in this
free agent class in the $30 million and under reliever range
without affecting the Cubs ability to lock up the young guys or
go after 2018 free agents. I would be quite happy with 2-3 free
agent relievers, Cobb and inning eating 5th starter.
Anibal Sanchez and Drew Hutchinson would be some interesting
starter to reliever guys if you could get them on a minor league
deal for me.
#Post#: 328999--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: craig Date: October 25, 2017, 9:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=CUBluejays link=topic=496.msg328998#msg328998
date=1508983880]....I think you can add a lot of depth to the
Cubs bullpen in this free agent class in the $30 million and
under reliever range without affecting the Cubs ability to lock
up the young guys or go after 2018 free agents. I would be
quite happy with 2-3 free agent relievers, Cobb and inning
eating 5th starter....[/quote]
Not sure about the innings-eating 5th starter. Not that
interested in wasting money on a bad starter.
But yeah, I think if they were to pay the price for a Cobb-level
guy, and take a shot at it with four starters and wing it for
#5, that would make sense, and seems pretty sensible.
5th starter could be whatever. Some take-a-shot guy, like
Anderson was this year. Or Montgomery. Or Tseng. Or some old
junker scouting guy. Cubs won a whole lot of games two years
ago with Wada and Richard and Haren and Cahill and Dallas
Beeler.
But it's the #4 guy who needs to be competent.
And if the bullpen is deep and good, you can better cover for a
wing-it #5.
#Post#: 329000--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '18
By: CUBluejays Date: October 25, 2017, 9:37 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=craig link=topic=496.msg328999#msg328999
date=1508984544]
Not sure about the innings-eating 5th starter. Not that
interested in wasting money on a bad starter.
[/quote]
You'd basically be looking for a Lackey (2017) level starter on
a 1 year deal, maybe a little better.
*****************************************************
DIR Previous Page
DIR Next Page