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       #Post#: 360800--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: Ron
       Date: October 22, 2018, 8:25 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: CUBluejays link ---
       >
       > After his Mets interview he acknowledge he had to learn it. I
       don’t think anybody that wants to manage this n baseball can
       ignore it anymore.
       >
       > As far as Madden goes he could get extended or he could get
       replaced. I think he was the perfect guy to break the 108 year
       curse and last year was his most difficult. Marrow and Strop’s
       handling have me concerned.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       I don't believe Theo is going to hire someone to manage the Cubs
       who has (belatedly) decided he needs to learn about analytics.
       Others may well be better than I at reading tea leaves, but I
       see no reason to assume that Theo has soured on Maddon, whatever
       differences they may have.  It won't surprise me in the least if
       Maddon is still managing the Cubs after next season.  Perhaps
       that will depend more than anything on what happens next season.
       #Post#: 360801--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: Bennett
       Date: October 22, 2018, 8:41 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: DUSTY link ---
       >
       > I dont know where any of you have got that Maddon is a dead
       man walking and that Theo is tired of him.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       The current discussion was started by Jon Heyman saying that
       industry speculation has Girardi interested in the job.
       One item that may or may not mean anything is that Joe Maddon
       will be 65 in February.
       #Post#: 360807--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: CUBluejays
       Date: October 22, 2018, 11:16 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Ron link ---
       >
       > I don't believe Theo is going to hire someone to manage the
       Cubs who has (belatedly) decided he needs to learn about
       analytics.
       >
       > Others may well be better than I at reading tea leaves, but I
       see no reason to assume that Theo has soured on Maddon, whatever
       differences they may have.  It won't surprise me in the least if
       Maddon is still managing the Cubs after next season.  Perhaps
       that will depend more than anything on what happens next season.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       I think it could be him more interesting.  One of the bigger
       problems with analytics is getting it from the nerds in the
       front office to the players in a way that they can use.
       Somebody that came it later and is a former player might be able
       to put it in a more relatable way for certain types of players.
       One of the things that has happened so far this season is the
       guy in charge of the analytics department Shiraz Rehman taking a
       lateral move to the Rangers.  Maybe he did it to get a better
       chance at advancement, but McDaniel and Longerhagen have be
       taking about how teams use analytics and their are 6 teams that
       they mentioned (Yanks, Astros, Dodgers amoung them) that are way
       ahead of the curve.  The Cubs weren't mentioned in that group so
       I wonder if Rehman left of his own free will or the Cubs are
       trying to revamp the department.  Being able to do what the
       Yankees seem to do with ease in add velocity to pitchers that
       they draft or sign as IFA would be great, or how the Dodgers can
       take scrubs off the scrap heap and turn them into above average
       hitters.  I think the analytic department plays a role if
       identifying those types of players and then major/minor league
       coaching is able to develop it in a way the Cubs haven't figured
       out yet.
       #Post#: 360808--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: davep
       Date: October 22, 2018, 11:18 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I have no reason to think that the front office is unhappy with
       Maddon.  However, if they are, one reason could be that he seems
       to have abandoned the "shifting" that seemed to be successful
       previously, and has all but been dumped this past season or so.
       I have no idea if the front office has (or wants to) talk to him
       about it.  However, it is the only thing about Maddon that I can
       think of that they might not have been aware of at the time they
       hired him.
       #Post#: 360809--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: Cletus
       Date: October 22, 2018, 11:41 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: CUBluejays link ---
       >
       > I think it could be him more interesting.  One of the bigger
       problems with analytics is getting it from the nerds in the
       front office to the players in a way that they can use.
       Somebody that came it later and is a former player might be able
       to put it in a more relatable way for certain types of players.
       >
       > One of the things that has happened so far this season is the
       guy in charge of the analytics department Shiraz Rehman taking a
       lateral move to the Rangers.  Maybe he did it to get a better
       chance at advancement, but McDaniel and Longerhagen have be
       taking about how teams use analytics and their are 6 teams that
       they mentioned (Yanks, Astros, Dodgers amoung them) that are way
       ahead of the curve.  The Cubs weren't mentioned in that group so
       I wonder if Rehman left of his own free will or the Cubs are
       trying to revamp the department.  Being able to do what the
       Yankees seem to do with ease in add velocity to pitchers that
       they draft or sign as IFA would be great, or how the Dodgers can
       take scrubs off the scrap heap and turn them into above average
       hitters.  I think the analytic department plays a role if
       identifying those types of players and then major/minor league
       coaching is able to develop it in a way the Cubs haven't figured
       out yet.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       That’s interesting.  I know Shiraz (our kids are in school
       together) but not well enough that I’d have any insights into
       his professional life. But, I do know that he and his family
       appear pretty settled here so taking a job that appears to be a
       lateral move may very well be an indication of his standing with
       the Cubs.  Who knows, maybe it’s not lateral but from what I
       have observed from him and his family, they don’t look like
       people who were unhappy with life in Chicago and wanted out.
       #Post#: 360810--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: CUBluejays
       Date: October 22, 2018, 11:55 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Cub reporters have described it as lateral, Ranger reporters say
       he'll have a bunch of responsibilities.  What the Rangers
       reporters list would fall under just heading an analytics
       department to my perspective.  It could be a GM in waiting type
       of thing too.  I have no clue.
       #Post#: 360980--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: brjones
       Date: October 25, 2018, 10:44 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Kaplan apparently speculated a couple days ago that the Cubs
       could trade Schwarber for Merrifield this offseason. The author
       at this Royals SB Nation blog picked that up and thinks it would
       be a reasonable deal. Personally, I think the Royals would
       reject it pretty quickly. I don't know why the Royals would want
       a worse performing player with less team control, even if he is
       4 years younger. But maybe I'm wrong.
  HTML https://www.royalsreview.com/2018/10/25/18022972/thoughts-on-a-theoretical-merrifield-schwarber-swap
       #Post#: 360981--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: CUBluejays
       Date: October 25, 2018, 11:47 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Maybe they think they are selling high on him?
       Merrifield is interesting.  His defense at 2b the last 2 years
       is blah according to UZR/150. He only has 547 innings in the OF
       and they have been blah to except for the 200 innings in CF this
       year, but that is a small sample size.
       His offensive value this year was tied in his base running and
       OBP. He walked more this year and rarely strikes out which are
       nice, but his OBP was fuled by his BABIP. When it wasn’t .370+
       he was monthly wRC+ was 101,103, 106.  105 wRC+ was a 2.9 fWAR
       player last year in 145 games. His sprint speed would lead the
       Cubs at 29.1 to Baez 28.9.
       Taking into account Whitfield turnin 30 and last year was likely
       his career year I’d pass, not to mention his minor league stats
       look very Albert Almora-ish.
       #Post#: 360983--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: Deeg
       Date: October 26, 2018, 1:43 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       That is sort of an interesting possibility.  Small but not tiny
       sample size in CF is pretty encouraging, not a butcher at 2B.
       The minor league #s definitely don't wow you, but maybe that's
       Schwarber's realistic value right now.
       #Post#: 360989--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in '19
   DIR By: ben
       Date: October 26, 2018, 8:09 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Schwarber just played his age 25 season and has fewer than 1,200
       MLB ABs with not that much minor league seasoning.  He improved
       in some categories this season.
       He may be a guy who doesn't improve a lot going forward, but who
       knows?  I seriously doubt Theo will sell low on Schwarber and
       Merrifield would be selling low!
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