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#Post#: 388827--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: Deeg Date: September 30, 2019, 6:54 pm
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[quote author=Playtwo link=topic=546.msg388826#msg388826
date=1569887482]
Theo is a master at those news conferences. He made it clear
that significant changes are needed, but the proof will be in
the pudding. I inferred two things from what I heard. Like
Ron, my sense is that Rossy is far from the preferred candidate.
Secondly, I was struck with Theo praising Contreras and then
immediately talking up the season that Caratini had. I might be
reading too much into it, but I'm sensing that they will be
ready to move Contreras for the right return.
[/quote]
Indeed - Theo sounded many of the same notes after last season
and then stood pat. The question is whether he was blowing
smoke, or genuinely thought he had license to do what he needed
and had the rug pulled out from under him by ownership.
#Post#: 388828--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: Playtwo Date: September 30, 2019, 6:54 pm
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I wish someone would have asked Theo about the failure of the
2018 and 2019 Cubs to "rise to the occasion". How does a team
like Milwaukee lose their star player and yet play so well down
the stretch whereas the Cubs just seem to shrink from the
spotlight. How do you change that "culture"?
#Post#: 388829--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: Bennett Date: September 30, 2019, 7:01 pm
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A factor that nobody has brought up so far is that once you win,
you have a target on your back. You get everyone’s best shot.
That will be gone in 2020.
#Post#: 388830--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: Ron Date: September 30, 2019, 7:09 pm
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[quote author=Deeg link=topic=546.msg388821#msg388821
date=1569884396]
As for Castellanos there’s a lot there to like. But I just
don’t see how he and Schwarber fit together long term.
[/quote]
I agree, unless they are platooned, which seems highly unlikely.
#Post#: 388831--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: Ron Date: September 30, 2019, 7:10 pm
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[quote author=CurtOne link=topic=546.msg388823#msg388823
date=1569885166]
so is Dave Martinez.
[/quote]
Yeah, but more than any other theme Theo stressed was not
looking back, but looking forward. Dave Martinez would represent
looking back.
#Post#: 388832--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: davep Date: September 30, 2019, 7:17 pm
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Bryant has pretty well let it be known that he intends to test
the free agent market. I think he will be the first of the "top
line" Cubs to be traded, most likely this winter.
#Post#: 388834--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: Ron Date: September 30, 2019, 7:26 pm
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I had several overall impressions from Theo's press conference.
The first thing is how consistently he stressed the need to
focus on the future, not 2016 and the past. He took
responsibility for relying on the talent of the young players
from 2016 and his belief in those players' abilities to continue
to grow. But over and over he kept saying the Cubs need to look
forward and not backward to prior successes. He talked about
building something new.
The second thing was his focus on hitters making contact, as
opposed to relying on power, given the current MLB environment.
Somewhat related was his clear preference for players with high
on base percentage.
The third was his firm commitment to not simply focusing on the
current "window" but rather building toward the future, while
still being committed to the goal of winning the World Series in
2020. He was clear in not being willing to sacrifice the future
for the short term (even though his own contract runs only
through 2021). He implied regretting some deals he'd made in
the past in that regard, I thought.
The fourth was his emphasis on embracing change, at all levels
of the organization. I would be very surprised if there is not
at least one player who at least some of us have considered to
be core players. My own expectation is that Kris Bryant, after
being unwilling to sign a long term contract, will be very
aggressively shopped. I think it's very likely that some team
will be willing to make a sufficiently attractive offer for the
Cubs to trade Bryant over the winter.
#Post#: 388835--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: Bluebufoon Date: September 30, 2019, 7:47 pm
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Do the Mets have enough top young prospects to interest us in a
trade for Bryant ? Noah Syndaguard and prospects ?
#Post#: 388836--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: craig Date: September 30, 2019, 7:54 pm
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[quote author=Ron link=topic=546.msg388830#msg388830
date=1569888543]
I agree, unless they are platooned, which seems highly unlikely.
[/quote]
I wonder. He talked about the difficulty of finding a CF, and
suggested other workarounds as opposed to just finding an
every-day CF.
CF: "have in house options but...." "prototypical" "not a
position with great surplus" "have to be realistic" "maybe
platoon, or complement with a more attainable player from
outside the organization".
In that context, I wonder if a "more attainable" "complementary"
players might be the workaround.
I don't necessarily think Castellanos would necessarily be
prohibitively redundant. 1. Guys get injured or need some
rest. 2. Schwarber-Heyward-Castellanos isn't a great defensive
outfield, but it might be a very good offensive OF. 3. "More
attainable" "Complementary" guy could pick a bunch of starts
(depending on if he's any good); Heyward's bat could take some
rest; Schwarber has plenty of lefties that he doesn't match up
well; guys get hurt, etc..
If you added a "more attainable" "complementary" RH guy who
picked up 50-100 starts, I'd consider that as an interesting
workaround. Typically ~45 starts are LHP. So if for those
starts you rested either Heyward or Schwarber, that seems
perfectly reasonable to me. Maybe Heyward would play 50 starts
in center, maybe 100. But there wouldn't be a shortage of
starts for either of them, or Castellanos.... as long as you're
willing to play Schwarber-Heyward-Castellanos together for
50-100 starts.
He talked up Schwarber, "breakthrough season", etc.; maybe
that's pure trade salesmanship, maybe he's sincere.
Also with Castellanos, "we'd love to have him back" but he knows
that "it's not as simple as that". Maybe it's "not as simple"
because it's all about the money. Or maybe it's "not as simple"
because they'd need to find a worthwhile deal for either
Schwarber or Heyward to make it work, beats me. Or maybe it's
"not as simple" because Cast and Schwarber are just too similiar
as bad-fielding outfielders.
But he also a couple of times referred to "parts of the strike
zone we're otherwise vulnerable too", "harder to game-plan for",
and "team that can be game-planned-for", and that Castellanos is
NOT vulnerable to those same part of the strike zone. So if he's
trying to improve contact and not be so "game-plan" vulnerable
to anybody who can work the upper half, Castellanos still seems
to be a good fit lineup-wise.
Obviously the "game plan" is the upper half. Bryant, Schwarber,
Baez, Happ, Bote, none of those launch-angle guys thrive up
there. Not sure with Willson. Almora was supposed to do well
there, but not this year.
#Post#: 388837--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in '20
By: craig Date: September 30, 2019, 8:02 pm
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"least contact" "fewest fastballs" "parts of the strike zone
we're otherwise vulnerable too" "harder to game-plan for".
"Schwarber, breakthrough season.." "team that can be
game-planned-for"
"environment for development at major-league level" "young
players don't fully develop in the minor leagues"
Some interesting quotes, I thought.
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