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#Post#: 508673--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: guest424 Date: March 9, 2025, 8:18 pm
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Tater?
#Post#: 508675--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: guest424 Date: March 9, 2025, 8:30 pm
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With some of the dogshit we've kept around recently I'm sure we
can tolerate Workman for a while.
#Post#: 508680--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: craig Date: March 9, 2025, 8:58 pm
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[quote author=JeffH link=topic=653.msg508670#msg508670
date=1741563885]
I've seen a lot of Cubs Rule 5 picks over the years. None can
compare to Tater. The risk-reward equation is absolutely in his
favor. Keep him. The cost? Vidal F. Bruján. C'mon,
Bro.[/quote]
The great Rule 5's in my memory:
Modern era: Hector Rondon.
-2013 rookie. 4.77 ERA as rookie, 45 games, 54 innings, so well
used. 1.4 WHIP. Not good, but on that 66-win team not awful.
-2014, 1.05 WHIP, 2.42 ERA, 64 games, heavy-usage and really
good.
-2015, 1.00 WHIP, 1.67 ERA, 72 games, 30 saves. He was really,
really good that fun season.
-2016, finally had injuries, 3.53 ERA.
Ancient days:
1. Jody Davis, 1981 Rookie. Strike year, 56 games even with
strike. .694 OPS as rookie, ensuing 6 years all north of .700
OPS, two all-star years, a gold glove, and twice with MVP votes
(10th and 21st).
2. Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez, 1977 rookie. Had 3.03 ERA
with 110 innings as a 22-year-old Cubs rookie. Was
unfortunately traded for Dick Ruthven. Went on to
back-to-back-to-back all-star seasons with Detroit, including
the amazing season as both MVP and Cy Young in 1984.
-Can you imagine a 21st-century reliever pitching 80 games,
140.1 innings, and a 1.92 ERA?
#Post#: 508692--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: Reb Date: March 10, 2025, 1:48 am
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[quote author=davep link=topic=653.msg508630#msg508630
date=1741548958]
Exactly. If the Cubs had the ability to option Workman to the
minors, there would be little discussion, since THIS season
would be the only one that had to be taken into consideration.
However, the Cubs do NOT have the ability to option Workman to
the minors, so future seasons become much more important factors
to be considered.
[/quote]
So, Cubs would not be keeping Workman in order to have lefty
power off the bench. If he makes the club, the reason is future
upside.
But that only goes so far. With just three true bench spots,
Workman needs to produce in that role. If he makes the club and
then doesn’t produce, he’ll be gone.
As Jeff notes, losing Brujan to keep Workman for opening day
would hardly qualify as a terrible sacrifice. And it helps that
Brujan can’t decline an outright in the event Brujan clears
waivers. If Brujan clears and then Workman sucks thereafter, can
move up Brujan.
#Post#: 508704--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: craig Date: March 10, 2025, 8:24 am
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[quote author=Reb link=topic=653.msg508692#msg508692
date=1741589335]
So, Cubs would not be keeping Workman in order to have lefty
power off the bench. If he makes the club, the reason is future
upside.
But that only goes so far. With just three true bench spots,
Workman needs to produce in that role. If he makes the club and
then doesn’t produce, he’ll be gone.
As Jeff notes, losing Brujan to keep Workman for opening day
would hardly qualify as a terrible sacrifice. And it helps that
Brujan can’t decline an outright in the event Brujan clears
waivers. If Brujan clears and then Workman sucks thereafter, can
move up Brujan.
[/quote]
1. Heh heh, both lefty power and future upside might both be
values/reasons Hoyer might have? Lefty power off the bench now,
and left power off the bench future?
2. "Doesn't produce" will be in context of alternatives. How
much production does a GM reasonably expect from 26th man? Last
year Cubs had Wisdom, Madrigal, Mastrobuoni, Mervis, Vasquez
with OPS .629, .535, .470, .302, .226. Not sure, but may be
that anything north of .550 might be considered OK?
3. Obviously interest in 26th man depends on
health/effectiveness of 12 guys ahead. Will both Dansby and
Hoerner be healthy, Hoerner with enough arm to throw from SS?
26th-man's SS defense isn't crucial. Is PCA healthy? 26th
man's CF defense isn't crucial. But if Hoerner's arm isn't
SS-ready, or PCA pulls hamstring, the relevance of SS/CF defense
can change.
4. Totally, a roster decision for April can totally change as
real-season performance plays. Excellent chance that Workman
will have Mervis-esque season and they'll move him soon enough,
no problem. Call up Brujan or Lopez then. Or Cowles. Or
Triantos. Or Caissie. Or go acquire from outside somebody's
Brujan or Lopez or Mastrobuoni, always lots of those guys in AAA
or back-of-big-league-roster that won't cost anything. Even if
Lopez goes away and Brujan improbably gets claimed, guys of that
profile aren't hard to find.
Obviously best case is that the Cubs main guys are all healthy
and good. The Cubs are scoring runs regularly and winning a
lot. Nobody is hurt, so they don't actually NEED Workman to
play. But he does get some selective opportunities, and looks
good and productive when he does. Why not?
If not, who cares, nothing lost.
#Post#: 508705--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: craig Date: March 10, 2025, 8:33 am
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Two other notes on Workman.
1. He was much better 2nd half than 1st. Had .947 OPS 2nd
half.
2. He was much worse against lefties. .592-OPS. Was
.889-on-season versus righties.
Obviously if he does survive, usage against LHP will be avoided.
And if "improvement is non-linear," maybe he really did improve
in some real way, made some adjustments that will carry forward,
and he will be functional when used selectively?
If not, who cares, nothing lost.
#Post#: 508798--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: JeffH Date: March 10, 2025, 6:07 pm
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A couple more hits for Tater today.
#Post#: 508799--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: guest424 Date: March 10, 2025, 6:07 pm
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Lol
#Post#: 508840--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: craig Date: March 10, 2025, 9:40 pm
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Wicks 4 shutout innings. 2K/0BB. Every outing is different,
and game wasn't televised. But I check the game-track thing for
a couple of his batters, and it seemed like he was mostly
working low in the zone. May not be anything real. But in
earlier interview, he talked about not shooting for K's as much,
and being interested in pitching to contact more, given the
defense he'll have behind him. I wonder if that's real, and if
part of that isn't kinda giving up on the high fastball? Maybe
he really is just going to try to pound with lower-half pitches?
K's are always good, so I'm not sure trying to live with few
K's is going to work for him. But, given his soft fastball, I'm
not sure he's got the location or the consistency to do the
high-fastball game very well? Seemed like last year, that his
precision with the up fastball wasn't consistent, which
contributed to walks. And with imperfect location, some of the
misses in the zone were gopher balls. *IF* compromising K's
both reduces walks and reduces HR's, that might be an
advantageous compromise.
#Post#: 509140--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2025
By: Deeg Date: March 15, 2025, 12:15 am
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20 year-old Keito Mombetsu carved up the Cubs for 5 perfect
innings at Tokyo Dome today. Soft-tossing southpaw (max 91.2 FB)
but changes speeds well and great command. Hanshin considers him
a great prospect.
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