Cubs' Greatest Need

[NCCubFan]

This is the current cubs.com poll. We'll see how our responses compare.

[Sarcastic]

Three of the possible answers are kind of stupid. Speed, because it isn't a big enough part of the game to count as a major area of need, relief pitching, since the Cubs pen is already as solid as most in the majors, and bench depth since the team has weaknesses in the everyday positions now.

 

It really comes down to the same question as the other recent NSBB poll, ace or power bat?

[E.J.]

They need at least one more bat. A RF, CF, or SS with some pop would be great.

[NCCubFan]

Three of the possible answers are kind of stupid. Speed, because it isn't a big enough part of the game to count as a major area of need, relief pitching, since the Cubs pen is already as solid as most in the majors, and bench depth since the team has weaknesses in the everyday positions now.

I agree about the bullpen, yet interestingly relief pitching is actually winning the poll on cubs.com (by a wide margin). People who post on NSBB are much more knowledgeable than people who vote on cubs.com. :D

[CyHawk_Cub]

Early returns give the appearance this will be a landslide!! :D I voted for the "correct" answer. :P

[moorecg]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is...I voted Relief Pitching...but that will hopefully be addressed by a healthy Wood coming back...assuming that gets rid of Eyre, then I go with Power...but I'm not positive who I replace at that point(assuming healthy team and normal roster)...I guess you start with Pagan, after that your next player out would likely have to be one of the Geaux Geaux Cubs...and I really like what they bring so it would take something awful big for me to be comfortable with them going back down.

[NCCubFan]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is

Agreed. Unlike recent years there isn't an area that really sticks out to me as a must-address area. The Cubs have room to improve, as do all teams, but there isn't a single area that seems to me to be killing the team.

[CubFanPhilly]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is....

 

Weak Links

 

Catcher (Soto for Hill would help but it's still weak)

Bullpen (Wood+Guzman for Eyre+Petrick)

3rd & 5th OF (Murton/Floyd Platoon in RF, Pie or Lofton in CF to replace JJ+Pagan)

Bench/SS (Cedeno)

Overall: SLG - Dunn or Griffey for Murton, JJ, and spare parts.

[Electron Blue]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is....

 

Weak Links

 

Catcher (Soto for Hill would help but it's still weak)

Bullpen (Wood+Guzman for Eyre+Petrick)

3rd & 5th OF (Murton/Floyd Platoon in RF, Pie or Lofton in CF to replace JJ+Pagan)

Bench/SS (Cedeno)

Overall: SLG - Dunn or Griffey for Murton, JJ, and spare parts.

 

Fair point. But really, 3 of those aren't "weaknesses" they're just mismanagements, according to you at least . . . we have the players to plug into the roster, we're just not doing it. And that is different from years in the past.

[CubFanPhilly]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is....

 

Weak Links

 

Catcher (Soto for Hill would help but it's still weak)

Bullpen (Wood+Guzman for Eyre+Petrick)

3rd & 5th OF (Murton/Floyd Platoon in RF, Pie or Lofton in CF to replace JJ+Pagan)

Bench/SS (Cedeno)

Overall: SLG - Dunn or Griffey for Murton, JJ, and spare parts.

 

Fair point. But really, 3 of those aren't "weaknesses" they're just mismanagements, according to you at least . . . we have the players to plug into the roster, we're just not doing it. And that is different from years in the past.

 

Agreed. Which points out the weakest link of all: GM

[Electron Blue]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is....

 

Weak Links

 

Catcher (Soto for Hill would help but it's still weak)

Bullpen (Wood+Guzman for Eyre+Petrick)

3rd & 5th OF (Murton/Floyd Platoon in RF, Pie or Lofton in CF to replace JJ+Pagan)

Bench/SS (Cedeno)

Overall: SLG - Dunn or Griffey for Murton, JJ, and spare parts.

 

Fair point. But really, 3 of those aren't "weaknesses" they're just mismanagements, according to you at least . . . we have the players to plug into the roster, we're just not doing it. And that is different from years in the past.

 

Agreed. Which points out the weakest link of all: GM

 

you know who'd be a good GM? Adam Dunn.

[Butterscup1679666578]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is....

 

Weak Links

 

Catcher (Soto for Hill would help but it's still weak)

Bullpen (Wood+Guzman for Eyre+Petrick)

3rd & 5th OF (Murton/Floyd Platoon in RF, Pie or Lofton in CF to replace JJ+Pagan)

Bench/SS (Cedeno)

Overall: SLG - Dunn or Griffey for Murton, JJ, and spare parts.

 

Fair point. But really, 3 of those aren't "weaknesses" they're just mismanagements, according to you at least . . . we have the players to plug into the roster, we're just not doing it. And that is different from years in the past.

 

Agreed. Which points out the weakest link of all: GM

 

you know who'd be a good GM? Adam Dunn.

 

Hendry + Eyre for Dunn?

[rawaction]

I picked starting pitching. I don't think the Cubs necessarily need more power. Because the only real power options available are likely to be corner IF and OF, 3 of the 4 spots are filled. If you upgrade power from Floyd....sure, the offense is better, but is the team as a whole better going from Floyd to a power hitting OF or is it better served by getting Jacque out of there, whose OBP and SLG outside of this month has been abysmal?

 

In a perfect world, the Cubs would be able to get a power hitting SS, CF, or C to complete the offense. That's probably not gonna happen. So, in order to bring in power, they will only marginally upgrade an already decent part of the team.

[Mephistopheles]

shortstop...and now catcher *sigh*

[soccer10k]

I went with what the majority did.

[Electron Blue]

What I like is that you now have to think for a while to know where the weakest link on the team is....

 

Weak Links

 

Catcher (Soto for Hill would help but it's still weak)

Bullpen (Wood+Guzman for Eyre+Petrick)

3rd & 5th OF (Murton/Floyd Platoon in RF, Pie or Lofton in CF to replace JJ+Pagan)

Bench/SS (Cedeno)

Overall: SLG - Dunn or Griffey for Murton, JJ, and spare parts.

 

Fair point. But really, 3 of those aren't "weaknesses" they're just mismanagements, according to you at least . . . we have the players to plug into the roster, we're just not doing it. And that is different from years in the past.

 

Agreed. Which points out the weakest link of all: GM

 

you know who'd be a good GM? Adam Dunn.

 

Hendry + Eyre for Dunn?

 

Randy Bush + Billy Williams for Dunn, is what I was thinking. Of course, we on the board tend to overvalue our assistants to the GM

[biittner77]

What do the Cubs really need?

A droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators

[Derwood]

i said starting pitching (again) and am still in the minority

[Cubfan_N_nebraska]

Another starter to put into the mix just in case someone has a major meltdown is needed. On the other hand another right handed power bat wouldn't hurt neither.

[Mizzou]

I don't see how anyone can possibly think that a starter is the biggest need, let alone even a need to begin with.

[Cubfan_N_nebraska]

I don't see how anyone can possibly think that a starter is the biggest need, let alone even a need to begin with.

Have you seen some of the pitching performances by Marquis this year and Marshall and Hill in my mind are going through growing pains. Let's hope that Hill has the kind of September this year he did last year. The Cubs can hit a homer ever inning but if the pitcher can't hold the lead what good is that. That's my thought.

[TruffleShuffle]

I don't see how anyone can possibly think that a starter is the biggest need, let alone even a need to begin with.

Have you seen some of the pitching performances by Marquis this year and Marshall and Hill in my mind are going through growing pains. Let's hope that Hill has the kind of September this year he did last year. The Cubs can hit a homer ever inning but if the pitcher can't hold the lead what good is that. That's my thought.

 

The Cubs have the third-best starter's ERA in baseball. If the Cubs offense were as good as the pitching and defense, they'd be running away with the division.

[Sarcastic]

While it is true that 3/5 of the rotation is shaky, there is no definite spot in the rotation that getting a top pitcher would be a huge upgrade over. Hill and Marshall both have the potential to struggle or pitch well over the rest of the season, and though Marquis is unlikely to be as lucky as he was in the first half, he isn't as great a weakness as SS, C, RF, and CF. There is a chance one of the three has a complete meltdown during the second half, but there is very little chance we will get any production from several positions. That's why the team needs a bat more than a starter.

[Electron Blue]

While it is true that 3/5 of the rotation is shaky, there is no definite spot in the rotation that getting a top pitcher would be a huge upgrade over. Hill and Marshall both have the potential to struggle or pitch well over the rest of the season, and though Marquis is unlikely to be as lucky as he was in the first half, he isn't as great a weakness as SS, C, RF, and CF. There is a chance one of the three has a complete meltdown during the second half, but there is very little chance we will get any production from several positions. That's why the team needs a bat more than a starter.

 

... and add that to the fact that the Pitching market is very weak right now -- think Matt Morris or Contreras. Thus the cost will be great, too. I'll be quite disappointed if JH goes hard after a SP.

[E.J.]

Teixeira for RF please...