Randy Wells

[third eye]

as for wells, i don't know how good he can be, but his numbers this season so far are absolutely legit. i don't know how he's missing so many bats, but he is. his strikeout to walk ratio is sexxyyyy

 

Yeah, his peripherals mostly support what he's been doing. The only thing that is way out of line would be his LOB%. It's at 80 percent now, which isn't sustainable. Even his BABIP (.278) is at a reasonable number.

 

But still, if he keeps pounding the strike zone and mixing it up, he could be a solid starter for a long time.

 

His first start is the only one I remember him consistently working out of self-created jams. I wonder how much closer to the mean that number would be excluding his first start.

[twothousandfive]

The black cloud to Wells' silver lining is that he'll by the guy everyone asks for later this season.

 

Would three of Wells, Ascanio, Marshall and Guzman get Peavy? Since Peavy would move into the rotation, the impact would be in the bullpen. I thought Hendry was wise to sell high on Mitre four year ago, but for a while last year it looked like Nolasco was the guy in that deal who really hurt. (Except, of course, for the fact the the trade was for Juan Pierre.)

 

Is Wells at the Rich Hill point, where either you bank on him ending up really good, or the value goes poof? Sean Gallagher's arb/FA clock continues to tick, even as he returns to the minors for Oakland.

 

Could they get Kyle Blanks (who is blocked at first by Gonzalez) along with Peavy with the right package? Would adding Vitters make it too risky for everyone?

[David]

I'm not sure what to think of this guy. He keeps doing it.

 

Reminds me of how amazed I was every time Dempster kept going out and putting together great starts last year.

[Soul]

Yeah, I'm not sure how long it will continue, but I'll take it while it lasts.

[Little Slide Rooter]

His thing is hes a finesser. Hes not going to blow anyone away with his stuff, but as long as he hits his spots hes OK. With those types of pitchers, unless its a Greg Maddux, when watching them, they dont look that impessive until you see their end line.

[Keener98]

Greg Maddux had awesome stuff for the vast majority of his career.

 

Yea I really dont know where the whole"Greg Maddux didnt have good stuff" came from, but Ive heard it alot. Maddux had one of the best moving fastballs of any pitcher Ive ever seen, and his curve was no slouch either. Maddux was very smart, but he also had some very good stuff also.

[cubsfan26]

I saw people comparing Randy Wells to a young Jon Lieber on another board tonight. I was just wondering if anybody else thought that they could have simliar futures.

[Cubbie Swagger]

I saw people comparing Randy Wells to a young Jon Lieber on another board tonight. I was just wondering if anybody else thought that they could have simliar futures.

I can sorta see that.

[cubweiser03]

Lieber had a really good slider, maybe his #s might be similar but the stuff is much different. Wells doesnt really have a sexy go to pitch, but he has a nice arsenal. He moves his fastball and variations of the FB around and down in the zone, his fastball is around 90/91 so not exactly a soft tosser either. He has a nice change up to use against LH's. His slg % against is like 6th in NL starters so he doesnt get hit hard when he gives up hits.

[Bergy92]

all I know is that if we do make the playoffs and he is still pitching this way, he better get one of the top slots...He has been one of our most consistent pitchers the entire season, if not THE most consistent pitcher.

[Derwood]

Maybe if he gains 50 lbs. and gets hit in the face with a shovel I could see the similarities :wink:

[Ryno is God 23]

His arm slot and release point are very similar on all pitches....

[rynefan]

I'm not sure what to think of this guy. He keeps doing it.

 

Reminds me of how amazed I was every time Dempster kept going out and putting together great starts last year.

 

I know, I know. I keep thinking, "Is this guy for real?" and then he just goes out there and does it again. PLEASE Cubs, don't trade him!

[rynefan]

Greg Maddux had awesome stuff for the vast majority of his career.

 

Yea I really dont know where the whole"Greg Maddux didnt have good stuff" came from, but Ive heard it alot. Maddux had one of the best moving fastballs of any pitcher Ive ever seen, and his curve was no slouch either. Maddux was very smart, but he also had some very good stuff also.

 

You touched on it with Maddux... he was a very smart guy, and a smart pitcher. He had good stuff, consistent stuff, and he studied the game and the players enough to know how to use what he had effectively.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Maddux's knowledge angle is overrated. When you can take a 91 MPH fastball and cut it several inches of late break with pinpoint placement, you don't have to be a genius to get hitters out.

[Guest]

People also remember the older Maddux who lost quite a bit off his pitches. He threw harder and had better break on his offspeed stuff when he was younger (and winning cy's).

[Guest]

Maddux's knowledge angle is overrated. When you can take a 91 MPH fastball and cut it several inches of late break with pinpoint placement, you don't have to be a genius to get hitters out.

As far as the knowledge stuff goes, Maddux was smart enough to know which guys could hit him and which couldn't. He let that dictate pitch selection as much as anything else.

[jersey cubs fan]

You don't have to be all that smart to be considered a genius amongst a group of professional baseball players.

[chuckywang]

You don't have to be all that smart to be considered a genius amongst a group of professional baseball players.

 

Yeah, some of them are dumber than a box of rocks.

[msajeff]

The Cubs aren't going to give up anything close to their March proposal until Peavy's back from injury and proves that he's alright. That's not going to happen before the deadline. The Padres also aren't going to sell low on Peavy now. So we're talking about the offseason and by then Wells' value will either be lower or to a point where they don't want to deal him. I don't know A. Gonzalez's contract status but if the Cubs want to get another lefty in the lineup, a Peavy/Gonzalez for Wells/Guzman/Ascanio/Lee deal would be the only way I could see then justifying sending Wells out (if his value is high.)

[Backtobanks]

The Cubs aren't going to give up anything close to their March proposal until Peavy's back from injury and proves that he's alright. That's not going to happen before the deadline. The Padres also aren't going to sell low on Peavy now. So we're talking about the offseason and by then Wells' value will either be lower or to a point where they don't want to deal him. I don't know A. Gonzalez's contract status but if the Cubs want to get another lefty in the lineup, a Peavy/Gonzalez for Wells/Guzman/Ascanio/Lee deal would be the only way I could see then justifying sending Wells out (if his value is high.)

 

This has been discussed ad nauseum:

1. Lee has NTC and Padres don't have money to pay him.

2. SD has stated that Gonzalez is not available at any price.

3. As you stated, Wells will either have little value or be invaluable because of Harden leaving.

4. Guzman will basically be an "untouchable" because of his progress in the pen and Gregg becoming a FA.

[Coach C]

Seemed like a solid outing by Randy today. A rough 2nd inning, but other than that, was pretty steller.

[A New Era]

Maddux's knowledge angle is overrated. When you can take a 91 MPH fastball and cut it several inches of late break with pinpoint placement, you don't have to be a genius to get hitters out.

 

That doesn't mean he wasn't really smart. Couldn't he have really good command, movement, AND be a very smart pitcher? I don't see why not.

[CyHawk_Cub]

Maddux's knowledge angle is overrated. When you can take a 91 MPH fastball and cut it several inches of late break with pinpoint placement, you don't have to be a genius to get hitters out.

 

That doesn't mean he wasn't really smart. Couldn't he have really good command, movement, AND be a very smart pitcher? I don't see why not.

 

I don't think he's denying Maddux's intelligence, he's just stating, correctly, that oftentimes, Maddux's stuff is overlooked. All his intelligence, sans good stuff, wouldn't have gotten Maddux to several Cy Youngs, 300+ wins, & the Hall of Fame

[hawkeyecub]

Well then.

 

The guy has now put together a 2.84 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 15 starts. He's averaging 6.3 IP per start. Has gone 7 innings 6 times, 6.2 innings twice and now 8 innings today.