Winning Streak- anyone else besides me..

[dew1679666265]

Yeah, on a team that is almost certainly not going to have a very good 1B

 

Why do you say this? I'd be surprised if we don't wind up with Dunn.

 

I'd be surprised if they do.

 

I don't know that they'll get him, but given that Hendry has had strong interest in the past, I'd say he's a decent bet to end up a Cub this offseason.

[dew1679666265]

He was in excess of an 800 OPS player when he was in his prime. At 32 he's past his prime but still well within the range of a guy capable of getting close to what he's done in the past. I feel that the Cubs were overly optimistic about his time frame for recovery, and that after taking a full year off and showing up to camp unable to play, it's quite possible he's just not in proper condition to play 6 months of baseball this year. If he can go through an offseason of regular workouts and go into spring training actually playing baseball, I really don't think it is at all a stretch to see him somewhere between his 780 career OPS and the 800 level. That is an above average bat on a team that struggles to be average, and useful.

 

The problem is, that's all conjecture. Should a cash-strapped team really give a player, potentially, $2-3 million so that he might possibly be capable of being an above average bat off the bench even though since a major injury he's shown no signs of being capable of returning to that level?

 

I can't imagine there's not a better option out there than Nady – such as Brad Hawpe or Marcus Thames.

[Sammy Sofa]

he's shown no signs of being capable of returning to that level?

 

NO signs?

 

He seems to be doing what you would expect from a player of his level coming back from that kind of surgery in mostly limited playing time.

[CubColtPacer]

he's shown no signs of being capable of returning to that level?

 

NO signs?

 

He seems to be doing what you would expect from a player of his level coming back from that kind of surgery in mostly limited playing time.

 

What signs has he shown? His power is down, his strikeouts are up, his line drives are down.

 

The only thing we have is his track record and the hope that he still has potential to recover. This year has been a total bust though. I think the Cubs were hoping that Nady recovered the next year the way Colvin did but that simply hasn't happened.

[Sammy Sofa]

His numbers improved as the year went on and as he got more playing time. That seems to point to a player recovering. You couple that with his past history and that makes him a good bet to be a serviceable player next year if he can be had for the right price. There's little this year that anyone could draw from and make anything resembling a definitive conclusion in regards to how he'll pan out post-surgery, but I'd be willing to bet that certain trends make him a decent gamble if he can be signed on the cheap.

[CubColtPacer]

His numbers improved as the year went on and as he got more playing time. That seems to point to a player recovering.

 

His numbers improved but his peripherals got worse as the season went along. He actually should have been worse in the second half than in the first half. He was a little unlucky in the first half and he's been very lucky in the second half.

 

I would agree with you that there is still a wide range of possibilities for Nady next season and this season doesn't completely dismiss him as being done. But the deeper numbers don't show a player who is recovering. It's showing a miserable season that is getting worse and worse as it goes.

[Guest]

Nady had a good but BABIP-fueled August. The rest of his season has been super awful, especially for a 1B/OF. There's no need to even consider bringing him back.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yes, there is.

[Guest]

Are you really worried that there isn't someone out there who is limited to 1B/OF defensively, hits right handed, and fits into the profile of "if things break right he might crack a .750 OPS this year" with the bat? If you want someone who didn't hit at all last year in that spot, at least let them have some upside like a Nick Johnson type. Otherwise, you can find people who can actually hit for the same price.

[Sammy Sofa]

I'm not worried at all.