can we talk about Starlin Castro?

[Little Slide Rooter]

If I could pick a single baseball stat to abolish, it would be individual W/L for pitchers.

 

Worst stat in all of sports.

 

It really should be changed to QS (quality start).

 

It sucks that a starter has to pitch 5 fill to qualify for a win, but could potentially throw 1 pitch, be taken out and be in line for the L.

 

A reliever can pitch to 1 batter for a win, or what's worse give up a lead and then the team regains it in the next half inning and he's up for the W.

[KingCubsFan]

You see managers leave pitchers in to get to 5 innings even when they're struggling so they can get the win. Sveum almost blew that Cardinals game when it was clear Samardzija was out of gas in the 5th. I think the save statistic should probably be tweaked, but it's not totally worthless. I know people like to think the 9th inning is the same as every other inning, but LaTroy Hawkins showed us that's not always the case.

 

Managers leaving a struggling pitcher in to get the win is much less of an issue than the stupidity that is involved with the save stat.

But they're both issues that can affect an outcome of a game. Rewarding a player for coming into the last inning of a game and pitching well is a bit more logical than rewarding a pitcher for something over which he has basically no control over.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Castro Won't Talk Long-Term Deal During Season

By Zach Links [May 9 at 5:51pm CST]

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro is off to a fine start this season and is likely in position to start talking about a long-term deal with the club. However, agent Paul Kinzer told Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune that he won't seek a new contract for his client during the season.

 

“Maybe after the season, but I’m not really interested during the season to talk about it,” Kinzer said. “I don’t want any distractions.”

 

Kinzer went on to say that Castro enjoys playing in Chicago and expects to talk with the club eventually about a long-term pact. As it stands now, the All-Star will become eligible for arbitration after this season and is in line for free agency after the 2016 campaign. The 22-year-old has Super Two status, giving him an additional year of arbitration eligibility.

 

 

I'm surprised that this has not been brought up yet unless I didn't look hard enough. I'll assume that it's more his agent not wanting to discuss it than anyone. Hard to blame him either. He's clearly THE cornerstone of the rebuilding process. With elite players becoming more and more scarce on the FA market, and the fact that the Cubs have a lot of money off the books and coming off the books which they have yet to spend, let's just say his kids won't be using a milk carton for a glove when they play.

[SouthSideRyan]

12/140

[davell]

12/140

God, I would love that deal to happen. It's kind of perfect too, sets him up beyond belief, yet probably saves us a 80 or 100 mill in the process. More than that from a value standpoint.

[sneakypower]

12/140

http://img2-2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/081124/blank-check_l.jpg

[Clem Fandango]

I never understood the whole "I don't want any distractions during the season" argument. Is being offered more money than you currently make REALLY that big of a distraction.

 

"Gah, I can't concentrate on hitting the ball because my team wants to give me so much damn money!"

 

If you're winding up a contract and you're playing for next season, I get it, but if you're a young kid who is still under team control making league minimum wouldn't you get giddy with excitement at the prospect of signing a contract that makes you rich beyond belief?

[Guest]

I never understood the whole "I don't want any distractions during the season" argument. Is being offered more money than you currently make REALLY that big of a distraction.

 

"Gah, I can't concentrate on hitting the ball because my team wants to give me so much damn money!"

 

If you're winding up a contract and you're playing for next season, I get it, but if you're a young kid who is still under team control making league minimum wouldn't you get giddy with excitement at the prospect of signing a contract that makes you rich beyond belief?

Yes, negotiating a deal for millions of dollars distracts you from other things.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I never understood the whole "I don't want any distractions during the season" argument. Is being offered more money than you currently make REALLY that big of a distraction.

 

"Gah, I can't concentrate on hitting the ball because my team wants to give me so much damn money!"

 

If you're winding up a contract and you're playing for next season, I get it, but if you're a young kid who is still under team control making league minimum wouldn't you get giddy with excitement at the prospect of signing a contract that makes you rich beyond belief?

Yes, negotiating a deal for millions of dollars distracts you from other things.

 

Isn't that why they have agents? How much negotiating do the players do, especially at Castro's age?

[mookie]

Pretty sure the agent will inform their clients on what the latest offer entails, so on and so forth. Starlin would have to devote a certain amount of time and head space to that process. I understand where he is coming from, and I wouldn't want to do it either.

[imb]

I never understood the whole "I don't want any distractions during the season" argument. Is being offered more money than you currently make REALLY that big of a distraction.

 

"Gah, I can't concentrate on hitting the ball because my team wants to give me so much damn money!"

 

If you're winding up a contract and you're playing for next season, I get it, but if you're a young kid who is still under team control making league minimum wouldn't you get giddy with excitement at the prospect of signing a contract that makes you rich beyond belief?

 

I don't get it, either.

[Splendid Splinter]

Pretty sure the agent will inform their clients on what the latest offer entails, so on and so forth. Starlin would have to devote a certain amount of time and head space to that process. I understand where he is coming from, and I wouldn't want to do it either.

 

Don't forget the pressure to perform after signing a contract or just the media asking questions day after day about rumors/update/etc about the whole process...

[Little Slide Rooter]

Pretty sure the agent will inform their clients on what the latest offer entails, so on and so forth. Starlin would have to devote a certain amount of time and head space to that process. I understand where he is coming from, and I wouldn't want to do it either.

 

Don't forget the pressure to perform after signing a contract or just the media asking questions day after day about rumors/update/etc about the whole process...

 

I guess I'm thinking in terms of myself when I was 22. If presented with massive amounts of guaranteed money, negotiating the details would be an afterthought. Remember your average 22 year old is probably in or just finishing college and maybe working at Starbucks or Applebees, and that's those who grew up with at least some money. This is a kid who grew up with nothing, so I can't imagine an 8/125 or 10/140 or 12/175 making a world of difference in his mind. I'm just saying that especially with players this age, the negotiating process is probably at least 85% the agent.

[treebird]

i'd play for free!

[jersey cubs fan]

I never understood the whole "I don't want any distractions during the season" argument. Is being offered more money than you currently make REALLY that big of a distraction.

 

"Gah, I can't concentrate on hitting the ball because my team wants to give me so much damn money!"

 

If you're winding up a contract and you're playing for next season, I get it, but if you're a young kid who is still under team control making league minimum wouldn't you get giddy with excitement at the prospect of signing a contract that makes you rich beyond belief?

 

I've never been in negotiations for a contract that would pay me in excess of $100 million, but I imagine that if I was then it would be somewhat distracting to my day to day life.

 

Also, an agent saying such a thing is part of the negotiating process.

 

"Hey world, my client only cares about playing, we're really not all that interested in a $150m deal because it's about baseball, not money." Or, "Yeah team, don't even bother coming at me with a lowball team friendly deal. We'll wait out his arbitration and free agent years and max out before we settle for less than top dollar."

[javy knows my name]

i'd play for free!

 

Pretty much. These people live in a different world than we do. What I would do at age 22 don't have anything to do with anything.

[questionmarkgrace]

Back to the thread on Castro ...

 

Castro has looked down right brutal at the plate lately. What gives? Plus his patience this year has been pretty bad. .303 obp in the last 28 days and overinflated by a high average when considering his totals thus far. I wasnt really on board with him as a #3 hitter in the first place but that decision is starting to look even worse right now.

[Guest]

Back to the thread on Castro ...

 

Castro has looked down right brutal at the plate lately. What gives? Plus his patience this year has been pretty bad. .303 obp in the last 28 days and overinflated by a high average when considering his totals thus far. I wasnt really on board with him as a #3 hitter in the first place but that decision is starting to look even worse right now.

 

In what way does it matter, much less look "even worse right now?"

[CincyCubsFan]

Back to the thread on Castro ...

 

Castro has looked down right brutal at the plate lately. What gives? Plus his patience this year has been pretty bad. .303 obp in the last 28 days and overinflated by a high average when considering his totals thus far. I wasnt really on board with him as a #3 hitter in the first place but that decision is starting to look even worse right now.

Please share with us your alternative solutions for our 3-hitter. Looking forward to your ideas.

[questionmarkgrace]

id prefer Lahair to Castro before his recent slump. but yeah there arent really alternatives. Mainly though his numbers hitting third for his career arent very good and thats what I was speaking to. He seems more comfortable better suited elsewhere.

[Guest]

id prefer Lahair to Castro before his recent slump. but yeah there arent really alternatives. Mainly though his numbers hitting third for his career arent very good and thats what I was speaking to. He seems more comfortable better suited elsewhere.

 

He only has 178 at bats at the #3 spot for us - not exactly a big sample.

[davell]

Levine just tweeted Castro could move out of the 3 spot.

[questionmarkgrace]

id prefer Lahair to Castro before his recent slump. but yeah there arent really alternatives. Mainly though his numbers hitting third for his career arent very good and thats what I was speaking to. He seems more comfortable better suited elsewhere.

 

He only has 178 at bats at the #3 spot for us - not exactly a big sample.

 

A sample size >30 is statistically acceptable for the rigorours of analysis. So yeah I think that sample size is a decent sized one.

[Yeti]

:eek: :lol:

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Levine just tweeted Castro could move out of the 3 spot.

 

Whatever possibly gets him to just take one damn walk, I'm all for.

 

I love me some Castro, but the dude is driving me crazy.