Welington Castillo

[KingCubsFan]

Currently at .291/.328/.527/.855 since becoming the starter and .258/.305/.461 for the season. Pretty impressive. At this point, I can't see any reason why he shouldn't be the starter next year.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I've never liked him, but it's along the lines of why I never liked Sean Marshall -- no reason. I hope he turns out to be as awesome.

[davell]

He'll be our C for a few years, maybe longer if we don't take a college guy who moves quickly thru the system. I'm fine with that, because I think he's league average to possibly a bit better than that.

[El Duderino]

Beef.

[Tracer Bullet]

Beef.

 

I like that but mostly bc it reminds me of Tracy Morgan calling Jon Stewart "Stew Beef " like 2 dozen times in tds.

[hawkeyecub]

I think Goldstein tweeted a few days back that lost amidst the Jackson/Vitters/Rizzo talk, the Cubs have found a solid everyday catcher in Castillo. There really should be no doubt that he's the guy next year.

[dew1679666265]

I've never liked him, but it's along the lines of why I never liked Sean Marshall -- no reason. I hope he turns out to be as awesome.

 

I've always liked Castillo, but as a backup and not as a starter. My reasoning was that his highest full season OPS in the minors was .757 prior to his 2010 OPS of .815, which was in the extremely offense-happy PCL.

 

I'd love it if he does become an average or better starting (offensive) catcher and catchers do tend to develop later than other players offensively, but I've never been a big believer in his offensive capabilities.

[toonsterwu]

I've never liked him, but it's along the lines of why I never liked Sean Marshall -- no reason. I hope he turns out to be as awesome.

 

I've always liked Castillo, but as a backup and not as a starter. My reasoning was that his highest full season OPS in the minors was .757 prior to his 2010 OPS of .815, which was in the extremely offense-happy PCL.

 

I'd love it if he does become an average or better starting (offensive) catcher and catchers do tend to develop later than other players offensively, but I've never been a big believer in his offensive capabilities.

 

I'm not exactly the opposite, but I've never been a big believer in his defensively capabilities. He has all the tools to be solid, if not better, defensively, but he just never ... for lack of a better term right now, rounded off the edges.

 

Offensively, it's not that I've been a believer in his offense, but you know he'll hit for some power, and you know he'll strike out a bit, and you know he'll have some problems making contact at times.

 

All in all, I'm not sure he's a long range, multiple year starter yet, but for the near future, the next 2-3 years, he's fine as we retool.

[Guest]

Castillo is currently at a 1.0 fWAR in 42 games/155 PA. That's while getting a combined -1.4 runs from baserunning and defense. Seems like the baseline projection for 2013's catching tandem will be higher than 2012's, which is nice.

[sneakypower]

guess who's been the best hitter on the team?

[Sammy Sofa]

Rizzo!

 

Sappelt?

 

No, wait, that one guy!

[sneakypower]

it does help that he has an impossibly-high .375 babip, but the fact remains

[Guest]

It's pretty nice that we have half the position positions (is that a thing?) filled with nice cheap, good, and young players.

[Sammy Sofa]

It's pretty nice that we have half the position positions (is that a thing?) filled with nice cheap, good, and young players.

 

It would be nice to think that with Castro/Rizzo/Castillo/Barney/fountain of youth Soriano in the lineup they'd actually make an effort to not suck next year.

[sneakypower]

[Sammy Sofa]

WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR THE WORLD.

[davell]

3B is going to be hard to fill. If Brett is dealt or even if he's not, there are solid options for CF either way. I've searched rosters for 3B and I hate to bring up this shitty guy, but I see Casey McGehee as a guy they could bring in to challenge Valbuena. That's how awful the 3B market is. I would love to find a way to trade for Olt. Just don't see it happening.

[KingCubsFan]

3B is going to be hard to fill. If Brett is dealt or even if he's not, there are solid options for CF either way. I've searched rosters for 3B and I hate to bring up this [expletive] guy, but I see Casey McGehee as a guy they could bring in to challenge Valbuena. That's how awful the 3B market is. I would love to find a way to trade for Olt. Just don't see it happening.

At that point, I'd just rather put Vitters in.

[davell]

If you keep Soriano, add Upton, stay with Valbuena at 3B, add a bullpen arm on a one year deal and sign 2 of McCarthy, Liriano, Marcum, Santana, Villanueva, and Haren, is that a probable playoff team? Conceivably, Upton's the only deal you'd sign for more than 2 years. And it could likely be done keeping the payroll around 100 mill.

[jersey cubs fan]

If you keep Soriano, add Upton, stay with Valbuena at 3B, add a bullpen arm on a one year deal and sign 2 of McCarthy, Liriano, Marcum, Santana, Villanueva, and Haren, is that a probable playoff team? Conceivably, Upton's the only deal you'd sign for more than 2 years. And it could likely be done keeping the payroll around 100 mill.

 

Probable? Probably not.

 

Potential? Possibly.

[Guest]

If you keep Soriano, add Upton, stay with Valbuena at 3B, add a bullpen arm on a one year deal and sign 2 of McCarthy, Liriano, Marcum, Santana, Villanueva, and Haren, is that a probable playoff team? Conceivably, Upton's the only deal you'd sign for more than 2 years. And it could likely be done keeping the payroll around 100 mill.

 

So...

 

LF - Soriano

CF - Upton

RF - DeJesus

1B - Rizzo

2B - Barney

SS - Castro

3B - Valbuena

C - Castillo

SP - Garza, Samardzija, 2 of McCarthy/Liriano/Marcum/Santana/Villanueva/Haren, Wood

RP - some combination of all those guys we have

 

 

hmm

 

 

(Definitely not probable, though)

[SouthSideRyan]

3B is going to be hard to fill. If Brett is dealt or even if he's not, there are solid options for CF either way. I've searched rosters for 3B and I hate to bring up this [expletive] guy, but I see Casey McGehee as a guy they could bring in to challenge Valbuena. That's how awful the 3B market is. I would love to find a way to trade for Olt. Just don't see it happening.

At that point, I'd just rather put Vitters in.

 

Casey McGehee has been sub replacement the previous 2 years. I wouldn't bring him in to dance for nickels.

[davell]

Add a one year bullpen arm to the mix. Is it as good as the Reds or Cards? Giants, Dodgers, Braves, Nats? I doubt it. But it's possible, if Rizzo and Castro progress more. We could even still trade for a young pitcher, by moving Brett and/or Vitters. If it tanks, you've got the pitching shortterm and could still sell off at the deadline anyway.

[KingCubsFan]

If you keep Soriano, add Upton, stay with Valbuena at 3B, add a bullpen arm on a one year deal and sign 2 of McCarthy, Liriano, Marcum, Santana, Villanueva, and Haren, is that a probable playoff team? Conceivably, Upton's the only deal you'd sign for more than 2 years. And it could likely be done keeping the payroll around 100 mill.

 

So...

 

LF - Soriano

CF - Upton

RF - DeJesus

1B - Rizzo

2B - Barney

SS - Castro

3B - Valbuena

C - Castillo

SP - Garza, Samardzija, 2 of McCarthy/Liriano/Marcum/Santana/Villanueva/Haren, Wood

RP - some combination of all those guys we have

 

 

hmm

 

 

(Definitely not probable, though)

The offense is still horrible. All you've done is added Upton.

[Sammy Sofa]

3B is going to be hard to fill. If Brett is dealt or even if he's not, there are solid options for CF either way. I've searched rosters for 3B and I hate to bring up this [expletive] guy, but I see Casey McGehee as a guy they could bring in to challenge Valbuena. That's how awful the 3B market is. I would love to find a way to trade for Olt. Just don't see it happening.

At that point, I'd just rather put Vitters in.

 

Casey McGehee has been sub replacement the previous 2 years. I wouldn't bring him in to dance for nickels.

 

Yeah, what the [expletive]?