Call Your Shot - Pitchers

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I thought this was fun last year, so I'll bring it back again. Kudos to MWV, who had the best prediction(accuracy + detail) in my estimation:

 

Samardzija earns a spot in the rotation, cuts his BB/9 in half and posts an ERA around 3.50.

 

So let's hear the fearless predictions for this year. I'll start:

 

Wood and Villanueva combine for 6 WAR.

[Guest]

A lot of Volsted love last year.

 

Arodys Vizcaino will make 10 starts at the big league level before he is shut down for the year and will have a FIP around 3.

[Guest]

Shark becomes a viable Cy Young candidate this year.

[davell]

Shark is an All Star. Finishes with 13 wins, 220 K's, and a 2.98 ERA. Garza is ineffective, leaving us to question using the qualifier on him next year. We do. He declines, no one bites, and we get him back at 1/10 for 2014. Baker starts off slow, isn't dealt at deadline, and comes on strong. We use the tag on him as well and a second division team with a protected pick uses their 2nd on him. Feldman and Villanueva are basic 4/5 guys. Wood puts up a .325 ERA in the 1st half and is dealt for a surprisingly good return over the ASB. Vizcaino doesn't have command back this year, no major league starts, start thinking he's a pen arm, but will have offseason and next spring to change opinions.

[Cubswin11]

- Edwin Jackson is our best SP (puts up 4.2 WAR)

- Marmol regains his old form and has 30+ saves

- Feldman posts a sub 4 ERA and wins 13 games

- Garza has mixed results all season and ends up with a ERA in the 4's and misses 9+ starts

- Carlos Villanueva wins 12 games between the rotation and bullpen and is our second best relief pitcher behind Marmol

- Samardzija k's over 200 but struggles with consistency, posts higher BB% this year along with K% but struggles to go deep into games regularly

[rocket]

Garza starts the season on the DL

[Magnetic Curses]

Garza starts the season on the DL

 

he's never going to pitch for us again, is he?

[Old Style]

Garza starts less than 10 games for the Cubs this season.

[KingCubsFan]

Carlos Villanueva makes over 20 starts, puts up an ERA under 4 and is called "our MVP" at least once during the season by Dale Sveum.

 

Garza makes only 14 starts with mediocre peripherals, and eventually accepts the Cubs' one-year tender offer in the offseason.

 

Travis Wood puts up a 3 WAR season and gets dealt in the offseason, with the Cubs winning a lopsided trade.

 

James Russell is terrible.

 

Trey McNutt comes up in June and solidifies a bullpen role.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

EJax finishes with a 3.49 ERA.

 

Samardjiza strikes out 211 guys over 205 innings and puts up a 5.5 WAR.

 

Feldman and Baker struggle.

 

Wood pitches strong all year with a sub 4.00 ERA between the BP and Rotation.

[mookie]

Shark 3.18 ERA

 

EJax 3.71 ERA

 

Garza has a 2.82 ERA prior to his deadline departure.

[Derwood]

Shark blows his arm out in June and is out entire 2014 season

[Rob]

Garza is not traded this season.

 

Edwin Jackson posts the highest strikeout rate of his career.

 

Alberto Cabrera establishes himself as a setup man by the end of the season.

[Cubswin11]

Garza is not traded this season.

 

Edwin Jackson posts the highest strikeout rate of his career.

 

Alberto Cabrera establishes himself as a setup man by the end of the season.

Aren't they going to try and turn Cabrera into a starter this year? Unless the Cubs are in serious contention, and absolutely need an internal bullpen arm, I doubt they circumvent the plans to turn him into a starter to get him into the bullpen this year.

[CubsInNC]

Garza's lat strain turns into an arm injury before the ASB, and becomes untradeable.

Samardzija regresses to a 1.45 WHIP

Vizcaino recovers from TJ surgery, only makes 3 starts in the majors before shutting down for the season

Rondon is the second best reliever in the bullpen

Fujikawa is the closer by the middle of june

[Post Count Padder]

Marmol averages 8 BB/9 but somehow has an ERA under 3 at the deadline and some team bites

Feldman actually finishes the season with a higher WAR than EJax

Garza misses half the season

Injuries force Trey McNutt up and he has a Randy Wells-espque flash in the pan season

 

And...

 

Prior makes it happen and gets called up to the majors. Dusty brings him in during the 3rd inning for mop-up duty in a blowout loss and lets him finish the game, causing his arm to actually detach from his body.

[TheDude]

Despite the FO best attempt at bringing in SP depth, the 5th rotation spot becomes a revolving door. The 2013 Cubs end up using 11 starters for the season and 5 of the 7 projected starters on staff to start the season see the DL at some point. Shark regresses, but Jackson emerges and becomes the team ace. Marmol is the top name traded at the deadline. The team uses 4 different closers throughout the season with no pitcher claiming the position for the long-term.

[Rob]

Garza is not traded this season.

 

Edwin Jackson posts the highest strikeout rate of his career.

 

Alberto Cabrera establishes himself as a setup man by the end of the season.

Aren't they going to try and turn Cabrera into a starter this year? Unless the Cubs are in serious contention, and absolutely need an internal bullpen arm, I doubt they circumvent the plans to turn him into a starter to get him into the bullpen this year.

 

I totally forgot about that, but I'll stand by it. What's the fun if these aren't bold statements?

[neely crenshaw]

Samardzija is the only sub 4 era of our starters.

2 or 3 are dealt at/before the break (depending solely on health)

Marmol is dealt giving way to fujikawa, who is decent