5/8 Cards (Westbrook) @ CUBS (Villanueva) 1:20 WGN

[Hawk4Hall]

Great AB's. [-(

[Sammy Sofa]

Well, balls.

[Hawk4Hall]

Awful inning. I knew Dale wouldn't pinch hit unless someone got on.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Trade everything for bullpen prospects.

[Schwarber Fan]

As bad as the pen was again, those DPs were really the difference.

[Hawk4Hall]

Trade everything for bullpen prospects.

How Bowden is on the team still baffles me. At least bring up someone from Iowa because there has to be other options in the farm system.

[Cubswin11]

Trade everything for bullpen prospects.

Don't worry, Johnathan Gray will be in the system soon enough

[bukie]

Bowman is one of only 3 Cub relievers worth a net positive this year. Bizarre rant.

[Hawk4Hall]

Bowman is one of only 3 Cub relievers worth a net positive this year. Bizarre rant.

He won't stay a postive long. Look at his track record.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Trade everything for bullpen prospects.

How Bowden is on the team still baffles me. At least bring up someone from Iowa because there has to be other options in the farm system.

 

There isn't. That's the problem. The AAA and AA pitching is a black hole of even worse suckiness.

[bukie]

Remember when Trey McNutt was the best pitching prospect the Cubs had two years ago? Yeah, it's that bad.

[bukie]

Bowman is one of only 3 Cub relievers worth a net positive this year. Bizarre rant.

He won't stay a postive long. Look at his track record.

Slightly better than replacement level reliever? Yeah, about what I expect.

[bukie]

Trade everything for bullpen prospects.

How Bowden is on the team still baffles me. At least bring up someone from Iowa because there has to be other options in the farm system.

 

There isn't. That's the problem. The AAA and AA pitching is a black hole of even worse suckiness.

Dolis is about the best shot they've got for the near future unless Vizcaino doesn't pan out as a starter.

[mul21]

Trade everything for bullpen prospects.

How Bowden is on the team still baffles me. At least bring up someone from Iowa because there has to be other options in the farm system.

 

Because most of his bad innings have come in his second inning of work. It's not his fault Dale doesn't know how to use him.

[Guest]

Trade everything for bullpen prospects.

How Bowden is on the team still baffles me. At least bring up someone from Iowa because there has to be other options in the farm system.

 

There isn't. That's the problem. The AAA and AA pitching is a black hole of even worse suckiness.

Dolis is about the best shot they've got for the near future unless Vizcaino doesn't pan out as a starter.

 

I like Cabrera more than Dolis, but that really depends on whether or not you think he'd be better off starting.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Dolis is about the best shot they've got for the near future unless Vizcaino doesn't pan out as a starter.

 

That's both accurate and depressing. Dolis has never had a year with less than 4 BB/9 and his K-rate is above average but not exceptional in the minors.

 

I kind of hope they just give up on letting Vizcaino start and he can immediately become a relief ace.

[Cubswin11]

Dolis is about the best shot they've got for the near future unless Vizcaino doesn't pan out as a starter.

 

That's both accurate and depressing. Dolis has never had a year with less than 4 BB/9 and his K-rate is above average but not exceptional in the minors.

 

I kind of hope they just give up on letting Vizcaino start and he can immediately become a relief ace.

That's kind of shortsighted.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

That's kind of shortsighted.

 

I don't think so. I've always been of the opinion that one or two high-quality relief pitchers are just as important as your rotation guys.

[mul21]

That's kind of shortsighted.

 

I don't think so. I've always been of the opinion that one or two high-quality relief pitchers are just as important as your rotation guys.

 

Man, that's more relevant right now than ever. The current FO has shown an ability to identify pretty solid starting pitching at a very good value and as awful as the pen has been this year, I have a hard time disagreeing with Kyle on this particular point.

[Sammy Sofa]

That's kind of shortsighted.

 

I don't think so. I've always been of the opinion that one or two high-quality relief pitchers are just as important as your rotation guys.

 

Man, that's more relevant right now than ever. The current FO has shown an ability to identify pretty solid starting pitching at a very good value and as awful as the pen has been this year, I have a hard time disagreeing with Kyle on this particular point.

 

It's sorta true; yes, the starting rotation is working out nicely so far, but Vizcaino ideally projects to be better than some of those guys. You'd want to see if he can pan out as a starter first and then worry about moving the Feldmans and the Villanuevas of the world to the bullpen.

[Cubswin11]

That's kind of shortsighted.

 

I don't think so. I've always been of the opinion that one or two high-quality relief pitchers are just as important as your rotation guys.

I agree with that to a point. Since we don't know what Vizcaino is due to the TJS I'd rather have him be given a chance to start to see what we have. If he was healthy and starting now I'd have no problem with calling him up to be in the pen, but I don't know if it would be wise to simply rule out him being a starter and condition him to be a pen guy from day 1 when he's ready to come back. Also Wood, Feldman and Villanueva's underlying numbers all point to regression at some point and it's not like we are loaded with depth at SP in the minors right now.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The fact that he had questions about his ability to stick as a starter before and is now coming off of TJS is a big part of what makes me want to just go ahead and move him from the pen. If he had been perfectly healthy, I'd say give him one more chance to stick in the rotation.