Spring Training Thread

[SouthSideRyan]

As strictly a LFer, he wouldn't really fit the prototype. But if he's healthy, I could see 10-15 HR and maybe 20-25 steals out of him in his prime, maybe with an .800ish OPS? It'd be great if we could use him as a 4th OFer with those numbers. Give him 400+ AB's over the course of the season. From an upside standpoint, at least one that seems realistic-I think he could wind up as our best OFer in 2014.

 

Isn't an 800 OPS really good these days?

[A New Era]

Damn Javy hit another home run? If Hendry was in charge he'd be manning 2B the rest of ST and then break with the team. Better yet, he'd trade Castro for a bag of balls then have Javy take over SS.

 

And you're basing the bold on....what, exactly?

 

meant the first part, kinda didn't the second part.

[Guest]

This. It's hard to imagine Baez having a higher offensive upside than Alfonso Soriano until he begins showing more patience. No doubt the power/slg will be there, but he will probably never become a pretty good obp guy. He'll hit a lot of homers, strike out a lot, and probably get out frequently. Of course, if he has Soriano-like offensive numbers while contributing more on defense at SS/2B/3B he's going to be a good player.

 

It's 38 PA in an environment where pitchers aren't pitching to the situation but rather attacking every hitter while also trying to get ready for the season. Baez is not going to be Joey Votto, but he's already pretty clearly shown an ability to adjust when he's not given pitches to hit. 5 HR and 3 2B in 38 PA shows that he's still being given plenty to hit.

[Guest]

Mark Gonzales @MDGonzales

Baez (left wrist, right knee) said he's fine after last night's collision. Said he initially couldn't take off his glove but stayed in game

[Guest]

@CarrieMuskat: #Cubs lineup lake cf barney 2 Schierholtz rf Olt 3b Sweeney cf Castillo c Murphy ss Roberts 1b Samardzija p

[Sammy Sofa]

Please don't die, Olt.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Please don't die, Olt.

 

It's over. He's in. He's our starting 3b.

[Guest]

ChicagoCubsOnline ‏@TheCCO 5m

RT @MDGonzales Baez taking grounders at 3b, Castro at shortstop

[Guest]

As strictly a LFer, he wouldn't really fit the prototype. But if he's healthy, I could see 10-15 HR and maybe 20-25 steals out of him in his prime, maybe with an .800ish OPS? It'd be great if we could use him as a 4th OFer with those numbers. Give him 400+ AB's over the course of the season. From an upside standpoint, at least one that seems realistic-I think he could wind up as our best OFer in 2014.

 

Isn't an 800 OPS really good these days?

 

I had the same thought. Seems pretty ambitious.

[Guest]

Look at Kyle, being all hopeful.

 

Olt’s got the job barring injury or just complete K-fueled collapse in the next two weeks. I’m still deeply concerned about the swing-and-miss in his game, but he’s shown enough, the scouting reports are good, and they’ve shown enough faith in him for me to want to see him get a shot.

 

I’d like to see us send down Lake and carry Bonifacio as both 7th infielder and 5th outfielder. Both Murphy and Valbuena could also handle the corner outfield in a pinch with their athleticism (both have at least a brief appearance there in their MLB careers).

 

So if I were building a 25-man roster for Opening Day, assuming Arrieta is on the DL for at least a little bit, I’d go:

 

Ruggiano/Sweeney/Schierholtz (Kalish)

Olt/Castro/Barney/Rizzo (Valbuena, Murphy, Bonifacio)

Castillo (Kottaras)

 

Samardzija/Wood/Jackson/Hammel/Villanueva

Veras/Wright/Russell/Strop/Parker/Cabrera/Ramirez (a lot of different ways you can build the bullpen).

 

That’s 10-15 net runs better than I thought we’d be when ST started, thanks to Olt’s possible emergence, the addition of Bonifacio, and the relative health of the team.

 

If just once for the love of God we could get some positive variance to start the season, and stay unusually healthy, we could float near .500, then the mid-season additions of Baez and Vizcaino could be pretty darn useful and we might actually be talking reasonably about how many games out of the Wild Card we are in August and September.

 

It’s a long shot to a not-that-great dream, but it’s something.

 

 

Think I'd rather watch Bonifacio than Barney at this point.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Look at Kyle, being all hopeful.

 

At this time of the year, my projected win totals always seem to be higher than most others'. I'm a reckless optimist.

[Banedon]

Look at Kyle, being all hopeful.

 

At this time of the year, my projected win totals always seem to be higher than most others'. I'm a reckless optimist.

 

Oh yeah, we all think that of you. There's Kyle, that giant [expletive] ray of sunshine.

[WrigleyField 22]

Kyle was a pessimist while everyone else was still pretty optimistic and now that everyone else sunk to his level if misery he's switching course. He's either a forward thinking visionary or a hipster.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kyle was a pessimist while everyone else was still pretty optimistic and now that everyone else sunk to his level if misery he's switching course. He's either a forward thinking visionary or a hipster.

 

I'm ahead of the curve.

[Guest]

I'm cautiously optimistic. I worry about the starting pitching the most.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm cautiously optimistic. I worry about the starting pitching the most.

 

If our SP pitching is our biggest problem, then either Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson got in a car crash together or our OF is overachieving significantly.

[Sammy Sofa]

Da [expletive]; have we really sunk to the point of reposting Kyle's posts from other sites here?

[Guest]

Da [expletive]; have we really sunk to the point of reposting Kyle's posts from other sites here?

 

I thought it was a decent post. *shrug*

[davell]

As strictly a LFer, he wouldn't really fit the prototype. But if he's healthy, I could see 10-15 HR and maybe 20-25 steals out of him in his prime, maybe with an .800ish OPS? It'd be great if we could use him as a 4th OFer with those numbers. Give him 400+ AB's over the course of the season. From an upside standpoint, at least one that seems realistic-I think he could wind up as our best OFer in 2014.

 

Isn't an 800 OPS really good these days?

 

I had the same thought. Seems pretty ambitious.

Yeah, .800 is pretty damn good these days. Somewhere between .750-.775 maybe? At any rate, I think he could have the highest of anyone currently in our ML OF picture.

[Guest]

You just aren't even ready for what Ruggiano is about to hit you with.

[davell]

You just aren't even ready for what Ruggiano is about to hit you with.

It's not that. I keep forgetting he's on the team when doing this.

[Guest]

I'm cautiously optimistic. I worry about the starting pitching the most.

 

If our SP pitching is our biggest problem, then either Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson got in a car crash together or our OF is overachieving significantly.

I'm expecting nothing out of the outfield situation so I have no worries.

[Guest]

Cubs listening to one of my favorite songs ever in the clubhouse

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-can%E2%80%99t-keep-javier-baez-down-long

[Banedon]

Cubs listening to one of my favorite songs ever in the clubhouse

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-can%E2%80%99t-keep-javier-baez-down-long

 

Great song, but I always think of this video when I hear it.

 

[Guest]

Cubs listening to one of my favorite songs ever in the clubhouse

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-can%E2%80%99t-keep-javier-baez-down-long

 

Great song, but I always think of this video when I hear it.

 

 

Haha, yeah, I remember seeing that on here a few years ago.