Sherman - Cubs (and others obv) expected to be in on Alex Gordon

[Cubswin11]

And we kinda already have that in Richard, Wood, and maybe Pierce Johnson later in the year.

 

 

Sucks, they have little interest in him starting, and sucks.

I'm fairly comfortable with those as our back up options along with signing a few guys to minor league deals/ST invites, like Billingsley, Lohse, Colby Lewis etc. or if we really want to live give Petit a major league deal.

 

Edit: or find a IFA(s) that could contribute this year, I know there's the guy Tim and others like that potentially can contribute. Iglesias I think?

Edited December 7, 2015 by Cubswin11

[Guest]

Oh no what a disaster it would be if an injury happened and clayton Richard or travis wood started once every five games for a while on a team with a great offense.

[Guest]

And we kinda already have that in Richard, Wood, and maybe Pierce Johnson later in the year.

 

 

Sucks, they have little interest in him starting, and sucks.

I'm fairly comfortable with those as our back up options along with signing a few guys to minor league deals/ST invites to guys like Billingsley, Lohse, Colby Lewis etc. or if we really want to live give Petit a major league deal.

Correct

[Hairyducked Idiot]

You guys vastly underestimate the odds of pitching injuries detailing the season. It is easily the biggest threat.

[Guest]

You guys vastly underestimate the odds of pitching injuries detailing the season. It is easily the biggest threat.

I'm not sure how many teams have sixth starters better than clayton richard let alone wood

[Hairyducked Idiot]

You guys vastly underestimate the odds of pitching injuries detailing the season. It is easily the biggest threat.

I'm not sure how many teams have sixth starters better than clayton richard let alone wood

 

Probably very few. But very few teams are as good as us and thus need to worry mostly about covering their downside.

[Guest]

If arrieta or lester are dealt serious injuries then, by all means, trade actual assets for another starter. A good one. Until then, I don't see a need to give up assets for a significant upgrade over the guys we have there.

[Guest]

Kyle is 150% right on this topic.

 

Plus Lester and Hendricks are the only sp under contract beyond 2017, so a young/controlled sp is hardly a waste.

[Cubswin11]

Kyle is 150% right on this topic.

 

Plus Lester and Lackey are the only sp under contract beyond 2017, so a young/controlled sp is hardly a waste.

I don't disagree we shouldn't be looking to get a Carassco, Gray, Archer, etc if made available and use Soler or Baez as a main piece. I disagree with thinking its of huge importance to use assets to find a marginal upgrade over Wood, Richard, etc for a 6th starter. You can find those guys closer to ST. Is Hendricks not under control longer than 2017?

[UMFan83]

You guys vastly underestimate the odds of pitching injuries detailing the season. It is easily the biggest threat.

 

the 1985 Cubs are nodding their heads.

[Guest]

Oh no what a disaster it would be if an injury happened and clayton Richard or travis wood started once every five games for a while on a team with a great offense.

Bite your sound processor.

[MarkR]

I'm not sure why there's people resisting dealing Soler...especially if we get a strong guy to replace him. Obviously, I'd prefer Heyward, but I definitely like Gordon a lot too. Soler has real trade value with so many visible flaws but tantalizing potential that a rebuilding team can afford to wait on. We're ready to win now. We will have plenty of power in our lineup that we can afford to lose Soler to fill a need for this team. I have a lot of reservations about the health of our starting pitchers that getting another high upside young cost controlled starter is needed for this team.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kyle is 150% right on this topic.

 

Plus Lester and Lackey are the only sp under contract beyond 2017, so a young/controlled sp is hardly a waste.

I don't disagree we shouldn't be looking to get a Carassco, Gray, Archer, etc if made available and use Soler or Baez as a main piece. I disagree with thinking its of huge importance to use assets to find a marginal upgrade over Wood, Richard, etc for a 6th starter. You can find those guys closer to ST. Is Hendricks not under control longer than 2017?

 

I guess it depends on what you mean by "huge importance." We've got a 90-win team on paper right now, maybe a bit better. Nothing is of "huge importance."

 

I think there's as much to be gained by upgrading from a replacement-level player in a spot you're 75% likely to use than a ~1.5 WAR player (Baez in CF) in a spot you're definitely going to use.

[Cubswin11]

Kyle is 150% right on this topic.

 

Plus Lester and Lackey are the only sp under contract beyond 2017, so a young/controlled sp is hardly a waste.

I don't disagree we shouldn't be looking to get a Carassco, Gray, Archer, etc if made available and use Soler or Baez as a main piece. I disagree with thinking its of huge importance to use assets to find a marginal upgrade over Wood, Richard, etc for a 6th starter. You can find those guys closer to ST. Is Hendricks not under control longer than 2017?

 

I guess it depends on what you mean by "huge importance." We've got a 90-win team on paper right now, maybe a bit better. Nothing is of "huge importance."

 

I think there's as much to be gained by upgrading from a replacement-level player in a spot you're 75% likely to use than a ~1.5 WAR player (Baez in CF) in a spot you're definitely going to use.

I guess I just feel comfortable with where we are at now if Richard/Wood/whatever minor league FA/ST invite we bring in needs to give us ~10 starts. If there's a catastrophic injury to the rotation I'm sure we will go out and make a necessary move in season. Again I'm all for a significant addition to the rotation with a good young, controllable guy. But if it's just looking to upgrade Wood/Richard slightly who do you want to target, do you have any guys in mind?

 

I also think it's incredibly risky to have Baez be plan A in CF and assume we would get above replacement value in a spot, like you said, we definitely are going to use.

Edited December 7, 2015 by Cubswin11

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm not talking about upgrading them "slightly." Those guys are replacement level as starters. I'm saying we need a sixth pitcher on the Hammel/Hendricks/Lackey tier, so at least 2.0 WAR.

[Cubswin11]

I'm not talking about upgrading them "slightly." Those guys are replacement level as starters. I'm saying we need a sixth pitcher on the Hammel/Hendricks/Lackey tier, so at least 2.0 WAR.

I think that's more of a nice to have than a need at this point and 2.0 WAR guys I don't think are that readily available/willing to sign if they aren't going to be guaranteed starting jobs. But like I said a few posts ago, if that's insurance you think we need go get Colby Lewis, Aarong Harang, Doug Fister, Colon, etc or find an IFA that could produce this year if he's available (Iglesias I think).

Edited December 7, 2015 by Cubswin11

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We're possibly the best team in the NL on paper right now. Everything is a "nice to have."

[Cubswin11]

We're possibly the best team in the NL on paper right now. Everything is a "nice to have."

If the season started tomorrow our CF options (Baez and Szczur are pretty much it) have a combined -.6 fWAR for their careers, with one of them never having actually played the position. I think a CF is more than a nice to have at this point.

[Guest]

We're possibly the best team in the NL on paper right now. Everything is a "nice to have."

If the season started tomorrow our CF options (Baez and Szczur are pretty much it) have a combined -.6 fWAR for their careers, with one of them never having actually played the position. I think a CF is more than a nice to have at this point.

 

They're both a 'need'. You're very likely going to need 20+ starts outside your top 5 SP, if things aren't optimal then it might be closer to 40-45 starts. Richard and Johnson are not acceptable to handle those starts in any quantity other than 1 or 2. Wood I can be talked into as an option but 1) the team already voted with their innings in letting Richard start over him last year and 2) I'm unconvinced Wood's salary makes it to opening day. The front office has done a good job of doing what's possible to hedge against injury risk(most of their significant FA targets have been no accident in this regard: Jackson, Sanchez, Lester, Samardzija, Lackey, etc), but last year was fortunate even with an intentional effort from Theo on down to Joe. You can't be content with 5 MLB-caliber starters when you have pretty much nothing waiting in the wings to soak up innings in case of injury/ineffectiveness.

[Cubbie Swagger]

I don't understand how some of you can feel so "set" with our current rotation. If Lackey gets hurt or turns out to be washed up, we are screwed. We are gonna be in the same position we were in this year, which is not having enough good pitchers to win playoff games.

 

Hammel and Hendricks aren't terrible or anything, but guys, we are talking about building a dynasty here. We aren't the Oakland A's. We aren't trying to just get through another year. We're trying to take over the world.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't understand how some of you can feel so "set" with our current rotation. If Lackey gets hurt or turns out to be washed up, we are screwed. We are gonna be in the same position we were in this year, which is not having enough good pitchers to win playoff games.

 

didn't the Cubs win 4 playoff games this year?

[Cubbie Swagger]

I don't understand how some of you can feel so "set" with our current rotation. If Lackey gets hurt or turns out to be washed up, we are screwed. We are gonna be in the same position we were in this year, which is not having enough good pitchers to win playoff games.

 

didn't the Cubs win 4 playoff games this year?

Is that what you call success?

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't understand how some of you can feel so "set" with our current rotation. If Lackey gets hurt or turns out to be washed up, we are screwed. We are gonna be in the same position we were in this year, which is not having enough good pitchers to win playoff games.

 

didn't the Cubs win 4 playoff games this year?

Is that what you call success?

I would call a 97 win season and winning two rounds of playoffs a success.

 

I would also say that the comment was in response to the completely inaccurate statement that they did not have enough good pitchers to win playoff games, because the Cubs actually did win playoff games with those pitchers.

[Guest]

I don't understand how some of you can feel so "set" with our current rotation. If Lackey gets hurt or turns out to be washed up, we are screwed. We are gonna be in the same position we were in this year, which is not having enough good pitchers to win playoff games.

 

Hammel and Hendricks aren't terrible or anything, but guys, we are talking about building a dynasty here. We aren't the Oakland A's. We aren't trying to just get through another year. We're trying to take over the world.

Please compare our rotation to the WS champs.

 

Thanks.

[Cubbie Swagger]

I would call a 97 win season and winning two rounds of playoffs a success.

 

I would also say that the comment was in response to the completely inaccurate statement that they did not have enough good pitchers to win playoff games, because the Cubs actually did win playoff games with those pitchers.

It might be a success comparatively speaking, but in the grand scheme of things, it is not. If winning 4 playoff games is the best this group accomplishes, it will be looked back upon as one of the greatest letdowns in MLB history, and will further solidify that the Cubs will always be doomed. Personally, I would probably hang myself from the marquee.

 

The fact that the Cubs won more than zero playoff games this past season is not news to me.

 

And Tim, I know. I'm not saying it's impossible for us to win with this rotation. I'm basically saying we don't totally know what we have. Lackey could suck, Arrieta could regress, etc. Unless you have a rotation like the Mets, there's no reason to be content.