Cubs sign Shane Victorino to minor league deal

[David]

I want Murton as 5th OF...especially now that Coghlan is gone and Fowler (a guy who can play CF) is in.

[JonJayCutler]

I couldn't figure out why so many people were making Matt Murton jokes until I googled him. Seriously what the horsefeathers.

[David]

I couldn't figure out why so many people were making Matt Murton jokes until I googled him. Seriously what the [expletive].

 

What?

[Derwood]

I want Murton as 5th OF...especially now that Coghlan is gone and Fowler (a guy who can play CF) is in.

 

Murton isn't worth rostering just for nostalgia's sake. I can't imagine him being very good

[Schwarber Fan]

Seems pretty clear that Sczcur/Murton/Victorino will be fighting it out for the 5th OFer spot. Probably isn't any more complex than that.

[David]

I want Murton as 5th OF...especially now that Coghlan is gone and Fowler (a guy who can play CF) is in.

 

Murton isn't worth rostering just for nostalgia's sake. I can't imagine him being very good

 

Who said anything about nostalgia?

 

I'm saying I think he's better than Victorino and at least a better hitter than Szczur.

[Derwood]

I want Murton as 5th OF...especially now that Coghlan is gone and Fowler (a guy who can play CF) is in.

 

Murton isn't worth rostering just for nostalgia's sake. I can't imagine him being very good

 

Who said anything about nostalgia?

 

I'm saying I think he's better than Victorino and at least a better hitter than Szczur.

 

Based on what? Japan?

[Sammy Sofa]

I couldn't figure out why so many people were making Matt Murton jokes until I googled him. Seriously what the [expletive].

 

What?

 

Obviously he missed the news that the Cubs invited him back.

[raw]

Why is a 5th OF necessary?

[David]

 

Murton isn't worth rostering just for nostalgia's sake. I can't imagine him being very good

 

Who said anything about nostalgia?

 

I'm saying I think he's better than Victorino and at least a better hitter than Szczur.

 

Based on what? Japan?

 

Japan, his MLB career (not that it means anything other than he was a good hitter when he was here and then remained so in Japan). Looking back at his numbers, he kinda sucked in 2015, though.

 

I'm not saying he's ready to OPS .800 again or anything. We're talking about a 5th outfielder here, though.

 

 

Either way, not a big deal. Maybe Victorino would do better. Who the horsefeathers knows. Let's go with novelty as my tie-breaker.

[Sammy Sofa]

I wonder Matt still has those crazy tree trunk-looking legs.

[Derwood]

 

Who said anything about nostalgia?

 

I'm saying I think he's better than Victorino and at least a better hitter than Szczur.

 

Based on what? Japan?

 

Japan, his MLB career (not that it means anything other than he was a good hitter when he was here and then remained so in Japan). Looking back at his numbers, he kinda sucked in 2015, though.

 

I'm not saying he's ready to OPS .800 again or anything. We're talking about a 5th outfielder here, though.

 

 

Either way, not a big deal. Maybe Victorino would do better. Who the [expletive] knows. Let's go with novelty as my tie-breaker.

 

I think the biggest problem with Murton as a 5th OF is that he's likely to be a butcher defensively

[David]

Why is a 5th OF necessary?

 

Soler

Baez

Ross

 

Do you want another two infielders instead? LaStella and ??

 

Think we'd do better for a PH bat from an OFer.

 

Also, one of our outfielders is going to catch sometimes.

[raw]

Why is a 5th OF necessary?

 

Soler

Baez

Ross

 

Do you want another two infielders instead? LaStella and ??

 

Think we'd do better for a PH bat from an OFer.

 

Also, one of our outfielders is going to catch sometimes.

 

Yes. I think another guy that can play IF is more necessary than another guy that can play OF. There are 4 guys out there already who should get 500 ABs, even if 1 of them catches games. Bryant and Zobrist both can play OF, Baez is/was working in the OF. The Cubs are probably going to keep a 5th OF, but I think an IF provides more flexibility.

[BigbadB]

Why is a 5th OF necessary?

 

Soler

Baez

Ross

 

Do you want another two infielders instead? LaStella and ??

 

Think we'd do better for a PH bat from an OFer.

 

Also, one of our outfielders is going to catch sometimes.

 

Yeah, David's last sentence is the selling point. With Ross and Schwarber, you have two back ups at C. With Baez and LaStella, you have two guys backing up the infield. With Soler and probably Victorino, you have 2 guys backing up the outfield. That Bryant, Zobrist and Baez can all play outfield as well doesn't force a 5th outfielder, but there is certainly room on the roster for 5 bats, so why not?

[Gilby]

La Stella has like the perfect skill set for a pinch hitter facing elite relievers with his discipline and contact ability.

 

I feel like the four bench guys (TLS, Javy, Ross, Soler) and really the whole 25 man is pretty much set. I see guys like Brothers, Murton, and Victorino only factoring in on opening day if there are injuries in the spring.

[David]

i wish rat face boy would stop existing

[Sammy Sofa]

i wish rat face boy would stop existing

 

As much as I hate La Stella's dumb face, this mug will always be the true Rat Boy to me:

 

http://blackchristiannews.com/news/images_sizedimage_205160655.jpg

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Why is a 5th OF necessary?

 

Soler

Baez

Ross

 

Do you want another two infielders instead? LaStella and ??

 

Think we'd do better for a PH bat from an OFer.

 

Also, one of our outfielders is going to catch sometimes.

 

e I g h t r e l i e v e r s

[David]

do not want

 

though we do have the positional versatility to pull it off

[David]

ha, victorino telegraphed this a week ago

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB3d1LAimkA/?taken-by=shanevictorino

 

caption: Something about those colors ;) ;) ;)

 

and this is obviously happening at wrigley if he makes the team right?

 

[minnesotacubsfan]

every WS team needs Shane

[Gilby]

It was lame when we had both Ross and Castillo, but I really like the eight reliever thing now. Pinch hitting is hard and not many guys can do it well anyway, and 40% of our rotation can't be trusted beyond 5 innings per start for an entire season. I like all of the fresh arms.

[cubsclapp]

It was lame when we had both Ross and Castillo, but I really like the eight reliever thing now. Pinch hitting is hard and not many guys can do it well anyway, and 40% of our rotation can't be trusted beyond 5 innings per start for an entire season. I like all of the fresh arms.

 

Agreed.

 

What's really the point of a Szczur/Murton/Victorino when you already have Heyward/Fowler/Schwarber/Soler/Baez/Bryant/Zobrist as outfield options?

 

I understand being reserved about Baez out there, but I bet he's already better than Murton in LF at least. And Szczur/Victorino provide minimal offensive value (and who really cares about pinch-running with this lineup, come on).

 

Would mainly be talking about late-inning defensive improvements in LF over Schwarber/Soler (but then you also lose those bats and that sucks). Could always just put Zobrist or Bryant out there and replace them with La Stella or Baez in the infield too.

 

Like you said, Hammel/Hendricks/Warren can't be trusted more than 4 or 5 usually, and keep in mind all of the talk about trying to limit the workload of the starters early on this year after we saw Jake run out of gas in the playoffs.

 

This is how I'd go with it today myself:

 

Baez

Soler

La Stella

Ross (only because there's no choice here really)

 

Rondon

Grimm

Strop

Cahill

Wood

Warren

Ramirez/Richard/Brothers/Rosscup/Edwards (pick 2)

 

I'd much rather go with 2 of those arms than a 5th outfielder we hardly get any use out of, and may not even want to get use out of, given the flexibility of guys like Baez, Zobrist, and Bryant on the roster. Also, you could just plan the No. 5 starter to basically be a Hendricks/Warren piggyback deal this way if you wanted to.

 

At the end of the day, I just see more value in an extra arm given the rest of this roster construction right now. But if they want to roll with one of those 5th outfielders, whatever. It's not like any of this is going to change their projected record at all anyway.

[Little Slide Rooter]

It's very possible that Victorino signed on as an unofficial mentor/coach to guys like Almora and McKinney, depending on where they end up, in exchange for a September call up and an invite to the grandest ticker tape parade ever.

 

If you're a veteran like Victorino who's goal is to come in to spring training and win a big league job, you're not going to pick a team with a glut of talent at your position.