General Cubs Chit-Chat

[Bertz]

FG also projects Hendricks to post an ERA over a run above his career average and Davies nearly a run above his career average. If both pitchers are relatively healthy and have performances near their career norms, the Cubs starting pitching will be far better than FG projects.

 

Yeah, I think adjusting Kyle and Davies up is something that isn't even a homer move. Hell there was a day last month with like 3 "Why projections don't understand Kyle Hendricks" articles.

 

The rest of the pitching though is pretty fascinating. Even with the limited funds, the team could have put together a staff that projects a good bit more productive than this one. But they appear to be pretty extensively targeting low Vertical Approach Angle guys and guys on the high end for Seam Shifted Wake. Both concepts are cutting edge on the public side of analysis, but is that true on the team side as well? Because if more than a few teams were in on this stuff already, it should be baked into the market price?

 

We're going to find out pretty quick if the Cubs' found something, because the staff projects as awful. So if it's even average, that likely says something about the pitching infrastructure and R&D department. (and the fact that average would be a victory says a lot about PTR)

[CubinNY]

If it’s true they’re really deadening the ball a bit that should really benefit our entire staff and the pitcher projections could be extra off. A deader ball benefits our staff more than about any team in the league, imo. Throw in I’d expect the defense outperforms the projections above plus have faith in Hottovy, I think we’ll get a few over performers on the pitching side this year.

It may provide a relative benefit to the starters, but what about the relief corps? I do think pitching and defense concentration is a good plan given the offense. Bolster a weakness with a strength.

[seanimal]

If it’s true they’re really deadening the ball a bit that should really benefit our entire staff and the pitcher projections could be extra off. A deader ball benefits our staff more than about any team in the league, imo. Throw in I’d expect the defense outperforms the projections above plus have faith in Hottovy, I think we’ll get a few over performers on the pitching side this year.

It may provide a relative benefit to the starters, but what about the relief corps? I do think pitching and defense concentration is a good plan given the offense. Bolster a weakness with a strength.

why would a dead ball impact starters any different than relievers?

[Bertz]

If it’s true they’re really deadening the ball a bit that should really benefit our entire staff and the pitcher projections could be extra off. A deader ball benefits our staff more than about any team in the league, imo. Throw in I’d expect the defense outperforms the projections above plus have faith in Hottovy, I think we’ll get a few over performers on the pitching side this year.

It may provide a relative benefit to the starters, but what about the relief corps? I do think pitching and defense concentration is a good plan given the offense. Bolster a weakness with a strength.

why would a dead ball impact starters any different than relievers?

 

For the Cubs specifically, the starters are going to be among the staffs with the least strikeouts in the league.

The relief core is going to be pretty normal in terms of contact, probably actually better than average.

[Post Count Padder]

The Cubs had been unsure whether right-hander Adbert Alzolay had a fourth minor league option, but they know now: An arbiter decided that he does, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago.

 

This is good news for the Cubs, who will be able to demote Alzolay this season without worrying about losing him to another team. The 26-year-old hasn’t made a good case for a roster spot this spring, having yielded eight runs (seven earned) over four innings. He was much better in 2020, when he logged a 2.95 ERA/4.15 SIERA and posted 29 strikeouts – albeit with 13 walks – in 21 1/3 frames.

 

Alzolay made four starts last year, and it seems likely he’ll factor into the Cubs’ rotation again this season. However, knowing the Cubs can demote him, Alzolay is far from a lock to begin 2021 in the majors. Instead, Chicago could open the campaign with Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta, Zach Davies, Trevor Williams and either Alec Mills or Shelby Miller comprising its starting staff.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Cubs had been unsure whether right-hander Adbert Alzolay had a fourth minor league option, but they know now: An arbiter decided that he does, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago.

 

This is good news for the Cubs, who will be able to demote Alzolay this season without worrying about losing him to another team. The 26-year-old hasn’t made a good case for a roster spot this spring, having yielded eight runs (seven earned) over four innings. He was much better in 2020, when he logged a 2.95 ERA/4.15 SIERA and posted 29 strikeouts – albeit with 13 walks – in 21 1/3 frames.

 

Alzolay made four starts last year, and it seems likely he’ll factor into the Cubs’ rotation again this season. However, knowing the Cubs can demote him, Alzolay is far from a lock to begin 2021 in the majors. Instead, Chicago could open the campaign with Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta, Zach Davies, Trevor Williams and either Alec Mills or Shelby Miller comprising its starting staff.

Adbert is 26 and not likely to make the team out of spring training. Are we still wishing and hoping on this guy?

[squally1313]

The Cubs had been unsure whether right-hander Adbert Alzolay had a fourth minor league option, but they know now: An arbiter decided that he does, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago.

 

This is good news for the Cubs, who will be able to demote Alzolay this season without worrying about losing him to another team. The 26-year-old hasn’t made a good case for a roster spot this spring, having yielded eight runs (seven earned) over four innings. He was much better in 2020, when he logged a 2.95 ERA/4.15 SIERA and posted 29 strikeouts – albeit with 13 walks – in 21 1/3 frames.

 

Alzolay made four starts last year, and it seems likely he’ll factor into the Cubs’ rotation again this season. However, knowing the Cubs can demote him, Alzolay is far from a lock to begin 2021 in the majors. Instead, Chicago could open the campaign with Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta, Zach Davies, Trevor Williams and either Alec Mills or Shelby Miller comprising its starting staff.

Adbert is 26 and not likely to make the team out of spring training. Are we still wishing and hoping on this guy?

 

We're going to have to fill a lot of innings with a group of pitchers that missed 2/3rds of a year last year, if not more. Healthy, able arms, even if marginal, are going to help a lot.

[squally1313]

The Cubs had been unsure whether right-hander Adbert Alzolay had a fourth minor league option, but they know now: An arbiter decided that he does, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago.

 

This is good news for the Cubs, who will be able to demote Alzolay this season without worrying about losing him to another team. The 26-year-old hasn’t made a good case for a roster spot this spring, having yielded eight runs (seven earned) over four innings. He was much better in 2020, when he logged a 2.95 ERA/4.15 SIERA and posted 29 strikeouts – albeit with 13 walks – in 21 1/3 frames.

 

Alzolay made four starts last year, and it seems likely he’ll factor into the Cubs’ rotation again this season. However, knowing the Cubs can demote him, Alzolay is far from a lock to begin 2021 in the majors. Instead, Chicago could open the campaign with Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta, Zach Davies, Trevor Williams and either Alec Mills or Shelby Miller comprising its starting staff.

Adbert is 26 and not likely to make the team out of spring training. Are we still wishing and hoping on this guy?

 

We're going to have to fill a lot of innings with a group of pitchers that missed 2/3rds of a year last year, if not more. Healthy, able arms, even if marginal, are going to help a lot.

[jersey cubs fan]

Adbert is 26 and not likely to make the team out of spring training. Are we still wishing and hoping on this guy?

 

We're going to have to fill a lot of innings with a group of pitchers that missed 2/3rds of a year last year, if not more. Healthy, able arms, even if marginal, are going to help a lot.

In terms of getting through 2021, sure. I'm talking more about whether Adbert can provide actual quality innings. Major league mediocrity can be underrated for a pitcher, especially one that can eat innings. But if you can't make the major league roster as a 26 y/o, and have significant doubts about health, that's not happening.

[Bertz]

Adbert is 26 and not likely to make the team out of spring training. Are we still wishing and hoping on this guy?

 

We're going to have to fill a lot of innings with a group of pitchers that missed 2/3rds of a year last year, if not more. Healthy, able arms, even if marginal, are going to help a lot.

In terms of getting through 2021, sure. I'm talking more about whether Adbert can provide actual quality innings. Major league mediocrity can be underrated for a pitcher, especially one that can eat innings. But if you can't make the major league roster as a 26 y/o, and have significant doubts about health, that's not happening.

 

He's not gonna make the roster for inning management reasons, not performance. If he hadn't gotten the extra year he 10000% would have made the roster.

[Sammy Sofa]

"That shitty thing isn't going to happen because the Cubs could do an even shittier thing!"

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Alzolay already has 50 days of service time, it's not about that. He's thrown 130 pro innings since *2017*, that's why you treat him with kid gloves.

[jersey cubs fan]

Alzolay already has 50 days of service time, it's not about that. He's thrown 130 pro innings since *2017*, that's why you can probably start writing off this 26 year old who can't crack the opening day roster with a pitching staff littered with mediocrity.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Alzolay already has 50 days of service time, it's not about that. He's thrown 130 pro innings since *2017*, that's why you can probably start writing off this 26 year old who can't crack the opening day roster with a pitching staff littered with mediocrity.

 

Things can be two things. Alzolay's age, injury history, and performance mean that he's not a guy you want to pencil into the rotation for 5 years, but he has the stuff and is young enough to be a short to medium term hope if things work out, which ranks pretty highly on the list of short to medium term hopes given the legion of mediocrity you mention.

[Bertz]

I'm not going to judge anyone for not watching last year, but if you watched him last year you wouldn't think he's some anonymous fungible nothing

[jersey cubs fan]

Alzolay already has 50 days of service time, it's not about that. He's thrown 130 pro innings since *2017*, that's why you can probably start writing off this 26 year old who can't crack the opening day roster with a pitching staff littered with mediocrity.

 

Things can be two things. Alzolay's age, injury history, and performance mean that he's not a guy you want to pencil into the rotation for 5 years, but he has the stuff and is young enough to be a short to medium term hope if things work out, which ranks pretty highly on the list of short to medium term hopes given the legion of mediocrity you mention.

So is the consensus that yes, there is still some wishing and hoping on this guy, but not a whole heck of a lot?

 

I genuinely have no idea what he's been up to, I just know I've heard his name as a guy on the cusp of certain lists for years now and was surprised he was already 26. I don't know of many pitchers with such a thin resume by that age who wound up being something. Although I'm sure it's happened.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm not going to judge anyone for not watching last year, but if you watched him last year you wouldn't think he's some anonymous fungible nothing

I'm sure I saw him throw at some point, but I honestly cannot recall a moment of Cubs baseball last year. Summer 2020 was for other stuff.

[David]

 

Things can be two things. Alzolay's age, injury history, and performance mean that he's not a guy you want to pencil into the rotation for 5 years, but he has the stuff and is young enough to be a short to medium term hope if things work out, which ranks pretty highly on the list of short to medium term hopes given the legion of mediocrity you mention.

So is the consensus that yes, there is still some wishing and hoping on this guy, but not a whole heck of a lot?

 

I genuinely have no idea what he's been up to, I just know I've heard his name as a guy on the cusp of certain lists for years now and was surprised he was already 26. I don't know of many pitchers with such a thin resume by that age who wound up being something. Although I'm sure it's happened.

 

 

there was some optimism bc he came up with a wipe out slider late last year and was striking dudes out like crazy, but very SSS and he has had a lackluster spring.

 

https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/deep-dive-adbert-alzolays-new-slider/

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-adbert-alzolay-shows-nasty-slider-first-spring-training-start

[Transmogrified Tiger]

So is the consensus that yes, there is still some wishing and hoping on this guy, but not a whole heck of a lot?

 

I genuinely have no idea what he's been up to, I just know I've heard his name as a guy on the cusp of certain lists for years now and was surprised he was already 26. I don't know of many pitchers with such a thin resume by that age who wound up being something. Although I'm sure it's happened.

 

I watched like 10 innings of Cubs baseball last year so I'm probably not the right person to speak to the consensus, and I'm sure around the fanbase there's folks clinging to past prospect status to varying degrees, but I think we're in a similar frame of mind. Stuff has never been Alzolay's problem(and if anything I think his has gotten better if memory serves) and he's had some rough timing with a pair of injuries that robbed him of about a full season of dev time, then layered a pandemic year on top of that. With that in mind I think in terms of our normal calibration he's a 'young 26', but if he's healthy there's nothing really standing in his way of him building innings and contributing this year while being a 2022+ rotation hopeful(or worst case, promising pen option).

 

If nothing else, a pre-arb SP who pitched as well as Alzolay did last year has to be among the more promising options once you get to the Mills/Miller tier of the rotation.

[squally1313]

Is it going too far to say that, if Azlolay wasn't granted that option, they would have attempted to put him through waivers or just cut him? Or they knew more about the ongoing Azlolay option issue and knew there was a good chance they'd get a favorable answer.

 

It would take a miracle for Azlolay to ever be an opening day starter, or really even pitch 200 innings in a year for us. But he's definitely better than Shelby horsefeathering Miller.

 

(and also Alec Mills sucks too, but people squint and see some version of Kyle Hendricks and he can eat up innings poorly, so...whatever).

[Bertz]

Is it going too far to say that, if Azlolay wasn't granted that option, they would have attempted to put him through waivers or just cut him? Or they knew more about the ongoing Azlolay option issue and knew there was a good chance they'd get a favorable answer.

 

It would take a miracle for Azlolay to ever be an opening day starter, or really even pitch 200 innings in a year for us. But he's definitely better than Shelby horsefeathering Miller.

 

(and also Alec Mills sucks too, but people squint and see some version of Kyle Hendricks and he can eat up innings poorly, so...whatever).

 

I think everything from the team, both said outright and on background to the beat writers, says that they think what he did last year is real. You don't let that guy go, you bend over backwards to make it work.

 

So if he hadn't gotten the option, I think they would have done whatever gymnastics they could to limit his innings on the big league club (long relief, phantom IL stints, etc.), and then slid him into the rotation for good around midseason. Now with the option, they can limit his innings in a much more straightforward way in the first part of the year, and then call him up once we're deep enough into the year where they can treat him like a normal starter the rest of the way.

 

I do wonder what happens if another starter gets hurt or bombs early in the year. Does he get the call up, and gets sent back down for a breather later in the year? Or do we see some of those aforementioned gymnastics in like August?

[Cubswin11]

Yeah I have no problem starting Adbert in the minors/alt site/leaving him in Arizona at the lab. He absolutely would’ve been on the roster if he didn’t get the option. But this is just smart roster/pitching management for the year pitching depth/innings is at a premium. Ease Adbert in and make sure he’s able to be pitching down the stretch and potentially in the playoffs if he’s truly good, don’t waste his bullets in April vs the Pirates and then he’s done by July. Let Mills, Miller, etc do that.

[UMFan83]

[mias_tisg]

Highly doubt the Cubs care about Nico's service time, it's weird it's being framed that way. If they truly cared, he would have been demoted last year.

[Cubswin11]

This makes no horsefeathering sense. horsefeathers this team. Absolutely horsefeathering insane on multiple levels. Nico looked great in ST and he’s a great defender on a team with a contact SP staff. Sogard sucks on defense and will cost them games there. Nico also isn’t nearly at the age or has the ceiling that playing the service time game makes any horsefeathering sense.

 

Sogard is the new Almora being a horsefeathers player tricking them in to over usage. Sogard should be in the Lastella role at best and they should be utilizing Nico’s defense as much as possible with this pitching staff.