Starting Pitching candidates

[We Got The Whole 9]

If the Cubs still liked Phelps and have been keeping an eye on Wilson, I think they see at least a little need but guys are surely rounding into excellent form lately.

[David]

The idea that we'd even think about giving anything up for relievers confuses the hell out of me

 

Davis, CJ, Uehara, Strop, Rondon

 

What exactly needs upgrading

[Bote McBoteface]

So how about Brad Hand? Under control until 2020 and he's been solid since he moved to the bullpen. What would it take? Apparently they asked the yankees for Gleybor Torres :shock:

Wtf do we need a bullpen arm for

 

We don't NEED a much of anything, its a purely want thing. A lefty to slot in ahead of Montgomery in the playoff bullpen would be a blessing. I'm not sure that Hand is really much better than Montgomery, I've only seen him pitch once or twice against the Cubs, but the numbers look good on the surface and he's controllable.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

The idea that we'd even think about giving anything up for relievers confuses the hell out of me

 

Davis, CJ, Uehara, Strop, Rondon

 

What exactly needs upgrading

 

All true. Just trying to come up with a reason and it might be because of the unknown. After we got Chapman last season we seemed locked down with him, Rondon, Strop, etc. And by the playoffs Maddon was uncomfortable going to almost all of them.

[Bote McBoteface]

The idea that we'd even think about giving anything up for relievers confuses the hell out of me

 

Davis, CJ, Uehara, Strop, Rondon

 

What exactly needs upgrading

 

Understood, but notice that you mentioned all righties, and our path through the playoffs goes through Harper, Murphy, Seager, Pederson, etc. Montgomery is fine. Duensing I'm not sold on....cuz he sucks....I want one more trustworthy lefty. Also, I echo the previous poster's thoughts about what happened to our bullpen in the 2016 playoffs.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The idea that we'd even think about giving anything up for relievers confuses the hell out of me

 

Davis, CJ, Uehara, Strop, Rondon

 

What exactly needs upgrading

 

Rondon dies for half seasons at a time and Koji is 75 years old and has a 4.70 ERA the last month

 

More importantly though, CJ and Strop are the only ones sure to be around next year, so it's an opportunity to make the pen even more immune to injury/performance and make the offseason easier if you get someone with 2018+ control.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

I'm personally not wild about relying too heavily on Koji in the playoffs. He's been a bit less reliable of late, can't go back to back days, and has stuff that might be exposed facing elite lineups. And Rondon was all but dead like 3 weeks ago. And I certainly wouldn't mind a LHP to slot ahead of Monty & Duensing.

 

That said, I don't think the Cubs are going to meet the asking price for Wilson, Hand, or Britton. Every team in contention wants to strengthen their bullpens, so they'll each be really pricey in terms of player cost. So I don't really see much happening.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

The idea that we'd even think about giving anything up for relievers confuses the hell out of me

 

Davis, CJ, Uehara, Strop, Rondon

 

What exactly needs upgrading

40% of that list could be as well as pretty much everyone you didn’t mention

[David]

oh my god our 4th or 5th best relievers have flaws and aren't always dominant

[David]

[tweet]

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[Transmogrified Tiger]

oh my god our 4th or 5th best relievers have flaws and aren't always dominant

 

Our 4th and 5th best relievers are going to pitch a lot of high leverage 7th and 8th innings, especially since they don't have too many off days and because they aren't going to ride Koji or Carl hard. It's not some gaping hole to be filled, but there's always going to be ROI on making a bullpen better if you reasonably can.

[David]

oh my god our 4th or 5th best relievers have flaws and aren't always dominant

 

Our 4th and 5th best relievers are going to pitch a lot of high leverage 7th and 8th innings, especially since they don't have too many off days and because they aren't going to ride Koji or Carl hard. It's not some gaping hole to be filled, but there's always going to be ROI on making a bullpen better if you reasonably can.

 

I mean, sure, in an absolute sense. But I'm not sure that the cost of someone who is definitively better than those 2 guys (for that level of dependability, you're talking a pretty high level of reliever - otherwise they're all kind of hit or miss because bullpens) is worth that ROI.

 

I'm not even sure which you'd call the 2 worst in an absolute sense (as in not just lately), but, at any rate, whichever 2 of the Strop/Rondon/Uehara group you call our 4th and 5th best are really damn good for 4th and 5th best relievers.

[Post Count Padder]

Honestly how much worse would the pen be off if we call up someone like Maples or Pena every so often as opposed to dealing away prospects for another reliever? Strop and Rondon have also been pretty solid recently. Rondon has struck out 14 and allowed no earned runs in his last 9 innings. Strop has allowed just one earned run over his last 12.2 innings. And Duensing has also been very solid. And again, these are our 4-6 best relievers in the pen.

 

On the Darvish rumor, how would we even match up on a deal?

[Old Style]

Cubs talking to the Rangers about Yu Darvish?

[Cubswin11]

Yes, please to YU

[17 Seconds]

i'm not interested at all in any expensive rentals

[Brian707]

i'm not interested at all in any expensive rentals

 

 

He might not be that expensive. But I know next to nothing about what the asking price would be from the Rangers

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Just give them Grimm back.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

I'd also be willing to sweeten the pot with a horse and a seal.

[jersey cubs fan]

i'm not interested at all in any expensive rentals

 

 

He might not be that expensive. But I know next to nothing about what the asking price would be from the Rangers

why would a very good starting pitcher owed $4 million the next 2 months not be expensive?

[Tryptamine]

Hopefully if they did trade for Darvish it would be with the intent of extending him before he hit FA.

[Derwood]

Hopefully they are dealing for him to try to woo Otani

[Cubswin11]

Hopefully if they did trade for Darvish it would be with the intent of extending him before he hit FA.

I doubt he'd do this and don't think it has ever happened for a multitude of reasons

[Old Style]

i'm not interested at all in any expensive rentals

 

 

He might not be that expensive. But I know next to nothing about what the asking price would be from the Rangers

why would a very good starting pitcher owed $4 million the next 2 months not be expensive?

Theo >>>>>>>>>>>>> Jon Daniels

[minnesotacubsfan]

i'm not interested at all in any expensive rentals

 

Agreed, only on a re-sign