Starting Pitching candidates

[Aaron_Kennelly]

The main reason I see this as a good avenue is that, well, we aren't getting a good cost-controlled arm. We'd have to include MLB pieces, and Theo isn't doing that (outside of maybe Almora). We aren't backing into one of those guys, either. Either the A's get good value for Gray or they wait until the off-season and try again. They have options. Other teams will most assuredly outbid us there. Here we could have the Rangers backed into a corner, where nobody else is offering up much of anything. The market simply doesn't materialize. And they are faced with losing Darvish in the off-season or picking through our scraps.

 

Sure, we could be blown out of the water. But this is the one place where we might not.

[jersey cubs fan]

According to Ralph, fwiw, we are on Darvish's no-trade list.

 

NT lists are not just teams a player does not want to play for. If you have the option it's a good idea to put teams on the NT list whom you think would actually want to trade for you. That gives you leverage if/when a trade comes. Yu knew the Cubs were interested when he first came over, and it stood to reason they'd be interested in a trade later on.

[Cubswin11]

According to Ralph, fwiw, we are on Darvish's no-trade list.

 

NT lists are not just teams a player does not want to play for. If you have the option it's a good idea to put teams on the NT list whom you think would actually want to trade for you. That gives you leverage if/when a trade comes. Yu knew the Cubs were interested when he first came over, and it stood to reason they'd be interested in a trade later on.

Oh I agree, just pointing it out.

[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?

jk nvmd

[Gilby]

I mean the #1 reason to want Darvish, of course, is because he's a great arm that makes our rotation very, very scary again. But damn, the thought of Lackey pissing and moaning his way off the team sure is a close second

[Agony and Ivy]

[tweet]

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Mentions Gausman as a target in the next tweet in the thread.

 

Edit: I have no idea if this sears guy had any credibility or not but I saw it on the internet so it's basically gospel

[Cubswin11]

According to a source, a key Rangers evaluator was watching the Triple-A affiliates of the Chicago Cubs, who have made at least a passing call on Darvish but may have more interest in Jonathan Lucroy, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who could be a very interesting potential destination if the Rangers decide to move Darvish.

 

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2017/07/21/darvish-may-impressed-potential-suitors-comeback-tampa-still-revive-rangers-hopes

[Gmoney08]

Maybe the Rangers like some of our high ceiling single A and lower guys?

 

Yankees might not want to part with a stud and the Rangers might prefer our super young dude to some other teams?

[David]

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[Bobson Dugnutt]

alex avila is the most boring ongoing rumor i can remember. not that i don't want him, but damn. the cubs have been trying to acquire this one specific backup catcher for a month.

[UMFan83]

[tweet]

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Mentions Gausman as a target in the next tweet in the thread.

 

Edit: I have no idea if this sears guy had any credibility or not but I saw it on the internet so it's basically gospel

 

I've said this before on here but he's a fraud IMO. Many things he exclusively reports have turned out to be outright false (potentially all of them, I've never seen him hit on anything), and the rest is him trailing a report from a credible writer saying that his sources are telling him the same thing.

[Agony and Ivy]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

Mentions Gausman as a target in the next tweet in the thread.

 

Edit: I have no idea if this sears guy had any credibility or not but I saw it on the internet so it's basically gospel

 

I've said this before on here but he's a fraud IMO. Many things he exclusively reports have turned out to be outright false (potentially all of them, I've never seen him hit on anything), and the rest is him trailing a report from a credible writer saying that his sources are telling him the same thing.

 

Yeah that's what his timeline felt like but I had no idea since I hadn't ever paid attention to him. I didn't realize he was part of that Sports Mockery site, which is basically a garbage click bait site.

[Cubswin11]

MLBN just did a look in on Verlander's start talking about scouts watching and they showed a guy with a radar gun that had a jacket/pullover on that had the old Cubs logo with the bear standing with the bat. I'm sure we have scouts everywhere but clearly there's one at Verlander's start tonight.

[David]

MLBN just did a look in on Verlander's start talking about scouts watching and they showed a guy with a radar gun that had a jacket/pullover on that had the old Cubs logo with the bear standing with the bat. I'm sure we have scouts everywhere but clearly there's one at Verlander's start tonight.

Are they really that obvious about it? Lmao

[Cubswin11]

[cubsclapp]

MLBN just did a look in on Verlander's start talking about scouts watching and they showed a guy with a radar gun that had a jacket/pullover on that had the old Cubs logo with the bear standing with the bat. I'm sure we have scouts everywhere but clearly there's one at Verlander's start tonight.

Are they really that obvious about it? Lmao

 

The Tigers announcers literally said, "The Cubs have scouts here tonight... there's _" and they named the scout on the broadcast. I couldn't make out the name though. They brought up the Cubs' scouts multiple times on the broadcast.

 

Then their MLB dot com beat writer confirmed that.

 

 

Just all the quotes from this postgame from Verlander, Avila, etc made it feel like they assume he's gonna be traded.

 

 

[cubsclapp]

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Verlander reminds me of David Ortiz at the end of his career, when there where multiple times each year, for like three straight years (except for -- somehow -- in his final year), when I thought he was done, and he kept coming back stronger than ever.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Is this what we're doing, though? Using our $ to get a guy, since we don't have the prospects?

 

I don't know what I want or what to expect. But I kinda want Theo to just go nuts and make a couple more trades.

[cubsclapp]

Verlander reminds me of David Ortiz at the end of his career, when there where multiple times each year, for like three straight years (except for -- somehow -- in his final year), when I thought he was done, and he kept coming back stronger than ever.

 

He looked really nasty in this game (better than 3 ER in 7 IP says). Was sitting 96-97 and hit 98 on his final pitch... pitch 119. horsefeathers them for letting him throw that many pitches (they were trying to tell themselves they were still alive in the WC race).

 

Really it's just been the walks, and he was much better there the last 2 games. Watching this game, I wouldn't have thought anything about his command issues.

 

Go get this guy and start him in place of Lackey on Sunday in Milwaukee. It actually makes sense for both sides to just send Lackey to Detroit in the deal to offset like $6 million in salary and so the Tigers can have an innings-eater down the stretch.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Verlander reminds me of David Ortiz at the end of his career, when there where multiple times each year, for like three straight years (except for -- somehow -- in his final year), when I thought he was done, and he kept coming back stronger than ever.

 

He looked really nasty in this game (better than 3 ER in 7 IP says). Was sitting 96-97 and hit 98 on his final pitch... pitch 119. horsefeathers them for letting him throw that many pitches (they were trying to tell themselves they were still alive in the WC race).

 

Really it's just been the walks, and he was much better there the last 2 games. Watching this game, I wouldn't have thought anything about his command issues.

 

Go get this guy and start him in place of Lackey on Sunday in Milwaukee. It actually makes sense for both sides to just send Lackey to Detroit in the deal to offset like $6 million in salary and so the Tigers can have an innings-eater down the stretch.

 

Sounds good. One of the things I like about him is that he limits the long balls, which he's always been great about doing. But that is going to prove to be a vital task for pitchers for as long as the ball is juiced. And, while his HR/FB rates have gone up the last couple years, it's really only gone up at about the same rate as the whole league's has gone up. So he's still decidedly above-average at it.

 

Plus his velocity numbers look fantastic. And he's Theo's kind of durable workhorse.

[cubsclapp]

Is this what we're doing, though? Using our $ to get a guy, since we don't have the prospects?

 

I don't know what I want or what to expect. But I kinda want Theo to just go nuts and make a couple more trades.

 

I'm guessing the Tigers would want to pay at least some of it to acquire a couple prospects. I think that's the only way to really allow themselves to tell their fan base that they traded Verlander. Regardless of what he is now (which still seems very good), he's a legend there. Just basically "selling" him couldn't go over well.

 

But, I mean, if the Tigers paid some of it... would we really care about giving up a couple of these prospects to get Verlander?

 

But yeah this is what was so great about the value of the Quintana deal is it allows something like this (especially with all the money coming off the books).

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Is this what we're doing, though? Using our $ to get a guy, since we don't have the prospects?

 

I don't know what I want or what to expect. But I kinda want Theo to just go nuts and make a couple more trades.

 

I'm guessing the Tigers would want to pay at least some of it to acquire a couple prospects. I think that's the only way to really allow themselves to tell their fan base that they traded Verlander. Regardless of what he is now (which still seems very good), he's a legend there. Just basically "selling" him couldn't go over well.

 

But, I mean, if the Tigers paid some of it... would we really care about giving up a couple of these prospects to get Verlander?

 

But yeah this is what was so great about the value of the Quintana deal is it allows something like this (especially with all the money coming off the books).

 

Hell no, we don't care. I'm ready to ship off every single one of them for the next five years. And if any just so happen to survive, then maybe they can help us out here or there.

 

But, I'd be fine with going that route. Money shouldn't really be an issue for a World Champion Chicago Cubs team. But if it allows us to spread it around elsewhere, that might be the best route anyway.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

If we added Verlander, barring any injuries, Hendricks/Arrieta piggyback Game 4? That might allow Kyle to get it up to 87 or so.

[Tryptamine]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but picking up Verlander would effectively mean we're out on Otani before it even happens right? Lester still has 4 years, Quintana 3, Verlander 3 and Hendricks only hitting arb 1. I guess I could see them leaving Montgomery in the bullpen, but to spend another 200M on top of Verlander/Lester. You'd have nearly 100M annually tied up in just the rotation.