7/5 - Rays (Snell) @ World Champion Chicago Cubs (Lackey) 1:20 CSN

[David]

Yeah, the big ugly and crappy pud is on the mound today, but we're gonna win.

 

And after today we will play .600 ball the rest of the way...JUST WATCH

 

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[sneakypower]

a little surprised they didn't put the speedy, no-doubt-superior-fielding Happ in CF and Almora at the corner

[UMFan83]

Damn Snell's numbers are awful this year. They are actually a little worse than Lackey's albeit with only 9 starts

[UMFan83]

Speaking of Lackey, the wind is blowing out today. He's currently on pace to allow 47 HRs this year, just 1 off the all time NL mark. Probably a good day for him to get on pace.

[David]

Speaking of Lackey, the wind is blowing out today. He's currently on pace to allow 47 HRs this year, just 1 off the all time NL mark. Probably a good day for him to get on pace.

 

here's hoping he gets shelled so bad that he has a huge blowup and gets DFAd and the cubs still win

[Ding Dong Johnson]

we're gonna win.

http://i.imgur.com/TI53f1e.gif

[Sammy Sofa]

And after today we will play .600 ball the rest of the way...JUST WATCH

 

[Flames24Rulz]

Speaking of Lackey, the wind is blowing out today. He's currently on pace to allow 47 HRs this year, just 1 off the all time NL mark. Probably a good day for him to get on pace.

 

here's hoping he gets shelled so bad that he has a huge blowup and gets DFAd and the cubs still win

 

I was hoping that would've happened after the Nationals start. I'm holding out hope that he gets DFA'ed no matter how well or poorly he pitches once Hendricks is back.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Lackey isn't getting DFA'd. As recently as mid-June, he had consecutive quality starts and he's ahead of Anderson and Butler on the pecking order so he'll have a spot even after Hendricks returns.

 

Disappointing, I know.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Lackey isn't getting DFA'd. As recently as mid-June, he had consecutive quality starts and he's ahead of Anderson and Butler on the pecking order so he'll have a spot even after Hendricks returns.

 

Disappointing, I know.

 

Those 2 quality starts are part of a run of having 4 quality starts out of 14. His ERA is 66th of 74 qualified starters, and his FIP is dead last. I agree they won't DFA him for Hendricks, but when they add another SP or maybe even when they get Anderson back he's not secure in his roster spot.

 

EDIT: More to the point, I'd like to imagine that come 8/1 the rotation has Lester, Hendricks, trade acquisition, Arrieta, and Montgomery, with Butler back in Iowa in reserve and Anderson fulfilling Montgomery's previous role. The timing of Lackey's departure depends on several factors(when a trade happens, when Hendricks and Anderson are healthy), but I would hope that he's the one that doesn't have a home when the dust settles.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Lackey isn't getting DFA'd. As recently as mid-June, he had consecutive quality starts and he's ahead of Anderson and Butler on the pecking order so he'll have a spot even after Hendricks returns.

 

Disappointing, I know.

 

Those 2 quality starts are part of a run of having 4 quality starts out of 14. His ERA is 66th of 74 qualified starters, and his FIP is dead last. I agree they won't DFA him for Hendricks, but when they add another SP or maybe even when they get Anderson back he's not secure in his roster spot.

 

EDIT: More to the point, I'd like to imagine that come 8/1 the rotation has Lester, Hendricks, trade acquisition, Arrieta, and Montgomery, with Butler back in Iowa in reserve and Anderson fulfilling Montgomery's previous role. The timing of Lackey's departure depends on several factors(when a trade happens, when Hendricks and Anderson are healthy), but I would hope that he's the one that doesn't have a home when the dust settles.

 

I agree with this for the most part, but I'm betting on an extended DL stint rather than the Cubs cutting him. Given his relationship with Lester, I see them handling it as delicately as possible. He can sit on the DL through August and come back when rosters expand.

 

That is, unless Lackey takes issue with this plan, in which case, they'll send him packing.

[jersey cubs fan]

half the reason they signed him is because they knew they needed bodies that could take ball every 5th day. He may not be any good but he's still a body that can start regularly and they are severely lacking in depth when it comes to that particular asset.

[David]

half the reason they signed him is because they knew they needed bodies that could take ball every 5th day. He may not be any good but he's still a body that can start regularly and they are severely lacking in depth when it comes to that particular asset.

 

you said this sort of thing when they signed jackson too (at that time, the argument was, iirc, why would a team intentionally trying to lose sign what they thought was a good starting pitcher to a bunch of money) and i still don't understand it at all

 

what difference does it make if he can pitch every 5th day if he's going to do an awful job at it?

 

anybody they have in AAA can pitch badly for them at any given time

Edited July 5, 2017 by David

[Transmogrified Tiger]

half the reason they signed him is because they knew they needed bodies that could take ball every 5th day. He may not be any good but he's still a body that can start regularly and they are severely lacking in depth when it comes to that particular asset.

 

If they trade for a SP, Lackey is somewhere between the 6th and 8th best rotation option. I think they can be pretty secure that they can get the production Lackey provides for 2 months with their existing options.

[jersey cubs fan]

half the reason they signed him is because they knew they needed bodies that could take ball every 5th day. He may not be any good but he's still a body that can start regularly and they are severely lacking in depth when it comes to that particular asset.

 

you said this sort of thing when they signed jackson too and i still don't understand it at all

 

what difference does it make if he can pitch every 5th day if he's going to do an awful job at it?

 

anybody they have in AAA can pitch badly for them at any given time

 

Because jonny anybody in AAA is going to get shelled in 2 innings and destroy the bullpen while Lackey will pitch 6 innings and give up 4 runs, which gives the team a chance to win and doesn't destroy the bullpen.

[David]

half the reason they signed him is because they knew they needed bodies that could take ball every 5th day. He may not be any good but he's still a body that can start regularly and they are severely lacking in depth when it comes to that particular asset.

 

you said this sort of thing when they signed jackson too and i still don't understand it at all

 

what difference does it make if he can pitch every 5th day if he's going to do an awful job at it?

 

anybody they have in AAA can pitch badly for them at any given time

 

Because jonny anybody in AAA is going to get shelled in 2 innings and destroy the bullpen while Lackey will pitch 6 innings and give up 4 runs, which gives the team a chance to win and doesn't destroy the bullpen.

 

it is very difficult to be worse than lackey has been this year

[David]

i'm having chicken shawarma for lunch. it is delicious. if we win today, i may have to keep having this for lunch.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

you said this sort of thing when they signed jackson too and i still don't understand it at all

 

what difference does it make if he can pitch every 5th day if he's going to do an awful job at it?

 

anybody they have in AAA can pitch badly for them at any given time

 

Because jonny anybody in AAA is going to get shelled in 2 innings and destroy the bullpen while Lackey will pitch 6 innings and give up 4 runs, which gives the team a chance to win and doesn't destroy the bullpen.

 

it is very difficult to be worse than lackey has been this year

 

It is very easy to find a guy in AAA to come up at any given time and pitch worse

[Thed Hoyerstein]

 

you said this sort of thing when they signed jackson too and i still don't understand it at all

 

what difference does it make if he can pitch every 5th day if he's going to do an awful job at it?

 

anybody they have in AAA can pitch badly for them at any given time

 

Because jonny anybody in AAA is going to get shelled in 2 innings and destroy the bullpen while Lackey will pitch 6 innings and give up 4 runs, which gives the team a chance to win and doesn't destroy the bullpen.

 

it is very difficult to be worse than lackey has been this year

 

http://imgur.com/JO9kUE9

[Transmogrified Tiger]

We're not talking about someone like Frankoff being a Lackey replacment, it's guys like Butler(who is already outperforming Lackey at the MLB level) and Anderson (assuming he's healthy) that would be in line for starts if someone gets hurt.

[UMFan83]

sweet, already losing

[Sammy Sofa]

 

Because jonny anybody in AAA is going to get shelled in 2 innings and destroy the bullpen while Lackey will pitch 6 innings and give up 4 runs, which gives the team a chance to win and doesn't destroy the bullpen.

 

it is very difficult to be worse than lackey has been this year

 

It is very easy to find a guy in AAA to come up at any given time and pitch worse

 

YOU PUT THIS EVIL ON HIM, GOONEY.

[Thed Hoyerstein]

i'm having chicken shawarma for lunch. it is delicious. if we win today, i may have to keep having this for lunch.

 

Hopefully your lunch gives you fewer runs than Lackey does today

[David]

i am baffled at how we only gave up one run that inning

[Transmogrified Tiger]

MLB.com's scoreboard has an autoplaying video that shows a couple quick highlights from each starting pitcher before illustrating the pitching matchup in a graphic.

 

Lackey's highlights are exclusively from the world series.