Cubs Sign Reliever Steve Cishek for 2/$13M

[CubsWin]

so this guy seems to fill the same role kintzler would have--heavy groundball pitcher--but with much more swing and miss? i like it.

I wouldn't describe Cishek as a heavy groundball pitcher in the same way as Kintzler is known to be. Kintzler is consistently in the 55%-62% range year after year. Cishek induced 56% last season but was at 44%, 46% and 43% the 3 previous seasons. Perhaps he made an adjustment and his newfound groundball rate is repeatable, I don't know. But his K-rate is better so that certainly helps balance things out if he regresses. And for 2 years at $6 to 7 mill per season, it's a pretty fair contract.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

this is the guy I always think of when someone mentions Neshek. I have to google them every horsefeathering time

[TarzanJoeWallis]

Every time I hear his name I think Steve Cishek sells seashells down by the seashore.

[Regular Show]

In what realistic scenario does Heyward opt out?

 

 

Good one lol. There is NO realistic scenario where Heyward opts-out. It is what it is...

 

I'm happy we signed S. Cishek and think he'll do pretty well as long as the Cubs monitor his health and mechanics. I've watched a lot of Cishek for some weird reason (he's fun to watch because he's so funky) and he struggles when he faces too many left-handed hitters and also when his mechanics (command) falls apart. He was really good last year, and I think he can close out games occasionally when B. Morrow needs some rest.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

 

Maybe, but they also lose Zobrist and possibly Morrow's money, with Lester and Chatwood the year after. 2 years from now you'll also have much more clarity on which of the position players you actually want to pay through arbitration(e.g. trade any/all of Schwarber, Russell, Baez if they don't improve). If they go that route you're also likely keeping Almora and Happ around, which furthers your flexibility in those years.

Yeah this is my thinking too, you also potentially lose Q and Hendricks after 2020 (maybe 2021 with Hendricks?). That's a lot of money coming off, obviously you need to replace a lot of that pitching (hopefully some can be developed from within for cheap and not all needing to be bought) but they could hit the LT reset button in 2021. Also by some divine intervention there is a possibility of a Heyward opt out the next 2 offseasons or trade (obviously would have to eat some money but could reduce the overall obligation).

 

Q has an option for 2020 so he'd have to be dead to have it declined. And at that point if you've signed Darvish you've got all 5 rotation spots handled with Darvish/Q/Hendricks/Chatwood/Lester. The bullpen looks thinner, but every bullpen is gonna look shaky 2 years out and there's a high volume of pitching in the farm system that can help there. It might end up with some sub-optimal outcomes, but I don't think Darvish hurts your ability to put together the quality of team you want.

 

These are pitchers. By 2020, the over/under on attached and functional arms among any five of them is like 6.5.

[David]

this is the guy I always think of when someone mentions Neshek. I have to google them every horsefeathering time

 

Same lol

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/carriemuskat/status/942102849881825281[/tweet]

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Brett with a good look at Cishek's 2017: http://www.bleachernation.com/2017/12/19/steve-cishek-was-all-universe-after-midseason-trade-to-rays-this-year-cubs-getting-that-guy/

 

The TL;DR is Cishek was amazing after he was traded to the Rays(and made particular strides against LH hitters), and that's probably in large part to the pitch mix and release point changes they implemented. Probably not a surprise they pulled the trigger on him with Hickey on board then.

[Derwood]

The real question is whether he sells seashells by the seashore

[David]

The real question is whether he sells seashells by the seashore

 

jesus horsefeathering christ man

 

never change, sir

[Derwood]

The real question is whether he sells seashells by the seashore

 

jesus horsefeathering christ man

 

never change, sir

 

I was just rolling with the "NCCubFan bad pun" theme from the Yu Darvish thread

[David]

The real question is whether he sells seashells by the seashore

 

jesus horsefeathering christ man

 

never change, sir

 

I was just rolling with the "NCCubFan bad pun" theme from the Yu Darvish thread

 

i'm pretty sure someone has made that same joke on each page of this thread, including the one you posted it on

[Cubswin11]

Brett with a good look at Cishek's 2017: http://www.bleachernation.com/2017/12/19/steve-cishek-was-all-universe-after-midseason-trade-to-rays-this-year-cubs-getting-that-guy/

 

The TL;DR is Cishek was amazing after he was traded to the Rays(and made particular strides against LH hitters), and that's probably in large part to the pitch mix and release point changes they implemented. Probably not a surprise they pulled the trigger on him with Hickey on board then.

Really good stuff. I think I want him to be our nominal closer to start the year. Carl, Morrow, Strop, and Wilson (hopefully) can have the 6-8 inning leverage spots. If there’s a situation where there’s some lefty heavy (or elite Harper, Seager, Murphy, etc) parts of a lineup coming up then go with Morrow/Carl/Wilson in those games to close.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Cubswin11

[Derwood]

 

jesus horsefeathering christ man

 

never change, sir

 

I was just rolling with the "NCCubFan bad pun" theme from the Yu Darvish thread

 

i'm pretty sure someone has made that same joke on each page of this thread, including the one you posted it on

 

I told you, I don't read posts

[jersey cubs fan]

 

I was just rolling with the "NCCubFan bad pun" theme from the Yu Darvish thread

 

i'm pretty sure someone has made that same joke on each page of this thread, including the one you posted it on

 

I told you, I don't read posts

how much posts would a derwood read if a derwood could read posts?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

 

i'm pretty sure someone has made that same joke on each page of this thread, including the one you posted it on

 

I told you, I don't read posts

how much posts would a derwood read if a derwood could read posts?

time until Derwood makes this joke?

[imb]

do we know who cishek's parents are

[Transmogrified Tiger]

TIL Cishek is 6-6

 

[tweet]

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