2022 Spring Training

[Tim]

The Suzuki signing sealed the door shut for OD Brennen Davis, the optics are nowhere Bryant level and I think it more or less needs to to be anywhere near obvious enough, but there's no doubt he is a top 26 player in the org rn

 

The door was shut on that long before Suzuki signed.

 

Davis still has legitimate things he needs to be working on in the minors.

[Bertz]

I thought Frazier looked really impressive at the plate last night. I'm skeptical there's a better DH in the org right now, I really hope they don't send him to Iowa just to hold onto Heyward.

[Tim]

I thought Frazier looked really impressive at the plate last night. I'm skeptical there's a better DH in the org right now, I really hope they don't send him to Iowa just to hold onto Heyward.

I think Ortega really needs to show something quickly. It makes most sense that that roster spot comes down to a decision between him and Heyward. I'm guessing that the Cubs go with Heyward because of contract, status in the clubhouse, yada yada.

 

I'd keep Ortega to see if his performance against right handers last year was real.

[Cubswin11]

Davis has under 70 PAs at AAA and while he did have a perfectly fine 22% K rate there… when he got sustained ABs at AA he was at 30% K rate. There probably is some learning and work to do there, can you learn to K less at AAA before coming to MLB or does he have to be thrown in the fire at the MLB level, idk. But as has been mentioned this isn’t quite a KB situation and see how he still needs so refinement, maybe AAA won’t do that and he needs to be in MLB to learn. But I’m fine keeping him down until May or June or so. Edited March 29, 2022 by Cubswin11

[Cubswin11]

I really hope Madrigal isn’t our lead off hitter this year. Seems like a waste of contact ability at least for 1 AB a game. He should be like 5th or 6th I feel behind guys and hitting with guys on base more. I know he has a career .360ish OBP but it’s largely BA driven.

[squally1313]

The development of Davis is more important than pretty much everything else I'm going to mention here on a macro level, but this is still a team with probably a not very significant chance of contending this year, with a lot of pieces on the roster who may or may not have value going forward, and they need PAs to determine those paths. To the extent that there is anything to learn at AAA, Davis can still learn it, with a baseline of it being a confidence boost. You bring him up on opening day, you suddenly have 2 outfield spots pretty much written in ink before even getting to Ian Happ and then getting to the random assortment of junk that may have value/excess middle infielders/etc.

 

Send him to AAA, give us something to get excited about when we're 21-32 in two months.

[Tim]

Which position players are you hoping to break camp with?

 

c Willson

1b Schwindel

2b Madrigal

ss Hoerner

3b Wisdom

lf Happ

cf Ortega

rf Seiya

dh Frazier

 

Bench - Gomes, Rivas, Villar, Simmons, Hermosillo

 

That's 14 and already one too many. Rivas will likely get optioned to AAA, which is too bad because he's probably the best LH bat on the team. Plus the Cubs are really likely to keep Heyward over Ortega.

[Tim]

Steele struggling with control today.

[jersey cubs fan]

Which position players are you hoping to break camp with?

 

c Willson

1b Schwindel

2b Madrigal

ss Hoerner

3b Wisdom

lf Happ

cf Ortega

rf Seiya

dh Frazier

 

Bench - Gomes, Rivas, Villar, Simmons, Hermosillo

 

That's 14 and already one too many. Rivas will likely get optioned to AAA, which is too bad because he's probably the best LH bat on the team. Plus the Cubs are really likely to keep Heyward over Ortega.

I can't differentiate between half those names so I don't have a preference, but why is that too many? Aren't they expanding rosters to 28? 14 pitchers is more than enough. If your entire position player identity is about versatility over ability you might as well use 14.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Which position players are you hoping to break camp with?

 

c Willson

1b Schwindel

2b Madrigal

ss Hoerner

3b Wisdom

lf Happ

cf Ortega

rf Seiya

dh Frazier

 

Bench - Gomes, Rivas, Villar, Simmons, Hermosillo

 

That's 14 and already one too many. Rivas will likely get optioned to AAA, which is too bad because he's probably the best LH bat on the team. Plus the Cubs are really likely to keep Heyward over Ortega.

 

Rivas is optionable and honestly I don't really rate him so that's the easy choice for me.

[Cubswin11]

Which position players are you hoping to break camp with?

 

c Willson

1b Schwindel

2b Madrigal

ss Hoerner

3b Wisdom

lf Happ

cf Ortega

rf Seiya

dh Frazier

 

Bench - Gomes, Rivas, Villar, Simmons, Hermosillo

 

That's 14 and already one too many. Rivas will likely get optioned to AAA, which is too bad because he's probably the best LH bat on the team. Plus the Cubs are really likely to keep Heyward over Ortega.

I can't differentiate between half those names so I don't have a preference, but why is that too many? Aren't they expanding rosters to 28? 14 pitchers is more than enough. If your entire position player identity is about versatility over ability you might as well use 14.

Pretty sure Ross and/or Jed said they’ll break camp with 15 pitchers.

[Cubswin11]

Does Rivas have a shot at the OD roster? I'd like to see it just in case they focused some math, science, and technology on his swing to hit fewer GBs or do really well hitting those GBs. Guy's got a .404 OBP in 2071 PAs between NCAA and MiLB, there's some aptitude to hit and he's easily the best defensive 1B

Probably not, barring an injury since he has options. I’d think Hermosillo makes it over him since he doesn’t have any. I’d like to see him make it and given a chance at 1B/DH tho. Hermosillo shouldn’t stand in the way of him making it

[Gilby]

Seems like there's a decent chance Simmons starts on the DL and the outfield decisions will be pushed back a few weeks

[Rob]

I thought Frazier looked really impressive at the plate last night. I'm skeptical there's a better DH in the org right now, I really hope they don't send him to Iowa just to hold onto Heyward.

I think Ortega really needs to show something quickly. It makes most sense that that roster spot comes down to a decision between him and Heyward. I'm guessing that the Cubs go with Heyward because of contract, status in the clubhouse, yada yada.

 

I'd keep Ortega to see if his performance against right handers last year was real.

 

This is a team that needs a lot of things to break right in order for them to compete.

 

On the whole, Jason Heyward has been a disappointment on the field. His performances have mostly ranged from average to slightly below average starter production. And last year was his worst yet. But he's only 32 years old, and his 2020 season showed there's at least some potential that he might have something left in the tank.

 

I think the Cubs will roll with Heyward out of the gate. He's always been lauded as a solid clubhouse guy, and this front office has placed value on that in the past. But I doubt his leash will be what it has been in previous years -- they're quickly approaching the point where eating the remaining contract is doable.

[David]

get his anti vax ground ball to second ass out of here already

[squally1313]

get his anti vax ground ball to second ass out of here already

Unfortunately, yes. Whatever small value I place on clubhouse dude, mentor to the guys trying to break out, etc, it's pretty much all erased by his pretty clear views on the vaccine, and there are very clearly real world and team implications to those. Sorry Jason, you used to be pretty cool and you used to be good at baseball before you got here. Bye.

 

Edit: But also, PTR seems like the type to hate a completely sunk cost, and also all the grumbling about how low the payroll is will get a lot louder if we cut our highest paid player, so there are those dumb reasons for keeping him around.

[David]

there's literally no reason to keep him around

 

if the team happens to catch lightning in a bottle, he's going to make them worse.

 

if the team is bad as expected, who the hell cares what you're paying him to not play for you anyway? and it gives you a chance to see if someone who actually has a chance of being good is good.

[CubinNY]

there's literally no reason to keep him around

 

if the team happens to catch lightning in a bottle, he's going to make them worse.

 

if the team is bad as expected, who the hell cares what you're paying him to not play for you anyway? and it gives you a chance to see if someone who actually has a chance of being good is good.

I agree, but his only saving grace is that he's not blocking anyone until midseason when Davis should be ready. I'm not going to concede that Hermosillo or Frazier or any of the rest of the collection of tomato cans the Cubs have assembled are even marginally better.

[UMFan83]

I wonder how much of an adjustment period Suzuki is going to have? He's 0-9 with 5 K so far in the spring, which I wouldn't think twice about normally but it seems like there would be an adjustment to increased velocity going from Japan to the MLB. I could be talking out of my ass though lol

[Derwood]

I wonder how much of an adjustment period Suzuki is going to have? He's 0-9 with 5 K so far in the spring, which I wouldn't think twice about normally but it seems like there would be an adjustment to increased velocity going from Japan to the MLB. I could be talking out of my ass though lol

 

Maybe he's pulling an Ichiro and slumming his way through the spring to give false scouting reports

[CubinNY]

I wonder how much of an adjustment period Suzuki is going to have? He's 0-9 with 5 K so far in the spring, which I wouldn't think twice about normally but it seems like there would be an adjustment to increased velocity going from Japan to the MLB. I could be talking out of my ass though lol

 

Maybe he's pulling an Ichiro and slumming his way through the spring to give false scouting reports

I don't think we can make too much of it. He's making a lot of adjustments that have nothing to do with baseball. I can't imagine how hard this must be for him.

[Cubswin11]

That change up by Smyly today was pretty nasty. He looked pretty solid. I think I’d put him in the rotation to start the year as of today, or at least use with an opener type for 3-5 innings/2 times through the order.

[We Got The Whole 9]

I wonder how much of an adjustment period Suzuki is going to have? He's 0-9 with 5 K so far in the spring, which I wouldn't think twice about normally but it seems like there would be an adjustment to increased velocity going from Japan to the MLB. I could be talking out of my ass though lol

Has the caliber of pitching he's faced here been majorly high-velo anyway? Off hand I remember him facing Marquez... But Marco Gonzalez is certainly not, nor is he a K artist.

[Cubswin11]

And there’s a Villar TOOTBLAN

[Andy]

I wonder how much of an adjustment period Suzuki is going to have? He's 0-9 with 5 K so far in the spring, which I wouldn't think twice about normally but it seems like there would be an adjustment to increased velocity going from Japan to the MLB. I could be talking out of my ass though lol

IIRC Ohtani was an absolute train wreck his first spring training, so if I understand the timing correctly Suzuki will be the 2025 NL MVP.