7/31 - Reds (Abbott) vs Cubs (Stroman): 7:05pm, Marquee

[Wilson A2000]

Tauchman and Wisdom better against lefties, but keep on trotting out Mancini

[Y2J]

Last year's deadline was a bad look for Hoyer when he failed to trade Contreras after all of the tears and goodbyes. Now we're potentially looking at a worse deadline where we failed to trade two of the hottest commodities because we wrongfully assessed our team as contenders. 

[Cubs420psd]

Just now, Y2J said:

Last year's deadline was a bad look for Hoyer when he failed to trade Contreras after all of the tears and goodbyes. Now we're potentially looking at a worse deadline where we failed to trade two of the hottest commodities because we wrongfully assessed our team as contenders. 

Yeah this is a very painful possibility. 

[Irrelevant Dude]

4 minutes ago, Y2J said:

Last year's deadline was a bad look for Hoyer when he failed to trade Contreras after all of the tears and goodbyes. Now we're potentially looking at a worse deadline where we failed to trade two of the hottest commodities because we wrongfully assessed our team as contenders. 

Then again, Stroman's return likely wouldn't be nearly what we thought it could have been a month ago, and Bellinger still gives the Cubs the comp pick, so how much are they really losing out on?

[Cubs420psd]

6 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Then again, Stroman's return likely wouldn't be nearly what we thought it could have been a month ago, and Bellinger still gives the Cubs the comp pick, so how much are they really losing out on?

yeah thats not a bad point, a rental Stroman who has been terrible for over a month was probably not going to get the haul anyone would have been super pumped about, but if the Cubs are just going to end up being a .500 team like they basically have been all year I still would have rather gotten something for Stro vs nothing. Especially, when some of the best prospects in the Cubs system right now were acquired from trading half year rentals (PCA, Alcantara, Ben Brown) 

Edited August 1, 2023 by Cubs420psd

[s2obed]

Another dud by Stroman, Mancini in the lineup two consecutive days, and Seiya still hitting at the top of the lineup.

Where is Mervis? Now is the time to see if he’s going to be something.

[Tryptamine]

2 minutes ago, Cubs420psd said:

yeah thats not a bad point, a rental Stroman who has been terrible for over a month was probably not going to get the haul anyone would have been super pumped about but if the Cubs are just going to end up being a .500 team like they basially have been all year I still would have rather gotten something for Stro vs nothing. 

Are you sure he is even opting out at this point?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

14 minutes ago, Y2J said:

Last year's deadline was a bad look for Hoyer when he failed to trade Contreras after all of the tears and goodbyes. Now we're potentially looking at a worse deadline where we failed to trade two of the hottest commodities because we wrongfully assessed our team as contenders. 

oh no how will our prospect ranking ever survive this. 

[Cubs420psd]

Just now, Tryptamine said:

Are you sure he is even opting out at this point?

Lol that is also not a bad point. 

[Y2J]

4 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Then again, Stroman's return likely wouldn't be nearly what we thought it could have been a month ago, and Bellinger still gives the Cubs the comp pick, so how much are they really losing out on?

In a seller's market, one lacking impact bats, we likely lose out quite a lot by not trading Bellinger. If we indeed hold tomorrow, he's a must extend for me. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

10 minutes ago, Y2J said:

Last year's deadline was a bad look for Hoyer when he failed to trade Contreras after all of the tears and goodbyes. Now we're potentially looking at a worse deadline where we failed to trade two of the hottest commodities because we wrongfully assessed our team as contenders. 

The team is in the top half in damn near every relevant stat. wRC+, position player war, base running, defense, both starter and reliever ERA, both starter and reliever xFIP, a huge disparity in runs scored vs allowed. That's not a contender? They've scored more runs than the Orioles and the Astros, they've allowed less than the Rangers and the Dodgers, they have had winning months in 3/4. They've been really good. Unfortunately they couldn't avoid the annual super slump in one of those months and they're behind the 8 ball because of it.

 

You guys base contention off of whether they can beat the Braves and stuff and that's ridiculous; stranger things have occurred in MLB history. The juggernaut Braves lost to the WC winner last year, for starters.

 

 

[Wilson A2000]

Top 5 Reds hitters go 1-19, you should normally win

[squally1313]

Man, what a classic game thread. This new PSD blood really injected some old school doom and gloom around here to a generally apathetic crowd. 

We lost by one to a very good pitcher and put two balls off the top of the wall. The guy we traded for hasn't even gotten to Chicago yet. The next three starters have given up 45 home runs in a combined 217 innings. Go win some baseball games. 

[Y2J]

10 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Man, what a classic game thread. This new PSD blood really injected some old school doom and gloom around here to a generally apathetic crowd. 

We lost by one to a very good pitcher and put two balls off the top of the wall. The guy we traded for hasn't even gotten to Chicago yet. The next three starters have given up 45 home runs in a combined 217 innings. Go win some baseball games. 

I have firmly been in the sell camp. Regardless of how well the team is playing, looking up and down the roster, I don't see a contender. As mentioned previously, strange things have happened.

Edited August 1, 2023 by Y2J

[Hairyducked Idiot]

36 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

The team is in the top half in damn near every relevant stat. wRC+, position player war, base running, defense, both starter and reliever ERA, both starter and reliever xFIP, a huge disparity in runs scored vs allowed. That's not a contender? They've scored more runs than the Orioles and the Astros, they've allowed less than the Rangers and the Dodgers, they have had winning months in 3/4. They've been really good. Unfortunately they couldn't avoid the annual super slump in one of those months and they're behind the 8 ball because of it.

 

You guys base contention off of whether they can beat the Braves and stuff and that's ridiculous; stranger things have occurred in MLB history. The juggernaut Braves lost to the WC winner last year, for starters.

 

 

This. There's this entire vibe that you have to be Real Contenders (tm) to be buyers, a threat to be the best team in the regular season. Something like the 2016 Cubs.

That's just completely wrong.  It's like saving your best relief pitchers for 4-run leads and refusing to use them in 1-run games.

You buy when you are in the closest race between making and not making the playoffs.

WTF is a "real contender" anyway? In a league with three 100-win teams including an absolutely bonkers 111-51 Dodgers team, you know who won the National League pennant?

An 87-75 team that had a +62 run differential and went 34-47 against over .500 teams in the regular season.

[Proven Veteran]

8 minutes ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

This. There's this entire vibe that you have to be Real Contenders (tm) to be buyers, a threat to be the best team in the regular season. Something like the 2016 Cubs.

That's just completely wrong.  It's like saving your best relief pitchers for 4-run leads and refusing to use them in 1-run games.

You buy when you are in the closest race between making and not making the playoffs.

WTF is a "real contender" anyway? In a league with three 100-win teams including an absolutely bonkers 111-51 Dodgers team, you know who won the National League pennant?

An 87-75 team that had a +62 run differential and went 34-47 against over .500 teams in the regular season.

That's nice, but just imagine what two 40FV prospects could be!

[UMFan83]

37 minutes ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

This. There's this entire vibe that you have to be Real Contenders (tm) to be buyers, a threat to be the best team in the regular season. Something like the 2016 Cubs.

That's just completely wrong.  It's like saving your best relief pitchers for 4-run leads and refusing to use them in 1-run games.

You buy when you are in the closest race between making and not making the playoffs.

WTF is a "real contender" anyway? In a league with three 100-win teams including an absolutely bonkers 111-51 Dodgers team, you know who won the National League pennant?

An 87-75 team that had a +62 run differential and went 34-47 against over .500 teams in the regular season.

Love these 2 posts. Both well said and how I feel but couldn’t express it as well

[Y2J]

1 hour ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

This. There's this entire vibe that you have to be Real Contenders (tm) to be buyers, a threat to be the best team in the regular season. Something like the 2016 Cubs.

That's just completely wrong.  It's like saving your best relief pitchers for 4-run leads and refusing to use them in 1-run games.

You buy when you are in the closest race between making and not making the playoffs.

WTF is a "real contender" anyway? In a league with three 100-win teams including an absolutely bonkers 111-51 Dodgers team, you know who won the National League pennant?

An 87-75 team that had a +62 run differential and went 34-47 against over .500 teams in the regular season.

Fair point, but I’d rather be the team that beat said National League pennant winner in the World Series and took their division 5 of the last 6 seasons than the one-and-done Cinderella team that was just happy to be there. 

[Hairyducked Idiot]

17 minutes ago, Y2J said:

Fair point, but I’d rather be the team that beat said National League pennant winner in the World Series and took their division 5 of the last 6 seasons than the one-and-done Cinderella team that was just happy to be there. 

We all would.  But you can only play one season at a time and this is the one in front of you 

[UMFan83]

1 hour ago, Y2J said:

Fair point, but I’d rather be the team that beat said National League pennant winner in the World Series and took their division 5 of the last 6 seasons than the one-and-done Cinderella team that was just happy to be there. 

I really don’t think that the Cubs future is much derailed by trading a few mid level prospects and not trading away 2 months of Bellinger and Stroman. Sure there’s a chance we could have added the next Mike Trout or maybe traded away the next Shane McClanahan or whatever but the risk is not high enough to not play this season out imo. 
 

[squally1313]

Also, now that things have calmed down a little bit…we’re allowed to compare Suzuki to other players besides Fukudome guys. Some would even say encouraged. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

I also think it's good for some of these guys to taste winning and have management back them instead of ditching a couple of the biggest reasons they have won this year. If they end up 81-81 it's still a significant step for the organization, and they have a bunch of exciting prospects that should raise that floor even higher over the next couple years. 

 

Now let's go prove we can beat the horsefeathers Reds doe.

[thawv]

8 hours ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

I thought he did, but it looks like he might have the right to elect free agency.

He has 3 options