9/29 - Cubs (Hendricks) vs Brewers (Rea): 7:10pm, Marquee

[itisallpartoftheplan]

Does Cub Carlos Santana get that hit off of Brewers Jose Cuas?

[Irrelevant Dude]

Ross seemed annoyed by the question, "How much did you guys feed off Morel's energy in the late innings?". After a pause, his answer was "We feed off each other all year long" and no comment at all on Morel's play.  I could very well be reading more into his comments than what he actually said, but that was a layup question that most managers would use to complement their young hitter.

[itisallpartoftheplan]

Good news is we can root for the Astros to miss the playoffs.

[Cuzi]

4 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

I do think he got caught in the middle in what had turned into a decent strategy in those down years. Sign a bunch of clearly flawed arms for pocket change, and count on your internal team to turn 1 or 2 of them a year into a fringe top 100 prospect come July. The team was projected to be about 500, comfortably behind Milwaukee and St Louis, wouldn't have made sense to go make a big splash before year on a reliever. I've complained more than most about their inability to add pitching depth at the deadline, but it's been pointed out that you would think every team is in the market for that and no one really did, so maybe, for whatever reason, it just wasn't out there.

I expect them to seriously address it this year, and think there's a couple avenues to that. Will be pretty upset if we take a similar approach. 

I hate the idea that anything regarding a splash doesn't make sense for the Cubs.

They are the Cubs. They are the 4th largest market in baseball. At no point should it not make sense to make a splash, unless the team is already good like the Dodgers are when they decide against spending on something that might be a marginal improvement. The Cubs need to stop believing that spending money on the MLB roster is in anyway connected to MiLB development.

[s2obed]

1 minute ago, itisallpartoftheplan said:

Good news is we can root for the Astros to miss the playoffs.

Why do we care about the Astros? I’m good seeing anyone not in the NL win the WS. 

[gflore34]

3 minutes ago, itisallpartoftheplan said:

Does Cub Carlos Santana get that hit off of Brewers Jose Cuas?

Not a chance in hell.

[UMFan83]

2 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Ross seemed annoyed by the question, "How much did you guys feed off Morel's energy in the late innings?". After a pause, his answer was "We feed off each other all year long" and no comment at all on Morel's play.  I could very well be reading more into his comments than what he actually said, but that was a layup question that most managers would use to complement their young hitter.

I see how that is a strange answer but what are you insinuating, that he's mad at Morel about something or just mad in general?

[Irrelevant Dude]

Just now, UMFan83 said:

I see how that is a strange answer but what are you insinuating, that he's mad at Morel about something or just mad in general?

Oh, I have no idea. It was just odd the way he answered.  The easy explanation could be that Ross was annoyed/upset in general after another tough loss and just didn't want to entertain the question.

[WhyCantWeWin]

3 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Ross seemed annoyed by the question, "How much did you guys feed off Morel's energy in the late innings?". After a pause, his answer was "We feed off each other all year long" and no comment at all on Morel's play.  I could very well be reading more into his comments than what he actually said, but that was a layup question that most managers would use to complement their young hitter.

I told you guys 🧐

[itisallpartoftheplan]

9 minutes ago, s2obed said:

Why do we care about the Astros? I’m good seeing anyone not in the NL win the WS. 

I’d rather have the Rangers and Mariners make it than Houston.

[Irrelevant Dude]

12 minutes ago, s2obed said:

Why do we care about the Astros? I’m good seeing anyone not in the NL win the WS. 

I have no problem with the Braves or Phillies winning.  As long as it isn't the Dodgers or Brewers.

[gflore34]

Beyond the inability to hit bad pitching the most annoying aspect of this collapse has been the defense.  The constant bobbles and errors costing them runs.

[squally1313]

9 minutes ago, Cuzi said:

I hate the idea that anything regarding a splash doesn't make sense for the Cubs.

They are the Cubs. They are the 4th largest market in baseball. At no point should it not make sense to make a splash, unless the team is already good like the Dodgers are when they decide against spending on something that might be a marginal improvement. The Cubs need to stop believing that spending money on the MLB roster is in anyway connected to MiLB development.

I mean, that's probably just a different debate/conversation. It's pretty conventional to not spend serious money on the bullpen if you aren't planning on being a contender, but having said that, I think we, and most people here, are probably in agreement that we would love the super rich owners of the Cubs to spend more money on professional baseball players (and ideally less money on ****** politicians!). But at this point pretending that there's not some spending guideline, if not hard limits, is probably naive.  Hypothetical money spent on the 2023 bullpen maybe costs you your 2023 centerfielder. Yeah, there's enough money in the bank account for both/all of them. But that's just not how it works. 

[Cuzi]

6 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

I mean, that's probably just a different debate/conversation. It's pretty conventional to not spend serious money on the bullpen if you aren't planning on being a contender, but having said that, I think we, and most people here, are probably in agreement that we would love the super rich owners of the Cubs to spend more money on professional baseball players (and ideally less money on ****** politicians!). But at this point pretending that there's not some spending guideline, if not hard limits, is probably naive.  Hypothetical money spent on the 2023 bullpen maybe costs you your 2023 centerfielder. Yeah, there's enough money in the bank account for both/all of them. But that's just not how it works. 

That has nothing at all to do with your defense of the decision that "it didn't make sense to do it."

You are giving the FO of the Cubs a get out of jail free card by saying that. It's why they keep doing it, because fans keep defending it.

Sitting here with the frames of a house exposed to the elements hoping for a sale on sheathing before the wood rots.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Cuzi

[squally1313]

Just now, Cuzi said:

That has nothing at all to do with your defense of the decision that "it didn't make sense to do it."

You are giving the FO of the Cubs a get out of jail free card by saying that. It's why they keep doing it, because fans keep defending it.

I've been on them hard for the last month saying that they should have gotten reinforcements at the deadline, once it was clear it was a contending team. But it was pointed out to me that in theory every contending team, all 20 of them, was looking for extra arms at the deadline at not a lot changed hands. 

As far as the offseason goes...there seemed to be a clear plan to open up a 3-4 year window that kinda started this year but not really. I'm not going to pretend to be able to tell you the intricacies of the luxury tax but I know enough to surmise that they looked at the team, decided they were a year away from legitimate contenders, and made sure they stayed under the tax. And so you have a limited amount of free agent dollars. And, to my earlier point, even if you pretend the luxury tax doesn't exist, the Ricketts are terrible and greedy and are going to set artificial caps anyways. Would you rather that they signed a couple top bullpen dudes instead of Bellinger? Dansby appears to be a steal so ignoring that one. Taillon has been mediocre, but we needed starters and he ended up with a 1.5 fWAR. 

My point is you can't just say they should have spent an extra $10m or $20m or whatever to supplement the bullpen. I wish they would have, and then also gotten a better first baseman and outbid everyone for Senga, etc etc. There are finite dollars. 

[Cuzi]

13 minutes ago, TomtheBombadil said:

Not great! Trade some prospects! 

Could probably trade a couple middling prospects for Yoan Moncada to play 3B. He's got 1 year left. Fits the mold.

[WhyCantWeWin]

Hoyer needs to go balls deep this offseason. Sign Moore, Hader, Yamamoto and then trade for Soto. Even Ross can't ruin a roster that good, right?

[soccer10k]

 

[thawv]

14 hours ago, Dfan25 said:

For me the Cubs are 1 game out , I am counting the suspended game as a Marlins win . I don’t think it’s impossible that the Pirates take 2 of 3 this weekend but the Cubs aren’t sweeping the Brewers . They can’t beat anybody right now . 
 

Looking at payrolls the Cubs will have less than 70 million to work with next offseason due to dead money , options that will get pick by players , buyouts and arbitration elegible players .

 

Considering all their needs they will need to make several trades IMO to be a playoff team next year .

 

Needs

1 impact SP

2 impact bats

3,relievers 

 

 

 

 

Exactly this!  But with Belli likely gone, I think they are going to need 3 impact bats.

[thawv]

10 hours ago, BobbyD3 said:

In your opinion(s), has this season culminated into a choke job by the Cubs; or, have they performed according to or above your expectations?    

It depends on what the starting point is.  If it's opening day, they've played above expectations.  If it's from the deadline, they've played under expectations.  But overall, this is the 23rd biggest collapse in MLB history

[Rex Buckingham]

6 hours ago, soccer10k said:

 

how stupid lucky can one franchise be?

[CubinNY]

9 hours ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Ross seemed annoyed by the question, "How much did you guys feed off Morel's energy in the late innings?". After a pause, his answer was "We feed off each other all year long" and no comment at all on Morel's play.  I could very well be reading more into his comments than what he actually said, but that was a layup question that most managers would use to complement their young hitter.

Ross is a red ass dick. 

[thawv]

9 hours ago, Cuzi said:

The guy has 416 PAs this year. Who cares what position he plays. He's a solid bench player. Every team needs them. He has 2 more years of prearb. There's literally no reason to be looking to trade him unless he's a player the other team covets for whatever reason and his inclusion in the deal is the make or break point for a guy that is a legitimate difference maker.

This exactly how I see it.  I wouldn't be shopping him, but if a team insists on him being in a deal that can grab us a need without hitting the FA market, then trade him.

[thawv]

9 hours ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

I can't figure out where to find it, but what's the Cubs record in 1 run games now compared to the Marlins?

Cubs 21-24

Marlins 33-13

Sorry, I just saw that it was answered. 

Edited September 30, 2023 by thawv