Cubs offseason chit chat...

[LBiittner]

3 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

We need Taillon to step up big this year. He showed signs last season. But other times he was just serving cheeseburgers

I'm really moving into the sign montgomery camp. But, probably too much competition.

A side note: why the heck trade a solid lefty pitcher in yankee stadium for Harrison bader? We need to trade with the Yankees more often lol

[LBiittner]

Sox have made righty Patino available.

Is he a reclamation job for Jed?

Sorry I'm just scrambling to find pitchers today 

[champaignchris]

20 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

We need Taillon to step up big this year. He showed signs last season. But other times he was just serving cheeseburgers

He was the guy the Cubs thought they were signing during the second half last year. It seems like they fixed whatever was going wrong in the first half. 
 

Over his last 15 starts he had 8 QS and a 3.53 ERA. If the Cubs can get that guy all year, they’ll be fine with Taillon as the #3 starter. 

[Bertz]

15 minutes ago, champaignchris said:

He was the guy the Cubs thought they were signing during the second half last year. It seems like they fixed whatever was going wrong in the first half. 
 

Over his last 15 starts he had 8 QS and a 3.53 ERA. If the Cubs can get that guy all year, they’ll be fine with Taillon as the #3 starter. 

I think extremely highly of Tommy Hottovy, but I'm definitely starting to notice a pattern with the SP they bring in of really slow starts.  Taillon, Stroman, even going back to Darvish all of these guys were a mess for their first half a season before getting things back on track.  The Cubs' system seems to let them work pretty on the fly with relievers but there seem to be some initial growing pains with starters and as we look to be more competitive they'll have to shorten that timeframe.

[Rcal10]

3 hours ago, ToolDRT said:

Each day that passes I get more surprised Hoskins hasn’t signed yet. Leaves me wondering if there really is something to the potential multi-player deal with the Guardians. Hoskins would have to have a pretty specific market, I can’t think he’s waiting on the other bats to sign. 

This is what bothers me with the supposed Cubs plan. If they are waiting on the market to dictate which way they go, it holds up other things. Using Hoskins as an example, if they did sign him wouldn’t that mean they probably don’t trade for Naylor? Of if they do is Morel then the 3rd baseman and Hoskins the DH? But if they signed Chapman they can trade for Naylor and just leave Morel at DH. If they wait and end up with Bellinger that is a whole other route. Do they keep PCA and just rotate outfielders as DH? So then is Morel the 3rd baseman? I realize PCA might start in the minors, but what about when he finally does come up? 
I get the waiting on a pitcher to drop. That doesn’t change the roster construction. Personally I think the top 3 will be overpriced and we will be looking at Giolito, Stoman and/or a pitcher via trade.

But waiting on a hitter does alter other moves. Time to pick a lane and be a large market team and sign someone and build the roster. 

[LBiittner]

December 30,2020 Yu Darvish.

We have Caisse our current #3 prospect as a result.

Are any of the other 3 kids still breathing in pro ball?

[Thusly Boned]

27 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

December 30,2020 Yu Darvish.

We have Caisse our current #3 prospect as a result.

Are any of the other 3 kids still breathing in pro ball?

All are still in our system, I believe, but breathing is about all they're doing.

[PeanutPunch33]

People that are willing to trade Morel need to go back and watch the blast he had against the Twins.  Kid has 50+ HR potential 

[LBiittner]

11 minutes ago, XZero77 said:

All are still in our system, I believe, but breathing is about all they're doing.

Thanks for the update 😀 

[LBiittner]

5 minutes ago, PeanutPunch33 said:

People that are willing to trade Morel need to go back and watch the blast he had against the Twins.  Kid has 50+ HR potential 

I prefer to keep his bat. I also enjoy the spark he brings to the team. Utter exuberance 

[chibears55]

I just saw something about How Ricketts won't be at the Convention,  and the more I think about him not being there, the more I feel that the Cubs won't be adding any players of significance this offseason. 

I mean, why else would he back out of not being able to gloat about any new or returning (Bellinger) player of high value and recieve the praises of spending on these players. Only makes sense that he just avoiding the wrath of fans and media asking why aren't they adding to payroll to compete and take over  very winnable division now ?

Yep, I can see a couple of low cost/years additions to bridge the gap between the rise of some prospects. 

[ToolDRT]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

I just saw something about How Ricketts won't be at the Convention,  and the more I think about him not being there, the more I feel that the Cubs won't be adding any players of significance this offseason. 

I mean, why else would he back out of not being able to gloat about any new or returning (Bellinger) player of high value and recieve the praises of spending on these players. Only makes sense that he just avoiding the wrath of fans and media asking why aren't they adding to payroll to compete and take over  very winnable division now ?

Yep, I can see a couple of low cost/years additions to bridge the gap between the rise of some prospects. 

There was some talk online that it just wasn’t a very popular part of the convention. But it does concern me a bit. I assume had we signed Ohtani for instance the panel would have been a go. 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Just now, chibears55 said:

I mean, why else would he back out of not being able to gloat about any new or returning (Bellinger) player of high value and recieve the praises of spending on these players. Only makes sense that he just avoiding the wrath of fans and media asking why aren't they adding to payroll to compete and take over  very winnable division now ?

I say this as someone who will be attending Cubs Convention this year:  it is full of weirdos, and the people who ask questions in the panel sessions lean towards being super-weirdos.  There are a million reasons(e.g. it wasn't that popular or interesting, Tom has a scheduling conflict, etc) that you can come up with for not attending.  And those have the benefit of not carrying the contradictory assumption that Ricketts has such disdain for the fans that he's dictating no spending but also that he's afraid to do a 50 minute session in a hotel ballroom where half the fans ask questions about why the hot dog buns are smaller than they used to be.

[Irrelevant Dude]

32 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

but also that he's afraid to do a 50 minute session in a hotel ballroom where half the fans ask questions about why the hot dog buns are smaller than they used to be.

My favorite question from last year's panel was from the old lady who asked for more day games because she is too old to attend the night games.

[ToolDRT]

8 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

My favorite question from last year's panel was from the old lady who asked for more day games because she is too old to attend the night games.

…it was you, wasn’t it?! 

[UMFan83]

55 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

I say this as someone who will be attending Cubs Convention this year:  it is full of weirdos, and the people who ask questions in the panel sessions lean towards being super-weirdos.  There are a million reasons(e.g. it wasn't that popular or interesting, Tom has a scheduling conflict, etc) that you can come up with for not attending.  And those have the benefit of not carrying the contradictory assumption that Ricketts has such disdain for the fans that he's dictating no spending but also that he's afraid to do a 50 minute session in a hotel ballroom where half the fans ask questions about why the hot dog buns are smaller than they used to be.

Wait, are the hot dog buns smaller than they used to be?  Really trying to save money wherever they can 😂

[Irrelevant Dude]

15 minutes ago, ToolDRT said:

…it was you, wasn’t it?! 

Well, I'm all for more day games...

[Backtobanks]

25 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Well, I'm all for more day games...

It's all about the bottom line.  More night games = more money in his pocket.

[LBiittner]

Since the topic hotdog buns has been introduced, why are hotdogs buns always sliced off-center? It's maddening how the bakery always slices one side in inches and the thin side is the smallest of millimeters 

 

[Bertz]

6 minutes ago, Backtobanks said:

It's all about the bottom line.  More night games = more money in his pocket.

I believe Theo confirmed pretty emphatically that they viewed the day games as a disadvantage on a baseball level.  I think keeping the Friday/Saturday day games and otherwise operating as other franchises do (i.e. Sundays and getaway days) is probably the sweet spot.

[Tryptamine]

6 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Since the topic hotdog buns has been introduced, why are hotdogs buns always sliced off-center? It's maddening how the bakery always slices one side in inches and the thin side is the smallest of millimeters 

 

You see what you've done Jed! This is the offseason banter we're left with.

[LBiittner]

Mlb is shaving 2 seconds off the pitch clock.

[ToolDRT]

 

[LBiittner]

Just now, ToolDRT said:

 

Speculation is he doesn't want to be with ohtani. My money is on NY.

[Bertz]

19 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Speculation is he doesn't want to be with ohtani. My money is on NY.

As gross as it is, we should all be rooting for the Yankees.  The Mets, and increasingly it sounds like the Dodgers also, are not planning on going big game hunting at SP if they miss on Yamamoto.