Spring Training Chit Chats

[KCCub]

6 minutes ago, Bertz said:

 

This likely means Madrigal is going to make the team even though he just got back into games yesterday.

Yep. Not a lot of upside on our bench with Madrigal and Mastro. Don't like. 

[Bertz]

Looks like it's confirmed, as is the end of the bullpen

 

 

[We Got The Whole 9]

Mastro has a really good track record of getting on base. It's gotta show up eventually in MLB. Hopefully it's just a comfort thing and he figures it out. 

[WhyCantWeWin]

That is one ugly bench

[JunkyardWalrus]

I'm glad to see Canario will be getting abs in Iowa instead of sitting on the bench in Chicago. I'd take him over Tauchman, but not with Tauchman.

That makes Iowa's OF: Davis/Hill, PCA, Canario? 

 

[Rob]

24 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

That is one ugly bench

Yes and no.

MVP Baseball 2005 programmed my brain to think that the only purpose of the bench is to have a couple fantastic pinch hitters, a fast guy, and a guy who can cover any position in case of injuries. Everybody else slots in at their preferred position every single day.

That's really not the case. Especially in the DH era, when we don't need at least one or two pinch hitters for the pitcher on any given day.

Counsell is a tinkerer. Guys are going to be sliding all over the diamond and playing matchups that suit them. On any given day, I wouldn't be surprised if a guy like Morel or Busch is available for late-inning pinch hitting duties. So the lack of conventional thump on our bench isn't necessarily an issue.

That's what the rational part of my brain is saying, anyways. The emotional part would kill for a guy like Brandon Belt or Tommy Pham on the bench to know we've got somebody to pinch hit for the Madrigal types when necessary.

[squally1313]

Yeah it would be amazing to be able to slot in 2007 Daryle Ward at the end of the bench every year but ultimately I want the guys who can project to be future daily contributors to be getting as many PAs as possible, and we're pretty stocked up on guys at the Major League level that can and should play every day. Injuries will happen and I don't think someone like Mastro making the roster over Canario implies that Mastro would be the next man up to take over a starting role. For now, it's fine. 

[Tim]

31 minutes ago, JunkyardWalrus said:

I'm glad to see Canario will be getting abs in Iowa instead of sitting on the bench in Chicago. I'd take him over Tauchman, but not with Tauchman.

That makes Iowa's OF: Davis/Hill, PCA, Canario? 

 

And Caissie

[Irrelevant Dude]

1 hour ago, JunkyardWalrus said:

That makes Iowa's OF: Davis/Hill, PCA, Canario? 

Has Brennen Davis resurfaced yet or is he still silently MIA?

[LBiittner]

When dealing with injury recovery, when someone mentions an injury has reached plateau status, what does that mean? Does it mean it's not getting better but not getting worse? 

I do understand when my wife says our love life is at a plateau, I'm not going to be happy.

[Irrelevant Dude]

5 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

When dealing with injury recovery, when someone mentions an injury has reached plateau status, what does that mean? Does it mean it's not getting better but not getting worse? 

I do understand when my wife says our love life is at a plateau, I'm not going to be happy.

I would say you have it right.  But hey, a plateau isn't so bad!  That's much better than going downhill.

[chibears55]

3 hours ago, Bertz said:

Looks like it's confirmed, as is the end of the bullpen

 

 

Cool a pinch runner gets the final roster spot 🙄

[Rob]

12 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Cool a pinch runner gets the final roster spot 🙄

That matters more than it used to. The bases being bigger and increasing steal efficiency was a nice rule change.

I still hate the rule change about extra innings, but that also makes pinch-runners with defensive versatility a bit more desirable.

[Irrelevant Dude]

13 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Cool a pinch runner gets the final roster spot 🙄

I assume you are referring to the only one of those two guys with functional hamstrings.  I have no hope whatsoever for Madrigal to stay healthy, but MAYBE Mastrobuoni can be a useful piece.  I just wish the Cubs didn't have to carry both of them on the active roster.

[chibears55]

So who goes when Wisdom returns?

Madrigal or Cooper

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Put me down for "Mastrobuoni over Canario is good, actually"

Canario is a poor fit on the roster, extremely duplicative with other players, and frankly not as good a player as some people hope.  Similarly, Mastrobuoni does a surprising amount of things well and fits a need that goes beyond "short sided platoon DH"

[chibears55]

1 minute ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

I assume you are referring to the only one of those two guys with functional hamstrings.  I have no hope whatsoever for Madrigal to stay healthy, but MAYBE Mastrobuoni can be a useful piece.  I just wish the Cubs didn't have to carry both of them on the active roster.

I'm ok with Mastrobuoni,  Madrigal is just useless for my liking. 

I'm hoping he the one who gets bumped when Wisdom returns 

[chibears55]

Suzuki ready to go..

30+ homers for him this season 

[Rcal10]

16 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

So who goes when Wisdom returns?

Madrigal or Cooper

I hope it is Madrigal or Mastro. And more specifically Madrigal. However, if Peralta agrees to go down to Iowa, when everyone is healthy, I would like to see Wisdom have one spot on the bench and then the last 2 either be Madrigal and Peralta or Mastro and Cooper. Either scenerio gives them 2 lefties on the bench. 

[Rcal10]

20 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

I'm ok with Mastrobuoni,  Madrigal is just useless for my liking. 

I'm hoping he the one who gets bumped when Wisdom returns 

The only thing Madrigal has going to him is he is probably the best fielding 3rd baseman we have. But for me, he would be sent down when Wisdom comes back. I think Mastrobuoni gives them a little more versatility. 

[Tim]

When at full strength, I think my bench would be: Amaya, Peralta, Cooper, Mastro, Tauchman

That may be too many lefties on the bench, but we're a bit right handed in the lineup. I wanted to slot Peralta in for Tauchman entirely, but someone has to back up CF. But Peralta is my primary LHH pinch hitter & DH when not resting guys. Tauchman for OF defense. Mastrobuoni for pinch running & IF defense. Cooper is DH vs lefties or short-sided platoon 1B.

[Rob]

Everybody wanting Madrigal to be cut is going to be sorely disappointed. About the only chance for that is something clicks for Morel and overnight he becomes as good a defender as Madrigal.

 

Otherwise, we are keeping the slick fielding high contact guy on our roster all season. And he's starting frequently.

[Tim]

Just now, Rob said:

Everybody wanting Madrigal to be cut is going to be sorely disappointed. About the only chance for that is something clicks for Morel and overnight he becomes as good a defender as Madrigal.

 

Otherwise, we are keeping the slick fielding high contact guy on our roster all season. And he's starting frequently.

To be clear, I wasn't saying what I think the Cubs will do. I was just laying out what I'd do. I was very close to including Madrigal and excluding Peralta, but I'm hoping Morel shows he can cover 3B well enough. If not, Madrigal is a phone call away at Iowa.

[Rcal10]

2 minutes ago, Tim said:

When at full strength, I think my bench would be: Amaya, Peralta, Cooper, Mastro, Tauchman

That may be too many lefties on the bench, but we're a bit right handed in the lineup. I wanted to slot Peralta in for Tauchman entirely, but someone has to back up CF. But Peralta is my primary LHH pinch hitter & DH when not resting guys. Tauchman for OF defense. Mastrobuoni for pinch running & IF defense. Cooper is DH vs lefties or short-sided platoon 1B.

I don’t see the Cubs taking someone else off the 40 man to have Peralta and Cooper on the bench. Maybe if they traded either Wisdom or Madrigal for someone they didn’t have to put in the 40 man roster this would work. Otherwise, I think Wisdom has a spot. Another reason I think Wisdom has a spot is because I don’t think the Cubs would go with just Mastrobuoni as the only other guy who can play 3rd. Again, I see Wisdom as a sure thing and then either Peralta and Madrigal or Cooper and Mastrobuoni.(when all are healthy)

[CubinNY]

I like that someone called Madrigal slick fielding. 

Edited March 25, 2024 by CubinNY