2024 Spring Training Game Thread

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

Given how little spring results mean to me I doubt they mean more to other GMs but maybe worth seeing if any team not expecting to contend might want to trade for Bote. But then again the return would probably be so minimal it would be better to have Bote in Iowa in a “break glass in case of emergency” type of scenario 

I think bertz may have suggested this earlier, but I wouldn’t mind Bote over Wisdom and the Cubs trade Wisdom. Just get an A ballplayer not on the 40 man. I would be fine with that. Saves the Cubs Wisdom’s contract and really Bote is more versatile. Not a huge deal, but if one had to be in the team and the other could be traded this would be the route I would go. I don’t think anyone takes Bote and his contract in a trade. 

[UMFan83]

20 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I think bertz may have suggested this earlier, but I wouldn’t mind Bote over Wisdom and the Cubs trade Wisdom. Just get an A ballplayer not on the 40 man. I would be fine with that. Saves the Cubs Wisdom’s contract and really Bote is more versatile. Not a huge deal, but if one had to be in the team and the other could be traded this would be the route I would go. I don’t think anyone takes Bote and his contract in a trade. 

I thought to myself "Bote's contract can't be that bad" and then I looked it up, yikes $5.5 million for him this year.  At least its the last year of the contract.  Bote has to be one of the richest guys to ever spend 75+% of his career in the minors.

[Bertz]

It takes like 4-5 injuries to guys further up the depth chart before I think calling Bote up to MLB would be a good idea.  He should be cut so that he can glob on with like the Rockies and save the Cubs $800K.

[LBiittner]

19 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

I thought to myself "Bote's contract can't be that bad" and then I looked it up, yikes $5.5 million for him this year.  At least its the last year of the contract.  Bote has to be one of the richest guys to ever spend 75+% of his career in the minors.

He turned a few months worth of production into generational wealth, thanks Theo.

[Crusader]

1 hour ago, TomtheBombadil said:

I lean keep Wisdom over Bote as far as trade talk. This team doesn’t have much power so Wisdom offers arguably better coverage at 1B and DH as well as 3B. Plus Wisdom’s been available. Pretty sure Bote frees up more cap space and/or payroll too, could argue that’s another reason moving him is a little more in the spirit of Future 2.0 mechanics 

In addition, Bote is a reverse split guy too based on his numbers in the majors (86 RC LHP vs 94 RC RHP - Wisdom is 119 RC LHP). The main idea on keeping Wisdom (or Cooper) is using him as a platoon option to keep the pressure off Busch and others.

I’d trade Bote for just about anything to get his salary off the books.

Edited March 4, 2024 by Crusader

[thawv]

On 3/1/2024 at 12:05 AM, Stratos said:

Seems like PCA may have an issue with velocity, especially up in the zone.  Makes sense given his golf-like swing.  He seems to be behind on fastballs a lot, including during his short stint last year in MLB.  Statcast says he saw 51 fastballs in the MLB last year and had a whiff % of 52% on those fastballs.  To compare, Wisdom's biggest whiff% pitches last year was breaking balls at 43%.

PCA says he's been working on getting to pitches up over the winter.  I think he definitely needs some AAA time to work on it.

If his biggest issue is with major league velocity, how is facing minor league pitching going to help with that?  If his issue is something more than just the ability to catching up with major league fastballs, then AAA is probably needed. 

[Rob]

3 minutes ago, thawv said:

If his biggest issue is with major league velocity, how is facing minor league pitching going to help with that?  If his issue is something more than just the ability to catching up with major league fastballs, then AAA is probably needed. 

AAA has a weird mix, but it's usually "pick one" of major league velocity or major league control. There's plenty of guys down there with a cannon and trouble locating.

It can also help him work on swing decisions.

[Tryptamine]

Will I finally get to see the Cubs score a run this spring training?

[Rcal10]

34 minutes ago, Crusader said:

In addition, Bote is a reverse split guy too based on his numbers in the majors (86 RC LHP vs 94 RC RHP - Wisdom is 119 RC LHP). The main idea on keeping Wisdom (or Cooper) is using him as a platoon option to keep the pressure off Busch and others.

I’d trade Bote for just about anything to get his salary off the books.

I just don’t think Bote is tradable. Wisdom probably is. Fine with no Bote either. I thought bertz suggested him but I clearly quoted the wrong person. That said, after hearing he is a reverse split guy, I don’t want him either. But Bote can’t be traded, so he can go to Iowa. I would still like to see Wisdom dealt for a low minor leaguer not on the 40 man roster, and have Cooper make the OD roster. 

[CubinNY]

22 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Will I finally get to see the Cubs score a run this spring training?

Not today unless you are at the game. 

[Jason Ross]

56 minutes ago, thawv said:

If his biggest issue is with major league velocity, how is facing minor league pitching going to help with that?  If his issue is something more than just the ability to catching up with major league fastballs, then AAA is probably needed. 

The Cubs have multiple pitchers who can hit 95+mph on the gun in Triple-A this year and they're not an outlier. The reality is that MLB velocity can be found pretty regularly across the leagues now a days from Low-A through the MLB. A lot of the deciding factor is how well they control it. 

Regardless of what his issue is, Triple-A stuff wise will almost assuredly challenge him enough for where he's at. He made contact 67% of the time in Triple-A last year. It isn't like it wasn't an issue there, too.

[thawv]

1 hour ago, Rob said:

AAA has a weird mix, but it's usually "pick one" of major league velocity or major league control. There's plenty of guys down there with a cannon and trouble locating.

It can also help him work on swing decisions.

Swing decisions I can get on board with.  I guess if there high velo guys down there, that could help.

 

[CubinNY]

In yesterday's game, Lance Brozdowski mentioned that the gap between AAA and MLB is widening and large in pitching. Guys aren't staying down for extended periods when they have the goods. It stands to reason if that is true, there is little to be gained by keeping a hitter there either who has mastered AAA. That's not to say PCA or any of the other "kids" have mastered AAA. But the process has changed a lot in the last few years. 

[KCCub]

Anybody know why Madrigal was PH for in the 3rd inning?

[UMFan83]

1 hour ago, CubinNY said:

Not today unless you are at the game. 

I’m sorry but it’s absolutely inexcusable that Marquee does not broadcast every single Spring Training game. The only exception id allow is split squad games, I would be ok with them only showing 1 of them. 

And I largely don’t even watch Spring Training games. I’ve seen maybe 2 innings so far but seriously what the horsefeathers are we paying premium cable prices for?  They can’t even be bothered to broadcast many of the games at the ballpark and/or with their own camera feed. It’s ridiculous.  Right now instead of the Cubs dedicated TV network broadcasting an actual (spring training) Cubs game, they are showing a replay of a Major League Rugby game 

I’d be less mad if I thought an appropriate amount of the revenue for Marquee was being spent on the club but we’re not even seeing much of a boost if any and we’re in year 5.  I’d rather just go back to games being on WGN and NBC Sports Chicago as so far Marquee has been a gigantic dud. 

Edited March 4, 2024 by UMFan83

[We Got The Whole 9]

So we have struck out 1 batter through 5. Wicks had 0, facing 15 batters. Did he get any whiffs?

[LBiittner]

Oh Yes !!

Caissie with another hit.

 

Oh crap

Dom Smith went 2 for 3 today

[thawv]

1 hour ago, KCCub said:

Anybody know why Madrigal was PH for in the 3rd inning?

If was to take a guess, I would say it's because these are practice games.

[thawv]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

I’m sorry but it’s absolutely inexcusable that Marquee does not broadcast every single Spring Training game. The only exception id allow is split squad games, I would be ok with them only showing 1 of them. 

And I largely don’t even watch Spring Training games. I’ve seen maybe 2 innings so far but seriously what the horsefeathers are we paying premium cable prices for?  They can’t even be bothered to broadcast many of the games at the ballpark and/or with their own camera feed. It’s ridiculous.  Right now instead of the Cubs dedicated TV network broadcasting an actual (spring training) Cubs game, they are showing a replay of a Major League Rugby game 

I’d be less mad if I thought an appropriate amount of the revenue for Marquee was being spent on the club but we’re not even seeing much of a boost if any and we’re in year 5.  I’d rather just go back to games being on WGN and NBC Sports Chicago as so far Marquee has been a gigantic dud. 

Marquee wasn't created to benefit the fans.  It was created to benefit the owners.  It's a cash generating project for the Ricketts family.  

[thawv]

1 hour ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

So we have struck out 1 batter through 5. Wicks had 0, facing 15 batters. Did he get any whiffs?

He pitched 3.1 innings with 4 hits, 0 K's, 1 BB, 4 hits, 1 ER

[KCCub]

9 minutes ago, thawv said:

If was to take a guess, I would say it's because these are practice games.

No, something else was definitely in play. 
 

 

[thawv]

40 minutes ago, KCCub said:

No, something else was definitely in play. 
 

 

What a shock!  His inability to stay off the DL should make their decision a little easier.

[Rcal10]

49 minutes ago, thawv said:

Marquee wasn't created to benefit the fans.  It was created to benefit the owners.  It's a cash generating project for the Ricketts family.  

To be clear, they televise 27 spring games. Not really a big deal if there are a few not on tv. 

[thawv]

23 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

To be clear, they televise 27 spring games. Not really a big deal if there are a few not on tv. 

No doubt.  I just pointing out to the poster who's not happy about it, that the Marquee Network was not created for the fans.  It was created for generating more revenue for ownership.  

[UMFan83]

1 hour ago, thawv said:

Marquee wasn't created to benefit the fans.  It was created to benefit the owners.  It's a cash generating project for the Ricketts family.  

Thats fine, but I'm still going to hold their feet to the fire even if its pointless.