Brewers (Zastryzny) vs Cubs (Steele): 7/24/24, 1:20pm

[Max Power]

The starting pitching has been so damn good. What a waste.

[Rcal10]

34 minutes ago, Cuzi said:

Stuff like this makes me laugh.

They need like 2 bats and a closer.

Agreed. They need a catcher and a middle of the line up bat. They do not need a total revamping. 

[Cubs420psd]

40 minutes ago, Cuzi said:

Stuff like this makes me laugh.

They need like 2 bats and a closer.

Unless Hoyer has some promises from ricketts going forward, I can't imagine he revamps heavy for 2025 in a lame duck year. It's going to have to be a quick retooling on the fly, and he's going to have to get lucky with some of these minor Leaguers coming up in producing right away.

[KCCub]

14 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Literally just fixing catcher moves the Cubs up 7 or 8 spots in runs scored per game.

(ALERT - meaningless small sample size)

Amaya has a wRC+ of 273 over his last 9 games. The Cubs average runs per game during those 9 games - 2.67 runs. 

Moral of the story (Outside of being an irrelevant sample size), if Swanson, Nico, Morel, PCA and company doesn't hit (Or we at least don't get production out of their replacements next season), it doesn't matter what we do at catcher. 

[Bertz]

2 minutes ago, KCCub said:

(ALERT - meaningless small sample size)

Amaya has a wRC+ of 273 over his last 9 games. The Cubs average runs per game during those 9 games - 2.67 runs. 

Moral of the story (Outside of being an irrelevant sample size), if Swanson, Nico, Morel, PCA and company doesn't hit (Or we at least don't get production out of their replacements next season), it doesn't matter what we do at catcher. 

You're always going to have slumps, and you're always going to have unfortunate periods where like 4-5 slumps line up together concurrently.  The problem with catcher is that it has until these last 9 games been entirely made of slump.  Having what is functionally a traditional NL lineup for half a season is far and away the primary issue with the offense this year (there is also the run environment like TT brought up this AM but people get super pissy when you bring that kind of thing up).

[KCCub]

4 minutes ago, Bertz said:

You're always going to have slumps, and you're always going to have unfortunate periods where like 4-5 slumps line up together concurrently.  The problem with catcher is that it has until these last 9 games been entirely made of slump.  Having what is functionally a traditional NL lineup for half a season is far and away the primary issue with the offense this year (there is also the run environment like TT brought up this AM but people get super pissy when you bring that kind of thing up).

I’ve been pushing the run environment aspect for a while now. It hurts us probably more than most teams with competitive aspirations with the lack of raw power throughout our lineup. My post really wasn’t that serious and more of a shot at our current vets and the need for them to be better offensively next season. 

[mfcubs22]

2 hours ago, chibears55 said:

2 bats to replace who ?

Which bats are you counting on to be much better going forward ?

Not necessarily better, but Busch, Happ, and Seiya have been more plenty good enough. Dansby has his lowest wRC+ since 2018. The last 2 times he had a wRC <100, he responded the following season with wRCs of 115 and 116. So he’s a decent bounce back candidate. And regardless, youre stuck with him. You need to get more out of 3B, C, and CF either through internal improvements or external trades (assuming Soto isn’t happening). I don’t like spending on bullpens, but a reliable closer would help a lot as well as I don’t see this offense improving THAT much. 

[Derwood]

8 runs in 6 games. Fackin' hell

[gflore34]

31 minutes ago, Derwood said:

8 runs in 6 games. Fackin' hell

Against such pitching luminaries as Rea, Meyers, Nelson and Pfaat, what a gauntlet.

[gflore34]

As I mentioned, was at the game Tuesday, got a Nico Horner pin, and saw a bad team - the Cubs - on the bad end of the luck spectrum.  And a mediocre team - the Brewers - on the good end of the luck spectrum.

Edited July 25, 2024 by gflore34

[Rcal10]

58 minutes ago, TomtheBombadil said:

How about this guy Porter Hodge?! I imagine such a cheap and effective reliever could bring back a haul this TDL

Why not have him for future years as a pen arm. It doesn’t make sense to trade him when you have him for many years of control. 

[Backtobanks]

5 hours ago, Cuzi said:

Stuff like this makes me laugh.

They need like 2 bats and a closer.

Why does it make you laugh?  2 bats and a closer for a team that doesn't want to spend money or trade prospects is a really tough hill to climb.

[Cuzi]

1 minute ago, Backtobanks said:

Why does it make you laugh?  2 bats and a closer for a team that doesn't want to spend money or trade prospects is a really tough hill to climb.

If Jed wants to keep a job beyond 2025, something is going to give. But even then, average play at C, 3B and 4 less blown saves and the Cubs are neck and neck with the Brewers this year.

[WhyCantWeWin]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

Why not have him for future years as a pen arm. It doesn’t make sense to trade him when you have him for many years of control. 

Its just Tom being sarcastic, he hates prospects and becomes angry if someone wants to trade a proven vet

[NorthsideAvenger]

I do not like managers or FO personnel on their last yr of the contracts. Either extend or move on, imo. So Ricketts has a choice to make with Hoyer: either give Jed a 1 yr extension with the condition that '25 is his last with the Cubs if they don't make the playoffs, or simply move on from Jed this offseason. Lame duck Jed is not good for the Cubs.

[jersey cubs fan]

6 hours ago, Bertz said:

Literally just fixing catcher moves the Cubs up 7 or 8 spots in runs scored per game.

It’s almost as if the cubs have black holes every year that literally could just be fixed with magical average players they somehow never seem to find. 

[UMFan83]

3 hours ago, Derwood said:

8 runs in 6 games. Fackin' hell

Theyve actually scored 9 runs. I presume that changes everything about how you view the last 6 games. 

[Cuzi]

1 hour ago, NorthsideAvenger said:

I do not like managers or FO personnel on their last yr of the contracts. Either extend or move on, imo. So Ricketts has a choice to make with Hoyer: either give Jed a 1 yr extension with the condition that '25 is his last with the Cubs if they don't make the playoffs, or simply move on from Jed this offseason. Lame duck Jed is not good for the Cubs.

I'm like 80/20 on Jed getting fired.

Renteria was fired with 2 years left. Maddon was fired with 1 year left. Theo left with 1 year left. Ross was fired with 1 year left.

A 1 year extension is just a waste of money. If an extension is to happen it will be for multiple years, but that's a hard sell for a guy that hasn't managed a single playoff appearance in 4 seasons and has a team thats worth $50M more on the field than the next closest in the division and sits in last place.

Edited July 25, 2024 by Cuzi

[Sosa21MVP]

What a Cob-tastic start to the 2nd half of the season.

[NorthsideAvenger]

2 hours ago, Cuzi said:

I'm like 80/20 on Jed getting fired.

Renteria was fired with 2 years left. Maddon was fired with 1 year left. Theo left with 1 year left. Ross was fired with 1 year left.

A 1 year extension is just a waste of money. If an extension is to happen it will be for multiple years, but that's a hard sell for a guy that hasn't managed a single playoff appearance in 4 seasons and has a team thats worth $50M more on the field than the next closest in the division and sits in last place.

I agree. You either have to extend him (boo) or move on (yeah). I know what I want but I suspect Tom is going to extend Hoyer.

[Geographyhater8888]

5 hours ago, UMFan83 said:

Theyve actually scored 9 runs. I presume that changes everything about how you view the last 6 games. 

Score 6 on Friday, 4 on Saturday, 2 Sunday, 1 Monday, 3 and 4 runs Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

 offense in any given year still averages 3.5 rpg, with those 21 runs enough to take at 5 of 6.

Thing is did Tom hire Jed because of his unwillingness to spend on quality bats, is he being handcuffed by Tom or did Tom hire the wrong guy?

 

remember Theo generously signing free agents in Boston and making big trades landing Crawford Gonzalez Bay Dasuke Lowell becket and many others. With the cubs Heyward was his big free agent plush commanding under $200 million and of course Lester (great signing) over Scherzer, an objectively better pitcher.

I really believe ownership has a lot of say especially if you followed Theo in Boston who wouldn’t hesitate to throw $ at high impact talent.

that 04 Sox team under Jed/Tom would have the same position players if you subtract Manny big papi Nomar (before trade) and varitek). Mueller Nixon Mills’s Damon are all fine players that won’t win s*** if that’s your core. 
 

Am i wrong or is this a pattern under our ownership?

[Backtobanks]

9 hours ago, Cuzi said:

If Jed wants to keep a job beyond 2025, something is going to give. But even then, average play at C, 3B and 4 less blown saves and the Cubs are neck and neck with the Brewers this year.

Jeb will keep his job with mediocre, under budget team because that's all Ricketts needs.  

[CubinNY]

2 hours ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

 

Thing is did Tom hire Jed because of his unwillingness to spend on quality bats, is he being handcuffed by Tom or did Tom hire the wrong guy?

 

 

Tom hired a like minded CBO.  The Ricketts are not trying to trick anyone. Tom's comments (paraphrasing) "They should be able to win and stay under the luxury tax" is his hard line. 

If Jed cannot do it, Tom will hire another guy with the same general philosophy and tactics. Making money is goal #1, #2, and winning is goal #3. 

[Derwood]

10 hours ago, UMFan83 said:

Theyve actually scored 9 runs. I presume that changes everything about how you view the last 6 games. 

[Tryptamine]

5.5 days until the trade deadline. Anytime now Jed.