Spring Training Game Thread

[Bertz]

Back on TV.  I'd assume Poteet follows Wicks, but haven't seen that reported.  Pressly and Palencia are good guesses to get into today's game as well.

 

[Rcal10]

5 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Back on TV.  I'd assume Poteet follows Wicks, but haven't seen that reported.  Pressly and Palencia are good guesses to get into today's game as well.

 

Is Horton going to get in games this spring? Or Is he just going pitch simulated games? I am going today. Love to see him pitch. 

Edited February 27, 2025 by Rcal10

[Bull]

I would love to see Wicks come out and dominate. If the knock is a lack of a third pitch, any chance he can become a bullpen lefty answer? If Little can gen healthy those are two significantly different lefty arsenal options.

Edited February 27, 2025 by Bull

[Bull]

15 hours ago, CubinNY said:

Cubs tied today, so still undefeated 

The most incestuous of results.

[Bertz]

39 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Is Horton going to get in games this spring? Or Is he just going pitch simulated games? I am going today. Love to see him pitch. 

His bullpen/sim game outing was Sunday I think?  I would eyeball Friday or Saturday for him getting into a real game.  

[Bertz]

29 minutes ago, Bull said:

I would love to see Wicks come out and dominate. If the knock is a lack of a third pitch, any chance he can become a bullpen lefty answer? If Little can gen healthy those are two significantly different lefty arsenal options.

I would say two things:

1. Fastball/changeup from a lefty is not generally a great combo in the pen.  It's not unworkable, but it's not something that makes you go "this guy is built for short relief."  I think most changeup lefties either have hefty velo or a funky arm slot

2. Wicks actually pitched relatively well last year before the oblique injury in June.  He had a 4.18 ERA and a 3.79 xFIP and an above average strikeout rate.  He was a hot mess in September, but I think there's some reasonable hope that getting him right physically will cure him

I do think Wicks' performance might be a bit sensitive to how his velocity is doing, so in that sense a pen move would obviously help.  But I think even then it'd likely look more like him being a 2-3 inning guy with a full assortment of pitches.

[chibears55]

Bruce Levine 

News from Cubs camp-Rookie Matt Shaw told me and @WatchMarquee he will start playing in games the next few games with no hesitation or restrictions.Dealing with oblique issue since Feb 5th.

 

Jesse Rodgers 

Cubs 2b Nico Hoerner won't go to Japan with the team to open the season next month. He's still recovering from flexor tendon surgery. He'll stay back to continue his rehab.

Edited February 27, 2025 by chibears55

[squally1313]

13 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Bruce Levine 

News from Cubs camp-Rookie Matt Shaw told me and @WatchMarquee he will start playing in games the next few games with no hesitation or restrictions.Dealing with oblique issue since Feb 5th.

 

Jesse Rodgers 

Cubs 2b Nico Hoerner won't go to Japan with the team to open the season next month. He's still recovering from flexor tendon surgery. He'll stay back to continue his rehab.

You don't want to put too much importance on two games, especially with the disruption in whatever build up/rehab is going on, but just optically having Workman and Berti in the Opening Day lineup would be a bit depressing so if Shaw could just show up at full speed that would be great. 

[Bertz]

I also take Nico not traveling as a good sign.  If he was going to miss like all of April I would think he'd just go ahead and travel with the team.  Him staying back feels to me like it means domestic opening day is still the target and doesn't want to burn a few days of runway to that.

[Rcal10]

2 minutes ago, Bertz said:

I also take Nico not traveling as a good sign.  If he was going to miss like all of April I would think he'd just go ahead and travel with the team.  Him staying back feels to me like it means domestic opening day is still the target and doesn't want to burn a few days of runway to that.

This is true. Didn’t think of that. Has to suck for him not to be able to go to Japan. But time in Az is more important, long term. 

[Bertz]

Hell yeah

 

[Bertz]

 

 

Edited February 27, 2025 by Bertz

[Bertz]

Happ/Tucker/Suzuki top 3 again.  Starting to feel like we can lock that one in

Unlike the last few times Swanson isn't cleanup, hes dropped to 5 with Busch in there.

I wonder if we're looking at this for the default lineup

Happ

Tucker

Suzuki

Busch

Swanson

Hoerner

PCA

Amaya

Shaw

Really loads up the top of the lineup a la the Dodgers and Braves, and aside from Tucker (who doesn't have a problem with lefties) puts two righties front/back of every lefty.

[SOFNR]

42 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Happ/Tucker/Suzuki top 3 again.  Starting to feel like we can lock that one in

Unlike the last few times Swanson isn't cleanup, hes dropped to 5 with Busch in there.

I wonder if we're looking at this for the default lineup

Happ

Tucker

Suzuki

Busch

Swanson

Hoerner

PCA

Amaya

Shaw

Really loads up the top of the lineup a la the Dodgers and Braves, and aside from Tucker (who doesn't have a problem with lefties) puts two righties front/back of every lefty.

Yah, I'm a fan of that one.

[Rob]

45 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Happ/Tucker/Suzuki top 3 again.  Starting to feel like we can lock that one in

Unlike the last few times Swanson isn't cleanup, hes dropped to 5 with Busch in there.

I wonder if we're looking at this for the default lineup

Happ

Tucker

Suzuki

Busch

Swanson

Hoerner

PCA

Amaya

Shaw

Really loads up the top of the lineup a la the Dodgers and Braves, and aside from Tucker (who doesn't have a problem with lefties) puts two righties front/back of every lefty.

That's probably how I'd set it, at least in the early going.

But it's worth noting that most projection systems have Shaw pegged for a wRC+ of around 105. Nico about the same and Dansby a bit closer to 100.

Depending on how people are hitting, I could reasonably see Shaw moving his way up as high as the 5 hole, with whichever of Dansby/Nico who isn't hitting quite as well gettting bumped down to #8.

[Hot Sauce]

Cam Smith clubbed two HRs yesterday. Imagine in a few years we look back at this trade and realize we traded a young Miguel Cabrera. 🫠

[squally1313]

Lineups are funny because I obsessed over them as a kid playing video games and little league and what not and have those old school notions hard wired into my brain. I realize now that it doesn't really matter at all and to just give the best hitters the most PAs and leave it alone, but I still feel the need to endlessly tinker with them (Hoerner and his contact skills in the 2 hole! PCA as the 'second leadoff hitter!').

[Outshined_One]

5 minutes ago, Hot Sauce said:

Cam Smith clubbed two HRs yesterday. Imagine in a few years we look back at this trade and realize we traded a young Miguel Cabrera. 🫠

It's spring training. Save your doom boner for the regular season.

[Rob]

1 minute ago, squally1313 said:

Lineups are funny because I obsessed over them as a kid playing video games and little league and what not and have those old school notions hard wired into my brain. I realize now that it doesn't really matter at all and to just give the best hitters the most PAs and leave it alone, but I still feel the need to endlessly tinker with them (Hoerner and his contact skills in the 2 hole! PCA as the 'second leadoff hitter!').

Optimal lineup order makes a difference. But yeah. Outside of "stack the best hitters near the top" and "break up guys who are all susceptible to the same problem (like LHB v. LHP)" the remaining tweaks have extremely marginal returns.

[Jason Ross]

12 minutes ago, Hot Sauce said:

Cam Smith clubbed two HRs yesterday. Imagine in a few years we look back at this trade and realize we traded a young Miguel Cabrera. 🫠

It's pretty unlikely. There are only so many Miguel Cabrera's in the world. I'm glad for him, as Smith seems like a really decent dude. but the Cubs' Greg Allen (career 73 wRC+) and Vidal Brujan (career 50 wRC+) have both homered recently too. Spring training is practice. It can be fun, but rarely means anything when we're speaking of results (I do think mechanical fixes, new pitches, and process are worth keeping eyes on!). 

[Bertz]

The box score won't be kind to him but Wicks looks great IMO

[Hot Sauce]

38 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

It's spring training. Save your doom boner for the regular season.

I’ll go take a cold shower now. 

[Hot Sauce]

22 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

It's pretty unlikely. There are only so many Miguel Cabrera's in the world. I'm glad for him, as Smith seems like a really decent dude. but the Cubs' Greg Allen (career 73 wRC+) and Vidal Brujan (career 50 wRC+) have both homered recently too. Spring training is practice. It can be fun, but rarely means anything when we're speaking of results (I do think mechanical fixes, new pitches, and process are worth keeping eyes on!). 

I do appreciate you always being the voice of reason around here. Admittedly, I bit on the knee jerk reactions to the two HRs. I did like Smith a lot as a prospect. 

[Jason Ross]

Just now, Hot Sauce said:

I do appreciate you always being the voice of reason around here. Admittedly, I bit on the knee jerk reactions to the two HRs. I did like Smith a lot as a prospect. 

I've taught middle school of fourteen years. Baseball forum is the most even keeled place that I frequent daily. Not a single one of you attempted to use a four hour old hot dog you smuggled out of the lunch room as a tool in your Ted Talk. 

[Hot Sauce]

3 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I've taught middle school of fourteen years. Baseball forum is the most even keeled place that I frequent daily. Not a single one of you attempted to use a four hour old hot dog you smuggled out of the lunch room as a tool in your Ted Talk. 

Now that’s some ingenuity. That kid is going places.