Cubs (Horton) vs Twins (Festa): 7/9/25, 6:40pm

[CubUgly]

2 minutes ago, BigbadB said:

I still would have much rather seen Madlock retire a Cub. He was so amazing. 

 

I can't argue with you there,  it was just my take that of the worst trades in Cubs history....not sure I'd have it as high.....but yeah I liked Madlock. 

[BigbadB]

Just now, CubUgly said:

I can't argue with you there,  it was just my take that of the worst trades in Cubs history....not sure I'd have it as high.....but yeah I liked Madlock. 

The Sutcliffe/Carter trade would rate higher on my list.

[Geographyhater8888]

14 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

We pretty much agree on what we think will happen. I think definitely a starting pitcher will be added. I also think an upgrade at 3rd/bench will be added. Not a major upgrade. The question comes in as to what else, if anything? Pen arm, second starter or a bigger upgrade to the line up? 🤷 Whatever it is I hope it is enough. 

The half measures they took in the offseason gambling on Shaw and assembling the weakest bench the cubs have ever had certainly complicated things. That’s what happens when you slash $40 million off the books and don’t invest it back into the team.

i can forgive the need for a starter because you can’t really predict the injuries would be this bad. Although assembling a rotation full of middle of the rotation arms on a playoff caliber staff is questionable.

Edited July 10, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Rcal10]

19 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

The half measures they took in the offseason gambling on Shaw and assembling the weakest bench the cubs have ever had certainly complicated things. That’s what happens when you slash $40 million off the books and don’t invest it back into the team.

i can forgive the need for a starter because you can’t really predict the injuries would be this bad. Although assembling a rotation full of middle of the rotation arms on a playoff caliber staff is questionable.

I think the Cubs got very lucky on Boyd and Kelly, a little lucky on Rea, very lucky on several pen arms and unlucky on Turner. I think it is not unreasonable to have thought he would be a decent bench bat. So him and whoever wasn’t catching would have been an ok start to the bench. They did need to get someone better than either Berti or Brujan. But I do agree with you that they had enough money to do more. 

[Rcal10]

For all the doomsday talk that goes on around here, we do need to remember the Cubs are 16 games over .500 and in the running for the best record in the NL. They cannot help what the Brewers are doing. Normal expectation would be the Cubs would be at least 5 games in 1st now if they were 16 games over. I think we probably all need to take a breath and relax a little. I doubt the Brewers continue to play .700 ball, like they have done the past 40 games. And if they do, there is nothing the Cubs can do about it. Cubs are a good team. We should be very happy where their record stands.

[CubUgly]

7 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I think the Cubs got very lucky on Boyd and Kelly, a little lucky on Rea, very lucky on several pen arms and unlucky on Turner. I think it is not unreasonable to have thought he would be a decent bench bat. So him and whoever wasn’t catching would have been an ok start to the bench. They did need to get someone better than either Berti or Brujan. But I do agree with you that they had enough money to do more. 

Honestly, I expected Berti to be decent contributor.  He started games in the playoffs for the Yankees last year, has speed and has a history of being about league average and a good contact guy.  Has not shown any of that outside the speed here. 

[Geographyhater8888]

14 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

For all the doomsday talk that goes on around here, we do need to remember the Cubs are 16 games over .500 and in the running for the best record in the NL. They cannot help what the Brewers are doing. Normal expectation would be the Cubs would be at least 5 games in 1st now if they were 16 games over. I think we probably all need to take a breath and relax a little. I doubt the Brewers continue to play .700 ball, like they have done the past 40 games. And if they do, there is nothing the Cubs can do about it. Cubs are a good team. We should be very happy where their record stands.

 

20 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I think the Cubs got very lucky on Boyd and Kelly, a little lucky on Rea, very lucky on several pen arms and unlucky on Turner. I think it is not unreasonable to have thought he would be a decent bench bat. So him and whoever wasn’t catching would have been an ok start to the bench. They did need to get someone better than either Berti or Brujan. But I do agree with you that they had enough money to do more. 

Boyd was Jed hitting the money ball jackpot, that’s very true and I hope his arm holds up as the season progresses. Rae is a beneficiary of an elite defense and the wrigley field park factor early on but that’s true for the entire rotation. I wouldn’t even say he’s been good exactly he just has a center fielder who turns double in the gap into routine fly outs and Nico making acrobatic plays at second base. By design.

Jed has been vocal about assembling a roster built on over performance from vets, Kelly and Boyd are great examples of this. The big question is whether it’s due to financial restraints or his true approach to building a roster which works once every…. 20 years??? Less? More? The 05 Sox are the only example that comes to mind. 

[Brian707]

49 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

The half measures they took in the offseason gambling on Shaw and assembling the weakest bench the cubs have ever had certainly complicated things. That’s what happens when you slash $40 million off the books and don’t invest it back into the team.

i can forgive the need for a starter because you can’t really predict the injuries would be this bad. Although assembling a rotation full of middle of the rotation arms on a playoff caliber staff is questionable.

[Rcal10]

5 hours ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

Only pitchers available are MOR arms who won’t quite move the needle like a true TOR stopper who can miss bats and win you that needed game.

 

A MOR arm would certainly help, but an Alex Bregman would move the needle ans much as anyone on the trading block. This team will have to slug their way to a pennant and rely on defense and a rotation that can keep in the park at an acceptable level and let the defense make plays.
 

The most glaring hole is third base and turning a weakness into a strength on a lineup that scores at a high runs/game clip, albeit sporadically would be a huge addition

Just looked at the standing. While we were discussing the advantage of adding Bregman it came to my attention the Red Aoz have won 6 in a row and are 4 games over .500 and tied for the last WC spot. Has me doubting Bregman is even worth discussing. 

[squally1313]

I never got the certainty that Bregman was going to opt out, and trading for him even in a world where the Sox weren't in a playoff spot would pretty much guarantee that Tucker was walking at YE. 

Go get pitching. We can figure out how to stopgap third base when every other position on the diamond ranges from solid to elite. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

50 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Just looked at the standing. While we were discussing the advantage of adding Bregman it came to my attention the Red Aoz have won 6 in a row and are 4 games over .500 and tied for the last WC spot. Has me doubting Bregman is even worth discussing. 

He's not. Damn shame Jed didn't sign him though. 

[Geographyhater8888]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

Just looked at the standing. While we were discussing the advantage of adding Bregman it came to my attention the Red Aoz have won 6 in a row and are 4 games over .500 and tied for the last WC spot. Has me doubting Bregman is even worth discussing. 

What’s Patrick Wisdoms Vietnamese league average currently?

[Stratos]

9 hours ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

The half measures they took in the offseason gambling on Shaw and assembling the weakest bench the cubs have ever had certainly complicated things. That’s what happens when you slash $40 million off the books and don’t invest it back into the team.

i can forgive the need for a starter because you can’t really predict the injuries would be this bad. Although assembling a rotation full of middle of the rotation arms on a playoff caliber staff is questionable.

I 100% blame the bench and rotation on ownership for slashing payroll.  I think Jed has done about as good as you can hope with the team.  Even the pen was cobbled together from dumpster dives and the discount rack.

I do think we should avoid older position players where possible.  Berti and Turner have had small samples, but them sucking isn't exactly unpredictable.  Brujan is versatile at sucking.  At least all the catchers have been working out.

[JHBulls]

On 7/10/2025 at 12:06 PM, Outshined_One said:

Baseball is dumb.

A new Baseball is dumb is that our three All-Stars this year were all originally from different organisations and a different group of three All-Stars this year were originally from the Cubs organisation. 

[Geographyhater8888]

14 hours ago, Stratos said:

I 100% blame the bench and rotation on ownership for slashing payroll.  I think Jed has done about as good as you can hope with the team.  Even the pen was cobbled together from dumpster dives and the discount rack.

I do think we should avoid older position players where possible.  Berti and Turner have had small samples, but them sucking isn't exactly unpredictable.  Brujan is versatile at sucking.  At least all the catchers have been working out.

I could be wrong here but didn’t ownership veto Jed from going after Bregman because of deferrals? 
 

That $40 million better be in a piggy bank for a Tucker extension if ownership slashed payroll to make extending him more palatable to Tom. Now McGuire will be DFA’d when Amaya comes back next Thursday who’s our second best bench bat ATM.

Edited July 11, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Stratos]

8 hours ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

That $40 million better be in a piggy bank for a Tucker extension if ownership slashed payroll to make extending him more palatable to Tom.