KingKongvs.Godzilla

So we don't need more clutch?

This along with Ha and McNutt...everyone else is pretty secondary.

Jeebus that's a loaded staff. Skaggs is awesome.

Raley could use a strong start, as could the Smokies. Raley's still amongst the best athletes we have on the mound so I hold out hope he can put something together by the end of next year.

This made me look up Clayton Kershaw stats. They're as cartoonish as I expected them to be. He's 23 and leads the NL in ERA, IP, H/9, and K's. He gives up a whole 2 walks per 9 at twenty [expletive] three. He also doesn't give up HRs. Career ERA is 2.92 in almost 700 big league innings, all before the age of 25.

I'm just going to say that teams with balls never consider the idea that they overpaid. This Shark to the rotation idea is growing on me.

If they were to fire Quade (herp QIAFI derp) the the guy I'd hire is Willie Randolph.

If we're so lucky that the Yankees set their sites on Wilson then the Cubs should go balls out and make a run at Sabathia. The Red Sox might be a legit runner at Wilson, but there's the chance they're not. They have Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Buchholz locked in and then arms like Miller, Wakefield, Bedard, Weiland, and whoever else for 5. I think both teams will be less active on Wilson than imagined, but teams like the Mets, Nationals, and others we'd never expect will try to throw the wrench in the Cubs' plan. It's easy to ignore now bc we don't know what it'll look like, but keep the trade market in mind. I expect it'll be busy this offseason.

Zambrano is at worst their 3...Sanchez is the only guy after Johnson I'd take over him, and I'm not even sure how sure I am about that given that he's pitched in a muuuuuuuuuch better environment for pitchers than Z has. Nolasco is alright I guess, he's certainly not bad....but he's another guy who falls firmly into the Randy Wells realm of pitchers.

I'm optimistic that next year's season opener will be very interesting...For one we'll probably see Strasburg, which is awesome....for another both the Cubs and Nationals are two teams who could see a jump in the offseason. Plus the Nationals are one of those mid-market teams who *could* possibly play as a big market team in the long run...That series and the Boston series are two I'd like to get to next year.

Well in his defense there's not much need to coddle a 34 year old veteran pitcher. Dempster isn't some young gun who's bullets need saving at this point in his career.

Eh, they're close enough....probably closer to a commodity. Guys who can play multiple positions, hit ~league average, show a little power, and do it for cheap can be considered that.

Yeah...long posts. Lets agree to disagree. Seems like just a difference in how we look at players.

He went backwards after two years of taking it forward. That control is probably acceptable if he gets the K's and groundballs he's shown to be capable of getting in the minors. Again, this year lasted all of 51 IP in a new role. I think that is a huge factor in all this. I doubt he's suddenly a 5.7 BB/9 guy after sitting firmly at 3.7 for 2 years and 260 IPs. It makes no sense, and considering this year's control problems came in a new, reduced role resulting in maybe 1/5 of the IP I just don't share the worry. That's your opinion and you're fully entitled to having it. I think Kurcz command of his breaking pitch is ahead of Carpenter's, but I'd still take Carpenter's as an out pitch. Couldn't batters be helping out Kurcz in High A? How many kids at that level have seen such a polished breaking pitch? It's not as if he had better walk rates than '09 Carpenter either, even his pen numbers would come with the SSS caveat. Why would Carpenter go on to repeat the walk rate in 2010? Were they helping him out then too? If Kurcz has such strong control, command, and movement on his fastball why doesn't he generate more groundballs? I'm not taking it as bashing Carpenter. I'm just disagreeing with your stance on him. I hope he becomes the pitcher he's capable of being (a high end, high leverage pen arm) and he does it with the Cubs. Consider that he's not a pen arm, but a talented pitcher who isn't starting because of questions of stamina and durability due to some early year arm issues. He has a track record of being a good pitcher, and a longer one of being a highly talented pitcher. I'm not sure what Jose Ceda has to do with anything here tbh. I've heard good things about Cabrera's stuff, and he's another interesting arm. They're probably using him as a starter in the minors to work on his pitches and his long term durability. Many top relievers work starter innings in the minors for a multitude of reasons and I think the Cubs ultimately see Cabrera as a starter. He hasn't performed as well as Carpenter IMO, and I actually like Dolis a little better. IMO the top three relief arms are Carpenter, Beliveau, and Kurcz.

Jacksonville is going to woop some Jets ass. I'm nervous.

Fine. It's probably a good idea to not offer the opportunity to be pushed into that extreme anyway. I'm not anti-stathead, and I already see that that's becoming my image here. Is there even any studies on what time of year a seller should sell? I can't remember any off the top of my head.

Really, I've never heard that theory. That's because he just made it up. Everything I've read has stated that you usually get more in trade during the offseason than at the trade deadline. I think you can reason it out yourself too...if you're allowed to do so in the new baseball word...it's probably better to consult a baseball scientist but: During the season GMs are limited by the July trade deadline and then the restrictions of the post-deadline deadline. The buyers at the trade deadline are usually restricted to contenders and those very few who think they can contend, so already a GM is working in a watered down market. If your buyers are restricted naturally, then so is what's being offered. Then throw in that teams are holding on tight to their prospects nowadays (after Zach Wheeler who was there to miss on? Joe Weiland? MEH), and that the Cubs said they wanted to leave roster decisions up to new GM....

That doesn't free up a roster spot for LaHair, though. LeMahieu and Flaherty would replace Baker and DeWitt's spots even if you believe both should be gone. And I'd disagree that Baker should be gone. LeMahieu isn't going to be close to the hitter against lefties that Baker is and he could be very valuable should we let Aramis walk this offseason. I'd strongly prefer to keep Baker around. Just as an aside...Check out DeWitt's numbers against lefties...for his career his OPS is over .100 points better than it is against RHs, and this year he's hitting .380 against them. Basically, I think one of him or Baker is gone. Both can do the same job, both high lefties....One is just 5 years younger and going to make less than half a million next year. Once again, this is going to be on hell of an offseason. New GM has so many assets to play around with...I really can't wait for this regular season garbahge to end.

You have to admit the quick turn around on Carpenter seems a little jumpy and as if it's been heavily influenced by an off year. 1 - I can agree with that, though I will point out that Kurcz relies more on his breaking pitch than Carpenter does (which is why he varies the break on his more, because he has to). Also, Carpenter's on it's best day is probably better with more velocity/power. 2 - Carpenter's walk rates in the two seasons before 2011 was 3.7. He did that over ~260 innings. Kurcz has the same walk rate (3.7), but in 109 career innings over his 2 seasons in the minors. IMO the jump in Carpenter's walk rate can be attribute to multiple things...adjusting to a new role...SSS (in total he threw just over 50 innings this year total)...Note that Kurcz's walk rate is coming at a lower level as a full time reliever from Day 1. 3 - Kurcz's fastball may have more movement than Carpenter's 4 seamer, but that's to be expected. How many 4 seamers with Carpenter's velocity will have much movement anyway? You yourself praised Carpenter's 2 seamer in this thread. So if that movement advantage even exists, I'm not sure its significant at all. 4 - If Carpenter had trouble breaking in this year, as did guys like Dolis, Cabrera (well not so much those two, though I like Dolis alot), Gaub, and Beliveau, I'm not sure how Kurcz will make the big leagues next year. That said I'll give him his due and say that of all these guys on the list he came into pro ball the most polished and mechanically ready, so I guess there's a shot. Both should pretty easily make my top 20 for the Cubs, and Carpenter probably makes the top 10. Two really nice looking pen arms...

Lies. That specific ramble.

Same here. He's not someone I'd hang my non-existent rep on, but I do think this guy is a player. The next couple of years will be huge for him and where he goes.

How is LaHair a prospect but Colvin isnt? Id take Colvin easily over Shelley Duncan/Micah H 2.0, terrible year be damned. read it again. I did and I still think you underrated Colvin with that comment. He's still a way better long term talent than LaHair despite a very garbage 2011.

I think down the line he'll have similar patience to Ramirez. ARam wasn't and isn't much of a walker, but hes managed and IsoD around .060 for his career. I think Castro will make contact like Ramirez and post some really strong K:BB, which I like almost as much more walks. I kinda see a SS equivalent of Ramirez in Castro...he won't have Ramirez's raw power but that will be traded for BA. I actually like that Ramirez is a mentor of his because beyond power these guys have a similar and rare ability to stay balanced at the plate, identify pitches, and then make consistent and hard contact. I've always felt like Aramis is kind of a template for the kind of hitter the Cubs search for...Not that that's the only hitter theyd like...I expect someone who takes walks is next (cough*Fielder/Pujols*cough). //end rambling

How is LaHair a prospect but Colvin isnt? Id take Colvin easily over Shelley Duncan/Micah H 2.0, terrible year be damned.

It would have been nice to have more seriously considered dealing Marmol at the deadline, no? Now he's about to get much more expensive, possibly less effective, and probably less important given the makeup of the rest of the pen. /bitter I don't think rich teams like selling guys on the low. It's not as if he's all that expensive...There's a whole offseason to trade him if they feel the need.