cubsclapp

Where did Jed say that last part? I've heard him multiple times in the last week talk about evaluating the team in terms of performance, not in relation to their divisional competition, which is absolutely how it should always be. Regardless of how high up they are in the standings, that doesn't excuse them playing .500 ball with this much talent. Just like when the team won 97 games in 2015, you don't look down on them for finishing third place. It doesn't change how *your* team is playing, and how you should evaluate your own ballclub. But their chances are nearly the same as they were entering the year, because of how how awful the division's been. Their World Series chances are significantly higher than the currently dominant Rockies and Diamondbacks, because if they can just beat out these NL Central teams, they automatically get a playoff series. Theo and Jed know this. So, unless the Cubs somehow play even worse the rest of the way and/or the Brewers/Cardinals/Pirates play much better, they should be attacking the trade deadline the same way as a 95-win-paced team should. You get in the tournament and you have a 7-20% shot just like everyone else does. Good call. I shouldn't have added the chances part as he just talked about evaluation by record. Ah okay. I was just legitimately curious if I missed him saying something like that.

To be fair, only Schwarber fan was being a ninny, becoming the second person in the club for 2017 along with me. It's been an interesting year. There probably would be more ninnies if we were playing in either of the other two divisions and were six to nine games out right now. As Jed Hoyer has said, it's really about where you are in relation to .500 than where you are in the division when evaluating your ball club and its chances. We are extremely lucky to be in the division we are in for 2017. I'm intrigued by these next eight games against the Marlins and Nationals on the road. Miami seems like a dreadful stadium to have to play, and it seems like it's never easy there (I just TOTALLY wrote that without even looking it up, we might be awesome there), and the Nationals are on another level than us so far this season. Let's see what happens. Go Cubs, and thanks for the World Series title in 2016. That will make whatever happens in 2017 OK by me. Where did Jed say that last part? I've heard him multiple times in the last week talk about evaluating the team in terms of performance, not in relation to their divisional competition, which is absolutely how it should always be. Regardless of how high up they are in the standings, that doesn't excuse them playing .500 ball with this much talent. Just like when the team won 97 games in 2015, you don't look down on them for finishing third place. It doesn't change how *your* team is playing, and how you should evaluate your own ballclub. But their chances are nearly the same as they were entering the year, because of how how awful the division's been. Their World Series chances are significantly higher than the currently dominant Rockies and Diamondbacks, because if they can just beat out these NL Central teams, they automatically get a playoff series. Theo and Jed know this. So, unless the Cubs somehow play even worse the rest of the way and/or the Brewers/Cardinals/Pirates play much better, they should be attacking the trade deadline the same way as a 95-win-paced team should. You get in the tournament and you have a 7-20% shot just like everyone else does.

Okay I know the reality sucks. The Cubs won the last two games by their sheer talent alone. You just proved why they'd have to likely be UNlucky to not make the playoffs. Talent almost always wins out over 162 games. The Cubs playing to their floor -- hell, their horsefeathering basement -- through 71 games while the Brewers are maxing out their potential. And yet, these teams are tied in the loss column. In all likelihood, the Cubs can play crappy baseball for themselves and still win the division.

Bryant has an OPS of .904, and is still at .808 OPS in the month of June. Last year, when he won the MVP, his OPS entering June 21 was .898. His OPS entering June 27 was .877. He's actually walking more than ever too (15.9%, career-best was 11.8), and his .291 BABIP will likely move up to .330 or so (it was .332 last year and .378 in 2015). His K rate is a career-best 21.3%, though it was even below 20 a couple weeks ago. He's definitely pressing a bit right now and expanding the zone, as well as swinging through or fouling off hangers. But it just looks like a normal slump that happens for everyone (Rizzo goes through like 5 of these a year). He admitted he was dealing with some fatigue and Joe gave him that extra day off. He should be just fine, and will likely go on a tear soon.

Right, and Zagunis has actually been great vs right-handed pitching over the last two years (.985 OPS last year, .853 this year) something that has always been an issue for Szczur. It remains to be seen if that will keep up vs MLB sliders, but it's at least a good sign for his potential to be perhaps more than a Szczur/Jeff Baker/Reed Johnson strict platoon bat.

More on Zagunis: He has a 17.9 BB% (48 BB, 0 intentional). The next-best in all of Triple-A (Pacific or International) is 16.3%. He's also one of the leaders in hit by pitches (6), which seems to be an annual thing for him (16 in 2015, for example). It remains to be seen how his contact and K rates will be, but the walk (and hbp) skills are skills that translate. And now he's added power, with a team-leading 11 dongs. And that doesn't seem to be by accident as he told FanGraphs (http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/cubs-notes-maddon-hendricks-anderson-zagunis/) in February: So, hopefully that remains a thing too. Probably not to this level, but if he can be a double-digit homer guy, that certainly helps with his on-base skills.

Seems he was playing injured. Birch just wrote this: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/baseball/iowa-cubs/2017/06/20/iowa-outfielder-mark-zagunis-making-case-first-big-league-call-up/412626001/?hootPostID=0be48add6bb26293e85faaab90607d07

It's not irrational. He may have a better chance to be a productive big leaguer than anyone in our system.

Do you (or anybody really) have MiLB.tv (I guess it's called that?)? Is that how you're watching the games? What all Cubs affiliates are routinely broadcast on MiLB.tv? I'm considering giving it a go since I've kinda gotten bitten by the MiLB bug with the new team 30 min away (but still don't care about them - maybe I should but I'm all Cubs till the day I D-I-E) I had it for two years during our rebuild. Like I would recommend it to a White Sox or Braves fan or something now. I was enjoying tuning in for the Baez or Bryant ABs over the major league team. It also made me convinced Armando Rivero was going to be a stud though and that didn't exactly pan out.

I went back and watched it after the Cubs game. He was sitting 91 most of the game... everything builds off his curveball, which really is filthy. Sharp break, just drops right off the table. It's easy to see how there are questions about him holding up as a starter. Herky jerky and everything looks near max effort, and is mainly a two-pitch pitcher but his changeup is supposed to be coming along. But I also then wonder how much velocity he can really add as a reliever with how much effort he's already putting into his pitches as a starter. Anyway, that curveball alone can make him useful (think Justin Grimm), and he definitely competes. Interesting prospect for sure.

I hope Grimm has jumped Rondon on the pecking order. Yeah, I think that's kind of already happened. They seem to basically be swapping roles.

Duke, any chance we can take two of three with who we are throwing this weekend? Brewers will sweep the Padres so we need to show up against the Pirates. We're already giving the Brewers sweeps? Remember when the 68-win Padres beat the 103-win, World Champion Cubs at Wrigley Field twice in one day last year?

Saying the second-best prospect is a 22-year-old (23 in November) relief pitcher throwing low 90s in A-ball seems a little aggressive. And Alec Mills turns 26 in November and already had a brief MLB stint. Are we really considering him a prospect? I basically view him closer to an Eddie Butler than a prospect. He likely had a little more perceived value over the winter than he does now, and was acquired for what was probably like the Cubs' 15th-best prospect.

If anyone has access or can find the scouts' takes, that would be cool.

There should be a refund for plate appearances decided by human umpiring.

.851 OPS, 36.6 K% through 101 plate appearances lol. Seems sustainable.

He was sitting 90-91 in the first (got up to 93 on that Schwarber 0-2 pitch). He's been averaging 94 MPH on his fastball on the season but it's gone down five straight starts entering tonight. So, that whole situation doesn't seem to be getting better.

Yeah I agree. Jeimer has been awful lately himself fwiw (and has of course looked helpless in the majors).

La Stella is on the Iowa DL and has a .556 OPS there in 94 plate appearances. I'm guessing that's at least partly due to him being cranky down there (maybe even the DL stint is?).

At the moment, FanGraphs has the Cardinals projected for 83.5 wins and the Brewers projected for 77.0. Cubs at 88.7 All three of these teams are currently tied in the loss column too. So I don't even know who we should be rooting for in that series or be paying more attention to. Obviously if the Cubs just got their horsefeathers together it likely wouldn't matter, but yeah.

Just the same stuff that has been said, though Rogers did have a "possible MRI" drop (which, I just assume teams do in most of these cases anyway).

lol

Who is the third player? I'm spacing on that one.

A few reasons, I'm sure. I don't think Zobrist has batted right-handed still since hurting his wrist, has he? Seems they're still sitting him out of those games. Jay is 4-for-8 with a walk vs Locke, and hasn't gotten a start since May 30th. Russell has a homer and .867 OPS vs Locke. And he needs to be playing just about everyday because he's second in MLB in defensive runs saved with 12 (and we know he won't keep hitting *this* poorly). Baez is 4 for 6 with a homer vs Locke, and has a career .813 OPS vs left-handed pitching. Almora is 1 for 1 with a double vs Locke, and has a career .912 OPS vs left-handed pitching.