StylesClash

I'm not saying he's Heyward in the Outfield. Maddon thinks enough of Coghlan's defensive ability to remove Soler for him though.

We've seen Joe Maddon, during the playoffs, have an affinity for late inning defensive replacements. Soler and Schwarber have been the victims of this process, despite the fact both have been red hot as of late at the plate. My question is whether or not the defensive ability of Coghlan and Jackson is worth missing at bats from Soler and Schwarber. Personally I'm against it, especially during this past game (where the wind blowing straight out necessitates having as much offensive firepower as possible).

It's a thread about Addison Russell, NOT a game thread. How is that not appropriate discussion? Also I forget the dozens of mega upside arms our farm system has. Not all pitchers will breakdown. If your key scouts like a pitchers delivery, and feel he can thrive (even with possible dips in velocity at times), its not silly to consider trading a sub-700 OPS shortstop for him. Do you honestly not see how incredibly stupid and disingenuous this is and do you think doing things like that encourages good conversation? I understand that an OPS slightly below 700 for a 21 year old shortstop is noteworthy (especially when providing good defense). Sooner or later though age become irrelevant and you just have to flat out hit. So the idea of trading a hitter, who is succeeding based more on his age than gaudy stats, for a pitcher who has been flat out great at times isn't silly (especially if acquiring another good player to boot). Plus the 2003 Cub team showed you really don't need great defense to thrive. Other than Gonzo and Miller that lineup didn't have elite defenders. So I'm not opposed to giving up defensive range for more offensive upside.

Also posting mocking memes at people looking to get back into nsbb discussions is a real smart way to improve forum activity. Not condescending at all.

It's a thread about Addison Russell, NOT a game thread. How is that not appropriate discussion? Also I forget the dozens of mega upside arms our farm system has. Not all pitchers will breakdown. If your key scouts like a pitchers delivery, and feel he can thrive (even with possible dips in velocity at times), its not silly to consider trading a sub-700 OPS shortstop for him.

http://img.pandawhale.com/82965-no-man-SHIT-no-man-gif-Office-XoJ5.gif Two things I'd like to point out. Memes are pretty much the perfect way to destroy meaningful conversations. I can't tell you how many threads I've seen, on various forums, derailed by lazy posters who upload someone else's unfunny meme. Number two. Excuse me for not getting all hot and bothered over a shortstop with an OPS under 700. While our farm system and big league club is brimming with elite young hitters, there isn't a single pitching prospect with Syndergaard's upside. So if our scouts like his mechanics, and don't believe they would get in the way of him being a workhorse, I don't think its silly to consider trading a below 700 OPS shortstop for a pitcher with upside almost everyone raves about. http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/9/98586/3826082-laughing+gif.gif I apologize for trying to start a legitimate discussion, without posting memes. With that post you've clearly shown the whole board that you're an intellectual. Instead of posting on a baseball forum you should be out in a research lab trying to cure cancer. Your Michael Scott meme clearly indicates your IQ is 140+. PS: I'm still not super excited over a shortstop with a sub-700 OPS, no matter how young he is.

So has there been much heat in this thread, towards Maddon, about Arrieta going nine innings up by four runs? With all the off days Rondon, and the rest of the pen, will have received this week I would have preferred him closing things down in the ninth. It may be a nit pick but I prefer not having Arrieta throw a complete game, with over 100 pitches, unless absolutely necessary. Plus you prevent Rondon from having gone several days in a row without pitching.

http://img.pandawhale.com/82965-no-man-SHIT-no-man-gif-Office-XoJ5.gif Two things I'd like to point out. Memes are pretty much the perfect way to destroy meaningful conversations. I can't tell you how many threads I've seen, on various forums, derailed by lazy posters who upload someone else's unfunny meme. Number two. Excuse me for not getting all hot and bothered over a shortstop with an OPS under 700. While our farm system and big league club is brimming with elite young hitters, there isn't a single pitching prospect with Syndergaard's upside. So if our scouts like his mechanics, and don't believe they would get in the way of him being a workhorse, I don't think its silly to consider trading a below 700 OPS shortstop for a pitcher with upside almost everyone raves about.

So if the Mets offered Syndergaard and a quality prospect in return for Russell, in the offseason, there wouldn't be a temptation to pull the trigger? Baez and Castro could battle over Short, and the loser would battle with Coghlan and La Stella over Second. If Theo's key scouts took a look at Syndergaard's throwing motion, and felt it wouldn't get in the way of being a 200 inning a year pitcher, I'd probably say yes.

Any projections on which way the Cardinals will order their starting rotation beyond Lackey? Also while I have no problem with Lester having a personal Catcher during the regular season, as a starting Catcher needs occasional rest anyways, Ross' awful bat does not belong in a postseason lineup.

Also I'm interested in ESPN Classic footage. In particular I'd like some episodes of Five Reasons You Can't Blame. I downloaded some from youtube, but there's still many more I'd like to buy.

I'm looking to buy old Cub games from 1998 through 2004. Can anyone recommend some quality sites which deal games within this time frame? Thanks.

Would you expect Sano and Buxton to be skipped from AA to the majors. Or is it likely they will spend atleast a month or two in AAA.

I live in Rochester New York and am able to see a few Rochester Red Wing games per year (the Twins AAA affiliate). Does anyone know if Buxton and Sano will begin the year at Double or Triple-A. And if in Double-A for both is it possible both could go from Double-A to the Majors. Thanks.

Toolsy young Shortstop with plate discipline issues is going through extended struggles? What a shocker. Thank goodness we don't have a top prospect, at the same position, in our minor league system with a profile similar to Castro's.

BA had Baez ranked 12 spots higher than Lindor. some of you guys have serious battered women's syndrome. time after time you get excited over physically gifted hitters with no perception of the strike zone, and once that particular prospect fails, you find another just like him to inevitably get burned by. considering our farm system over the past 20 years has been as bad as nearly any in baseball in terms of developing hitters, i don't think its a reach at all to be nervous about ANOTHER top hitting prospect who hacks at practically anything thrown his way.

Considering Lindor and Baez were taken with consecutive selections, I thought it would be interesting to ask whether or not anyone wishes we had the opportunity to select Lindor instead. Mind you I understand Baez has the much higher upside, but I look at Lindor as being the safe bet top positional prospect we rarely have. Lindor should develop into a GG caliber shortstop with the level of pitch recognition needed to be an above average leadoff man. Baez though seems to be the exact opposite of Lindor. Doesn't take walks, has massive power and doesn't have the ideal shortstop frame. So what it comes down to is would you prefer to have an above average defensive shortstop with leadoff caliber tools, or Baez's lightning quick bat and hope that his ability to layoff pitchers pitches improves. Maybe I'm just a jaded fan who has seen too many Corey Patterson's over the years but I prefer the prototypical leadoff man to the hacking slugger.

Other than that one season would you not agree that this has been a team known for not taking walks and relying way too heavily on the home run. Definitely, but that has way more to do with Jim Hendry than Starlin Castro. As far as the Cubs having too many over aggressive hitters in the future, that is not going to be true. Jackson, Rizzo, and Castro are the three main future positional pieces and Jackson and Rizzo have both shown solid patience in the minors. It's also not out of the question for Castro to develop much more patience. Not ready to get on the Brett Jackson bandwagon yet. I like his walk rates but the man is striking out way too much to put up a quality OBP. Considering Jackson is averaging over a strikeout per game at Triple-A it isn't inconceivable that once promoted he could be a candidate to K 200 times per season. Take a look at BJ Upton's 2011 stat line. That's what I'm expecting from Brett Jackson (minus the stolen bases). Not a bad player, mind you. Just not one that I would consider a building block of the franchise.

Other than that one season would you not agree that this has been a team known for not taking walks and relying way too heavily on the home run.

Because despite not taking walks right now, he's a 22 year old 4-5 WAR player at this point. You're not accounting for positional value (and having to move off SS is speculation at best, as right now he both appears to be greatly improved and grades statistically as one of the best at his position). You're also looking at him through an outdated offensive lens. Lots of people are guilty of looking at most players this way right now. The environment is much different than it was even a few years ago. Would you not agree that in order for this offense to improve and become more consistent our ability to work the count and draw walks needs to improve? Why not use our most valuable trade chip to make this happen. I simply see a player who epitomizes the over aggressiveness which has plagued our lineup for years and don't get excited over the premise of him being one of the key pieces of the franchise. You do realize Castro, at 22 with a ton of development ahead of him, is very close to being the best SS in baseball. What do you expect him to be in, say, 2-3 years? As David said, he's a 4-5 win player right now, he's going to get better. Yes he'd be even better if his walk rate improves, which I think it will (though to what degree I don't know). But still, he's still on track to be the best SS in the game with his current walk rate. It would, and should, take a stupidly great package to get him. Like two young, current ML who are also getting close to being stars, and that's a starting point. You're telling me that a player who is barely getting on base at a rate above 300, and isn't exactly having a prodigious season in terms of power, is about to become the best shortstop in baseball? I would take Elvis Andrus over Castro any day of the week. More range, better base stealer, more disciplined at the plate, more likely to remain at shortstop long term. The fact is even if Castro is outproducing Andrus in terms of WAR, you can't have a lineup full of over aggressive hitters and expect to succeed.

Because despite not taking walks right now, he's a 22 year old 4-5 WAR player at this point. You're not accounting for positional value (and having to move off SS is speculation at best, as right now he both appears to be greatly improved and grades statistically as one of the best at his position). You're also looking at him through an outdated offensive lens. Lots of people are guilty of looking at most players this way right now. The environment is much different than it was even a few years ago. Would you not agree that in order for this offense to improve and become more consistent our ability to work the count and draw walks needs to improve? Why not use our most valuable trade chip to make this happen. I simply see a player who epitomizes the over aggressiveness which has plagued our lineup for years and don't get excited over the premise of him being one of the key pieces of the franchise.

Doesn't take walks, will never be a 30+ homer a year player, legitimate possibility of needing to move to third base as his body matures and thickens. Why Castro is considered our franchise is beyond me. Granted this isn't an organization known for developing good hitters, so I suppose its easy for others to get excited over a young player with superb contact skills. PS: I'm not naive, so I realize the responses to my post will more than likely be simple short replies saying no, without refuting my perspective at all. It just boggles my mind that over aggressiveness has been the biggest weakness of the Cub lineup for years now, and the player who is hyped over everyone else on the roster has this trait in spades.

anthony rizzo? im pretty sure everybody hated the crawford signing, but i'm not sure why you're even talking about that. "hey i don't really know anything about theo epstein and jed hoyer but everyone loves them too much so im going to make a post questioning them. hmm like i said i dont know anything about what they're about but i'll bring up carl crawford because that contract was pretty bad" oh and brett jackson is nothing like adam dunn. Rizzo's numbers outside of the hitter friendly PCL arent that impressive for a First Baseman. Plus we gave up a pitcher with number two starter potential. That's not a trade I would be all that excited about. Also once you go beyond the first few years of the Epstein era his free agent signing track record really isn't all that great (Lackey, Lugo, Renteria, Dice-K, etc). Epstein will also have a lot to live up to in terms of making as many one sided deals as Hendry. You guys can mock him all you want, but outside of the Juan Pierre deal Jim Hendry's trade track record was phenomenal. I still remember all you guys going crazy when Mark DeRosa was dealt. Guess what. That situation was handled PERFECTLY. DeRosa was dealt after having a career season and his numbers subsequently declined afterwards. Plus we picked up Chris Archer, who was one of the two prospect centerpieces for Garza. Heck, even Archer was dealt at a good time. Everything about his game declined when repeating Double-A this season for Tampa. And from a hitting standpoint Dunn and Jackson are fairly alike (or atleast were before Dunn declined last season). Both strikeout a lot and also take a lot of walks. Granted Jackson is obviously better defensively, but Dunn also had more power. Maybe a better comparison would be BJ Upton with less speed. Granted that's a nice player to have. But certainly not a franchise changing bat.

I don't know why that is. Other than Ian Stewart none of the Theo Epstein pickups have a well above average upside. Plus there are no pitching prospects waiting to be promoted who have ace potential (or anything close to it). To make matters worse Brett Jackson is the only positional prospect who will be seen in the big leagues this year that has a realistic chance to make a significant impact. And that's without mentioning his high strikeout levels. I have a very hard time believing Jackson can have sustained success in the Majors without cutting back on his K's. Granted players like Adam Dunn have done it before, but cases like his are far from the norm. Our lousy teams back in the early 2000's were much more easy to be excited about. Cruz, Prior, Choi, Patterson and others were being promoted at the time with a massive amount of hype attached to them. So am I excited about Theo acquiring a bunch of back of the rotation innings eaters, a corner outfielder with a career OPS below 800, and a farm system known more for depth than having players with real star potential? Not really. Nor do I think we should automatically believe in everything Theo does. Granted its easy to mock the Crawford signing now, but I can honestly say I thought it was a massive overpay at the time. We're talking about a corner outfielder who doesn't take walks and doesn't have massive power. Not exactly a player I would jump to give 142 million dollars to. I would have prefered raiding Atlanta to fill our GM and farm director roles. They constantly are drafting dominant young starting pitching without the benefit of picking in the top five.