Backtobanks

You said " he’s solidly average or above average defensively". Neither is true. The numbers say otherwise Tell that to Maddon when he takes him out late in the game for defensive reasons.

Schwarber has worked hard to be an OF, has made good progress, and he has a very strong arm for a LF, but anyone who thinks he is one of the best or above average defensively is delusional. I didn’t say he was one of the best, but he is average and has had an above average season. Stow your argument away, it’s materially and objectively wrong. You said " he’s solidly average or above average defensively". Neither is true. I repeat what I said before, he is playing LF because the NL doesn't have a DH and LF (or 1B) are the places you hide big-time sluggers with defensive liabilities.

If you think Schwarber is one of the best LF in the game defensively, then you REALLY don't know how to evaluate talent. He’s not one of the best but he’s had several seasons to prove he’s solidly average or above average defensively. You should drop this point of argument because you’re losing it. He’s totally fine as an outfielder. Schwarber has worked hard to be an OF, has made good progress, and he has a very strong arm for a LF, but anyone who thinks he is one of the best or above average defensively is delusional.

Russell had a #1 prospect attached to his name and would most likely bring more in return. To me Baez had a higher ceiling than Russell, even at that time. russell would have brought more in return because he had more value at that time. i don't think it was even a question then. the fact that you may have thought baez was worth more doesn't change the fact that the baseball world didn't. but the point is that there was no reason to trade russell after 2016. they were never going to have 100% of these young hitting prospects pan out. they had to let the stars prove themselves and then try to get value for the busts while they still could. trading 22 year old russell after his 4-win 2016 made no sense. he looked like a young cheap star, and the plan of competing for the better part of a decade revolved around getting those. I would have been more reluctant in trading Russell than Schwarber, but both would bring the young pitchers we needed in return. My thinking was Baez at SS, an adequate replacement 2B, and the quality players obtained in the trade would be better for the team in the long run.

I never said they were weak players. What I did say was that Schwarber skill set is better served as a DH and Russell's reputation as a #1 prospect might influence another team in trade negotiations. Also, I said that both could be replaced rather easily (internally, trade, or FA). As I said before, it's hard to say who we might get in return when the FO refused to consider trading either of them. Obviously both have lost trade value in the last two years, but both can still play regularly on some team. Kyle Schwarber is one of the best LF in the game defensively and you don't know how to evaluate talent as well as you believe you do. If you think Schwarber is one of the best LF in the game defensively, then you REALLY don't know how to evaluate talent.

I never said they were weak players. What I did say was that Schwarber skill set is better served as a DH and Russell's reputation as a #1 prospect might influence another team in trade negotiations. Also, I said that both could be replaced rather easily (internally, trade, or FA). As I said before, it's hard to say who we might get in return when the FO refused to consider trading either of them. Obviously both have lost trade value in the last two years, but both can still play regularly on some team.

Schwarber & Russell should have been traded after the WS. there was no reason to trade them then. especially russell. saying they "should" have traded them in hindsight is pointless, especially since there was probably more reason to trade baez then, which would have been a huge mistake. Russell had a #1 prospect attached to his name and would most likely bring more in return. To me Baez had a higher ceiling than Russell, even at that time.

Schwarber & Russell should have been traded after the WS. As for Schwarber's stats in the OF, we all know that stats don't always show the true story. A perfect example is my favorite Cub (Ernie Banks) set a record for fewest errors by a SS, but nobody considered him a great SS defensively. He was considered a great SS because of his bat. As for trading for "someone", you can check out all of the OFs and MIF who were traded (or rumored to be available) in the last two years and fill in the blank. We have no idea what we could have received in a trade for Russell or Schwarber if the FO was unwilling to trade them.

The Braves were desperate enough for a slugger that they would play Schwarber in the OF, even though he should be a DH. Adam Dunn had no business playing the OF either, but if you need his bat in the lineup you find a way.

You're going to need to get a lot more specific in terms of timing if you're going to keep tooting your own horn on this. When exactly did you want these trades to be made? If you trade Schwarber and Russell, you're giving Zobrist a full time job at either second base or left field. A full time set job for a guy in his late 30s who draws a lot of value from his positional versatility. This also means that it becomes much harder to hide Heyward the last couple years as he struggled to be a replacement level player. You can't sit Heyward for Zobrist against lefties if you need Zobrist to play second or left. Of those remaining players you named, who of Happ, LaStella, and Bote did you want to give full time ABs to going into 2017? Ian Happ had just got done throwing up a .318 OBP in AA. David Bote had a good year in high A, and got a cup of coffee in AAA as a reward. He spent all of 2017 in AA. Tommy LaStella? Lol ok. I know this is where you point random free agent X that turned out to be a great deal as a way to retroactively solve all our problems. But let's not pretend like this grand solution was sitting there, obvious to you but not Theo, at the time. How about 2017 when Schwarber has a hero and Russell was still considered a top draft pick. Hell, Schwarber still could have been valuable (Braves, Indians, etc.) this past offseason until Theo announced he was unavailable. As I said before, it was obvious from day one that Schwarber was born to be a DH and Russell was going to be replaced by Baez. The players that I named were internal possibilities, but there were plenty of external trade possibilities or FAs in the last two years that could have filled those two spots.

Even if the defensive numbers were off last year, Schwarber isn’t a “DH only” anymore in LF. He’s completely fine if not a little above average out there. With DH in the NL, he probably wouldn't be playing the field. As trade bait to the AL, I would think most teams would consider him a DH unless they already had a DH that couldn't play the field.

My point about trading Schwarber (and Russell) back when they had trade value was based on the fact that they were both easily replaced while giving us solid ML pitching (or top pitching prospects). Schwarber always has been the epitome of a DH in a league that doesn't use a DH. Russell's obvious replacement was Baez who moved off of SS for Russell. Finding a replacement LF and 2B from Zobrist, Happ, LaStella, Bote, or a FA would have been rather easy.

For drafting him? Or for not trading him when his value was high? Or for not trading him not that his value is lowered? Or some other reason? For not trading him when people thought he was the second coming of Babe Ruth. I suggested trading both Russell and Schwarber when they had trade value.

That's insane. Lester is probably the best free agent signing the Cubs have ever had. Andre Dawson would disagree.

Time for another speech. If his speech can turn this year around he will be worth his contract (almost :lol: ).

Who's going to get Theo's coffee?

Depends on how much he wants.

I think the Cubs could use a guy with a big mouth.

That's what happens when you take a rest in the middle of a race while the other runners keep running.

The FO has to prove why he was our big FA signing.

From MLBTR - Giants have released catcher Rene Rivera from his minor league contract, as reported by several members of the Giants beat (including NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic). Do you think PTR can afford him on a minor league deal?

Butbutbut.... I thought the Giants were going to take Jason Heyward so we could get Harper! :lol: You do wonder about their FO when they might prefer Harper over Heyward.

I think that chapter might have a few references to PTR.

Actually probably just the opposite, he came back to use the locker that the Cubs were going to give to Harper before they realized he was serious about wanting a big contract.

Gj Noah Syndergaard, sucks he will never be a Cub because of this uppity attitude I have a feeling the Cubs trade for him...in 10 years. And 3 surgeries.