Cubswin11

- Rizzo repeats his success from last season, finishes in top 5 in MVP voting - Soler wins NL ROY and gets some MVP votes - Bryant comes up and is able to handle 3B, doesn't hit for the crazy power as expected but hits for a higher average than expected with good BB% and manageable k% - Castro hits over .310 and defense continues to improve - Montero goes back to his 2012/2011 triple slash numbers with reduced playing time - David Ross becomes the least liked player on this board by May as he's basically Koyie Hill offensively, but still posts good framing numbers and remains Lester's BFF - The Coghlan/Denorfia LF platoon sucks - Fowler excels in the leadoff role, is signed to an extension mid season. His defensive metrics improve playing in a smaller park. - Lester puts up ace types numbers finishes in top 7 in NL CY Young voting - Arrieta regresses a bit but still finishes with about a 3 fWAR season - Jackson or Turner wins the 5th starter role and has a better season than Hendricks - Hendricks starts out okay, falls apart by June and Wood takes his rotation spot - Javy sucks and is broke and is out of a starting job by June, Alcantara takes over at 2B - Bullpen remains a strength - At some point in the season after a losing steak or playing sub .500 ball and Maddon doing things like shifts, batting pitcher 8th, platoons, etc. the local idiots start writing articles how the Cubs need to get back to playing "the right way" and LOL advanced metrics and how Maddon/theo think they are smarter than everyone else. - Meatballs are calling for La Stella to take over Javy's spot after he grits out a few games and Javy has a few 3-4K games - Addison Russell is called up in July and is the starting 2B after Javy flounders and Alcantara takes over LF full time - CJ Edwards and Pierce Johnson combine for more than 5 major league starts - The critics start to back track a bit on Schwarber not being able to handle catching after he proves he can handle it, he continues to mash offensively to a near Bryant level. Becomes a consensus top 10 prospect in baseball. - Almora continues to do his best Josh Vitters impersonation and is a nothing prospect by the end of the year - Cubs win 87 games and the Central, lose in NLCS

Koening and Hayes from Wisconsin

This fashion show might be the dumbest [expletive] thing ever. The dunk contest should be one of the better ones in a while though, with Giannis and Lavine

I can't tell if this is a joke or not. I do know Javy was in the majors when Brett was in short season though. And I know that Javy has as good of bat speed as there is, while Brett's was questioned as to whether it'd play in the majors at all. Fine, Mike Olt then. Just it won't take a freak head/eye injury to derail him.

Carlos Santana + 20 homers. Honestly, in this offensive environment, I'd be completely fine if he just turned into the Carlos Santana of the last 2 years and could stick at 3B with average-above average defense. That would probably be a 4-5 win player.

I'm not against this strategy either, but Greinke is older than Hamels, Samardzija is just 1 year younger, Price is like 1.5 years younger, and Zimmerman is about 2.5. So all those guys next year will be at about the age Hamels is at now, when you can acquire them.

Baez, Almora and Castillo

Amaro said he has received 4 "real" offers for Hamels, I hope one is ours.

Lebron James dunk contest entries: 0, Lebron James ASG fashion show producer: 1

The whole B1G is basically 1, 2 at most, losses turned into wins away from being in 2nd

Pretty cool. Damn, Mariners. That sucks. Without looking at it, I'd assume the teams on the extreme North/South & East/West are going to cover the most distance (Mariners and Marlins)

It's probably more fair to compare the current system to the Brewers in the years Weeks/Hardy/Fielder/Braun/Hall/Hart/Gallardo were coming through more than it is to compare it to the early 2000 Cubs. If we are looking for fewest differences.

Angel Guzman flaming out always bothers me more than it should for some reason, really wanted him to hit

If Baez flames out he will be the biggest bust I can remember. Way bigger than Paterson. It will be a failure of epic proportions. Patterson put up a 4.9 fWAR in 2004 and also has a 2.4 and 3.5 fWAR season. I hope Baez is that level of a bust for us.

If they aren't subject to any spending caps, I could see the Padres going after Moncada pretty aggressively. He could be helping them at some point this year, potentially.

It is, but I think it's the first time someone has said that's an offer he has from someone and not where they expect his contract to land.

FWIW

Wooden?

Have never seen this pic before http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/U0FZfISoAgw4QdxmgqENuw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2014-11-03/99adf400-63a7-11e4-b66f-555f867e25cd_joemaddonRV.jpg

Probably helps get an AS game to Wrigley sooner than later, I guess. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12290596/mlb-commissioner-rob-manfred-says-mlb-all-star-game-awarded-bidding-process

I hope at the very least we are driving up the price/years on the Padres when this is all said and done.

Kevin Maitan, IIRC http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/the-next-elite-july-2nd-prospect/

At this point I'd be happy if Almora could turn into a right-handed Gerardo Parra.

Winner

We need Maddon's face put over Lou's on the Cubs street cleaner/sweeper