Aaron_Kennelly

Well, there is. During the latter innings of games, NL managers go out of their way to limit the inefficiencies presented to them by having pitchers in the batting order. We spend the last three innings trying to undo what could permanently be undone by installing the DH. They either pinch-hit or they spend six seconds implementing a double-switch. Not exactly chess. Oh, I agree. I am just saying those things should be unnecessary, if I had my way.

Well, there is. During the latter innings of games, NL managers go out of their way to limit the inefficiencies presented to them by having pitchers in the batting order. We spend the last three innings trying to undo what could permanently be undone by installing the DH.

Yup believe it or not there are a lot of people that love the NL style of play. The DH is a joke, the game is suppose to be 9 players fielding and the same 9 fielders batting. AL baseball is an abomination. Then explain to me pinch hitting, relief pitching changes and double switching -- the three main things that make the NL different from the AL, other than having to watch shitty hitters hit when the 9-spot comes around.

I would say the main problem is that we are simply recycling nicknames. WTF is that?

Hopefully we get another low-walk game from Pierce. His numbers are becoming less vomit inducing. 3.86 BB/9 since returning to AA after the injury. 41/17 K/BB over 39.2 IP during that time frame. He still needs to cut the walks down some more, but the last start has me encouraged. He's had a lot of trouble finding the zone early in his starts, though.

In 136 PA between AA and AAA for Soler: .375/.471/.821 and 22/25 BB/K .821 SLG% :shock:

Finally decided to pitch to him again and paid the price I don't know; looks like he let them off easy this time by keeping it in the ballpark.

Soler double. He is a hitting machine.

And where has this Soler been the last few years? He's been better than Bryant at both AA and AAA. Much smaller sample size, sure. But, he's up to 135 PA between the two levels and has shown no signs of slowing down. I have always felt he was a safe bet to contribute. But, now I am salivating over him.

Yes. Though, I've never been much of an Almora fan.

Assuming Lester's last two years would be at a replacement level, then that's basically saying you want to sell Castro for approximately $40-50 million, since that is the excess amount of salary it would cost for those two years of replacement level. If we are just selling away 3-win 25-year-old players for salary relief, then that is a problem.

I'm kinda there, too. Would love to see Lester + Maeda, but I can understand if the bidding gets too high on either that they would pass. I would be fine with one of them and a McCarthy as the back-up option.

Same here. I love watching these guys play right now, and every day this week I have been excited for the next game to start.

Let's get real hot, Starlin.

[expletive] you, wind!

BABIP regression. Nice.

Lester/Arrieta/McCarthy/Hendricks/Turner

Just call him out; we want to see Javy!

Your last paragraph is it. Obviously, the prospects are going to get every chance to hold down jobs. But the fact is, Baez has had a good 3 days. Alcantara has had an OK month. Bryant and Soler aren't guaranteed to just carry over their minor league numbers. One of these guys is probably going to fail at some point. Can't go into a season trying to compete with just 7 guys you think are going to be reliable (not counting Catcher). I think you keep both and best case have a loaded bench. I'm sure they can use the "keep everyone fresh" and "not overwhelming the kids" excuses to sit a guy every now and then. Soler may still need a day off a week, since he's never played anything close to 162 games in a season. So, you throw Coghlan or Ruggiano in there. I don't see why Valbuena couldn't play some LF, 2B, and 3B giving time off to Bryant, Soler, and Baez. Yeah, ideally you would trade away an .880 OPS guy for help elsewhere, if you are only going to be able to get him around 200 AB's. Since his value in a trade could net you something nice, and we have Ruggiano and Sweeney as back-up options, it makes sense. But, like you said, we also have Soler with an injury history, and everyone is really young and inexperienced. It's probably best to have as many back-up options as possible, in case things go awry with the prospects. Bryant is the main piece of the puzzle for the rest of the line-up, though. If he stays at third, then Coghlan probably gets a lot of playing time in LF next year. Or Rusney -- fingers crossed. And Valbuena becomes a super utility guy. If Bryant is in LF or RF, then Valbuena plays every day at third, and maybe we do move Coghlan.

Quick, find some more 24-year-old relievers with good ERA's in low-A for our Stanton deal.

2012 bonus baby Frandy de la Rosa, since the start of July (148 PA): .280/.338/.424 with 11/21 BB/K Any interest still there for him? I know he is already 18 and it's the DSL, but it's nice to see him not be terrible, I guess.

Does Coghlan have any trade value? I mean, I would be fine with keeping him, considering he has hit everything for over a month now. But, he is terrible defensively, and we really don't have a spot for one of him or Valbuena depending on how the 3B/corner OF holes shake out... or either of the two if we sign Rusney. And maybe he gives us more value in a trade than as a pinch hitter that starts once every other week. And could Valbuena conceivably see time in the OF next year? It's not optimal since he has more value at 3B or 2B, but maybe he makes a good super-utility guy for us. Eh, [expletive] it, just keep them both and have a stacked starting line-up and a bunch of mashers off the bench, too.

They said you were too dangerous for this board. Turns out they were right... and wrong. Nice post. I am really looking forward to the PECOTA projections for next year. I have a feeling they are going to look nice, and we will see a bunch of articles saying, "maybe the Cubs can compete this year."

It's funny that with all of our hitting, Kane County is the minor league team that is setting the world on fire, because of most of those guys' pitching. I know it means nothing, but I find it humorous.

Yeah McKinney looks like a huge addition. Still being only 19 and doing that in the FSL is pretty great. That Daytona line-up has to be a bitch to face with all the pitches they take and walks they draw.