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Outshined_One

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Everything posted by Outshined_One

  1. Outshined_One
    The farm system has definitely improved since the end of the Theo Era, so credit there. I feel like the Cubs could do better, but they also very easily could do worse.
  2. Outshined_One
    Dodgers. Edman has been fine at 3B, but they need an upgrade.
  3. Outshined_One
    I kinda wanted them to tie it and force Berti to come back out for the 9th. Kinda figures he'd make the last out.
  4. Outshined_One
    This is oddly hilarious.
  5. Outshined_One
    If we're "within reason", that puts Gore and Ryan out of the picture. A B-level trade deadline would look like Mitch Keller, Willi Castro, and someone like Caleb Ferguson or Hoby Milner to me. Not splashy, but it would address three needs (rotation, bench, bullpen) and improve the team across the board.
  6. Outshined_One
    Story of my life.
  7. Outshined_One
    Houser is on my radar as a potential sneaky good trade pickup. He's likely due for a regression, but teams aren't barreling him up the way they did in years past and his walks have dropped. I don't think he'd start in a playoff series for this team, but he'd be a good target as a guy who could give Horton/Boyd a breather down the stretch and relegate Rea to long relief.
  8. Outshined_One
    A friend of mine used to work for a sports agency who represented amateur baseball players back in the day. Like all annoying things in life, it comes down to accounting. Signing bonuses are part of the overall compensation structure; this site gives a decent overview regarding what goes into the signing bonus process and how teams can get creative with that process. With a guy like Book, he might have told the Cubs he'd take the $100k signing bonus if it meant he got it all up front instead of the standard $75k/$75k structure you might see with a $150k bonus. He also may have been willing to agree to certain non-bonus clauses in his contract that would make it look like he *only* got $100k, but he received certain benefits/guarantees that might not show up on the bottom line, such as funding for education expenses in the event he doesn't make it, which might be worth more to him than just a $150k bonus.
  9. Outshined_One
    I always saw KLaw as a good writer with some interesting insights, but his prospect lists come across as contrarian and a bit curmudgeonly.
  10. Outshined_One
    It's also worth remembering this team is 6.5 games up in the Wild Card (2 ahead of the Phillies, 5 ahead of the Padres), and it took the Brewers going on an ungodly heater to knock them out of the division lead in the Central. They need depth and a starting pitcher, but this is a very good team as is.
  11. Outshined_One
    Life as a Cubs fan.
  12. Outshined_One
    This is why a second SP before the deadline is a necessity for this team. You not only need to upgrade Rea, but you also need backup for Boyd/Horton in case they need a breather down the stretch.
  13. Outshined_One
    Owen CaissieJaxon WigginsMoises BallesterosJefferson RojasKevin AlcantaraJonathon LongJames TriantosEthan ConradCristian HernandezBrandon BirdsellWill SandersChristian FranklinRyan GallagherPedro RamirezFernando CruzJuan TomasNazier MuleEli LovichIvan BrethowrRonny Cruz
  14. Outshined_One
    That'll do.
  15. Outshined_One
    We just had a bit rain up in Evanston. 🤷‍♂️ This kind of heat/humidity can sometimes breed pop-up thunderstorms.
  16. Outshined_One
    The recent lessons learned from Shaw and PCA should really educate the decision-making process around Caissie (as well as guys like Alcantara, Long, and Ballesteros, to various extents). He's prone to Ks and has shown the need to make adjustments with each promotion. He's made them so far in AAA, which is great! He looks ready! Except the reasonable expectation for him should be that he will fall flat on his face at the plate after being called up. Unlike Shaw or PCA, he's not a premium defender, so it will make things even worse by comparison. For whatever reason, the gulf between AAA and the majors for hitters is even more pronounced now than it was even a decade ago. We expect the 2026 Cubs to be just as competitive as now; can they carry Caissie for 200-300 PAs while he figures things out, especially if he's manning a position like LF or 1B that should produce a lot of offense? I like the idea of keeping him, but, in a way, he represents one of the best chances this team has to make the WS this season due to his trade value. I'm not saying trade him for anyone, but if it means getting someone like Gore? I'm all in favor.
  17. Outshined_One
    Expect a weird one today. Heat index will likely be close to 100 during the game (and possibly hotter on the field), so don't be surprised to see the bench and bullpen on both sides get a workout due to cramps/dehydration.
  18. Outshined_One
    I feel like this thread would make more sense in the offseason than now.
  19. Outshined_One
    My thought as well. Also gives the Cubs an opportunity to build a relationship with him and his team that could pay off in a few years.
  20. Outshined_One
    Just hope that some team can be convinced that *they* can make Brown into a viable starter. He'd be a good candidate for a reclamation project for reclamation project trade.
  21. Outshined_One
    Also, with Ozzy Osbourne's passing today, let us never forget his place in Cubs history:
  22. Outshined_One
    The fact that you're the level-headed voice of reason in this thread speaks volumes here.
  23. Outshined_One
    The 2006 Cardinals had an 83-78 record, five games worse than any other team in the playoffs that year. Doomerism is to be expected during slumps, but try to keep things in perspective.
  24. Outshined_One
    This cannot be emphasized enough. The Cubs were able to paper over their rotation deficiencies through trades and FA acquisitions over the last decade, but this team was unable to develop starter quality pitching prospects up until recently, be it due to inability, injury, or luck. Steele was a middling LHP prospect until he somehow figured things out when they stretched him out (which is why I have *some* hope Wicks can turn it around) and Horton looks legit, but things were barren on the pitching front up until the last few years. Remember Brailyn Marquez and Ryan Jensen? How about Thomas Hatch? Dillon Maples ring any bells? Things seem to have improved compared to where the system was a few years ago, and I think there's room for optimism in the system right now, but right now those deficiencies are hammering the Cubs' pitching depth.
  25. Outshined_One
    Anyone have a good centralized website tracking this information? MLB.com only has Conrad signed and Google has been worthless.
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