Outshined_One
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Everything posted by Outshined_One
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Having had some time to ruminate on the draft, my feeling on the draft is, I am disappointed that the Cubs took the approach they chose to take in passing over multiple seeming no-brainer guys in Lee/Parada/Collier and in going pitcher-heavy in a draft where there was apparent significant depth for position players. That was not the approach I wanted them to take. However, what I will say in the Cubs' favor is they did just about as well as they could have in the approach they chose towards this draft. I have to rack my brain to come up with a list of more than a handful of quality power pitching prospects the Cubs have developed over the last 15 years who got to the majors and saw meaningful success over the course of multiple seasons (Samardzija, Marmol...and I guess arguments can be made for Archer and Cease?). This draft almost feels like a sea change in that regard. They definitely hit the proverbial nail on the head in that focus. From the sounds of things, most of these guys are power pitchers with profiles that can benefit from time in pitch lab. I'm leery about these picks because I'm still a firm believer in TINSTAAPP, but I'm admittedly curious to see how everything plays out. -
I feel like that would put the team to roughly where it was in 2007 (when the team added Soriano and Lilly), which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does not feel like something that would be sustainable for more than 2-3 years. I don't know, maybe a WS ring and three straight NLCS appearances made me unrealistic, but I just don't get the warm fuzzies when I think about this current group.
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I think my primary problem with this team is I am having trouble seeing the road back to a World Series title with this bunch and with the farm system. Don't get me wrong, I like the farm, I like Happ and Contreras, and I think this team has a lot of useful pieces on it. However, I just don't see it. I do not think there is an obvious prospect in the system at the moment that could be a perennial MVP candidate after getting called up. I don't see a nucleus of position players that could give this team a years-long championship window. The rotation also has its share of question marks, although I've been pleasantly surprised with Steele and Thompson so far. From my point of view, if the team kept Happ, extended Contreras, and made moves in the offseason, we could see a repeat of 2008/2009 over the next two seasons, but I also remember how ugly things got once that team went into decline. I don't feel as strongly about keeping Happ and Contreras as some other posters do for those reasons. It's not to say that I want them gone at any price, but if they can bring back some high quality guys to increase the odds that the Cubs hit on multiple high level prospects in the next 2-4 years, then I'm in favor of it.
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because I didn't want to start a NFL offseason thread just for it either lol plus megathreads are evil :-"
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#WeAreSometimesDecent
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He wasn't on my radar and I knew very little about him going into last night, but he sounds like a guy with solid defensive potential, work needed on the offensive side of his game, good character, and potential for growth. The consensus seems to be that this pick signals AK is bringing the gang back together for another run next season. He sounds like he'd be more useful to the Bulls as a bench guy than as a trade chip.
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Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 6-2-22
Outshined_One replied to CaliforniaRaisin's topic in Cubs Minor League Talk
PCA knocked the catcher back a good 6 feet and knocked the ball loose in the process. Can't knock the hustle, that was impressive. -
Engh, a lot of that is subjective. I think the team could be in playoff contention come 2023, but I don't expect that team would be good enough to make the NLCS, barring something insane like Brennan Davis putting up peak Mike Trout numbers. Based purely on their in-house assets, I'm thinking that particular contender window won't open until 2024 at the earliest, and even then, a lot of things would need to go right with player development. Free agency could help accelerate or slow down that process, but my expectations for this team are currently pretty muted for this season and next. I'm okay with trading Happ for that reason. He'd be a really useful guy for any contender, and I think now is as good of a time as any to trade him.
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I'm actually of a different mindset when it comes to Happ. As mentioned, if you're getting a return for Happ for a higher level prospect, it's likely going to be a guy who might be as good as Happ. I would instead prefer to see if the Cubs could get a handful of lottery tickets for him. If we're trading Happ to, say, the Padres, I'd be totally in favor of the Padres including their Competitive Balance pick along with a player or two from their lower levels. I don't foresee this team's window opening until at least 2024, so I do not see the harm in stocking the farm system at the lower levels to help keep that window open longer than a year or two.
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Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 5-5-22
Outshined_One replied to CaliforniaRaisin's topic in Cubs Minor League Talk
I look forward to the day when PCA going 1/4 with a walk actually lowers his OBP. Early season numbers and SSS and all that, but still. He's putting up ludicrous numbers. -
You can make a good argument for a trade down from 39 at the rate things are going.
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I'm mulling over the scenarios where I'd want the Bears to trade up today. On the one hand, the Bears need depth and there might be something to be said for trading back from 39 or 48 tomorrow for an extra third or fourth round pick. On the other hand, there are some intriguing names at WR and OL that could/should be available around the back half of the first round, and if it means increasing the odds of hitting on an offensive player, the Bears need to take it. Much like everything, it is situational. Additionally, most of us likely are not huge fans of trading up for guys following Pace's tenure, so I can understand if most everyone here would be against the idea of doing it.
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Tonight, the Bulls are going to be like a baby mouse under a sledge hammer.
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Yeah it should. Tomorrow's is probably gonna get banged, but I don't think it's going to do more than sprinkle today It'll be one of those miserable "rains enough to make everyone cold and wet, but not enough to postpone" games. I'll be shocked if Wrigley is even at half capacity by the 7th.
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Without Theo being around for forehead heroin injection purposes, some people need new outlets for their doomboners.
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This offseason has made me really skeptical regarding the immediate impact from offensive players in this upcoming draft class. There have been a number of trades, extensions, and seeming overpays in the last month or so that almost makes it seem like no one thinks there are a bunch of surefire starters coming out of the draft going into next season. It's weirdly comforting that the Bears chose to trade away their first rounder this year to get Fields last year, because if we had gone through a year of Dalton/Foles only to try talking ourselves into Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis...*shudder* So, I'm hopeful the Bears can get some meaningful contributors at WR and OL in the draft, but I get the feeling it might take those guys a year or two to get there.
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Which = at least 2 more seasons of the actual team being meh. Grand. Waves and waves What's disheartening is it's unclear if the system is comparable to where it was in the early 2000s, where a number of high profile players didn't pan out despite significant hype (Harvey, Pawelek, C-Patt/E-Patt, Pie, Cruz, etc.), or if it's comparable to the system in the early/mid-2010s, where it seemed like the Cubs hit on every high level position player draft pick and trade target. I mean, it sucks that this system really hasn't done a whole lot since the Happ callup, but that's where we are now. You can see the possibilities, for better and for worse.
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Cubs Sign Chris Martin 1/2.5
Outshined_One replied to Transmogrified Tiger's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
Life goes on, it gets so heavy. -
do it Same.
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The fun part about this is it's a class action lawsuit. We may see others join him in the not too distant future.
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Indeed, this is the one George McCaskey has to get correct, if so, everything else falls in place and the Bears will turn it around. I underestimated George. I guess picking Ryan up at the airport helped seal the deal?
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Quick, where's Ernie Accorsi when you need him???
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He was going to be fired, but how can you fire a guy when it will be embarrassing for the organization to admit they were wrong?
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Maybe they'll move him up to GM and Pace up to President of Football Operations. I'm only half-kidding.
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This org is so backwards. The Kusinski logic above is the only reason I'm not pissed about it happening. But even that is such backwards logic. This brings me back to last year when there was a lot of talk about people wanting a full clean sweep from Phillips down. And I made the point then, if that was the goal, the best thing was actually to do President only last year. Then they could evaluate a full offseason and season of Pace and Nagy and then be in a position to be in the building, prepared for a new GM/HC search after that. Here we are with weeks to go until the end of the season and the org still contemplating a major org shift? But unlike last year there's basically no chance they can lame duck the HC/GM situation either. So now I am actually pissed, but for much more nuanced reasons. So they wind up with new leadership but kneecapped because others will have swooped in ahead of them to acquire the best people.
