Transmogrified Tiger

real close to banning you from game threads rn

Russell, Montero, Baez, Szczur, Bryant

Meanwhile Zobrist lines one right up the middle and its somehow snagged. Bryant hits one on a line with the bases loaded and its right to Granderson etc That KB flyout wasn't bad luck, he hit it right to the middle of CF He smoked it about 350 mph

That is a really difficult call to make. The actual tag was not where the catcher was originally reaching, didn't cause any unnatural movement of arm or glove, and came with Jake's bare hand/forearm cast across the dirt of similar color.

how is Contreras's K rate north of 30%, that is incredible to me

everyone did bad there, bad job all

Torres is definitely the best thing to trade right now, although doing so for a reliever would be a bit of a waste of selling high. Torres, Vogelbach, and something for Betances would be kinda fun though.

It looks like O'Dowd is trying to say 'Andrew Miller is not getting traded'. That's fine if the Yankees want to go that way, but even take the Cubs out of it, what team is going to give up that equivalent?

I don't think they're going to go with one backup infielder. With Fowler back, the easiest option is like David said, to option Almora. You lose a small bit in using Szczur as a LF defensive replacement for Soler/Contreras, but with Szczur hitting LHP and Fowler not getting moved off CF, it is only that, a small bit. That buys you until next Spring to decide whether Szczur stays or goes, and keeping him as org depth is a nice option to have in an offseason where the OF is in a bit of flux. Coghlan can play the IF in a pinch and Contreras could probably handle 1B as well if you need him to. Maximum, it would be 1 game if there were an injury of some sort. You don't just release Szczur (out of options and no way does he clear waivers) because you don't want to send LaStella down. The risk/reward just isn't there. If you have to, you go with a light bullpen for a few games. You potentially have to send down both Almora AND LaStella if everyone comes back healthy and no one else goes down. Coghlan's spot is currently held by the 8th reliever(Patton), he hasn't hit in his time as a Cub(or all season long), and he brings no unique capabilities to the roster. I have to think his roster spot(Patton's) is the first to go. If he takes long enough in rehab maybe other moves happen and they don't have to DFA him though. With that spot gone when Fowler returns, Almora is the other name that makes sense to go down when Soler is healthy. Soler and Contreras are already ahead on the every day pecking order(and are better prospects to begin with), Szczur can be a lefty masher backup OF and LF defensive replacement, and Bryant's flexibility means that Baez and La Stella technically compete against him for playing time too. If Fowler gets hurt again he can come right back up.

I don't think they're going to go with one backup infielder. With Fowler back, the easiest option is like David said, to option Almora. You lose a small bit in using Szczur as a LF defensive replacement for Soler/Contreras, but with Szczur hitting LHP and Fowler not getting moved off CF, it is only that, a small bit. That buys you until next Spring to decide whether Szczur stays or goes, and keeping him as org depth is a nice option to have in an offseason where the OF is in a bit of flux.

Trading La Stella leaves you one injury from Kawasaki on the roster and playing with some frequency. He's not a prize to hold onto, but he's a useful MLB role player. Sure Candelario is a possible option, but he's an uninspiring option until he actually starts hitting in the 2nd half like he has in the past. If given the choice between trading/demoting La Stella or doing the same for Szczur, I think you dump Szczur. He's got less of a track record to go on, and he's got much stiffer competition with Almora, Contreras, even La Stella and Baez(via Bryant), plus Zagunis in AAA.

There's an 8th reliever taking Coghlan's spot, so call it Coghlan, call it Patton, Fowler's spot is accounted for. Soler's is trickier, it's probably a choice between Almora and Szczur.

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I have no reasonable explanation, but underhanding the ball like Cespedes just did drives me crazy

that is it that is the worst throw from a catcher I've ever seen

If the throw is at all short hopped he's safe and/or if the throw is at all to the 1B side he's probably safe. Contreras was taking big strides, it wouldn't have taken much.

no. yes. he's got a cannon for an arm, the ball was hit pretty sharply, and he was playing shallow. nothing about that says there's a decent shot at scoring. 2 outs, Contreras has good wheels, and the ball was not hit all that sharply(or at the very least, caught the SS's glove). The odds of scoring there are way higher than the AVG/OBP of the next hitter.

I'd say Soler, Vogelbach, and Candelario. I honestly think we're expecting Almora to be our CF next season. Difficult for me to see a team, Cubs or not, giving up that type of value for Miller. There's also a fair bit of supply. Miller, Doolittle, Smith, Abad, etc. The Nats could put something pretty good together since they have some solid MLB quality depth, I'm very skeptical of the Giants ability to do that.

But to be more realistic, what does a trade for Miller look like? Their interest in Vogelbach has come up more than once and makes a lot of sense(other than Greg Bird being another version of Vogelbach, only with a severe shoulder injury). They're the Yankees so any other pieces are probably going to need to be close to MLB ready. Does Almora and Vogelbach match up? The Yankees have no high minors CF hope, their OF is olllld and Ellsbury isn't a great CF defender anymore. Miller, while a reliever, is currently an elite of elites reliever and he's under control for 2.5 years. That feels like close to the right amount of 'both teams' fans aren't happy' for it to be possible.

Trading Schwarber to the Yankees requires a third team because there is no lead piece good enough to get him. You're talking like, Archer and Miller to the Cubs for Schwarber and miscellany to get close, that sorta thing. But this is more likely the accurate answer:

If we're rummaging through guys who haven't proven themselves as major leaguers, how much luster has Archie Bradley lost? He's not ideal(not a strike thrower, elbow injury in 2014), but the upside is what you'd need for it to be worth the gamble on someone less proven. I also remain a Drew Hutchison fan, if the Jays are as ready to be done with him as their treatment of him implies.

The operative question is what way is the wind blowing, as Hamels had 3-4 home runs blown back to the warning track his last outing here.

Sure, although the odds of him getting MLB relief appearances by the deadline seem real low.

yeah. and i'd be at less than small bummer if nothing happened. Same, if some combination of Edwards, Nathan, Grimm, or Wood look good over the next few weeks, my only lament will be that there isn't a true LOOGY to replace Richard, which is the nitpickiest of complaints.

BrooksBaseball says 11 fastballs and 5 curves, no sliders.