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squally1313

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Everything posted by squally1313

  1. squally1313
  2. squally1313
    I don't want to break with tradition after a 92 win season but, um....I would like a game thread please
  3. squally1313
    Between that PCA Players Tribune Article and Boyd breaking down in his press conference today....I know some of us have some reasonable criticisms regarding the corners of the infields, but man....what a generally likeable team. PCA rocks, Nico is so fun, you can tell how much this means to Happ, Shota is extremely cool, Palencia is sweet, Horton is amazing. Can be frustrating that there's maybe only one elite talent here, and he has the personality of a block of a wood, but the team put up 92. Sucks that it could be over in a couple days.
  4. squally1313
    EOY fWAR rankings on the offensive side (among qualified hitters): PCA 15th, Nico 20th, Tucker 26th, Busch 45th, Swanson 52nd, Happ 77th, Suzuki 82nd. Cubs finished 3rd in baseball in offensive fWAR, behind the Yankees and the Blue Jays. 7th in wOBA, 4th in xwOBA, 6th in wRC, 3rd in baserunning, 2nd in defense. Cubs finished 19th in baseball in pitching fWAR. 27th in K rate, 1st in BB rate, 3rd lowest BABIP allowed, 9th in ERA, 18th in xFIP. Boyd finished 22nd in fWAR, Horton 62nd, Rea 87th. Shota and Taillon not in the top 100.
  5. squally1313
    Going to have to be Taillon on Thursday, and while in theory it could be considered more of a bullpen game, I think/hope Counsell is going to have a short leash Tuesday and Wednesday so not sure what type of shape the bullpen is going to be in. I expect us to hit though, so Padres should be in the same spot. Cubs are currently -125 to win the series (Padres +105). Slight favorites tomorrow. Will be in attendance for game 2, these start times are stupid. Discussed elsewhere, but you can currently get +152 on a Hunter Greene start, which is awfully tempting.
  6. squally1313
    Yeah two or three years ago you were looking at a lineup that had basically zero cost controlled talent. Extending Hoerner and Happ, paying for Hosmer/Mancini, having to bring in Bellinger, signing Suzuki, etc. Having Busch, PCA, Shaw, Amaya around and locked up, with Ballesteros looking offensively ready and Caissie not far behind, frees up a lot of cash. Now, maybe it all goes to Tucker. But we can certainly start moving some piles around.
  7. squally1313
    92-70 without Steele is pretty good work. Go hit a bunch of dongs in a couple days.
  8. squally1313
    Fourth in overall offensive fWAR, fourth in wRC in September. Padres 13th and 10th.
  9. squally1313
    That would be between an elite and a historic HR/AB rate.
  10. squally1313
    They’ve basically already said Santana isn’t making the roster for the WC round. Going to be on the taxi squad. give me as many pitchers as possible. Zero point in anyone besides the top relievers going back to back and giving their hitters multiple looks.
  11. squally1313
    In my ideal world we basically run back the same lineup from this year, with Tucker here on a long term deal, Ballesteros catches every day in Iowa, is the first guy up in case of an outfield injury, Cassie and/or Alcantara go for pitching. After 2026 you say goodbye to Happ and Suzuki, Ballesteros becomes full time DH and ideally backup/third catcher. See where Rojas and Hernandez are and then make a decision on Nico. Need a corner outfielder, but those are easy to find. Realistically, we're probably looking at Happ/PCA/Suzuki in the outfield, Ballesteros at DH (which essentially makes him a permanent DH), and we bring in a Cease or Michael King, which all feels a little bit like rearranging deck chairs.
  12. squally1313
    It's been a little bit since Mikolas has been properly teed off on. Five straight outings with one or two runs given up. But ultimately he's a very bad pitcher and we hit six home runs off him last time and we should do that again.
  13. squally1313
    Lineup (see above re laziness) Busch Hoerner Happ Tucker (DH) Suzuki PCA Swanson McGuire Shaw
  14. squally1313
    Too lazy to figure out how to get a tweet from my phone to here, but Santana accepted being optioned to make room for Tucker and will be pack of the taxi squad next week. Horton played catch today and team is expecting him to pitch next week.
  15. squally1313
    I don't disagree from the eye test, but we're 5th in overall (ie including defense) offensive fWAR in September somehow. Do not ask about the pitching.
  16. squally1313
    Tucker in the lineup today
  17. squally1313
    It's the pitching. It's always been the pitching.
  18. squally1313
    Magic number is 2 with 4 days/games left?
  19. squally1313
    Turning Point for the season?
  20. squally1313
    Bullpen is already covered and by my admittedly back of the envelope map, we're still down $40m from this year, which is down from last year. A stop gap outfielder and two bench guys for $40m?
  21. squally1313
    I think there's basically three paths, which will obviously depend on the budget and whatever else, but don't want to have that conversation. Sign Tucker. From there it's either we blow out the budget and keep the veterans all together, which would be cool but...you know. Or we trade a Happ or Suzuki and plug in Caissie/Ballesteros to clear up some money for another good/very good starter. Don't sign Tucker, but still go for it. Use the money on an ace, keep the gang together and use the rookies as trade bait for controllable arms. Don't sign Tucker, don't really go for it. Sign a long term starter (King, Cease) to make your token splash but trade one/both of Suzuki and Happ, Caissie and Ballesteros in the opening day lineup, Alcantara as the 4th OF, team probably projects for 81ish wins.
  22. squally1313
    Then why is Caissie still here? Alternatively, you can take the 90 win team that's all signed through next year and use that MLB ready (but not MLB proven) talent to make the team (ie the pitching) better.
  23. squally1313
    Using FG, we're at a $220m payroll right now. They have us at $136m for next year for everyone who is signed or guaranteed for next year. Add another $15m for Shota and it's $151m. I'm not sure how they're doing arbitration estimates, but it's basically just Steele and I can't imagine he's going to be much more or different than the $6.5m he's making this year. That covers Swanson/Happ/Suzuki/Hoerner/Kelly/Amaya/Busch/PCA/Shaw on the offensive side, and then Taillon/Boyd/Shota/Steele/Assad/Palencia/Horton on the pitching side. That's 8 offensive starters, a backup catcher, 3.5 starters, a long reliever, and a closer. Call it $30m for the pen. That's still $40m lower than where we are right now, and that's before all this talk about trading one or multiple of the expiring, 8 digit contracts because we have in house replacements ready. What are we spending money on?
  24. squally1313
    Man I'm very happy for all of our sakes that we clinched last week, but the Reds tying their game up in the bottom of the ninth, essentially playing for their playoff lives, is pretty awesome
  25. squally1313
    They better do something really good with Suzuki then.
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