Bertz
-
Posts
12,390 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
29
Content Type
Profiles
Joomla Posts 1
Chicago Cubs Videos
Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits
2026 Chicago Cubs Top Prospects Ranking
News
2023 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
Guides & Resources
2024 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
The Chicago Cubs Players Project
2025 Chicago Cubs Draft Pick Tracker
Blogs
Events
Forums
Store
Gallery
Everything posted by Bertz
-
I had to do a double take but 6 years it looks like? I guess he never spent more than a few weeks in MLB in a season before this year. I had thought he'd gotten a much longer run with Texas for some reason.
-
Among the 442 pitchers with at least 20 IP this year, Pearson is 21st in Stuff+. He's ahead of guys like Josh Hader, Edwin Diaz, and Brayan Abreu. This is exactly the type of guy you want to give 20-25 innings over the next two months and see if he can work something out. The over/under on relievers heading out the door before Wednesday is probably 3.5? Leiter, Neris, and Smyly being near locks, with Miller and Merryweather each unlikely but possible? I'd love for an August/September bullpen like this: Alzolay Merryweather Hodge Pearson Tinoco Bigge Roberts TBD young starter in long relief If Alzolay comes back right it's just premium stuff up and down. There's going to be a lot of walks but just lean into it see who floats to the top and we can finally break the cycle on this bullpen.
-
Rivera too doesn't change whether I like this deal but he's an actual prospect at least
-
Pinango is a non-prospect at this point
-
Good stuff. This is exactly the kind of stuff monster you should be giving leverage innings to in the back half of a lost season. Also, given that the Cubs already have several guys in this mold (though Pearson might be stuff-ier than any of the current ones) snd Jed still decided to go external I am taking this as soft confirmation the bullpen's about to be gutted over the next few days.
-
Congratulations, you just discovered pitchers
-
Ben Brown to the 60 day IL however it looks like a procedural move as he's throwing a bullpen today, as is Wicks
-
Astros Inquiring About Jameson Taillon
Bertz replied to Brock Beauchamp's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
The Athletic mentioned that the Astros are trying to get someone to take Rafael Montero back in a trade. It's risky, but it would juice the return considerably and if Hottovy thinks he has the fix you'd have two months of runway in a lost season to work through things with him. -
The needle is pointing up on both guys, way up on Brody Hopkins. Better return than it looks out of hand but certainly not world beating.
-
Puk trade's probably not a bad comp for Leiter? Leiter's pitching better right now which is important, but Puk's stuff is obviously way higher octane. Same level of team control.
-
More Taillon smoke. He gone
-
Add the Astros and Padres too. Starting to feel pretty inevitable
-
Cubs trade for PIT minor league Outfielder
Bertz replied to Rex Buckingham's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
This is *probably* just about Canario. Bellinger's likely back as a DH this weekend, but still a little further out as an OF. So as is they're two injuries removed from Mastrobuoni or Wisdom being forced into OF duty. Better safe than sorry, and there's no cost. HOWEVER. They also just signed Trayce Thompson for Iowa, who would be a clearly superior MLB option. Are we really worried about 3 outfield injuries happening in the 10 days before Bellinger is healthy? And in that highly unlikely scenario you can't just call up Owen Caissie a little early (he has to be added to the 40 this winter anyway). And I question if this is just about making sure Iowa can fill out a lineup card since Franklin and Triantos are clearly ready for AAA and Alcantara doesn't seem super far off. -
Celestino is purely just a warm body. This is probably just Canario backfill, but given the timing you do wonder if there's implication for bigger roster moves.
-
Wow, talk about a Statcast darling. He would be a very fun get.
-
They've got a ton of money coming off the books this winter, so they might be worried about taking on 2024 dollars but unless they're trying to reset their LT this winter wouldn't think next year's as much of a worry. Plus 3 of the guys leaving are LHH OF/1B in Soto, Verdugo, and Rizzo so they might actually be rooting for Bellinger to stay.
-
Aside from obviously the Cubs the Yankees have been the team most consistently tied to Bellinger over the last year and a half. I could see something where we agree to the framework of two deals, one for Bellinger assuming he's good to go and a plan B for Tauchman in case Cody's not.
-
Jack Flaherty, Nate Eovaldi, Robbie Ray Nick Pivetta, Alex Cobb, Yusei Kikuchi are also all probably better but there's some heightened risk there.
-
It's Morosi and worded pretty speculatively but hey it's five days to the deadline why not
-
Why are we concerned with him being cheaper? If he's more expensive but also better is that not a viable path to improving the team?
-
I've come around a bit in Taillon not bringing anything back. A big part of that is the Dodgers, Mets, and Astros all being pretty desperate for SP. A month ago the teams that looked like they were in contention and could use SP help were teams like the Orioles where the money felt pretty prohibitive. Not as much anymore, not to mention we're now another month into Taillon’s hot streak. I still don't expect anything more than league average production beyond this year but what he's doing right now feels a bit less fleeting.
-
I'd love to do some one-stop shopping and do a monster deal with the A's or Angels. Something like Rooker and Langeliers or O'Hoppe and Rengifo (and Detmers?). Roll into the offseason with a to-do list of, pending what goes down with Taillon and Bellinger, one starting caliber player and some relief help. Like I don't love Alex Bregman this winter, but if you've got all that added oomf in the lineup from Rooker and Langeliers banked it's a different story. Filling the one remaining hole in the lineup with one of the premier patience/contact hitters in the sport makes the calculus completely different.
- 2 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- luis robert jr
- logan ohoppe
- (and 3 more)
-
You're always going to have slumps, and you're always going to have unfortunate periods where like 4-5 slumps line up together concurrently. The problem with catcher is that it has until these last 9 games been entirely made of slump. Having what is functionally a traditional NL lineup for half a season is far and away the primary issue with the offense this year (there is also the run environment like TT brought up this AM but people get super pissy when you bring that kind of thing up).
-
I swear it's the not lack of offense the last two games, but I think I'm pulling a 180 on this not being my preferred route. It's actually the 3B conundrum that's pushing this. There's just not a perfect option there despite it being the ideal place to pour a big chunk of resources. Trade for Rooker and get some pure unadulterated offensive improvement banked, and then you don't have to sweat catcher and 3B so much. Like don't get me wrong you still need to address them, but there's just less need to get someone perfect. Plus Rooker's salary makes it easier to pile more upgrades onto the roster.
-
Literally just fixing catcher moves the Cubs up 7 or 8 spots in runs scored per game.
