Bertz
-
Posts
12,370 -
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
-
Wow, I knew his initial stint in the big leagues wasn't great but hadn't looked closely. Good lord
-
Gage Workman just hit a 111 MPH dong off of Jack Leiter
-
I don't know that I believe Busch is a better 3B than Turner, and I don't mean that as a compliment to Turner. I think the other thing worth considering is who is on the mound. Steele and Shota are expected to start the two games in Japan. With lefties on the mound, you expect more righties in the lineup and more balls pulled to the LF side. And Steele in oarticular is a heavy groundball pitcher. So even if you're comfortable with Michael Busch getting some runway outside of 1B, I think generally it would be would be 3B when someone like Taillon or Brown is starting, and 2B when someone like Shota or Boyd is pitching.
-
He's young so it could change but there's not really any evidence Triantos has more power than Hoerner to this point.
-
-
Ethan Roberts looked great, really wish this was a game where we were getting velo.
-
The box score won't be kind to him but Wicks looks great IMO
-
Happ/Tucker/Suzuki top 3 again. Starting to feel like we can lock that one in Unlike the last few times Swanson isn't cleanup, hes dropped to 5 with Busch in there. I wonder if we're looking at this for the default lineup Happ Tucker Suzuki Busch Swanson Hoerner PCA Amaya Shaw Really loads up the top of the lineup a la the Dodgers and Braves, and aside from Tucker (who doesn't have a problem with lefties) puts two righties front/back of every lefty.
-
-
Hell yeah
-
I also take Nico not traveling as a good sign. If he was going to miss like all of April I would think he'd just go ahead and travel with the team. Him staying back feels to me like it means domestic opening day is still the target and doesn't want to burn a few days of runway to that.
-
I would say two things: 1. Fastball/changeup from a lefty is not generally a great combo in the pen. It's not unworkable, but it's not something that makes you go "this guy is built for short relief." I think most changeup lefties either have hefty velo or a funky arm slot 2. Wicks actually pitched relatively well last year before the oblique injury in June. He had a 4.18 ERA and a 3.79 xFIP and an above average strikeout rate. He was a hot mess in September, but I think there's some reasonable hope that getting him right physically will cure him I do think Wicks' performance might be a bit sensitive to how his velocity is doing, so in that sense a pen move would obviously help. But I think even then it'd likely look more like him being a 2-3 inning guy with a full assortment of pitches.
-
His bullpen/sim game outing was Sunday I think? I would eyeball Friday or Saturday for him getting into a real game.
-
Back on TV. I'd assume Poteet follows Wicks, but haven't seen that reported. Pressly and Palencia are good guesses to get into today's game as well.
-
YMMV on whether this is a reasonable excuse but it looks like Marquee broadcasts every spring home game. Looks like most of the other big market teams are similar. And of course, like most things, the Dodgers appear to be the exception.
-
Also do we think the Caissie deal that got squashed was Luzardo? We heard that got scuttled by medicals, but we (at least I) never stopped to think "Are we sure that it is Luzardo's health that's the issue?"
-
Despite them having minor league options, I'd be surprised by Pearson or Morgan missing the opening day roster. I'm sure someone will go down to injury and make it moot, but right now I suspect Merryweather's roster spot is the warmest and provides the potential wiggle room for a Brad Keller to make the bullpen or a Brown/Wicks to push Colin Rea out of the rotation. Workman looks good. The defense jumps off the page immediately, and the power is clearly real. I could easily see him being a positive contributor through dongs and defense. Something akin to what Paul Dejong has turned into?
-
No TV for today's game
-
https://www.thelewsletter.lewispoll.is/p/the-case-for-leaving-the-starter This is really really really good. Empirical data behind the idea of the chad innings eaters
-
Is Ivan Brethowr Worth Keeping an Eye on?
Bertz replied to Jason Ross's topic in Cubs Minor League Talk
I'm curious where he opens the year. I know he didn't do well at Myrtle to end the year but a lot of times guys are just gassed playing August/September baseball for more or less the first time. And as a bat-only prospect out of college he really should be too good for low A right from the jump if he's anything worth a damn. If he's at Myrtle much past Memorial Day that's probably a bad sign even if he's hitting well, and I'd feel better if he goes right to SB. -
Happ/Tucker/Suzuki/Swanson at the top of the batting order for the 2nd time in 3 days. I wonder if that's the real deal. Presumably would put Busch #5 and Hoerner #6 from there?
-
Oh gosh, yes! Lemme fix that. SHOULD NOT be chronic
-
Really good piece on Brown. Some things I thought interesting - Assad's injury, though minor, does probably already rule him out from the opening day rotation - Colin Rea still needs to fight off Brown and Wicks for that spot - Whether Chicago or Iowa, Brown is very likely to be a SP to open the year - Brown's neck injury wasn't a stress fracture, but instead an Osteoma (bone growth). So now that it's dealt with it should not be a chronic/recurring issue
-
The Royals and Marlins both passing on a free outfielder speaks volumes.
-
No, but Arizona Phil gets the benefit of the doubt on these things IMO. And we did get confirmation about Kilian, which is news Phil broke at the same time as the Alcantara extra option.
