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Rcal10

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Everything posted by Rcal10

  1. Rcal10
    But isn’t that always what he does? I am not suggesting he is anything special. Just saying he looks like he always looks. 69 through 4 is pretty normal to even low for him. He isn’t great. So don’t expect much. Just don’t see his as gassed for the year because of this very normal start by him.
  2. Rcal10
    ? One run through 3 innings has him officially gassed?
  3. Rcal10
    All good. To be honest, I wasn’t sure my weather app was right. Hopefully you get to see a game tomorrow. Sounds like it could/should happen.
  4. Rcal10
    What is this obsession with the game being rained out tomorrow. My weather app shows 15% chance of rain during the hours the game is scheduled. Even when the chance of rain is 50% to 60% I don’t feel trams plan staring pitchers with the thought the game won’t be played. Maybe my app is wrong. Very well could be. But I do not think it is a foregone conclusion there will not be a game tomorrow. And I feel you have been saying this for days. Weathermen make mistakes on weather when they are predicting a few hours out. You have been calling for the rain out since early this week. I hope you are wrong.
  5. Rcal10
    TBH, Alonso wouldn’t be my choice either. And I wouldn’t do more than 3 years for him. But I know some people like him. If he ended up like Bellinger and Chapman did last off season, I would be ok with a short opt out heavy sort of deal with him, however.
  6. Rcal10
    None of this is exciting, but also not bad. But for me, I would rather add one pitcher and one bat. Not 2 starting pitchers. I like both Miller and Flaherty, as well as several other options, but I would like to see them pick one. Then get a bat via FA or trade. There are probably 5-8 guys I wouldn’t mind seeing the Cubs go after, not counting Soto. Yes, it would mean they would essentially have 10 position players for 9 spots, but I am fine with that. That helps the bench. I don’t feel they need 2 starters. That 5th spot can go to Wicks, Wesneski, Assad, Brown, or another minor league arm.
  7. Rcal10
    If Bellinger opted to stay with the Cubs wouldn’t Tauchman have the same job he does now? Unless they add an outfield bat and go with 10 guys for 9 positions, why wouldn’t Tauchman have a spot. If they added Alonso or Chapman via FA, or a catcher to share time with Amaya, or Vlad via trade, Tauchman definitely has a spot next year, even with Bellinger on the team. We have had so many complaints about the Cubs bench. So now if they have 10 guys for 9 spots that is one solid bench guy. Tauchman would be another. Get a solid catcher to share time with Amaya and that is another good bench guy. Why wouldn’t they want that?
  8. Rcal10
    Well I obviously hope Bellinger would opt out. I am just saying I doubt he does. And if he doesn’t I am not sure outfield would be the obvious place to add an elite bat. Yes, they can add Tucker and still do the 10 guys for 9 spots dance, but I think it is easier with Vlad. If we are in agreement they are not getting Soto, the next bat options are Alonso, Santander, Teoscar Hernandez, Chapman, Bregman and O’Neil. Best available (ish) bats via trade are Vlad, Tucker and Robert. Pick any of them and they can mix and match with Bellinger not opting out. Also add a starting pitcher via FA or trade and the team should be very good. Pitcher has to be a solid TOR sort of guy. Someone who fits in with Steele and Imanaga and better than Taillon.
  9. Rcal10
    I doubt Bellinger opts out. But even if he doesn’t the Cubs can still make a trade for a big bat or sign a bat from the next tier of guys (not Soto). As in your scenario that would give them 10 guys for 9 positions. If it was Chapman they signed then Paredes would play all infield spots giving guys a day off. Again, I am fine with that. Then trade for a front line starter. Skubal would be awesome. Or they can trade for Vlad and sign a pitcher. With the flexibility guys like Vlad, Paredes, Busch, Nico and Bellinger give you they can mix and match 10 guys for 9 positions.
  10. Rcal10
    I don’t understand this at all. Why move Busch to 2nd? So take Nico out and hurt the defense? Why would Bethancourt be a DH consideration. I actually hope he is NOT on the team next year. He is a terrible pitch framer who happens to be hitting now. But his career does not suggest he is a good hitter. IF Busch is going to sit it will be Tauchman getting his AB and Bellinger moving to 1st. I do not see any reason for Nico sitting and very little reason to think of Bethancourt being a DH(he is hot now would be the only argument- but a poor one IMO).
  11. Rcal10
    This is true. But not counting on it. It is just fun to see them play solid baseball. If it wasn’t the Braves they weee chasing I would say they had a chance. But I doubt the Braves play under 500 the rest of the year.
  12. Rcal10
    Only 5 outfielders have a better wRC+ that is better than Seiya’s this year. He is having a very good season.
  13. Rcal10
    The Cubs will be very lucky if this next generation of prospects performs at Ian Happ levels. I would much rather they play like Ian Happ than Baez.
  14. Rcal10
    It does build some confidence moving into 2025. Hell, Amaya is probably pretty close to league average for a catcher now. And he is trending up to possibly getting to league average overall before the end of the season.
  15. Rcal10
    But if Bellinger opted out there is no reason they shouldn’t go all in on Soto. I feel someone like Santander would be similar to guys like Teaoscar Hernandez, O’Neil, and maybe Alonso. All of those guys would be nice additions, even if Bellinger came back. But if Belli is gone I feel they should aim higher. The article made is seem as though if Bellinger didn’t opt out they would sign anyone. And I think that is a mistake, unless they are going to trade for a big bat instead(Vlad or Tucker).
  16. Rcal10
    This, exactly. They have enough to deal prospects and still have solid guys in the minors. This is exactly why Jed should be aggressive this year. Oh, also if they suck next year he may be gone. So there is that reason too.
  17. Rcal10
    I wonder if Bellinger opting out and the Cubs having to pay 5M goes into this years salary. Maybe that is the difference beteeen them going under or over the LT. If he opts in they are under. If he opts out they are over? Would actually make for an interesting discussion. Would you rather he stays and they are under, but they don’t have his money to spend on FA. (But if they went over it would be just the first year over) Or would you rather he opts out (therefore making his buy out salary this year, and puts them over the LT) but the Cubs have money to spend. But the problem is in all likelihood would use the excuse they went over this year, to not go over in 25’, so not spend over the LT.
  18. Rcal10
    You trade for Vlad and figure out the line up every day. 10 guys for 9 positions. Injuries will play a part in this as well. With guys like Busch, Paredes, Bellinger, and Nico you can gives guys a day off and fill in with someone. I think I even saw Vlad at 3rd for the Jays the other day. Trade for Vlad. Maybe trade for a catcher(or go with Amaya). Then sign a TOR starter and I guess a pen arm. Might only need to be Lopez again. That isn’t a mid 80’s win team. That is a 90+ win team, IMO.(assuming PCA and Amaya are better next year). I am all for trading prospects for proven talent. There is no place for them.
  19. Rcal10
    That is just not going to happen. But I do agree with you that the Cubs are set up well to be very good next year. Hell, even if Bellinger comes back and they send the same line up out there, if PCA and Amaya are better than this year the team should be better. Add a TOR starter and maybe a pen arm as well as a decent bat somewhere and they have a very good team. That bat would have to fit in with the 9 they already have and 10 guys would play 9 positions in the line up. Yes, I would love that bat to be Soto, if in a trade, Vlad or Tucker. But I don’t see Jed doing that. But as you said, they are set up nicely.
  20. Rcal10
    I feel they need a 7-2 trip to actually feel like they can make a run. If they can accomplish that maybe they will only be 2 or 3 out and then who knows. 16 at home with only the Yankees 3 games being against a good team, and 9 on the road(little rougher with Phillies and Dodgers being 6 of those 9) But if thru can go 7-2 maybe they can make a run and end around 86 games won. Still might not be enough, however.
  21. Rcal10
    Agreed. Feels like another 82-84 win season.
  22. Rcal10
    Yes, I do remember a poster being down on those guys. I think even as recent as a few weeks ago when Busch went 0-4 with 4 K’s it was mentioned again that him and Paredes were nothing special. Prior to that and before PCA was hitting I believe it was said by a poster that he has seen enough to know PCA will never hit. As I said, some posters are very much reactionary and prone to hot takes. As you said, sometimes it feels like some have never followed baseball before.
  23. Rcal10
    100% agree. There are definitely certain posters that do this way more than others, however. Some posters are much more reactionary and prone to hot takes than others. This has happened with Busch, PCA, Happ etc….
  24. Rcal10
    So you are referring to when he was 21 and 22 and had a total of 180 AB as two of those years. And then since that time he has finished seasons with OPS+ of 113, 131. And then in 24’ when they made the trade he was at 127. How is that remotely close to 2/3 of his ab? He has been bad as a Cub. I agree. But we are still talking about a 25 year old player whose career shows him to be a solid hitter comfortably better than league average.
  25. Rcal10
    Clase. I don’t think they will do it, but if we are talking trading for a pen arm, why not aim higher. But if the group you mentioned in trade, Fairbanks appears to be someone who will be traded. He might fit.
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