Rcal10

Kind of how I feel. But I do think the offense will be better with guys they have just being better. So if you add a TOR starting pitcher, a catcher to split time with Amaya and a decent pen arm I think the team is good enough to be middle of the pack offensively and very good at run prevention. So a solid 90 win team. Yes, I would rather have an upgrade offensively to Bellinger. But if not, I think they would be ok.

I am sure this will not be a popular belief, but if Bellinger comes back I am not sure they have a apt or a need for any extra bat. Just go with a solid catcher to share time with Amaya(Kelly) and then spend on someone like Burnes to improve the starting staff. Maybe also sign a pen arm. That is about it. Offense gets better by guys just having better years. Swanson should be better. So should Nico. PCA should be better next year. Plus they have Paredes ass year. None of the guys they have are doing well to a level they shouldn’t expect to at least be the same next year, and probably better. If their offense is middle of the pack (7th or 8th in the NL) but their rotation is too 3 and their pen is decent and they play great defense, there is no reason that team can’t win 90 games. It should be good enough. Of course, I would love for Bellinger to opt out. Then spend big and get Soto. PERIOD. That would be the ideal situation. But I am not sure they will do that. If Bellinger opts out they can also trade some young talent for Vlad or Tucker. Maybe even Robert, depending o his cost. But if not, just add to the staff.

A long injury history and how it has affected him make him too questionable to trade PCA to get him. Sox are not going to get as much as they hope for him.

Yep. Actually, of the 3rd row numbers the only thing I would like to see better is the OBP. He could hit .242 and slug .424 and be very good. But if he could also learn to take a few walks we would be talking elite.

They just need to win. Couldn’t care less about dominating.

Ok, maybe you are right. We will see. But I will still say these are the most important games to the Sox this year. Beating the Cubs in front of a full crowd is all they have. They suck. I get that. But the Cubs are going to see their best. If they were lax before tonight they won’t be for the next few games. Maybe Crochett only throws 70 pitches. But I am betting he goes further.

It is just so much a Sox type of move. The last two years they brought Robert back right before the Cubs series. Last year they played the Brewers right before the Cubs and didn’t activate Robert. Brewers left and suddenly he was healthy. The team and their fans only care about beating the Cubs.

But now they are facing the Cubs. My guess is he will throw close to 100 pitches. This will be a full house. This is all the Sox have left. To me it is not a coincidence they hired a new manager right before this series. They did that for spark before the Cubs series. This is all that miserable organization has to play for. Cubs will get their best(admittedly not very good anyway).

Agreed. The bullpen complaining is the easiest argument to make every year. Even now while Jed is being criticized for letting go of Estrada and even Bigge, Stratos is suggesting Little is pretty meh. But if the Cubs get rid of Little and he has a good year people will be complain the Cubs didn’t give him a chance. Knowing they aren’t going to spend on a closer brings them to signing middle relief guys. There are just not sure lock down middle relief guys. Even if you find one who has been good 3 or 4 years in a row, it doesn’t mean they will be good when they sign him. It is just the position you cannot count on. Again, Stratos isn’t wrong about needing a strong pen. I completely agree that they do. I just don’t agree that it is solved automatically by adding FA middle relief pitchers. There is luck involved, period. As an example, take a look at Gallegos of the Cardinals. Solid 4 year span before a 2 year contract to start the 23’ season. He was 30. He sucked jn 23 and was cut in 24’. So did the Cardinals make a mistake signing him? Results say yes. But I am sure in the off season before the 23’ season people were complaining about the Cardinals always making smart moves that don’t cost them too much. Is he finished at 32-33? Maybe. But would it shock people if he was effective again? Unless there is underlying numbers that say he lost it or he is injured, it wouldn’t shock me if he is good again. He is just a middle relief pitcher who has had some good and bad years. It is the nature of the position.

But I don’t think that means they solve the pen. I don’t think anyone they sign for something like 3/$30M has any better a chance of being a solid pen arm then Pearson, Merryweather or any number of minor league arms they have. Just look at how good guys like Miller and Lopez have been since being picked up as free agents. Stratos isn’t wrong that they need a good pen. What he is wrong about is assuming spending on guys makes the pen good. The pen is always going to be something people will always complain about. I am sure he and many others will be complaining again next year. There is no sure way to build a solid pen. Throwing money at it isn’t the answer. it is also easy to rip Jed for Estrada. But that is after the fact. I am sure he was a guy people complained about when he was on thr Cubs. I am certain he was someone people used as an example of the Cubs not getting a proven pen arm because they had him and the Cubs were wrong for that decision. And now he is being used as an example of the FO giving away good pen arms. . year after year the pen is an very easy thing to complain about. And it will always be the case.

And Pearson might be the best of the guys who will be available. That is the point. Stratos is right he said it last year and the year before that. And he will say it again next year unless the Cubs happen to get lucky and pick the absolute right pair of pen arms. And even then I am sure he will be posting that the pen sucks when they do blow a game. The pen has been amazing since July 1st. But as soon as they lost a game what did people do? They blamed the pen and complained about it. It is just an easy mark. What I would like to see is this off season Stratos pick the two guys he thinks they should get. Then we can compare them to who they got. It is very easy to say they should get two lock down guys. And then after the fact pick the guys. Let see who they should be before the season starts and then see how they do. The bottom line is it is a crapshoot no matter who you pick.

That is just not happening. For one, Boog does network games. I am sure he has it in his contract, at his request, that he is allowed to continue doing them. Then maybe JD wants time off. Why does it seem you think this is marquee’s decision to have several announcers? I would guess the reason JD and Boog miss games is because JD and Boog want time off. If that is the case, and marquee demands 2 guys all year, maybe neither stays. Didn’t that very thing happen with the white Sox?

Well this is true. Fact is the top 3 teams ahead in the WC race need to drop back a little. As I said earlier, Cubs have to get lucky with some slumping from at least one of them that brings them back to the 84-85 range while the Cubs still play heat ball for 7 more weeks. Nit very likely.

Who are these two quality guys you speak of? They are not going to spend $15M a year on a pen closer. So once that is realized please tell me who you consider a sure late inning guy they can spend $7M to $10M on and be sure he will be good. Simple fact is a middle relief pitcher is there because he isn’t good enough to be a closer or a starter. So he pitches in the middle. Those guys are usually not guys who are good every year. Just take a look at the guys who signed between $4M and $10M last year. Guys I assume most would have thought were solid guys. How did they all pan out? Were they all solid again this year? The pen is a crapshoot no matter who they sign. It is also the easiest spot on the team for people to complain about. But the truth is it is also unreliable spot on the team no matter what the FO does. I seem to recall fans wanting guys like Stephenson, Braiser, W. Smith, Stanek, Brebria, and even Hader. How are all of them doing? Mostly not so great. I am sure there are a few solid pen signings as well, but for the most part there is no guarantee that the guy you expect to be solid because he was the year before will be solid again. I totally agree with you that a great one would be awesome. I just don’t agree that throwing money at the supposed top end of the pen guys will make it a great one.

True. They will need a lot of luck to make the playoffs with 85 wins. And getting 85 will be difficult too. I would guess Atlanta makes the playoffs. Have to hope for a slump by either the Dbacks or Padres. As for the other teams I don’t expect them to make lay any better than 500 ball.

I am so confused. I swear I read the other day that Busch was nothing special. So is he awesome or nothing special?

I think they get one lefty and go with what they have. I don’t see them spending a lot on the pen. Chafin is a perfect example of what I expect.

I am in the same page as you Cuzi. The only outfielders I want are either Soto or Tucker. And even if Bellinger stays I am in on either of them. I also agree with PCA being a 3-4 WAR player even if he hits .240 with not a high slugging.

Agreed. They have the technology. They should use it. Umpires calling balls and strikes has gotten worse and worse.

Exactly. And had he swing and popped up people would be bitching that he swung at ball 4. But he shouldn’t have taken strike 3. That was a strike. Of course he should have been in first the pitch before that.

I am staying at a place about 1 mile from the park. Getting a little dark. They are saying there are storms in the area, but so far, nothing. And even if it does rain it doesn’t appear to be something that stays in the area for long.

True. Now we need to win the next 5 all in Chicago.

But the game was at Wrigley. Bellinger did hit a homer. Tauchnan did get a legitimate hit and they came back against Helsley by actually scoring without the Cardinals giving the game away. You can’t start going into things like seeing eye hits or ball that would be caught elsewhere. That does happen. That is baseball. Hell, Pham’s ball on Saturday is probably caught by Happ in most parks. He had it but hit the wall. Most times that ball wouldn’t have been at the wall. But that isn’t the point. The Cubs came back Thursday on a great closer and because of hitting the ball in places the Cardinals couldn’t field it, they got hits and won. The Cardinals hit a pop up that was misplayed. I am over it and looking forward to the next game. But it is not the same. And, one last point I should have mentioned. I was at the game Saturday so I had to sit and listen to all the Cardinal fans cheering the win. That probably added to my irrational anger of the loss. All good now, but the Cubs win on Thursday is way differ t than the Cardinals win on Saturday.

I know it is irrational. I should state I was very happy for the win Sunday. But realizing Saturday cost them a sweep brought the anger of losing Saturday back. It was just such a stupid game to lose.

Wining last night actually makes me even more angry about the game they gave away. They could have been 2 games from .500 and 2 games closer to the Cardinals had they not given that one away. I know it is unlikely they finish by playing .600 ball or better, but not impossible. And I hate that blowing that game might end up costing them in the end. Not only did it drop them 2 more in back of the Cardinals than they should be, it gives the Cardinals the tie breaker. I do think they will finish strong and probably end up with 81-83 wins. But they need 86-87. And that isn’t happening. Pissing away a sure win on Saturday is why it won’t happen. IMO they will pass the Pirates, Giants, Cardinals and probably the Dbacks. But they aren’t passing the Padres, Mets and Braves. Too little, too late.