Rcal10

Agreed. But who does that elite bat replace? You named 5 similar guys with Suzuki and Busch being the best. Then you add in Swanson and Hoerner. That’s 7. You have a catcher. That makes 8. And then PCA. So does the big bat replace, PCA? Or do they go with basically 10 starters for 9 positions? TBH, the results should be better now. This team should be a team 10 games over .500. With the names they have in their line up, if all played to their career numbers it should be a good line up. The rotation has been solid. And I just saw yesterday that the Cubs pen era was 7th in baseball. I know the record is all that matters, but this team should be better. It is very frustrating.

I don’t like the idea. But I also don’t see the need. To me the biggest thing they should do is get the strike zone figured out. And they need to do that by not having umpires call balls and strikes. To me that is a much bigger issue than making a starter go 6 innings. My biggest issue with this is what happens when a manager would normally do a bullpen day? I guess they couldn’t do that.

Well actually you showed 3 opinions on him. The two you mentioned and then yours. And I agree with yours. Solid ball player worth what he is being paid and can fit on any team. 😀

Not sure about across the league, but definitely with many here who always wants to replace him and acts like it would be easy to do.

A deal with Comcast shouldn’t make a difference. With people able to pay for the marquee app on its own I don’t see the Cubs worrying too much about if Comcast picks them up or not. That said, they might use it as an excuse, but really that is all it is. I think if Comcast fights it too much and doesn’t have marquee as one of their channels they will lose a lot of people. I don’t see them having the advantage now that marquee has the app. Why wouldn’t people just cut the cable and stream? YouTube tv is cheaper and even adding the marquee app it is still cheaper than Comcast.

I did too. But I don’t think Counsil getting tossed for balls and strikes that weee called bad on both teams does anything for the team. For that fans, sure it is entertaining. What I don’t understand is how baseball can be played by the best players in the world and be ok with subpar officiating of the game. How do they allow umpires to continue to suck at what they do when they have the technology to do it so much better? I don’t get it.

Also, his running could have caused Ramirez to hesitate for a second and if he threw to first maybe it is late. Or with indecision maybe it is a bad throw. If Nico is running he can score on a misplay at 1st. Really not a big deal. Ramirez makes the play at 1st anyway if Nico isn’t running.

And their pen doesn’t have any high priced signings. Their closer is amazing but home grown. Everyone else is either a system guy or a cheaper pen arm. They are just all having great years.

And exactly what would that look like? What is he supposed to do? Get tossed from the game? Do you think the umpire than says “oh, maybe he was right” and start calling a better game? In fairness he has been bad with both teams.

I don’t have a problem with this move. Boyd is much better against lefties. I did have a problem with Wisdom for Busch last night when down by 5. Busch is probably more likely to get a hit than Wisdom against that lefty. Maybe Wisdom hits more homers in that spot. But they needed base runners. So I didnt necessarily get that one. I am fine with this one.

There should have been runners in 1st and 2nd had Dansby not kicked the ball into the outfield. He wouldn’t have gotten the guy at 1st on the grounder he slid to try to stop, but Ramirez was going back to 2nd until he kicked the ball. So you are right, the ground ball could have been a double play if the infield was playing back. I am not sure that is true, (it was a high hopper and they might not have turned it) but your argument does make sense based on where runners should have been.

I’m not so sure 85 doesn’t get them in this year. 5 over is the bar right now. If each team plays 500 or 1 game o we that gives them 84 wins. I would like to see the Cubs at 86-87 wins, but that is a real tall order. But maybe 85 does get it done.

Going tonight. Putting my 5-2 record on the line. Love that the Cubs dumped Hendricks and are going with Imanaga. Making me start to believe they are back in the race. Really need this one!

I get that. Like I said, I know it wouldn’t be popular. And I would much rather get a big bat. But it is not inconceivable the same guys they have now so have a better year next year. The talent is on this team. Paredes all year and PCA with a year under his belt should help. Then some guys can play to their career numbers instead of below them, like this year. Add a TOR starter and you have a 90 win team.

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.