Rcal10

Better. He has done what he is doing longer than Wells, I think. I don’t know any Assad haters either. There are a few guys here who point out some of the issues they have with him. But I don’t consider them haters. They just see him as a swing starter, maybe #4 or #5 guy in the rotation, or even a long relief guy. None of these options suggests they hate him. And he fits any of those roles.

Best comparison is Bobby Bonds.

Pretty lofty goal. Love if he was prime Trout. But I think k that’s an overreach.

You mean leave them to the catchers? Pitchers seldom challenge.

Buxton is a good comp, except really hard to determine exactly who he would be since he is always hurt. He has never come close to 30/30. Bonds has similar numbers to what I hope PCA will be. He stuck out a fair amount, but also walked. And was a 30/30 guy with a career BA right around .270. Also won a few GG. Solid slugging numbers as well. Prime Bonds was a 6 WAR player. Those numbers now would result in an even higher WAR.

Which means he is nothing like Harper. Honestly I don’t know who he can be compared to. If he actually keeps his average in the .275 level or higher, walks 10% of the time and is a 30/30 guy along with GG defense I can’t think of a guy like him. Maybe Bobby Bonds? He hit 30+ homers, stole 30+ bases, hit around that .275 mark, walked a fair amount and won several GG. Seems to have had a similar game as PCA is showing.

As it stands now, I agree. But a guy like Cabrera has a lot of upside. He did seem to be throwing harder after his first stint in the IL. He got lit up against the Giants, but that was one of those winding Wrigley days with the wind blowing out. I do believe he could be good come September. He has a lot of talent. Then there is Brown, if he is healthy. Boyd should also be doing well in September. His injuries limited his innings this year and in the end that could be a plus. This doesn’t even count Imanaga. Add a solid starting pitcher via trade and a solid pen arm and you have a decent staff for the playoffs. They don’t have to be good all year. Just the last 2 months of the regular season and the playoffs. For me, it is all about how guys come back and when guys come back from injuries, plus a couple of pitchers. 1 starter via trade then 2 of Cabrera, Shota, Brown or Boyd pitch well and you have a good chance. Pen might have 1 guy you trade for, Rolison, Theilbar, Pomarez, Webb, Palencia, Rea and/or Assad and Steele. Doesn’t even include if Shelby Miller can make it back. Chibear, it is very easy to say they don’t have enough and be right. Most likely you are going to be right. 29 teams can make that statement and be right every year. So I am not arguing with you that they will win. I am just providing a path to winning. In the end I am sure when they are eliminated you will tell us all you knew they didn’t have enough. Truth is they probably don’t. But they are good enough to do what they can to at least try winning.

Ok. Sure, I agree with you on the big guns. Problem is none will be available, with the possible exception of Tolle. Also, don’t get the reference of Tom Glavine. If they go rental I hope for Gray or Mize. If they go control years left I hope for Detmer. I like Ryan but I think the cost will be too high for having only 1 more year.

I wouldn’t call it a good chance. There is a chance. But there is also a chance that each of those guys over the course of the next 6 years is worth 5 times what Ryan is worth in 40 starts. Maybe even more. There is much more upside on the twins side of that trade. Please understand I am not prospect hugging. Cubs do need to trade some and bring back a solid pitcher. I am not even saying I wouldn’t make the trade we are discussing, but you are basically totally devaluing the prospects.

This pretty well sums it up for me. And if people are being honest, if another countries leader stepped in and had a guy reinstated before playing the US the fans would be upset. I agree it shouldn’t have been a red card penalty. But that was the call. A call from the president shouldn’t have changed that decision.

I think any team other than the Dodgers can say it is unlikely, however. If the Cubs get a solid playoff starter in a trade, then between Imanaga, Boyd, Cabrera and Brown one or two of them of them gets hot, anything can happen. If Palencia comes back healthy as well as Milner and Pomeranz pitches like last year, those guys with Webb, Rea and Rolison might not be half bad. Especially if they add another pen arm. I realize a lot has to break right. But any time a team wins a WS things have to break right.

Who is this referencing?

I don’t think they should have let him play. At least, not because the president called. That just looks bad. I know the call was terrible. But it should have been reversed earlier, if it was going to be reversed. Not after a politician stepped in and made a phone call. If USA ends up winning the World Cup it will always come with an asterisk IMO. And, of course, Trump will take credit for the win.

Who would constitute a big gun in your opinion? I imagine someone with more control than Detmer? Maybe Meyer? But I doubt he is available. Having a hard time thinking of anyone. Maybe Tolle? Who cost more, Detmer, Soriano or Ryan? The first two have an extra year of control.

Ryan only has 27’ after this year. I wouldn’t think he should cost more than that. I think I would do that, but not as certain as you are. Giving up 6 years of control from Rojas and Alcantara, I would rather get someone back with a little more time left than Ryan. But, if that is the cost of doing business, maybe I would just pay it.

I think we should all actually be pretty happy to be sitting at 50-40 right now. Of course, none of us likes how they got here but, this is a 90 win pace. Considering they have had an entire rotation on injured for a good part of this year, only have one player playing to an all star level and many players underperforming, I think 50-40 is damn good. If guys ever start producing like they should, we get some pitchers back from injuries and make a few trades to add a few pitchers, there is no reason this team can’t still finish with wins in the low 90’s and be a serious playoff team. Maybe they even catch the Brewers.

Add that to the luck they got on Tuesday. Reds had 2nd and 3rd and no outs in a 2-2 game in the 6th. The batter hit a ground ball to the first baseman, where the guy on third didn’t break for home. Wasn’t the contact play. First baseman stepped in first. Problem was, the guy on second did break break for third. So the guy on third had to come home and ran into an easy out. Went from 2nd and 3rd with no outs to a man in second and 2 outs very quickly. And they didn’t score.

No chance. Not with a kid pitcher. One game, even a perfect game, isn’t worth risking a career. Just think back to Dusty and the arms he ruined. If it was a veteran and a guy without the huge upside of Perez, maybe you let him keep going. The managers job is to win as many games as possible and do whatever they can to keep players healthy. Letting him go 120 pitchers increases the risk of him getting injured, which would also decrease the amount of future wins the team can have. I know the game got really close, but winning 8-0, as the manager, you take that pitcher out and let the pen complete the game.

They really should suspend the game and complete it tomorrow. Looks very hard to see. Tomorrows weather seems ok. Just complete game one at noon and then play the next one after that.

If anyone rated him as better than ok as POBO I agree they are overrating him. He isn’t a top 5 POBO in the game. Maybe not even top 10. But he isn’t bottom half either. I think more are worse than better. And I don’t feel many overrate him.

I guess it is all perception. I mean sure they need to put up crooked number. Maybe score 3 in an inning. I am not a believer in momentum, I guess. They just need to put runs in the board. Suggesting a momentum swing just sounds strange to me. Maybe it is just me. I agree this is a big game. Need to win so they can win the series. We both agree on that. So let’s go with that.

A bit of a panic statement, don’t you think? They played one inning and you are suggesting some sort of momentum swing or being swept? Seems a bit doom boner to me. Yes, we need 6+ from Imanaga. And we need to score runs. But pretty early to start talking about being swept.

To be fair, Leahy isn’t a bum. He isn’t a star, but he is a decent pitcher. And been pitching well lately.

I think he is saying central. But I think it will be earlier than that. Maybe 8:30 start time CT.

Your right, large market teams still have an as advantage over small markets. But not as big an advantage as they had when Hendry was in charge. And when an owner doesn’t use that advantage to his fullest, as TR doesn’t do, the advantage is even lessened. When Hendry was the man in charge ownership gave him free rein to spend. And yet, the guy you liked won at 55% with every advantage greater than it is now while Jed has a 54% winning percentage. Seems strange to defend one and rip the other. As I have said repeatedly, Jed isn’t great as the POBO. But he isn’t bad either. Easy to use Bregman as an overpay right now, but the jury is still out on him. What large FA contract did Jed put on the books that is an overpay? What large FA pitching contract did the Cubs miss on? What prospects have been held too long and who did they miss on by not trading those prospects? And finally, do we know TR would have signed off on any of the players you may suggest? I am sure you can find some players you wished the Cubs signed, especially using hindsight. But there are also many that fans wanted signed that right now we are very happy we don’t have.