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There's always the opportunity to pull something off midseason if the Cubs appear to be a move or two away from getting over the hump.

There's always the opportunity to pull something off midseason if the Cubs appear to be a move or two away from getting over the hump.

That's the approach that cost us Torrez, Jimenez and Cease.  Not saying you don't do it when you have to, but there are drawbacks to relying on that.

I was thinking along the same lines as Deeg.  Too often the midseason trades are much more costly.  As teams are sorting out their rosters and seeing where they need to fill holes from day one during December often allows them to consider trades they wouldn't think about midseason.  Just think about the return we could have gotten on Schwarber last winter.  It's still a business and if the hometown team can make a trade to keep the faithful hopeful and excited about the coming season, winter is the time to do it.  JMO

Also will need some huge breakout summers for the very thin, very young minor-league system.  They've already moved Torres, Jiminez, and Cease, as well as Soler, Vogelbach, Candelario, and Paredes over a 13-month period.  Not much firepower left, for the moment, at least so it seems today. 

But who knows, maybe by July a bunch from within Ademan, Alzolay, Albertos, Wilson, Little, Lange, de la Cruz, and Velasquez will be exploding and looking like tradable pieces? 

I'll be almost shocked if the Cubs don't sign Cobb after listening to him talk about Maddon and Hickey. 

https://twitter.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/929094837097418753

Sounds like a classy guy that it would be easy to like. 

Whether he'd pitch well, or sign for a fair price, beats me!   

Yeah, easy to envision signing a guy like that as 4th guy; signing some guys for relief; and kind of improvising/winging it for 5th guy. 

For 5th I could easily envision "taking a shot" on somebody or two.  If it works, great.  If not, there's Montgomery as an option, and it's always possible to snag  Dan Haren-type guy, or Turner like we had this year, or go with Tseng or whomever. 

We also know that lots of good relievers were starters once.  Could envision perhaps signing a couple of guys to compete for 5th starter, and if you're lucky maybe you'd get decent work for 5th plus have other end up being very effective for you in relief? 

Think Cubs may need to be willing to sign some "take-a-shot", but also be willing to cut some salaries, rather than just carrying a bad pitcher because you took a shot and lost. 

Also think signing some "take-a-shot" starters with the full willingness/expectation that one (or two) might shift to pen might be a good thing.  That might, hypothetically, support an adjustment in Cubs bullpen use. 

To date, Maddon has been a committed quick-switch short-usage guy.  He does NOT like to have his righties pitch to lefties.  And most of his guys have been short-relief.  Rondon, Strop, Edwards, not sure how often any of those three have pitched two full back-to-back innings.  Or Duensing either. 

Think it's hard to use starters as "go through the lineup twice" guys, then be willing to pull them out pretty quickly after that.  If Monty is the only non-short man you've got in pen, and especially if you're going to habitually go ROOGY/LOOGY and do mid-inning switches frequently when an opposite-hand hitter comes up. 

So I'd be interested in perhaps having some ex-starters who'd be very comfortable going 2-3 innings.  And having Maddon/Hickey perhaps consider switching guys less quickly. You're going to lose some games, I get that.  But maybe letting other relievers pitch full innings, or even two innings, more frequently, even if it involves facing some oppo hitters.  But then having guys appear less frequently, and perhaps end up more well rested come October. 

Yeah,wow. Listening to that, if the Cubs want him, it seems awfully likely they will get him.

Yeah, I would almost bet on him ending up with the Cubs, but looking at his use in 2013 and 2014 under Madden, why did he only pitch in 22 games in 2013 and 27 in 2014?