Author Topic: Cubs in '17 - 👑👑👑 Reigning Champions Edition 👑👑👑  (Read 75336 times)

CUBluejays

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I think the new pitching coach could have a bigger impact on relievers like Edwards and Maples vs the starting pitchers. The starters nibble because they need to.

I was looking at a Rays message board and Odorizzi might be on the block.  He had a 4.14 ERA last year, but the rest of his underlying numbers were bad.  Depending on the cost he could make an interesting bounce back/4th-5th starter.

davep

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I guess the Cubs weren't as impressed with the Bosio "magic" as we were.

Is he the last of the pre-Maddon coaches?  I think the bullpen coach has been around for quite a while.

JeffH

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Lester Strode has been the Cubs bullpen coach since 2007.

Deeg

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My biggest worry here is that the pitchers reportedly loved Bosio.  If this is seen as Maddon pushing him out (which it obviously is) that has the potential to lead to a split in the clubhouse.

vander-built

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Arrieta definitely liked him.  Lester, I'm not sure.  They had some sort of disagreement in the dugout in August/September that got blamed on Lester just talking about the defense.  Wonder if there was something more there. 

grrrrlacher

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My biggest concern is the notion that Davis won't be back.  That's been our biggest problem the last 2 years - closer.  We've traded some very good/great prospects for 1.5 season of closers.  What do they plan to do going forward?  Move Edwards in the closers role? Lord help us.

CurtOne

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I'm guessing Davey Martinez will get some manager interviews.

Deeg

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I agree, what we've given up for rental closers is crazy.  I know FA can be a game of diminishing returns, but we've had a lot of chances to sign closers where the only cost would have been money.

CUBluejays

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Hickey interviewing Monday.

craig

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Hickey interviewing Monday.

Thanks!  Interesting, don't mess around. 

Nothing against Bosio, but maybe they think Hickey is special.  Maybe kinda like Renteria and Maddon. 

Bennett

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Twins manager Paul Molitor and Chris Bosio were teammates in Milwaukee for 7 years and are good friends.  The pitching coach job in Minnesota is open.

Deeg

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It's very possible Bosio wouldn't have been fired unless they had an informal commitment from Hickey.

craig

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http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171021/did-too-many-walks-prompt-cubs-to-fire-bosio

"Throw more strikes across the board in the bullpen," Epstein said during his season-ending news conference at Wrigley Field. "Partly a player-personnel thing but I think it goes beyond that a little bit because if you look at it -- and we have -- virtually every reliever that we have walked more guys this year on a rate basis, unintentional walk rate, than they did on average through their career. It was common. It could be a fluke, or it could be that there were certain situations where we tried to be too fine or certain situations where we didn't prioritize just getting a strike at the risk of some hard contact.

"We're openly looking at it, trying to figure a way to get better -- coaches, players. We're all trying to figure a way to get better because 30th in unintentional walk rate this year out of the pen, 26th the year before, come on, we have to be a lot better than that."

JR

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I wouldn’t be surprised if Bosio was a Theo call more than a Maddon call.

CUBluejays

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There seems to be differing stories on who wanted him gone.