Bleacher Bums Forum

If, as seems likely, we go into next season with a slightly above average rotation and below average bullpen, we will probably be competing with the Brewers for the NL Central.  Perhaps high 80s, low 90s win total.  To separate ourselves, we would need to acquire a #1/2 starter and/or completely revamp the bullpen to improve it dramatically. 

The Cubs are still one of the better teams in MLB. 

Getting a great 1/2 would be nice, but it isn't a need.  Quintana, Hendricks, Lester is going to be in the upper echelon of production for a teams top 3 starters and is just fine.  A #4 starter worthy of the playoff rotation should be the goal and an #5 that is better than Anderson improves the rotation over last year. 

The bullpen was 14th in fWAR last year.  Losing Davis will be difficult to replace, but the Cubs also have some impact arms that could make this pen really special if their control improves just a little bit.  The pen needs work, but I have a lot of confidence that Theo is up to the task.  There was a freak on on this board when Duensing was signed, but he was one of the Cubs better relievers.   I mean the Dodgers second best reliever this year was a 33 year old minor league free agent.  Bullpens are hard to predict.

The Brewers had a lot go right for them this year.  Maybe Chase Anderson becomes a 3 WAR pitcher at 29.  Maybe Nelson comes back from his torn labrum, but he is going to miss a large amount of 2018 and that is a huge loss.  Maybe Hader can step in or some of their you guys will.  Travis Shaw is in Chris Taylor territory for me, he needs to prove that his improvement is permanent.  Add Thames and Pina to that mix too.  The Brewers have a lot of questions.

The Cardinals could be good again, but they are getting old.  Are Pham and DeJong just this years version of Gricheck, Piscotty and Diaz or are the real.  Their rotations is Martinez, Wacha, Wainwright and Weaver.  Maybe Reyes comes back, maybe it takes him 18 months to recover.  He had control/command issues before TJS and that is the last thing to return.  Maybe they are great or maybe they are just kinda average.  The Cardinals bullpen makes the Cubs situation look amazing.  Rosenthal is going to miss all of 18 or at least a large chunk of it.  They have Brett Cecil, Tyler Lyons and Matt Bowman returning.  The Cardinals can spend a ton of money to try and paper over these issues.  It might work or the might end up 4 games over .500 again after the spent $113 like last off season.