Author Topic: Cubs in '19  (Read 72266 times)

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #900 on: December 03, 2018, 10:17:17 pm »
Keep at it, by the law of averages one of these rants is going to be remotely convincing sooner or later.

Your ability to judge rants is rivaled by your ability to judge defense.

guest61

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #901 on: December 05, 2018, 09:40:46 pm »
"I do expect the #Cubs to do quite a bit this offseason." - @Ken_Rosenthal on the Goldschmidt trade's impact on the NL Central.

JeffH

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #902 on: December 06, 2018, 09:01:20 am »
Recently non-tendered RHP Justin Hancock has signed a contract with a Japanese team.

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #903 on: December 06, 2018, 10:05:14 am »
When the game began, as Davep can attest because he was there, players were positioned because they believed that was the best way to defend.   Today, we have computers tell us differently, and we have paychecks that cause us to rethink our approach.   The reason the MLB is concerned is because the two issues they are discussing...the other being attendance...are related.  The game has been become boring for many.  Defense has found a weapon, but the offense has not yet reciprocated.  The loft approach cannot equal the shift.  What can be done?  We dropped the height of the mound to help hitters.  What can we do to help hitters balance the shift?  Allow corked bats?  Re-define a checked swing to reduce K's? 

BearHit

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #904 on: December 06, 2018, 10:56:55 am »
Lower ticket and concession prices has helped attendance numbers - try that
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CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #905 on: December 06, 2018, 11:03:44 am »
It isn't just the shift though. 

Baseball has found that the best way to prevent runs is the strike out.  Pitchers are throwing harder and harder every year and facing hitters less which makes hitting more difficult.

Offenses have realized that the likely aren't stringing together 4 hits against mid-90's fastball and 90 mph sliders, so launch angle was born.  HR are the best way to score against modern pitchers and looking for your pitch to crush. 

All of this plus shifts has led to the modern 3 outcome and less action in the games.  How do you change it though?  Lowering the mound might help, but that just might spike HRs.  Playing around with the ball?  I have no clue.

Lower ticket and concession prices has helped attendance numbers - try that

I think making tanking less appealing at building teams would help.  The desire to pay amateurs less has led to tanking to being the way to build teams.  The worst place to be is a competitive, but not elite team.  Better teams, more exciting games.  Less blow outs will help.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2018, 11:06:53 am by CUBluejays »

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #906 on: December 06, 2018, 11:23:31 am »
So, discourage concentration of hard throwing pitchers on one team by expansion?

Jack Birdbath

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #907 on: December 06, 2018, 11:24:32 am »
Please read this fangraphs post. It’s the opposite of what you usually find on that site. It’s a heartbreaking story that explains why, for at least one person, the Cubs keeping Addison Russell is a bad move.

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-human-side-of-the-cubs-addison-russell-decision/
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CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #908 on: December 06, 2018, 11:34:35 am »
So, discourage concentration of hard throwing pitchers on one team by expansion?

You have to add 5 or 6 teams.  Every team, but the Cubs, seems multiples of them.

Ron

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #909 on: December 06, 2018, 11:49:53 am »

David Kaplan
@thekapman
I know the narratives that I read keep repeating that the Cubs won't be players for the big name players who are available this winter. My take? I'm not buying it. It's too damn quiet. They are in lockdown mode at the corner of Clark and Addison. Never count out Theo and Jed.

Jesse Rogers
@ESPNChiCubs
wait. you said you did not think they were getting Harper. So which is it, are they players for the big name hitters or not? There's only 2. (on paper)

Playtwo

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #910 on: December 06, 2018, 12:33:40 pm »
I believe that Theo is lying in the weeds.
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CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #911 on: December 06, 2018, 01:00:20 pm »
Please read this fangraphs post. It’s the opposite of what you usually find on that site. It’s a heartbreaking story that explains why, for at least one person, the Cubs keeping Addison Russell is a bad move.

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-human-side-of-the-cubs-addison-russell-decision/

Stories like this are why I'd prefer Russell to be gone from the Cubs.  At the same time I'm not sure if just cutting players is really the best answer to helping solve the problem.  If Theo really is interested in doing something different I think the Cubs should be given space to work on it.  Hopefully it is real and not just a BS excuse to keep Addison on the team.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #912 on: December 06, 2018, 01:00:43 pm »
David Kaplan
@thekapman
I know the narratives that I read keep repeating that the Cubs won't be players for the big name players who are available this winter. My take? I'm not buying it. It's too damn quiet. They are in lockdown mode at the corner of Clark and Addison. Never count out Theo and Jed.

Jesse Rogers
@ESPNChiCubs
wait. you said you did not think they were getting Harper. So which is it, are they players for the big name hitters or not? There's only 2. (on paper)

Reading some of Kaplan's replies after those tweets, he says the Cubs won't get Harper/Machado, but will likely make trades.

I just don't see what the Cubs have to trade that is going to get them a difference-making player. Maybe if the price falls far enough on Realmuto, they can get him--then they'd have a big trade chip in Contreras to go out and get an outfielder or middle infielder. But other than that, they don't really have any options but to shop for bargains on the trade market too.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #913 on: December 06, 2018, 01:09:56 pm »
I think this exchange is enlightening...

TheMoncadaArmada

You literally helped start that narrative Kap. Lol
        David Kaplan
        Good morning! After talking with a handful of MLB sources this weekend, I am starting to believe more than ever the Cubs will not be a factor for Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. The only way that changes is if Theo and Jed and Co. are able to move serious money off the books. 11/4/18


David Kaplan
You are absolutely right. But as things have gone along I just find it hard to believe that with the Cubs window to win wide open right now that Theo and Jed won't find a way. When I tweeted that I was listening to a number of national analysts and agents.

I firmly believe that a lot of the Cubs have no money to spend comes from outside the org.  Some of it maybe the Cubs letting expectations get managed in case the Phillies do something stupid, but for the most part I don't think anyone has a clue what the Cubs are up to.  I have a hard time seeing how the Cubs get Realmuto without Contreras being in the deal.  I don't think Happ has that much more value than somebody like Nimmo.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2018, 01:22:33 pm by CUBluejays »

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '19
« Reply #914 on: December 06, 2018, 01:28:25 pm »
Realmuto has half the years of control that Contreras has. Realmuto's value is nowhere close to Contreras. Two bad months didn't hurt Contreras' value that much.

If/when Realmuto is traded, I think a lot of people are going to be surprised at how little it takes to get him. I think teams are done giving potential star prospects/young players for guys with only a year or two of control left. The centerpiece of the deal will be a Happ/Nimmo type.