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Author Topic: Cubs in '22  (Read 43976 times)

Playtwo

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2235 on: October 12, 2022, 10:33:31 pm »
You gotta be willing to take a big swing when the time is right.  Ricketts can do that without seriously jeopardizing the future and he should.
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Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2236 on: October 13, 2022, 12:00:16 am »
Quote from: Playtwo on October 12, 2022, 10:33:31 pm
You gotta be willing to take a big swing when the time is right.  Ricketts can do that without seriously jeopardizing the future and he should.


Indeed, that will be the acid test.  He can afford to take a lot of swings, in fact.  The problem is that he won’t act like it, so you better be damn sure even if you do take one at all, the swing you take is on the right guy.
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Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2237 on: October 13, 2022, 12:03:13 am »
Quote from: craig on October 12, 2022, 10:24:14 pm
Ron, I agree with your post.  The Covid years were a disruption, but Ricketts has supported the Cubs well.  And in a non-intrusive way.  I don't expect to consistently spend with the Dodgers and Yankees.   

Craig, it’s so divorced from the reality as to be totally the wrong question.  But just for the record I’ll ask it anyway.

Why not?
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CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2238 on: October 13, 2022, 07:49:23 am »
The Dodgers and Yankees bring in more money than the Cubs. At what they are currently spending the Cubs could compete with them easily and still leave a profit. If the Dodgers and Yankees wanted to push their payroll they could get to levels that the Cubs couldn’t compete at.

Just spending isn’t always they best answer because you are buying players outside of their prime usually. The level that the Cubs have invested in the team since Darvish is not acceptable.

That being said the Ricketts are clearly the best owners the Cubs have ever had. They have spent, they have inclvested in development and building a front office to compete. That doesn’t excuse what they have invested in the major league product post Darvish and the gutting of the team.
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davep

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2239 on: October 13, 2022, 07:04:49 pm »
Quote from: Deeg on October 12, 2022, 07:01:53 pm
With the softest-tossing staff in baseball, it’s not at all unrealistic to expect regression.

Steele is not a soft tosser.  Thompson is not a soft tosser.  Wesneski is not a soft tosser.  And Stroman is not a soft tosser.  And with three of the four being young and inexperienced, it is not at all unrealistic to expect progression.
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guest405

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2240 on: October 13, 2022, 07:22:33 pm »
Im glad to see that everyone here thinks the same way of Deeg that I do.
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Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2241 on: October 13, 2022, 07:37:27 pm »
Quote from: DUSTY on October 13, 2022, 07:22:33 pm
Im glad to see that everyone here thinks the same way of Deeg that I do.

Anyone who has your favor should be very concerned.
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craig

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2242 on: October 13, 2022, 08:24:12 pm »
1.  One of the challenges is that there really aren't that many star-level players.  And as discussed, not clear how many will even hit the market.  We all say "get the SS".  But of Turner, Bogaerts, and Swanson, will all three actually hit the market and switch teams, rather than extending with the home team? 
2.  It may be that adding some Stroman-caliber pretty-good players will be easier than getting a star? 
3.  And it may also be that offering super-star money won't get you star performance at all, or if so for long. 
4.  But yeah, sometimes you gotta take a swing and take a risk.  Nothing ventured nothing gained. 
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craig

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2243 on: October 13, 2022, 08:34:15 pm »
I do hope that Hoyer isn't excessively jaded by the last team and the Heyward whiff.  Yes, Heyward was a huge long contract, and proved to be a bad bat dragging the lineup for years and being a budget deadweight.  (I know, he had a season plus Covid where his bat wasn't below-average, and his defense was always nice, no disrespect intended.).

But I don't think it's necessarily wise to be overly scared of having a long-term contract on a good pure hitter.  There is a level of stability in having a good hitter kinda locked into your plans for a long time.  I don't expect Turner or Correa to post .900-OPS seasons again, but having somebody who's probably going to be near and often over .800 for a batch of years, that length might be nice, rather than something to avoid. 
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craig

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2244 on: October 13, 2022, 08:41:27 pm »
Last time Maddon saw we had rising talent before the breakout year, and Lester was also persuaded.  Lester also had a connection with Theo and Hoyer, so I don't think Theo needed to overpay by more than $20 million, right? 

But it was really AFTER the breakthrough year, not before, that Zobrist and Heyward and Lackey wanted to come here.  I know patience is running thin.  But it may be that all you can do is add a couple of good players this year and actually win this year.  With a solidified skeleton and having proved that we're good, maybe next year will be when stars will be more interested? 
« Last Edit: October 13, 2022, 08:43:25 pm by craig »
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guest405

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2245 on: October 13, 2022, 09:07:04 pm »
Money talks.

If we pay them they'll come.

Just pay the right ones.
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CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2246 on: October 13, 2022, 10:41:22 pm »
“The Cubs were among the leaders in the minors in pitching stats and velocity, each of which are big changes from the past.”

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2022/10/13/jed-hoyer-speaks-spending-decisions-high-aav-deals-pitching-development-system-depth-ross-contreras-more/
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Reb

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2247 on: October 14, 2022, 08:45:43 pm »
Sharma:

I think looking at Murphy or Jansen is probably a misappropriation of prospect capital. Look for pitching or other positions with trades, like I said, catcher is an area where they don't need to focus on offense. Higgins is really well thought of on defense and intangibles, but I think they should add a veteran like Christian Vazquez rather than trade for a arb bat. Murphy is going to cost a ton in a trade.
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Reb

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2248 on: October 14, 2022, 08:48:30 pm »
More Sharma:

Just for reference, average catcher OPS this past season was .662. Gomes significantly improved in the second half after working hard to get to know his pitching staff. The best teams in baseball find offensive production elsewhere (unless they have a pre-arb guy who came up through their system) and focus on game-calling and those intangibles you speak of. I'd still argue that they should upgrade over Higgins, but they don't need an impact bat here. Focus on the other aspects and if you can get league-average offensive production from this position, that's fine. As long as they upgrade offensively in other areas and get a bump in production from guys like Nico and Seiya, which is a reasonable expectation.

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Reb

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Re: Cubs in '22
« Reply #2249 on: October 15, 2022, 12:24:06 pm »
From BN:

Bruce Levine today reported on 670 The Score that the Chicago Cubs have interest in pursuing Jose Abreu this offseason.
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