God i miss Steve Stone, will be nice to get a couple day break from Boog and JD. Awful
*****Official Cubs 2023 thread*****
- Thread starter QChawks
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- qcpizzasucks
W.
Nasty pitch to end that game. Nasty.
Nasty pitch to end that game. Nasty.
Lots of credit to go around tonight between Hendricks' pitching, Swanson, Hoerner and Morel on offense, and Suzuki's grand slam saving catch.
If only we could get Bellinger going.
If only we could get Bellinger going.
Deadline deals don’t return what they used to. They’re not getting a major league ready SP and a major league ready 1B for Bellinger. I think the Cubs will make some deals in the margins, but unless another team or two get stupid, I’d just keep Bellinger & Stroman and do what it takes to sign both. Maybe the Cubs catch a heater and somehow make the playoffs to boot.
The Cubs did some good scouting in 2021 and 2022. They landed some guys about to pop. They also took some chances on some guys with health risks. People forget that PCA was coming off shoulder surgery. The Mets probably overpaid a little, but the Cubs took a gamble. Probably the best deals netted Brown and Wesneski, but they are in the minors for now.
MLB ready talent is not coming back in any 2023 deal.
I’m mostly with you, but there may be ML talent to be had….just not likely for Bellinger/Stroman. There may be chances to make an Effross/Wesneski type deal with someone in the margins, maybe trading off the strength of the minor league OFs to a non-contender for someone in the bigs who might be a year or two away from FA payday.
the only way you don’t trade Bellinger is if you can get a 3 year deal in place
I've been wavering but I'm coming around to your way of thinking unless a team opens up the vault for those 2. I read (CC, BN, one of the many sites) that the Cubs should now be buyers as well as signing Bellinger and Stro. Reason being is the Cubs have the weakest schedule of all the NL Central teams and could actually make a push for the title.
I don't know though, this team is so wishy washy. I guess we'll see after this weekend.
I doubt there is a deal to be had out there (that the Cubs would be willing to spend) to make the ball club better in 2023. More prospects for a high priced player that isn't in the Cubs future is probably the best route,
If the Cubs are trading guys this week, then I'm not looking for 2023 major league talent, but I definitely want 2024 talent. It's going to be a really tough decision because there is a chance they could make a run with the easy schedule so you want to keep Stroman and Bellinger, but it's a risk because if you keep them, don't make the playoffs, there is a great chance both head to free agency and you risk getting nothing that will help you next year.
If they are buyers, I'm not convinced they have pieces that can compete with other buyers.
Since I don't have Marquee, that was the 3rd Cubs game I've watched on TV all year. That grand slam robbery by Suzuki was sick and that final pitch from Alzolay was even sicker!
Cubs got 2 players with Major League experience from the Sox when they traded Kimbrel just two seasons ago. If they trade a former MVP, gold-glove CF and arguably the best player in baseball this month, I would expect at least 1 player in return who is Major League ready. If not, then I would expect to get a PCA-type return (Team's #1 prospect tearing up AA ball).
I'm still torn on whether or not I want him traded. I would hope they would keep him if there remains a sliver of hope for the postseason, especially since keeping him would give the Cubs the best chance of having him on the roster in '24.
You’re not going to win a World Series with Happ and Suzuki as your third and fourth hitters in the lineup.
I expect that they will generally be hitting #5-6 next season behind Nico, Dansby, Belli (hopefully) and Morel.
Cubs' farm system is absolutely loaded with OF, so it is possible that those two might have a hard time keeping their jobs by '25 if they don't continue to increase their offensive production (which I think they will), but trading them now, with a combined 6 years and $100 million left on their contracts, makes no sense - the organization would eat a vast majority of that and they have no reliable replacements at this time. But then again, you already know that.
But, 10mph faster. He was throwing balls off the plate that ripped back over for strikes.
I'm going to quibble about the organization being loaded with OF talent. They have guys with potential who have struggled with injuries in Brennen Davis and Alexander Canario. I don't know if PCA will get bumped to AAA or not this year. Beyond that the talent is AA or below. Alcantara is intriguing, but even he is years away considering he is in South Bend. It's great that Canario has returned from that horrific collision in the AFL, but he has lost time and needs to rehab. The injury to Davis is troubling. Backs rarely get better as someone ages.
If the talent was so good they would be in the majors already. Look at all the young superstars all over the league. I mean, Elly De La Cruz is 21 and was in AA last year. How long are we talking here for all the Cubs "talent" to reach the majors? Better be as soon as next season or I don't think the talent is really all that.
When is the last time the Cubs had a guy that young blow up in the majors? The Cubs seem frustratingly slow at times in developing and promoting prospects. Lots of reasons for that, I suppose.
The injuries to those two have certainly been unfortunate. However, they still have Nelson Velazquez, PCA. Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara who should be ready for regular MLB playing time in '24 or '25 at the latest. They probably won't all turn out to be stars, but I expect that they will all be solid Major Leaguers. There will come a time when the organization has to make a decision about the future of all these guys; I just hope they make the right choices...
The list is long of the next Cubs superstar that has flamed out. I tend to be jaded when it comes to this sort of thing. More of a, I'll believe it when I see it.
Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, et al, TYFYS
As was mentioned above, Davis and Canario (both 23) were supposed to be Major League ready by now but have been hampered by injuries. The other 3 highly ranked OF prospects are 21. How many other "young superstars" are there in the Majors age 21 or younger other than De La Cruz? I seriously don't know. I just remember Addison Russell being the youngest Major Leaguer when he got to the Majors at age 21.
How many contenders are in need of an aging starter with a 6.18 ERA?
Well, two if you believe the reports that the Rays and the Dodgers are kicking the tires. Lynn is a rental, and never discount that a guy playing on a crappy team might also suffer from poor defensive support and a bit more bad luck.
Caissie has amazing power, but he strikes out 1/3rd of the time. That isn't a MLB ready stat. He has actually made improvements in his contact rate this year, but he still whiffs a ton for a AA hitter.
A few guys are good enough to pull it off, but they don’t always stick (Addison Russell). There’s also a team need piece - the Reds absolutely had space to let EDLC come up and go. Pittsburgh had plenty of space to let O’Neil Cruz come up last year. There are currently NINE guys who have played in the bigs this year that are younger than 22 and there are 29 who are younger than 23. I’m certainly not dismissing PCA at this point because he’s not in the bigs yet.
OP is correct. Cubs buy at deadline and outlast pretenders Brews and Reds. In the playoffs anything can happen which I choose to believe is Cubs win WS.
Talk about Christmas in July! Lynn could leave one of the worst organizations in baseball for one of the best…
In all seriousness, if the Cubs actually were to make the playoffs and the bulk of the team is healthy and performing (likely required for them to make it), I think I’d take my chances in a 3-game series with Steele and Stroman.
Yes. It’s not crazy to see other teams fade and win the Central by default. And it’s not crazy to win in the playoffs with our starting pitching.
What’s crazy is to sell considering the bums ahead of us in the standings.
WTF was Bellinger doing on that play last inning? Hopefully he's asked about it in the post game, and he owns it. It literally gave the Sox a run.
That was awful
This HP ump making yet another great case for the automated zone but they just extended Manfred so won't be holding my breath that they go with the logical, overdue solution anytime soon
I have to assume he thought it was ball 4, that’s the only thing that makes any sense.
