ADVERTISEMENT

*****Official Cubs 2024 Thread đźš˝*****

Is he ever going to get a callup? Seems like the Cubs could use a hot bat right now.
Absolutely crushing the ball nowadays. OPS almost 1.250 in May. His MLB debut has already been delayed a year or two due to his injuries, and LF is an offensive black hole for the Cubs right now. If this isn't the time to call him up, then I don't know when it's going to happen....
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheCainer
JFC this entire team on offense needs to get their collective head out. Hoerner coming back should make some difference but they are no where close to having an offense that can compete for postseason play. Happ needs to fake an injury to go on the IL and Mastro is not a Major Leaguer. Our strikeout rate is reminiscent of 2021. I don't know if the hitting coach is part of the problem, also, but man, they gotta figure something out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheCainer
The Cubs combined for 11 hits in this series.

They had 13 in their previous game against the Braves. Of course they combined for only 8 hits in the 2 previous games against the Braves. :rolleyes:
 
Absolutely crushing the ball nowadays. OPS almost 1.250 in May. His MLB debut has already been delayed a year or two due to his injuries, and LF is an offensive black hole for the Cubs right now. If this isn't the time to call him up, then I don't know when it's going to happen....
The Cubs can hurt little Happer’s feelings. According to everyone he’s the heart and soul of the team.
 
I tuned into the PGA Championship after the Cubs game.

Sad to say, but it's got a helluva lot more excitement.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LuteHawk
Absolutely crushing the ball nowadays. OPS almost 1.250 in May. His MLB debut has already been delayed a year or two due to his injuries, and LF is an offensive black hole for the Cubs right now. If this isn't the time to call him up, then I don't know when it's going to happen....
I’d be happy if he stayed healthy for 1-2 months at this point, and then gets the call up. So many injuries…. But, the physical skills are tantalizing
 
They're not playing a very exciting brand of baseball right now. Their defense looks mediocre to me as well. Taillon having trouble throwing strikes today as well.
It's probably a coincidence, but this is exactly how the Brewers played the last 5 years or so under Counsell. Great pitching w a challenged offense. Mixing & matching players/lineups. And probably also coincidentally the Brewers can suddenly hit this year with basically the same guys + Hoskins 🤷‍♂️
 
It's probably a coincidence, but this is exactly how the Brewers played the last 5 years or so under Counsell. Great pitching w a challenged offense. Mixing & matching players/lineups. And probably also coincidentally the Brewers can suddenly hit this year with basically the same guys + Hoskins 🤷‍♂️
Could be, but I think their biggest problem at the moment is injuries. I think Hoerner and Swanson would help their lineup although Swanson isn't having the greatest year to date. I'm not sure what to think of Happ. He never has been a great hitter and IMO he doesn't belong in the middle of the lineup if he plays everyday. Maybe 7th or 8th. Our catchers aren't setting the world on fire either.

I heard Jim DeShaies on the broadcast this weekend talking about the overall poor hitting in MLB this year. I think he said the overall MLB batting average is .238 or .239 which would be the lowest since 1968, the Year of the Pitcher, when they lowered the mound by 5" prior to the following season. We have so many 100 mph pitchers who are specialized, especially in high-leverage short relief today, that it has become difficult to group many good hitters together on one team.

Here's a link to all 30 MLB team hitting stats:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team
 
Could be, but I think their biggest problem at the moment is injuries. I think Hoerner and Swanson would help their lineup although Swanson isn't having the greatest year to date. I'm not sure what to think of Happ. He never has been a great hitter and IMO he doesn't belong in the middle of the lineup if he plays everyday. Maybe 7th or 8th. Our catchers aren't setting the world on fire either.

I heard Jim DeShaies on the broadcast this weekend talking about the overall poor hitting in MLB this year. I think he said the overall MLB batting average is .238 or .239 which would be the lowest since 1968, the Year of the Pitcher, when they lowered the mound by 5" prior to the following season. We have so many 100 mph pitchers who are specialized, especially in high-leverage short relief today, that it has become difficult to group many good hitters together on one team.

Here's a link to all 30 MLB team hitting stats:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team
It's interesting to me as a Brewers fan this year. I enjoy that Murphy is a little more "old school" - his best guys are going to play everyday, in more or less the same spot in the lineup. They're fast so they're running way more than under CC. I think there's something to players being creatures of habit & being able to get into routines knowing they're playing everyday. Will they wear down over the course of the year? CC's teams usually seemed to peak in August-September. I think it's gonna be a fun race for the division all summer long.
 
It's interesting to me as a Brewers fan this year. I enjoy that Murphy is a little more "old school" - his best guys are going to play everyday, in more or less the same spot in the lineup. They're fast so they're running way more than under CC. I think there's something to players being creatures of habit & being able to get into routines knowing they're playing everyday. Will they wear down over the course of the year? CC's teams usually seemed to peak in August-September. I think it's gonna be a fun race for the division all summer long.
The challenge with roster management in baseball is that a lot of guys are better if they just know they’re plugging in every day, but also, there are only 4 bench spots available and you want pinch hitters, so if the guys at the bottom of the 13 non-pitcher bench guys are needed to pinch hit late in a game in a big spot against a good reliever, it’s major advantage to the pitching team.
 
This is not a playoff team, I like some of the core players but you are only as good as your bench (which sucks), while you can never predict the injuries you better have a strong farm system

There are easily on the roster which do not belong in the majors
 
  • Haha
Reactions: blhawk
This is not a playoff team, I like some of the core players but you are only as good as your bench (which sucks), while you can never predict the injuries you better have a strong farm system

There are easily on the roster which do not belong in the majors
They’ll continue to improve the roster and I still think this team will win the division.
 
This is not a playoff team, I like some of the core players but you are only as good as your bench (which sucks), while you can never predict the injuries you better have a strong farm system

There are easily on the roster which do not belong in the majors
There's only 5 NL teams over .500 right now. Don't have to be great to make the playoffs. The Dbacks sure weren't last year.
 
This team isn’t winning anything until at least Ian Happ, Seyia Suzuki and Dansby Swanson are gone.
 
I'm curious about what happens tomorrow. Supposedly Luis Vasquez's mother leaked his promotion to a nephew who works for ESPN. I can't imagine the Cubs wanted this out on Sunday, but they probably gave the family a heads up in order to get to Chicago.
Who is going where? Swanson is supposed to be activated, so are the M&M boys both going to Des Moines? Someone else going to Des Moines, or is someone else injured? They've kind of missed the boat on putting Hoerner on the IL
 
I'm curious about what happens tomorrow. Supposedly Luis Vasquez's mother leaked his promotion to a nephew who works for ESPN. I can't imagine the Cubs wanted this out on Sunday, but they probably gave the family a heads up in order to get to Chicago.
Who is going where? Swanson is supposed to be activated, so are the M&M boys both going to Des Moines? Someone else going to Des Moines, or is someone else injured? They've kind of missed the boat on putting Hoerner on the IL
The M&M Boys nickname has gone from Maris & Mantle to Madrigal & Mastrobouni.
 
Well, here is some good news.

The Braves played a DH against the Padres today and started Renaldo Lopez and Chris Sale in those 2 games. I guess we won't be seeing them?

Looks like the Cubs will be facing Charlie Morton, Max Fried, and some guy named Undecided. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: lucas80
  • Like
Reactions: lucas80
WHEN IN THE ELF ARE THE CUBS GOING TO DFA Mastroubouni? JFC, THAT GUY SUCKS!

Yes. I am yelling at you.
My guess is it’s purely about money and having a guy hanging around in case of emergencies. He’s a sunk cost and nobody is going to trade for him.
 
My guess is it’s purely about money and having a guy hanging around in case of emergencies. He’s a sunk cost and nobody is going to trade for him.
It’s not even money, Mastro makes league minimum as a pre-arb guy. It’s just about the 40-man roster. He has options, so he can go down. At some point if/when they have someone else they want to put on the 40-man and he’s the move, then they’ll DFA.

I question when the hell they’re going to start IL-ing guys as soon as they’re hurt. Hoerner reportedly (per 670 The Score) not playing today, which is day 8 of not going on the 10-day IL. Dansby played poorly for 2 weeks with the bum knee before going on IL.

Oh, and who does Nick Madrigal have blackmail pictures of to continue to be on this roster?
 
Also, to add to the DFA talk, some might think “why not take someone up and coming and add them to the 40 man now, replacing Mastrobuoni (or whoever)?” In-season, they won’t add anyone to the 40-man until the moment before they bring the player up to Chicago because to do otherwise requires them to “option” the player to their minor league assignment, which burns an option year and starts the option clock (players only get 3).
 
It’s not even money, Mastro makes league minimum as a pre-arb guy. It’s just about the 40-man roster. He has options, so he can go down. At some point if/when they have someone else they want to put on the 40-man and he’s the move, then they’ll DFA.

I question when the hell they’re going to start IL-ing guys as soon as they’re hurt. Hoerner reportedly (per 670 The Score) not playing today, which is day 8 of not going on the 10-day IL. Dansby played poorly for 2 weeks with the bum knee before going on IL.

Oh, and who does Nick Madrigal have blackmail pictures of to continue to be on this roster?
Yeah, 40-man is not really a crunch right now, at least for the position players, unless one of our catchers gets hurt. Unless the Cubs want to bring Bote back on board, I don't think there are any position players left on the AAA roster that will be added to the 40-man this season. IMO Mervis and Madrigal had greater value this past offseason than they do now, and JH really screwed up by procrastinating for so long when all of Cubs nation has known that they are trade bait, and we've been stuck with their dead weight all year. Mastro is not a major league hitter, but then again, the entire team has sucked at hitting for most of the season. Any trades that the Cubs make to improve the roster likely won't involve anyone currently on the 40-man, so if and when that happens, JH will be forced to DFA or trade someone for peanuts.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT