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Post by jsnhbe1 on May 24, 2016 19:43:52 GMT -5
Hammel has a legit chance to throw sub-3.00 this season considering he sits at 2.13 through 50 2/3 innings this season. Even if he pitches 3.20, which doesn't seem ridiculous unless he has a second half slump again, I believe theo has an easy decision to make regarding hammel's option. You have to pick it up. You don't often get a pitcher coming off around a 3.00 ERA for $10-million. That's an automatic pickup without even thinking about it. For trade purposes at the very least. It seems with that being the case the rotation next season will look exactly like this season assuming everyone stays healthy and I'm not assuming a trade due to the ridiculous trade market for 2/3 type pitchers. Also, that means Warren will have to spend another season in the bullpen. After next season Arrieta and Hammel come off the books but I'm betting Arrieta is resigned.
(Free agent year)
2017: Arrieta (after '17), Lester (after '19), Lackey (after '17), Hammel (after '17), Hendricks (after '20)
2018: Arrieta (resigned), Lester, Hendricks, Warren (after '18), prospect/free agent/trade
2019: Arrieta, Lester (yikes, this concerns me at this point), Hendricks, and then two prospects/free agents/trades, one being a TOR type because Lester probably won't still be TOR in '19.
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Post by holycow23 on May 24, 2016 20:49:36 GMT -5
Hammel's option should definitely be picked up. 10 million for a solid starter is cheap in this market. Next year will look a lot like this season but after that it is hard to tell. I'm still 50/50 on if jake will be resigned and think there will be a trade or two.
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Post by ddevonb on May 24, 2016 21:05:19 GMT -5
Hammel's option should definitely be picked up. 10 million for a solid starter is cheap in this market. Next year will look a lot like this season but after that it is hard to tell. I'm still 50/50 on if jake will be resigned and think there wi I think it will also depend on how well Ryan Williams and Paul Blackburn finish the season in the minors. If they are convinced that either will be ready for next year, they might let Hammel walk. |
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Post by cubbies85 on May 24, 2016 21:27:39 GMT -5
picking up Hammels option has to be decided on his second half performance. If he melts down post July yet again you let him walk.
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Post by holycow23 on May 24, 2016 21:28:55 GMT -5
Hammel's option should definitely be picked up. 10 million for a solid starter is cheap in this market. Next year will look a lot like this season but after that it is hard to tell. I'm still 50/50 on if jake will be resigned and think there wi I think it will also depend on how well Ryan Williams and Paul Blackburn finish the season in the minors. If they are convinced that either will be ready for next year, they might let Hammel walk. Very true. Also how well hammel does in the second half. 10 million is a good option to have but the front office might decide the money might be better spent elsewhere. Williams looks very promising but starting a rookie on a contending team worries me. Also bumping hendricks up to the 4 spot. Still think there will be a trade. |
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Post by Corndog on May 24, 2016 21:31:17 GMT -5
I think it will also depend on how well Ryan Williams and Paul Blackburn finish the season in the minors. If they are convinced that either will be ready for next year, they might let Hammel walk. Very true. Also how well hammel does in the second half. 10 million is a good option to have but the front office might decide the money might be better spent elsewhere. Williams looks very promising but starting a rookie on a contending team worries me. Also bumping hendricks up to the 4 spot. Still think there will be a trade. That brings up a good point, it might also depend on how well Hendricks does this season. If he does well, then the Cubs could afford to bring up Williams/Blackburn as a #5. Remember a #5 is not going to be starting in the postseason, a #4 probably won't either, but it's a possibly with them. |
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Post by ddevonb on May 24, 2016 21:35:04 GMT -5
picking up Hammels option has to be decided on his second half performance. If he melts down post July yet again you let him walk. Although I disagree that he had a meltdown. He got injured and was not the same after he came back. The previous year he had a bad July but finished well. |
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Post by ddevonb on May 24, 2016 21:38:19 GMT -5
Very true. Also how well hammel does in the second half. 10 million is a good option to have but the front office might decide the money might be better spent elsewhere. Williams looks very promising but starting a rookie on a contending team worries me. Also bumping hendricks up to the 4 spot. Still think there will be a trade. That brings up a good point, it might also depend on how well Hendricks does this season. If he does well, then the Cubs could afford to bring up Williams/Blackburn as a #5. Remember a #5 is not going to be starting in the postseason, a #4 probably won't either, but it's a possibly with them. If they think that an up and coming can do as well for $500k, it makes sense not to shell out $10 mil. Adam Warren could be in the mix also. |
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Post by jsnhbe1 on May 24, 2016 21:48:48 GMT -5
You pick up hammel because letting go you walk gets you nothing. A lot of teams would love to trade a prospect for a pitcher coming off around a 3.00 ERA, if it's that, for only $10-million. Probably a pretty decent prospect or two, too.
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Post by holycow23 on May 24, 2016 22:23:20 GMT -5
Warren could be the number 4 next season. Williams is very much a hendricks clone. Don't see both of them in the same rotation. I'm more concerned about the following season when lackey, hammel, and possibly jake are gone. Someone like edwards could replace warren in the pen.
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Post by cubbies85 on May 24, 2016 22:54:48 GMT -5
picking up Hammels option has to be decided on his second half performance. If he melts down post July yet again you let him walk. Although I disagree that he had a meltdown. He got injured and was not the same after he came back. The previous year he had a bad July but finished well. Hammels career has shown he's a first half pitcher though www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=hammeja01&year=Career&t=p3.95 era first half 5.10 era second half He's never proven to sustain success past July. You can come up with a million and 1 reasons on why but fact is he is borderline awful pitcher in the second half. Since the Cubs goal is a World Series we need pitchers to count on going into the playoffs. If Hammel underperforms (I'll use that word instead of meltdown) again in the second half you have to let him go. I much rather have a pitcher who has a 3.5-3.75 era consistently from April - October than a pitcher who has a 2.5 era from April-June and 4.5-5 era from July-October. |
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