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Post by skokiejoe on Jan 29, 2024 11:21:39 GMT -5
If the Cubs are going to sign at least one more free agent (Bellinger or ?) they actually need to free up to two spots. I would bet a trade is coming soon.
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Post by fine09 on Jan 29, 2024 12:04:46 GMT -5
If the Cubs are going to sign at least one more free agent (Bellinger or ?) they actually need to free up to two spots. I would bet a trade is coming soon. That's my take as well Joe, just not sure they want to "somewhat" block PCA with the long term Bellinger signing whether we all agree with it or not. I'm torn about what to do at this point.. |
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Post by skokiejoe on Feb 1, 2024 16:57:21 GMT -5
As of 02/01/2024 40 men on the 40 man roster. * Added since November 2, 2023
Pitchers 22
Almonte 0 *
Alzolay 0
Arias 3 *
Assad 2
Brown 3
Cuas 2
Hendricks 0
Hodge 3 *
Horn 3 *
Imanaga 3 *
Killian 2
Leiter Jr. 0
Little 2
Merryweather 0
Neris 0 *
Palencia 2
Smyly 0
Steele 0
Taillon 0
Thompson 1
Wesneski 2
Wicks 2
CATCHERS 2
Amaya 0
Gomes 0
INFIELDERS 9
Busch 3 *
Hoerner 3
Madrigal 3
Mastrobuoni 2
Morel 2
Mervis 2
Swanson 0
Vasquez 3 *
Wisdom 0
OUTFIELDERS 7
Alcantara 2
Armstrong 3
Canario 1
B. Davis 2
Happ 2
Suzuki 3
Tauchman 0
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Post by lajoiesghost on Feb 1, 2024 17:18:52 GMT -5
So the 40 is full. I wonder who gets the ax when Bellinger is signed this weekend?  |
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Post by Czarcastic on Feb 21, 2024 16:55:51 GMT -5
So the 40 is full. I wonder who gets the ax when Bellinger is signed this weekend? Hopefully Wisdom. |
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Post by Mike on Feb 27, 2024 13:35:46 GMT -5
Pitchers 21
Almonte 0 *
Alzolay 0
Arias 3 *
Assad 2
Brown 3
Cuas 2
Hendricks 0
Hodge 3 *
Imanaga 3 *
Killian 2
Leiter Jr. 0
Little 2
Merryweather 0
Neris 0 *
Palencia 2
Smyly 0
Steele 0
Taillon 0
Thompson 1
Wesneski 2
Wicks 2
CATCHERS 2
Amaya 0
Gomes 0
INFIELDERS 9
Busch 3 *
Hoerner 3
Madrigal 3
Mastrobuoni 2
Morel 2
Mervis 2
Swanson 0
Vasquez 3 *
Wisdom 0
OUTFIELDERS 8
Alcantara 2
Armstrong 3
Bellinger 0
Canario 1
B. Davis 2
Happ 2
Suzuki 3
Tauchman 0
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Post by skokiejoe on Feb 27, 2024 13:38:22 GMT -5
As of 02/27/2024 40 men on the 40 man roster. * Added since November 2, 2023
Pitchers 21
Almonte 0 *
Alzolay 0
Arias 3 *
Assad 2
Brown 3
Cuas 2
Hendricks 0
Hodge 3 *
Imanaga 3 *
Killian 2
Leiter Jr. 0
Little 2
Merryweather 0
Neris 0 *
Palencia 2
Smyly 0
Steele 0
Taillon 0
Thompson 1
Wesneski 2
Wicks 2
CATCHERS 2
Amaya 0
Gomes 0
INFIELDERS 9
Busch 3 *
Hoerner 3
Madrigal 3
Mastrobuoni 2
Morel 2
Mervis 2
Swanson 0
Vasquez 3 *
Wisdom 0
OUTFIELDERS 8
Alcantara 2
Armstrong 3
Bellinger 0
Canario 1
B. Davis 2
Happ 2
Suzuki 3
Tauchman 0
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Post by skokiejoe on Mar 25, 2024 14:26:58 GMT -5
As of 03/25/2024 40 men on the 40 man roster + 1 on 60 Day IL. * Added since November 2, 2023
Pitchers 20 + 1 60 Day IL
Almonte 0 *
Alzolay 0
Arias 3 * Tennessee
Assad 2
Brown 3 Iowa
Cuas 2
Hendricks 0
Hodge 3 * Tennessee
Imanaga 3 *
Killian 2 60 Day IL
Leiter Jr. 0
Little 2
Merryweather 0
Neris 0 *
Palencia 2 Iowa
Smyly 0
Steele 0
Taillon 0 15 day IL
Thompson 1 Iowa
Wesneski 2 Iowa
Wicks 2
CATCHERS 2
Amaya 0
Gomes 0
INFIELDERS 10
Busch 3 *
Cooper 0 *
Hoerner 3
Madrigal 3
Mastrobuoni 2
Morel 2
Mervis 2 Iowa
Swanson 0
Vasquez 3 * Iowa
Wisdom 0 10 Day IL
OUTFIELDERS 8
Alcantara 2 Tennessee
Armstrong 3 Iowa
Bellinger 0
Canario 1 Iowa
B. Davis 2 Iowa Injured?
Happ 2
Suzuki 3
Tauchman 0
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Post by batman66 on Mar 25, 2024 19:00:50 GMT -5
MLB Network ranked the Cubs bullpen 10th in baseball. Rotation wasn't in top 10.
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Post by 20kman on Mar 25, 2024 19:36:29 GMT -5
MLB Network ranked the Cubs bullpen 10th in baseball. Rotation wasn't in top 10. Neither Wicks or Assad are all that highly thought of. So until they prove themselves over the course of a full season, the rotation will be considered average. |
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Post by bryzzobrist on Mar 26, 2024 14:53:59 GMT -5
So they put the Cubs in at #14 on the list for starting pitching. They based it on predicted WAR #'s. #14 - Cubs 12.6 war #13 - Dbacks 12.7 war #12 - Yanks 12.7 war #11 - Trash Cans 12.8 war #10 - Reds 13.4 war #9 - Marlins 13.5 war #8 - Blue Jays 13.6 war #7 - Padres 13.8 war ... #1 Dodgers 16.6 war
Not much separating these rankings for the most part.
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Post by bryzzobrist on Mar 26, 2024 14:55:47 GMT -5
pasted-
Steele parlayed a huge control boost and an NL-best 0.73 HR/9 into down ballot Cy Young consideration in 2023. The 28-year-old lefty is a true two-pitch guy (fastball, slider), which normally breeds a standard platoon split, but Steele was actually quite a bit better against righties, with a 151-point platoon split (.637 OPS v. righties). For his career, he has just an eight-point split, favoring his work against lefties, so he has been able to avoid getting hurt by righties despite the lack of depth in his arsenal. Yamamoto was the bigger draw coming over from Japan, but Imanaga is pretty good, too. He will likely go as far as his home run rate takes him, as there is concern that the long ball could be a problem for him, but he has legitimate strikeout stuff that he’s already flashed in spring training, with a nasty 46.3% K rate in 9.2 innings. Hendricks had his first sub-4.00 ERA in three years despite the same 11% K-BB rate we’ve seen in all three, suggesting it was mostly the 9% HR/FB rate (his lowest mark since 2016) and why it’s still best to follow the ERA indicators with him.
Taillon’s injury and ineffectiveness from Smyly cleared the path for Wicks and Assad to make the rotation. Taillon is already throwing bullpens as he recovers from a back injury but will likely be sidelined until mid-April. He has made at least 29 starts each of the last three seasons and if he makes that mid-April timeline, he has a chance for a fourth straight such season. I have a slight personal lean toward Wicks over Assad, though I understand why the projections have them virtually the same on a per-inning basis. Wicks has flashed more swing-and-miss potential with his arsenal this spring, and I’m skeptical that Assad can repeat his 20.9% K rate if that 8% swinging strike rate doesn’t make a sharp improvement.
Wesneski couldn’t build on some hype coming into last year, but I’m not totally out on him. As is the case with so many pitchers, his success will ultimately come down to his home run suppression, after a hideous 2.01 HR/9 in 89.1 innings last year. Brown’s upside is in the bullpen as his arsenal plays up there and he doesn’t have a good enough fastball to consistently start. Horton has just 88 pro innings under his belt after being drafted in 2022, peaking at Double-A last year. He needs more time to develop, but he could be a summer boost to their rotation if he builds on what he did last season.
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Post by horizonimperial on Mar 26, 2024 15:29:38 GMT -5
Does anyone debate the conclusion of the writeup that Brown’s fastball isn’t good enough to consistently start in the majors? I know we’ll see him pretty soon in the pen, but I imagined it wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion, as the article implies, that he’d forever be destined for relief work
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Post by bryzzobrist on Mar 26, 2024 15:50:22 GMT -5
Does anyone debate the conclusion of the writeup that Brown’s fastball isn’t good enough to consistently start in the majors? I know we’ll see him pretty soon in the pen, but I imagined it wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion, as the article implies, that he’d forever be destined for relief work where's the writeup?
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Post by horizonimperial on Mar 26, 2024 18:44:13 GMT -5
I’m not sure 🙂 but I was commenting on your post immediately above mine
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Post by fine09 on Mar 26, 2024 21:12:03 GMT -5
Does anyone debate the conclusion of the writeup that Brown’s fastball isn’t good enough to consistently start in the majors? I know we’ll see him pretty soon in the pen, but I imagined it wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion, as the article implies, that he’d forever be destined for relief work Below is his write up on the Cubs prospect evaluation: There's nothing subtle about Brown, who's 6-foot-6 and can overpower hitters with three pitches coming out of his high arm slot, including a fastball that operates at 94-97 mph and reaches 99 with armside run. His breaking stuff can be even more devastating, highlighted by a power curveball sitting in the mid-80s with true 12-6 action. He also has a harder slider with similar movement and speeds up to 91 mph, though he plans on sticking with one breaking ball and focusing on his curve in 2024. I guess I don’t understand their take on his fastball being an issue.. |
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Post by batman66 on Mar 27, 2024 7:00:18 GMT -5
Does anyone debate the conclusion of the writeup that Brown’s fastball isn’t good enough to consistently start in the majors? I know we’ll see him pretty soon in the pen, but I imagined it wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion, as the article implies, that he’d forever be destined for relief work Below is his write up on the Cubs prospect evaluation: There's nothing subtle about Brown, who's 6-foot-6 and can overpower hitters with three pitches coming out of his high arm slot, including a fastball that operates at 94-97 mph and reaches 99 with armside run. His breaking stuff can be even more devastating, highlighted by a power curveball sitting in the mid-80s with true 12-6 action. He also has a harder slider with similar movement and speeds up to 91 mph, though he plans on sticking with one breaking ball and focusing on his curve in 2024. I guess I don’t understand their take on his fastball being an issue.. I don't see anything there that would give off any red flags because his other stuff is also so good, he's not a guy who would have to rely on the fastball. maybe it's just that the write up went on to say this ........... Despite his three plus pitches, Brown has questions to answer to become a mid-rotation starter. He has little feel or willingness to throw a changeup, he struggles to command his fastball and keep his big breaking curveball and slider in the zone, and he never has worked more than 104 innings in a season. The Cubs love his mound presence and will continue to develop him as a starter, but he could provide more immediate help as a reliever with dynamic stuff. |
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Post by fine09 on Mar 27, 2024 7:37:39 GMT -5
Below is his write up on the Cubs prospect evaluation: There's nothing subtle about Brown, who's 6-foot-6 and can overpower hitters with three pitches coming out of his high arm slot, including a fastball that operates at 94-97 mph and reaches 99 with armside run. His breaking stuff can be even more devastating, highlighted by a power curveball sitting in the mid-80s with true 12-6 action. He also has a harder slider with similar movement and speeds up to 91 mph, though he plans on sticking with one breaking ball and focusing on his curve in 2024. I guess I don’t understand their take on his fastball being an issue.. I don't see anything there that would give off any red flags because his other stuff is also so good, he's not a guy who would have to rely on the fastball. maybe it's just that the write up went on to say this ........... Despite his three plus pitches, Brown has questions to answer to become a mid-rotation starter. He has little feel or willingness to throw a changeup, he struggles to command his fastball and keep his big breaking curveball and slider in the zone, and he never has worked more than 104 innings in a season. The Cubs love his mound presence and will continue to develop him as a starter, but he could provide more immediate help as a reliever with dynamic stuff. That seems correct. I immediately jumped to the article implying that he didn't have the velocity to be a starter. Control is an issue at times for sure but man he can be lights out at times.. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2024 11:26:50 GMT -5
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Post by fine09 on Mar 28, 2024 11:44:13 GMT -5
I wonder who the emergency catcher is, Mastrobuoni maybe? He can do everything else.. |
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