Who would have a greater impact on the Cubs: Max Scherzer or Jon Lester?

Who would be a better fit for the Cubs rotation going into 2015?

  • Jon Lester

    Votes: 4 50.0%
  • Max Scherzer

    Votes: 4 50.0%
  • Neither, I want the Cubs to continue promoting from within

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    8

JosMin

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Max Scherzer and Jon Lester are the two prized arms going into the 2015 offseason. With the Cubs' success closing out the season, it may finally be time for ownership to open up the checkbook and pay a frontline starter to anchor the rotation for the next 5+ years. Lester certainly has ties to Theo Epstein and won two World Series with the Red Sox. Scherzer has put up two monster seasons in a row and has fewer miles on his arm then Lester. Both figure to command well over $20 million annually. If the Cubs decide to go after an ace, would you rather see Lester or Scherzer in a Cubs uniform?
 

Mr. Cub

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Scherzer may be the better pitcher and definitely pricier, but if we actually do get in the hunt for any of these guys, I'd be happy with either.

Maybe instead of going after one Scherzer, we can spend around the same or less, for one Lester and another arm.
 

JZsportsfan

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I'd much rather the Cubs take on Lester. His playoff resume is much better, he's won championships, and obviously his cost will be much less. I think the Cubs could sign Lester and maybe Liriano both for the price of Scherzer. Would be nice to sign Lester, then either make a run at Hamels or wait on Price next year.
 

Shawon0Meter

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I'd rather have Scherzer

but yeah, it really depends on the difference in price. Lester + a certain amount of financial flexibility could definitely be the better fit.
 

Shawon0Meter

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So Lester this offseason, David Price next offseason?

:smoke:
 

CSF77

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Good question. Seeing it is a simple who would you rather have: Max. He is a cy young type and better than Arrieta right now. Lester fits better on the rotation as a top of the rotation LH arm to go along with Arrieta.

If the question is who is better: Max

Who is the better fit: Jon
 

JimJohnson

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Max easy. Lester showed what he could do in his performance against the Royals.
 

DewsSox79

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you probably dont need either I mean Arrieta is clearly a top of the rotation guy. you can build around soon to be cy young arrieta. :rolleyes:


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JimJohnson

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you probably dont need either I mean Arrieta is clearly a top of the rotation guy. you can build around soon to be cy young arrieta. :rolleyes:


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If only we had Mark Buehrle, then we'd really be cooking.
 

CSF77

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Nothing says that Jake can not sustain what he is doing.

good article:

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/

on the right side some audio feeds. 2nd on is on Arrieta and he gives his take on the staff and he also goes on to say he needs to improve a few things. Like getting to home plate on the stretch a little quicker with out losing his stuff then he also is going to work on making his change up a plus pitch this off season.

All I can say about him is he is old school. He believes the results are a product of the work he put into the off season and making it contestant.
 

JosMin

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you probably dont need either I mean Arrieta is clearly a top of the rotation guy. you can build around soon to be cy young arrieta. :rolleyes:


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Everyone said similar things about Corey Kluber (late bloomer, poor mechanics, inability to work ahead in counts, can't maximize his stuff) and both he and Arrieta have put together solid stretches. Whether each guy can maintain elite performance remains to be seen, but considering the Cubs gave up a rental in Scott Feldman and a third catcher (Steve Clevenger) for both Arrieta and Strop, I'd say the Cubs made out quite well in that particular deal.

When did anyone declare Arrieta an ace? All I saw was somebody mentioning he'll be a shoe-in for the rotation next year. And honestly, outside of he and Hendricks, I'm not sure who else may get the call. Everything points to both Grimm and Neil Ramirez joining Strop and Rondon at the end of games, so the rotation is a wide open affair.
 

Papa Wheelie

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Max Scherzer and Jon Lester are the two prized arms going into the 2015 offseason. With the Cubs' success closing out the season, it may finally be time for ownership to open up the checkbook and pay a frontline starter to anchor the rotation for the next 5+ years. Lester certainly has ties to Theo Epstein and won two World Series with the Red Sox. Scherzer has put up two monster seasons in a row and has fewer miles on his arm then Lester. Both figure to command well over $20 million annually. If the Cubs decide to go after an ace, would you rather see Lester or Scherzer in a Cubs uniform?

I've been saying that the Cubs will bring in two starters for a while, so I was excited when Theo recently confirmed that they wanted two. So I say both. :thinking: I'm thinking the lefty Lester is one, but not sure who else they'd target. Probably a more valued mid rotation guy. It depends on what positional guys they target imo. I still love the idea of Wilson myself.
 

Papa Wheelie

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you probably dont need either I mean Arrieta is clearly a top of the rotation guy. you can build around soon to be cy young arrieta. :rolleyes:


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You're just saying that cuz the Sox were so much better than the Cubs this year ..... oh wait. :cubspalm:
Arrieta will be just fine as a 2-4 guy depending!
 

JosMin

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Whichever one isn't going to get hurt.

Neither have had durability issues... so fuckin' boaf of 'em. I'm also interested to see what kind of money/years James Shields will command. He's thrown 200+ innings since 2007 as well as having 9 starts in the postseason. With him being 33 going into the 2015 season, I could still see a team offering him 4 years at $20 million annually. For me, he's clearly the third best available starting pitcher and would be worth that investment. It'd be great to see the Cubs go after both Shields and Lester.
 

JosMin

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Reading through this thread, I think it's interesting that many people feel like Lester is going to cost a lot less than Scherzer. IMO, I think they're both going to command 23+ million a year and get 5 or 6 years.
 

Boobaby1

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Reading through this thread, I think it's interesting that many people feel like Lester is going to cost a lot less than Scherzer. IMO, I think they're both going to command 23+ million a year and get 5 or 6 years.

You target one of the big three and hope you can land one. The other I would say would be to go back after Hammel as he stated he would like to rejoin the Cubs.

That would give them a TOR pitcher (fingers crossed) and solid mid range starter along with Hendricks, and then next year, when even more pitchers become available, you then go after yet another one that may push Hammel and Hendricks back another spot, and by that time, they should be grooming Edwards and Johnson as starters too with the odd men giving them depth and/or going to the bullpen in long relief.

E-Jax and Wood have to be feeling the heat and chances are, their days in Chicago are numbered. :yep:
 
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