Thoughts afte the LA series

I ended up going to all 3 games of this series and some thoughts on a few players. I will start with the OF.

Heyward is not nearly as good in CF. He reacts much more slowly to the ball off the bat and does not judge it well. He is far more fluid and quick in RF. As a CF (forgetting about arm strength) he is probably average. He might get better with time, but I am not sure there is really a need for him in CF right now.

Almora is really good in CF. He is quick to react and he takes such good routes to the ball. I walked away really impressed with him in the field. I don't know what his bat will be like in July but he is hitting now, so he should really be starting every day until he just stops hitting.

Jay is not as good in CF as I thought he would be. He looked a bit slow out there. He is hitting so between him and Almora there does not seem to be a need for Heyward to be playing CF.

Schwarber is not a LF. He is probably a DH. He is really stiff. He has no wiggle in him at all. Watching him run in person is painful. He is not as fast I thought he would be. He does not change direction well at all. He has average straight line speed and he does read the ball really well off the bat and gets going quickly. He just does not move well. I can't see him staying healthy if he plays 150 games a year in the OF. He also does not catch the ball well at all. I saw he drop a couple of balls well playing catch between innings. He seems to stab at the ball with the glove. I was really disappointed with him in the OF and watching him move around.

I guess I would simply say he is just not that athletic. He is probably freaking strong but about as fluid as a pavement. I think the Cubs can probably to the end of his arb years, but I suspect he will have injury issues in the OF and will have a shorter career if he does not move to DH. Not nearly as high on his as an NL player.

Baez is an extremely fluid athlete. If I had to guess he is the best athlete on the Cubs. I don't know how his bat will play, but I think he would probably be a better defensive SS than Russell.

Russell has a below average arm for SS. His range and hands are good. His arm is not really SS caliber.

Contreras is the best athlete I have ever seen at catcher. He seamed more quite behind the plate at the game (less distracting as he was last season on TV). He needs to work on not dropping down on his throws when he moving to his left. He was sid arming them. He should really work on his footwork on plays in front of home plate. He does not drop down side arm behind the plate. I think he is rushing and not setting his feet. Probably because he is such a good athlete.

Last thing I noticed, something I think we all know, is that Rizzo is the leader on this team. I at one point thought maybe they could trade Rizzo and move Schwarber to 1st. Forget that. Rizzo is the one they should keep. He is also probably one of the best athletes on the team. I have always thought Rizzo was a really good player, but he is better and more important to this team than I probably gave him credit for.

Side note: so happy to have moved back to Chicago land so that I can see Cubs games in person. You just get a different perspective when you see them in person. It is nice to mix the TV and the at the game view of players.

Forgot the "r". Ugh.

My main concern coming into this season was the defensive outfield. I really like what Almora brings to the table on this team at this early point in the season. I was really concerned when Fowler was not resigned, but I am breathing a little easier at this point. Almora is also a very good base runner. Going back to last year's WS and a few instances so far this year, he has made some very smart base running decisions. His defense is very good at this point and he is swinging the bat well. There is still a lot of games yet to be played, but I like the way he has started the season. I think he will also learn a lot from Jay and his experience and continue to improve. Jay will provide as a good back up in CF and, provided both stay healthy, they will be a very solid tandem in the middle of the outfield. I think Schwarber is a work in progress in RF. I wouldn't write him off just yet...as he becomes more comfortable at the position, I think he will be solid, not great, but solid at the position. His offensive power is enough to make it worth the risk, plus Zobrist will spell him at times throughout the season. Let's face it...he is the ultimate AL DH/1st Baseman type player, BUT Madden and Hoyer/Epstein must see an upside because they could have unloaded him last year while he was hurt, yet he is still a Cubbie. Only time will tell! Heyward has always been a great defensive RF, but I don't think he has been the same type of offensive player since he was hit in the jaw back in 2013. I do think he is starting to get his swing figured out and his timing is better, but every slow roller or sky high pop up to second base makes me wonder so far in this early season.

Anderson has been very solid and a good addition and, I think before it is all said and done, Wade Davis (if he can stay healthy) could be the difference maker....although I wish the Cubs offense would get back to "Screw the Closer" baseball a little more this year!

It has been a pretty good start to the season and I am looking forward to seeing how Joe and Co. shape and mold this team throughout 2017!

GO CUBS GO!

czman said:

Contreras is the best athlete I have ever seen at catcher. He seamed more quite behind the plate at the game (less distracting as he was last season on TV). He needs to work on not dropping down on his throws when he moving to his left. He was sid arming them. He should really work on his footwork on plays in front of home plate. He does not drop down side arm behind the plate. I think he is rushing and not setting his feet. Probably because he is such a good athlete.

Click to expand...

Contreras needs to back the fuck up and stop getting called for catchers interference every other game... The first time I saw that happen I figured someone would address it with him and it wouldn't happen again, but it keeps happening...

czman said:

Schwarber is not a LF. He is probably a DH. He is really stiff. He has no wiggle in him at all. Watching him run in person is painful. He is not as fast I thought he would be. He does not change direction well at all. He has average straight line speed and he does read the ball really well off the bat and gets going quickly. He just does not move well. I can't see him staying healthy if he plays 150 games a year in the OF. He also does not catch the ball well at all. I saw he drop a couple of balls well playing catch between innings. He seems to stab at the ball with the glove. I was really disappointed with him in the OF and watching him move around.

I guess I would simply say he is just not that athletic. He is probably freaking strong but about as fluid as a pavement. I think the Cubs can probably to the end of his arb years, but I suspect he will have injury issues in the OF and will have a shorter career if he does not move to DH. Not nearly as high on his as an NL player.

Click to expand...

What I've been saying since last season about Schwarber and why I think he'll eventually be traded...

Sure he could end up being a great hitter ( jury still out cause we haven't seen him for a full season, and his lone year he struggled the last month plus), but he going to be a defensive liability in the NL.



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

My thoughts after this series, is I dont know if there will be many sweeps on the way to 100 wins, I can see them winning 2/3 each series and I think that is their focus. Cant see a long winning streak or long drought, right where it should be.

I think Maddon keeps KB at 3rd the entire first half of the season, if not forever now. He did it last year to push his all star voting, like he did for the rest of the infield last year. Does not look like its a priority to get Zobrist back there. I will say it again though, Schwarber needs a chance to catch and become the main backup to get that better defensive outfield. I would think Schwarber will be stiff for a while, he is afraid of getting hurt again.

chibears55 said:

What I've been saying since last season about Schwarber and why I think he'll eventually be traded...

Click to expand...

Think you are vastly underrating how much this organization loves his bat. Seriously go read anything Theo has publicly said about him. He absolutely fawns over him. Also, I think people are far too concerned with his defense. He doesn't have to be willie mays out there. He's currently playing next to two guys who might win gold gloves(Almora/Heyward). If he's 80% of whatever a typical LF gives you defensively with that bat and playing next to two stellar defenders you're not really losing much.

Simply put, he's going to get a handful of DH games every year during IL play. After this year he probably catch a handful of games as well though they could bring in another third guy a la montero is now. He can also probably fill in at 1B on Rizzo days off going forward. Point here being if his bat is what it appears to be you don't get rid of that because you can't replace that. He very well might be a better hitter than Bryant. The Red Sox played Manny Ramirez in LF for years. How bad can Schwarber really be?

Baez is at greater risk than Schwarber of being traded

beckdawg said:

Think you are vastly underrating how much this organization loves his bat. Seriously go read anything Theo has publicly said about him. He absolutely fawns over him. Also, I think people are far too concerned with his defense. He doesn't have to be willie mays out there. He's currently playing next to two guys who might win gold gloves(Almora/Heyward). If he's 80% of whatever a typical LF gives you defensively with that bat and playing next to two stellar defenders you're not really losing much.

Simply put, he's going to get a handful of DH games every year during IL play. After this year he probably catch a handful of games as well though they could bring in another third guy a la montero is now. He can also probably fill in at 1B on Rizzo days off going forward. Point here being if his bat is what it appears to be you don't get rid of that because you can't replace that. He very well might be a better hitter than Bryant. The Red Sox played Manny Ramirez in LF for years. How bad can Schwarber really be?

Click to expand...

It is probably less about his ability to play the position well and more about his ability to stay healthy. There was a ball hit to him yesterday and started to move to his left then tried to change back to his right and almost fell over. You watch that play Baez made where he caught the line drive and threw the runner out a first, the way he moved. If Schwarber would have tired that he would be in the hospital.

When you play a game of athletics there are times you put your body in uncomfortable situations. I see zero wiggle in Schwarber. He just seems like a guy will have injury issues if he has to play the field. Probably not in the very near term. I don't see him playing the field into his 30s. His back and hips are incredibly stiff. He will start going one way have to change direction and not be able to. That is when injuries are likely to occur. Simply: Players in the OF need to be able to change directions without something popping.

I can live with his defense in the OF. I don't think he can though. He will better off as a DH where he can just mash. I suspect the wear of playing the field will also affect his hitting. I don't even see him as a 1B. Catcher maybe. As that is only hard on the legs and does not take much change of direction or bending at the waist. He does not catch the ball well though. That will also hurt at 2st; especially with the way Russell throws the ball over.

The Manny Ramirez comment seems out of place as Ramirez had some wiggle in him. I see him more like a Matt Holliday. Holliday was pretty much done in the OF by 34 because of injuries. To my eye Schwarber is even stiffer than Holliday was at the same age. I don't even see him lasting that long.

Omeletpants said:

Baez is at greater risk than Schwarber of being traded

Click to expand...

He might be if Happ keeps hitting in AAA and Baez doesn't solve some of his issues at the plate. Hitting is not really determined by general athleticism.

czman said:

He might be if Happ keeps hitting in AAA and Baez doesn't solve some of his issues at the plate. Hitting is not really determined by general athleticism.

Click to expand...

I'm betting Baez plate discipline is a real irratant with Maddon. Unlike the rest of the team that takes a lot of 3rd strikes, Baez is swinging at every wildly thrown ball.

czman said:

It is probably less about his ability to play the position well and more about his ability to stay healthy. There was a ball hit to him yesterday and started to move to his left then tried to change back to his right and almost fell over. You watch that play Baez made where he caught the line drive and threw the runner out a first, the way he moved. If Schwarber would have tired that he would be in the hospital.

When you play a game of athletics there are times you put your body in uncomfortable situations. I see zero wiggle in Schwarber. He just seems like a guy will have injury issues if he has to play the field. Probably not in the very near term. I don't see him playing the field into his 30s. His back and hips are incredibly stiff. He will start going one way have to change direction and not be able to. That is when injuries are likely to occur. Simply: Players in the OF need to be able to change directions without something popping.

I can live with his defense in the OF. I don't think he can though. He will better off as a DH where he can just mash. I suspect the wear of playing the field will also affect his hitting. I don't even see him as a 1B. Catcher maybe. As that is only hard on the legs and does not take much change of direction or bending at the waist. He does not catch the ball well though. That will also hurt at 2st; especially with the way Russell throws the ball over.

The Manny Ramirez comment seems out of place as Ramirez had some wiggle in him. I see him more like a Matt Holliday. Holliday was pretty much done in the OF by 34 because of injuries. To my eye Schwarber is even stiffer than Holliday was at the same age. I don't even see him lasting that long.

Click to expand...

I appreciate you posting your firsthand observations from the series even if they strike me as alarmist nonsense. "Zero wiggle" in Schwarber? Hip and back flexibility? These sound like snippets from a "Madden" draft scouting report on a RB. Outfielders rarely have to make the type of major change-of-direction movements you're talking about; they have to read the ball, turn, and run in an efficient (i.e. straight) line. The limited defensive metrics we have on Schwarber indicate he's not nearly as bad as you're making him out to be. He might not even be "bad" at all, just below average. And making predictions about his future health without any medical data whatsoever is just bullshit, pure and simple. You simply have no basis on which to make those claims.

And hey, if "all" Schwarber turns out to be is Matt Holliday, you take that every day of the week. 50 career fWAR is nothing to turn your nose up at.

czman said:

It is probably less about his ability to play the position well and more about his ability to stay healthy. There was a ball hit to him yesterday and started to move to his left then tried to change back to his right and almost fell over. You watch that play Baez made where he caught the line drive and threw the runner out a first, the way he moved. If Schwarber would have tired that he would be in the hospital.

When you play a game of athletics there are times you put your body in uncomfortable situations. I see zero wiggle in Schwarber. He just seems like a guy will have injury issues if he has to play the field. Probably not in the very near term. I don't see him playing the field into his 30s. His back and hips are incredibly stiff. He will start going one way have to change direction and not be able to. That is when injuries are likely to occur. Simply: Players in the OF need to be able to change directions without something popping.

I can live with his defense in the OF. I don't think he can though. He will better off as a DH where he can just mash. I suspect the wear of playing the field will also affect his hitting. I don't even see him as a 1B. Catcher maybe. As that is only hard on the legs and does not take much change of direction or bending at the waist. He does not catch the ball well though. That will also hurt at 2st; especially with the way Russell throws the ball over.

The Manny Ramirez comment seems out of place as Ramirez had some wiggle in him. I see him more like a Matt Holliday. Holliday was pretty much done in the OF by 34 because of injuries. To my eye Schwarber is even stiffer than Holliday was at the same age. I don't even see him lasting that long.

Click to expand...

If Schwarber breaks down at 34 do you really care? I mean i suppose you're arguing he wont even make it that far but I think that's a pretty big speculation. Either way, we've seen terrible defenders in LF since the 2000's started. i really don't think it's that big of an issue. Guys like Trumbo are still out there.

On Baez: it really depends if Young takes to SS at Iowa more so than anything Happ is doing. Happ is not a SS. So losing Baez is not replaced unless Young proves himself as a stable option if anything happens to Russell.

On Schwarber: The traded away Soler for a 1 year rental and back filled his role with 2 1 year back up players. Let's be a little real here. They are all in with Kyle in LF. That said: if he proves to be more than a emergency catcher that may change. His bat sits better as a every day catcher vs a limited D LF.

But LF in Wrigg is really not the hardest field to play. It has short to no foul ground. If the wind is bursting out you shade to the track. In, play shallow to get to ground balls easier. Left or right based of spray charts. So limit the damage.

There is too much made out of this. His limits are in range. He does the basics fine.

CSF77 said:

On Baez: it really depends if Young takes to SS at Iowa more so than anything Happ is doing. Happ is not a SS. So losing Baez is not replaced unless Young proves himself as a stable option if anything happens to Russell.

On Schwarber: The traded away Soler for a 1 year rental and back filled his role with 2 1 year back up players. Let's be a little real here. They are all in with Kyle in LF. That said: if he proves to be more than a emergency catcher that may change. His bat sits better as a every day catcher vs a limited D LF.

But LF in Wrigg is really not the hardest field to play. It has short to no foul ground. If the wind is bursting out you shade to the track. In, play shallow to get to ground balls easier. Left or right based of spray charts. So limit the damage.

There is too much made out of this. His limits are in range. He does the basics fine.

Click to expand...

I don't know about all in on Schwarber just yet...
Sure Epstein may love the guy for his post season heroics and personality...

But

Let's wait and see what kind of numbers he puts up first in a full regular season, because after his hot start in 2015 he hasn't hit much in regular season...
Think most of you are overlooking his regular season output and just fell in love with what he done in postseason...

Schwarber

Last 304 AB 43 hits .141 Avg
Last 109 AB 22 hits .201 Avg

So. Before we make him a fixture in LF or anything. He needs to hit

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

If Baez isn't Maddon type, they can always move Russell to SS and promote Happ to majors.

And in couple of years if they won't be satisfied with how Schwarber plays defense, they'll have Jimenez to promote.

Plus, Baez and Schwarber could bring Cubs much needed TOR pitchers in a trade.

fatbeard said:

I appreciate you posting your firsthand observations from the series even if they strike me as alarmist nonsense. "Zero wiggle" in Schwarber? Hip and back flexibility? These sound like snippets from a "Madden" draft scouting report on a RB. Outfielders rarely have to make the type of major change-of-direction movements you're talking about; they have to read the ball, turn, and run in an efficient (i.e. straight) line. The limited defensive metrics we have on Schwarber indicate he's not nearly as bad as you're making him out to be. He might not even be "bad" at all, just below average. And making predictions about his future health without any medical data whatsoever is just bullshit, pure and simple. You simply have no basis on which to make those claims.

And hey, if "all" Schwarber turns out to be is Matt Holliday, you take that every day of the week. 50 career fWAR is nothing to turn your nose up at.

Click to expand...

I don't think it is alarmist. People have the right to disagree. Am I going overboard with Almora because I really like what I saw. I don't think so. Just because you don't agree, goes not mean it is alarmist. What you are doing is trying to argue against a point with out any actual points and deflate my point with negative connotations. If you think I am wrong that is fine. The next 6 years will tell the tale. The problem is neither of us is going to dig this up 6 years from now, so it really does not matter. It is just what I saw.

What I saw in a nut shell is about the worst change of direction from an OF that I have ever seen. I am not just talking off the bat. I am talking just playing catch with the dude from the bullpen. When he was jogging around it made my back hurt. He is not George Muresan, but he looked like an over 30 Holliday. That is not good from a 24 year old. Maybe it is just the cold and his previous injury. We will know more in July when it is warmer.

I also have not said he is a bad defender. I specifically said he reads the ball well and can run straight just fine. The comment is more about health and how playing the OF will affect his bat.

We can agree to disagree and let time be the judge.

chibears55 said:

I don't know about all in on Schwarber just yet...
Sure Epstein may love the guy for his post season heroics and personality...

But

Let's wait and see what kind of numbers he puts up first in a full regular season, because after his hot start in 2015 he hasn't hit much in regular season...
Think most of you are overlooking his regular season output and just fell in love with what he done in postseason...

Schwarber

Last 304 AB 43 hits .141 Avg
Last 109 AB 22 hits .201 Avg

So. Before we make him a fixture in LF or anything. He needs to hit

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I still think he will hit this season but batting lead-off I think will hurt him. He is a pretty bad base runner and making mistakes on the basses and coming up regularly with no one on could cause him shoot for HRs more than he would if he as batting in the middle of the order. I would like to see him moved down in the order, He is baser unning mistake in waiting.

chibears55 said:

I don't know about all in on Schwarber just yet...
Sure Epstein may love the guy for his post season heroics and personality...

But

Let's wait and see what kind of numbers he puts up first in a full regular season, because after his hot start in 2015 he hasn't hit much in regular season...
Think most of you are overlooking his regular season output and just fell in love with what he done in postseason...

Schwarber

Last 304 AB 43 hits .141 Avg
Last 109 AB 22 hits .201 Avg

So. Before we make him a fixture in LF or anything. He needs to hit

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

He has a career .355 OBA. .237 BA. He is getting on base and leads the league in pitches taken per AB. Joe put him in as a lead off due to this fact. And think of this as his floor. He all ready has a strong sense of the strike zone at this early stage of his career.

CSF77 said:

He has a career .355 OBA. .237 BA. He is getting on base and leads the league in pitches taken per AB. Joe put him in as a lead off due to this fact. And think of this as his floor. He all ready has a strong sense of the strike zone at this early stage of his career.

Click to expand...

Ok???
Its .237 and dropping from his last 300 AB where he hitting .200 since his hot start..

I mean if your happy having Kyle Schwarber being just a OBP guy who walks as a leadoff hitter, but lacks base running speed at top of order..that cool

But I think everyone expectation of him is probably being a high Average hitter with 30 plus homer power and he hasn't shown that much in his last 300 ABs in regular season..

All I'm saying is, I think we as fans should at least wait and see what this kid doing later in season first before we annoint him anything on this team..

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk