Now that the season is over

[Steve_A]

Offseason starts here!

 

[SilentLurker]

Just wanted to see how you all think about certain topics

1 Should the team pick up the option on Phelps?

NO HE SUCKS

2 Is Quintana's option still a slam dunk with his 4 something era and 1.3 something whip?

NO HE SUCKS

3 Should the team try to retain Hamels at all?

NO HE SUCKS

4 Which free agent is the most likely target of the offseason?

ANYONE THAT DOESNT SUCK

5 Who do you want the next manager to be or do you want Joe to stay?

ROSS

6 Could we see things getting better next year or will the aging process make this team worse?

STUCK IN NEUTRAL

 

[nvanprooyen]

I saw this thread title pop up in the new posts, and thought it was yet another "sky is falling" post on the Bears forum 2 weeks in at 1-1 until I opened it. Lol.

 

[anotheridiot]

Just wanted to see how you all think about certain topics

1 Should the team pick up the option on Phelps?

2 Is Quintana's option still a slam dunk with his 4 something era and 1.3 something whip?

3 Should the team try to retain Hamels at all?

4 Which free agent is the most likely target of the offseason?

5 Who do you want the next manager to be or do you want Joe to stay?

6 Could we see things getting better next year or will the aging process make this team worse?

1. They did ok keeping Kintzler around, I would say its one or the other. They hurt themselves using Phelps so much, it kicked his option to 5 million.

2. Q was our strongest pitcher for a while, its really sad to say, but we have an all star catcher and it seems like the only starter that wants to throw to him is Lester so Willson can field everything. He is our 3 now so since they wont let Rea or Mills or Alzolay earn a rotation spot, pretty sure Q will stay.

3. No, should have let Hamels walk this year. Maybe he will sign for 12, I dont think he will get more than that elsewhere.

4. No free agents. Nico gets second base, no room for anyone else. They might deal Schwarber, sign Nick to play left and find a center fielder, but it wont be a big name. Heyward needs to play right field.

5. anyone but Joe. I wish they would have talked Rossy into managing in Iowa to get some experience.

6. Better because of a new voice, no participation ribbons and someone that knows how to handle a bullpen.

 

[truthbedamned]

4. No free agents. Nico gets second base, no room for anyone else. They might deal Schwarber, sign Nick to play left and find a center fielder, but it wont be a big name. Heyward needs to play right field.

They would be fucking idiots if they didn't try to sign Castellanos

 

[greg23]

Go sign Rendon (we have nobody that hits for average)
Move Bryant or Schwarber (keeper plays lf)
Go find a lh or sh hitting cf
Move heyward to rf
Dump russell
Move Horneer to 2b
Dump hamels
Look at the second tier starters (wheeler)
Improve the pen
Get new blood in the dugout

 

[Fred Garvin]

Signing Rendon would be huge...but Theo already let our rivals snag Yelich and Goldschmidt so it wouldn't surprise me if he signs the .210 hitting Jurickson Profar or some other lame ass instead. Hamels is done...Quintana is just a guy. Joe Maddon is history. It will be David Ross...and for once I hope Theo uses his high priced analytic staff to search for players who hit well in the clutch. So much of baseball is WHEN you get hits not how many you rack up...and this Cubs team has been horrible in clutch situations. The bullpen needs to be totally rebuilt. The current pen is a friggin death circus. If Theo could pull off getting Rendon...and signing Castellanos...rebuilding the pen and bring in utility guys better than the .172 hitting Tony Kemp or the .177 hitting Doug Desuckso then this team might have a shot at being back in the mix again in 2020.

Man...if there ever was a time we needed Bryant to be that superstar guy...it was today...with the bases loaded in the 7th....but just like he so often does...he failed....but this time it was the final dagger in the 2019 season. I want a guy like Bryant in my lineup...of course...but he isn't that clutch "hero" type player that u need on a winning team.

There's reason for optimism in 2020...as long as Theo is serious this time.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Everybody is all excited about Nico Hoerner but it looks to me like he's already getting "figured out". He hasn't done squat in days. Pitchers watch tape and the word is out on him. Since his big 3 hit game he's gone 3 for his last 25. Maybe he responds...but maybe he doesn't. I would be cautious about getting too excited about him. Ian Happ and his .217 average and high strike out rate is something this team could do without going forward. Same with Almora and Russell. We are kind of stuck with Heyward unfortunately. Percentage wise...he has to be setting an all time MLB record for weak ground balls to 2nd...but with enough fire power around him...the team can still win...like they did in 2016. Schwarber? I don't know. He hits the most home runs on the team but is only .235 with RISP...and in the clutch stat of RISP and 2 outs he's hitting an abysmal .140.... RISP and 2 outs is the very definition of "clutch" situation...and he has failed miserably in that regard.

Alot of changes are necessary....but we'll see if Theo has the guts to do what it takes to fix this broken team.

 

[Parade_Rain]

1) Theo Epstein is not hiring a manager for a MLB club who has no managerial experience at any level. This is a guy who fired Renteria to go get Joe Maddon

2) “Clutch” requires sample size. Once there is enough data with rare exception there is not much of a variance between a player’s every day numbers and numbers broken out for specific situations. Specifically regarding Schwarber, for his career, his batting average with 2 outs and RISP, he has had a whopping 169 AB. Overall, he has had 206 Plate appearances in that situation, meaning his batting average is .172 in that situation. His OBP is .320. This indicates the anomalies involved with small sample sizes. No MLBer today ...over the course of a year and career ... has an OBP .150 points higher than their average.

3) If we want to look at specific Cubs hitters, the real issue is missed. The Cubs have too many of the same hitter. The Cubs are bottom of the barrel in contact rate this season. Meanwhile, they have 7 guys with 20+ HR. OTOH the Cardinals have only 3 players with 20+ HR. IOW, HR and runs scored in MLB by HR may be at record levels, but contact rate is more important.

4) Theo needs to learn something new. His FA acquisitions have been mediocre or worse overall since 2016 WS. Three years removed and the team is considerably less competitive. No one hits on all their prospects or trades, but the Cubs don’t have a single player in the lineup who can hit over .300. Theo traded that guy away in year 1 (LeMahieu).

Slightly off topic, but I can’t wait to see how pissed he is as the end of season press conference and how this isn’t going to happen, it doesn’t feel good, yadada. He made a bed that is going to take more than 1 off-season to fix.

 

[MDB111™]

Good thoughts in here. Analytically, there has to be players out there that don't fizzle out post ASB or down the rd in August and September.
Cubs were rolling post ASB. And then old age, or weariness crept in. Not one pitcher lasted this season. And the older ones fell off a cliff.

 

[anotheridiot]

1) Theo Epstein is not hiring a manager for a MLB club who has no managerial experience at any level. This is a guy who fired Renteria to go get Joe Maddon

When Theo hired Joe the experienced managers were worth 5 million. That trend is going away to younger number crunchers with a staff of pocket protector guys. Ultimately a 2 or 3 million dollar manager ends up costing 10 million with the entire staff of numbers guys,

I Think Theo Wants Maddon Gone. It just depends whether he saves face by offering him a 3/10 deal so he is not made out to be the bad guy and appease the brass. But I really dont think Theo cares what anyone thinks.

What Theo needs to prove to himself is that he CAN take the same team back to the world series. Otherwise its finding someplace like Cleveland that has not done it forever and start another 5 year plan.

 

[greg23]

I'll give you a dark horse that's currently on the staff....Mark Loretta....fits what I think theo and jed want....inexpensive analytics guy working in harmony with front office on day to day lineups and moves

 

[CSF77]

Just wanted to see how you all think about certain topics

1 Should the team pick up the option on Phelps?

2 Is Quintana's option still a slam dunk with his 4 something era and 1.3 something whip?

3 Should the team try to retain Hamels at all?

4 Which free agent is the most likely target of the offseason?

5 Who do you want the next manager to be or do you want Joe to stay?

6 Could we see things getting better next year or will the aging process make this team worse?

7 Are you fine with Darvish being the ace next year or should we do everything in the world to get Gerrit Cole?

1. No
2. Yes
3. no
4. Hyun-Jin Ryu
5. Joe Guardi
6. Core is still young. They need to let Zo and Cole go.
7. Yu is a MLB ace. Ryu would slot between him and Hendricks.

So on your questions I feel those are the intelligent answers.

A bigger question is who is leading off. It should be Rizzo. There is not a lead off out there unless you are really looking to make a deep splash move.

Now a deep splash...ok going to get hammered on this but fuck it this season is over and might as well.

Make a deal for Francisco Lindor. Clevland is not going to be able to retain the guy and will want to get a big haul out of him. The obvious return is Nico. I personally would not do this.

But I would make a offer of Amaya, Davis and Alozay. With out even batting an eye. Marquez would be off limits and swapping Ademan for one of the 3 would be fine. If they wanted a MLB SS in return then Russell added in.

That would bring in a All star hitter to start at SS. Baez moves to 3B and Nico plays 2B. Which improves the D and O in the IF.

Bryant gets pushed to RF.

Adding Ryu stabilizes the top of the rotation. The pen I believe needs to be farm built.

They could become competitive next year with these few moves.

 

[Parade_Rain]

When Theo hired Joe the experienced managers were worth 5 million. That trend is going away to younger number crunchers with a staff of pocket protector guys. Ultimately a 2 or 3 million dollar manager ends up costing 10 million with the entire staff of numbers guys,

I Think Theo Wants Maddon Gone. It just depends whether he saves face by offering him a 3/10 deal so he is not made out to be the bad guy and appease the brass. But I really dont think Theo cares what anyone thinks.

What Theo needs to prove to himself is that he CAN take the same team back to the world series. Otherwise its finding someplace like Cleveland that has not done it forever and start another 5 year plan.

Joe Girardi is the guy. Maddon isn’t coming back. Theo saw how Girardi operates up close and personal in the division.

Unless Theo is blowing everything up and planning a 3 year non-competitive window. Then he can go with the less expensive geek manager on autopilot.

 

[Castor76]

I think Nico is going to spend most of 2020 in AA/AAA.

I'm a fan of trading for Merrifield from KC as he slots in well for lead off and 2B. If they stay in house, Rizzo is the only option for lead off. Picking up Q's option makes sense because of money versus production.

 

[CSF77]

I think Nico is going to spend most of 2020 in AA/AAA.

I'm a fan of trading for Merrifield from KC as he slots in well for lead off and 2B. If they stay in house, Rizzo is the only option for lead off. Picking up Q's option makes sense because of money versus production.

I don't.

 

[SilentLurker]

Maddon is going to end up in SD next year. They just fired their manager.

It would be a good fit for him and the padres.

 

[CSF77]

Maddon is going to end up in SD next year. They just fired their manager.

It would be a good fit for him and the padres.

I'm guessing Philly. Close to his home town.

 

[SilentLurker]

I'm guessing Philly. Close to his home town.

that would work too. i can see maddon w/ a team like that pushing them to the next level. heard lot of things about the current philly manager that most of the players dont really respect him.

SD fits because he likes SD and it's a young team like when he joined the cubs.

 

[Castor76]

Bat wise there's not much out there the Cubs need that's also available. Adam Eaton is about the only lead off option available in FA. He is also a lefty.

Otherwise the only bats I'd be interested in would be wither of the 2 3B so Rizzo could be lead off, if they don't trade for one, and they move Bryant to RF and Heyward to CF.