Thoughts after the season

[Steve_A]

Trading Jimenez and Cease isn't the problem. It was what they got back in Quintana. Pretty shitty. There were better pitchers to be had.

Agree a 100%

 

[Steve_A]

What does Theo do well? Draft and sign international players.

What does Theo suck at? Signing free agents.

It is simple. But just watch all you's wanting Cole, Wheeler, Rendon, some all star center fielder.

This is why it sucks being a cub fan.

Sorry for wanting the best for the team and sorry for thinking we might hit on a Scherzer or Verlander type ace someday. Please go ahead and live with the mediocrity that is the team right now.

 

[anotheridiot]

Sorry for wanting the best for the team and sorry for thinking we might hit on a Scherzer or Verlander type ace someday. Please go ahead and live with the mediocrity that is the team right now.

Who is going to argue with that lineup if Theo kept going the way he wanted to?

Keep spending the Ricketts money while you are at it. Sure does not seem like 100 wins in 5 years is mediocre. Go stock up at Binnys so your dear Joe can get his last check.

While you are at it, go see if Theo was bullshitting about having a top 5 ERA for pitchers over the last 5 years.

 

[CSF77]

Statcast Standouts: Pending FA Hitters
By Connor Byrne | October 8, 2019 at 7:26pm CDT

There are multiple ways to evaluate the performance of hitters in Major League Baseball. You can go by the traditional back-of-the-baseball-card statistics, FanGraphs metrics or even the newfangled Statcast numbers we’ve seen pop up over the past couple years. For the purpose of this piece, we’ll go Statcast style to take a look at the hitters who are scheduled to be available in the upcoming offseason’s free-agent class. Here are the standouts at each position when it comes to expected weighted on-base average and average exit velocity on line drives and fly balls (data courtesy of Baseball Savant)…
Catchers:
Expected weighted on-base average

1. Yasmani Grandal .362 (real wOBA: .365)
2. Jason Castro .362 (.331)
3. Alex Avila .352 (.327)
4. Travis d’Arnaud .328 (.318)
5. Stephen Vogt .326 (.336)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

1. Chris Iannetta 97.2 mph
2. Alex Avila 96.6
3. Jason Castro 96.5
4. Welington Castillo 96.2
5. Travis d’Arnaud 93.6

First basemen:
Expected weighted on-base average

1. Howie Kendrick .418 (.405)
2. David Freese .378 (.420)
3. Justin Smoak .367 (.327)
4. Kendrys Morales .366 (.265)
5. Jose Abreu .361 (.349)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

1. Lucas Duda 96.4 mph
2. Jose Abreu 96.1
3. Mitch Moreland 95.8
4. Matt Adams 95.6 (will become free agent if Nationals choose $1MM buyout over $4MM option)
5. Howie Kendrick 94.4

Second basemen:
Expected weighted on-base average

1. Howie Kendrick .418 (.405)
2. Brian Dozier .329 (.333)
3. Brock Holt .315 (.336)
4. Jason Kipnis .312 (.305)
5. Ben Zobrist .310 (.305)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

1. Howie Kendrick 94.4 mph
2. Jonathan Schoop 93.5
3. Eduardo Nunez/Chris Owings 93.1
4. Brian Dozier 92.9
5. Logan Forsythe 92.8

Shortstops:
Expected weighted on-base average

1. Jordy Mercer .320 (.318)
2. Adeiny Hechavarria .296 (.316)
3. Didi Gregorius .291 (.302)
4. Jose Iglesias .287 (.309)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

1. Adeiny Hechavarria 92.8 mph
2. Jordy Mercer 92.2
3. Didi Gregorius 91.8
4. Jose Iglesias 87.5

Third basemen:
Expected weighted on-base average

1. Anthony Rendon .413 (.418)
2. Josh Donaldson .386 (.382)
3. Mike Moustakas .345 (.353)
4. Pablo Sandoval .337 (.341)
5. Logan Forsythe .320 (.301)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

1. Josh Donaldson 98.1
2. Jung Ho Kang 97.1
3. Pablo Sandoval 95.2
4. Mike Moustakas 93.8
5. Anthony Rendon 93.5

Outfielders:
Expected weighted on-base average

1. Marcell Ozuna .379 (.340)
2. Nicholas Castellanos .362 (.360)
3. Hunter Pence .358 (.382)
4. Matt Joyce .355 (.375)
5. Avisail Garcia .344 (.338)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

1. Marcell Ozuna 96.3 mph
2. Hunter Pence 95.4
3. Avisail Garcia 95.2
4. Kole Calhoun 95.0 (Angels can buy Calhoun out for $1MM or exercise a $14MM option)
5. Yasiel Puig 94.2

 

[Steve_A]

Not buying. Past performance is usually an indicator of future and this was/is a third place lineup and without Castellanus who was the best player on the team. MEH

↑↑↑

 

[Steve_A]

Who is going to argue with that lineup if Theo kept going the way he wanted to?

Keep spending the Ricketts money while you are at it. Sure does not seem like 100 wins in 5 years is mediocre. Go stock up at Binnys so your dear Joe can get his last check.

While you are at it, go see if Theo was bullshitting about having a top 5 ERA for pitchers over the last 5 years.

Not arguing with ya about things but
can’t we dream of a dynasty for once?
So what if it costs some money...

Two more years of this core intact.
Can’t this save money stuff wait till the inevitable rebuild begins?

 

[anotheridiot]

Not arguing with ya about things but
can’t we dream of a dynasty for once?
So what if it costs some money...

Two more years of this core intact.
Can’t this save money stuff wait till the inevitable rebuild begins?

That is the point of the conversation though.

We do not have a dynasty. When you look at what they gave up for one world series title, that team could have been a dynasty.

Schwarber, Jimenez/Almora, Soler
Bryant Baez Torres Rizzo
Contrares Caratini.

That was the vision and you would have no holes that would be costing 300 million yet.

At that point, if they won 3 titles, or every other year like the dominant Giants, then would you pay the money, to them, not other over priced bad decisions?

At that point, the closer was the issue, so if you have to deal Soler, dont do it for a rental. Give Davis the 51 million it would have taken. That lineup gives you a Cole, Verlander hole to fill and its still probably at 150 million.

I remember having to Google Chatwood when he was signed, mistake. Kind of knew of Morrow from the set up guy in LA, it was all in the name of Darvish, the guy choked in the playoffs.

Now for some reason, we want Theo to go out and get more "cant miss" free agents. I guess what Machado or Harper would have been last year?

Its just a conversation, no reason to get into the rut of every post needing to be an argument.

 

[Castor76]

The only batter I'd say is can't miss is Rendon. That doesn't mean I think the Cubs should go crazy to get him.

 

[Steve_A]

That is the point of the conversation though.

We do not have a dynasty. When you look at what they gave up for one world series title, that team could have been a dynasty.

Schwarber, Jimenez/Almora, Soler
Bryant Baez Torres Rizzo
Contrares Caratini.

That was the vision and you would have no holes that would be costing 300 million yet.

At that point, if they won 3 titles, or every other year like the dominant Giants, then would you pay the money, to them, not other over priced bad decisions?

At that point, the closer was the issue, so if you have to deal Soler, dont do it for a rental. Give Davis the 51 million it would have taken. That lineup gives you a Cole, Verlander hole to fill and its still probably at 150 million.

I remember having to Google Chatwood when he was signed, mistake. Kind of knew of Morrow from the set up guy in LA, it was all in the name of Darvish, the guy choked in the playoffs.

Now for some reason, we want Theo to go out and get more "cant miss" free agents. I guess what Machado or Harper would have been last year?

Its just a conversation, no reason to get into the rut of every post needing to be an argument.

High risk high reward?