Quietly the cubs front office has assembled some interesting bullpen pieces.

[Jack Lantern]

My trouble with Yu from the beginning was, boy was he bad in the post season. That made me want Jake back over Darvish and who knows what might have happened. Jake lost some physical stuff, but I think more of his problems were mental being the true Ace here for so long and getting kicked to the curb. I understood him wanting to go because he was always put as number 2 after Lester, but I think the one thing that is not changing with Rossy is Lester is still going to be treated like the Ace. He has that bulldog that needs to get thru the locker room, not turn hippie.

this may explain why bruh

 

[Jssanto]

My trouble with Yu from the beginning was, boy was he bad in the post season. That made me want Jake back over Darvish and who knows what might have happened. Jake lost some physical stuff, but I think more of his problems were mental being the true Ace here for so long and getting kicked to the curb. I understood him wanting to go because he was always put as number 2 after Lester, but I think the one thing that is not changing with Rossy is Lester is still going to be treated like the Ace. He has that bulldog that needs to get thru the locker room, not turn hippie.

Now we know what his post season issues were. Astros should have been spanked harder. Rose was banned for life. What was the Black Sox punishment?

 

[anotheridiot]

this may explain why bruh

I get that, but that pitcher is not Kershaw or Darvish, he is a guy that never made it who is now a pitching coach in a bus league. A hitter still has what a half a second to react to a pitch and still has to guess location and make contact. I hope Altuve turns into a .230 hitter that cant hit 5 home runs. Houston was on pace to blow their team up again like they did after 05. Then the cheaters will be scattered all over the league making excuses.

Now we know what his post season issues were. Astros should have been spanked harder. Rose was banned for life. What was the Black Sox punishment?

In a way, arent the black sox even better known than 90% of people in the hall of fame, especially with all these passed over guys who get in after they pass away? Career .260 hitters like Santo. What does it really mean anymore?

 

[CubsFaninMN]

In a way, arent the black sox even better known than 90% of people in the hall of fame, especially with all these passed over guys who get in after they pass away? Career .260 hitters like Santo. What does it really mean anymore?

Just because you're still a household name 110 years later isn't necessarily a good thing. Hitler will be a household name far longer than Roosevelt, DeGaulle or Churchill. Not for being good, but for being infamously evil.

A lot of people can name Mario Mendoza, too, but that doesn't mean he was in any way a baseball player to celebrate or hold up as an example of anything except mediocrity.

Banning players from the HoF, or even the sport, may make them infamous. But that's good. It reminds future generations of players what's at stake when you're tempted to cheat to win, or cheat to line your pockets with ill-gotten payoffs for fixing games. Or are just stupid enough to get in with organized crime gambling figures and, since you're the player/manager and are betting on your own games, aren't playing or managing to win, but to satisfy a crime boss who wants a certain return on his gambling operations.

How many people have had to be bounced from the sport for fixing games in the last 100 years? None? (Rose was never proven to have fixed games, just in the position to be influenced by organized crime via betting on his own team's games, so he doesn't count.) Then maybe the Black Sox need to remain famous/infamous, to keep the sport from being corrupted by faceless and nameless evil men, eh?

-Doug

 

[CSF77]

I get that, but that pitcher is not Kershaw or Darvish, he is a guy that never made it who is now a pitching coach in a bus league. A hitter still has what a half a second to react to a pitch and still has to guess location and make contact. I hope Altuve turns into a .230 hitter that cant hit 5 home runs. Houston was on pace to blow their team up again like they did after 05. Then the cheaters will be scattered all over the league making excuses.



In a way, arent the black sox even better known than 90% of people in the hall of fame, especially with all these passed over guys who get in after they pass away? Career .260 hitters like Santo. What does it really mean anymore?

That is when they caught them in the act. They did it vs the NYY in that year also and CC pretty much said that they robbed them of the WS shot that year.

 

[cheapjeep]

Maybe.

I feel that the Cubs lack a pitcher that can match up with the top league aces. Yu and Hendricks when they are on can both shut teams down. But it is the consistency that is lacking.

We will see.

I agree. The starting pitching lineup might be able to win the division but will not get any further than a central pennant. All the starters arent getting any younger and other than Yu, the cubs have a bunch of tier-3 level pitchers. Hopefully the bullpen can make something from all the cheap guys they picked up...seems like hot garbage to me but we shall see in spring training

 

[Raskolnikov]

I get that, but that pitcher is not Kershaw or Darvish, he is a guy that never made it who is now a pitching coach in a bus league. A hitter still has what a half a second to react to a pitch and still has to guess location and make contact. I hope Altuve turns into a .230 hitter that cant hit 5 home runs. Houston was on pace to blow their team up again like they did after 05. Then the cheaters will be scattered all over the league making excuses.



In a way, arent the black sox even better known than 90% of people in the hall of fame, especially with all these passed over guys who get in after they pass away? Career .260 hitters like Santo. What does it really mean anymore?

I wouldn't plan on that.

the Astros are still really good.

 

[CSF77]

I agree. The starting pitching lineup might be able to win the division but will not get any further than a central pennant. All the starters arent getting any younger and other than Yu, the cubs have a bunch of tier-3 level pitchers. Hopefully the bullpen can make something from all the cheap guys they picked up...seems like hot garbage to me but we shall see in spring training

I honestly see the answer coming from Alzolay this year and Brailyn Marquez after him.

Basically Adbert should be the favorite for the #5 going into spring. If he can secure it and grow this year it will help more than anything going forward. That becomes a cost savings for a middle rotation pitcher.

Next year they will have to replace Q then and Marquez might be close at that point. He should be at Tenn and honestly could end up in Iowa and set up to battle for Q's spot.

So over all they become pretty decent soon and more cost effective.

But as far as this year they need to have a strong pen. Keep the starters around 5-6 innings and have a strong middle relief core. That should help to keep the games more in check.

 

[cheapjeep]

I honestly see the answer coming from Alzolay this year and Brailyn Marquez after him.

Basically Adbert should be the favorite for the #5 going into spring. If he can secure it and grow this year it will help more than anything going forward. That becomes a cost savings for a middle rotation pitcher.

Next year they will have to replace Q then and Marquez might be close at that point. He should be at Tenn and honestly could end up in Iowa and set up to battle for Q's spot.

So over all they become pretty decent soon and more cost effective.

But as far as this year they need to have a strong pen. Keep the starters around 5-6 innings and have a strong middle relief core. That should help to keep the games more in check.

Can't forget about Alec Mills! he had some good stuff at the end of the season.

 

[CSF77]

Can't forget about Alec Mills! he had some good stuff at the end of the season.

He knows how to. But a rotation of 2 try hards is 2 much.

As it is they are dealing with Lester losing velocity. Hendricks who rarely touches 90. They really don't need a 3rd guy that lacks plus stuff.

IMO it should be Alzolay or Chatwood. And the rest are middle relief. The Cubs will be a better team with 5 starters pitching 5. Then having 3 guys that can cover the 6-7 in a 2 inning stint (Chatwood or Alzolay, Mills and Rea) then a set up crew. Right now they have 3 guys that fit the bill. Underwood, Wick and Ryan. Morrow also fits that role but I wouldn't be co-dependant on him. More so view him as Rich Hill and get max production in stints and shelf him until u need him again.

That is the best game plan going in. But they really need another starter that can pop the mitt. Just reality.