The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

[fugazi]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I'll grant you that LV's BA has taken a hit over the past couple of weeks or so...my thinking is that Castro could get a veteran back-end starter, top-tier reliever, or SP prospect. Regardless, if it was going to happen it would have happened this year, i think.

Here's the numbers I was referring to:

LV: 379app,24 doubles, 3 triples, 10 hr...walks better than 1/10, strikes out about 1/4.5, ! XBhit roughly every 10apps...

SC: 503app, 31 doubles, 1 triple, 12 hr...walks 1/15, k's about 1/5.5, 1 XBhit every 9 or so apps.

The discrepancy between their OPS is only 18 points...Castro's is .758. Not long ago this season, it was much closer. (Ruggiano: .752, but with a higher BA/OBP than Castro.)

Yes, Starlin's numbers are better, even if you take into account his 123 more appearances than Valbuena...but not by much at all. I don't think he's earning his spot...especially if he's considered untouchable.

Yes, Valbuena and Ruggiano have been platooned...but I think Castro has plateaued...To his credit, he has driven in as many runs as Rizzo...and it's hard to argue with 11th in the league in doubles, and 14th in hits...really, I don't hate Castro...I just think he is worth more for what he can get the team in a trade...

Especially if Bryant is going to play 3B.

Will I be mad if they keep him? No...especially if he produces like this year. I just hope he becomes a 6-hole guy...

But, I will try not to bring trading up again, bc I don't think it's gonna happen.

[ThreeKing]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Every time I question Baez and his swing, he balls-out the next day. So how about this: Baez ****ing flat-out sucks. I hate his game. It's awful. Bryant sucks too.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Baez is making me watch the Cubs.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I'll grant you that LV's BA has taken a hit over the past couple of weeks or so...my thinking is that Castro could get a veteran back-end starter, top-tier reliever, or SP prospect. Regardless, if it was going to happen it would have happened this year, i think.

Here's the numbers I was referring to:

LV: 379app,24 doubles, 3 triples, 10 hr...walks better than 1/10, strikes out about 1/4.5, ! XBhit roughly every 10apps...

SC: 503app, 31 doubles, 1 triple, 12 hr...walks 1/15, k's about 1/5.5, 1 XBhit every 9 or so apps.

The discrepancy between their OPS is only 18 points...Castro's is .758. Not long ago this season, it was much closer. (Ruggiano: .752, but with a higher BA/OBP than Castro.)

Yes, Starlin's numbers are better, even if you take into account his 123 more appearances than Valbuena...but not by much at all. I don't think he's earning his spot...especially if he's considered untouchable.

Yes, Valbuena and Ruggiano have been platooned...but I think Castro has plateaued...To his credit, he has driven in as many runs as Rizzo...and it's hard to argue with 11th in the league in doubles, and 14th in hits...really, I don't hate Castro...I just think he is worth more for what he can get the team in a trade...

Especially if Bryant is going to play 3B.

Will I be mad if they keep him? No...especially if he produces like this year. I just hope he becomes a 6-hole guy...

But, I will try not to bring trading up again, bc I don't think it's gonna happen.

The stats say what they say, but I think you are missing a lot of Castro's value in 2 specific ways.

1) Castro basically plays all 162 and when he takes a game off, he generally is used as a pinch hitter. What this means is he's not saved against RHPs and he has more seasonal wear-and-tear. Valbuena gets sat against tough LHPs and gets more time to recoup and that's impossible to quantify how much that helps Valbo, but if he had those 123 more plate apps (most likely against tough southpaws), I doubt we'd be comparing the stats b/c Valbuena would be a lot worse off.

2) Castro is a SS. Valbuena plays 3B. People have a wide range of opinions on how well Starlin plays SS, but he does and it's widely accepted that SS is a much tougher position to play.

So, factoring in that Valbo is a platoon player to a degree and that he plays a less demanding position, and that he's older, and that he's not under team control for nearly as long as Starlin and I think it's pretty clear who's much more valuable.

I won't disagree that Castro is eminently tradeable and that actually might happen as soon as this winter.

Every time I question Baez and his swing, he balls-out the next day. So how about this: Baez ****ing flat-out sucks. I hate his game. It's awful. Bryant sucks too.

I am taking a short road trip to Des Moines to see the I Cubs take on the Angels AAA affiliate on Mon and Tues, so I hope to determine how bad Bryant sucks when I get out there, lol.

[fugazi]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I totally agree that, of the two, Castro is better and more valuable, etc.


Just wanna be clear that I don't think LV is a better ballplayer than Castro.


Hard to argue with a SS that hits like Castro...but Bryant-Addison-Baez-Rizzo suits me just fine...


though Baez-Addison-Castro-Rizzo would be ok...if Bryant goes OF

[CBoller1331]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

though Baez-Addison-Castro-Rizzo would be ok...if Bryant goes OF

I think this would be ideal, but only if they sign a Scherzer/Lester/true #1 guy this winter. If not, then they've got to decide which of Baez, Castro, and Russell they want to keep and package them with maybe a Soler or Almora plus some in order to get a true ace.

Then again, if they don't land an ace this offseason, they could wait till the 2015 offseason to make a free agent splash (don't know which guys are on the market).

They really only need a true ace, and maybe another solid #2 guy. The rest of there rotation will fill out with any of Hendricks, Arrieta, Wood, Pierce Johnson, CJ Edwards, Corey Black as long as they continue to progress as they have been.

Last thing I want to bring up is their bullpen. That's what really separates the good teams from the great ones. I know often by October a teams bullpen is constructed of guys they got at the trade deadline, but having "homegrown" guys who can get the job done is big. I think Rondon, Strop and Ramirez are a good start, they maybe need to find a true closer, but Rondon has been solid this year. Hopefully any guys listed above who don't make the rotation can do their part in the pen.

As a summary of my long post: the Cubs have LOTS of options.

[k_mac]

The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Brett Jackson's time Chicago (well, Iowa, whatever) is over. Traded to the Diamondbacks for pitcher Blake Cooper.

The most important part of this trade is that it opens up another spot on the 40-man.

Edit:

from the Chicago Sun-Times:

Cooper, 26, was a Southern League All-Star for AA Mobile (1.85 ERA in 24 appearances) before a promotion to AAA Reno, where the right-hander had a 6.00 ERA in 17 appearances – with only two runs allowed in his last six outings (8 2/3 innings), with eight strikeouts.

Yeah, opening up the 40 man spot was the deal here. Nothing special about a 26 year old AA relief pitcher. Not that Jackson had much value anyways.

Wonder what move we're going to make with that extra 40 spot. Let the Bryant call-up rumors begin..

[Jr.]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

They don't need to do anything with it yet. I would be very surprised if Bryant is added and called up. It wouldn't surprise me if they left that 40th spot open for a potential Free Agent pitcher in the off-season.

[Mo]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/08/a-look-at-the-sometimes-conflicting-goals-of-minor-league-stats-and-development-paths-javier-baez-kris-bryant-albert-almora-and-mike-olt/

[Jr.]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2...-and-mike-olt/

Great read, thanks for sharing

[CBoller1331]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2...-and-mike-olt/

Nice article. Hopefully Olt could progress enough that he isn't worthless and we can get something for him, or play solid at third or a corner OF spot for a few years.

I was a little confused when they mentioned that the front office admitted they brought Rizzo up too soon--wasn't that his line when he was in SD? Was that Jed who brought him up when he was in San Diego?

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

They don't need to do anything with it yet. I would be very surprised if Bryant is added and called up. It wouldn't surprise me if they left that 40th spot open for a potential Free Agent pitcher in the off-season.

Or for the Rule 5 draft..

[CBoller1331]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Javier Baez drew TWO walks yesterday....

Anything is possible

[ThreeKing]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Question: If you HAD to get rid of one, who are you getting rid of?

Castro
Baez
Russell

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Question: If you HAD to get rid of one, who are you getting rid of?

Castro
Baez
Russell

Most definitely not Baez. I still like Castro, and he's proven he can be an effective player at the ML level, but at the same time, I'm kind of a sucker for a good defensive SS and from what I know of Russell, it sounds like he projects to be a much better defensive player than Castro. Is that correct? It would also depend on what we can get for either of them.