BBTF's Gonfalon Cubs Discussion :: First Half Summary and Trade Rumor Thread

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201. McCoy Posted: August 01, 2012 at 02:13 PM (#4198200)

Put it this way ... It's August 1, Theo and Jed have just been fired, and McCoy is now GM - who's in the rotation?

Again, I said it was pointless not a negative. If Chris Volstad has a decent 8 game run to end the season I still wouldn't plan on him cracking the rotation next year.

202. Zonk wants no amputees at his parade Posted: August 01, 2012 at 02:41 PM (#4198225)

OK, fine, so what? I don't expect much from Volstad either, and I suspect zonk doesn't either. But what do you do?

Not anymore I don't -- but I was fairly optimistic about Volstad when they got him... Like most Marlins pitchers, they rushed him into the rotation - and he was quite good as a 21 yo rookie in half a season. He then stagnated. It's happened to Marlins pitchers before - Sanchez took 4 years to develop into a solid mid-rotation guy; Andrew Miller (yeah, technically only a partial Marlin) never figured it out. Volstad always had decent - but non-stellar BB/K ratios and he's not horrid at keeping the ball down. Based on body type and arsenal, I was (wishfully, more than likely at this point) seeing a bit of Rick Reuschel in him.

However, he is still just 25. Most will tell you that his arsenal of pitches IS of major league quality. He just hasn't translated that into quality MLB pitching -- for the most part -- since his 14 starts as a rookie. If he can stick in the rotation and post a couple quality months - I'm not suggesting he gets a 6 year deal, but I would have no qualms about signing him to a 'prove it' contract this offseason and penciling him into the back-end of the rotation.

203. Andere Richtingen

Posted: August 01, 2012 at 02:42 PM (#4198226)

Again, I said it was pointless not a negative. If Chris Volstad has a decent 8 game run to end the season I still wouldn't plan on him cracking the rotation next year.

Well I would as much as I would anybody, because the Cubs are unlikely to have any better bets at that point.

Speaking of points, what is yours again? Is it that Chris Volstad is a longshot to be a star?

204. Brian C Posted: August 01, 2012 at 02:46 PM (#4198232)

If Chris Volstad has a decent 8 game run to end the season I still wouldn't plan on him cracking the rotation next year.

Fair enough. I'd certainly agree that he's a strong non-tender candidate this offseason, but as far as I can tell he has another option year. So if he finishes strong enough (unlikely), I see no harm in not giving him another "last chance" next season. Not giving him a rotation spot, mind you, but throwing him in the mix in the spring and letting him fight it out.

205. McCoy Posted: August 01, 2012 at 03:01 PM (#4198250)

Speaking of points, what is yours again? Is it that Chris Volstad is a longshot to be a star?

Chris Volstad is a longshot to be anything other than a crappy pitcher.

206. Zonk wants no amputees at his parade Posted: August 01, 2012 at 03:42 PM (#4198280)

Chris Volstad is a longshot to be anything other than a crappy pitcher.

Like Carlos Zambrano is at this point?

207. McCoy Posted: August 01, 2012 at 03:49 PM (#4198290)

Volstad wishes he could be as crappy as Zambrano at this point.

208. Zonk wants no amputees at his parade Posted: August 01, 2012 at 03:59 PM (#4198298)

Volstad wishes he could be as crappy as Zambrano at this point.

You must not have been paying much attention to Z since May -- because he had been... He's now walking more than he K's, he lost his rotation spot to the immortal Wade LeBlanc - even after the Fish traded Sanchez. True - miraculously, we haven't yet seen the Fish tanks at Loria Stadium pay a price (much to everyone's disappointment), but I think if you gave me even money on who has a better career from here on out, I think I'd take Volstad.

209. McCoy Posted: August 01, 2012 at 04:05 PM (#4198307)

Volstad has an almost 8.00 ERA. Since the start of June Zambrano has a 6.39 ERA. Even if we go back to May and use his May 23rd game as the start date he has only a 6.71 ERA. Like I said, Volstad wishes he could be that crappy.

But I'm not sure how saying Zambrano has been just as bad as Volstad is proof that Volstad should get a shot at starting when you also mention that Zambrano has lost his starting spot.

210. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: August 01, 2012 at 04:05 PM (#4198308)

The Cubs pitching plan for the season was never going to end either with them having a full staff for September or them having a good staff ready for 2012. They tried out a whole bunch of cheap guys and tried to get a good return on some veterans. Maholm turned into a couple prospects, Samardzija turned into a good pitcher, and the rest of them flopped. Next year they've got Garza and Samardzija, and maybe they can hope on Volstad or Wood (though I didn't realize how bad those guys have been in Iowa). That's not the ideal return on the guys they had to start the season, but it's in the range of reasonable. The Cubs will need to be active in the offseason to build a starting rotation again.

211. Brian C Posted: August 01, 2012 at 04:25 PM (#4198329)

But I'm not sure how saying Zambrano has been just as bad as Volstad is proof that Volstad should get a shot at starting when you also mention that Zambrano has lost his starting spot.

Well ... no one, including you, seems to be saying that Volstad shouldn't be starting at this point. I'm not sure what this argument is even about anymore.

212. Zonk wants no amputees at his parade Posted: August 01, 2012 at 04:29 PM (#4198332)

The Cubs pitching plan for the season was never going to end either with them having a full staff for September or them having a good staff ready for 2012. They tried out a whole bunch of cheap guys and tried to get a good return on some veterans. Maholm turned into a couple prospects, Samardzija turned into a good pitcher, and the rest of them flopped. Next year they've got Garza and Samardzija, and maybe they can hope on Volstad or Wood (though I didn't realize how bad those guys have been in Iowa). That's not the ideal return on the guys they had to start the season, but it's in the range of reasonable. The Cubs will need to be active in the offseason to build a starting rotation again.

Travis had a really nice run since he came back up -- his June up to basically the ASB was pretty lights out. His last 3 starts have been stinkers, but for 6 weeks - he was pitching as well as anyone in the Cubs rotation not named Dempster (you could say Maholm, too - but Maholm's run doesn't really overlap). I'm comfortable with Wood being among those back-end of the rotation options. Volstad has completely shat the bed, but still -- might as well let him get his brains beat in for the next 10 weeks just on the off chance something clicks.

Samardzija hit a wall a bit back - he's gotten somewhat back on track lately - but his sudden emergence looked like a mirage by mid/late-June.

Still - Jeff and Travis ought to be penciled for 2012.

Garza is the wild card here... I'd be more than willing to move him for a good price, but I've never been averse to signing him long-term... I'd just want it at a good price (i.e., the price you'd expect for a decent #2 or good #3 - not a nominal ace price).

I doubt there's any real hope of him breaking camp with the big club - but Arodys Vizcaino (rehab pending) ought to get a couple of 1st half starts.

Beyond that - the Cubs are really stuck with not a lot to work with... Bowden? Wells - though, he's almost certainly a non-tender. I've have always had this weird predilection for Germano, so I wouldn't mind him having a good few months and signing him on the cheap.

The Cubs are really stuck hitting the bargain bin in 2013 because there's really just nothing even close to ready in the minors... Jay Jackson has regressed to the point of likely being gone. Trey McNutt has stagnated in AA.

The only thing approaching prospectdom at Iowa is Chris Rusin, who looks like he's a fringe AAA lifer. Dallas Beeler has had a mildly decent year at AA and Nathan Struck has come on pretty strong... but Beeler probably needs another full season of minor league ball and Struck definitely does - neither looks like a future rotation front-ender. Eric Jokisch has improved his stock a bit.

The scary thing about the Cubs' deadline deals is probably that you can make a really good argument for Arodys Vizcaino and Kyle Hendricks as now being the Cubs top two SP prospects.

213. McCoy Posted: August 01, 2012 at 04:30 PM (#4198335)

If I was the GM I would not be having Volstad start. It's pointless. I'd rather go waiver wire hunting looking for a soot covered jewel than have Volstad start at this point.

214. Brian C Posted: August 01, 2012 at 04:37 PM (#4198343)

If I was the GM I would not be having Volstad start. It's pointless. I'd rather go waiver wire hunting looking for a soot covered jewel than have Volstad start at this point.

So you'd rather have a half-dozen oranges than six oranges, basically.

Nonetheless, I see no reason to think that the Cubs aren't doing exactly that, which is how Germano ended up on the team.

215. McCoy Posted: August 01, 2012 at 09:30 PM (#4198550)

If Volstad is the bird in hand I'm letting him go in search of better birds in the bushes.

216. McCoy Posted: August 04, 2012 at 09:43 AM (#4200435)

I found this little tidbit amusing.

Since being traded Reed Johnson has started two games for the Braves and has hit .429/.556/.429 for them. According to WAR he has been worth -.2 WAR for the Braves so far. How so? Well, defensively WAR sees him as -3 runs and offensively he has been worth 1 run. He's started one game in left and one game in right. DRS sees Reed as -2 runs in left. In the game Reed started in left the Braves won 6-1 so apparently with an average fielder the Braves would have won 6 to -1.

What happened in that game in left?
Flyball out to left
Line drive to short left field for a single.
Triple to deep LF-CF
Line drive single to short LF

I'm guessing the triple is carrying a lot of the water here and to be fair Reed did look awkward on that play.

217. KB JBAR (trhn) Posted: August 04, 2012 at 11:28 AM (#4200471)

I am not going to defend DRS, but the run value of a triple is greater than 1. And the run value of those singles is positive, too. It's possible that an average fielder would have converted some percentage of them to outs or saved a base or whatever. It's also likely that Reed is just unlucky given the sample size.

The point is that it's not absurd on it's face as you seem to suggest. To say that the Braves should have won 6 to -1 is like saying the Cubs actually won a game 1.3 - 0.9 which they actually lost 1-0 despite 11 hits and 2 walks in 9 innings. The run values based on linear weights don't always match the results.

218. McCoy Posted: August 04, 2012 at 01:38 PM (#4200521)

I'm not suggesting it is absurd. I said I found it amusing that after two games DRS found his defense so awful that he is already at -3 runs. I also found it amusing that DRS finds Reed's defense in left so awful in one game that it gives him -2 runs for it despite only having four balls hit to him in that game and the Braves only ended up allowing 1 run to score in that game. I wonder who were the players on that team whose defense and pitching were so great that it offset Reed's terrible defense. If Reed is at -2 runs then that means there should be something like 5 runs or so of defense/pitching to go around in that game.

219. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: August 05, 2012 at 01:17 PM (#4200903)

Vitters and Brett Jackson are being called up.

220. McCoy Posted: August 05, 2012 at 01:43 PM (#4200919)

Well, at least now when they score 1 run a game it'll at least be because they are letting the "kids" play.

221. McCoy Posted: August 05, 2012 at 01:55 PM (#4200927)

Cubs trade Jeff Baker for two PTBNL from the Tigers. So when was Baker put on waivers and were the Tigers the ones who claimed him or did pass through waivers?

222. Meatwad Posted: August 05, 2012 at 02:17 PM (#4200941)

Who was the other player droppes from the 25 man to make room?

223. Kiko Sakata

Posted: August 05, 2012 at 02:28 PM (#4200946)

Who was the other player droppes from the 25 man to make room?

Tony Campana (according to Carrie Muskat's Twitter feed)

224. Meatwad Posted: August 05, 2012 at 03:27 PM (#4200987)

Apparwntly jackson will play today and bat 2nd also this may be the almost but not quite infield of the future. Vitters castro barney rizzo and castillo/clevenger platoon. In a few years baez and all sorts of others should be coming up. Remember i never said it would be a good infield

225. Meatwad Posted: August 05, 2012 at 03:45 PM (#4200996)

Also that is one cheap infield!

226. McCoy Posted: August 05, 2012 at 04:02 PM (#4201003)

Well, at this point every position out there is cheap except for LF.

227. Brian C Posted: August 05, 2012 at 08:43 PM (#4201155)

I'm really surprised to see Jackson and Vitters. I didn't think there was any way they'd be up until next spring.

Still, I'm not disappointed. At least this makes the last two months of the season interesting.

228. Meatwad Posted: August 05, 2012 at 09:29 PM (#4201169)

It gives us a chance to see if vitters can actually play third and give jackson this look and if he fails bring him up next year late june ala rizzo

229. Honkie Kong Posted: August 05, 2012 at 09:38 PM (#4201173)

Mostly a lurker, but now am interested.
Who won the pre-season bet for number of players from opening day active roster who are still in the organization?

230. Brian C Posted: August 05, 2012 at 09:46 PM (#4201176)

Who won the pre-season bet for number of players from opening day active roster who are still in the organization?

Well, I set the over/under at 16.5, and the following players are gone:

Byrd
KWood
Maholm
Johnson
Soto
Dempster
Baker

So, that leaves 18 of 25 who are still around. You can see who guessed what on this page - at first glance, Walt and I are the only ones who took the over, but there's still time left to go.

231. Spahn Insane Posted: August 05, 2012 at 10:25 PM (#4201191)

If the Cubs can somehow jettison both Soriano and DeJesus, they could potentially field a lineup whose youngest player (Castro) is also it's most MLB-experienced.

232. Meatwad Posted: August 05, 2012 at 11:48 PM (#4201229)

What is the infield.making? At this point it cant be more rhen 8 million

233. McCoy Posted: August 06, 2012 at 12:30 AM (#4201254)

A full season paycheck for this infield would come to just over 2.5 million dollars. I don't even think it would come to 8 million dollars if you added up all infielders that are on the 40 man roster and DL.

234. UCCF Posted: August 06, 2012 at 12:36 AM (#4201260)

Also that is one cheap infield!

Someone read about all the success Connie Mack had with his famous $100,000 Infield. This should be pretty close to that.

235. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: August 06, 2012 at 09:20 AM (#4201344)

It wouldn't be outside the realm of possible for the Cubs to field this everyday lineup next season:

C - Clevenger/Castillo
1B - Rizzo
2B - Barney
SS - Castro
3B - Vitters
LF - LaHair
CF - Campana
RF - Jackson

It might even project about as well as 2012's team. Are Castro and Barney arb eligible? Even if they are that would be a sub $10 million lineup.

EDIT: If I'm reading everything correctly (not a given) neither Barney nor Castro are likely to be super 2s so that would be a lineup making the minimum across the board.

236. Moses Taylor loves a good maim Posted: August 06, 2012 at 10:39 AM (#4201398)

Well, at least now when they score 1 run a game it'll at least be because they are letting the "kids" play.

Why is kids in scare quotes?

237. McCoy Posted: August 06, 2012 at 10:43 AM (#4201400)

Are they 10 years old?

238. Brian C Posted: August 06, 2012 at 12:10 PM (#4201479)

Garza headed to DL. That sucks.

239. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: August 06, 2012 at 12:16 PM (#4201487)

He hasn't pitched for 16 days so he's eligible to come off at any time. It might not mean much other than he won't be starting Tuesday.

240. Brian C Posted: August 07, 2012 at 10:45 AM (#4202178)

Brooks Raley headed up to start. There's an open spot on the 40-man so I guess that's easy enough.

241. McCoy Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:06 PM (#4202247)

The drive for 100 losses is back on. 0 for 5 so far in August and on a 6 game losing streak overall. They'd have to go 19-36 from here on out to lose 100 games overall. So they actually have to place worse than a 100 loss pace to lose 100 games this season. Something I think this current team can actually pull off. So is this team, as currently put together, replacement level overall?

242. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:14 PM (#4202261)

They're not losing 100 games.

243. McCoy Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:17 PM (#4202263)

99 losses?

244. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:23 PM (#4202266)

Nope. They have 15 games left against the 2 worst teams in baseball.

245. Zonk wants no amputees at his parade Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:23 PM (#4202269)

Brooks Raley headed up to start. There's an open spot on the 40-man so I guess that's easy enough.

Might as well... Raley has been decent, though unspectacular, at Iowa and he'll be 25 next year. Looks like Randy Wells lite to me - doesn't really strike people out, but also doesn't walk bunches and generally keeps the ball in the ballpark.

Are you ready for a rotation next year of Jeff Samardzija, Travis Wood, Chris Volstad, Brooks Raley, and Casey Coleman... at least, until Arodys Vizcaino makes it back.

246. Spahn Insane Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:27 PM (#4202274)

Nope. They have 15 games left against the 2 worst teams in baseball.

A few split-squads thrown in there?

247. Spahn Insane Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:28 PM (#4202275)

How long's Samardzija under contract?

248. Spahn Insane Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:32 PM (#4202286)

Looks like Randy Wells lite to me - doesn't really strike people out, but also doesn't walk bunches and generally keeps the ball in the ballpark.

He's a lefty, if that matters.

249. McCoy Posted: August 07, 2012 at 12:35 PM (#4202289)

Well, they can beat somebody 19 times and still lose 100 games this year.

250. McCoy Posted: August 07, 2012 at 11:45 PM (#4202907)

Now they just have to go 19-35 to get to 100 losses.

251. McCoy Posted: August 08, 2012 at 10:58 PM (#4203940)

Now they just have to go 19-34 to get to 100 losses.

Will they ever win a game in August?

252. Brian C Posted: August 08, 2012 at 11:32 PM (#4203966)

They're going home now, so presumably yes.

253. Meatwad Posted: August 09, 2012 at 12:08 AM (#4203988)

Vitter is performing as expected, he will not be the 3b of the future. His future is not in baseball

254. McCoy Posted: August 09, 2012 at 12:41 AM (#4204002)

This was his second start of his career. I'm not saying he's Willie Mays but Willie started his career going 0-12 with 2 BB in 3 starts.

255. Meatwad Posted: August 09, 2012 at 01:16 AM (#4204018)

Well its not looking for a guy with a questionable bat and glove

256. McCoy Posted: August 10, 2012 at 01:02 AM (#4205019)

Cubs win their first game in August! 18-34

Castro Tracker 17/17

257. McCoy Posted: August 11, 2012 at 07:08 PM (#4206468)

50 games to go. Have to go 18-32 to get to 100 losses.

258. Meatwad Posted: August 11, 2012 at 10:01 PM (#4206569)

When it gets down to 10 games left they will need to play. 500 to avoid 100 losses. Calling it now

259. Brian C Posted: August 12, 2012 at 02:21 AM (#4206653)

Anyone else noticing that Russell is pretty shaky lately?

260. Kiko Sakata

Posted: August 12, 2012 at 02:34 AM (#4206654)

Anyone else noticing that Russell is pretty shaky lately?

Camp, too. Not coincidentally, they're 1st and tied for 4th in the NL in games pitched (thru Fri, so Russell may be higher now).

261. Meatwad Posted: August 12, 2012 at 03:14 AM (#4206660)

So next years rotation.is what garza bpj wood volstatd and vizcaino when.he comes back?

262. McCoy Posted: August 13, 2012 at 10:24 AM (#4207145)

Battle of what is probably the two worst teams in baseball right now coming up.

263. McCoy Posted: August 13, 2012 at 11:46 PM (#4207733)

Man, everybody always looks good when they play the Astros.

264. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 14, 2012 at 01:02 AM (#4207780)

McCoy, any chance Castro reaches the 60 errors you were projecting from him earlier this season?

265. McCoy Posted: August 14, 2012 at 01:09 AM (#4207784)

Thank god he didn't hit a home run in his first PA or you'd be asking me if he was still on pace to hit 600 home runs.

Castro leads the majors in SS errors and is only one behind the leader, regardless of position (Pedro Alvarez).

266. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 14, 2012 at 10:26 AM (#4207900)

Oh, I'm sorry for thinking a guy who continuously harps on a player's errors long past the point of relevance was being serious.

In addition to him leading the majors in SS errors (tied actually with a guy who has played 36 less games there), he also leads NL shortstops in putouts, ML shortstops in assists and NL shortstops in defensive WAR.

267. McCoy Posted: August 14, 2012 at 02:39 PM (#4208110)

Yes, I was totally serious that Starlin Castro was going to break a 100 year old record and have something like 60 to 90 errors this season. I mean I was constantly talking about how he was going to commit 60 errors all year long so I could see how you mistook my seriousness on this.

268. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 14, 2012 at 03:18 PM (#4208155)

No you stopped talking about it once he fell off the pace, just like your mocking of me for saying the Cubs wouldn't lose 100 when they were "on pace" to lose 118.

269. McCoy Posted: August 14, 2012 at 04:35 PM (#4208253)

No you stopped talking about it once he fell off the pace, just like your mocking of me for saying the Cubs wouldn't lose 100 when they were "on pace" to lose 118.

Once again, I was totally serious that Starlin Castro was going to break a 100 year old record and have something like 60 to 90 errors this season. I mean I was constantly talking about how he was going to commit 60 errors all year long so I could see how you mistook my seriousness on this.

What is it that you hope to achieve with this line of dialogue?

270. McCoy Posted: August 14, 2012 at 11:00 PM (#4208531)

Castro Tracker: 19/18

271. Moses Taylor loves a good maim Posted: August 16, 2012 at 10:43 AM (#4209559)

I believe I questioned the extension for Fleita at the time. The timing is odd though, I'll say.

272. Zonk wants no amputees at his parade Posted: August 16, 2012 at 11:35 AM (#4209608)

I believe I questioned the extension for Fleita at the time. The timing is odd though, I'll say.

I personally think Fleita just rose to a level over his head -- you really have to give him credit for building the Cubs' Latin development from nonexistent to something at least able to run with the big dogs, but his hike in the org chart seems to have been into a position that he wasn't really suited for.

Of course, it offers up the Chicago media another chance to bash Crane Kinney, as Rogers does in today's Trib... not that I really care about Kinney; he sounds like a douche, but it's just funny to read and hear the way that the local media has it out for the guy.

273. Juilin Sandar to Conkling Speedwell (Arjun) Posted: August 16, 2012 at 11:39 AM (#4209611)

Brett Jackson has 18 strikeouts in 35 plate appearances so far this year. This is pretty frightening.

274. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 16, 2012 at 11:58 AM (#4209627)

AL pitchers struck out at a 50% rate this season, so it's pretty unlikely Jackson keeps that up.

And the Crane Kenney hate continues to be maddening.

275. Zonk wants no amputees at his parade Posted: August 16, 2012 at 12:03 PM (#4209631)

Brett Jackson has 18 strikeouts in 35 plate appearances so far this year. This is pretty frightening.

Triple and a double yesterday though!

But yeah, it looks to become the Cubs' Austin Jackson, he really need to cut down on his strikeouts... which is a bit scary.

276. Meatwad Posted: August 16, 2012 at 09:11 PM (#4210076)

Per Kaplan cubs will be signing castro to a 6 year deal

277. McCoy Posted: August 16, 2012 at 10:21 PM (#4210131)

I'd think at this point Castro would jump at a long term deal but if I were the Cubs I'd probably be lowballing him.

278. Moses Taylor loves a good maim Posted: August 17, 2012 at 06:27 PM (#4211008)

They're just talking, right? I haven't seen anything that they're anywhere near to close on a deal.

279. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: August 18, 2012 at 05:11 PM (#4211525)

7 years, $60 million according to ESPN.

The contract covers four years of arb (he will be a super two) and three of FA.

280. Dan The Mediocre is one of "the rest" Posted: August 18, 2012 at 05:23 PM (#4211531)

7 years, $60 million according to ESPN.

The contract covers four years of arb (he will be a super two) and three of FA.

That seems like quite the deal for the Cubs.

281. Meatwad Posted: August 18, 2012 at 05:42 PM (#4211551)

Great deal for the cubs and castro

282. McCoy Posted: August 18, 2012 at 05:57 PM (#4211558)

Virtually impossible to become an albatross with that deal. I wonder how backloaded the deal is.

283. Brian C Posted: August 19, 2012 at 06:31 PM (#4212103)

So, some changes coming up by the look of it. Raley was optioned back to Iowa today, but is expected back next weekend. Addtionally, Chris Rusin is apparently starting Tuesday's game, and today Alex Hinshaw was claimed off waivers. So that's three roster spots that will need to turn over, including one more off of the 40-man (they made room on the 40-man for Hinshaw by moving Vizcaino to the 60-day DL, but will still need a spot for Rusin).

284. McCoy Posted: August 20, 2012 at 11:56 PM (#4213365)

The Cubs are just 4-15 in the month of August. No other team has lost as many games as the Cubs have this month so far.

285. McCoy Posted: August 22, 2012 at 06:24 PM (#4215230)

The Chicago Cubs have now hit the point where they can actually have a better record than they currently do now and still lose 100 games this season.

286. Spahn Insane Posted: August 22, 2012 at 08:53 PM (#4215298)

The concerns about Jackson's K rate seem to have been borne out and then some. Dude's striking out in over half his ABs (yet, with a decent walk rate and isolated power). I don't know if it's lack of bat speed or what, but THAT sort of inability to make contact is a huge obstacle to his being a worthwhile player. If he got the K's down to 1 a game, we could have a Granderson/Lankford type player on our hands, but that seems like a tall order. I wonder if there's precedent for a guy with contact issues this severe becoming successful at the MLB level.

287. McCoy Posted: August 22, 2012 at 09:18 PM (#4215314)

Let's see what he does next year. Nobody in the Cubs' system is coming out of the womb fully formed any time soon.

288. Kiko Sakata

Posted: August 22, 2012 at 09:19 PM (#4215316)

The concerns about Jackson's K rate seem to have been borne out and then some. Dude's striking out in over half his ABs (yet, with a decent walk rate and isolated power). I don't know if it's lack of bat speed or what, but THAT sort of inability to make contact is a huge obstacle to his being a worthwhile player. If he got the K's down to 1 a game, we could have a Granderson/Lankford type player on our hands, but that seems like a tall order. I wonder if there's precedent for a guy with contact issues this severe becoming successful at the MLB level.

42% of Jackson's strikeouts have been looking v. an MLB average of 24% (it's L/SO in this table). That was my impression anecdotally (which is why I looked it up). He's not swinging and missing or chasing bad pitches so much as he seems to have times where he just locks up and lets called strikes go by. I'd blame it on nerves, except for the huge K numbers in AAA (but I have no idea if it was the same issue there). I don't know what to make of it, but it strikes me as different than what we normally see in a high-K guy who swings at specific types/locations of pitches that he can't hit but can't lay off of.

289. Brian C Posted: August 28, 2012 at 01:56 AM (#4219815)

Anyone want to take a stab at explaining what Alex Hinshaw is doing on this team? What does he give them that either Beliveau or Maine (who's been DFA'd now) doesn't?

290. McCoy Posted: August 28, 2012 at 08:22 AM (#4219882)

Anyone want to explain what any of the players are doing on the major league roster?

291. Hack Wilson Posted: August 28, 2012 at 08:40 AM (#4219892)

Anyone want to explain what any of the players are doing on the major league roster?

Completely unfair, the Cubs are contractually obligated to have a 25-man major league roster.

292. Meatwad Posted: August 28, 2012 at 05:03 PM (#4220490)

Castro deal is done 59mil and an option for 2020

293. Brian C Posted: August 29, 2012 at 03:43 AM (#4220889)

So Hinshaw was DFA'd today after a week (and only two appearances) with the team. He departs with a 135.00 ERA and an 81.0 HR/9 ratio. Makes his 27.0 BB/9 look positively stellar.

What a pointless sequence of events that was - demoting Beliveau and DFA'ing Maine in the process, with both of those guys being better pitchers.

Blake Parker off the DL.

294. Meatwad Posted: August 29, 2012 at 03:40 PM (#4221525)

Also there is no no trade clause

295. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 29, 2012 at 04:03 PM (#4221555)

I don't think Scott Maine is necessarily better than Hinshaw. Scott Maine sucks.

296. Brian C Posted: August 29, 2012 at 04:37 PM (#4221615)

I don't think Scott Maine is necessarily better than Hinshaw. Scott Maine sucks.

What makes you say that? Maine's minor league numbers are actually pretty good. Hinshaw's been walking 6 per 9IP pretty much since he hit pro ball. Comparisons to their limited major league careers aren't unfavorable to Maine, either.

297. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 29, 2012 at 05:47 PM (#4221707)

I guess I didn't realize how much Hinshaw sucked.

298. Brian C Posted: August 30, 2012 at 01:50 AM (#4221995)

Maine's been claimed off waivers by Cleveland, so he's gone. I guess he'd have been cleared to make room for Parker even if Hinshaw had never happened, but it still doesn't make the whole Hinshaw fiasco look any better.

299. McCoy Posted: August 31, 2012 at 10:05 AM (#4223428)

Darwin Barney is at 79 OPS+ folks. Rizzo has finally obtained enough PA to appear in the starters section of BRef. That's the good news, the bad news is that he has a 109 OPS+. Castillo is going to need to play pretty much every single day in order to knock Soto's line off the starters section. Valbuena and his 91 OPS+ has knocked Ian out of that section as well. Campana and his 63 OPS+ appears to be safe from going anywhere.

300. Brian C Posted: August 31, 2012 at 11:24 AM (#4223556)

Yeah, but notice how Castro's walk rate since the ASB isn't half bad? He's drawn 11 walks in 118 PA in August, all unintentional, compared to 8 unintentional walks in June and July combined. In fact, he's drawn his walk rate even to where it was last season (as a percentage of PA).

Also, Jackson's sort of reined in the strikeouts over the past week. Still a frequent occurrence (8 in his last 7 games, to match 8 walks), but not so silly. I'll take it. He's been their best hitter over those 7 games. His defense looks solid, too. I imagine he's got some pretty gruesome slumps ahead of him in his career, but he's clearly talented. He looks like a more patient, lefthanded, and defensively sound version of Alfonso Soriano in that respect.

Vitters still looks staggeringly overwhelmed ... not so clearly talented.

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