2012 Chicago Cubs

[Powdered Toast Man]

I am indifferent to Soriano. When he signed, I knew it was going to be an albatross by now. However, Hendry turned Todd Hundley into Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek, two serviceable players. I will continue to hope for the same with Soriano.

We all knew it was going to be an awful contract.  I guess I want to know that he will be gone and soon.  He just doesn't fit in what this club is doing.  I know the front office knows that, I'm just tired of seeing Soriano in the middle of the lineup hitting balls of the end of the bat or striking out.

To BH's point about LaHair to the OF, do the Cubs even keep him?  I mean, I love what he's doing, but he just may inflate his value so much that it would be hard for the Cubs not to trade him.  He is a 29 year old rookie, after all, and I guess you never know how much another GM will overpay for one half year of awesome.

ETA:  The Cubs signed Mike MacDougal to a minor league deal.  Championship.

[R-V]

I realizes this pushes the Big Picture plan back to Chuck's 2014 (and I hate to miss out on a good dogpile on Chuck) but really--just because they can compete for the Short Bus Central doesn't mean they're really ready to do some serious shit soon, does it?  With those contracts?  If they can rid themsleves of some of those  deals by next April,  then sure but otherwise I'd be surprised if they were legit as soon as next year.  

The Cardinals have won two titles simply by competing in the Short Bus Central. Make the playoffs and that's all that matters.

And the contracts aren't too unmanageable. Here's how their commitments break down in coming years.

Only $35 M committed in 2013? Hamelston gonna hai.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

I realizes this pushes the Big Picture plan back to Chuck's 2014 (and I hate to miss out on a good dogpile on Chuck) but really--just because they can compete for the Short Bus Central doesn't mean they're really ready to do some serious shit soon, does it?  With those contracts?  If they can rid themsleves of some of those  deals by next April,  then sure but otherwise I'd be surprised if they were legit as soon as next year. 

The Cardinals have won two titles simply by competing in the Short Bus Central. Make the playoffs and that's all that matters.

And the contracts aren't too unmanageable. Here's how their commitments break down in coming years.

Yeah... "Those contracts" more or less means Soriano and Marmol, right?

I mostly see a lot of one year deals with the occasional club option. And DeJesus through 2014. But we don't hate him yet, do we?

[Eli]

We all knew it was going to be an awful contract. 

I think a lot of the reaction around here was "IT'S NOT YOUR MONEY, WHY DO YOU CARE HOW MUCH HIS CONTRACT IS?"

So, that was stupid.

[CBStew]

To BH's point about LaHair to the OF, do the Cubs even keep him?  I mean, I love what he's doing, but he just may inflate his value so much that it would be hard for the Cubs not to trade him.  He is a 29 year old rookie, after all, and I guess you never know how much another GM will overpay for one half year of awesome.

This is the stuff of which made for TV movies are made.

[Quality Start Machine]

To BH's point about LaHair to the OF, do the Cubs even keep him?  I mean, I love what he's doing, but he just may inflate his value so much that it would be hard for the Cubs not to trade him.  He is a 29 year old rookie, after all, and I guess you never know how much another GM will overpay for one half year of awesome.

At some point, pitchers will stop throwing him fastballs. I'd like to see that happen while he's plying his trade elsewhere.

[Chuck to Chuck]

I think if they manage to trade Soriano for a useful player (and anyone notice Kap was throwing around an inane idea like swapping Soriano for Beckett yesterday), it's an FYC.

So, Soriano leaving, which I've been clamoring for since about game 30 of his tenure would be an FYC?

The way you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

To BH's point about LaHair to the OF, do the Cubs even keep him?  I mean, I love what he's doing, but he just may inflate his value so much that it would be hard for the Cubs not to trade him.  He is a 29 year old rookie, after all, and I guess you never know how much another GM will overpay for one half year of awesome.

At some point, pitchers will stop throwing him fastballs. I'd like to see that happen while he's plying his trade elsewhere.

How about May 2012?

Per PitchFX data...

2012:
                 Strike   Swing   Whiff   Foul  In Play
FF   116  22.9%   61.2%   49.1%   12.1%   21.6%   15.5%
CU   83   16.4%   65.1%   41.0%   19.3%   12.0%    9.6%
SL   75   14.8%   64.0%   44.0%   10.7%   20.0%   13.3%
SI   63   12.5%   54.0%   34.9%   11.1%   14.3%    9.5%
FT   56   11.1%   62.5%   48.2%   10.7%   23.2%   14.3%
CH   53   10.5%   56.6%   47.2%   11.3%   15.1%   20.8%
FC   46    9.1%   60.9%   34.8%    4.3%   17.4%   13.0%
FS   14    2.8%   78.6%   71.4%   42.9%   21.4%    7.1%

April:
                 Strike   Swing   Whiff   Foul  In Play
FF   76   26.2%   61.8%   48.7%   13.2%   21.1%   14.5%
SI   38   13.1%   57.9%   36.8%   13.2%   15.8%    7.9%
SL   37   12.8%   70.3%   45.9%   13.5%   18.9%   13.5%
CU   35   12.1%   60.0%   45.7%   25.7%   17.1%    2.9%
FC   30   10.3%   63.3%   40.0%    3.3%   23.3%   13.3%
CH   30   10.3%   53.3%   43.3%   16.7%   10.0%   16.7%
FT   30   10.3%   66.7%   53.3%   16.7%   23.3%   13.3%
FS   14    4.8%   78.6%   71.4%   42.9%   21.4%    7.1%

May:
                 Strike   Swing   Whiff   Foul  In Play
CU   48   22.2%   68.8%   37.5%   14.6%    8.3%   14.6%
FF   40   18.5%   60.0%   50.0%   10.0%   22.5%   17.5%
SL   38   17.6%   57.9%   42.1%    7.9%   21.1%   13.2%
FT   26   12.0%   57.7%   42.3%    3.8%   23.1%   15.4%
SI   25   11.6%   48.0%   32.0%    8.0%   12.0%   12.0%
CH   23   10.6%   60.9%   52.2%    4.3%   21.7%   26.1%
FC   16    7.4%   56.3%   25.0%    6.3%    6.3%   12.5%

FF = 4-seam Fastball
FT = 2-seam Fastball
FC = Cut Fastball
FS = Split-finger Fastball
SI = Sinker
SL = Slider
CU = Curveball
CH = Change-up

Apparently LaHair, unlike Jesus Christ, can hit a breaking pitch.

And the results...

Split    BB%      K%   BB/K    AVG    OBP    SLG     OPS  BABIP
2012   15.3%   29.0%   0.53   .356   .452   .702   1.154   .467
Apr    14.3%   35.7%   0.40   .390   .471   .780   1.251   .600
May    16.7%   20.4%   0.82   .311   .426   .600   1.026   .333

[Eli]

To BH's point about LaHair to the OF, do the Cubs even keep him?  I mean, I love what he's doing, but he just may inflate his value so much that it would be hard for the Cubs not to trade him.  He is a 29 year old rookie, after all, and I guess you never know how much another GM will overpay for one half year of awesome.

At some point, pitchers will stop throwing him fastballs. I'd like to see that happen while he's plying his trade elsewhere.

How about May 2012?

Per PitchFX data...

2012:
                 Strike   Swing   Whiff   Foul  In Play
FF   116  22.9%   61.2%   49.1%   12.1%   21.6%   15.5%
CU   83   16.4%   65.1%   41.0%   19.3%   12.0%    9.6%
SL   75   14.8%   64.0%   44.0%   10.7%   20.0%   13.3%
SI   63   12.5%   54.0%   34.9%   11.1%   14.3%    9.5%
FT   56   11.1%   62.5%   48.2%   10.7%   23.2%   14.3%
CH   53   10.5%   56.6%   47.2%   11.3%   15.1%   20.8%
FC   46    9.1%   60.9%   34.8%    4.3%   17.4%   13.0%
FS   14    2.8%   78.6%   71.4%   42.9%   21.4%    7.1%

April:
                 Strike   Swing   Whiff   Foul  In Play
FF   76   26.2%   61.8%   48.7%   13.2%   21.1%   14.5%
SI   38   13.1%   57.9%   36.8%   13.2%   15.8%    7.9%
SL   37   12.8%   70.3%   45.9%   13.5%   18.9%   13.5%
CU   35   12.1%   60.0%   45.7%   25.7%   17.1%    2.9%
FC   30   10.3%   63.3%   40.0%    3.3%   23.3%   13.3%
CH   30   10.3%   53.3%   43.3%   16.7%   10.0%   16.7%
FT   30   10.3%   66.7%   53.3%   16.7%   23.3%   13.3%
FS   14    4.8%   78.6%   71.4%   42.9%   21.4%    7.1%

May:
                 Strike   Swing   Whiff   Foul  In Play
CU   48   22.2%   68.8%   37.5%   14.6%    8.3%   14.6%
FF   40   18.5%   60.0%   50.0%   10.0%   22.5%   17.5%
SL   38   17.6%   57.9%   42.1%    7.9%   21.1%   13.2%
FT   26   12.0%   57.7%   42.3%    3.8%   23.1%   15.4%
SI   25   11.6%   48.0%   32.0%    8.0%   12.0%   12.0%
CH   23   10.6%   60.9%   52.2%    4.3%   21.7%   26.1%
FC   16    7.4%   56.3%   25.0%    6.3%    6.3%   12.5%

FF = 4-seam Fastball
FT = 2-seam Fastball
FC = Cut Fastball
FS = Split-finger Fastball
SI = Sinker
SL = Slider
CU = Curveball
CH = Change-up

Apparently LaHair, unlike Jesus Christ, can hit a breaking pitch.

And the results...

Split    BB%      K%   BB/K    AVG    OBP    SLG     OPS  BABIP
2012   15.3%   29.0%   0.53   .356   .452   .702   1.154   .467
Apr    14.3%   35.7%   0.40   .390   .471   .780   1.251   .600
May    16.7%   20.4%   0.82   .311   .426   .600   1.026   .333

Yeah, but ...

[SKO]

Someone just tell me how many awesome LaHair plate appearances I need to see before I can buy his shersey with pride.

[Brownie]

Someone just tell me how many awesome LaHair plate appearances I need to see before I can buy his shersey with pride.

Intrepid Reader: Former voice of the Montgomery Biscuits, Jim Tocco

100 games.

[Tonker]

I think if they manage to trade Soriano for a useful player (and anyone notice Kap was throwing around an inane idea like swapping Soriano for Beckett yesterday), it's an FYC.

So, Soriano leaving, which I've been clamoring for since about game 30 of his tenure would be an FYC?

The way you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

No, Chuck.

[CT III]

Someone just tell me how many awesome LaHair plate appearances I need to see before I can buy his shersey with pride.

A new shersey?  Must be wedding season in Iowa.

[Armchair_QB]

I realizes this pushes the Big Picture plan back to Chuck's 2014 (and I hate to miss out on a good dogpile on Chuck) but really--just because they can compete for the Short Bus Central doesn't mean they're really ready to do some serious shit soon, does it?  With those contracts?  If they can rid themsleves of some of those  deals by next April,  then sure but otherwise I'd be surprised if they were legit as soon as next year. 

The Cardinals have won two titles simply by competing in the Short Bus Central. Make the playoffs and that's all that matters.

And the contracts aren't too unmanageable. Here's how their commitments break down in coming years.

Yeah... "Those contracts" more or less means Soriano and Marmol, right?

I mostly see a lot of one year deals with the occasional club option. And DeJesus through 2014. But we don't hate him yet, do we?

Not as long as he stays married.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Not as long as he stays married.

David DeJesus is an American hero.