Cubs Offseason 2014: So, what did your team do this offseason? Isn't that cute.

[InternetApex]

 

As terrifying as the comparison looks through the lens above, Fowler has a career OBP of .366. So, let's just end this now.

[Bort]

 

As terrifying as the comparison looks through the lens above, Fowler has a career OBP of .366. So, let's just end this now.

By the time he steps to the plate, he's more than 36% of the way toward being on first base already.

That is absolutely staggering.

[Saul Goodman]

So trading Valbuena now means the Cubs see Bryant as a MLB 3B? Maybe? And who might go in a (gasp) Strasburg deal?

Like Russell, Baez and Edwards.

Not to immediately trade all their remaining IF depth away, but Castro would be a nice, long-term and cost-controlled upgrade over Espinosa at 2B. And Castro's defense would probably be a plus there. If the Nats eventually move on from Desmond they could just shift Castro over. I don't think the Cubs are shopping Starlin but Strasburg is probably at the top of the short list of guys for whom they'd include Castro in a package. Or maybe they don't like Strasburg's medicals and would never go near him. I don't know anything.

This is all academic since obviously the Cardinals will acquire him tomorrow.

[InternetApex]

So trading Valbuena now means the Cubs see Bryant as a MLB 3B? Maybe? And who might go in a (gasp) Strasburg deal?

Like Russell, Baez and Edwards.

Not to immediately trade all their remaining IF depth away, but Castro would be a nice, long-term and cost-controlled upgrade over Espinosa at 2B. And Castro's defense would probably be a plus there. If the Nats eventually move on from Desmond they could just shift Castro over. I don't think the Cubs are shopping Starlin but Strasburg is probably at the top of the short list of guys for whom they'd include Castro in a package. Or maybe they don't like Strasburg's medicals and would never go near him. I don't know anything.

This is all academic since obviously the Cardinals will acquire him tomorrow.

Stop trying to trade Starlin Castro, you human centipede of wrong.

[Saul Goodman]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

[Brownie]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

[Saul Goodman]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Maybe he plans to honor Derek Jeter forever by tethering fielders to a spike.  Nice going, Rob.  A commissioner who doesn't say stupid baseball things out loud would have been a nice change.

[Eli]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Yeah. Where do you draw the line between a shift and someone just shading over a few steps from their normal spot, as has always happened in baseball?

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Yeah. Where do you draw the line between a shift and someone just shading over a few steps from their normal spot, as has always happened in baseball?

I'm just impressed that they seem to have found a commissioner who is even more of reckless moron than Selig.

[Yeti]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Yeah. Where do you draw the line between a shift and someone just shading over a few steps from their normal spot, as has always happened in baseball?

Yea, and it's not like it takes extra time. It can easily happen while the player walks up... And if we're at the point where shifts are a competitive advantage, I think teams are being willingly stupid

[CT III]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Yeah. Where do you draw the line between a shift and someone just shading over a few steps from their normal spot, as has always happened in baseball? And what will the penalty for using a shift be?

I'm just impressed that they seem to have found a commissioner who is even more of reckless moron than Selig.

Now I'm morbidly curious as to how they'd propose to do this.  Will each position have its own designated box that said player must be in when a pitch is thrown?

[SKO]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Yeah. Where do you draw the line between a shift and someone just shading over a few steps from their normal spot, as has always happened in baseball? And what will the penalty for using a shift be?

I'm just impressed that they seem to have found a commissioner who is even more of reckless moron than Selig.

Now I'm morbidly curious as to how they'd propose to do this.  Will each position have its own designated box that said player must be in when a pitch is thrown?

Fred McGriff came before his time, I guess.

[InternetApex]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game. For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

READ BETWEEN THE LINES PEOPLE!!!! HAPPY DONGS ARE HERE AGAIN!!!!!

[Quality Start Machine]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Yeah. Where do you draw the line between a shift and someone just shading over a few steps from their normal spot, as has always happened in baseball? And what will the penalty for using a shift be?

I'm just impressed that they seem to have found a commissioner who is even more of reckless moron than Selig.

Now I'm morbidly curious as to how they'd propose to do this.  Will each position have its own designated box that said player must be in when a pitch is thrown?

Fred McGriff came before his time, I guess.

McStiff eats ass.

[ChuckD]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I would be aggressive about using the clock over the long haul, I think it's a helpful thing in terms of moving the game along.  I think the second set of changes I would look at is related, and that relates to injecting additional offense into the game.  For example, things like eliminating shifts, I would be open to those sorts of ideas.  [Interviewer: The forward-thinking, sabermetric defensive shifts?] That's what I'm talking about, yes.  [Let's eliminate that?]  Mm-hmm.  [So all the work that the Cubs and/or Angels or whoever has done, you're willing to say I appreciate that, good idea, but it's killing the game in a sense.]  Yeah, I mean I think that you can-, look, we have really smart people working in the game.  And they're going to figure out ways to get a competitive advantage. I think it's incumbent on us in the commissioner's office to look at these changes and say, is this what we want to happen in the game.

What a dumb thought.  Hearing Manfred say listen up, you damn nerds, I'm on to you must send a chill up Theo's spine.

Never going to happen.

Yeah. Where do you draw the line between a shift and someone just shading over a few steps from their normal spot, as has always happened in baseball? And what will the penalty for using a shift be?

I'm just impressed that they seem to have found a commissioner who is even more of reckless moron than Selig.

Now I'm morbidly curious as to how they'd propose to do this.  Will each position have its own designated box that said player must be in when a pitch is thrown?

That's the only way to do it that I can think of. And to do that, they'd need to chalk up all the different zones on the field?

If they go for the "2 infielders must be on each half of the field" approach, it seems like a team could flip their LF and SS (for a Williams shift) and get a similar benefit.