2015: The Back To The Future Season

[Chuck to Chuck]

3. Castro's contract becomes very player friendly pretty quickly.  It's these early, low-salary years that make it good.  He becomes a $10MM player in 2017.

                     2015   2016       2017      2018     2019
Castro, Starlin  $6,857,143   $7.857   $9.857   $10.857   $11.857

$1.0mm 2020 payout.  That's pretty team friendly through 2019.

[Quality Start Machine]

1. I want 9 OBP bots.  If 4 or 5 of them could also be SLG bots, that would be swell.
2. I think that, if the The Cubs would like to win this year, they will need to trade for a starter.  Unless Jacob Turner somehow magically be pretty damn good.  I still wouldn't want to count on that, though.  I'd like to worry about 2016 in November.
3. Castro's contract becomes very player friendly pretty quickly.  It's these early, low-salary years that make it good.  He becomes a $10MM player in 2017.
4. I'm glad Fork is done comparing Hendricks to Maddux.  That was a thing, right?

I believe Fork's quote was "he'll just be a quality start machine for years" about Hendricks. So far he's had one in 5 starts.

Yeah, his numbers have been abysmal so far this year. Other than his rough second inning in Menver, he's been running out of gas in the 5th inning. His 5th and 6th inning numbers are puke green.

[InternetApex]

1. I want 9 OBP bots.  If 4 or 5 of them could also be SLG bots, that would be swell.
2. I think that, if the The Cubs would like to win this year, they will need to trade for a starter.  Unless Jacob Turner somehow magically be pretty damn good.  I still wouldn't want to count on that, though.  I'd like to worry about 2016 in November.
3. Castro's contract becomes very player friendly pretty quickly.  It's these early, low-salary years that make it good.  He becomes a $10MM player in 2017.
4. I'm glad Fork is done comparing Hendricks to Maddux.  That was a thing, right?

I believe Fork's quote was "he'll just be a quality start machine for years" about Hendricks. So far he's had one in 5 starts.

Yeah, his numbers have been abysmal so far this year. Other than his rough second inning in Menver, he's been running out of gas in the 5th inning. His 5th and 6th inning numbers are puke green.

The second or third time through the order he's getting whacked. Smoke and mirrors time is over. Unless Bosio can wizard him back to health he's probably toast. I'm out.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Does Maddon pull the starters too soon? Or is it because they get smoked the third time thru? I feel like I trusted Hendricks more yesterday compared that slap dick bullpen.

[Eli]

Does Maddon pull the starters too soon? Or is it because they get smoked the third time thru? I feel like I trusted Hendricks more yesterday compared that slap dick bullpen.

He said that Hendricks was starting to get hit hard, so he turned to the bullpen that always immediately gets hit hard.

I mentioned it on Twitter yesterday but his bullpen usage is surprisingly conventional for someone who is such a weirdo otherwise. If he felt it was so critical to bring in 5 infielders at the end of the game, why not bring in Rondon to try and get a strikeout? He had been up and warming and you're not going to run into a more high-leverage situation than that.

[ChuckD]

Does Maddon pull the starters too soon? Or is it because they get smoked the third time thru? I feel like I trusted Hendricks more yesterday compared that slap dick bullpen.

He said that Hendricks was starting to get hit hard, so he turned to the bullpen that always immediately gets hit hard.

I mentioned it on Twitter yesterday but his bullpen usage is surprisingly conventional for someone who is such a weirdo otherwise. If he felt it was so critical to bring in 5 infielders at the end of the game, why not bring in Rondon to try and get a strikeout? He had been up and warming and you're not going to run into a more high-leverage situation than that.

Well, it didn't help that Motte left all three pitches up in the zone. Ross had set up low inside on the first two and low middle on the third pitch. All three were above the belt.

[InternetApex]

Does Maddon pull the starters too soon? Or is it because they get smoked the third time thru? I feel like I trusted Hendricks more yesterday compared that slap dick bullpen.

He said that Hendricks was starting to get hit hard, so he turned to the bullpen that always immediately gets hit hard.

I mentioned it on Twitter yesterday but his bullpen usage is surprisingly conventional for someone who is such a weirdo otherwise. If he felt it was so critical to bring in 5 infielders at the end of the game, why not bring in Rondon to try and get a strikeout? He had been up and warming and you're not going to run into a more high-leverage situation than that.

Strop is on pace for about 93 appearances and I don't know about Rondon. I don't think Maddon has very many good choices available with this pitching staff. Two days after Strop complained that his fastball lacked "life" he was asked to turn in a two inning shift. This may get worse before it gets better and I really don't blame Maddon for any of it.

[Slaky]

Does Maddon pull the starters too soon? Or is it because they get smoked the third time thru? I feel like I trusted Hendricks more yesterday compared that slap dick bullpen.

He said that Hendricks was starting to get hit hard, so he turned to the bullpen that always immediately gets hit hard.

I mentioned it on Twitter yesterday but his bullpen usage is surprisingly conventional for someone who is such a weirdo otherwise. If he felt it was so critical to bring in 5 infielders at the end of the game, why not bring in Rondon to try and get a strikeout? He had been up and warming and you're not going to run into a more high-leverage situation than that.

Strop is on pace for about 93 appearances and I don't know about Rondon. I don't think Maddon has very many good choices available with this pitching staff. Two days after Strop complained that his fastball lacked "life" he was asked to turn in a two inning shift. This may get worse before it gets better and I really don't blame Maddon for any of it.

Since I'm inclined to like Joe Maddon, I'm going to say he's saying to the front office "here look what you've given me. watch these bozos pitch or fix it."

I hope they fix it. The Cubs wasted that rare excellent bullpen season on a bad team last year.

[Eli]

Since I'm inclined to like Joe Maddon, I'm going to say he's saying to the front office "here look what you've given me. watch these bozos pitch or fix it."

Since I think he's very smart, that's almost the most reasonable assumption. I think that's what he did with Schlitter. The trouble is if you blow a game or two trying to make a point, you're probably not going to get that back unless you're replacing the crappy player with Craig Kimbrel or something.

[SKO]

Since I'm inclined to like Joe Maddon, I'm going to say he's saying to the front office "here look what you've given me. watch these bozos pitch or fix it."

Since I think he's very smart, that's almost the most reasonable assumption. I think that's what he did with Schlitter. The trouble is if you blow a game or two trying to make a point, you're probably not going to get that back unless you're replacing the crappy player with Craig Kimbrel or something.

By June I feel like this will be a team strength.  When they can go Grimm and Ramirez and Strop and Rondon , use Rosscup as a loogy (even though he's done admirably as a set up guy, yesterday aside), and Motte is the fifth right handed option, things will be okay. I just hope they can tread enough water before this team really takes off. And it will, god dammit.

[Quality Start Machine]

They're still in second place, half a game out for the Seligcard. Nothing is fucked here.

[Eli]

They're still in second place, half a game out for the Seligcard. Nothing is fucked here.

There are 9 teams within 2 games of the wild card right now, so that's not much of a distinction.

[CT III]

Since I'm inclined to like Joe Maddon, I'm going to say he's saying to the front office "here look what you've given me. watch these bozos pitch or fix it."

Since I think he's very smart, that's almost the most reasonable assumption. I think that's what he did with Schlitter. The trouble is if you blow a game or two trying to make a point, you're probably not going to get that back unless you're replacing the crappy player with Craig Kimbrel or something.

By June I feel like this will be a team strength.  When they can go Grimm and Ramirez and Strop and Rondon , use Rosscup as a loogy (even though he's done admirably as a set up guy, yesterday aside), and Motte is the fifth right handed option, things will be okay. I just hope they can tread enough water before this team really takes off. And it will, god dammit.

Your overconfidence is your weakness, CT.

And your faith in the bullpen is yours.

[Quality Start Machine]

They're still in second place, half a game out for the Seligcard. Nothing is fucked here.

There are 9 teams within 2 games of the wild card right now, so that's not much of a distinction.

Last year on May 11 they were 12-24, 11 games out. This is the first year of the Golden Age. Shit will get done.

[SKO]

Cubs position players struck out just 5 times despite the ridiculous stuff Syndergaard was throwing so hopefully IAN feels soothed.