2015: The Back To The Future Season

[SKO]

The Cubs are playing at a 90.5 win pace so far. Do you take the over or under on that for the year? Given that they've played one of the tougher schedules in baseball so far, I'm tempted to take the over. Especially if (when?) they get some reinforcements via trade in the next few weeks.

The next week is still going to be tough and they may fall back from that 90.5-win pace a bit. But after that, July is prime time to reel off a ton of wins. Look at this:

FLA (3)
STL (4)
SOX (3)
@ ATL (3)
@ CIN (4)
PHI (3)
COL (3)
@ MIL (4)

I try not to handicap schedules in baseball, especially since these Cubs seem to play up and down to their competition, but I'll say 90 wins exactly.

Within the next month you'll see reinforcements for the pen in Ramirez, maybe Rafael Soriano, potentially a guy like Papelbon. They've already become a pretty damn good unit over the last month or so and with those guys in and guys like Jackson and Wood presumably gone, they could become one of those Royals like pens that just ends games after 4 or 5 innings.

On the bench you have to assume Olt will be back soon, presumably Alcantara will make an appearance at some point, Soler's imminent return in the next week or two will move Denorfia to the bench where he belongs. Wouldn't be surprising to see Theo make a move for an extra bench bat at some point as well. Then by September you get Schwarber and hopefully Javy to add into the mix.

It's just hard to see this team getting worse without major injuries. Logic still dictates we've yet to even see the best these Cubs can be, and the schedule lightens up, too.

Boners.

I don't have to if I don't want to.

It helps if you think of Olt as the guy who is just going to take most of Jonathan Herrera's playing time. Maybe some of Mack Seizure's.

This is not any help at all.

Sorry

[InternetApex]

The Cubs are playing at a 90.5 win pace so far. Do you take the over or under on that for the year? Given that they've played one of the tougher schedules in baseball so far, I'm tempted to take the over. Especially if (when?) they get some reinforcements via trade in the next few weeks.

The next week is still going to be tough and they may fall back from that 90.5-win pace a bit. But after that, July is prime time to reel off a ton of wins. Look at this:

FLA (3)
STL (4)
SOX (3)
@ ATL (3)
@ CIN (4)
PHI (3)
COL (3)
@ MIL (4)

I try not to handicap schedules in baseball, especially since these Cubs seem to play up and down to their competition, but I'll say 90 wins exactly.

Within the next month you'll see reinforcements for the pen in Ramirez, maybe Rafael Soriano, potentially a guy like Papelbon. They've already become a pretty damn good unit over the last month or so and with those guys in and guys like Jackson and Wood presumably gone, they could become one of those Royals like pens that just ends games after 4 or 5 innings.

On the bench you have to assume Olt will be back soon, presumably Alcantara will make an appearance at some point, Soler's imminent return in the next week or two will move Denorfia to the bench where he belongs. Wouldn't be surprising to see Theo make a move for an extra bench bat at some point as well. Then by September you get Schwarber and hopefully Javy to add into the mix.

It's just hard to see this team getting worse without major injuries. Logic still dictates we've yet to even see the best these Cubs can be, and the schedule lightens up, too.

Boners.

I don't have to if I don't want to.

It helps if you think of Olt as the guy who is just going to take most of Jonathan Herrera's playing time. Maybe some of Mack Seizure's.

This is not any help at all.

Sorry

Better.

[CBStew]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

[InternetApex]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

I'm not paying attention to them much either. I do want to see what other teams' records are and who might be buying/selling come July. Wake me up in August.

[Quality Start Machine]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

so you and Billy Joe Armstrong, then?

[Slaky]

The Cubs are playing at a 90.5 win pace so far. Do you take the over or under on that for the year? Given that they've played one of the tougher schedules in baseball so far, I'm tempted to take the over. Especially if (when?) they get some reinforcements via trade in the next few weeks.

The next week is still going to be tough and they may fall back from that 90.5-win pace a bit. But after that, July is prime time to reel off a ton of wins. Look at this:

FLA (3)
STL (4)
SOX (3)
@ ATL (3)
@ CIN (4)
PHI (3)
COL (3)
@ MIL (4)

Send out the TJ Brown symbol.

[CBStew]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

so you and Billy Joe Armstrong, then?

I had to look him up.  He is from Piedmont, right next door to Berkeley.

[Saul Goodman]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

so you and Billy Joe Armstrong, then?

It's ... September, in the song, isn't it?

[Eli]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

so you and Billy Joe Armstrong, then?

It's ... September, in the song, isn't it?

Fork going with a slant joke there, I guess.

[Quality Start Machine]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

so you and Billy Joe Armstrong, then?

It's ... September, in the song, isn't it?

When September ends. Ergo...

[Saul Goodman]

Stories about the Cubs' search for a starter are making the rounds today and ol' Gordo just can't resist whipping up some of his signature bullshit about the Cubs being cheap.  Please just shift him to the White Sox beat so no one has to hear his thoughts ever again.

[SKO]

Stories about the Cubs' search for a starter are making the rounds today and ol' Gordo just can't resist whipping up some of his signature bullshit about the Cubs being cheap.  Please just shift him to the White Sox beat so no one has to hear his thoughts ever again.

I have no idea how that didn't die when they signed Lester and took on Montero's salary.

[Saul Goodman]

Stories about the Cubs' search for a starter are making the rounds today and ol' Gordo just can't resist whipping up some of his signature bullshit about the Cubs being cheap.  Please just shift him to the White Sox beat so no one has to hear his thoughts ever again.

I have no idea how that didn't die when they signed Lester and took on Montero's salary.

Well, you see, they did have money, but thanks to those moves they don't have any left.  It's all gone right when the Cubs need it and THEO AND THE RICKETTSES ARE GREEDY CROOKS!

[Chuck to Chuck]

Stories about the Cubs' search for a starter are making the rounds today and ol' Gordo just can't resist whipping up some of his signature bullshit about the Cubs being cheap.  Please just shift him to the White Sox beat so no one has to hear his thoughts ever again.

I have no idea how that didn't die when they signed Lester and took on Montero's salary.

Well, you see, they did have money, but thanks to those moves they don't have any left.  It's all gone right when the Cubs need it and THEO AND THE RICKETTSES ARE GREEDY CROOKS!

And taht $150 million they got from selling part of the team!?!??!  That they had to because they were broke?!?!?!???  They spent it on BUILDINGS!  YES, BUILDINGS!!!

[Bort]

I am doing my part by not following the standings.  For decades I would open the morning paper and see if anyone was doing worse than the Cubs.  That wouldn't take much time.  Now I just look at the box scores.  Wake me in October.

so you and Billy Joe Armstrong, then?

It's ... September, in the song, isn't it?

When September ends. Ergo...

I'm just enjoying two men with a combined age of roughly 259 making Green Day references.