2015 Cubs Offseason: Building a Winner Around David Ross

[Canadouche]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Regardless, this would be one hell of a problem to have.

[Oleg]

Time to call The Indians about Carrasco, huh?

[Quality Start Machine]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Of course. Just like the day Lester was signed there was very little reason to assume he'd be the Cubs' second best starter. Hell, Lester got the Opening Night start. And anything could happen in the next 11 months. Because of that, you have to operate within the parameters of what's known for the sake of this particular exercise. And within those parameters, if Price comes here, he starts off in the 3 slot.

[PenFoe]

Time to call The Indians about Carrasco, huh?

I'm still keeping Brantley in the Desipio Fantasy League. 
Just saying.

[SKO]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Of course. Just like the day Lester was signed there was very little reason to assume he'd be the Cubs' second best starter. Hell, Lester got the Opening Night start. And anything could happen in the next 11 months. Because of that, you have to operate within the parameters of what's known for the sake of this particular exercise. And within those parameters, if Price comes here, he starts off in the 3 slot.

So then we should definitely speculate as to whether being the #3 starter in the playoffs a year from now would help him?

[Quality Start Machine]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Of course. Just like the day Lester was signed there was very little reason to assume he'd be the Cubs' second best starter. Hell, Lester got the Opening Night start. And anything could happen in the next 11 months. Because of that, you have to operate within the parameters of what's known for the sake of this particular exercise. And within those parameters, if Price comes here, he starts off in the 3 slot.

So then we should definitely speculate as to whether being the #3 starter in the playoffs a year from now would help him?

You got anything better to do?

[Oleg]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Of course. Just like the day Lester was signed there was very little reason to assume he'd be the Cubs' second best starter. Hell, Lester got the Opening Night start. And anything could happen in the next 11 months. Because of that, you have to operate within the parameters of what's known for the sake of this particular exercise. And within those parameters, if Price comes here, he starts off in the 3 slot.

I'm still not sure that $200MM+ for Price is the best use of resources but if Jepstink decides it is, I'll shut up and enjoy the dumb ensuing debate about who starts Opening Day.

So close, Eli.  So close.

[PenFoe]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Of course. Just like the day Lester was signed there was very little reason to assume he'd be the Cubs' second best starter. Hell, Lester got the Opening Night start. And anything could happen in the next 11 months. Because of that, you have to operate within the parameters of what's known for the sake of this particular exercise. And within those parameters, if Price comes here, he starts off in the 3 slot.

So then we should definitely speculate as to whether being the #3 starter in the playoffs a year from now would help him?

You got anything better to do?

I think we all know the answer to this question.

[Oleg]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Of course. Just like the day Lester was signed there was very little reason to assume he'd be the Cubs' second best starter. Hell, Lester got the Opening Night start. And anything could happen in the next 11 months. Because of that, you have to operate within the parameters of what's known for the sake of this particular exercise. And within those parameters, if Price comes here, he starts off in the 3 slot.

So then we should definitely speculate as to whether being the #3 starter in the playoffs a year from now would help him?

You got anything better to do?

I have to go to a police station today. My car got rear-ended and the other dude took off last night in Slaky-ville.

[InternetApex]

I think some guys throw differently after the 200 IP threshold than they do below it. Call me crazy, but I think that might have something do with why certain great pitchers are less effective in the postseason. We can't really predict which ones will not pitch worse based upon past history. Lester was ridden hard and put away wet by both Boston and Oakland before the Cubs signed him. I thought it was likely he'd drop off some this season. He did slighly but was still worth the investment in year one.

Sign good pitchers. Have a good bullpen. Score a bunch of runs. Manage well. Get into the postseason. Flip a damn coin.

[Eli]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.

Of course. Just like the day Lester was signed there was very little reason to assume he'd be the Cubs' second best starter. Hell, Lester got the Opening Night start. And anything could happen in the next 11 months. Because of that, you have to operate within the parameters of what's known for the sake of this particular exercise. And within those parameters, if Price comes here, he starts off in the 3 slot.

I'm still not sure that $200MM+ for Price is the best use of resources but if Jepstink decides it is, I'll shut up and enjoy the dumb ensuing debate about who starts Opening Day.

So close, Eli.  So close.

Damn. I had given us all too much credit.

[Eli]

Theo speaks.

"If we want to do two things, we have to get pretty creative," Epstein said. "Even if we want to do one really big thing, I think we have to get creative. Just because you guys know the situation – we're going to have more money down the line than we have right now. So we just have to keep that in mind and be a little bit creative.

"We have the ability to add a little bit from where we are right now, but the arbitration raises cut into things quite a bit. I don't necessarily think we have room to go do everything that's been speculated in some areas, but we can get creative."

...

"Two sizable things – we have to definitely get creative," Epstein said. "But that doesn't make it impossible. There's a lot of moving parts. (And) there's always ways to get things done if they make sense for the club."

I think Theo wants to get creative.

[Saul Goodman]

Theo speaks.

"If we want to do two things, we have to get pretty creative," Epstein said. "Even if we want to do one really big thing, I think we have to get creative. Just because you guys know the situation – we're going to have more money down the line than we have right now. So we just have to keep that in mind and be a little bit creative.

"We have the ability to add a little bit from where we are right now, but the arbitration raises cut into things quite a bit. I don't necessarily think we have room to go do everything that's been speculated in some areas, but we can get creative."

...

"Two sizable things – we have to definitely get creative," Epstein said. "But that doesn't make it impossible. There's a lot of moving parts. (And) there's always ways to get things done if they make sense for the club."

I think Theo wants to get creative.

Intrepid Reader: Cubs.com

Validated.

[Quality Start Machine]

If Boston's really shopping Jackie Bradley around, how creative does Jepstink get to bring him in?

[Oleg]

If Boston's really shopping Jackie Bradley around, how creative does Jepstink get to bring him in?

I kinda feel like this guy is just an older version of Almora.  Am I wrong?