2018 Postseason Roster Thread

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Who's in, Who's out--let's light this candle.

This is what I have:

Sure things

C Contreras
C Caratini
1B Rizzo
2B Murphy
3B Bryant
SS Baez
OF Schwarber
OF Almora
OF Heyward
OF/IF Happ
OF/IF Zobrist
IF Russell
P Hamels
P Lester
P Hendricks
P Montgomery
P Strop
P Cishek
P Morrow
P Edwards
P Chavez

That's 12 position payers and 9 pitchers---21 all day, and room for 4 more.

Now, if they go with 14 position players, that only leaves room for 2 more pitchers.  If they go with 13 position players, then they have room for 3 more pitchers.

Factoring in either an alignment that's 14/11 or 13/12, this is the next group of players who can make a good argument to make the roster but are considered bubble players since it's really not 100% clear-cut (you could possibly argue that if Russell loses his everyday SS gig then he doesn't have as much value on the bench, but I think his glove would be useful in the late-innings, especially when one considers how loud Murphy's steel glove clangs when the ball hits it).

Nevertheless here are the bubble players:

Bote
LaStella
Quintana
Ole' Tiny face Wilson
Duensing
De La Rosa
Rosario

Couple things--if they go with a 14/11 alignment, Bote and La Stella both make it, and that leaves 2 pitchers.  I left Quintana on the bubble only because a disastrous September might leave him off.  He's still been maddeningly inconsistent this season but as #4 starter--a guy who will get the ball once, and only once, per series-- the Cubs could do a lot worse.  However, I'm still leaving open the possibility that Q shits the tub and Montgomery--who makes the roster regardless--takes his spot.  If that happens, then I see Wilson, and then one of either Deunsing, De La Rosa and Rosario rounding it out.  I personally think Wilson makes the roster regardless, but I'm leaving him on the bubble.  If the Cubs go with a 13/12 alignment--meaning either Bote or La Stella get cut in favor of a 13th pitcher-- then the next 3 would be Wilson, and 2 from Quintana, Duensing, De La Rosa and Rosario.

Brandon Kintzler has pretty much pitched his Joe Smith--imitating ass off the roster since he's arrived, but I suppose it's possible one strong month could put him back in contention and he can move ahead of the troika of LH's (the fact that Kintzler generally has strong reverse splits means he could take a spot that would otherwise go to a southpaw).  There's also that weird outfielder that they got stashed in Iowa and could take a spot, but I don't see that happening.  The Cubs' offensive players' ability to play multiple positions has rendered an outfield/baserunning specialist unnecessary, in my opinion.

Obviously, the next few weeks should bring some clarity but there's a chance it won't and we'll be having the same discussions all month.

Thoughts?

[flannj]

Pitching heavy:
Bote
Q
Duensing
Rosario

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Pitching heavy:
Bote
Q
Duensing
Rosario

Rosario's been very good, but seems to have cooled off lately and I suspect they might not trust him in a playoff game.  For that reason they might be eyeing De La Rosa as a more "seasoned" version of Rosario.

Duensing may have pitched his way off the team, in spite of how reliable he was last year.   If he can get back and throw some meaningful innings in September he may earn the spot but I think he's far from a sure thing right now.

[flannj]

Pitching heavy:
Bote
Q
Duensing
Rosario

Rosario's been very good, but seems to have cooled off lately and I suspect they might not trust him in a playoff game.  For that reason they might be eyeing De La Rosa as a more "seasoned" version of Rosario.

Duensing may have pitched his way off the team, in spite of how reliable he was last year.   If he can get back and throw some meaningful innings in September he may earn the spot but I think he's far from a sure thing right now.

I don't disagree.
After the first two it's kind of splitting hairs and what does the coaching staff actually know from watching them every day.
I'll trade this problem over the 2006 season any time.

[Oleg]

I don't think there's any chance Q is not the 4th starter.

I also think that it's because of the positional flexibility that they position players have that they can afford a pinch-runner like Gore on the roster.

Give me Q, Wilson, Botella or Boterosa.

[Quality Start Machine]

Some of the thinking will also be based upon who wins the Wild Card game. Since the roster can be tweaked round-by-round, they can choose some guys based upon matchups. They've done it each year - which is how RobZ wound up in the 2016 NLCS back when the Dodgers were lost against lefthanded pitching.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

I don't think there's any chance Q is not the 4th starter.

I also think that it's because of the positional flexibility that they position players have that they can afford a pinch-runner like Gore on the roster.

Give me Q, Wilson, Botella or Boterosa.

If that's an either/or with La Stella and Bote, then you'd still have room for one more.  You picking Gore over the Bote/LaStella loser, as well as over Duensing, Rosario, De la Rosa etc.?

[Saul Goodman]

I don't think there's any chance Q is not the 4th starter.

I also think that it's because of the positional flexibility that they position players have that they can afford a pinch-runner like Gore on the roster.

Give me Q, Wilson, Botella or Boterosa.

If that's an either/or with La Stella and Bote, then you'd still have room for one more.  You picking Gore over the Bote/LaStella loser, as well as over Duensing, Rosario, De la Rosa etc.?

Unless Brian Duensing doesn't allow a single run for the next three months, I'm going to be extremely Mad Online if he's put on a playoff series roster.

[Oleg]

I don't think there's any chance Q is not the 4th starter.

I also think that it's because of the positional flexibility that they position players have that they can afford a pinch-runner like Gore on the roster.

Give me Q, Wilson, Botella or Boterosa.

If that's an either/or with La Stella and Bote, then you'd still have room for one more.  You picking Gore over the Bote/LaStella loser, as well as over Duensing, Rosario, De la Rosa etc.?

I don't know.  None of those three pitchers strike very much confidence in me, so I'd just as soon help the staff with a defensive replacement.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Rosario keeps making the case for himself, though his lack of experience might compel them to shy away.  De La Rosa looks like Rosario with experience.  Both have remained in contention.

At this point I don't know if Duensing is going to be able to show enough to make it.

I've reconsidered having Quintana on the bubble--I don't think there's any way he doesn't make it--and I also think Wilson has worked himself into "lock" status.

If those latter 2 are on, and the first 21 are set, that leaves 2 sports for La Stella, Bote, Rosario and De La Rosa.

[Saul Goodman]

Rosario keeps making the case for himself, though his lack of experience might compel them to shy away.  De La Rosa looks like Rosario with experience.  Both have remained in contention.

At this point I don't know if Duensing is going to be able to show enough to make it.

I've reconsidered having Quintana on the bubble--I don't think there's any way he doesn't make it--and I also think Wilson has worked himself into "lock" status.

If those latter 2 are on, and the first 21 are set, that leaves 2 sports for La Stella, Bote, Rosario and De La Rosa.

How dare you disrespect Jaime Garcia like that.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Rosario keeps making the case for himself, though his lack of experience might compel them to shy away.  De La Rosa looks like Rosario with experience.  Both have remained in contention.

At this point I don't know if Duensing is going to be able to show enough to make it.

I've reconsidered having Quintana on the bubble--I don't think there's any way he doesn't make it--and I also think Wilson has worked himself into "lock" status.

If those latter 2 are on, and the first 21 are set, that leaves 2 sports for La Stella, Bote, Rosario and De La Rosa.

How dare you disrespect Jaime Garcia like that.

Jesus I had forgotten all about this recent pickup.

Okay, I guess Garcia's in the mix for the (last?) left reliever spot unless and until he pitches his way off.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Rosario keeps making the case for himself, though his lack of experience might compel them to shy away.  De La Rosa looks like Rosario with experience.  Both have remained in contention.

At this point I don't know if Duensing is going to be able to show enough to make it.

I've reconsidered having Quintana on the bubble--I don't think there's any way he doesn't make it--and I also think Wilson has worked himself into "lock" status.

If those latter 2 are on, and the first 21 are set, that leaves 2 sports for La Stella, Bote, Rosario and De La Rosa.

How dare you disrespect Jaime Garcia like that.

Jesus I had forgotten all about this recent pickup.

Okay, I guess Garcia's in the mix for the (last?) left reliever spot unless and until he pitches his way off.

Bump.

Garcia's looked good and may have pushed himself into the picture (I was actually annoyed Joe just didn't leave him in for the 9th inning Friday after he knifed thriough the Reds' heart of the order in the 8th).

However, if they go with 14/11 (position players/pitchers) I don't see how he makes it unless Strop and/or Morrow are unavailable (or if they go with 13/12).  As dumb as I was to have Quintana on the bubble (the guy's seriously FYH'd me since then), it's looking like having Wilson on the bubble was equally dumb--Justin's a damn lock and has actually been really, really good this year.

If Bote and LaStella both make the roster, then it'd be set (I've taken that stone-handed, two left-footed, slow, and currently not hitting-for-shit Murphy away from the starting slot at 2nd base and put him on the bench.  Current slump aside, hitting is the one thing Murphy can do and I like him having off the bench...and nowhere else)


C Contreras
C Caratini
1B Rizzo
2B Zobrist
3B Bryant
SS Baez
OF Schwarber
OF Almora
OF Heyward
PH Happ
PH Zobrist
PH Russell
PH LaStella
PH Bote
P Hamels
P Lester
P Hendricks
P Quintana
P Montgomery
P Strop
P Cishek
P Morrow
P Edwards
P Chavez
P Wilson

I don't know how the roster is anybody but this group, which is bad news for guy like Rosario, De La Rosa and Garcia, who have all pitched well, but will likely be on the outside looking in.--unless they go  with a 13/12 alignment instead of 14/11--or, like I said, if Strop and/or Morrow are too injured to be rostered--and that would probably mean adios to La Stella (or...*gasp*...Bote).

Duensing and Kintzler would seem to have no chance to make the roster IMO.

[Quality Start Machine]

If Murphy is a bench bat, that probably means Bote makes it over LaStella, as he gives Joe a RH bat who is better defensively than LaStella.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

If Murphy is a bench bat, that probably means Bote makes it over LaStella, as he gives Joe a RH bat who is better defensively than LaStella.

Oooh, Tommy's not gonna like that.

But yeah, I tend to agree.