How We Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Cubs (again): Your 2019 Thread

[Tonker]

Perhaps I'm being unduly negative, but that team is not exactly screaming "CHAMMENSHIP", is it?  On paper you're a fair distance behind Houston, Boston, LA and the Yanks, I reckon.  I'd be interested to see the WAR predictions for those 25 men vs. the expected rosters of the other teams I mentioned.  Not interested enough to go and look it up, mind you.

Here are Fangraphs' projections. They don't seem very convinced on Milwaukee replicating last year's performance. But they like the Cubs.

They like the Cubs considerably less than they like Houston, Boston, the Yanks and the cunting D*dgers, which is exactly my point.

[R-V]

Perhaps I'm being unduly negative, but that team is not exactly screaming "CHAMMENSHIP", is it?  On paper you're a fair distance behind Houston, Boston, LA and the Yanks, I reckon.  I'd be interested to see the WAR predictions for those 25 men vs. the expected rosters of the other teams I mentioned.  Not interested enough to go and look it up, mind you.

Here are Fangraphs' projections. They don't seem very convinced on Milwaukee replicating last year's performance. But they like the Cubs.

They like the Cubs considerably less than they like Houston, Boston, the Yanks and the cunting D*dgers, which is exactly my point.

Do those Dodgers & Nationals projections still include Machado & Harper since they haven't signed with another team yet? Because the Nationals win projection in particular seems too high.

[Oleg]

Enough grab-assing....pitchers and catchers report in less than a month.  Let's light this candle.

Am I crazy to wonder why nobody seems to suggest Ian Happ at second base everyday?  I know he might be bad—but we don't really know for sure because he's hardly played it, even thought that was the position at which he was drafted.  Hell, he's probably played third more than second.  We know he's an adventure in the outfield, but this kid's bat can play—I remain a stout fan of his.  And in any event, he cannot be worse than the homophobic statue who took 11 seconds just to make the fucking pivot on the relay on 6(and 5)-4-3 DP's.  Zobrist is better at second but Zobrist is also better in RF than Happ would be if Heyward is in center vs. a RHP.

Regardless of whether Russell comes back, if Happ can play a modest second base, that would seem to solve a few problems.

Assuming no further additions:

Lineup

2B Zobrist
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
SS Baez
C   Contreras
LF  Schwarber
CF Happ
RF Heyward

Bench

Descalso
Caratini
Bote
Almora

Rotation

Lester
Hendricks
Quintana
Darvish
Hamels

Bullpen (guh)

Strop
Cishek
Edwards
Montgomery
Kintzler
Duensing
Chatwood
Brad Brach
Iowa grabbag (Mills/Maples/Norwood/GOAT) until Morrow is ready

• Swap out Happ & Heyward for Bote & Almora against LHP.
• I've got Zobrist as my primary 2B but I've got a bad feeling Joe is going to have Descalso there more often than not.
• Assuming Russell isn't fired into the sun, and they stick with 12 position players, it would appear that Bote will be the odd man out when Russell's suspension ends.
• We all know that bullpens are high variance from year to year but this one looks pretty shitty right now. Unless Edward somehow, someway figures his shit out.
• If any of the Iowa arms turn out to be worth a damn to the point where they're worth keeping in the pen once Morrow is back (Mills?), I really don't see how they keep Chatwood around. Total waste of a roster space unless Tommy Hottovy is a wizard.

Perhaps I'm being unduly negative, but that team is not exactly screaming "CHAMMENSHIP", is it?  On paper you're a fair distance behind Houston, Boston, LA and the Yanks, I reckon.  I'd be interested to see the WAR predictions for those 25 men vs. the expected rosters of the other teams I mentioned.  Not interested enough to go and look it up, mind you.

How does the above change your shitty outlook?

[Tonker]

Enough grab-assing....pitchers and catchers report in less than a month.  Let's light this candle.

Am I crazy to wonder why nobody seems to suggest Ian Happ at second base everyday?  I know he might be bad—but we don't really know for sure because he's hardly played it, even thought that was the position at which he was drafted.  Hell, he's probably played third more than second.  We know he's an adventure in the outfield, but this kid's bat can play—I remain a stout fan of his.  And in any event, he cannot be worse than the homophobic statue who took 11 seconds just to make the fucking pivot on the relay on 6(and 5)-4-3 DP's.  Zobrist is better at second but Zobrist is also better in RF than Happ would be if Heyward is in center vs. a RHP.

Regardless of whether Russell comes back, if Happ can play a modest second base, that would seem to solve a few problems.

Assuming no further additions:

Lineup

2B Zobrist
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
SS Baez
C   Contreras
LF  Schwarber
CF Happ
RF Heyward

Bench

Descalso
Caratini
Bote
Almora

Rotation

Lester
Hendricks
Quintana
Darvish
Hamels

Bullpen (guh)

Strop
Cishek
Edwards
Montgomery
Kintzler
Duensing
Chatwood
Brad Brach
Iowa grabbag (Mills/Maples/Norwood/GOAT) until Morrow is ready

• Swap out Happ & Heyward for Bote & Almora against LHP.
• I've got Zobrist as my primary 2B but I've got a bad feeling Joe is going to have Descalso there more often than not.
• Assuming Russell isn't fired into the sun, and they stick with 12 position players, it would appear that Bote will be the odd man out when Russell's suspension ends.
• We all know that bullpens are high variance from year to year but this one looks pretty shitty right now. Unless Edward somehow, someway figures his shit out.
• If any of the Iowa arms turn out to be worth a damn to the point where they're worth keeping in the pen once Morrow is back (Mills?), I really don't see how they keep Chatwood around. Total waste of a roster space unless Tommy Hottovy is a wizard.

Perhaps I'm being unduly negative, but that team is not exactly screaming "CHAMMENSHIP", is it?  On paper you're a fair distance behind Houston, Boston, LA and the Yanks, I reckon.  I'd be interested to see the WAR predictions for those 25 men vs. the expected rosters of the other teams I mentioned.  Not interested enough to go and look it up, mind you.

How does the above change your shitty outlook?

Oh, now everything's fine.

[Wheezer]

Let's light this candle.

I'll bet my bottom dollar that if you wrapped your dong with cheesecloth and lard, the wasps would come with or without a wick.

[Quality Start Machine]

Let's light this candle.

I'll bet my bottom dollar that if you wrapped your dong with cheesecloth and lard, the wasps would come with or without a wick.

There isn't enough cheesecloth and lard in the world, Ogden.

[CBStew]

Let's light this candle.

I'll bet my bottom dollar that if you wrapped your dong with cheesecloth and lard, the wasps would come with or without a wick.

Wait.  What?  Is that a thing?  I can't keep up with you kids.

[Wheezer]

Let's light this candle.

I'll bet my bottom dollar that if you wrapped your dong with cheesecloth and lard, the wasps would come with or without a wick.

Wait.  What?  Is that a thing?  I can't keep up with you kids.

It's a reference to the time that I tried to make pistachio sausage.

[CBStew]

Oh frabjeous day!!!!!  The Cubs have Kontos and Tazawa!  The World Series is in the bag!

[Quality Start Machine]

Oh frabjeous day!!!!!  The Cubs have Kontos and Tazawa!  The World Series is in the bag!

DAT KONTOS IS A LOCAL GUY MY FRENT

[CBStew]

Oh frabjeous day!!!!!  The Cubs have Kontos and Tazawa!  The World Series is in the bag!

DAT KONTOS IS A LOCAL GUY MY FRENT

So am I.  Do you want me as a set-up man?

[Quality Start Machine]

Oh frabjeous day!!!!!  The Cubs have Kontos and Tazawa!  The World Series is in the bag!

DAT KONTOS IS A LOCAL GUY MY FRENT

So am I.  Do you want me as a set-up man?

Sure, we can always use short relief.

[flannj]

Oh frabjeous day!!!!!  The Cubs have Kontos and Tazawa!  The World Series is in the bag!

DAT KONTOS IS A LOCAL GUY MY FRENT

So am I.  Do you want me as a set-up man?

Sure, we can always use short relief.

Stop it.

[Saul Goodman]

RIGHTING WRONGS! If Luke Hagerty makes the playoff roster I will buy his jersey. BOOK IT.

[CBStew]

Oh frabjeous day!!!!!  The Cubs have Kontos and Tazawa!  The World Series is in the bag!

DAT KONTOS IS A LOCAL GUY MY FRENT

So am I.  Do you want me as a set-up man?

Sure, we can always use short relief.

I resemble that remark.