2015 Cubs Catch-All thread

[Flash Tizzle]

I've always hated the Cubs as merely a condition of being our crosstown rival, and take joy in their failures. However, I still recognize their talent or ignore the jealously I feel towards their collection of young players. It's sad too when I look at our team and almost laugh at the collection of mediocrity. We're irrelevant in Chicago and the MLB, and it wont change unless we're in the playoffs. Problem is our offense -- We won't be drafting high enough for a Bryant or Schwarber, we're not outbidding anyone for Upton or Heyward(nor should we), and aside from hoping and praying our youngsters produce/players rebound/a crafty veteran we're bound to acquire turns back time, NOTHING will change. I feel trading Quintana is almost a necessity given our position and pitching as our position of strength. Trade him to the highest bidder, revel in the players received (Hahn better not f*** it up) and take 2016 as a transition year to 2017 (timeline of Anderson, Montas, Fulmer). The Cubs are ahead if their schedule, perhaps goid fortune will bounce our way and we'll find ourselves much better than expected........lol

 

[Buehrle>Wood]

The crazy thing is Schwarber, Bryant, or Rizzo would be the best players on our team.

 

Russell would be the best fielder on our team.

Lolwat

[Jerksticks]

The crazy thing is Schwarber, Bryant, or Rizzo would be the best players on our team.

 

Russell would be the best fielder on our team.

Why would Bust, Bust & Bust be our best players right now? And Bust would be the best fielder? C'mon. This is junk

NL ball they play. They miss all the good starters, bullpens are horrible and #2-5 starters throw 88-92 MPH. It's junkball.

[chw42]

Arrieta went from failed prospect to one of the best pitchers in baseball. I'm wondering how he's throwing 96 when he was averaging 92-93 in Baltimore to start his ML career.

[LittleHurt05]

Arrieta went from failed prospect to one of the best pitchers in baseball. I'm wondering how he's throwing 96 when he was averaging 92-93 in Baltimore to start his ML career.

 

Steroids!!! That explains it all!

[SoxAce]

Why would Bust, Bust & Bust be our best players right now? And Bust would be the best fielder? C'mon. This is junk

Rizzo is far from a bust.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Rizzo is far from a bust.

 

Pretty sure he was being sarcastic. #cubsfever

[Jose Abreu]

I know this has probably been addressed over the 109 pages, but why do we even have a Cubs catch-all thread on SoxTalk?

[LittleHurt05]

I know this has probably been addressed over the 109 pages, but why do we even have a Cubs catch-all thread on SoxTalk?

 

Just so fathom can pad his post count.

[Jose Abreu]

Cubs fans always claim that Sox fans care more about the Cubs losing than the Sox winning.

 

While that obviously is not true, having a Cubs thread on a Sox site doesn't help. Just my two cents.

[Steve9347]

God. get over it. I'm not a Cubs fan, but I have a ton of friends that love them. I hope they do win a series soon.

[fathom]

Giants defense looks like a Little League team tonight

[greg775]

I know this has probably been addressed over the 109 pages, but why do we even have a Cubs catch-all thread on SoxTalk?

Why not? Cubs are a team in Chicago. Can't ignore them.

[Brian]

I actually think we should name this thread after fathom every year.

 

"2015 Fathom High Blood Pressure Cubs Thread"?

[Bananarchy]

LMAO, that's simply ridiculous. Chris Sale says hi. And Abreu > Bryant/Schwarber at the moment, too.

1) I meant position players

2) Bryant is a better base runner and position player than Abreu. Rizzo is better all-around. He's having an insane season.

[Bananarchy]

I know this has probably been addressed over the 109 pages, but why do we even have a Cubs catch-all thread on SoxTalk?

Some of us want to watch and talk about actual baseball in September.

[Jose Abreu]

God. get over it. I'm not a Cubs fan, but I have a ton of friends that love them. I hope they do win a series soon.

I have friends that love them too. Doesn't mean I care about them.

 

Why not? Cubs are a team in Chicago. Can't ignore them.

I suppose.

[Jose Abreu]

1) I meant position players

2) Bryant is a better base runner and position player than Abreu. Rizzo is better all-around. He's having an insane season.

Even if you meant position players, Abreu is still better than Bryant and Schwarber right now. Not Rizzo. Give it a year or two, Bryant will surpass him. Probably Schwarber too.

[Bananarchy]

I have friends that love them too. Doesn't mean I care about them.

 

 

I suppose.

Personally, I'm glad there is a site where we can talk about the Cubs and not be essentially hazed. A certain other site kicked me off for like the Cubs.

 

Admittedly, part of it is being far away from Chicago now, so a lot of the cultural clash of the two fanbases seems to be in the distant past for me. There are a ton of Cub fans here and they all just want to watch and talk baseball. It's reasonably refreshing relative to the scumbags on social media who flame Sox fans that like watching the young and exciting Cubs play.

[OmarComing25]

Can we stop with the nonsense that the Cubs winning a title/being good for a few seasons is going to be a death knell for this franchise? Most Sox fans hate the Cubs as it is, they're not going to jump ship if that happens, and the vast majority of the casual fans are already Cub fans, it's not going to do much. Did the Mets disappear after the Yankees won all those titles in the 90s (including one against the Mets)? No? Then we'll be fine. Part of me wants the Cubs to win a title so that the doomsayers can be proven wrong. And perhaps that would force some accountability for the front office of a franchise that's become too complacent post 2005.

[Balta1701]

Even if you meant position players, Abreu is still better than Bryant and Schwarber right now. Not Rizzo. Give it a year or two, Bryant will surpass him. Probably Schwarber too.

For the quick easy comparison of their 2015 numbers:

 

fWAR:

Abreu 3.0

Bryant 4.8

 

rWAR

Abreu 3.4

Bryant 3.6

[Harry Chappas]

I think what is bugging me moreso now is that in Chicago the White Sox are either ignored or on the shows like B&B they are compared to the cubs.

 

As a comparative the cubs are looking like a better situation right now but that is not to say the White Sox situation is dire.

 

Right now, which farm system is better.....you would have to say the White Sox right....I understand that all of the cub talent is at the big league level but now what have they got in the pipeline...I guess we will see....the cubs may still have a top 5 farm system I do not really know.

 

I think the White Sox have some interesting things happening. They are bringing up guys that appear to be able to produce if for nothing other than solid defense (Saladino, Thompson, Sanchez). Guys that seem to not be in the mode of terrible at bats who can grow and learn and help the team.

 

Eric and Micah Johnson along with Tim Anderson appear to be able to add something productive and Montas is as interesting as anyone in the minors.

 

Fulmer and Rodon look like really nice gets in the draft.

 

As was pointed out earlier, Arrieta has added miles to his fastball......that to me feels like something that will take a toll shortly.

 

Windows close quickly in sports and I feel the cubs may regret not getting a better arm than Haren before all is said and done.

 

 

 

 

[OmarComing25]

I think what is bugging me moreso now is that in Chicago the White Sox are either ignored or on the shows like B&B they are compared to the cubs.

Who cares? Even in the years we have a much better team the Cubs still get more attention on sports radio.

 

As a comparative the cubs are looking like a better situation right now but that is not to say the White Sox situation is dire.

 

Right now, which farm system is better.....you would have to say the White Sox right....I understand that all of the cub talent is at the big league level but now what have they got in the pipeline...I guess we will see....the cubs may still have a top 5 farm system I do not really know.

 

Check out the top prospect lists. We still have a mediocre farm system overall, the Cubs aren't as good as last year because of all the talent that has graduated but they still have a pretty good farm system.

 

As was pointed out earlier, Arrieta has added miles to his fastball......that to me feels like something that will take a toll shortly.

What was Sale throwing a few years ago? Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention but was he always throwing 97-98? Arrieta has already set a career high in IP, that may affect him down the stretch but who really knows. I don't think the increased velocity will be much of a problem though.

 

Windows close quickly in sports and I feel the cubs may regret not getting a better arm than Haren before all is said and done.

They'll just sign another top-flight SP in the offseason, and Haren won't pitch in the postseason this year anyway.

Edited August 27, 2015 by OmarComing25

[Balta1701]

What was Sale throwing a few years ago? Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention but was he always throwing 97-98? Arrieta has already set a career high in IP, that may affect him down the stretch but who really knows. I don't think the increased velocity will be much of a problem though.

His average fastball has gone up from 92.3 to 94.6 since 2012, going up every year slightly. However, worth noting that 2012 was his first season as a starter and it has taken his arm time to build up, including a soreness/DL stint in both 2012 and 2014.

 

When he was coming out of the bullpen in 2011 his fastball averaged 94.9, and in 2010 when he first came up it averaged 95.9 out of the pen.

 

Trend line is pretty apparent when you look at his velocity chart for the last 3:

[aryzner]

Why not? Cubs are a team in Chicago. Can't ignore them.

I think the point he is trying to make is that he's of the opinion that the Cubs stuff should just be put in the MLB Catch-All thread and not have that thread and then this one dedicated to the Cubs. I can't say I disagree with him if that's what he's trying to say.