MLB: ***Official 2019 Chicago Cubs Season Thread***

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Skyh13

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2006
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And Strop blows yet ANOTHER hold, and now they're losing. He cannot be the 8th inning man, and I know they have literally nobody, but for heaven's sake.
 

chuckd4735

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SuperFanatic T2
Mar 29, 2006
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And Strop blows yet ANOTHER hold, and now they're losing. He cannot be the 8th inning man, and I know they have literally nobody, but for heaven's sake.

If he can't pitch the 8th stop using him in the 8th. There has to be a better option and I refuse to believe there isn't
 

bherren

Member
Dec 17, 2017
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If he can't pitch the 8th stop using him in the 8th. There has to be a better option and I refuse to believe there isn't
Kintzler has done nothing but dominate this year. Only TWO earned runs in the past two months. Not sure why he can't come in during the high leverage situations rather than Edwards JR or Strop who have barely pitched in the Majors for the past month.
 

cyclonpediaJoe

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Jun 27, 2012
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I'm ready for Strop to not be a Cub anymore
I dropped him from my fantasy team yesterday morning. People like hearing about your fantasy teams i'm told.

Also, watched Montgomery get lit up by the Tribe the other night. Kind of rooting for him since the Royals drafted him.
 

Skyh13

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Mar 17, 2006
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I would be down with some Cichek (sp) in the setup spot.

Cishek is one of those guys that I keep waiting to let me down. Dunno why I don't entirely trust him, but the results are certainly a lot better than Strop to this point.
 

Skyh13

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Mar 17, 2006
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I dropped him from my fantasy team yesterday morning. People like hearing about your fantasy teams i'm told.

Also, watched Montgomery get lit up by the Tribe the other night. Kind of rooting for him since the Royals drafted him.

I'm glad they tried to get something out of him, because to me he looks done. Might not be the case, and maybe he makes a comeback next year, but boy his outings were bad this year.
 

cyclonpediaJoe

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2012
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Cishek is one of those guys that I keep waiting to let me down. Dunno why I don't entirely trust him, but the results are certainly a lot better than Strop to this point.
He has that uncomfortable Carols Marmol feel sometimes. Totally get what you mean.
 

CYdTracked

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Mar 23, 2006
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Hopefully the trade deadline brings some help for the bullpen. I think most thought bringing in Kimbrel and sliding Strop and company back an inning in roles would help everyone but his struggles have continued in the setup role too. Kintzler is a former closer with 48 career saves and so is Cishek with 132. Both have been the most consistent and reliable arms in the bullpen this season ands both have the best WAR in the pen right now as well so why not use 1 as the setup man and hope Strop gets things straightened out in a less high pressure situation.

I don't want to see Edwards or Brach in a close game either. I have a feeling with all the free agents and guys with arbitration decisions in the pen the Cubs bullpen could look quite different next year. The only 2 guys that have guaranteed contracts in the pen right now are Kimbrel and Chatwood. Morrow has a $12 mil team option that I highly doubt they pick up and will opt for the $3 mil buyout, Brach has a $5 mil team option with a 100k buyout, Ryan is pre-arbitration, Edwards is arbitration, and everyone else are free agents. If they let all those guys walk and started a rebuild of the pen could be clearing about $25-30 mil in payroll to start with
 

cyfanatic13

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Dec 19, 2008
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I’m not a doctor, but what injury could possibly keep Morrow out as long as he’s been out? Dude hasn’t pitched since last July and it was never revealed he tore anything to my knowledge
 

VeloClone

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
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Brooklyn Park, MN
I’m not a doctor, but what injury could possibly keep Morrow out as long as he’s been out? Dude hasn’t pitched since last July and it was never revealed he tore anything to my knowledge
glasscover.0.jpg
 

CYdTracked

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Mar 23, 2006
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Grimes, IA
I’m not a doctor, but what injury could possibly keep Morrow out as long as he’s been out? Dude hasn’t pitched since last July and it was never revealed he tore anything to my knowledge

He's made of glass apparently??? Cubs sometimes seem to be secretive about injuries for some reason. Just look at Darvish last year, never knew what was going on with him and seemed like just when he was getting ready to do a rehab assignment and get back he suffered a "setback." Probably wishful thinking that Morrow ever makes it back and if he does I wouldn't have high expectations of him being a shutdown reliever or pitching on back to back days any time soon as long as he's been hurt.

The pitching staff is nearing a crossroads and there isn't much for pitching in the minor leagues right now to fill it with so the front office will need to look to either sign or trade for quality pitching. I already hashed out the bullpen with Kimbrel and Chatwood being the only 2 with guaranteed contracts coming back next year with a few guys who could be tendered through arbitration too. Here's the rotation:

Lester: signed through 2021
Darvish: signed through 2023. Has a player opt-out after this season but no way he is getting anyone to play him close to what the Cubs signed him to
Hendricks: signed through 2023 with a vesting option for 2024
Quintana: Club option for 2020 at $10.5 mil that likely will be picked up then a free agent after next season
Hamels: free agent after this season

Lester and Hamels are both 35, Darvish is 32, Q 30 and Hendricks 29. Lester before long is going to be no more than a middle to back end of the rotation pitcher like Hamels is right now so at the very least they may have 1 rotation spot to fill after this year and next if they don't bring back Hamels or Q when their deals are up. If they didn't bring back Hamels and cleaned house with the bullpen they would free up nearly $50 mil in payroll but just how well could they stretch that to fill a rotation spot and nearly an entire new bullpen? For position players Zobrist $12.5, Maldonado $2.5 are the only ones you could clear outright but Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Almora, and Javy are all up for arbitration and Bryant and Javy for sure are due some hefty pay hikes. They still have Duensing's contract on the payroll at $3.5 mil this year too that will clear as well and Chatwood will be in the last year of his contract at $13 mil in 2020.

Here's a breakdown of the contract situation: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/yearly/payroll/
 

VeloClone

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
45,603
34,888
113
Brooklyn Park, MN
He's made of glass apparently??? Cubs sometimes seem to be secretive about injuries for some reason. Just look at Darvish last year, never knew what was going on with him and seemed like just when he was getting ready to do a rehab assignment and get back he suffered a "setback." Probably wishful thinking that Morrow ever makes it back and if he does I wouldn't have high expectations of him being a shutdown reliever or pitching on back to back days any time soon as long as he's been hurt.

The pitching staff is nearing a crossroads and there isn't much for pitching in the minor leagues right now to fill it with so the front office will need to look to either sign or trade for quality pitching. I already hashed out the bullpen with Kimbrel and Chatwood being the only 2 with guaranteed contracts coming back next year with a few guys who could be tendered through arbitration too. Here's the rotation:

Lester: signed through 2021
Darvish: signed through 2023. Has a player opt-out after this season but no way he is getting anyone to play him close to what the Cubs signed him to
Hendricks: signed through 2023 with a vesting option for 2024
Quintana: Club option for 2020 at $10.5 mil that likely will be picked up then a free agent after next season
Hamels: free agent after this season

Lester and Hamels are both 35, Darvish is 32, Q 30 and Hendricks 29. Lester before long is going to be no more than a middle to back end of the rotation pitcher like Hamels is right now so at the very least they may have 1 rotation spot to fill after this year and next if they don't bring back Hamels or Q when their deals are up. If they didn't bring back Hamels and cleaned house with the bullpen they would free up nearly $50 mil in payroll but just how well could they stretch that to fill a rotation spot and nearly an entire new bullpen? For position players Zobrist $12.5, Maldonado $2.5 are the only ones you could clear outright but Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Almora, and Javy are all up for arbitration and Bryant and Javy for sure are due some hefty pay hikes. They still have Duensing's contract on the payroll at $3.5 mil this year too that will clear as well and Chatwood will be in the last year of his contract at $13 mil in 2020.

Here's a breakdown of the contract situation: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/yearly/payroll/
That's exactly what my pic above means - Mr. Glass.