MLB: ***Official 2021 Chicago Cubs Season Thread***

[CYdTracked]

My opinion is you have to keep Rizzo, he is the leader of this team and there aren't too many left handed gold glove 1B out there that does what he does. He's already taken a team friendly deal so Cubs need to quit being so cheap in their negotiations because he's saved them a lot already for the production they got out of him. I would like to keep Javy around too because you have to have a guy fans still want to see and he's that guy despite his struggles at the plate. I think his bat can be fixed with the right changes and approach. He did hit for pretty good average from 2015-2019 where his lowest BA was .273 and was pretty much a .280+ hitter otherwise. For some reason he's reverted back to his bad habits of swinging at every low and away pitch again but he's still just 28 and can hopefully work out it out.

I don't see any scenario where KB returns unless it is on some discount or 1 year deal because he's playing himself out of the market Boras is going to try and get him paid at. Plus he's jaded from the service time issue too so I think he's as good as gone one way or another. Willy probably could net us the most return in a trade but without Caratini to fall back on now I don't see how they can trade him until they see what they have in Amaya.

I don't even know where to start at with the mess the rotation is in. Hendricks is the only sure thing they have, Jake is in the last years of his career and on a 1 year deal with a club option, Davies is in the last year of his deal, Williams is on a 1 year deal, and Alzolay and Mills are under team control but overall they all leave a lot ot be desired and Cubs don't have much coming up at the moment to be immediate impact starters.

 

[Clonefan32]

My opinion is you have to keep Rizzo, he is the leader of this team and there aren't too many left handed gold glove 1B out there that does what he does. He's already taken a team friendly deal so Cubs need to quit being so cheap in their negotiations because he's saved them a lot already for the production they got out of him. I would like to keep Javy around too because you have to have a guy fans still want to see and he's that guy despite his struggles at the plate. I think his bat can be fixed with the right changes and approach. He did hit for pretty good average from 2015-2019 where his lowest BA was .273 and was pretty much a .280+ hitter otherwise. For some reason he's reverted back to his bad habits of swinging at every low and away pitch again but he's still just 28 and can hopefully work out it out.

I don't see any scenario where KB returns unless it is on some discount or 1 year deal because he's playing himself out of the market Boras is going to try and get him paid at. Plus he's jaded from the service time issue too so I think he's as good as gone one way or another. Willy probably could net us the most return in a trade but without Caratini to fall back on now I don't see how they can trade him until they see what they have in Amaya.

I don't even know where to start at with the mess the rotation is in. Hendricks is the only sure thing they have, Jake is in the last years of his career and on a 1 year deal with a club option, Davies is in the last year of his deal, Williams is on a 1 year deal, and Alzolay and Mills are under team control but overall they all leave a lot ot be desired and Cubs don't have much coming up at the moment to be immediate impact starters.

Man, I don't know on Rizzo. If he was a 2nd basement or something I can see keeping him for just his defense. But having a 1B putting up his batting numbers is killing us.

 

[whatthewhat]

My opinion is you have to keep Rizzo, he is the leader of this team and there aren't too many left handed gold glove 1B out there that does what he does. He's already taken a team friendly deal so Cubs need to quit being so cheap in their negotiations because he's saved them a lot already for the production they got out of him. I would like to keep Javy around too because you have to have a guy fans still want to see and he's that guy despite his struggles at the plate. I think his bat can be fixed with the right changes and approach. He did hit for pretty good average from 2015-2019 where his lowest BA was .273 and was pretty much a .280+ hitter otherwise. For some reason he's reverted back to his bad habits of swinging at every low and away pitch again but he's still just 28 and can hopefully work out it out.

I don't see any scenario where KB returns unless it is on some discount or 1 year deal because he's playing himself out of the market Boras is going to try and get him paid at. Plus he's jaded from the service time issue too so I think he's as good as gone one way or another. Willy probably could net us the most return in a trade but without Caratini to fall back on now I don't see how they can trade him until they see what they have in Amaya.

I don't even know where to start at with the mess the rotation is in. Hendricks is the only sure thing they have, Jake is in the last years of his career and on a 1 year deal with a club option, Davies is in the last year of his deal, Williams is on a 1 year deal, and Alzolay and Mills are under team control but overall they all leave a lot ot be desired and Cubs don't have much coming up at the moment to be immediate impact starters.

I don't know about Rizzo. He is on the wrong side of 30 and his numbers took a hit last year. That could be COVID related, so this year would be very important to him and his future with the Cubs.

The Cubs are not going to be good for the foreseeable future, so you pick up a couple pieces each of the next two offseasons, in trades and free agency, and wait for the young guns to move through the minors. Hopefully, in two or three years the team can compete again.

 

[CYdTracked]

Man, I don't know on Rizzo. If he was a 2nd basement or something I can see keeping him for just his defense. But having a 1B putting up his batting numbers is killing us.

He will need to rebound this year to get that contract obviously. He's traditionally a slow starter too so that is not good for him with his extension talks but of all the pending free agents on this roster I have the most confidence that he will get resigned eventually. From 2015-2019 he's basically been around a 30 HR 100 RBI type of hitter batting around .280-.290 BA with a good on base %. He dipped off last year and off to a slow start again this year but if he starts hitting like he usually does he's worth a decent 3-5 year deal. He's still in his prime years although on the tail end of that but still a guy I think can be productive while they rebuild this thing. I do admit I probably am a bit attached to him as a fan because of what he's been for the club through his career.

 

[Rabbuk]

He will need to rebound this year to get that contract obviously. He's traditionally a slow starter too so that is not good for him with his extension talks but of all the pending free agents on this roster I have the most confidence that he will get resigned eventually. From 2015-2019 he's basically been around a 30 HR 100 RBI type of hitter batting around .280-.290 BA with a good on base %. He dipped off last year and off to a slow start again this year but if he starts hitting like he usually does he's worth a decent 3-5 year deal. He's still in his prime years although on the tail end of that but still a guy I think can be productive while they rebuild this thing. I do admit I probably am a bit attached to him as a fan because of what he's been for the club through his career.

Remove the sentimental value and he's a top 10 first basement closer to 10 than to 1.

 

[CYdTracked]

Remove the sentimental value and he's a top 10 first basement closer to 10 than to 1.

Well where would you rank KB Javy and anyone else some here seem to think the Cubs should keep over him? I'd be hard pressed to put KB in the top 10 3B given his recent production and Javy is trending that way too at SS. Used to think those 3 guys would be Cubs for a long time and All Stars nearly every year so it's sad to see how far this team has fallen in such a short time.

 

[Rabbuk]

Well where would you rank KB Javy and anyone else some here seem to think the Cubs should keep over him? I'd be hard pressed to put KB in the top 10 3B given his recent production and Javy is trending that way too at SS. Used to think those 3 guys would be Cubs for a long time and All Stars nearly every year so it's sad to see how far this team has fallen in such a short time.

I don't think we should keep any of these guys. If we break up our ****** core we might as well break up everyone.

 

[CycloneErik]

I don't think we should keep any of these guys. If we break up our ****** core we might as well break up everyone.

If we're going it, this is the way to do it.

 

[CloneJD]

If we're going it, this is the way to do it.

Then why were you so pissed cubs let lester, schwarbs go and hadn’t re-upped rizzo?

 

[CycloneErik]

Then why were you so pissed cubs let lester, schwarbs go and hadn’t re-upped rizzo?

Did you see the word "if?"

You'll have to refer me to any schwaber rage.
For Lester, my only bother would be letting him go out on his own terms, and the fact that we don't have a major league starting staff. Even this year, he fills a need.

 

[CloneJD]

Did you see the word "if?"

You'll have to refer me to any schwaber rage.
For Lester, my only bother would be letting him go out on his own terms, and the fact that we don't have a major league starting staff. Even this year, he fills a need.

What need? Being absent from the rotation? So you think he pitches before the ASG?

Rizzo is in sharp decline.

Fortunately kB might bring in some decent prospects by the deadline. I would think contreras would as well.

Everyone else is mostly dead wood.

 

[larrysarmy]

I think you can keep any combo of AR and KB and even Javy, but you have to get some contact guys like Zobrist to help table set, make it harder to pitch to these guys when you have him already on base. We are too easy to pitch to, we need more traffic on the base. Hopefully Nico can be that guy in the future.

 

[cycloneworld]

Hitting, especially RISP, has been terrible for multiple years now. And at this point, that's who the players are. Way too many "strikeout or HR" guys unwilling to take what the opposing pitching will give them.

I'm still optimistic on Javy but with Rizzo and KB's production compared to what they will command as free agents aren't worth it considering the Cubs are multiple pieces away from contending.

This stat sums up the beginning of this year but also the ends of the last 2-3 seasons.

 

[ClonesTwenty1]

We look like a well oiled machine

 

[JP4CY]

This offense blows.

 

[Rabbuk]

This offense blows.

I can go out and swing at 3 bad pitches for much cheaper, if they decide to cut some of these guys loose.

 

[CloneinWDSM]

I’ve only watched a few innings all year.
Looks like I’m not missing much.


Cubs Through 10 Games This Season:
49 hits - Fewest through first 10 games of a season in franchise history
.164 BA - Lowest through first 10 games of a season in franchise history

 

[BigJCy]

 

[ISUCubswin]

I don't know about Rizzo. He is on the wrong side of 30 and his numbers took a hit last year. That could be COVID related, so this year would be very important to him and his future with the Cubs.

Just for clarity, he’s 31

 

[ISUCubswin]

If I’m the Cubs, I still try and do what I can to keep Rizzo and Bryant around for the next 4-5 years with the idea that they’re center pieces of a rebuild.

Fan base loves Javy and he’s charismatic and all, but if he’s facing a pitcher that can throw a slider or a curve 6 feet in front of the plate and 2 feet in the other batters box, he’s ******. Truly have not seen a worse bad ball player in the box, and that includes his 2nd in MVP year. If he expects to be paid like a top 10 SS, take a hike.