*** Official 2025 Chicago Cubs Thread***

I think PCA has 3 total hits in August. Combine that with ZERO clutch hitting from Tucker and Seiya and Happ being near worthless offensively - you get scoring 0, 1, or 2 runs two out of every three games.

The pitching isn’t letting this team down, the offense is.
PCA needs to be more patient at the plate. He is trying to do too much. He became Baez clone since the Allstar break.
 
I think PCA has 3 total hits in August. Combine that with ZERO clutch hitting from Tucker and Seiya and Happ being near worthless offensively - you get scoring 0, 1, or 2 runs two out of every three games.

The pitching isn’t letting this team down, the offense is.
how many times was Happ on base tonight? twice if I recall 2 walks better than strikeouts by PCA and SS. Not sure why all the hate on Happ and I am sure all you experts will tell me.
 
Not sure where you came up with hitting Turner over Amaya. I can’t see a single stat that would justify that. Amaya’ BA is comparable to Turner’s OBP and MA slug is almost even with JTs OPS
Turner is .299BA .341 OBP .481 Slg. 822 OPS. In 85 Plate appearances. He’s been the number one option all year vs lefties off the bench if he’s not starting that day. Just a gut feeling they will go Turner first and not change it up with the 3 catchers now. It’s my opinion what I think they’d do and I might be wrong. Will find out soon how they use 3 catchers. I would rather see one of young guys try to spark this offense than have McGuire so Amaya can PH or Kelly DH. Just my opinion on it.
 
how many times was Happ on base tonight? twice if I recall 2 walks better than strikeouts by PCA and SS. Not sure why all the hate on Happ and I am sure all you experts will tell me.

One game or one week doesn't make a season.

Below are Happ's splits by month from Baseball Reference. When a player has an annual salary of $21M and a team leader, the fan expectation is more consistency from a BA and HR production.

I don't feel people hate Happ, just frustrated. Equally frustrated with the front office that makes changes in the margins and not really strong at roster construction. Bringing it back to Happ, a good baseball team doesn't have a .200 hitter batting lead-off.


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Turner is .299BA .341 OBP .481 Slg. 822 OPS. In 85 Plate appearances. He’s been the number one option all year vs lefties off the bench if he’s not starting that day. Just a gut feeling they will go Turner first and not change it up with the 3 catchers now. It’s my opinion what I think they’d do and I might be wrong. Will find out soon how they use 3 catchers. I would rather see one of young guys try to spark this offense than have McGuire so Amaya can PH or Kelly DH. Just my opinion on it.

Don't feel Turner & Amaya are fighting each other for at-bats. Turner's primarily Busch's platoon against LH starters and a PH. Amaya is platoon at catcher & PH. And if the Cubs OF's continue to struggle, play some DH.
 
I would give anything for one game of

Happ
Tucker
Suzuki
Hoerner
Busch
Catcher
PCA
Swanson
Shaw

Hoerner needs to be behind the two high OBP guys.
 
Kelly has been good, I get it, but I knew the game was lost last night when the opponent intentionally pitched around Tucker to get to the guy we signed 4 months ago to be our backup catcher. The lineup can be fixed.
 
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Kelly has been good, I get it, but I knew the game was lost last night when the opponent intentionally pitched around Tucker to get to the guy we signed 4 months ago to be our backup catcher. The lineup can be fixed.

That's been my exact thought on Kelly. Cool stort, good signing and performed way beyond expectation. But if he's your cleanup hitter you've got issues.
 
I do actually feel bad for Tucker. He's obvioulsy hurt. But this is the problem when your cheap *** FO wont actually spend for a superstar. Instead all you get is a one year rental where they are trying to get their full money's worth in the one year he's here. I don't blame him for being ****** when he clearly needs a IL stint.
 
If you don’t sign Tucker you can get Schwarber, Trade Taillon, sign a high end right hander. We’d be money ahead and Caissie has a roster spot. Before you ask about getting ABs if it was up to me he’d play more than Happ. Plus even though Schwarber is a lefty he can be the platoon for Busch or just the emergency backup at first and DH almost everyday.
Why would you trade Taillon? Way undermarket, expiring deal for a guy that's going to give you 140+ innings and a 4.00ish ERA. Incredibly valuable. Plus, we know Tommy ain't okaying any big deals with the lockout coming in 2027 and facing more 'biblical' losses.

Also not sure I need to watch Kyle Schwarber strike out 200 times and pay a premium for his age 33-37 seasons when he's got a profile that doesn't always age well. Plus, the organization has never shown that it wants to have a DH only guy on the roster, just goes against the flexibility Jed dreams of and Couns uses as a half day off for guys.

I've already resigned myself to the fact they aren't re-signing Tucker.
 
One game or one week doesn't make a season.

Below are Happ's splits by month from Baseball Reference. When a player has an annual salary of $21M and a team leader, the fan expectation is more consistency from a BA and HR production.

I don't feel people hate Happ, just frustrated. Equally frustrated with the front office that makes changes in the margins and not really strong at roster construction. Bringing it back to Happ, a good baseball team doesn't have a .200 hitter batting lead-off.


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thank youfor that good reply. I agree about him hitting leadoff. It looks like June is his month for some things but need more consistency. there needs to be someone more consistent even doing it now is not working. I am equally frustrated with the whole team right now and your line about a good baseball team right now tells the story, something is broken and needs fixing but not sure what it is. For the money yes there should be more production but then for what some of the others ar paid they need to step up also. Maybe the manager who is paid a lot to guide the team. Again thanks for the good reply.
 
Why would you trade Taillon? Way undermarket, expiring deal for a guy that's going to give you 140+ innings and a 4.00ish ERA. Incredibly valuable. Plus, we know Tommy ain't okaying any big deals with the lockout coming in 2027 and facing more 'biblical' losses.

Also not sure I need to watch Kyle Schwarber strike out 200 times and pay a premium for his age 33-37 seasons when he's got a profile that doesn't always age well. Plus, the organization has never shown that it wants to have a DH only guy on the roster, just goes against the flexibility Jed dreams of and Couns uses as a half day off for guys.

I've already resigned myself to the fact they aren't re-signing Tucker.
I had too as far as Tucker but ironically the more he struggles the more likely I see him resigning. Not to say it makes cubs favorite but a potential suitor. If he's a 400+ guy I'd say given how management operates he's gone but I think his value is going to be hurt and be less than that unless he turns it around. If it's 300-375 I can see Cubs investing at that price
 
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Ricketts has to be downright giddy about Tucker playing horribly. He was gonna be roasted for not signing him. Now Cassie can keep raking in Iowa and they can sell us on more optimism going into next year while a healthy Tucker hits .350 for the Yankees
 
It’ll be interesting to see just how terrible the trade for Tucker proves to be when the Cubs miss the playoffs and he walks.
It was worth the gamble, first-half Tucker was awesome. But now, there is no way, no how Jed and Ricketts get even remotely serious about signing him long-term. I'm not totally sure I'd disagree at this point. Tucker has been AWFUL since the 4th of July, injured or not. No way would I want to be handcuffed with a $40MM/year contract on a guy that's not a reliable, consistent superstar. But that's just me.

As for "terrible trade" as you put it....Wesnecki won't be missed. Paredes is a weird dude, he was a terrible fit for Wrigley, but is a perfect fit for Houston just as he was for Tampa. OK, good for him. So really, it's just Cam Smith, and he may yet be the next Felix Pie, too early to say. His early season results are in the rear-view now, he's struggled mightily in the second half. Sure, I'd rather still have him for the potential upside, but that uncertainty was worth a year of Kyle Tucker, IMO. It's just typical Cubbery that Tucker turned into a toad on the Cubs' watch.
 
Why would you trade Taillon? Way undermarket, expiring deal for a guy that's going to give you 140+ innings and a 4.00ish ERA. Incredibly valuable. Plus, we know Tommy ain't okaying any big deals with the lockout coming in 2027 and facing more 'biblical' losses.

Also not sure I need to watch Kyle Schwarber strike out 200 times and pay a premium for his age 33-37 seasons when he's got a profile that doesn't always age well. Plus, the organization has never shown that it wants to have a DH only guy on the roster, just goes against the flexibility Jed dreams of and Couns uses as a half day off for guys.

I've already resigned myself to the fact they aren't re-signing Tucker.
Horton has way more upside. Steele, Imanaga and Boyd are no brainers We can afford an ace righty if we deal Taillon. Brown Rea and Assad give us solid depth at a fraction of the price.

I’m not sure I’d want to tie 500 mil up on Tucker. I’d rather bring Schwarber back on a shorter deal
 
Turner is .299BA .341 OBP .481 Slg. 822 OPS. In 85 Plate appearances. He’s been the number one option all year vs lefties off the bench if he’s not starting that day. Just a gut feeling they will go Turner first and not change it up with the 3 catchers now. It’s my opinion what I think they’d do and I might be wrong. Will find out soon how they use 3 catchers. I would rather see one of young guys try to spark this offense than have McGuire so Amaya can PH or Kelly DH. Just my opinion on it.
Are those Turner numbers made up or a slice of his season?
 

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