Frankly, I think Canario is probably closer to being ready than PCA. Kid was in A ball earlier this year for crying out loud. He's not Willie Mays; he needs more seasoning.
***Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Thread***
- Thread starter BigJCy
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Canario with another solid game. So glad Ross sat his ass for most of this month when he had a hot bat when they called him up.
I don’t care if it’s Ross, but someone needs to be fired over the decision to not play Canario.
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
Marlins clinched a wild card spot today. Looks like it’s between the Cubs and the D-backs for the final spot? Arizona is playing Houston, which still has a shot at the division title, so that’s tough on the D-backs.
Do the Cubs have the tiebreaker on Arizona if they both finish 84-78?
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
Sam Olburs 10 minute rant on Locked On Cubs is a MUST LISTEN
“I’m not going to criticize Mike Tauchman who was in Korea a year ago for slowing down the last month, I’m not going to criticize Steele for having 2 bad starts, I’m going to criticize the $21 million arm who’s been terrible since July and the $25 million shortstop who did nothing but poop down his leg the last 2 months”
“I’m not going to criticize Mike Tauchman who was in Korea a year ago for slowing down the last month, I’m not going to criticize Steele for having 2 bad starts, I’m going to criticize the $21 million arm who’s been terrible since July and the $25 million shortstop who did nothing but poop down his leg the last 2 months”
He’s easily the worst 4.8 WAR I’ve ever seen. .143 BA in August, Baseball Reference has him hitting .212 in high leverage situations all season. His saving grace is his glove, but even that started to be questionable near the end of the year
This (the lineup, not the post) is probably your biggest blunder of the season. 44% of your best starting lineup by August/September can’t be missing in your April/May lineups
I'll probably make updates as the offseason goes on but figured I'd post this from Bryan Smith of Bleacher Nation regarding what we currently look like for 2024 and can fairly confidently assume:
C - Gomes
1B - ?
2B - Hoerner
SS - Swanson
3B - ?
LF - Happ
CF - PCA
RF - Suzuki
DH - ?
Bench 1 - Amaya
Bench 2 - Madrigal
Bench 3 - Morel
SP1 - Steele
SP2 - Stroman
SP3 - Hendricks
SP4 - Taillon
SP5 - Wicks
RP - Alzolay
RP - Leiter Jr.
RP - Merryweather
RP - Cuas
RP - Little
RP - Palencia
RP - Smyly
RP - Assad
C - Gomes
1B - ?
2B - Hoerner
SS - Swanson
3B - ?
LF - Happ
CF - PCA
RF - Suzuki
DH - ?
Bench 1 - Amaya
Bench 2 - Madrigal
Bench 3 - Morel
SP1 - Steele
SP2 - Stroman
SP3 - Hendricks
SP4 - Taillon
SP5 - Wicks
RP - Alzolay
RP - Leiter Jr.
RP - Merryweather
RP - Cuas
RP - Little
RP - Palencia
RP - Smyly
RP - Assad
Maybe edit that list and designate who has contract options and minor league options left for reference. I don't see Cuas starting the year in Chicago and maybe not Palencia either but I do think they'll retain them and option him to Iowa to work on his control issues. The rest are probably locks barring a surprise trade or non tender plus the contract options for Stro and Kyle. PCA not a lock to make opening day roster either so would put him on the same line as Canario as a maybe.
agree - also don’t believe most of those relievers will be there. That is just a “here’s the contracts we currently have if we went into it now” scenario
This is a list I had created but felt Bleacher Nations was probably a bit more "official."
Essentially, I've eliminated anyone who isn't confirmed because of an option, but would make adjustments once decisions are made. Hence Stroman, Hendricks, and Boxberger not being included.
C - Gomes/Amaya
1B -
2B - Hoerner
3B - Madrigal/Wisdom/Morel
SS - Swanson
LF - Happ
CF - Tauchman/PCA/Canario
RF - Suzuki
SP
1. Steele
2. Taillon
3. Assad
4. Smyly
5. Wicks
RP
1. Cuas
2. Little
3. Leiter Jr.
4. Merryweather
5. Palencia
6. Wesneski
7. Alzolay
Obviously people can be added/removed - I don't anticipate Smyly and/or Wicks in the starting rotation, but if the season started right now, based on current contracts, that's what it would look like.
Essentially, I've eliminated anyone who isn't confirmed because of an option, but would make adjustments once decisions are made. Hence Stroman, Hendricks, and Boxberger not being included.
C - Gomes/Amaya
1B -
2B - Hoerner
3B - Madrigal/Wisdom/Morel
SS - Swanson
LF - Happ
CF - Tauchman/PCA/Canario
RF - Suzuki
SP
1. Steele
2. Taillon
3. Assad
4. Smyly
5. Wicks
RP
1. Cuas
2. Little
3. Leiter Jr.
4. Merryweather
5. Palencia
6. Wesneski
7. Alzolay
Obviously people can be added/removed - I don't anticipate Smyly and/or Wicks in the starting rotation, but if the season started right now, based on current contracts, that's what it would look like.
Agree ideally Palencia is depth at Iowa. Wicks will be down unless we completely blow the offseason. Cuas shouldn't make opening day. Smyly who cares.
Curious they left Wesneski off. I think he's better suited for setup. Fastball touches 99 in short stints.
The other 5 should be in the pen. Brown is also a guy I think makes opening day roster.
My plans if I’m Jed Hoyer:
Management moves:
1) Fire Andy Green and hire a bench coach that knows how to manage games.
Position moves:
1) Sign Bellinger to cover 1B/CF training for PCA/Mervis. Promise Bellinger he will be in the OF once we establish 1B. Happ/Suzuki can rotate DH/playing defense.
2) Trade for Pete Alonso so you have a homerun threat at the plate every time they’re at the plate.
Pitching moves:
1) Sign Yoshi
2) Trade for Bieber…Guardians have put him on the market in the past, would they do it again?
Management moves:
1) Fire Andy Green and hire a bench coach that knows how to manage games.
Position moves:
1) Sign Bellinger to cover 1B/CF training for PCA/Mervis. Promise Bellinger he will be in the OF once we establish 1B. Happ/Suzuki can rotate DH/playing defense.
2) Trade for Pete Alonso so you have a homerun threat at the plate every time they’re at the plate.
Pitching moves:
1) Sign Yoshi
2) Trade for Bieber…Guardians have put him on the market in the past, would they do it again?
Unless PCA just tears it up in spring training have a feeling he will start the year in Iowa as he didn't spend a lot of time in AAA this year. He sure looks talented as hell when I saw him live 1 game in Iowa but probably needs to see more AB against AAA pitching before the Cubs turn him loose full time in Chicago. Canario offensively is probably more ready than he is. I'm still pissed about how the used him in September, he lost a lot of valuable AB in AAA to just ride the pine in Chicago and even with the rare playing time he got while not playing every day he made the most of out the opportunity I think. Should have just added a fringe prospect like Perlaza to the 40 man and called him up instead because they will have to add him to it this offseason if they don't want to lose him to the Rule 5 draft.
I sure hope we've seen the last of Patrick Wisdom. If he's back the front office failed to address one of the biggest holes on the roster right now and I don't even care if the role for him is a bench player he is not a guy a team with playoff aspirations should be using a roster spot on. If the Cubs can't resign Bellinger the next best bat in free agency other than Ohtani is probably Matt Chapman but he's already going to be 31 so not sure how hard you go after him and he's no where near the bat the other 2 guys are. He's a gold glove 3B so there is value there. Cant count on Shaw being ready to come up sometime in 24 so at the very least some kind of stop gap solution that doesn't include Wisdom if you don't go after Chapman.
Lots of starting pitching available in free agency, guessing Stroman exercises his option which makes the Hendricks decision tougher because you also have to think long term at SP and it would be tough to commit to 2 guys with just 1 year left on their contracts that have health concerns and miss out on signing at least 1 guy that could fill a top half of the rotation spot for multiple years. There are young guys in the system that can have a shot at the #5 spot and we know Steele and Taillon will both be back and probably Stroman too so upgrading the #2 spot behind Steele should be a priority.
Got a lot of thoughts about this offseason and I'm sure we'll all discuss in depth as things play out. I think the pitching got exposed the most late in the season so the bullpen and upgrading a spot or 2 in the rotation will go a long ways but if they can't bring Bellinger back acquiring a big bat for the middle of the lineup becomes a must.
I sure hope we've seen the last of Patrick Wisdom. If he's back the front office failed to address one of the biggest holes on the roster right now and I don't even care if the role for him is a bench player he is not a guy a team with playoff aspirations should be using a roster spot on. If the Cubs can't resign Bellinger the next best bat in free agency other than Ohtani is probably Matt Chapman but he's already going to be 31 so not sure how hard you go after him and he's no where near the bat the other 2 guys are. He's a gold glove 3B so there is value there. Cant count on Shaw being ready to come up sometime in 24 so at the very least some kind of stop gap solution that doesn't include Wisdom if you don't go after Chapman.
Lots of starting pitching available in free agency, guessing Stroman exercises his option which makes the Hendricks decision tougher because you also have to think long term at SP and it would be tough to commit to 2 guys with just 1 year left on their contracts that have health concerns and miss out on signing at least 1 guy that could fill a top half of the rotation spot for multiple years. There are young guys in the system that can have a shot at the #5 spot and we know Steele and Taillon will both be back and probably Stroman too so upgrading the #2 spot behind Steele should be a priority.
Got a lot of thoughts about this offseason and I'm sure we'll all discuss in depth as things play out. I think the pitching got exposed the most late in the season so the bullpen and upgrading a spot or 2 in the rotation will go a long ways but if they can't bring Bellinger back acquiring a big bat for the middle of the lineup becomes a must.
Sure enough, Bruce Levine says the Cubs are going to go all out for Bellinger and trading for Alonso. Get both and Happ/Hoerner/Bellinger/Alonso/Suzuki is probably the second or third best lineup in the MLB.
Let Madrigal/Mastroboni/Shaw flip the lineup over in the 9 spot and it’s filthy.
Throw the rest of the money on pitching and let’s go to the playoffs in 2024.
Let Madrigal/Mastroboni/Shaw flip the lineup over in the 9 spot and it’s filthy.
Throw the rest of the money on pitching and let’s go to the playoffs in 2024.