Chicago Cubs 2019 Season

#608      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
CJ Edwards optioned to AAA. I'm thinking he's going to be a throw in for a trade, maybe to Detroit for Castellanos and/or Greene. Could definitely use a change of scenery.
 
#609      
CJ Edwards optioned to AAA. I'm thinking he's going to be a throw in for a trade, maybe to Detroit for Castellanos and/or Greene. Could definitely use a change of scenery.
Not that he was the most consistent reliever in the first place, but the way the coaching staff has handled him this year has been straight up criminal. How that change of delivery was allowed to even pass “go” is unbelievable.
 
#611      
Add Edwards, Jr. to the list of young guys on this team that didn't pan out. Strop is awful.
Relievers are probably the most fickle "position" in all of sports. You can have a guy pitch over 50 innings one season of 6.00 ERA ball, and he's an all star next year. And vice versa. Edwards I'm more weary on, but I think Strop has the stuff to be a good relief guy, though maybe not this year. The fact of the matter is we need bullpen arms. Like at least two. And probably another outfielder, though I think swapping Happ for Descalso would help.

Brach needs to go, and if Maddon isn't gonna use Chatwood, why waste a spot on him? We're basically playing with a 22 man roster now, and I think it's hurting the BP and fielders the most. Get players on the roster that can contribute even the slightest and this team is much more dangerous. Maybe we are limping along hoping we can save some of these guys' eligibility, not sure, but theres some no brainer roster moves that seem to be on hold for whatever reason.
 
#612      
I don’t get the Chatwood thing. He’s pitched 2 innings in the month of July. What’s the point of having him in the roster for that? Mills seems to have passed him by as 6th starter. Perhaps with good reason, but there doesn’t seem to be any plan on how to use Chatwood.

Cycling through Rosario and Wick and Collins and Maples and never using Chatwood for anything. Just doesn’t make sense given how paper thin this pen is.

And why has Kintzler only pitched 5.2 innings this month?

Also, Descalso has 5 plate appearances this month. Why is he here instead of Happ?

Why does Schwarber hit home runs three straight games and then get benched for the next three games? Why is Schwarber being treated like a platoon player but Almora isn’t? A little trivia for you... Schwarber’s OPS against lefties this year is a respectable .720, while Almora’s is a putrid .531.

What exactly does Robel Garcia need to do in order to stay in the lineup? At least until MLB pitchers make an adjustment. The Barry Bonds-esque slugging percentage not good enough?
 
#613      

Illiniaaron

Geneseo, IL
Just taking into consideration the comments of ChiefIllini and champaignchris above, is there some sort of dysfunction between Theo and Joe playing out here? Sometimes I think Maddon makes some moves just to make a point about the roster he's been given.
 
#614      

Hoppy2105

Little Rock, Arkansas
Just taking into consideration the comments of ChiefIllini and champaignchris above, is there some sort of dysfunction between Theo and Joe playing out here? Sometimes I think Maddon makes some moves just to make a point about the roster he's been given.

I think Maddon’s contract expires this year right? Unless he takes us to at least the NLCS, I could see there being a change
 
#615      
Just taking into consideration the comments of ChiefIllini and champaignchris above, is there some sort of dysfunction between Theo and Joe playing out here? Sometimes I think Maddon makes some moves just to make a point about the roster he's been given.

I don't think there's any question that there's some dysfunction between the coaches and the front office. I also think there's some dysfunction between the front office and ownership, if you look at the abrupt change in posture on free agent spending between the end of the 2018 season and November.

By the way, the Cubs have used 12 different relievers in the month of July. I guess that happens when the guy who was supposed to be your closer has been hurt all year, your biggest free agent pick up of the offseason has been putrid, and two of your most reliable hold overs both suddenly can't get anyone out.

The relievers from this month, innings and ERA:
Cishek - 9.0, 1.00
Kimbral - 7.2, 5.87
Strop - 7.2, 8.22
Kintzler - 5.2, 3.18
Ryan - 5.1, 3.38
Rosario (sent down) - 3.2, 4.91
Brach - 3.2, 12.27
Chatwood - 2.0, 0.00
Wick - 2.0, 9.00
Montgomery (traded) - 1.1, 2.70
Maples (sent down) - .2, 27.00
Edwards (sent down) - .1, 27.00

Overall a 5.14 ERA over 49 innings.
 
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#616      

Illiniaaron

Geneseo, IL
I don't think there's any question that there's some dysfunction between the coaches and the front office. I also think there's some dysfunction between the front office and ownership, if you look at the abrupt change in posture on free agent spending between the end of the 2018 season and November.
If I'm remembering correctly, wasn't it Epstein's free agent signings that caused his divorce with Boston?
 
#617      
Trying to eke another inning out of Brach instead of using Chatwood.

I. Don’t. Get. It.

At this point, is there any situation at all in which Joe will use Chatwood? If not, why is he on the team?
 
#618      
Using Chatwood in like the 11th inning yesterday was probably the easiest move Maddon would've had as a skipper. You've got a long relief pitcher whose been "resting" since the bronze age in a game that you've already burned your top relievers. Either they are very close to a trade, or Maddon is trying to make a point, either was it hurt the team and will continue to. Winnable games need to stop slipping through our fingers.
 
#622      
Trying to eke another inning out of Brach instead of using Chatwood.

I. Don’t. Get. It.

At this point, is there any situation at all in which Joe will use Chatwood? If not, why is he on the team?
I’m going to give Joe the benefit of the doubt that he knew that Lester wasn’t going to make his start today and held Chatwood out for that reason.