Chicago Cubs 2016 Season

#1      

IanKEvans2

IanKEvans2
IanKEvans2
Optimism abound for the 2016 season!

A third place finish in the NL Central at 97-65 netted the Cubs the second wild card. Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta beat the Pirates in the wild card game, and the bats came around for a home run parade to beat the Cardinals in the NLDS, before falling to the Mets in the NLCS.

All in all, a fantastic year for the young Cubs.

The most notable offseason transactions were OF Jason Heyward, INF/OF Ben Zobrist, and RHP John Lackey. The ever-divisive 2B/SS Starlin Castro was traded to the New York Yankees for RHP Adam Warren. The latest signing, and possibly the most fun of the offseason is former Blue Jays cult hero, INF Munenori Kawasaki (to a minor league deal).

Pitchers and catchers report on February 19th!

[ W ]
 
#2      

Deleted member 586966

D
Guest
Deleted member 586966
IanKEvans2 said:
Optimism abound for the 2016 season!

A third place finish in the NL Central at 97-65 netted the Cubs the second wild card. Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta beat the Pirates in the wild card game, and the bats came around for a home run parade to beat the Cardinals in the NLDS, before falling to the Mets in the NLCS.

All in all, a fantastic year for the young Cubs.

The most notable offseason transactions were OF Jason Heyward, INF/OF Ben Zobrist, and RHP John Lackey. The ever-divisive 2B/SS Starlin Castro was traded to the New York Yankees for RHP Adam Warren. The latest signing, and possibly the most fun of the offseason is former Blue Jays cult hero, INF Munenori Kawasaki (to a minor league deal).

Pitchers and catchers report on February 19th!

[ W ]
Click to expand...

I'm really excited about that lineup, should be dangerous top to bottom with tons of great lefty/righty options.

Zobrist has lost a step, but defense up the middle should also be solid.

Even if Lester/Arrieta/Lackey regress, it looks like we have another 90+ win team here :thumb:
 
#3      

Fillory

F
4th Floor Grainger
Fillory
The offense should be good enough to win more than 90, but the pitching is a little shaky. Hopefully, there is an answer down the road when it comes to pitching, because the goal is a World Series.
 
#4      

KBLEE

KBLEE
Montgomery, IL
KBLEE
Fillory said:
The offense should be good enough to win more than 90, but the pitching is a little shaky. Hopefully, there is an answer down the road when it comes to pitching, because the goal is a World Series.
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Are you referring to the bullpen? Because the starting rotation is consensus Top 5 in all of baseball, and some have even ranked it #1.
 
#6      

KBLEE

KBLEE
Montgomery, IL
KBLEE
Fillory said:
Forgive me, I just don't see it. Lackey's a good add, but odds are Arrieta regresses next season.
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FYI - that's what they said going into last season as well...and he got better. Even if he regresses back to 2014 levels, he's still one of the best in the NL.
 
#7      

ChicagoChief

C
ChicagoChief
KBLEE said:
FYI - that's what they said going into last season as well...and he got better. Even if he regresses back to 2014 levels, he's still one of the best in the NL.
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Yeah when you're talking about Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks as your #4/5 that's A really good rotation. Go take a look at Hendricks' peripherals, he definitely got unlucky last season.

Also, people are nuts if they think this is the rotation the Cubs will go into October with. No question, zero, zilch, nada, that they will acquire a top end SP before the trade deadline.
 
#8      

Kramer

Kramer
Des Moines, Iowa
Kramer
ChicagoChief said:
Yeah when you're talking about Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks as your #4/5 that's A really good rotation. Go take a look at Hendricks' peripherals, he definitely got unlucky last season.

Also, people are nuts if they think this is the rotation the Cubs will go into October with. No question, zero, zilch, nada, that they will acquire a top end SP before the trade deadline.
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Just read Hoyer is still in talks with the Rays.
 
#10      

IanKEvans2

IanKEvans2
IanKEvans2
ChicagoChief said:
Yeah when you're talking about Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks as your #4/5 that's A really good rotation. Go take a look at Hendricks' peripherals, he definitely got unlucky last season.

Also, people are nuts if they think this is the rotation the Cubs will go into October with. No question, zero, zilch, nada, that they will acquire a top end SP before the trade deadline.
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Hendricks recently turned only 26, too. I'm excited to see what "The Professor" has to offer next season.

As far as acquiring a top end starter, I'm not 100% sure I agree with that. However, I could definitely see them making a move to add a surefire #3 at the deadline.
 
#11      

Serious Late

Serious Late
Peoria via Denver via Ann Arbor via Albuquerque vi
Serious Late
I actually agree that the starting rotation still needs a bit of work. I was surprised when reading it was top 5 in baseball, I just do not like Lackey very much at all. Hammel and Hendricks are perfectly fine 4s and 5s, but when you get to the playoffs it's all about pitching and the ability to go 4 deep. Now if we go get ourselves a young, talented arm like Tyson Ross or Carlos Carrasco... look out. This team is as ready as ready can be.

This is not to complain about the team as constructed or suggest the Cubbies shouldn't be viewed as on of the favorites to win it all this year, but I was hoping Hoyer would go get that 3rd stud arm and was a bit disappointed when it was Lackey.

Still plenty of time and who knows how it will all play out. They have the talent to win it all right now, just not the top end depth of starting pitchers to make me overly arrogant heading into the season.
 
#12      

Sybok

S
Sybok
Don't sleep on the Warren pickup...the guy coming back in the Castro trade.
 
#13      

champaignchris

C
champaignchris
Cubs starters with average innings pitched, ERA/FIP over the last three years (except for Hendricks, last two years for him):

Lester: 213 IP, 3.17/3.10
Lackey: 202 IP, 3.35/3.73
Hammel: 162 IP, 4.00/4.12
Wood: 158 IP, 3.97/3.97
Arrieta: 154 IP, 2.53/2.72
Hendricks: 130 IP, 3.49/3.34
Cahill: 100 IP, 4.79/4.08
Warren: 96 IP, 3.23/3.59

They account for about 250 more innings than you generally need from your starters. So, obviously, all of those guys aren't going to pitch that many innings. Hopefully the Cubs should get at least average performances from them, since anyone who isn't delivering his average can be replaced by someone who will. If the Cubs get average performances from their starters, they'll be just fine.
 
#15      

SummerofGeorge

S
SummerofGeorge
2B - Zobrist/SS Russell
CF - Heyward
3B - Bryant
1B - Rizzo
LF - Schwarber
RF - Soler
C - Montero
SS - Russell/2B Zobrist

A lot of flexibility with Baez playing 3 IF positions and possibly LF. Pretty potent lineup regardless of how the order goes.
 
#16      

IanKEvans2

IanKEvans2
IanKEvans2
Nice to see arbitration avoided with Arrieta.

Hoping they can extend him to a long-term team. Maybe 5 years? What do you all think would be a fair AAV for him? $20 million? $25?
 
#17      

ChicagoChief

C
ChicagoChief
IanKEvans2 said:
Nice to see arbitration avoided with Arrieta.

Hoping they can extend him to a long-term team. Maybe 5 years? What do you all think would be a fair AAV for him? $20 million? $25?
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If they were to do something, which for the record I don't think they will, I think Boras would ask for $30 a year.
 
#18      

Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh
aka "Captain Oblivious"
Cynthiana, Kentucky
Shane Walsh
IanKEvans2 said:
Nice to see arbitration avoided with Arrieta.

Hoping they can extend him to a long-term team. Maybe 5 years? What do you all think would be a fair AAV for him? $20 million? $25?
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Lester just turned 32 and got a 6 year AAV of $25.8m back in 2014. If they extend Jake I would assume it to be at least that much. I would be willing to bet on a lot of bonus money and buyouts though, much like Heyward's contract. The Club will want to protect itself from Arrieta's arm falling off, and rightly so with his across the body throwing motion.
 
#19      

Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh
aka "Captain Oblivious"
Cynthiana, Kentucky
Shane Walsh
It is happening.....
:D

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales

Schwarber playing long toss:

CbWQ57sUAAAJzxi.jpg
 
#20      

KBLEE

KBLEE
Montgomery, IL
KBLEE
Did you see Schwarber's socks yesterday?

CbRnpFuXIAADTsY.jpg
 
#23      

icengineer

I
Southern Illinois
icengineer
I'm looking on CL for Cubs Spring Training tickets and their prices are about double everyone else's. :tsk:
 
#24      

Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh
aka "Captain Oblivious"
Cynthiana, Kentucky
Shane Walsh
icengineer said:
I'm looking on CL for Cubs Spring Training tickets and their prices are about double everyone else's. :tsk:
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Welcome to success! Tried to get into the UC to see the Hawks lately?
:chaching: