Chicago Cubs 2021 season

#76      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
it is pretty much a wash with Schwarber

what we need to see is a legitimate #2 & #3 pitcher if they are remotely serious about contending for the Central division lead.
We need to replace Darvish, Quintana, Lester and Chatwood.
Penciling in Zach Davies , Alec Mills, Alzolay and Shelby Miller as #2 - #5 just isn't enough , imo
Looks like 78 wins to me...
 
#77      
it is pretty much a wash with Schwarber

what we need to see is a legitimate #2 & #3 pitcher if they are remotely serious about contending for the Central division lead.
We need to replace Darvish, Quintana, Lester and Chatwood.
Penciling in Zach Davies , Alec Mills, Alzolay and Shelby Miller as #2 - #5 just isn't enough , imo
The Central is going to be the NFC East of baseball. There is not one legitimate team in the division. 85 wins will win it and we will have as good as chance as any to do it.
 
#78      
Looks like 78 wins to me...
I will also say that our starters this year will be just as good as last years starting rotation. If not better. Yu will breakdown buy June, Lester is on the downslide and would barely get us 4 innings a start. Q is average and Chatwood is a joke. I like our chances with what we have. We could add another starter to the mix if need be.
 
#80      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
The Central is going to be the NFC East of baseball. There is not one legitimate team in the division. 85 wins will win it and we will have as good as chance as any to do it.
The Cards should easily win more than 85.
 
#81      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
I will also say that our starters this year will be just as good as last years starting rotation. If not better. Yu will breakdown buy June, Lester is on the downslide and would barely get us 4 innings a start. Q is average and Chatwood is a joke. I like our chances with what we have. We could add another starter to the mix if need be.
who ARE the Cubs starters for this year? No one knows, not even the Cubs so I don’t know how you can make this statement.
 
#83      
who ARE the Cubs starters for this year? No one knows, not even the Cubs so I don’t know how you can make this statement.
#1 Hendricks, #2 Davies, #3 Mills, #4 Alzolay, #5 TBD. Who are the Cards starters this season?
 
#84      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
#1 Hendricks, #2 Davies, #3 Mills, #4 Alzolay, #5 TBD. Who are the Cards starters this season?
Flaherty, Kim, Mikolas, Ponce DeLeon, TBD. Maybe Wainright If he returns. That’s a good enough starting rotation for their everyday lineup, especially with Arenado at third.

The Cubs everyday lineup needs more than just Hendricks in their starting rotation to compete for a division title.
 
#85      
Flaherty, Kim, Mikolas, Ponce DeLeon, TBD. Maybe Wainright If he returns. That’s a good enough starting rotation for their everyday lineup, especially with Arenado at third.

The Cubs everyday lineup needs more than just Hendricks in their starting rotation to compete for a division title.
KB, Javy, Rizzo, Contreras, Happ & Heyward are a pretty solid core. Davies has been a good pitcher throughout his career, Mills tossed a no-no last season and Alzolay muzzled the Cards pretty well in his spot starts.
 
#86      
Flaherty, Kim, Mikolas, Ponce DeLeon, TBD. Maybe Wainright If he returns. That’s a good enough starting rotation for their everyday lineup, especially with Arenado at third.

The Cubs everyday lineup needs more than just Hendricks in their starting rotation to compete for a division title.
Wainwright resigned last week, I believe
 
#87      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
KB, Javy, Rizzo, Contreras, Happ & Heyward are a pretty solid core. Davies has been a good pitcher throughout his career, Mills tossed a no-no last season and Alzolay muzzled the Cards pretty well in his spot starts.
If Bryant, Baez return to their norms and if Hayward repeats 2020. Assuming no one else is moved.

edit: Davies is no Yu, Mills, other than his no hitter was rather pedestrian, Alzolay will need to prove that he can adjust to hitters adjusting to him through the course of a full year.

Hard to see how this year‘s team is better than last year’s. But that’s why they play the games. Maybe they will surprise.
 
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#90      
If Bryant, Baez return to their norms and if Hayward repeats 2020. Assuming no one else is moved.

edit: Davies is no Yu, Mills, other than his no hitter was rather pedestrian, Alzolay will need to prove that he can adjust to hitters adjusting to him through the course of a full year.

Hard to see how this year‘s team is better than last year’s. But that’s why they play the games. Maybe they will surprise.
I think it'll be another competitive race in the division again this year. Who knows how it will all play out in the end. Should be interesting, to say the least.
 
#91      

Illiniaaron

Geneseo, IL
If Bryant, Baez return to their norms and if Hayward repeats 2020. Assuming no one else is moved.

edit: Davies is no Yu, Mills, other than his no hitter was rather pedestrian, Alzolay will need to prove that he can adjust to hitters adjusting to him through the course of a full year.

Hard to see how this year‘s team is better than last year’s. But that’s why they play the games. Maybe they will surprise.
I don't think last year's team was any good. The only reason they made the playoffs was due to the fast start in the first fifteen games. They were trending downhill pretty significantly when the season ended. I don't think they would have been close to making the playoffs if the season had gone 162.
 
#92      
I don't think last year's team was any good. The only reason they made the playoffs was due to the fast start in the first fifteen games. They were trending downhill pretty significantly when the season ended. I don't think they would have been close to making the playoffs if the season had gone 162.
They certainly weren’t playing well at the end of the season, but I have a hard time believing that Rizzo, Baez, Schwarber AND Bryant would have ALL put up OPSes +.100 under their career marks for an entire 162 game season.
 
#93      
Still in the belief that the Cubs are the best team in the division this year like last. Arenado has to prove he can hit away from Coor's still. He will always give you gold glove defense, but still don't think it's enough to catch the Cubs.
 
#94      
Still in the belief that the Cubs are the best team in the division this year like last. Arenado has to prove he can hit away from Coor's still. He will always give you gold glove defense, but still don't think it's enough to catch the Cubs.
The Cubs’ pitching staff is really, really bad. I’m assuming they’re going to add at least one more starter, but still, it’s going to be one of the worst 4 or 5 staffs in baseball.

They should have the best offense in the division, but see last season.

Fangraphs has the Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs and Reds ranked 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th in the NL respectively, with 5 games separating the four teams. We could argue the particulars on the rankings, but I think the division is really that bad and that the top four teams are really that close to each other.

ETA - the only reason these teams are likely to have winning records is they each get 19 games against the Pirates who are shaping up to be the worst MLB team in decades.

it’s anybody’s division, which is what makes it so infuriating that the Cubs have picked this year of all years to punt.
 
#96      
The Cubs’ pitching staff is really, really bad. I’m assuming they’re going to add at least one more starter, but still, it’s going to be one of the worst 4 or 5 staffs in baseball.

They should have the best offense in the division, but see last season.

Fangraphs has the Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs and Reds ranked 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th in the NL respectively, with 5 games separating the four teams. We could argue the particulars on the rankings, but I think the division is really that bad and that the top four teams are really that close to each other.

ETA - the only reason these teams are likely to have winning records is they each get 19 games against the Pirates who are shaping up to be the worst MLB team in decades.

it’s anybody’s division, which is what makes it so infuriating that the Cubs have picked this year of all years to punt.
I think that might be exactly why the Cubs have punted, they know they can't compete for a championship with the likes of LA or SD if they do spend, but they can be competitive in their own division without spending. I'm a bit more bullish than most on the rotation, that is to say I think they could be a top 20 unit, but who knows how trotting out 3 guys throwing 85 will go over the course of 162 games.
 
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#97      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
The Cubs’ pitching staff is really, really bad. I’m assuming they’re going to add at least one more starter, but still, it’s going to be one of the worst 4 or 5 staffs in baseball.

They should have the best offense in the division, but see last season.

Fangraphs has the Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs and Reds ranked 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th in the NL respectively, with 5 games separating the four teams. We could argue the particulars on the rankings, but I think the division is really that bad and that the top four teams are really that close to each other.

ETA - the only reason these teams are likely to have winning records is they each get 19 games against the Pirates who are shaping up to be the worst MLB team in decades.

it’s anybody’s division, which is what makes it so infuriating that the Cubs have picked this year of all years to punt.
This.
 
#98      
The Cubs’ pitching staff is really, really bad. I’m assuming they’re going to add at least one more starter, but still, it’s going to be one of the worst 4 or 5 staffs in baseball.

They should have the best offense in the division, but see last season.

Fangraphs has the Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs and Reds ranked 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th in the NL respectively, with 5 games separating the four teams. We could argue the particulars on the rankings, but I think the division is really that bad and that the top four teams are really that close to each other.

ETA - the only reason these teams are likely to have winning records is they each get 19 games against the Pirates who are shaping up to be the worst MLB team in decades.

it’s anybody’s division, which is what makes it so infuriating that the Cubs have picked this year of all years to punt.
Going into last season, this division was considered one of the strongest, with the Reds the early favorites to win it. We know how that played out. Every season is different. Talent is spread pretty evenly across the board, with a few exceptions. Depends on what players have career years or who breaks out or who comes outta nowhere to have a monster year and of course, injuries.
 
#99      
I think that might be exactly why the Cubs have punted, they know they can't compete for a championship with the likes of LA or SD if they do spend, but they can be competitive in their own division without spending. I'm a bit more bullish than most on the rotation, that is to say I think they could be a top 20 unit, but who knows how trotting out 3 guys throwing 85 will go over the course of 162 games.
Hendricks & Davies have proven track records. Alzolay & Williams? throw pretty hard. I just hope Ross doesn't stick with a starter too long like he did last season. He blew several games doing that, despite having one of the best bullpens in the league.
 
#100      
Dodgers sign Trevor Bauer .
looks like the east & west coasts in the NL are pretty serious about winning this year .