Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Happ has been a very good bat nearly every year of his young career, so I don't really understand this take.
Chicago Cubs 2021 season
- Status
I agree, especially the two seasons leading into this one. In 115 games he hit 260/350/530 with 23 HRs.
Considering all the other players on the team who are also struggling (basically everybody besides Bryant), Happ’s a pretty odd guy to single out.
On a somewhat related note...
I was one who said that Hoerner not being called up early was not due to service time manipulation. The Cubs continuing to roll Bote’s and Sogard’s limp .426 and .409 OPSs respectively out there has proven me wrong and the cynics right. If the Cubs really don’t care what kind of offense they’re getting from 2B, they might as well be playing the Gold Glove caliber defender.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Hoerner has really struggled at the major league level, but certainly gives me more hope than Sogard or Duffy. I would be less inclined to beleive its a service time issue if the minor leagues had started play yet, meanwhile one of our best prospects is counting the days since he last saw live pitching and likely not getting any better.
Cubs are basically back to where they were in 2013. The circle of life . Seriously , you could not pay me $250 to go to a game today. Hard pass .
And dont get me started with the interjection of politics into sports - I'm not at all happy about that, and the two should be kept completely sepArate - but my issues are with the on field crap
And dont get me started with the interjection of politics into sports - I'm not at all happy about that, and the two should be kept completely sepArate - but my issues are with the on field crap
[ W ] #6
[ W ] #7
The season has barely started and we are 2 games out in a very winnable division. I think we are fine. But we do need to get Hoerner up in the next few weeks when his year does not count against his FA. Let us tap the breaks on the hate.
KBLEE
- Montgomery, IL
Hoerner is a defense first player. It's unlikely he'll have a big impact on our impotent offense. He hit .222 last year with a .571 OPS. That screams "meh" to me.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
He's only played 68 games with 200 PA's. He hit ok in 2019 and terrible in 2020, hit well in the minors, and was on fire in spring training. He certainly deserves his chance when the service time issue is up. The Cubs need guys like him to develop into every day guys or we are in big trouble going forward.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
What does both Sogard’s and Bote’s .180 scream to you?
KBLEE
- Montgomery, IL
At least Bote has a .686 OPS. He should be playing every day at this point.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
.686 OPS is the very definition of meh. As Homecoming said above, might as well let Hoerner play and see if he can develop. At least, as you said, Hoerner can play D.
He didn’t hit well in the minors. He hit well in 60 games at Rookie and A-ball level in 2018. He put up pretty pedestrian numbers at AA in 2019 and was called up without ever taking an at bat in AAA. His on base percentage in the Majors has been putrid. He showed some decent power in his brief call up in 19, but that evaporated in 2020.
I see a lot of Albert Almora parallels in a 1st round draft pick moved along too aggressively and given MLB playing time without ever showing he’s earned it at the minor league level. He’s the same kind of “gritty,” defense-oriented player that a certain segment of the baseball cognoscenti loves, but who’s a dime a dozen in terms of being able to replace cheaply. (To Hoerner’s credit, he’s actually very good defensively, while Almora was above average at best.) Unfortunately, COVID has robbed Nico of a ton of minor league at bats that might have helped him develop.
All that said, it’s not like the Cubs have a viable better offensive option at 2B (or SS for that matter, as Baez seems to have lost all notion of where the strike zone is), Nico is not getting any competitive at bats right now, and we know he can handle the position with the glove.
As bdutts referenced, it’s not like Hoerner is going to come in and do significantly worse offensively.
Also, Javy Baez has gone from looking at a nine figure contract to playing himself out of the League. He’s batted under .200 going back to the middle of August 2019.
If he keeps this up, he’s looking at a one year, “prove it” contract for less than $10MM
If he keeps this up, he’s looking at a one year, “prove it” contract for less than $10MM
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Fortunate to win last night after pounding out 4 hits. That was pretty much a gift from the Mets with their poor defense. I don't remember a worse defensive performance by an opposing first baseman, and I don't think he was charged with any errors.
I get that but that was last year and this is this year. The season does not start for a couple of weeks and most likely, he will be called up late March.
He could fall into the Rougie situation where the Rangers dumped him. I do not think that will be the case but it is possible
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Even with his recent slump I'd still be shocked if he didn't get a 5-6 year 20+ mil AAV contract. He's a top 10 shortstop at his absolute worst (fWAR since 2019). He's also worth millions more to teams for marketability reasons. That being said he might take a 1 year prove it contract so he can secure a much more lucrative contract in the area code of Lindor.
One of the ways the Cubs are acknowledging that what they’d been doing offensively in recent years was not working is that they’re stealing bases a lot more so far.
They’re on pace to steal about 105 bases this year. If they continue on that pace, it’d be the most by a Cubs team since 2006.
They’ve already attempted 14 stolen bases this year through 17 games. They attempted 34 through all 60 games last year.
They’re on pace to steal about 105 bases this year. If they continue on that pace, it’d be the most by a Cubs team since 2006.
They’ve already attempted 14 stolen bases this year through 17 games. They attempted 34 through all 60 games last year.
Javy’s recent power and speed burst makes his numbers look bizarre during the season’s short sample size. He’s on pace for 40 HRs, 120 RBIs and 50 SB. He’s also batting .200 and on pace for 300+ Ks to ~10 BBs.
Obviously, if he continues on pace for one set of numbers he won’t continue on pace for the other. Watching his approach where he constantly takes non-competitive and frankly unprofessional swings at bad pitches, I just can’t see him making enough contact to keep up the first set of numbers.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
It was good to see the Cubs' offense bust out for the second time in a week last night. The Mets' defense has been astoundingly bad in the two games.
Belated [ W ] #8.
Non-belated [ W ] #9.
Sweeping the Mets always makes the day a little brighter.
And just like that, as putrid as the offense was for the first two weeks of the season, the Cubs are .500 and tied for the last wild card spot.
Marisnick had a nice game tonight. With Pederson going on the IL, he has a chance to earn some playing time. As awful as the outfield has been so far at the plate, he has a real chance to get some at bats.
And just like that, as putrid as the offense was for the first two weeks of the season, the Cubs are .500 and tied for the last wild card spot.
Marisnick had a nice game tonight. With Pederson going on the IL, he has a chance to earn some playing time. As awful as the outfield has been so far at the plate, he has a real chance to get some at bats.
Spring thaw of the bats, eh? Already a 10-spot put up into the 3rd inning against Milwaukee.
- Status