Chicago Cubs 2021 season

#801      
why do
some good pitchers come to the Cubs and suddenly throw more balls than strikes ?
some hitters come to Cubs and suddenly swing at more balls than strikes ?

It sure seems like that’s been a problem for the Cubs since Epstein got here. Justin Wilson, Darvish, Kimbrel, Chatwood all went through periods where they couldn’t get the ball over the plate. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone.

Would be curious to know if this could be statistically quantified somehow and then see how the Cubs compare. Is it a general phenomena of new guys taking a minute to find their footing or is it something particular to the Cubs?
 
#803      
The Cubs' pitching staff has been horrible for the last two months of the season.
through July 31: 4.17 ERA - 4.60 starters, 3.61 relievers
since Aug 1: 6.54 ERA - 7.05 starters, 6.00 relievers

The ERA through July was right at League average and it's been the worst in baseball since.

The reliever drop off is to be expected since they traded away all their good relievers. No real explanation for why the starters dropped off so incredibly. They've just all been horrible and they've spoiled something of an exciting offensive team over the last two months where both Schwindel and Happ have been posting MVP-level numbers.

The offense has actually been much better since the trade deadline - .227/.307/.397 before and .252/.318/.427 after. That .745 OPS since July is well above the League average of .724 and would be good for 6th place in the League if held over the whole season.
 
#804      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
The Cubs' pitching staff has been horrible for the last two months of the season.
through July 31: 4.17 ERA - 4.60 starters, 3.61 relievers
since Aug 1: 6.54 ERA - 7.05 starters, 6.00 relievers

The ERA through July was right at League average and it's been the worst in baseball since.

The reliever drop off is to be expected since they traded away all their good relievers. No real explanation for why the starters dropped off so incredibly. They've just all been horrible and they've spoiled something of an exciting offensive team over the last two months where both Schwindel and Happ have been posting MVP-level numbers.

The offense has actually been much better since the trade deadline - .227/.307/.397 before and .252/.318/.427 after. That .745 OPS since July is well above the League average of .724 and would be good for 6th place in the League if held over the whole season.

Interestingly, Baez is having a pretty good go of it in NY. Bryant is pretty similar between SF and the Cubs, Rizzo is pretty similar as well between Cubs and NYY. I wonder if the Cubs have been taking more walks since the TDL and striking out less? Certainly, the BA is better. Curious as to why the offense is so much better.
 
#805      
Interestingly, Baez is having a pretty good go of it in NY. Bryant is pretty similar between SF and the Cubs, Rizzo is pretty similar as well between Cubs and NYY. I wonder if the Cubs have been taking more walks since the TDL and striking out less? Certainly, the BA is better. Curious as to why the offense is so much better.

Baez and Trevor Williams have both been very good for the Mets. That deadline deal worked out for them. Their problem is that DeGrom got hurt, Syndergaard never got healthy and there wasn’t enough pitching behind Stroman to win.

As for the Cubs bats, they’re making more contact and more of that contact has been good. Specifically, in Happ’s case, he’s elevating the ball from both sides of the plate. For the first 100 games of the season he was beating it into the dirt.
 
#806      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
Now that the season is over, there are a lot of question marks with the Cubs. Will be interesting to see how Jed answers those question in the offseason.
 
#807      
Just had a funny thought on the Cubs-Padres trade. As much as the Darvish trade was vilified heading into the season, the Padres would love to get Caissie and Preciado back in return for getting out of the last two years of Darvish’s contract and there’s no way on earth the Cubs would agree to that trade now.
 
#808      
Just had a funny thought on the Cubs-Padres trade. As much as the Darvish trade was vilified heading into the season, the Padres would love to get Caissie and Preciado back in return for getting out of the last two years of Darvish’s contract and there’s no way on earth the Cubs would agree to that trade now.
Would have been a homerun if Davies didn't have one of the worst seasons I've seen a cubs starter have since Edwin Jackson.
 
#811      
If not for only pitching 80 innings I would agree!
There's a couple ways you could look at it. Maybe he's not considered as bad because he only pitched 86.1 innings and didn't hurt his team as often.

On the other hand, he had a -2.1 bWAR in only 86.1 innings. It took Edwin Jackson 140.2 innings pitched to get to -2.3 bWAR in 2014. The only reason Arrieta didn't surpass Jackson's mark is because the Cubs took mercy on Arrieta and released him. Kyle Farnsworth actually managed a -2.5 bWAR in only 46.2 innings pitched in 2002.

Arrieta 2021 5-11, 6.88 ERA, 86.1 innings
Jackson 2014 6-15, 6.33 ERA, 140.2 innings
Farnsworth 2002 4-6, 7.33 ERA, 46.2 innings

And those are very easily your worst Cubs pitching performances of the 21st Century thus far.

ETA - Jim Bullinger's -2.4 bWAR in 1996 is the only other sub -2 performance I can find since 1970 - 6-10, 6.54 ERA, 129.1 innings.
 
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#815      
All I know is the AAA Cubs won as many playoff games as the Cardinals this year.

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#817      

He’s 34. He’s spent his entire professional career with Cleveland. Cleveland has a reputation for developing pitchers and that’s clearly a need for the Cubs.

Just like it was difficult to see what Hoyer did for the Cubs when Epstein was in charge. It’s going to be difficult for people to see what Hawkins brings with Hoyer in charge.

GM is not the impact hire for the Cubs that it is for other sports teams due to the way the Cubs are organized. This is not and never was going to be a slam dunk hire. He has the pedigree and comes from a quality front office. That’s about all that can be said.
 
#821      

TwoElevenEastDaniel

Cochrane's-Orchid-Tonic
I mean, I know the Cubs are in on Jon Gr....Rangers? Cool. Well, they have a hole at shortstop, so Cory Sea...probably heading back to the Dodgers? Okay, I get it. But the starting pitching needs are tremendous, so I know they have to give Kevin Gaus....oh, off the board too? Fine, I see. Well, maybe the Cubs will take a young ex-"high prospect pedigree" castoff from a contender in exchange for a prospect the front office has painfully misevaluated.
 
#823      

bdutts

Houston, Texas
Tank to what end? They have no high value contracts left. Their projected payroll is less than $70mm, 23rd in the Majors.

The tank has been achieved. It’s time to start building back up.
It was a joke but I do realize that it’s hard to determine that from text. Having said that, when your only improvement is one starting pitcher, it’s hard to believe they are actually building back up. So, in my eyes, until they make more significant improvements to the team, they are still in tank mode.