Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Season Thread Vol: (17-17)

[CP1708]

L 3-2 at Arizona
L 6-1 vs Colorado
L 2-0 vs Colorado
L 5-3 at St Louis
L 13-5 at Cincy
L 4-3 vs Atlanta in 10 inn
L 7-4 vs San Diego (DH)
L 1-0 vs San Diego (DH)
L 2-1 vs Pitt
L 4-2 at Mil
L 5-3 at Mil
L 5-3 at SF
L 1-0 at SF
L 4-3 at St Louis
L 5-0 vs LA
L 3-2 vs Arizona
L 3-2 at Philly
L 5-1 at Atlanta
L 4-1 at Washington
L 5-4 at Washington in 12 inn (pen blows saves TWICE)

The 13-5 game was 3-2 Cubs in the 6th, Lackey just had a terrible 6th inning
The 5-0 game was 0-0 in the 8th, then we pulled Arrieta for Clayton Richard
The 6-1 game was 1-0 in the 6th, Hendricks got tired after that.


How many of these should we have truly lost????? 1-2 run losses every time almost.

 

[CP1708]

Addison Russell scores Almora to give us a 4-3 lead in the 12th, but the ******* bullpen fails AGAIN to finish the game.

4-4, Nats still batting. We're down to Warren and Richard in the pen, and only the 3rd string catcher on the bench.

Got to get to the 13th, give Heyward/Bryant/Rizzo a chance..........

******* brutal.

TWO chances to win the game, bullpen can't get it done either time. And what's worse is, this happened with the bottom of the ******* order. Absolutely atrocious.

Blown chance to take 2 of 3 in Washington and take the season series 6-1.


Oh well. Day off tomorrow, then the Pirates come in to face Arrieta, Lester and Hendricks. Cards for 3 after that.

 

[CP1708]

View media item 2070062

 

[madj55]

Hell of a series this year between these teams. Two great marathons at Wrigley and Nats Park in series finales

If we meet again I pray Ryan Zimmerman sits on the bench every game

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Bullpen let us down today.
Oh well can't win them all, just gotta keep piling up those W's.
Hoping for a dominant performance from Jake, he's got the Bucco's number.

 

[eentegra]

if there is a kink in the CUbs armor, its the bullpen. they need to be more consistent. blowing the lead twice is unacceptable.

 

[CP1708]

Well....at least the Cards and Pirates both lost.

Sure woulda been nice to get one of those pitches vs Harper in the 9th. Woulda been a huge day.

 

[jm9312]

It's clear we need bullpen help but I really hope we don't overpay

 

[illmatic34]

The bullpen is obviously the team's weakpoint but it's not like they're consistently blowing leads. If we decide to add someone like an Andrew Miller we shouldn't overpay for them. I'm perfectly fine with keeping the team intact.

 

[CP1708]

We have young arms in Triple A, and Joe Nathan rehabbing. We need help, sure, but we don't need to give up the farm for a one inning guy.

Theo will add an arm or two, but he won't harm our future doin it.

 

[eentegra]

In Theo We Trust

 

[CP1708]

C Willson Contreras called up.


God I wish Schwarber was healthy.

 

[af1nike]

Copping that Contreras Jersey soon as they cook them up

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Copping that Contreras Jersey soon as they cook them up

Better hope he's not being showcased for a trade

 

[eentegra]

C Willson Contreras called up.


God I wish Schwarber was healthy.

just saw this....i wonder tho if this is to see if he can cut it at the major league level. cuz what if he tears it up? is schwarbs now tradeable? for a setup guy?

if he stinks it up, they hold on to schwarbs?

or federo on his way back down?

 

[CP1708]

C Willson Contreras called up.


God I wish Schwarber was healthy.

just saw this....i wonder tho if this is to see if he can cut it at the major league level. cuz what if he tears it up? is schwarbs now tradeable? for a setup guy?

if he stinks it up, they hold on to schwarbs?

or federo on his way back down?

Schwarber is never getting traded. He's likely only ever going to be a 3rd catcher that plays Left Field. Maybe catches once a week, or second of a DH, etc. But he's never getting traded.

Contreras is going to be Ross's replacement next year. And since they were already carrying 3 catchers, might as well bring the better prospect up and let him get acclimated with the team. Learn from Montero, learn from Ross (very important) and also learn the other young guys like Baez, Almora, Russell, KB, etc. That way he's "more" ready for the job when it's his in 2017. (with Montero)

Better hope he's not being showcased for a trade

Contreras isn't getting traded either. Montero is 32, and Ross is retiring after the year, they have no other catchers in the system, Contreras is the guy. Schwarber will be the 3rd/emergency type guy.

Also why the Cubs in that string of 3rd round thru 10th round took ALL pitchers except.......one catcher. They need more organizational depth at that position, dealing Contreras is not in the cards.



Make no mistake, this upgrades the roster. Federowicz wasn't doin a damn thing, and Contreras off the bench as a late inning pinch hitter provides more value than he did, then you get the added benefit of letting him sit and learn from Montero AND Ross. Just like Almora is up learning from Heyward and Fowler, and when Soler comes back, I'm betting that it will be Sczcur that gets let go, (or Coghlan) and not Almora sent back down.

Theo/Maddon have proved they are not afraid of letting their young guys learn on the job, and it worked for every damn one of them so far, I suspect it's going to work for Contreras as well.

 

[af1nike]

Better hope he's not being showcased for a trade

I'm interested more so for the fact we have the same last name

 

[CP1708]

Holy ****

Rumors true: Cubs eyeing Yankees' closers
Deadline deal could include Chapman and/or Miller


Yes, the rumors are true. The Chicago Cubs are very interested in upgrading their bullpen for the postseason run they see in their future, and they are as well positioned as anyone to persuade the New York Yankees to part with Andrew Miller or Aroldis Chapman.

Or how about this? Both Miller and Chapman, in the same deal.
Yes, Miller and Chapman in the same deal. I'd guarantee you that the Cubs will at least explore that, assuming the Yankees get to the point where they are willing to make them available.

That's how motivated Tom Ricketts and Theo Epstein are to follow a potentially historic regular season with the Cubs' first championship since 1908. Joe Maddon has the Cubs on pace to win 112 games, but this week's series in Washington shows just how perilous October will be for every National League team, including the winningest.

Did you see Max Scherzer on Monday night? Any team facing him twice in a best-of-five series could be in big trouble. Not that it will be a cakewalk going up against any of the top NL teams -- the Mets with their collection of arms, the Giants with Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, the Dodgers with Clayton Kershaw.

Imagine how motivated Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals would be if they got a crack at the Cubs after losing to them last October.

These are the realities that will keep Epstein and his front office working long hours through Aug. 1 as they try to give Maddon the best roster possible.

The Cubs would love to somehow wind up with a bullpen that rivals the one that helped the Royals roll to the World Series the past two years -- not that the one they currently have is a glaring weakness. That's not the case.

Closer Hector Rondon might be the most underrated pitcher in baseball, and the cast Epstein has put together behind him through trades and minor free-agent signings is efficient. But Adam Warren is the only significant addition since last October, and the bullpen seemed vulnerable when matched up with those of the Pirates, Cardinals and Mets.

There were no major bullpen breakdowns for Maddon's team last October. It did remarkably well given that he had Nos. 3 and 4 starters Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel on such short leashes. But only once in the eight games that the Cubs used the bullpen did they outscore the opposition after the starter exited.

They wound up minus-6 in run differential post-starters. The Royals, meanwhile, won the late innings with a plus-22 differential after going to their bullpen, fronted by Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera and Ryan Madson.

You better believe there are files on this subject in the Cubs' baseball operations office.

I'm sure the formulas are more complicated than this, but the simplified version goes like this:
Rondon + Chapman + Pedro Strop > Rondon + Strop + Travis Wood.

Or maybe like this:
Rondon + Chapman + Miller > Davis + Herrera + Madson (and pretty much every other bullpen in baseball history).

Epstein would trust Maddon to line up his bullpen, but you shouldn't just assume that Rondon would be reduced to a secondary role if the Cubs could grab one of the Yanks' relievers (or even both). The guess here is Maddon would use a strengthened bullpen according to matchups, with multiple relievers put in position to get the last out.

Rondon is doing All-Star level work, even if he has only 11 saves. He'd converted 22 save chances in a row going back to last August before blowing his first of this season Tuesday in Washington. Rondon has put together a 1.59 ERA since the start of 2015. He is everything you want in a closer -- as reliable as he is nasty.

Rondon is probably not going to join the crowd of Cubs at Petco Park for the All-Star Game because he's tied for 27th in save chances. He's been a victim of all the Cubs' easy wins, including many when they've pounded the opposing bullpen late in the game. The Cubs have extended leads in the seventh inning or later eight times to eliminate save chances, including five times when they've scored in their last at-bat.

"I am not concerned about fact he has not worked enough, because I know those games are going to start popping up,'' Maddon said. "We're going to have to start utilizing him more often.''
Wood, the converted starter who has become a valuable bullpen piece, has watched Rondon blossom since he was added as a Rule 5 Draft pick from the Indians after the 2012 season, when he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.

"Ronnie's unbelievable,'' Wood said. "Seeing him now from where he was when we first got him, he's made tremendous strides and gotten a ton better. He's one of the top closers in the game.''
You'd say the same about Chapman and Miller. The Yankees felt adding them to a bullpen that already had Dellin Betances would give them a chance to compete in the American League East.

That may yet prove true, as they've hung around .500 while battling injuries. The Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles look more formidable, but there's no way the Yanks are going to concede until they face a big deficit in the Wild Card standings.

Because Miller is signed through 2018, he will be tougher to acquire than Chapman. The Yankees rented Chapman for the 2016 season at a relatively low cost after the Dodgers backed out of a deal when his domestic-violence case was reported.

Epstein signed Miller for the Red Sox after the 2010 season, when Miller was foundering. He'd love a reunion both for what Miller could do this October and how he'd set up the Cubs' bullpen for the next two seasons. Chapman is the definition of a shutdown reliever. He brings baggage that some teams might want to avoid but has served his suspension.

The Cubs are sitting on a wealth of potential trade pieces, especially if they reluctantly agree to include Javier Baez or Jorge Soler in a deal, and have to consider that if they don't land Chapman or Miller (or maybe both), then the Nationals, Giants or another contender will.

Dusty Baker and Chapman worked well together in Cincinnati. Do you think the Cubs want to see him come into a game after Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg?

I know Theo gets creative, and he has the prospects on the farm, but I really don't see him pushin in THIS deep.

I find it impossible to believe he'd deal either Soler or Baez. Both have huge potential and tiny contracts for half a decade. I have a really hard time believing he'd deal one of them.

Now Torres, Eloy, Happ, EJM, Candelario, Vogelbach, and McKinney? Yeah, I see them bein dealt at some point, but no way Soler or Baez unless he was getting a top line Ace.

 

[CP1708]

Whoa, Keith Law.......

NEP: Starting tomorrow how would you split up the playing time between the 3 Cubs catchers with Contreras coming up?

Klaw: Start Contreras 4 days out of 5, let Ross catch the other day, give Montero a fruit basket.

 

[Retroballer]

Cubs prospect Willson Contreras a perfect fit in team's future

Catcher prospect Willson Contreras, 24, is hitting .350 for Triple-A Iowa, with a 1.030 OPS.
Buster Olney
ESPN Senior Writer
Through the summer of 2014, the trajectory for Chicago Cubs catcher prospect Willson Contreras was not good. The Cubs minor leaguer had seemingly hit a ceiling as an offensive player, posting a .320 on-base percentage in 80 games of Class A ball -- the same mark he had posted a year earlier -- with some power but not enough to distinguish himself.

But when Contreras arrived in spring training in 2015, something had changed. Maybe it was his first significant experience in winter ball in his homeland of Venezuela, of being someone that teams and pitchers relied on in a way they hadn't before. Cubs staffers noticed he was much more engaged and involved, detailed in his preparation, and last season Contreras batted .333 in Double-A with 34 doubles, four triples and eight homers. As a catcher, he reminds some evaluators of the Pirates' Francisco Cervelli, with his high energy, and Contreras has become an untouchable prospect for Chicago.

Forty-six days remain before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, and presumably, as the Cubs discuss trades and pursue a high-end left-handed reliever, the 24-year-old Contreras will be one of the prospects asked about by other teams. The Yankees have two All-Star relievers in Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, and while New York is structuring a future around young catcher Gary Sanchez, it could still ask for Contreras, to maximize value.
The Cubs will likely say no because Contreras fits their future to a tee. He fits their 40-man roster perfectly for what they need.

Contreras is again dominating in the minor leagues this season, batting .350 for Triple-A Iowa, with 16 homers, three triples and nine homers in 54 games. He also has nearly as many walks (2 as strikeouts (32) and a .439 on-base percentage.

And the Cubs have rewarded him with a call-up, it was announced Thursday.

Veteran catcher David Ross intends to retire after this season, and as the Cubs work Contreras into the big leagues, he is a natural match to be part of a catching combination in 2017, with the left-handed-hitting Miguel Montero.

 

[CP1708]

The next hot Chicago Cubs prospect is on his way to Wrigley Field after the team promoted catcher Willson Contreras from Triple-A Iowa for the beginning of their homestand this weekend.

It was only a matter of time before the Cubs felt comfortable bringing him up; they said goodbye to their veteran insurance policy behind the plate, Tim Federowicz.

The Cubs will address the move Friday when the team is back in action against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But after two months of watching Contreras rake and throw runners out, they obviously felt the time was right. He'll mix in with Miguel Montero and David Ross, and like Albert Almora Jr. he could at least be used for defense late in games.

The Cubs have struggled to limit opponents on the base paths for the second year in a row. Montero has thrown out only two of 30 attempted base stealers (7 percent). He's also been behind the plate for 16 wild pitches and three passed balls. Some of his worst moments came in the just-completed series against the Washington Nationals, perhaps pushing the Cubs in Contreras' direction.

Meanwhile, Contreras has nailed 31 percent (11 for 36) of runners trying to steal and is known as an overall sound defensive backstop.

"We're been trying [to improve]," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday regarding throwing out runners. "It is what it is. So far our record is pretty good so it hasn't hurt us a lot to this point."

It was starting to hurt a little, evidenced by a key run crossing the plate in a one-run affair earlier Wednesday in a loss to the Nationals. In any case, Contreras arrives having taken to the catching position rather quickly after converting from being an infielder. And his bat has come alive over the last two seasons; he was hitting .350 with a .439 on-base percentage at Iowa this year.

The Cubs now feel he can contribute to the team with baseball's best record. Here is vice president of player development and amateur scouting Jason McLeod discussing Contreras' timeline to the majors:

"When we came here in 2012 he was a long ways from where he is now," McLeod said. "He was very enthusiastic and passionate, so there were actually a lot of things behind the plate that had to be calmed down. He was a high-energy player who didn't know when to slow the motor. He loved showing off his arm. He would back-pick a lot and throw balls down the line. So a lot had to be done to calm him down. You loved the passion because he worked hard from Day 1, but it's been a continual process with him.

"In my opinion what clicked was playing in the Venezuelan winter league in 2014 when he was around veteran guys down there. When he came to spring camp last year he talked about that experience and how good that was for him. We saw a different guy last year and it carried over to his season. There was a more mature approach to the way he was going about things. We're lucky for it because he was Rule 5 eligible the year before. Anyone could have had him for $50,000 and now he's one of the more sought-after prospects."

And now he's a in Cubs uniform in a pennant race. It won't hurt Contreras to have Ross around for half a season to help him get acclimated, and perhaps we'll see him start once a week or so. The strategy with him today doesn't mean it's the strategy next week or next month. Maddon is likely to let things play out and see how the pitching staff takes to the rookie. Can he call a game properly with this pitching staff? That's the big question. He'll have plenty of help in the form of catching coach Mike Borzello and pitching coach Chris Bosio.

There's always the debate on whether Contrera is better served playing every day in Iowa -- the Cubs have to address the same thing with Almora -- but most of the time there's little harm in having a rookie soak up the major leagues with some veteran help even if he's not playing every day.

And maybe he will be soon.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Whoa, Keith Law.......

NEP: Starting tomorrow how would you split up the playing time between the 3 Cubs catchers with Contreras coming up?

Klaw: Start Contreras 4 days out of 5, let Ross catch the other day, give Montero a fruit basket.

The disrespect to Miggy
I said it earlier in the season when he went down, it would've been the perfect time to give Kyle some time catching, but we can't get down on Montero now, plenty of time left on the season.

 

[CP1708]

Miggy been struggling big time defensively tho. He's solid framing and handling pitchers, but throwing and defending he's been off a bit. Ross has been much better this year.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Schwarber is never getting traded. He's likely only ever going to be a 3rd catcher that plays Left Field. Maybe catches once a week, or second of a DH, etc. But he's never getting traded.

Contreras isn't getting traded either. Montero is 32, and Ross is retiring after the year, they have no other catchers in the system, Contreras is the guy. Schwarber will be the 3rd/emergency type guy.

QFT!!!

Spitting nothing but the truth right there!!

I might be talking out my @ss but Kyle is a game changer! Generational type hitter.
Right now he seems like a guy without a true position in the NL but he is worth his weight in gold.

Montero is the future at C, but no way in hell were trading Kyle for anyone.
I'd rather see Soler or Baez go before Kyle, and I'm a big Soler supporter.

 

[arstyle27]

We ain't giving kyle to the yanks for a 31 yr old setup guy, albeit a great one.