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

[CP1708]

Baez with a GREAT at bat in the 8th.

Starts down 0-2. Works count to 2-2. Fouls off a couple. Lines go ahead two run double.

#Learning

 

[CP1708]

SOLERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

HOLY COW!!!!

I'm chilling at my pub knocking down a few engulfed in a game of darts, when I look up and Jorge goes yard again!!

 

[CP1708]

Alcantara gets in on the action now!!!!

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

^



Hendricks with another solid 6IP

As much as I like seeing them win....these meaningless games are killing our draft position

 

[CP1708]

They will have to start losing in Sept.

Must stay inside top 10 so we can sign free agents, out of top 10, we lose our pick. Theo knows this, I'm sure.

 

[CP1708]

Felix lookin like another Bosio gem.....

 

[sportsjunkie]

SOLER WITH 2 HR LAST NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! RUMBLE YOUNG MAN RUMBLE

 

[CP1708]

Going to go out on a limb a little.

Theo calls Miami and deals Baez, Almora, Edwards, McKinney for Giancarlo Stanton.

Then signs Max Scherzer AND Jon Lester.


Scherzer
Lester
Arrieta
Hendricks
Wada

With bullpen full of 95 mph throwers. Ramirez, Grimm, Strop, Rondon. Just need 2 lefties.


Lineup of,

Alcantara
Russell
Stanton
Rizzo
Bryant
Soler
Schwarber
Castro


Castillo, Valbuena, Vogelbach, Coglan, Ruggiano on the bench.


3 large contracts in Stanton, and the two pitchers. Everyone else young, and under contract. 80% of the roster 25 and under. Only a couple over 30.

Setup for long, and short term. And still would have pieces developing in the minors they could use later.

#Theo #ThePlan

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

^


Brought a tear to my eye........I can dream right

BTW
Soler picking up where he left off!
Doubled to deep left and brought Aris home to score a run

 

[arstyle27]

No way we get Lester and Sherzer...one of them yes. Probably Lester. And i dont see Stanton coming here.

 

[CP1708]

Stanton would be a trade. No team could offer a better package than the 4 I listed.

And signing two free agents with the amount of money we have available is doable.


Just a matter of how patient vs aggressive Theo is this off-season.

 

[arstyle27]

I know its doable. Its not impossible. Its just not gon happen.

 

[sportsjunkie]

Have Faith ChiTown

 

[arstyle27]

Have Faith ChiTown

Oh i have faith...im excited either way, i just dont see us getting two ace pitchers and Stanton during the off season lol At some point we need to be realistic here....

 

[CP1708]

That's just it. Realistically, that package would get Stanton. (I don't know if Theo wants him or not tho).
We KNOW he's going to pursue Scherzer and Lester.
So, say he gets one of them first. Then Miami calls. Work somethin out.

Becomes feasible at that point the other pitcher views our roster and says, hey, I want in on that too.

Rizzo said last week, players allllll over the league are asking about Bryant, Baez, Soler, etc. They know what's coming. Pitchers especially want run support. Clearly, Russell, Stanton, Rizzo, Bryant, Soler, Castro, etc would offer that. Even if we don't get Stanton, Baez still fills a void.

Not sayin it's easy, or a done deal, but it could be possible.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I like to stay optimistic about our future.
I definitely think we have the best chips in baseball to pull off any major trade, and I definitely believe that Theo is in Tom Ricketts ear talking about opening up the check books.

Like I said earlier, I want Scherzer to be our main target and hopefully Price the year after. I'm definitely all in if there's a possibility of bringing Stanton over. I feel like Lester is a consolation prize (not a bad one at that) if we miss out.

We can't say it won't happen, or that we won't make big moves. Theo has done a lot to change the culture around here, I believe he still deserves the benefit of the doubt. It's going to be a very interesting off season

 

[CP1708]

Jacob Turner with 7K's in 6 shutout innings.

Maaaaan.......

 

[CP1708]

Update, they brought him back for the 7th (which I didn't expect). He got the first out, but then allowed a solo home run, now pulled.

6.1 inn
1 run
5 hits
1 walk
7 K's

 

[sportsjunkie]

Soler with 2 Doubles on yesterday. He on fire right now. Batting 526.

 

[sportsjunkie]

Have we been sleeping on Hector Rondon 23 saves in 27 chances. Are we on to something.

 

[CP1708]

A new era is being built. Not even about the 100+ years stuff, just an era of youth, and hope built the right way by a guy with a proven track record.

Your future for the next generation of Cub fans.

SS Starlin Castro
View media item 793932
1B Anthony Rizzo
View media item 793940
OF Junior Lake
View media item 793951
OF Javier Baez
View media item 793961
3B Kris Bryant
View media item 793968
OF Jorge Soler
View media item 793969
2B Arismendy Alcantara
View media item 793981
OF Albert Almora
View media item 793986


All under the age of 25. Not even including CJ Edwards, Arodys Vizcaino, Pierce Johnson, Eloy Jimenez, Corey Black, or the #4 pick we have coming up in June.


This isn't about winning a World Series this year, or any curses, this is simply a new era for the Cubs, being run properly, building thru the draft, and not having a single 100 million dollar contract on the books.


Soooooon.


Let's Play Ball.

I'm getting ready to update some info in the OP, but man, look at the very first post, and how things look now.

Going to add the Russell, Schwarber, Arrieta photos to the bottom of the first post, and some other stuff from the season as well. So we can kind of compare the status of where we were, and where we are now, and where we're headed in the offseason.

 

[CP1708]

Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein doesn't necessarily believe his plan for a winning team has been "accelerated," but he's confident the franchise will have the wherewithal to add payroll as soon as it's needed.

"Looking at the next 24 or 18 months, I think you'll see us add impact starting pitching from outside the organization," Cubs president Theo Epstein, at right, said Wednesday.

"I think because we have so many young players that are going to be cost-controlled over the next several seasons, we have tremendous flexibility built into our roster as it is," Epstein said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. "We'll be able to field a pretty good nucleus with a very low payroll associated with that.

"That in of itself -- and some of the savings that we made over the last offseason, for example -- will allow us the flexibility to be very aggressive if the right player or players present themselves to us."

Players in their first three years in the major leagues come at a good cost for the club. Their salary increases once they get to arbitration in years three through six and then can explode when they hit free agency.

The Cubs are in the midst of debuting a slew of young talent that won't command high salaries for several years. And the savings Epstein is referring to from last winter is related to their pursuit of Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

The Cubs lost out on Tanaka but are on the record saying they were able to carry over that savings for upcoming offseason additions. It meant lesser talent on the roster for 2014, but it should mean better players for 2015 and beyond.

So the Cubs have money in the short term to add a pitcher via free agency if they wish. When players start to hit arbitration or agree to longer-term deals, Epstein is confident they'll have the money then, as well.

"As we get closer to a new television deal [in 2019], and as we realize some of the revenues associated with a renovated Wrigley field, I believe that will only enhance our flexibility," Epstein said.

In terms of the upcoming offseason, the Cubs aren't necessarily committed to adding a name pitcher.

"I never look at any one offseason as a time that we have to do something," Epstein said earlier Wednesday during the "Carmen & Jurko Show" on ESPN Chicago 1000. "I look at offseasons and trade deadlines and future offseasons together. Looking at the next 24 or 18 months, I think you'll see us add impact starting pitching from outside the organization. The major league starting pitching free-agent market is pretty good. The free-agent class is more pitching-rich than position player-rich this offseason. And, frankly, the class after that is even more impressive in the 2015-2016 offseason."

After next year, names like Jeff Samardzija, David Price, Doug Fister, Jordan Zimmermann and Hisashi Iwakuma are set to hit the market. At that point, the Cubs will be another year closer to seeing profits they are not capturing now.

"I'm very confident in our business side, and the right television deal will be struck at the right time and we're going to realize revenues from Wrigley," Epstein said. "But that's down the road."

For now, Epstein is enjoying the successes his youthful players are experiencing, both at the major league and minor league levels.

"Nothing is accelerated. It's been a great developmental year," he said. "All of our prospects have moved forward, even the ones that haven’t been as productive."

This falls more in line with the approach Theo has always maintained. I said they could make a big push for Stanton, then sign Scherzer and Lester (a long shot, I know), but in terms of things Theo's said, he makes it sound like it would be 1 pitcher this off season, and then another one next year, ready to compete fully in 2016.

Either way, soooooooooon.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Have we been sleeping on Hector Rondon 23 saves in 27 chances. Are we on to something.

The unsung hero
Mos def appreciated.

That Theo interview sounds spot on. I believe we will make some moves this off season, and set ourselves up for 2016.
I still wouldn't be surprised if we sneak into the playoffs next year.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Alright.....
Through his first 5 major league games lets look at Soler.

21 plate appearances
11 Hits
3 HR
8 RBI


And a ridunkulous .524 AVG