BA Review of Cubs international signings Ben Badler put up a recap of the Cubs international signings over at BA ($). Most of it is just a collection of scouting stuff we saw back at signing time, but still a good read since I don't remember any of it. Most of what seems new to me is where the signings are …
More Jeff Samardzija trade rumors
I thought the Jeff Samardzija trade rumors were put to sleep for at least a few months, but Gordo is back with more of them. Last we knew was that he had two years left on his contract, the two sides remained at a standstill with regards to a contract extension and that he probably wouldn't be traded before the …
Quiet Optimism
So, we've got the team. My best guess at the 25-man roster (Wins Above Replacement – Myles): Position Player WARM C Castillo 1.5 1B Rizzo 3.0 2B Valbuena 1.0 SS Castro 2.5 3B Olt 1.0 LF Lake 1.0 CF Sweeney 1.5 RF Schierholtz 1.0 4OF Ruggiano 1.0 5OF Vitters 0.5 UTIL Barney 1.0 UTIL Roberts 0.75 2C Kottaras 0.5 #1 …
2014 Assume the Position: 1B
It's the second installment of Assume the Position for 2014. Here are some relevant articles: 2014 Assume the Position: Catchers 2013 Assume the Position: First Base Last Year 2014 Career Name Age (2014 season) AVG OBP SLG wOBA Oliver wOBA AVG OBP SLG wOBA MLB Rizzo 23 .233 .323 .419 .325 .336 .238 .324 .412 .323 …
Bill James: great frequency of defensive shifts will probably end in about five years
In a recent Q&A, Bill James said this and I agree. It may not be five years, but we will see an end to the increasing frequency of these shifts. The reason is simple: bunting is the best option and once players begin to do it, the shifts will end. If you can bunt for a hit, it almost always …
Dale Sveum fired
Per Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs fired Dale Sveum today. Honestly, I would have been okay with this whichever way it went. I was never super enamored with Sveum, but I don't think he's awful either. The best guess is that Sveum was fired due to some combination of: Starlin Castro regressed big time this year Anthony Rizzo did not improve …
Anthony Rizzo’s season is not comparable to Starlin Castro’s
Lately there have been some comparisons between Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro that have come out of nowhere. We've talked a lot about Starlin Castro around here so before we get back to a comparison, let's take a look at what Rizzo has done this season. Myles wrote about it awhile back, but it's been over a month so let's …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-16-13
St Louis Cardinals 0 @ Chicago Cubs 7 How 'bout that Jake Arrieta, huh? I'm starting to think we won the Feldman trade. Arrieta tossed 7 shutout innings against the cards, allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks against 7 Ks, and was dominating. Someone asked Keith Law on Twitter if Arrieta could be "a GUY" (which, can I say, …
Jose Dariel Abreu Stats, Video, and Cuban Comps
Jose Dariel Abreu Stats. A look at Jose Abreu’s statistics in Cuba’s la Serie Nacional and a comparison to other recent Cuban defectors such as Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig.
2014 Contending Cubs, Part 1: Payroll
I thought it was about time to take a more thorough look at the 2014 Cubs and eventually discuss ways in which they could contend. The first thing to look at is how much money the Cubs may have to spend, which means we need to know how much money they currently have on the books for 2014. Cots Contracts …