MLBTR has posted their salary projections for the Cubs arbittation eligible players. The projections are done by Matt Swartz who did a bunch of math and came up with a system to estimate the value that each arbitration eligible player would receieve. First time: Luis Valbuena ($900K), Jeff Samardzija ($2.9MM), James Russell ($900K) Second time: Chris Volstad ($3MM) Third time: …
The Top 20 Cubs performances in a 2012 game
I was curious which players had the best games in 2012 for this shitty team we follow. I used Win Probability Added (WPA) from Baseball Reference to compile the list. There's no reason to write more of an introduction than that so here they are. 20. Travis Wood, .395 WPA Despite Wood's up and down season, he ended up having …
Season in Review: Jeff Samardzija
Now that Jeff Samardzija's season is over, let's take a moment to look back and express amazement that for about half the season Samardzija was the guy you most wanted to see on the mound for the Cubs. Well, assuming you weren't rooting for the Cubs reverse standings position. Here's his final numbers on the season. Player GS IP …
The Cubs will probably avoid losing 100 games
The Cubs currently sit at 58-89 even though 2 weeks ago it looked like a sure thing that they would lose 100. But after the Cubs have won 7 of their last 11 games it's now looking unlikely. Baseball Prospectus has the Cubs going 6-9 over the rest of the season which would put them at a cool 64-98 on …
Wrigley Talk Friday: The Return of Julie (for awhile) – 9-14-12
This week we welcome back Julie after a long absence and came to the conclusion that we still don't really know what to make of Jeff Samardzija after a full year. We also wonder how much longer the Cubs' season ticket waiting list can remain in the six digit range while the Cubs lose in the three digit range. And …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (51-82) at Washington Nationals (81-52)
Team Overviews Cubs Nats wRC+ 78 (16th) 98 (4th) BSR -0.7 (9th) -15.5 (16th) UZR 19.1 (3rd) 19.5 (2nd) DRS -5 (9th) -3 (7th) SP FIP- 104 (11th) 86 (1st) RP FIP- 113 (16th) 95 (6th) The Nats are definitely a deserving first place team. Pitching Matchups Monday: Jeff Samardzija, RHP (4.03, 3.69, 3.42, 3.88) vs Ross Detweiler, LHP …
Cubs “shifting gears” because we have to
According to Paul Sullivan, the Cubs are going to shift gears with regards to what they're doing at 3rd base. You're not alone if that doesn't make any sense. Sveum says they are "shifting gears" on playing time for Vitters. Valbuena to get bulk of starts down stretch. — Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) August 30, 2012 About 10 days ago this …
Series Preview: Iowa Cubs of Chicago (46-70) at Cincinnati Reds (71-47)
#reminder { background: #BECDC6; padding: 6px; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 12px 8px 12px; } Contest reminder: Don't forget to enter our contest to win The Essential Games of the Chicago Cubs DVD set. It runs through Sunday, August 19. The Cubs faced the Reds less than a week ago (here's the preview). Not much has changed (Cubs still suck, Reds …
Fangraphs on Samardzija’s splitter this year
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/how-good-is-jeff-samardzijas-splitter/ He has battled struggles with tiredness at times, which is understandable given the increased workload, but if he is able to sustain a mid-90′s fastball as a starter over the next few seasons and utilize his splitter with this type of consistency, he could elevate himself to become a top tier starter….With what is likely the top split-fingered fastball …
Series Preview: Houston Astros (38-78) at Chicago Cubs (44-69)
The Cubs are 7.5 games out of the top pick in the 2013 draft, and can pick up some ground on the loss-leading Astros in this series. The Cubs have done their part, going 2-11 over the past two weeks but barely made a dent in the Astros lead after they went 3-10 over the same span. Team Overviews This …