Those Fun Cubs
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 10:42 am
The Cubs are so much fun.
With an embarrassment of riches, every move they make will be scrutinized. Yesterday, with the signing of John Jay, Cubs Management essentially told their fans that Dexter Fowler would not be re-signed.
For us, that means that Fowler's adp would take a bit of a hit it it were the height of drafting season.
At least until we find out where he DOES end up.
According to fantasy radio analysts and some writers, the Cubs will have Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant in left field, Jason Heyward in right field, and a mixture of Albert Almora, Heyward, John Jay, Ben Zobrist, and Javier Baez in center field.
Jorge Soler, meanwhile, is giving them the middle finger.
Soler probably has more promise than Heyward. But the Cubs are in that situation that we are in when we buy an expensive new car and it keeps breaking down.
We don't want to admit it's a lemon, so we give it every chance to produce before giving up.
Heyward is getting every chance even though he was one of the worst players in baseball last year.
Heyward coming to the plate in a big situation was met with the same collective groan at Wrigley Field as girls on 'The Bachelor' if I walked through their door.
If thinking that his defense keeps him in the game, remember where Heyward spent most of the World Series, while teammates were on the field.
Really, Heyward and CC Sabathia could tussle (pleasant vision) over who is, pound for pound, the worst player in baseball, while Bartolo Colon laughs out loud. Not lol, really, laughing out loud.
But this isn't a post to pay tribute to Heyward's large satchel of ineptness.
The Cubs are fun in that Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, and Willson Contreras will be their only stable pieces defensively.
And even Contreras and Russell have qualified on fantasy teams at another position in the past.
While a lot of other teams will call on their AAA team to fill a position due to injury, the Cubs just reshuffle their cards.
But, let's get back to center field.
Heyward's only pixie dust is the way he plays right field. In center field, he is just another guy. And at 240 pounds, he becomes more susceptible to injury.
Jay, Zobrist, and Baez could play center field in a pinch, but none of them are every day center fielders.
This gives the Cubs two options.
One is that they can run with Almora, who already is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball. The problem with that is that for some reason it is tough to blossom offensively as a center fielder.
For every Andrew McCutchen, there are a hundred Juan Lagares'.
Fans say they love good defense in their outfield. So do Managers and execs.
But when it comes right down to it, if a center fielder can't hit, he loses his status as a center fielder and becomes the dreaded... fourth outfielder.
The Cubs second choice is to make a trade. That trade probably would involve the middle finger wielding, Soler.
On previous Cubs teams, Soler would have been the guy who gave Cubs fans hope.
This team doesn't need hope. They want production from any player not named Heyward (I'm such a liar. I said I'd stop).
There just doesn't seem to be a place for Soler on this team.
The fun part is thinking about who comes to the Cubs to play center field and possibly lead off.
And who is more fun than Billy Hamilton?
Hamilton on the bases while pitchers face Bryant, Rizzo, and Schwarber just made you smile. Admit it.
If nothing else, Spring Training drills with Lester on the bump and Hamilton on the bases would, alone, make for must-watch television.
If staying healthy, I believe that Hamilton would re-write all stolen base records in that scenario.
Speed is the only element that is limited in the Cubs lineup. And the entertainment, priceless.
The Cubs could also trade for McCutchen. He could go back to his old leadoff spot.
It may resurrect McCutchen to his days of yore.
Like Heyward (yep, total liar), McCutchen's best stats were more than two years ago.
Putting McCutchen in front of Bryant, Rizzo, and Schwarber would enable him to see a lot of pitches not seen now and take the burden of having to be 'The Man' off his back.
A look at the Cubs best lineup with a Hamilton/McCutchen addition.....
1. Hamilton/McCutchen-CF
2. Bryant-3B
3. Rizzo-1B
4. Schwarber-LF
5. Baez-2B
6. Zobrist- RF
7. Contreras-C
8. Russell-SS
9.Lester-P
That's a heckuva lineup.
Edited- Because I need an Editor
With an embarrassment of riches, every move they make will be scrutinized. Yesterday, with the signing of John Jay, Cubs Management essentially told their fans that Dexter Fowler would not be re-signed.
For us, that means that Fowler's adp would take a bit of a hit it it were the height of drafting season.
At least until we find out where he DOES end up.
According to fantasy radio analysts and some writers, the Cubs will have Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant in left field, Jason Heyward in right field, and a mixture of Albert Almora, Heyward, John Jay, Ben Zobrist, and Javier Baez in center field.
Jorge Soler, meanwhile, is giving them the middle finger.
Soler probably has more promise than Heyward. But the Cubs are in that situation that we are in when we buy an expensive new car and it keeps breaking down.
We don't want to admit it's a lemon, so we give it every chance to produce before giving up.
Heyward is getting every chance even though he was one of the worst players in baseball last year.
Heyward coming to the plate in a big situation was met with the same collective groan at Wrigley Field as girls on 'The Bachelor' if I walked through their door.
If thinking that his defense keeps him in the game, remember where Heyward spent most of the World Series, while teammates were on the field.
Really, Heyward and CC Sabathia could tussle (pleasant vision) over who is, pound for pound, the worst player in baseball, while Bartolo Colon laughs out loud. Not lol, really, laughing out loud.
But this isn't a post to pay tribute to Heyward's large satchel of ineptness.
The Cubs are fun in that Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, and Willson Contreras will be their only stable pieces defensively.
And even Contreras and Russell have qualified on fantasy teams at another position in the past.
While a lot of other teams will call on their AAA team to fill a position due to injury, the Cubs just reshuffle their cards.
But, let's get back to center field.
Heyward's only pixie dust is the way he plays right field. In center field, he is just another guy. And at 240 pounds, he becomes more susceptible to injury.
Jay, Zobrist, and Baez could play center field in a pinch, but none of them are every day center fielders.
This gives the Cubs two options.
One is that they can run with Almora, who already is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball. The problem with that is that for some reason it is tough to blossom offensively as a center fielder.
For every Andrew McCutchen, there are a hundred Juan Lagares'.
Fans say they love good defense in their outfield. So do Managers and execs.
But when it comes right down to it, if a center fielder can't hit, he loses his status as a center fielder and becomes the dreaded... fourth outfielder.
The Cubs second choice is to make a trade. That trade probably would involve the middle finger wielding, Soler.
On previous Cubs teams, Soler would have been the guy who gave Cubs fans hope.
This team doesn't need hope. They want production from any player not named Heyward (I'm such a liar. I said I'd stop).
There just doesn't seem to be a place for Soler on this team.
The fun part is thinking about who comes to the Cubs to play center field and possibly lead off.
And who is more fun than Billy Hamilton?
Hamilton on the bases while pitchers face Bryant, Rizzo, and Schwarber just made you smile. Admit it.
If nothing else, Spring Training drills with Lester on the bump and Hamilton on the bases would, alone, make for must-watch television.
If staying healthy, I believe that Hamilton would re-write all stolen base records in that scenario.
Speed is the only element that is limited in the Cubs lineup. And the entertainment, priceless.
The Cubs could also trade for McCutchen. He could go back to his old leadoff spot.
It may resurrect McCutchen to his days of yore.
Like Heyward (yep, total liar), McCutchen's best stats were more than two years ago.
Putting McCutchen in front of Bryant, Rizzo, and Schwarber would enable him to see a lot of pitches not seen now and take the burden of having to be 'The Man' off his back.
A look at the Cubs best lineup with a Hamilton/McCutchen addition.....
1. Hamilton/McCutchen-CF
2. Bryant-3B
3. Rizzo-1B
4. Schwarber-LF
5. Baez-2B
6. Zobrist- RF
7. Contreras-C
8. Russell-SS
9.Lester-P
That's a heckuva lineup.
Edited- Because I need an Editor
