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Chicago Cubs Thread - The Ricketts are too poor to pay players


pwny

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This ST is going to be really void of drama, as far as competition goes.  Almost everything is locked down, barring injury.

SP - Lester/Yu/Q/Hendricks/Chatwood

RP - Morrow/Edwards/Strop/Cichek/Monty/Wilson/Duensing

C - Contreras

1B - Rizzo

2B - Baez

SS - Russell

3B - KB

LF - Meatball (again, I don't know if this name works anymore, given his weight loss)

CF - Almora

RF - Heyward

Bench - Zobrist/Happ/LaStella

 

One battle is between Gimenez and Caratini for backup C.  You have to think Giminez has a big leg up in that competition.  Assuming that Joe starts the season with 8 relievers, which is likely, it means the other spot on the 25 man is going to one of Dillon Maples/Dario Alvarez/Eddie Butler/Justin Grimm/Randy Rosario/(Maybe another one I'm missing).  I think all of these guys have options left, outside of Butler and Grimm, so they are probably the favorites.  The obvious hope is that Maples destroys it in ST and makes the team. 

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I’m just curious what Joe plans to do at lead off. We didn’t really have anything that worked (outside of Rizzo for 5 games) with any consistency, and I feel like that’s something missing. We need another “you go, we go” guy.

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7 hours ago, iPwn said:

I’m just curious what Joe plans to do at lead off. We didn’t really have anything that worked (outside of Rizzo for 5 games) with any consistency, and I feel like that’s something missing. We need another “you go, we go” guy.

Yeah, in a perfect world we would have a Dex-type leadoff guy.  Heyward could be that guy if he suddenly remembered how to hit again, but that's unlikely.  Zobrist could be an option on the days he plays; assuming he bounces back from the season long nagging injury of last year.  But my money is on the CF platoon getting the bulk of time at leadoff.  Almora leading off against LHPs and Happ leading off against RHPs.   

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37 minutes ago, hrubes20 said:

Yeah, in a perfect world we would have a Dex-type leadoff guy.  Heyward could be that guy if he suddenly remembered how to hit again, but that's unlikely.  Zobrist could be an option on the days he plays; assuming he bounces back from the season long nagging injury of last year.  But my money is on the CF platoon getting the bulk of time at leadoff.  Almora leading off against LHPs and Happ leading off against RHPs.   

Defintely agree that Almora should be the guy against LHPs.

Not as big of a fan as Happ batting leadoff, but I'm not sure who else it'd be. 

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22 hours ago, Blazer026 said:

Defintely agree that Almora should be the guy against LHPs.

Not as big of a fan as Happ batting leadoff, but I'm not sure who else it'd be. 

As iPwn mentioned, it'd be great if we had one guy to put there.  But an Almora/Happ platoon could be really, really productive.  I'm lower on Happ than most, but he can still take plenty of walks and hit for solid power against RHPs.  

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7 minutes ago, Blazer026 said:

So Maddon said he'd try 3-4 guys at the top of the order this spring.

Said Happ and Schwarber. Guessing Almora has to be another and probably Zobrist is the other. 

So pretty much who we expected. 

Yep.  Happ led off today in the first ST a few minutes ago.  Meatball with a nice AB against a lefty.  Took a BB after starting out 0-2.

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I feel like I'll always be hopeful that Heyward can get back to his old self. Something like his career average (.262/.344/412) would be fine in the leadoff spot, and if you believe in lineup protection, he would probably draw quite a few walks hitting in from of KB. 

If only...

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