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bikemike asked:
Baez and Bryant really tanked this year. I wonder if they will rebound or this is their “new normal”?
The ESPN broadcasters attributed Baez’ problems to not having fans in the stadiums because he is such a “showman,” feeds off the crowds, etc… Rah, rah, rah…
The Cubs won the division so yes by definition they are a good team but in their mind it is World Series or bust and I know they are astonished that this core has only produced one championship. They have won a lot of games but still have to be considered an underachieving disappointment based on what their expectations were.
It will be interesting to see if they ride it out one more year with this core or if they make some changes.
Three years have passed since the Cubs got past the Wild Card round. In the three prior years, they reached the NLCS all three times. It sure feels like the window is closing.
They have only scored 13 runs in their last 11 home post season games. And we think our boys lack punch. The post season batting stats on Rizzo, Bryant and Schwarber since 2016 are absolutely abysmal. Bryant’s stock on the open market has taken a serious hit over these past two years and Schwarber? I don’t think you’d fetch didily for the guy via trade. There’s not a heck of a lot in their farm system either. Their window is all but closed.
The Cubs have not developed pitching well in ages, so all those hitters have to be supplemented with expensive free agent pitching. Once the hitters start getting expensive and the pitchers get old, it’s trouble. They had a good regular season this year but I wouldn’t be surprised if they finished around .500 next year.
Think about all of the talent they have traded away. Eloy Jimenez, Gleybar Torres, and Jorge Soler would look pretty good in their lineup wouldn’t they? And Dylan Cease on the mound?
I know they will try to justify it because they won the world series in 2016 but wow did they give away a LOT. And for what? Three months of Aroldis Chapman, one year of Wade Davis and three average years of Jose Quintana. I think Theo will regret those trades.
My question is whether Theo will bolt again. When the bad trades and bad signings came home to roost with the Red Sox, he got out of Dodge.
Good question Brian. He has one year left on his contract so he will probably stay in 2021 but I could definitely see him leave next winter when it is time to rebuild the core. Then again, the Angels and Mets currently have front office openings so you never know.
Then again, the Angels and Mets currently have front office openings so you never know.
Now a third front office spot is open.
The #Phillies dismiss Matt Klentak as GM, and will be reassigned in the organization pic.twitter.com/4MhsDpSFJk
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 3, 2020
The Cubs have laid off over 100 employees, including 47 full timers on the baseball operations side. They include major cuts in scouting and international. Ouch!
Four years after being on top of the world, the Cubs have cut 100-plus employees in almost every aspect of business and baseball operations. Story with @sahadevsharma on all the talent and experience the organization has lost: https://t.co/ANYsD8sx0h
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) October 21, 2020
This is a shocker coming from a big market team like the Cubs. If the Cubs are losing so much money that they have to lay off that many, what does that say about the rest of the MLB teams? BTW, Anthony Rizzo has a team option of $16.5M with a $2M buyout for 2021. They could save $14.5M by not picking up his option.
We need to brace ourselves for the ‘new normal’ whatever that is..
This could go on the Former Cardinals thread too, but since he is a Cub now…
Source: #Angels have contacted #Cubs seeking permission to speak with VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz for their GM vacancy; unclear at the moment if there will be a formal interview. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 29, 2020
Hello, Max Schrock. Goodbye Daniel Descalso… https://t.co/xB1nMAYrEy
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) October 31, 2020
Buster Olney believes the Cubs are going to cut their payroll “significantly” this winter. Further, he thinks the Cardinals will benefit by their downturn.
You can look at that several ways. My fear is that if the Cards aren’t being pushed by the Cubs, they can close the gap by doing nothing or very close to it.
How do the #STLCards stay in contention in the NL Central? @Buster_ESPN tells #RivsAndBK that the Cubs taking a step back might be all they need.
PODCAST: https://t.co/pBfKWzu76D pic.twitter.com/jpMdjgHJES
— 101 ESPN St. Louis (@101espn) November 12, 2020
Ouch!
Daniel Descalso’s time with the Chicago Cubs has ended and despite horrendous on-field play he will leave a lasting mark on the franchise. Rightfully or not Descalso represents Cubs ownership choosing cheapness over winning. https://t.co/f8MMIqQ1BD
— Beyond the Box Score (@BtBScore) November 14, 2020
Prior to covid the Cubs had a 2020 payroll of $184M, fifth highest in MLB. And once you factor in benefits they were actually at a whopping $215M, which is over the luxury tax line. So if the Cubs are cheap that would make the Cardinals downright destitute.
As with the Cardinals I think a more accurate complaint for Cubs fans would be to criticize how they spend their money instead of how much. Too much unproductive payroll dollars.
Good closing point and am important one that many fans do not appreciate because they only follow one team. Every team has bad contracts and dead money – but some teams have more resources to better maneuver around them.
Cubs Open "To Move Almost Any Veteran" In Trades https://t.co/5FMLLzrMGa pic.twitter.com/orOqE7gSzy
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 16, 2020
The Cubs have been threatening to break up their core the last three years but so far have done nothing. I will believe it when I see it.
Hello…
Theo Epstein Steps Down As Cubs' President https://t.co/nWosW13DaD pic.twitter.com/73dVombtS5
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 17, 2020
I am sure it is more complicated than this, but my gut tells me that if Theo believed the 2021 Cubs would be true World Series contenders, he would have completed his contract. HIs three championships speak loudest, but this isn’t the first time he has bailed out before his team’s downturn. We already know about the problems with the veteran contracts and according to MLB Pipeline, their farm system ranked 26th after the 2020 draft. They haven’t developed a top pitcher in years.
Looks like Jed Hoyer will run the rebuild and any assumptions about their past decisions and behavior need to be diminished considerably.
Indeed, Theo Nathaniel Epstein is extremely adept at jumping off floundering ships. If he had been alive in 1912 and been aboard the Titanic, you can bet he would have found his way to seat 1 row 1 on it’s first life raft. He’s also pretty efficient at locating ships that have been sunk for better than four score and twenty year ago, but are poised to be hoisted upward.
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