Cubs gave up 4 great prospects for Quintana

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

You are not being fair to Kenta Maeda...IMO. He is a better 4th starter than you can find on any other team out there. If McCarthy or Hill go down...then Maeda can fill the 4th spot quite nicely...IMO. The Cubs may indeed have 4 "legitimate" starters, but they've all been decidedly unimpressive this year. And their offense has been asleep all year.

And, don't forget...Hill's problems are blister-related, not arm-related...and he was very impressive in his last couple starts.

When you hit like the Dodgers do...you can overcome a soft spot in your starting rotation. When you hit like the Cubs are hitting this year...then you are in trouble, because your pitching obviously can't carry the load.

And the Nats have obvious relief-pitching concerns.

Pitching is what wins in the playoffs. Im not saying the Dodgers cant win but dont discount the nats or your cubbies. If nothing is wrong with Lester and hendricks comes back to form the cubbies staff could become dominate with quintana. The cubbies are too deep to disappear for a whole year hitting wise. The nats will find relief help in the next few weeks. This is not going to be a Dodger run away year. And stop being the typical ehore cub fan, they are loaded and can turn it around at any time.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

Pitching is what wins in the playoffs. Im not saying the Dodgers cant win but dont discount the nats or your cubbies. If nothing is wrong with Lester and hendricks comes back to form the cubbies staff could become dominate with quintana. The cubbies are too deep to disappear for a whole year hitting wise. The nats will find relief help in the next few weeks. This is not going to be a Dodger run away year. And stop being the typical ehore cub fan, they are loaded and can turn it around at any time.

When you are loaded with talent...being sub-500 after 88 games isn't a "fluke"...it's an EMBARRASSMENT. The Cubs have declined drastically in every facet of the game, with the exception of relief pitching. I may be a Cub fan...but I ain't blind. This isn't something that the team can just "wake up" from...IMO.

[mostpost]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

Dont count on McCarthy or Hill. It will be tough to get through the Nats with 2 starters. And dont count out your cubbies. If the cubbie four of lester, arrieta, hendricks and now quintana are all right, Ill take that four over the dodger four every day of the week and twice on sunday.

Excellent choice although this years records do not show it. Career wise, the Cubs four have thirty five more wins and 22 fewer losses than the Dodger four in ten less player-seasons. The only Dodger I would trade even up for one of the Cubs pitchers is Kershaw. Of course the Dodgers would never do that.

I am not convinced Alex Wood is legit. In his previous four seasons he was above 500 only once.

BTW: They no longer play double headers on Sunday.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

When you are loaded with talent...being sub-500 after 88 games isn't a "fluke"...it's an EMBARRASSMENT. The Cubs have declined drastically in every facet of the game, with the exception of relief pitching. I may be a Cub fan...but I ain't blind. This isn't something that the team can just "wake up" from...IMO.

I dont know how long you have followed baseball in your city but in 1983 there was a loaded team whose record was 40-38 the game after the All Star break. They finished the season with 99 wins. This stuff happens.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by mostpost

Excellent choice although this years records do not show it. Career wise, the Cubs four have thirty five more wins and 22 fewer losses than the Dodger four in ten less player-seasons. The only Dodger I would trade even up for one of the Cubs pitchers is Kershaw. Of course the Dodgers would never do that.

I am not convinced Alex Wood is legit. In his previous four seasons he was above 500 only once.

BTW: They no longer play double headers on Sunday.

You honestly wouldn't trade John Lackey for Alex Wood?

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

I dont know how long you have followed baseball in your city but in 1983 there was a loaded team whose record was 40-38 the game after the All Star break. They finished the season with 99 wins. This stuff happens.

I've followed Cubs baseball for longer than I care to admit...and I'd love to see the Cubs rally and take it all again. But I make that scenario 25-1 against...generously speaking.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I've followed Cubs baseball for longer than I care to admit...and I'd love to see the Cubs rally and take it all again. But I make that scenario 25-1 against...generously speaking.

You cub fans have to finally put it behind you. The goats, blacks cats etc are all gone.

[rastajenk]

All they have to do is catch the Brewers; that could happen in a couple of head-to-head series. That shouldn't be all that tough.

[Valuist]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

You are not being fair to Kenta Maeda...IMO. He is a better 4th starter than you can find on any other team out there. If McCarthy or Hill go down...then Maeda can fill the 4th spot quite nicely...IMO. The Cubs may indeed have 4 "legitimate" starters, but they've all been decidedly unimpressive this year. And their offense has been asleep all year.

And, don't forget...Hill's problems are blister-related, not arm-related...and he was very impressive in his last couple starts.

When you hit like the Dodgers do...you can overcome a soft spot in your starting rotation. When you hit like the Cubs are hitting this year...then you are in trouble, because your pitching obviously can't carry the load.

And the Nats have obvious relief-pitching concerns.

Hendricks is now the Cubs # 4. I would take him over Maeda, who has spent both years of his career in a very pitcher friendly park.

Yes, Kershaw is the best, and Alex Wood is a serious Cy Young Award candidate this year, but Rich Hill cannot be trusted to provide any amount of innings for a season. He does have a great breaking pitch, but just can't stay on the field.

[Valuist]

Lackey is brutal. He should be DFA'd.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by Valuist

Lackey is brutal. He should be DFA'd.

Very doable now with Quintana.

[Jess Hawsen Arown]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Let's see now. The Dodgers have unquestionably the best starting pitching in all of baseball...they have the most dominating closer...and they score 5.1 runs per game, which is 4th in the entire league. And all this...while all the other high-scoring teams have serious pitching problems...which they can't possibly solve. So, you are right...how far in the playoffs can the Dodgers possibly go?

Who can keep the Dodgers out of the World Series this year? Do you realize that Alex Wood has been better than KERSHAW this year?

Sounds like the '54 Indians. How'd they do in the World Series that year?

The Nats have little chance of beating them in the NL unless they can find TWO stud relievers. Herrera is probably off the market since KC closed the gap. Actually Addison Reed might be their best pickup assuming the Mets don't catch fire the next two weeks.

Mets should be able to get some good prospects for Bruce. Of course, not as good as the Cubs gave up for a middle of the road starter.

[olddaddy]

Originally Posted by Jess Hawsen Arown

The Nats have little chance of beating them in the NL unless they can find TWO stud relievers. Herrera is probably off the market since KC closed the gap. Actually Addison Reed might be their best pickup assuming the Mets don't catch fire the next two weeks.

Not a stud but Robertson sure beats Reed.

[Valuist]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

Very doable now with Quintana.

He will probably share 5th starter duties with Montgomery and Butler. But he does have post-season experience. Maybe he could be used situationally against a few RH hitters out of the bullpen.

[Valuist]

Originally Posted by Jess Hawsen Arown

Mets should be able to get some good prospects for Bruce. Of course, not as good as the Cubs gave up for a middle of the road starter.

The LOL is AT you, not with you. "Middle of the road starter"? What do you look at, wins? A metric that is more about your teammates than actual performance. In terms of pitcher WAR since the start of 2013, where does Quintana rank? SEVENTH. He trails only Kershaw, Scherzer, Sale, Kluber, Price and Lester. Some of the big names he's ahead of? Bumgarner, Greinke, Strasburg, Arrieta, Verlander, Wainwright and Hamels.

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.asp...lter=&players=