[FlipsideRM]

Per Ken Rosenthal

[daneblazer]

Over rated

[pinnerpsk]

Wow..


2016 Cubs lineup:

Heyward
Zobrist
Bryant
Rizzo
Schwarber
Soler
Montero
Russell

[THam12]

Stack city, stack stack city bitch.

And still looking to trade for a starting pitcher....

[d2bets]

Wow..


2016 Cubs lineup:

Heyward
Zobrist
Bryant
Rizzo
Schwarber
Soler
Montero
Russell

Zobrist 2B
Heyward CF
Bryant 3B
Rizzo 1B
Soler RF
Schwarber LF
Russell SS
Montero C

Loaded. Although it's possible the Cubs could trade Soler for a young arm and plug CF with a defensive-minded player. Now imagine if Schwarber can actually catch and then you move Bryant to LF and Baez to 3B. That lineup could be obscene.

Add: Heyward, Zobrist, Lackey, Warren
Subtract: Castro, Haren

Pretty good swaps for a 97-win team with young talent like Bryant, Russell and Schwarber who likely haven't even scratched the surface of what they will become. Theo wants to win now.

[JoeA1010]

I like Joe Madden, but it ain't that hard when you have all the talent.

[d2bets]

I like Joe Madden, but it ain't that hard when you have all the talent.

So you predicted they'd win 97 last season?

[jjgold]

Not bad pickup

[d2bets]

Reports say 8/185. Not too bad. Some were saying he would top Price's $217m.

Cubs have become a destination team. Everyone wants to be part of Cubs first WS in forever.

Cubs note done yet either. Probably add a defensive CF and a young talented starting pitcher, for Soler. Rumor is Soler to Indians for Carrasco or Salazar.

[lakerboy]

Cubs look daunting

[t-wizzle]

Cardinals fans are losing their shit.

[THam12]

Cardinals fans are losing their shit.

Whiniest fans on THE planet.

[The Giant]

The guy was 47th in baseball in OPS.

To put that in perspective, Logan Forsythe was 46th.

His defensive metrics are good, but I don't like him. Overrated.

[THam12]

The guy was 47th in baseball in OPS.

To put that in perspective, Logan Forsythe was 46th.

His defensive metrics are good, but I don't like him. Overrated.

Are you a cards fan, by chance?

[The Giant]

Are you a cards fan, by chance?

I'm a bitter Angels fan.

I was hoping we'd get him.

[THam12]

I'm a bitter Angels fan.

I was hoping we'd get him.

No problem. I agree though, offense isn't out of this world, but he's good enough there and he will upgrade the defense by a landslide.

[d2bets]

I think the HR numbers will rise again, at Wrigley. Don't forget he's only 26. He'll have a lot of protection in the 2 hole in that lineup. He's an ideal 2 hole guy.

[Ratpack]

yeah hes 26 but hes been in the league already for 6 years

[jtoler]

If only decent football players saw a tenth of this money.

[d2bets]

If only decent football players saw a tenth of this money.

Football players are a hit away from being done. And most are almost washed up by 26. Sad reality.

[pavyracer]

107 years without a title. No one alive remembers Cubs winning a title. It's sad.

[teaserpleaser]

O/u how a many games he's on the DL this season ??

[stevenash]

Another bat that strikes out 100 + times a year.
That line up is a strike out waiting to happen.
If I'm a Jose Fernandez or Chris Sale type starter I'm salavating at the thought of striking out 12 Cubs hitters.

[Ralphie Halves]

Cards fan here. One of these days, the "We're just going to sit on our hands during big Free Agent season and sign guys later" mentality is going to backfire.

I thought Lackey was fool's gold and a bad signing for the Cubs. Heyward is legit though. Cubs have a GM that is hellbent on motherfukking the Cards. We have to adjust.

[ByeShea]

Cards have about best organization in baseball - Cubs shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence.

[existential]

Heyward for that money is laughable

[lakerboy]

He isn't a good player. Mlb has too many junks like him.

[d2bets]

Another bat that strikes out 100 + times a year.
That line up is a strike out waiting to happen.
If I'm a Jose Fernandez or Chris Sale type starter I'm salavating at the thought of striking out 12 Cubs hitters.

Another? Who are you talking about? Heyward struck out 90 times last season. He hasn't K'd 100+ since 2012. His BB/K rate last 2 seasons was top 25 in all of MLB. And Zobrist top 10 in baseball both seasons. Clearly, the BB/K rate is a big part of these two additions. Add Rizzo, and that's 3 of the top 25 in MLB BB/K rate. I don't see any other team with likely 3 of top 25 in that.

[d2bets]

Heyward for that money is laughable

Multiple teams tried to give him 200+.

"That money" is what baseball has become. It's relative. Toosly 26 year old established hitters don't hit the open market very often.

[d2bets]

Cards have about best organization in baseball - Cubs shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence.

Are you living in the present and future or only in the past. Cubs organization horrible up until a few years ago. They exterminated everything and started over.

[lakerboy]

d2 cubs have less than 10% chance to win the series next year pal

[d2bets]

d2 cubs have less than 10% chance to win the series next year pal

I'd say a bit better than 10%, maybe 12-13%. And I'd say probably the most likely single team to win the series. I'll take Cubs you can name your team.

What do you figure Cubs O/U in 2016? Maybe 94.5? More?

[newguy]

Going to be a ton of excitement for these guys all year but also going to be different feeling for the younger guys. They didn't play with the target on their back all year like they will next year. Going into last year they were "a year or two away" - going into this upcoming year they are likely the odds on favs to win WS (if only because vegas will take a ton of flyer bets on cubs so guys can say they nailed it after 108 years).

Thats a different mentality for sure. I am beyond excited - but also tempering that excitement with the memory of how many times Chicago sports teams have let me down.

[lakerboy]

I'd say a bit better than 10%, maybe 12-13%. And I'd say probably the most likely single team to win the series. I'll take Cubs you can name your team.

What do you figure Cubs O/U in 2016? Maybe 94.5? More?

over under will be 95.5

my team is no one pal. i just think the year will be 2017

[d2bets]

Going to be a ton of excitement for these guys all year but also going to be different feeling for the younger guys. They didn't play with the target on their back all year like they will next year. Going into last year they were "a year or two away" - going into this upcoming year they are likely the odds on favs to win WS (if only because vegas will take a ton of flyer bets on cubs so guys can say they nailed it after 108 years).

Thats a different mentality for sure. I am beyond excited - but also tempering that excitement with the memory of how many times Chicago sports teams have let me down.

Not based on that. Cubs made final 4 and none of the others have improved themselves the way the Cubs have. Plus the young guys who should get better. Cubs as favorite to win WS is appropriate. Yet, as lakerboy says, it's small a small likelihood (10-15%). That's the nature of baseball. A real crapshoot in any single season.