Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - Chicago Cubs | Profile & Projection | 612

Episode Date: February 26, 2023

Use code JOMBOYPRESEASON for 15% off on your next purchase at SeatGeek https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/JOMBOYPRESEASONThe Cubs had a fascinating offseason with longer term investments in Dansby Swanson and Jameson Taillon, but also made some shrewed one-year moves to try to unlock Cody Bellinger and veterans like Trey Mancini & Eric Hosmer. Will Chicago push for a postseason spot or will they be a fun trade deadline seller? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

They're doing another show. Yeah, they are. Am I listening to this? Is this live? Where am I? It's not live, no. Hello, welcome to another team profile and projection. On this episode, we're going to profile the Chicago Cubs

and then project what their season will look like because you guys voted them as this ranked team, whatever that is. And it's brought to you by Seat Geek Code. Oh, and before we do that quick BBD, ad break to tell you guys even more about Seekkeek, all of our PPPs, TPPs, our whole preseason

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Use that episode today, every day until opening day. 22. The 22nd ranked team, the Chicago Cubs, who made some moves this offseason. James, your Chicago Cubs had a big off season. I'm talking highlighted by Dan's Bay, Swamp.

in that shortstop crop, the hair comes over from Atlanta, seven years 177. Him and Nico Horner up the middle. How about that? Cody Bellinger. Cody Bellinger resurgence season. Change your Twitter name. Jameson Tyone from our Yankees.

He heads over to Chicago. I like that. Boxburger in the pen. Barhart behind the dish. Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini. We got some MLB dudes joining the, the party, even former opening day sensation, Julian Meriweather ended up on that team. That's a deep talking baseball cut.

Who they lost. Wilson Contreras. Behind the dish, D.H. and doing it for a while. He went to St. Louis. Wade Miley. He's with the brew crew. Jason Hayward out.

Raphael Ortega. A couple other guys. Stephen Brawl, Andrelton Simmons. Man, the Cubs had one of the bigger off-season. They really retooled the lineup, Trev Daddy. What's it? look like now. 22 seems a little bit light for this Cubs team.

I got my jersey on. Am I a believer? Maybe. We're going to find out throughout this TPP here. But the lineup looks pretty good. Nico Horner leading things off at second base. Danesby Swanson. That's a nice up-the-middle pairing. Our guy, Ian Hap, extension season coming.

Get it done. Cubs, nine figures, that's what you need to do. Say, Sizuki, Eric Hosmer, Trey Mancini, Cody Bellinger looking for the bounce back season. I think we're going to get it from him. Change a scenery guy like you read about. Chris Morel came on strong and Tucker Barnhart there behind the dish. They got some good pieces on the bench too.

Jan Gohm, Zach McKinstree, Nelson Velasquez, and don't forget about Patty Wisdom. James. Don't forget about Patty Wilson. Talk dirty about that rotation to me, please. Well, you got Marcus Stroman, Jameson, like Jake said, Drew Smiley, Justin Steele Left-handed pitcher

Keegan Thompson One of like three or five Keegens in MLB right now Weirds me out that that's a thing And then you know Was Necki Javier Assad Not familiar with him But he's on the list

As a potential rotation guy In the bullpen They got Not a lot of names you're gonna know Rowan Wick Merryweather Yeah Not a lot

Berger's been doing it for a bit But Yeah but no one I mean how many their bullpen's getting drafted in a fantasy league. None. So that's the pitchers. And I think maybe that's our kickoff point because I think that's what we're going to circle back on because Trev, you alluded to it a little bit with the lineup.

You could talk yourself in almost all those guys. I remember there were times last year. Morel was kind of like the shining spot on that team outside of Happer. He's now, they have them listed in the eight spot because there's a a bunch of MLB names down there. Second year of SEA, it's going to be how much can they pitch, man. You know, Stroman, Tyone,

Justin Steele put up a really nice year. Last year, is he going to be able to repeat that? What are they going to get from their rotation? And like Jimmy said with the bullpen, I mean, it's the spot where you can find guys nowadays and a couple pieces in there can change things. Is that Brandon Hughes? Is that Adbert?

Is it Malibu or is it Al-Azay? I don't know. I'm worried about the Cubs pitching. The lineup and what this team should do on the field should be a fun product. I mean, if you go back to last season, in the second half, their pitching did really well. So they're looking to continue that into this season.

I think a guy like Wazneseki, he came up at the end there. He can be part of that bullpen equation early on and then maybe find himself into the rotation. At least that's what I've been reading on the Cubs forums. So I think it's not fair to just to look at this roster and the pitching staff and say, ah, it's not enough because they did really well

at the second half of last year. Marcus Stroman kind of has a bounce back year. That's going to help a lot. Kyle Hendricks coming back. He had some shoulder stuff at the end of last year as well. So it's like they have some people that need to take a, or to get back to form. But they've also shown that they could do it

throughout half a season. They just want to bring it over into 2023. Yeah, I'm also interested. A lot of these moves aren't necessarily. for this year. Like they're building something, it seems, and you want them to be doing that because they traded away all their pieces

to kind of rebuild. But obviously they signed Dansby long term. They still have Stroman for this year and next. Sayah they got Tyone they signed for long term. And then they like some of their young pitchers, young players and wisdom. So I don't know. It isn't like the go, the windows wide open year for the Cubs,

but it's opening up. I think that's the plan. So I think they're like in the pleasantly surprise us mode. Like we got talent. We got like kind of like a three quarter baked roster here in a lesser division. Let's go win and we're going to keep building as we go. So I think it's on the slope up for Cubs fans. I hope.

I'm interested because they go to the deadline. You got pieces you can move or guys you can resign. and what does that look like. But I like some of their moves. I like their moves. I don't love their pitching. I like their lineup. You have to wonder what the second half of their lineup.

Like what you're saying, Jim. Nico Horner and Dansby Swanson, like, you know, in baseball, not a lot's promise, but you can get yourself excited for that middle infield for a while. Like those guys should be there. Ian Hap might be one of the stories of the season. Obviously, we are close to the situation with the compound and him being our guy guy. Contract year, All-Star, Gold Glove, you know, like Trev said, could they get an extension for him?

Could he become part of the core? Are they going to play the free agency game? How does that play out? Say it Suzuki. I mean, they gave him a real contract. Like, he's a part of what the Cubs are doing the next few years. So, like you said, coming up on the deadline, are the Cubs going to be in it enough? at like the Trey Mancini, Cody Bellinger.

If those guys have made, you know, are having nice seasons, A, are the Cubs in range for a wildcard spot? B, what could they flip those guys for and hopefully build towards future years for, you know, Horner and Danesby in the future? I think they've put themselves in a really good position here. And you guys are kind of, you're all over it. Okay, we're building for the future while putting a competitive team on the

field today. And I think if you're a if you're a fan base and you do end up trading away a big core group of guys, this is the position you want to find yourself in. You don't want to be just completely blowing it at the big level trying to restart the farm system. They're able to do both here. And you're right at the trade deadline. It's going to be up to them. How do you play? If you want us to add additions to this team and, you know, go for it. You got to show us. And I think that's exactly, you know, what Cubs fans are hoping for as well. We got a roster here. The defense is going to be solid, especially up the middle.

We mentioned Barnard, Nico, and Dansby, and then you got Cody in center field. So that's going to help the pitching staff out a little bit. It's got to go to. So, yeah, Cubs. I mean, Tucker. Got to go proof. When we first said that before we started about the defense up the middle, we didn't say our guy Tucker, whose jersey is behind me.

So I don't know, maybe it's not. Nice. But yeah, he sent you at least. Yeah, you put that, you put him up the middle. It's really strong. And he and had but a gold glove. That's nice. Okay.

What's their ceiling? Am I getting you to buy in right now? Well, that's why I, that's what I'm wondering. My next question was what do you think their ceiling is and their floor? Because what am I buying into as we do these episodes where we're not in the upper echelon? We're not in like, like right now, I don't. don't think they're automatically in a hunt for the division, but what do you, like, okay, can they win the division? Jake, Treve, both, I guess, whoever wants to jump on it. One word, no. No follow-up?

Just no? Just no. I laid it out. I'm going to give a few more words now. I think, I think that's possible. How can it not be possible? Now, I understand on paper, the Cardinals are ahead of this team and quite substantially. Brewers probably as well, I'd put them, definitely ahead of them, but I don't think as far as the Cardinals. But if things go right,

I mean, this is why we play the games. If the defense does help the pitching out, and they do show what they showed in the second half, and we get Say Suzuki to go off. And Ian Haft's like, fuck it, it's a contract year.

I'm about to go gangbusters and win an MVP. Like, things can happen. If Dan's becomes and brings his winning mentality to the clubhouse, and like, things can happen. This looks like a group that could really gel together and go on a run. I'm not going to say they can't win the division, bro. I'm not

going to say that. Is it likely? No. But I don't think... I think sealing would be yes. They win the division and shock everybody, James. And that would take the front office adding at the deadline, too, though. Can the Reds win the division? No. Can the pirates? No.

I'm guessing the same answer for you, Jake. No and no. So you have it be a two-team? Oh, you guys know. Are you leading me into something right now? You know, I have just the little bit, the littlest bit of pirate stock, but I don't think so. No, no. I was leading Jake into that because I know he's got a little bit of pirates. I have the littlest bit of pirate stock. Baseball could happen, but no, I don't think they can win the division.

I think they can be up there in a wildcard hunt. I think the best. And actually, you know what? Like, what is their front office rooting for here? Are they rooting for competitive, but still able to shed Bellinger? maybe try to re-sign HAP for next year, but like some of their rentals, like, try to trade. They don't need to shed him, though,

because he's not, he's not, he's not latched on for any amount of time. So they don't need to shed him. Trade, trade, get capital in return for guys that aren't part of the next window. And they have a couple guys, like, Hap, is he part of it? Is he not?

I think they are going to, I think he is too. I think they're going to want to try and resign him. But at the deadlineer, are they, do they want the flexibility to be able to, make moves still get prospects in return while still being competitive like the brewers did last year or do they want they're going to feel handcuffed if they're you know they feel like they can't do that they have to acquire and then it kind of messes up their formula or what is their formula is

that five years ago baseball and not current baseball I mean if you look at their farm system it's doing pretty well so like they've already kind of stocked that up right now I'm seeing six dudes in the top 100. That's nice. Pete Crow Armstrong is my guy. I had to mention him here. This is not a Pete Crow Armstrong jersey. He's Andre the Hawk Dawson jersey. But like I said, I think they just put themselves in a, I don't want to call it a win-win situation because if you're losing games at the big level, it's not really winning. But if they go off and have a good start to the season, they're competitive, I think they'll be fine with that. They haven't made any like crazy long-term commitments to guys that they don't want to.

and then if they do get off to a rough start, they do have some trade pieces. So this is a good situation to be in. And as a Cubs fan, I think you're pretty happy with how quickly this thing got turned around. I think that's a general consensus here. Well, they're not turned around. You have hoped for summer.

You have hope for summer, which last year you didn't. Last year, I remember doing the Cubs PPP, and it was like, hey, what is Raphael Ortega? What is Patty Wiz? Like, who are these 30? year old breakout guys the Cubs had for half a season. And we're not talking about those guys a lot, this TPP.

They brought in some guys. I mean, Trey Mancini, I know it kind of finished with a weird taste in our mouth because he was kind of platooning in Houston and it just never clicked there. But all that guy did was hit in Baltimore for half a decade. Cody Bellinger, you know, when a trade deadline approaches, what kind of Cody Bellinger is he? Because, A, they have him for that one year. If he fully made the flip, he's back. The shoulder's feeling good. He's going to be a five, six war player. If they're around it, you either better be getting a nice return or, you know, I believe the Cubs can still offer him

the qualifying arm. So they could get a draft pick back if Cody Bellinger is going to hit free agency and break the bank. Or do they make him part of the core? They, Treve, you said win-win, and, you know, that gets thrown around a little loosely. I do think last year was a find out. There's some pieces that we just don't know what we're doing. I think they found out. This year, I think if they're in it, they'll add. And if they end up being, you know,

they add a piece at the deadline, win 84 games. Like, we're not really talking about any trade deadline pieces, except Ian Hap, that you would be talking about a real return. But if you're going to let it get to the summer, you know, two months of Ian Hap, we often talk about trade returns. That's not necessarily going to net you like two big time prospects or anything. Like it's a rental.

So I think the Cubs might be in it. And speaking of qualifying offers, if Ian Hap has a nice year, like you better, they could do that as well. So I think they're in a, like I really liked what you said, Trev. There's so many times that we talk about teams that you can be rebuilding and retooling, like these Cubs are while also putting out a product

that maybe it does click. Maybe baseball does happen. But if it doesn't, that's okay too. And let's go back to the drawing board next off season and see where a Brennan Davis is or how much stock Pete Crow Armstrong's has grown for Trev in the past year. Bad sentence.

That sentence. What did you just stay right there? I'm watching Adrian Samson. With Hendricks out, they might have a spot open in their rotation. I don't think we had them listed here on the sheet, but he's a guy that went down and completely changed his arsenal in AAA, like had new slider. I think that started throwing the slider more.

It had a really good September last year. I think pitch two, yeah, I have it here. 163 ERA in September. Played the Cardinals, played the Mets, played not a lot of great teams. But also, the numbers were good. I don't even know what they're going to do with him. Is it going to be in the bullpen or starter?

They kind of have the option to mess around with that fifth starter role. On our sheet currently listed as their long relief guy. Yeah. But don't know. And then Keegan Thompson, he was better out of the bullpen last year than as a starter. And he ended the season kind of going back into the pen. So yeah, I don't know what they're going to do at the back end of the rotation there. I'm just reading up on Hendricks.

He still is, he's like about to start throwing. and he's still quite a ways away, it seems like. He had a tear in his shoulder. Gosh, I hope he comes back. He struggled the last couple seasons, I believe, too. And he was really fun. When he was right, it was really fun pitcher to watch. Yes, I agree, the professor.

I mean, he was a dude for six years, seven years. So, yeah, that's a storyline in Cubby's land, a guy you should be rooting for. I guess, you know, when you talk about winning the division, or in this NL Central. The pitching, man, go look at the Cardinals. Go look at the Brewers. And you find kind of different tiers of pitching.

And I'll tell you something else. Let's say the lineup clicks. I love Jameson. Jimmy and DBD will vouch. He pitches, and I think he was building up his arm strength for the past couple of year. He's going to have one tough stretch. But outside of that, he's going to be really strong for you.

Stro has been doing it for a while. Maybe Steele is a dude. Maybe it clicked for him and he's a guy. They lost innings out of their bullpen sneaky last year that D-Rob started there. He threw 36 games and he had a 223 ERA. Scott F. Ross, 47 games as a Cub to a 266. They traded those guys away last year

and a bullpen that still wasn't kind of a team strength for them. And it doesn't feel like they necessarily replace those guys. I know in a given year a reliever or two can click. They could also not. And I'm just, this Cubs pitching depth, maybe if the Brewers or St. Louis have a collapse this year and the Cubs, everything goes right like we're talking about, they can catch one of those teams.

I don't think there's a way they can catch a bull. Okay. We'll see over under it. I also agree. Well, maybe I don't. I don't know. It would have to be a bad summer for one of those other teams. Yeah, the other teams have to blow.

it. I think the Cardinals would have to blow it. I'm not, I got to check out this Brewers team. I got to get to the TPP here. They made me upset last year. They hurt your heart too much last year. A little bit, dude, a little bit. So, you know, I'm kind of feeling like, hey,

who's this new shiny object coming here that's been around since the 1800s in the Chicago Cubs? Over under, Draft Kings has at 77.5. I'm starting. I'm taking the over, boys. I'm drinking the Kool-Aid. Oh, you're not supposed to say that anymore. I'm believing in the Cubs this year

to be around 500. So I'm taking the over. I'm also on the over. Really? Because of our friend Ian Hap. Love Ian Hap. And Matt Mervis. Unless they trade Hap.

I'm taking the under. See, that's one of those tricky things. Yep. Just a carved out. Yeah, that's my own niche. Also might be a chicken or the egg thing. My needs to trade him. They're going.

77 and a half. I still like the Cardinals. I like the Brewers. How many do they win last year? 73. 73. 74. They added Dan's Bay.

They added a lot of guys. The Central plays the East and the Westmore. That's been a big thing for us. Yeah. Oh yeah, wait. I'm on the under. Sorry, I'm on the under. I'm on the under.

You guys are taking that too far. This is the first. This is the first episode of the session. I forgot that I'm taking Midwest unders. Ah. Yes. Can that defense be so good? I love the defense.

It helps out the pitching. I want pitching gets better. I want happen pinstripes too. So. I'm so upset. Right. Lock this. in for me on the over. Lock it

in for me, BBB. I'll note that Treve locks it in. Can they be 500 sure? My squad this year. I believe in Dansby. Danzby was the best shorts up in the National League last year. 78 wins over. Wow.

Way to be. Good job, Jake. I just upped it to 79. The biggest Cubs fan on the whole show. No. He just upped it to 79 I said 500 bro You're not counting the rain out

That doesn't get made up Bumbram bough bough bough bough bough bough bough Wow on wow