*** Official 2025 Chicago Cubs Thread***

RoseClone

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2006
2,842
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I haven't taken the time to check this but I have no reason to doubt Matt Cozzi on it - yikes.

“Not one reliever posted a clean outing all weekend as the bullpen allowed 17 runs on 24 hits and 9 walks in 12 2/3 innings over the four games.”
 
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NoCreativity

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2015
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Des Moines
I haven't taken the time to check this but I have no reason to doubt Matt Cozzi on it - yikes.

“Not one reliever posted a clean outing all weekend as the bullpen allowed 17 runs on 24 hits and 9 walks in 12 2/3 innings over the four games.”
Lol, he had one job over the off-season.
 

Clonefan32

Well-Known Member
Nov 19, 2008
23,527
25,981
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I haven't taken the time to check this but I have no reason to doubt Matt Cozzi on it - yikes.

“Not one reliever posted a clean outing all weekend as the bullpen allowed 17 runs on 24 hits and 9 walks in 12 2/3 innings over the four games.”
They tried desperately to **** it up on Saturday and succeeded on Sunday. I imagine there are plenty more blown leads where that comes from.
 

Clark

Well-Known Member
Jun 24, 2009
18,457
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Altoona
Lol, he had one job over the off-season.

you're blaming the wrong guy. Ownership literally made him trade away one of his best players for literally nothing and you want to blame the gm for not being able to bring players in? Turns out relievers don't play for free.

Jed can go as far as I'm concerned, just don't expect much better results with the next guy as long as ownership doesn't change (or their mindset)
 

NoCreativity

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2015
12,466
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Des Moines
you're blaming the wrong guy. Ownership literally made him trade away one of his best players for literally nothing and you want to blame the gm for not being able to bring players in? Turns out relievers don't play for free.

Jed can go as far as I'm concerned, just don't expect much better results with the next guy as long as ownership doesn't change (or their mindset)
Yeah, I get that the Ricketts are clowns, but hes had numerous opportunities now since Theo left and it's the same every year.

They need to start developing their bullpen then like every other team instead of relying on charity cases. I saw Arias pitch numerous times in DM last year and he had the look of a closer so not sure why they just gave up on him already.
 

1UNI2ISU

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2013
9,089
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Waterloo
When Tommy said 'Win the World Series', he meant 'Win A World Series'.

My theory is they're leveraged up to their eyeballs and that's why he's pulling as much money as he can and selling minority shares to PE.
 
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CYdTracked

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
18,639
9,458
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Grimes, IA
The thing that sucks is if this team is in the same spot in July as it has been the past 2 years Jed will probably not sell like he should since he is a lame duck at this point so I could see him make some terrible decisions with trading prospects for more rentals in a last ditch effort to save his job. He and Carter Hawkins made their bed to sleep in right now, Ricketts is to blame too for being cheap but we've been hearing for multiple years now promises to spend and promises about addressing the bullpen and they haven't. I've said it many times, what exactly is the vision this front office has with roster construction? We sold off the core roster in 2021 and some small deals at the deadline in 2022 with the biggest one being David Robertson for Ben Brown and Effross to the Yankees for Wesneski who is already gone. They didn't trade away Happ or Contreras when they had a chance so instead they extended Happ with a NTC and let Conteras walk for no return. Probably had chances to trade Bellinger for some kind of return and instead they resign him to a deal they hoped he opt out of, when he didn't have as good of a year he opted in and they wound up trading him for nothing in a salary dump.

Are they committed to building through the farm system or not because some of the moves they've made since 2021 don't seem to point that they are. And they sure haven't signed anyone of significance in free agency to make you think they are going to add the needed pieces around the prospects either. At least the 1st go around they signaled they would by signing Lester then traded for or signed the remaining pieces like Fowler and Zobrist and I guess you can throw Heyward in that mix too as they gave him a big deal. Haven't really seen them attempt to do anything like that with this current roster. Tucker is just a rental and originally made you think they were finally serious about adding some more expensive pieces to the mix but we found out that was not the case. So instead we have a roster without an identity and vision on where it is headed and prospects we acquired or drafted in recent years some are blocked at certain positions.

Even the long term payroll doesn't give you much of an idea where the roster is headed. Happ and Suzuki's contracts with NTC both go through 2026, Nico through 2026, Swanson 2029, Shota technically through 2028 with his strange options in his contract, Taillon 2026, Boyd 2026 with a mutual option for 2027 then the rest of the roster are all either team control Arb years or set to become UFA after this year. I guess you can say they are in wait and see mode with guys under team control and are saving payroll to extend them? By my math they've only spend just over $26 mil on the bullpen and that is assuming the numbers in the link below are what we are actually paying Pressly. There are teams contending for the playoffs that pay just 2 high end guys that much or more combined.

Chicago Cubs Multi-Year Table
 

CycloneErik

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2008
108,166
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Jamerica
rememberingdoria.wordpress.com
I haven't taken the time to check this but I have no reason to doubt Matt Cozzi on it - yikes.

“Not one reliever posted a clean outing all weekend as the bullpen allowed 17 runs on 24 hits and 9 walks in 12 2/3 innings over the four games.”

That's only about 3 baserunners an inning, and only half of them scored. That's, um, manageable.
 

isucy86

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2006
9,165
7,763
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Dubuque
So 16-3 Cubs mid-6th.

Past my bedtime. After yesterday.... Can we chalk this up as a win?

Save some runs for tomorrow night!

Out
 

Cyclone90

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jan 29, 2007
1,851
435
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The thing that sucks is if this team is in the same spot in July as it has been the past 2 years Jed will probably not sell like he should since he is a lame duck at this point so I could see him make some terrible decisions with trading prospects for more rentals in a last ditch effort to save his job. He and Carter Hawkins made their bed to sleep in right now, Ricketts is to blame too for being cheap but we've been hearing for multiple years now promises to spend and promises about addressing the bullpen and they haven't. I've said it many times, what exactly is the vision this front office has with roster construction? We sold off the core roster in 2021 and some small deals at the deadline in 2022 with the biggest one being David Robertson for Ben Brown and Effross to the Yankees for Wesneski who is already gone. They didn't trade away Happ or Contreras when they had a chance so instead they extended Happ with a NTC and let Conteras walk for no return. Probably had chances to trade Bellinger for some kind of return and instead they resign him to a deal they hoped he opt out of, when he didn't have as good of a year he opted in and they wound up trading him for nothing in a salary dump.

Are they committed to building through the farm system or not because some of the moves they've made since 2021 don't seem to point that they are. And they sure haven't signed anyone of significance in free agency to make you think they are going to add the needed pieces around the prospects either. At least the 1st go around they signaled they would by signing Lester then traded for or signed the remaining pieces like Fowler and Zobrist and I guess you can throw Heyward in that mix too as they gave him a big deal. Haven't really seen them attempt to do anything like that with this current roster. Tucker is just a rental and originally made you think they were finally serious about adding some more expensive pieces to the mix but we found out that was not the case. So instead we have a roster without an identity and vision on where it is headed and prospects we acquired or drafted in recent years some are blocked at certain positions.

Even the long term payroll doesn't give you much of an idea where the roster is headed. Happ and Suzuki's contracts with NTC both go through 2026, Nico through 2026, Swanson 2029, Shota technically through 2028 with his strange options in his contract, Taillon 2026, Boyd 2026 with a mutual option for 2027 then the rest of the roster are all either team control Arb years or set to become UFA after this year. I guess you can say they are in wait and see mode with guys under team control and are saving payroll to extend them? By my math they've only spend just over $26 mil on the bullpen and that is assuming the numbers in the link below are what we are actually paying Pressly. There are teams contending for the playoffs that pay just 2 high end guys that much or more combined.

Chicago Cubs Multi-Year Table

There is some conjecture that Ricketts is waiting to spend more when the next CBA is implemented in 2027 so he knows the longer term rules, but that's giving him too much benefit of the doubt based on past practice IMO.
 

GP4ISU

ISU87 Minor in Reverse Psychology
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Feb 1, 2017
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I’m just glad we got to see a World Series win in our lifetime
Yessir. Crazy to think my Dad never saw one. Not sure his Dad saw one either. Was a good one last night. If the pitching holds up it could be a fun summer!