*** Official 2025 Chicago Cubs Thread***
- Thread starter Cyforce
- Start date
I am trying real hard and hope these two moves are just precursor to a deal for a top starting pitcher. They just have to add one, don't they??
Unreal sellers market for SP's. Gonna have to pay a pretty penny for anyone meaningful
Will be unpopular opinion. I don’t think the cubs have the pitching to win the NL this year anyway even if they add a good starter. The asking prices are crazy right now. I’m lowering my expectations greatly for today.
Especially since everyone knows that the Cubs need starting pitching in the worst way right now too. I don't want to overpay for a rental either, would be ok if it were someone with more than this season left on their contract but other than Keller and the Marlins pitchers is there really anyone else on the trade block that does that would be worth it?
I think its a fair opinion, but hard to say before we know the rest of the moves or the health of some guys.
I don't think the Cubs are going to have the best pitching staff in the league, but do you need it if you have the best offense in the league? I'm not saying they do, but they have had a top 2-3 offense for the first four months and it could theoretically get better today and with Shaw/Amaya.
Sometimes the best moves aren't the sexiest moves. Here's to hoping we get better today.
Correct answer here. The pitching doesn't have to be great, but it has to get better and deeper. The two trades so far have helped that. The offense is going to be great regardless and if they make an add like Willi Castro that's even better and make the bench stronger.
In the playoffs you get to carry 13 pitchers. With the moves thus far, I think I would feel good about 9 guys.
Starters
- Boyd
- Imanaga
- Horton
- Soroka
- Palencia
- Theilbar
- Keller
- Braiser
- Kittredge
With one more starter I think you can get to enough pitching where you feel okay with 4-5 guys who can start in the postseason and enough quality bullpen options to make it work.
The thing I'm trying to keep in mind is what a crapshoot the MLB playoffs are. Just get in and hope the bats can get hot. That's really the name of the game at this point.
Boyd and Shota should give you a shot to win most games. Horton has proven capable as well. Shorten the rotation come playoff times and hope some guys can turn it around offensively.
It's been talked about before but one of the biggest reasons I'd love a Cabrera type SP is I really think Ben Brown could be a dude coming out of the bullpen
I'll throw a crazy one out there... I don't think Jed is this desperate but I also wouldn't put it past him to settle for a trade like this but I see the Giants have made Justin Verlander available. I don't see us actually trading for him, he is washed up and we need a better pitcher than that if we are going to add another starter at the deadline.
The more dominos that keep falling that we didn't get the more pessimistic I am that we actually make a splashy trade today and we wind up just shopping in the bargain bin like we are known to do. I really hope I am wrong as this roster is some good pitching and bench upgrade away from being a true contender IMO.
The more dominos that keep falling that we didn't get the more pessimistic I am that we actually make a splashy trade today and we wind up just shopping in the bargain bin like we are known to do. I really hope I am wrong as this roster is some good pitching and bench upgrade away from being a true contender IMO.
Exactly, and this is where good pitching gives you an edge in a series because you can win a low scoring game even when your hitting is not hot. Said it coming into this season we failed to address the pitching needs and we've seen it come full circle in July that is still a need. We caught lightning in a bottle with some of the cheap reclamation arms we took flyers on and now some of those guys are regressing to the pitchers they were over their careers so we can't sit idle and hope they regain the magic they had earlier and can do that down the stretch in a tight pennant race.
Nothing like complaining before the deadline has even passed.
Also, he's referencing Robert Suarez
Uh that’s way too much. Cease is a FA and is having a bad year. Suarez has the option to leave after this year.
I think the Cubs will go after Suarez. Just a lot of people who usually seem to be in the know throwing his name out a lot this morning
My bad. I had those 2 Suarez years as Club Options. Yep, massive overpay.
Doesn't sound like the Padres are moving them anyway.
