OT: Other Sports 72

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

84-78 last year. A year older for a lot of their important players. No improvements whatsoever.... Cubs might be bottom of the Central in 2020. It would be more surprising to me, to see them make the playoffs, than be a cellar dweller.

The NL Central is probably competitive, but not a single team in that division is even CLOSE to being a contender. They are the equivalent to the Pacific in the NHL.

The Pirates are going to be laughably bad.

 

[LDF]

At this point, it's hard to see the WS champion not coming from the Yankees/Dodgers/Braves trio. The Yankees are about as close to a lock for a WS appearance as you can get pre-season. They'd have to have half their team get injured for the majority of the season again for them to not come out of the AL.

i am a die hard Sox fan..... saying this, on paper the Sox can make some noise toward the end of the season, esp if they fix the #1 front line sp.......... this is how confident i feel about this upcoming season.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

i am a die hard Sox fan..... saying this, on paper the Sox can make some noise toward the end of the season, esp if they fix the #1 front line sp.......... this is how confident i feel about this upcoming season.

The Sox are only getting a #1 pitcher if they develop one. So Giolito, Kopech, Cease.....it's got to be one of those three.

With Kopech and Cease on innings limits this year, it's got to be Giolito, and they're going to run into availability issues in the playoffs.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

At this point, it's hard to see the WS champion not coming from the Yankees/Dodgers/Braves trio. The Yankees are about as close to a lock for a WS appearance as you can get pre-season. They'd have to have half their team get injured for the majority of the season again for them to not come out of the AL.

Eh, anything can happen in the playoffs. All it takes is the bats drying up for a few games.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

Eh, anything can happen in the playoffs. All it takes is the bats drying up for a few games.

While true, they didn't have Cole, Stanton/Andujar/Severino missed most of the season, Judge missed 60 games, and they still won over 100 games.

 

[ColdSteel2]

While true, they didn't have Cole, and Judge, Stanton, Andujar and Severino missed most of the season, and they still won over 100 games.

For the foreseeable future, I’m betting big on their over for regular season wins, they have a super team. Anything can happen in the playoffs, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they won 3 out of 4 WS or something along those lines.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

That's my point, you can win 115 games and still lose 3 of 5 or 4 or 7.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

That's my point, you can win 115 games and still lose 3 of 5 or 4 or 7.

We saw that with the 2001 Mariners. That being said, they have to be the overwhelming favorite to win the AL. I never said they were definitely going to win the AL, I said they're as close to a lock as exists in baseball. It would be a huge shocker if they lost before the WS.

 

[ColdSteel2]

It’s not even just the big names but their ability to indentify and cultivate depth is among the best in the league. Bats like Urshela, Ford, Tauchman, etc. are what kept them rolling through the injuries last season.

 

[LDF]

The Sox are only getting a #1 pitcher if they develop one. So Giolito, Kopech, Cease.....it's got to be one of those three.

With Kopech and Cease on innings limits this year, it's got to be Giolito, and they're going to run into availability issues in the playoffs.

everything you pointed is sooo true and i can't find any faults....

but it is still a wise thing to know the whole situation. i still think the team can be a good playoff team.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

We saw that with the 2001 Mariners. That being said, they have to be the overwhelming favorite to win the AL. I never said they were definitely going to win the AL, I said they're as close to a lock as exists in baseball. It would be a huge shocker if they lost before the WS.

gestures towards the 2019 Houston Astros

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

gestures towards the 2019 Houston Astros

Yup, them too.

@LDF I think that they're going to go with a 6 man rotation when Rodon comes back, or even when Kopech comes up around Memorial Day, pending Lopez's performance.

 

[LDF]

Yup, them too.

@LDF I think that they're going to go with a 6 man rotation when Rodon comes back, or even when Kopech comes up around Memorial Day, pending Lopez's performance.

the things is i have read that Kopech and his camp is pushing for starting in the beginning of the season ....... either case the best situation is both Rodon and Kopech should be in the roatation mid-season.

Lopez is the wild card, can he turn into the viable pitcher that the scouts saw..... he needs to do it in the beginning.

Giolito will need to start the season has he did last season.... those 2 will dictate the future for the sox next season.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Astros name Dusty Baker as manager

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Astros name Dusty Baker as manager

 

[Mrfenn92]

Cubs sign Relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress. 1yr $850k. played for the brewers last year.

 

[HawksBeerFan]

Cubs sign Relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress. 1yr $850k. played for the brewers last year.

Cubs pen is going to suck so bad.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Cubs pen is going to suck so bad.

Looking like they wil. Only hope guys just come out of no where.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Jeffress was awesome two years ago. I think that's a pretty good low risk signing to be honest.

 

[HawksBeerFan]

Jeffress was awesome two years ago. I think that's a pretty good low risk signing to be honest.

He has been bad 2 of the last 3 years. In the only good year of the last three he had a very low BABIP and an extreme outlier K rate for him.

EDIT: He's also 32 and lost 2 MPH on his fastball last year.

Most likely he's just not very good.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Giants sign Yolmer Sanchez to a Minor league deal.

 

[TLEH]

He has been bad 2 of the last 3 years. In the only good year of the last three he had a very low BABIP and an extreme outlier K rate for him.

EDIT: He's also 32 and lost 2 MPH on his fastball last year.

Most likely he's just not very good.

I lean this way too. It’s wild that we as fans are relegated to talking about “hope” signings. I mean this team won 84 games last year and the only two additions are gonna be guys who were god awful but have “been good before”

They had good years it happens. Neither are good players.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Steven Souza deal is done with the cubs. 1 year $1.0 million. $2.0 in incentives.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

the things is i have read that Kopech and his camp is pushing for starting in the beginning of the season ....... either case the best situation is both Rodon and Kopech should be in the roatation mid-season.

Lopez is the wild card, can he turn into the viable pitcher that the scouts saw..... he needs to do it in the beginning.

Giolito will need to start the season has he did last season.... those 2 will dictate the future for the sox next season.

The only person that benefits is Michael Kopech. It doesn't even benefit the Sox trying to win. If Kopech is unavailable in September, how does that help the Sox?

Kopech struggled with command until about 2 months before he got injured. Command is the last thing that comes back after TJS. It makes absolutely zero sense for him to be up until he can prove he can hit his spots in Charlotte. The Sox have a division to win. Player development time at the big league level is over.

 

[LDF]

The only person that benefits is Michael Kopech. It doesn't even benefit the Sox trying to win. If Kopech is unavailable in September, how does that help the Sox?

Kopech struggled with command until about 2 months before he got injured. Command is the last thing that comes back after TJS. It makes absolutely zero sense for him to be up until he can prove he can hit his spots in Charlotte. The Sox have a division to win. Player development time at the big league level is over.

hey i am not for pushing Kopech any faster than what the medical people would advice. the main problem i have with Kopech and camp posting that is ...... rushing him before he fully recovers, will do more harm than good.