Positive Thought

OrlandoMerced · Post by **OrlandoMerced** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:41 pm

Those free agent contracts that the Cubs signed before last season are really killing them. You could kind of see that coming for guys like Zobrist and Lackey, but the Heyward deal flopping is a disaster. Right now, Heyward, Zobrist, Russell and Schwarber all have sub .700 OPS.

mouse · Post by **mouse** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:45 pm

If the Brewers win, I wonder how NH will handle that. Their budget this year is something like $63 million. How will NH explain to Nutting having wasted $37MM of Nutting's money. Ah, well.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2720 ... =editorial

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:48 pm

112C323F303A31133B2C3D3B3A5E0 wrote: I also just looked at Hudson's numbers. He's been a solid reliever since his disastrous month April. 2.36 ERA in 26.2 innings since his outing on 4/30.
I also just looked at Hudson's numbers. He's been a terrible reliever despite pitching well since May 1st. 4.92 ERA in 97 innings since the beginning of 2016.

Jerseykc · Post by **Jerseykc** » Thu Jul 13, 2017 12:19 am

One downside is that meeting the Dodgers or the Nats in the playoffs means defeat. I don't even think it would be close.

BucAndEer · Post by **BucAndEer** » Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:08 am

0B24333224382A22410 wrote: One downside is that meeting the Dodgers or the Nats in the playoffs means defeat. I don't even think it would be close.
But look at it another way -- unlike 2015, if the Pirates make the playoffs this year means they'll earn a big-boy, best-of-five series against the second-best NL team. Sure looks like the entire other half of the NL bracket will be a steel-cage round robin between three NL West teams with the two WCs playing to face the top seed.

dogknot17@yahoo.co · Post by **dogknot17@yahoo.co** » Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:12 pm

Anything can happen once you make the playoffs. Any team can win a series. The favorite doesn't always win. I would worry about getting to the playoffs than being worried about what team you face.

I watched a special on the Indians of the 90's last night. What a great team. Always the favorite. Never won a World Series.

mouse · Post by **mouse** » Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:58 pm

The Mets from two years ago are a perfect example of Dog's point. If you get there, anything can happen. I'm not expecting the Brewers to collapse, though. Apparently they are performing exactly how they were projected to perform. It's the Cubs and Cards that are under-performing. If one of them gets hot, they could overtake the Cubs (and then the pressure may get to them) or if the Pirates get really hot . . .

johnfluharty · Post by **johnfluharty** » Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:05 pm

I am hoping that Marte's return will spark us and we will go on a really good run.

SammyKhalifa · Post by **SammyKhalifa** » Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:21 pm

I don't really know what to expect out of Marte. Forget about any chemical alterations being gone--just the pressure and the fact he hasn't been in the majors all year (and really wasn't doing that great when he was anyhow) makes me wonder if people are expecting way too much.

IABucFan · Post by **IABucFan** » Thu Jul 13, 2017 3:24 pm

4B7975756153707974717E79180 wrote: I don't really know what to expect out of Marte. Forget about any chemical alterations being gone--just the pressure and the fact he hasn't been in the majors all year (and really wasn't doing that great when he was anyhow) makes me wonder if people are expecting way too much.

I'm honestly not worried about Marte, because personally, I don't believe he was using PEDs prior to this offseason. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but he's been in the organization what, ten years? How could he just get lucky all those times? Random drug testing is pretty routine nowadays. Regardless of whatever he brings with the bat, he'll certainly be an upgrade defensively. He also should upgrade the bench, because Frazier or Jaso will now be relegated to bench duty, probably sending Gosselin back to AAA. So, with all due respect to Phil Gosselin, who I'm sure is a far better baseball player than anyone posting on this site, are we a better team with Starling Marte on our roster over Phil Gosselin? Unquestionably...yes.