Theo Epstein and his front office crew have really turned over the roster since arriving in Chicago late in 2011. Now that Starlin Castro has been traded to the New York Yankees, the Cubs’ longest-tenured player is reliever/sometime-starter Travis Wood, who barely edges out clubhouse leader and first baseman Anthony Rizzo—Wood was called up on May […]
Author: Ryan Davis
Kris Bryant, the CBA, and the Grievance That Is and Might Be
Back in March of 2015, there was a debate of sorts going on regarding the Cubs and their young, stud third baseman, Kris Bryant. The Cubs had decided to send him back to Triple-A to start the season despite the fact that he crushed the ball in Spring Training, hitting .425/.477/1.175 with nine home runs […]
Austin Jackson: Potential Offseason Target
Position: Outfield 2015 Stats: (Cubs & Mariners) 527 PA, .267/.311/.385, 5.5% BB, 23.3% K, 1.7 WARP How He Fits: Austin Jackson came over to the Cubs from the Mariners on August 31st, playing mostly the corner outfield spots for the Cubs in the final month of the season. He earned a spot on the postseason […]
Jeff Samardzija: Potential Offseason Target
Position: Right-handed SP 2015 Stats: 214 IP, 17.9 K%, 5.4 BB%, 1.8 WARP, 4.96 ERA, 4.31 DRA How He Fits: There are two ways of thinking among Cubs fans on how Jeff Samardzija fits with the Cubs; some say he’s a tremendous fit, others say “no way.” But the simple fact is that one of […]
Mike Leake: Potential Offseason Target
Mike Leake Position: Right-handed SP 2015 Stats: 192 IP, 15.3 K%, 6.3 BB%, 3.3 WARP, 3.70 ERA, 3.56 DRA How He Fits: The most obvious fit between Mike Leake and the Cubs is that he is a starting pitcher and they need starting pitchers. He’s just 28 years old, so he has a few years of […]
Would Hitting Daniel Murphy Have Helped the Cubs?
Daniel Murphy has been one of the biggest stories of the postseason, and all he had to do is beat the odds and crank out seven home runs in his first nine playoff games. That sounds like some stat that you might hear about the likes of Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, or David Ortiz. Daniel Murphy? […]
Why I’d Rather Give Dan Haren Another Start Than Trust Jason Hammel Again
After leaving New York in the worst-case scenario, the Cubs will turn to their offense and the shaky back-end of their rotation to dig them out of the 0-2 series hole with the Mets. Kyle Hendricks has been announced as the Game Three starter night in what will certainly be a pivotal game, determining whether […]
Cubs, Cardinals Writing New Chapter in Old History
The Cubs have had a captivating history. Granted, the story is often like a Shakespearean tragedy. But each time they pop up with a great season, it gets ingrained into Cubs lore and the hearts and minds of their fans in a way that few other franchises in the sport can claim. This season has been […]
Eyes on Cole, Cubs Feeling Wild
It’s not exactly news that the Cubs are going to be playing in the Wild Card game in 2015. Even if they have only been officially assured a playoff spot for a little less than a week, it’s been virtually a lock for what seems like forever. And although the location of the game isn’t quite decided […]
Game 154 Recap: Pirates 4 Cubs 0
Top Play (WPA): Considering that the Cubs clinched their playoff spot late last night when the Giants lost to the A’s, the Cubs looked like they had a bit of a hangover in today’s game. Cubs starter Jason Hammel provided fans with a bunch of hope early on, cruising through the first four innings without […]