The Cubs want for very little when it comes to their expected 25-man roster going into 2017. Many things can change, of course, but they are well built enough to be the World Series favorite again next year—not just contend. It’s easy to make that projection before Christmas of 2016. However, there’s a developing point […]
Tag: Potential Offseason Target
MARK MELANCON: POTENTIAL OFFSEASON TARGET
Position: Right-Handed Reliever 2016 Stats: 71 1/3 IP, 24.1 K%, 4.4 BB%, 1.64 ERA, 2.91 DRA, 0.90 WHIP, 1.7 WARP The Cubs built their bullpen the last two seasons in a manner suggesting they almost viewed it as an afterthought. They had a scrap heap pickup for a closer in Hector Rondon. Setup men Pedro Strop, […]
Dexter Fowler: Potential Offseason Target
Every time you’re near, every time I see your smile, Hear your hello, saying you can only stay a while. Hey, I know that it’s hard for you to say the things We both know are true. But tell me how come… I keep forgetting we’re not in love anymore. – Michael McDonald, “I Keep […]
Wei-Yin Chen: Potential Offseason Target
Position: LHP 2015 Stats: 191 1/3 IP, 19.3 K%, 5.2 BB%, 1.9 WARP, 3.34 ERA, 4.18 DRA Why He Fits: Taiwanese-born Wei-Yin Chen had been out of the offseason spotlight until this Saturday, when Bruce Levine tweeted that he was a “hot topic” for the Cubs. The timing of this report was interesting after Friday’s John Lackey […]
Jake Odorizzi: Potential Offseason Target
Jake Odorizzi Position: Right-handed Starting Pitcher 2015 Stats: 169.1 IP, 3.35 ERA, 21.4 K%, 6.5 BB%, 2.6 WARP, 3.75 DRA How He Fits: Though a less pronounced necessity now after the Cubs signed John Lackey to be the no. 3 starter, Jake Odorizzi is exactly the kind of profile the Cubs would like to add to […]
Doug Fister: Potential Offseason Target
Doug Fister Position: Tall RHP 2015 Stats: 103 IP, 14.0 K%, 5.4 BB%, -1.4 WARP, 4.19 ERA, 6.12 DRA Why He Fits: I hate Pitching Coach Magic. Quarterbacks and head coaches always get too much credit and too much blame in the NFL; closers and pitching coaches are MLB’s answer to that phenomenon. While a good pitching coach […]
Scott Kazmir: Potential Offseason Target
Position: SP 2015: 31 G, 183 IP, 3.10 ERA, 3.89 DRA, 20.3% K%, 7.7% BB% When teams make boneheaded, knee-jerk trades in the hope that they’ll see some short-term upside, it’s really easy to cheer for the other side. That’s why I’ve always been a fan of Scott Kazmir. Once a Mets’ top pitching prospect, Kazmir was […]
Jason Heyward: Potential Offseason Target
Position: Right Field 2015 Stats: 610 PA, .293/.359/.439, .294 TAv, 9.2% BB%, 14.8% K%, 5.9 WARP How He Fits: There are times when expectations can cloud our reality. You compare a player to Hank Aaron and instantly visions of a middle-of-the-order bat sending 40-plus balls into the seats each season come to mind. However, through […]
Alex Gordon: Potential Offseason Target
Position: Outfield 2015: .271/.377/.432, .299 TAv, 2.9 bWARP (limited to 104 games and 422 plate appearances after missing nearly two months with a groin injury) Customarily, I don’t like to ladle out hot takes, but this being Thanksgiving week, I want to share my bounty of steaming takes with you, the BP reader. Gather around, everybody, […]
Ben Zobrist: Potential Offseason Target
Ben Zobrist Position: 2B/SS/RF, occasionally LF/CF/3B/1B. Essentially, every position except catcher or pitcher. 2015 Stats: .276/.359/.450, 13 HR, 11.6 BB%, 10.5 K%, .295 TAv, 3.0 WARP How He Fits: It’s good to be great. That statement seems axiomatic enough that I’ll leave it here without further justification, and move on to a second—and perhaps more controversial—claim: that it might be just […]