2014 Chicago Cubs season thread

[anotheridiot]

I think Bryant can play 3B with Russell covering a lot of ground at SS. Move Castro to 2nd, or keep Baez at 2nd and trade Castro.

If Schwarber doesn't stay at C, then why not move Soler to CF and put Schwarber in RF and McKinney in left? Soler is definitely athletic enough to roam CF.

Why do people keep wanting to move Soler from right field. you need the strongest arm in right field for throws to third base. its the longest throw on the field.

I was able to laugh at people saying Soler would be in left and Bryant in right. Right field in wrigley is the toughest field to play in baseball, a guy that can barely play outfield should not be there.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Why do people keep wanting to move Soler from right field. you need the strongest arm in right field for throws to third base. its the longest throw on the field.

I was able to laugh at people saying Soler would be in left and Bryant in right. Right field in wrigley is the toughest field to play in baseball, a guy that can barely play outfield should not be there.

I don't understand it. I understood people wanting him to go to LF for Bryant as most hadn't seen either play and didn't understand that Soler is built perfect for RF. Moving him to CF would be a disaster. His great range in RF becomes limited range in CF due to the amount of extra ground he would need to cover. His arm can play anywhere and I'm not a firm believer in the best arm should always play RF when they have the range and speed to play CF.

Think about Fukudome who had excellent range RF, but just adequate range in CF. Soler doesn't have as much range as Fukudome had, although he does have a better arm. I really don't understand thinking that Schwarber could possibly play RF. There is still a possibility that he ends up like Vogelbach as a 1B/DH trade piece instead of even being able to stick in LF. I expect McKinney to be the center piece for a trade for a quality pitcher by the 2015 trade deadline. That is not a knock on McKinney, but just a reflection of the Cubs' current organizational status. The Cubs are going to be trading some very good prospects. That is the "problem" with having too many good position player prospects. It will allow them to fill holes without having too give out as many FA contracts that will not look as good in their last year or two as they did in the first four or five so they have less dead money in the long run even though it might not yield as much impact short term.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Why do people keep wanting to move Soler from right field. you need the strongest arm in right field for throws to third base. its the longest throw on the field.

I was able to laugh at people saying Soler would be in left and Bryant in right. Right field in wrigley is the toughest field to play in baseball, a guy that can barely play outfield should not be there.

You're kidding right? You can't tell me that Sammy Sosa was a good outfielder.

 

[anotheridiot]

You're kidding right? You can't tell me that Sammy Sosa was a good outfielder.

Do you have alist of top Right fielders in Cub history? I can remember Dawson and Sosa.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Do you have alist of top Right fielders in Cub history? I can remember Dawson and Sosa.

No, that's about it. But Sosa was known for his bat, not his glove.

 

[anotheridiot]

No, that's about it. But Sosa was known for his bat, not his glove.

His bat and his arm. He became a very good right fielder. I just dont think Schwarber needs to become a right fielder with Soler in the picture. When they put LaHair in right it was pretty simple, he never played the left side, just first base, so the ball off the bat would move the same way. Thats why Braun went from 3b to left field first. I think the opportunity with Schwarber is to let him catch a few seasons before delegating him to a corner spot. By that time you have figured out which kids are gonna make it and which are gone.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

His bat and his arm. He became a very good right fielder. I just dont think Schwarber needs to become a right fielder with Soler in the picture. When they put LaHair in right it was pretty simple, he never played the left side, just first base, so the ball off the bat would move the same way. Thats why Braun went from 3b to left field first. I think the opportunity with Schwarber is to let him catch a few seasons before delegating him to a corner spot. By that time you have figured out which kids are gonna make it and which are gone.

You're preaching to the choir with that, I could still see him sticking at catcher. Sleeper is the one who thinks he's automatically going into left.

And I can still see McKinney having an opportunity at CF.

 

[anotheridiot]

There are arguments for Schwarber, glad you agree. We dont have a hole in the outfield yet so why do people want to put him in that mix. Look at Fisk with his big body and how long he caught. I had suggested that Schwarber won the Johnny Bench award as the nations best catcher but have been told it was more of an offensive vote.

If these guys all pan out, the biggest problem is who will be able to accept hitting 7th and 8th in this lineup.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

There is a slim chance, >10%, that Schwarber can become an adequate defensive catcher. That is why they will be giving him a "crash course" in catching, as Theo worded it, during instructs instead of sending him to the AFL. Theo also said that Schwarber appears to have never been taught how to catch. Which would explain why his footwork has been so bad in what I have seen of him. It is also very possible considering most high school coaches have no clue about how to catch and unless you go to one of the few colleges where there a coach who was at least a minor league catcher you are unlikely to get proper instruction. So it's possible Schwarber will show some huge growth this off-season and become more like Mike Piazza behind the plate which would be fine, assuming his bat progresses.

McKinney has no chance to land at any position other than LF. To try to play him in CF would be like moving Rizzo to SS.