nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
The Cubs are going to have so many wonderful choices this off-season. And if they are smart and patient, they are going to get some starting pitching at terrific prices.
Mallex Smith
- Thread starter striker42
- Start date
The Cubs are going to have so many wonderful choices this off-season. And if they are smart and patient, they are going to get some starting pitching at terrific prices.
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
(which plenty of people, including non-Braves homer experts, think is a totally fine deal).
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
And overall, if you combine AA and AAA?
Tapate50
Well-known member
Not really, bats that were here for one year for pitchers that would be here for 6 is more accurate. Short term expensive assets, for long term cost controlled ones.
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
What hitters do you think we were being offered for JUp and Heyward?
Where were we going to do about pitching if we didn't get some of the guys we did?
Giving the benefit of the doubt to the opinions of professionals like Hart and the FO over your and nsacpi's is hardly crazy, but you'd think it is.
Yeah, they can let the top guys go and sign a Zimmermann for example. They really don't even have a great need for a TOR guy. Plus, if they have to go the trade route, they are still absolutely stacked with a top 10 farm system despite all the graduations. They absolutely destroyed the 14 draft with those pitchers.
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
Then can we combine Eury's AA season in 2012, too? His AA stats are 82 games vs. 40 in AAA (the stats you cherry picked). Mallex's are 57 in AA and 35 in AAA. I bet his numbers improve a lot if you give him 47 more AAA games. They're already improving a lot since his poor start.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
I'm not an insider and don't know what the alternatives were. But I can't help but note that some teams did find a way to acquire premium young hitting talent. The Cubs' trade for Addison Russell being a prime example. Another example would be the Blue Jays picking up Josh Donaldson.
sturg33
I
Then no trade should ever be questioned ever.
striker42
Well-known member
Ruiz's collapse is strange. Scouts loved the guy's ability. They all thought he was going to be a terrific hitter. The stats seemed to back it up. His BB rate was excellent and his K rate, while a little high originally, improved greatly last year.
Even this year a lot of Ruiz's peripheral stats aren't terrible. His BB rate has improved and is very, very good. He's striking out too much at 20% of his PAs but that's not terrible. It's generally in the average range.
His BAPIP is a lot lower than his career norm. His BAPIP is only .274. It's usually over .300. That seems to indicate some of his struggles have been due to bad luck but not all. If his BABIP were to jump into the .310 range he would still be having an off year.
The power outage is the most puzzling thing. Ruiz had 50 XBH in 602 PA in A+ ball last season. He had 46 in 2013 in only 472 PA. This year he has 13 in 370. Last year he averaged an XBH every 12 PA or so. This year he's averaging an XBH every 31 PA. That is concerning.
I'm hoping Ruiz has some kind of nagging injury that's depressing his numbers this year. The power outage combined with the increase in both BBs and Ks makes me think he's hurting. It's sapping his power and leading him to swing less (hence the increased BBs). Anyone know if he's been battling an injury?
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
Right, that's what i said.
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
What did the Cubs trade for Russell, by the way?
Toronto got a steal with Donaldson.
I think this just means we can find hitting talent.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
You can combine and weight them any way you want.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
The Cubs traded pitching for hitting in the Russell trade. They had had a view of the relative value of pitching versus hitting that is quite different from ours. And they are poised for an extremely productive off-season. Coincidence? I think not. They do not have to contend with the issue of bats being "hard to find" in John Hart's words.
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
Why'd you go with the smaller sample at AAA rather than the bigger one at AA the same year?
Why not compare their age-22 AA numbers?
Let's see where Mallex's numbers end up.
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
So why is it impossible that we can eventually do the same?
Oakland thought that pitcher was worth that (which I disagree with).
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
As I said combine and weight their numbers any way you think appropriate.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
It isn't impossible to do the same. My critique is that we should have been doing this. Or at least been less willing to just take on the pitching just because this is what other teams offered. There is a problem with waiting. The massive glut of pitching on the FA market is going to move the exchange rate against us.
Hes young so no giving up on him, but there is a reason people say hold off on judgment until at least AA.