2040 Chicago Cubs Season Preview
Nov 1, 2016 22:35:31 GMT -5
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Post by Peter - Boston Red Sox on Nov 1, 2016 22:35:31 GMT -5
2039 was my first season playing OOTP17 in an online league. I made a lot of mistakes early trading away the #2 pick in draft, a monster HR hitting 18yr old Jose Vera, and a talented CF in Jeremy Miller. I kick myself when I think what I could have had if I had kept those two and used that #2 pick to select a future star. They say hindsight is 20/20 so I wanted to look at how that trade worked out for the Cubs. Here is my analysis:
Cubs Trade:
1B Jose Vera - would go on to play in 71 games with the Reds in 2039 hitting .284/19/62 as a freaking 18yr old. He had a 1.5 WAR and an OBP of .316.
CF Jeremy Miller - played in 122 games for the Reds last year. He hit .345 in 12 games at Louisville earning a call up to the bigs. He would end up playing 122 games with the Reds hitting .318/12/57.
#2 draft pick - Became the #6 pick due to compensation picks but the Reds would draft phenom SS Mel Wolfe. He hit just .250/4/16 in 33 games for rookie ball. So far this season in just 4 games he is off to a .375/3/9 line.
Reds Trade:
SP Salvador Soto - Soto played in 3 games for the Cubs going 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He was traded to the Red Sox for RP Francis Lawrence, LF Lorne Henderson, 2B Alejandro Castaneda, RF Ash Taylor, and PTBNL CF Lorenzo Cortez. Soto's season would end in July with a torn labrum. Lawrence was demoted to AAA and not resigned in the offseason. Castaneda played in 140 games for the Cubs hitting .292/1/53. He stole 11 bases and led the league in triples with 11. Ash Taylor hit .295/3/35 with 8 steals in 88 games. Cortez was the prize of the trade. He would finish 3rd in ROY voting. He split time between the Sox and the Cubs hitting a combined .315/23/84 swiping 13 bases as an added bonus.
Thumbs up or Down?
Thumbs down...while we dodged the injury to Soto, only Ash Taylor and Cortez remain from the trade with the Red Sox. Taylor was resigned in the off season but he's 34y/o and his best days are likely behind him (as of this writing he is currently leading the NL in batting hitting .435). The 26 y/o Cortez had a fantastic 2039 and is off to a good start in 2040 but these guys probably don't equal what I had to give up to get them. Reds won that trade.
Oh well...2039 was a good season for the Cubs overall. I had no $$ for free agents before the 2039 season started. I had to get creative but signing lots of guys to minor league contracts and hoping to catch lightening in a bottle. Those guys, and a few trades and waiver wire pickups, helped the team avoid a 3rd season of 100+ losses. The Cubs finished 2039 in 2nd place in the Central with a record of 70-92. What does 2040 hold for the club? Here's a look at my lineup:
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1. 3B Keizo Nakashima, 27 y/o, R/R, (7/6/1), 10 Speed: Led the PBL in hitting as a rookie in 2038 with a .332 BA. Acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians in 2039, he would hit .303 for the Cubs leading the PBL with 33 steals. He is our leadoff guy and the heart and soul of our team. As Naka goes, we go.
2. RF Ash Taylor, 34 y/o, L/R, (6/7/4), 7 Speed: A career .280 hitter he was acquired in 2039 from the Red Sox. He hit .293/3/37 with 8 steals for the Cubs in 2039. Is off to a good start in 2040 leading the NL in hitting (.435) after the first 2 weeks of the season.
3. DH Jen-ta Ou, 27 y/o, R/R, (5/6/4), 6 Speed: Free agent signed this off-season for $500k. He spent 2039 at AAA Toledo where he hit .292/15/70. In 7 games this young season he is hitting .417/2/6. Seems fired up to be in the PBL and at 27 years of age he may just be entering his prime.
4. CF Lorenzo Cortez, 26 y/o, L/L, (7/7/7), 9 speed: Acquired in a trade with the Red Sox, Cortez finished 3rd in the 2039 ROY voting. He posted a .349/13/51 line for the Cubs in 77 games last season. The club is looking for continued progression from Cortez.
5. LF Miguel Tixier, 31 y/o, R/R, (5/6/7), 5 speed: Acquired in a trade with Carolina in 2039, Miggy led the team with 23HRs while hitting a respectable .254 and driving in 55 runs.
6. 1B Greg Haile, 28 y/o, L/L, (5/5/7), 1 speed/8 defense: Finished 3rd in the AL ROY voting in 2038, Haile was traded from the Indians to the Cubs in 2039 as part of the SP Jim Lacy trade. Haile hit .264/12/47 in 73 games with the Cubbies. His season was shortened by injury in late July. The team is hoping he can return to the guy who hit .250/21/68 in 2038. Looking to him to provide some power.
7. 2B Justin Garciapar, 29 y/o, R/R, (5/5/3), 1 speed/ 3 defense: Signed as a free agent in 2039, Garciapar hit .282/11/72 while also leading the PBL in GDP with a whooping 32 times. Sharing time with Garciapar is Ben Adams. He was a Rule V selection from the Giants. In 2039 the 34 y/o hit .311/20/85 and 10 steals for AAA. So far in 2040, Adams is hitting .458/2/8. The team is hoping the "old man" can maintain that pace as his speed and defense are better than Garciapar.
8. 3B Juan Serrano, 22 y/o, L/R, (5/8/6), 10 speed: Serrano was up with the Cubs in 2039 for a cup of coffee but he really didn't do much. He did hit a very nice .285/10/39 with 29 steals at AAA Iowa. The team is hoping he is ready to take over fulltime 3B duties in 2040.
9. C Joey Valentine, 30 y/o, R/R, (5/5/6), 6 defense: Acquired in a trade with Detroit just before spring training 2040. Catcher has been a really bad position for the Cubs since last season. Valentine hit .270/5/16 in a backup role with the Tigers last season. Hoping he provides some stability at the position this season as a starter.
The Cubs have some talented hitters and a few holes yet to fill. I am hoping this team will provide the offense we need to inch closer to .500 this year. Lofty goal, I know, but I think we can do it. #FlytheW
Preview pitching later.
Cubs Trade:
1B Jose Vera - would go on to play in 71 games with the Reds in 2039 hitting .284/19/62 as a freaking 18yr old. He had a 1.5 WAR and an OBP of .316.
CF Jeremy Miller - played in 122 games for the Reds last year. He hit .345 in 12 games at Louisville earning a call up to the bigs. He would end up playing 122 games with the Reds hitting .318/12/57.
#2 draft pick - Became the #6 pick due to compensation picks but the Reds would draft phenom SS Mel Wolfe. He hit just .250/4/16 in 33 games for rookie ball. So far this season in just 4 games he is off to a .375/3/9 line.
Reds Trade:
SP Salvador Soto - Soto played in 3 games for the Cubs going 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He was traded to the Red Sox for RP Francis Lawrence, LF Lorne Henderson, 2B Alejandro Castaneda, RF Ash Taylor, and PTBNL CF Lorenzo Cortez. Soto's season would end in July with a torn labrum. Lawrence was demoted to AAA and not resigned in the offseason. Castaneda played in 140 games for the Cubs hitting .292/1/53. He stole 11 bases and led the league in triples with 11. Ash Taylor hit .295/3/35 with 8 steals in 88 games. Cortez was the prize of the trade. He would finish 3rd in ROY voting. He split time between the Sox and the Cubs hitting a combined .315/23/84 swiping 13 bases as an added bonus.
Thumbs up or Down?
Thumbs down...while we dodged the injury to Soto, only Ash Taylor and Cortez remain from the trade with the Red Sox. Taylor was resigned in the off season but he's 34y/o and his best days are likely behind him (as of this writing he is currently leading the NL in batting hitting .435). The 26 y/o Cortez had a fantastic 2039 and is off to a good start in 2040 but these guys probably don't equal what I had to give up to get them. Reds won that trade.
Oh well...2039 was a good season for the Cubs overall. I had no $$ for free agents before the 2039 season started. I had to get creative but signing lots of guys to minor league contracts and hoping to catch lightening in a bottle. Those guys, and a few trades and waiver wire pickups, helped the team avoid a 3rd season of 100+ losses. The Cubs finished 2039 in 2nd place in the Central with a record of 70-92. What does 2040 hold for the club? Here's a look at my lineup:
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1. 3B Keizo Nakashima, 27 y/o, R/R, (7/6/1), 10 Speed: Led the PBL in hitting as a rookie in 2038 with a .332 BA. Acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians in 2039, he would hit .303 for the Cubs leading the PBL with 33 steals. He is our leadoff guy and the heart and soul of our team. As Naka goes, we go.
2. RF Ash Taylor, 34 y/o, L/R, (6/7/4), 7 Speed: A career .280 hitter he was acquired in 2039 from the Red Sox. He hit .293/3/37 with 8 steals for the Cubs in 2039. Is off to a good start in 2040 leading the NL in hitting (.435) after the first 2 weeks of the season.
3. DH Jen-ta Ou, 27 y/o, R/R, (5/6/4), 6 Speed: Free agent signed this off-season for $500k. He spent 2039 at AAA Toledo where he hit .292/15/70. In 7 games this young season he is hitting .417/2/6. Seems fired up to be in the PBL and at 27 years of age he may just be entering his prime.
4. CF Lorenzo Cortez, 26 y/o, L/L, (7/7/7), 9 speed: Acquired in a trade with the Red Sox, Cortez finished 3rd in the 2039 ROY voting. He posted a .349/13/51 line for the Cubs in 77 games last season. The club is looking for continued progression from Cortez.
5. LF Miguel Tixier, 31 y/o, R/R, (5/6/7), 5 speed: Acquired in a trade with Carolina in 2039, Miggy led the team with 23HRs while hitting a respectable .254 and driving in 55 runs.
6. 1B Greg Haile, 28 y/o, L/L, (5/5/7), 1 speed/8 defense: Finished 3rd in the AL ROY voting in 2038, Haile was traded from the Indians to the Cubs in 2039 as part of the SP Jim Lacy trade. Haile hit .264/12/47 in 73 games with the Cubbies. His season was shortened by injury in late July. The team is hoping he can return to the guy who hit .250/21/68 in 2038. Looking to him to provide some power.
7. 2B Justin Garciapar, 29 y/o, R/R, (5/5/3), 1 speed/ 3 defense: Signed as a free agent in 2039, Garciapar hit .282/11/72 while also leading the PBL in GDP with a whooping 32 times. Sharing time with Garciapar is Ben Adams. He was a Rule V selection from the Giants. In 2039 the 34 y/o hit .311/20/85 and 10 steals for AAA. So far in 2040, Adams is hitting .458/2/8. The team is hoping the "old man" can maintain that pace as his speed and defense are better than Garciapar.
8. 3B Juan Serrano, 22 y/o, L/R, (5/8/6), 10 speed: Serrano was up with the Cubs in 2039 for a cup of coffee but he really didn't do much. He did hit a very nice .285/10/39 with 29 steals at AAA Iowa. The team is hoping he is ready to take over fulltime 3B duties in 2040.
9. C Joey Valentine, 30 y/o, R/R, (5/5/6), 6 defense: Acquired in a trade with Detroit just before spring training 2040. Catcher has been a really bad position for the Cubs since last season. Valentine hit .270/5/16 in a backup role with the Tigers last season. Hoping he provides some stability at the position this season as a starter.
The Cubs have some talented hitters and a few holes yet to fill. I am hoping this team will provide the offense we need to inch closer to .500 this year. Lofty goal, I know, but I think we can do it. #FlytheW
Preview pitching later.