Post by Peter - Boston Red Sox on Dec 17, 2017 12:25:18 GMT -5
Notable Offseason Additions
1B Pablo Moran (STL)- .296/1/35
3B Nakashima (BOS)- .291/1/40; 29 steals in 33 tries.
2B Jorge Gonzalez - N/A
The Cubs in 2044 were at or near the bottom in every offensive category. Management made a commitment to the fans to improve the offense this offseason. The addition of guys who can hit for a solid average, such as Moran and Naka, are an indication of that commitment. While these two are not known for their power, they have a track record of hitting for a good average while playing exceptional defense at their respective positions.
Rookie 2B Jorge Gonzalez will be playing his first season of PBL ball in 2045. The 33 year old native of Venezuela has phenomenal skillsets (7/8/7/6/8). The only cause for some concern might be his defense rating at 2B (5). He is slightly better in RF (6). For a team that is trying to improve overall defense, club officials are hoping that spring training shows that he can be at least adequate in the field as a compliment to his strong offense.
Final Thoughts
The offense in coming together this offseason. With a full season of 30 homer guys Iwamoto and Herrera and the addition of 3 guys who are more than capable of hitting .300 and getting on base, the Cubs feel confident the offense will be greatly improved as we head into training camp at the end of February, early March.
One area yet to be fully solidified is the starting pitching. Pitching was a strength for the Cubs in 2044. The starters were pretty good despite no clear cut #1 ace. The first 4 spots in the rotation seem to be set:
#1 RHP Tao Liu (12-11 3.37ERA 15 QS)
#2 RHP Jeff Lewis (9-14 3.66ERA 19 QS)
#3 LHP Luis Franco (10-10 3.35ERA 17 QS)
#4 RHP Jimmy Anderson (10-9 3.37ERA 13 QS)
The 5th and final spot is up for grabs. There are several possible candidates on the team currently:
LHP Kevin Meekins - Was used out of the bullpen but is wanting a shot at starting. He has some experience in the past as a SP
RHP Tom Oglethorpe - He had a 4.17ERA and a 6-8 record as a starter last season (24 starts; 8QS)
RHP Morris Hall - 5-6 at AAA
RHP Ed Boer - 7-4 at AAA with 14 QS in 24 games started
LHP Juan Vargas - 2-1 with a 4.62 ERA at AAA mostly used in relief.
RHP Ronnie Weareorwear - 10 QS in 26 games started at AAA Iowa. He went 8-7 with a 4.89 ERA.
Cubs management has not ruled out the possibility of acquiring another starter but should they decide not to go that route, there are some pretty good options already here that could fill the #5 spot.
The bullpen was also a strength last season for the Cubs and there haven't been many changes from the 2044 crew....yet. The club has 2 good, young arms that will compete for the role this spring. RHP Augusto Vargas earned 10 saves in 13 chances and shined with a 2.82 ERA in 60 games. The 24 y/o RHP Alfonso Avila earned a late season promotion and pitched very well in the closer role. Avila had 3 saves in 4 chances and sparkled with a fine 1.69 ERA in 13 games out of the pen. Waiver wire guy RHP Gary Vasquez was stellar in middle relief. Appearing in 54 games, he was 6-1 with 6 saves and a 1.70 ERA while holding LH batters to a measly .189 BA in 106 ABs. RH hitters didn't fare much better hitting just .207 against Vasquez. At just 31 years of age, the Cubs are certain that Vasquez can repeat those numbers in 2045.
The club and its fans are anxious to get to spring training! There are a lot of good things happening on the northside of Chicago this offseason and plenty of reasons to look forward to 2045!
#GOCUBSGO