We are eight days away from Opening Day! We continue our NL Central positional rankings. Today we rank right and left field. We also discuss Patrick Wisdom’s back injury. Craig Counsell says it’s concerning and he could miss the start of the season. Join Cody Delmendo, Ryan Herrera, Luke Stuckmeyer, and Corey Freedmanfor this edition of the CHGO Cubs Podcast. #springtraining
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[Applause] [Applause] Yeah Hey Chicago what do you say this is the chgo Cubs podcast presented by Blue Moon made brighter get Blue Moon delivered and see delivery options by visiting get. Bloon beer.com chgo celebrate responsibly Blue Moon Brewing Company Golden Colorado happy Wednesday uh Cody d oryan Herrera Luke
Stuck Me In The Box and Cory Freeman he’s here I haven’t seen him in like two months it feels like but he’s here in person it’s a pleasure it’s actually a pleasure to see haircut he got a haircut and he got a haircut I came back to
Chicago one Sammy Sosa did oh yeah there you go so I followed suit Cory fredman Sammy Sosa where tell me what the difference stars of the 9s you know yeah Cory came back to to Chicago like s Amy Luke’s on steroids I’m wearing the Sammy
Sosa hoodie it all matches up Cory and I were actually on a Navy Seals mission that we can’t tell you about but that’s where we’ve met for a while yeah or you were drinking Mojitos in Mexico in Cabo MOJ Blue Moon oh you’re rightly blue Mo I’m strictly a blue moon guy
You’re um all right so as always we got a few things to go over before we start the show shout out to Chad our new die hard and I know Chad is a stereotypical name but you know what this Chad is my new favorite Chad all right cuz he’s a
Die hard yeah uh the name Chad has a stereotype right this Chad he’s a loyal guy though this Chad is different this Chad is different he’s a loyal guy like I said Die Hard also eight days until opening day eight days which means eight days until uh the watch party and live
Postgame show at Country Club in Wrigley on March 28th uh again says 6 pm on this uh on this flyer that we’re putting up on YouTube um I’ll probably be there like an hour before that just to like hang out have like a couple blue moons
And you know do all the things so yeah get PR get prepared uh for the Cubs to win by a thousand against the Rangers um we were all at Country Cub last year for the opening day show that was a lot of fun yeah it was a lot of fun yeah we had
A lot of people come out too so uh it’s free free to come so just it’s on our website at under the events tab uh alo.com um we just ask people to RSVP if they are coming because we just kind of want to know a good amount of people who
Are coming like uh number count right yeah I’m sure n is going to come again there last year right we love anyone else especially the people in our chat that uh that we haven’t met yet in person if you want to come man that’d be great um also our takeovers are now on
The events tab on the website as well um at least the one against the White Socks and the one against the Yankees on September 6th so the first one will be June 4th uh so you still have plenty of time to to purchase a ticket to that but
If you are a Die Hard you can get it 20% off now you know um so Chad if you’re listening man you can come to our uh takeover and get 20% off since you’re a Die Hard Yeah you mentioned Die Hard um I want to I I I don’t think we talked
About it yesterday but I did have another um newsletter go out yesterday um on Justin steel um talking about at least one way he can improve on his 2023 just you know build on that build on his breakout year um so that that went into inboxes yesterday it’s it is free right
Now and there’ll be one more free one but when the season starts those are going to be Die Hard exclusives so it’s that the Cubs 40 Man database that we have that I’ve been promising additions to it I promise you tomorrow morning we will have more play ERS into going into
That database um another another Die Hard exclusive perk so if you want access to all that throughout the season make sure you’re becoming a die hard and joining us in this community sure I got die hard question somebody asked in the chat the other day you know the remember
We used to get the sweatshirt for being a die hard now it’s just the shirt right there is no Die Hard hoodie or is that is that wrong uh we can check Die Hard hoodie is on the locker you can buy that the locker got yeah it’s available okay
And it’s not the one is it the one that uh has the chgo flag or is it the black one that herb has that says die hard on the decal it’s the black one with the Die Hard decal on it okay that’s what I thought too uh sales guy Jim who’s
Sitting like 20 feet away says in the chat that he’s going to buy me a blue moon at our event so I’m gonna hold him to that nice um I see all you in the chat Barb we are live hello Godfather uh Michael Evans Carter hello
Guys welcome a lot of a lot of familiar faces in the chat familiar faces hit the like button and of course if you’re new here hit that subscribe button cuz of course we’re trying to grow on a daily basis um so today we’re going to continue our NL Central positional
Rankings uh yday we did center field if you missed it we put up a on our YouTube channel we put up like a regular uh video just of that segment uh so if you listen to first half of yesterday’s show but were unable to catch the second half
You go to our YouTube channel and and watch that um it was pretty clear that the Cubs have the best center field in baseball or not in baseball in the NL Central to let me talk myself into baseball now okay um so today we’ll do right field and we’re going to do left
Field to finish up the out the Outfield um we’re going to talk about uh Patrick wisdom’s back injury in the second segment um but you know we’ll start with right field here in the first segment um so shall we just list them and then kind of go through and rank them together
Because I yesterday I kind of just gave mine and then you and Luke but basically didn’t even give yours so yeah well yesterday I think or maybe I was right I don’t know I mean you gave yours H but I think me and Luke were both on the side
Of like we could give the rankings but there’s the others felt so close to get like whether you I Wass 1 a 1B was every team in theis yeah right but whether it was like you said you didn’t base your rankings on the potential of things I
May have leaned the other way because obviously Jackson shio Garrett Mitchell Centerfield group has a lot of potential in it but like you said doesn’t hasn’t um proven anything so okay yesterday’s was hard but I think coward’s way out we took the coward’s way out that’s okay
Big of you to admit right yeah um okay so we’ll just list them to start right so for the Cubs we got SE Suzuki and Mike T man uh for the Cardinals Jordan Walker and Brennan Donovan for the Reds Jake fry and Stuart Fairchild now don’t
What like we said yesterday um TJ fredle is hurt and he’s going to be out for however long so I think it would have been will Benson if TJ Fredo was healthy to play center field um then for the Brewers it’s Garrett Mitchell or South Relic or Joey weamer and it looks like
We are missing the Pirates on that graphic and uh that’s okay Sarah Sarah um I think it would have been Brian Reynolds yeah yep Brian Reynolds Jack swinsky and Conor Joe are probably in that mix right there I copy and pasted whatever you put on there now she oh
Slag and you can see where IED the Pirates on there Pirates Brian Reynolds Jack swinsky and Conor Joe it’s okay it’s okay yall y’all know we said the names me and Sarah got beef me and Sarah got beef it’s because she’s like she’s she went to Kansas and he went to that’s
Where it starts that’s Rock Chalk so on the steroids here not of anger I guess for me and this big of me to not be biased about this but to me the Cubs win this position again the Cubs had the most like the one guy who consistently
Played in right field the most last season uh sayuki played 132 games in right field I believe um then when you like I guess after that I would probably go with the Cardinals with Jordan Walker or Brennan Donovan but like I know Jordan Walker’s defense is a
Massive question going into this year so to me it’s like it’s I feel kind of weird putting them second but offensively I think they they’re right there uh but the defense is a again a big question um then I’d probably pirates with um Reynolds or
Swinsky uh and then I think you know I I think Brewers after that and then the Reds last because I think the Reds Outfield is just not as deep as the rest of the division Frey and and Fairchild are are nice but I think the the Reds
Would rather play will Benson and and Wright and have fredel and Center you know what I mean so um also you know Lars Newar we mentioned yesterday is also hurt to start the year i’ Pro I think I could I’d feel a lot better about the Cardinals being second just be
If he was healthy um and the same thing with like we said the same thing about Tommy Edmond as well so like I think the Cardinals have a have really good depth for their Outfield uh but as we go into opening day at least uh Jordan Walker is a
Massive question in right field for the Cardinals he can hit and I think he he’s a 30 home run guy potentially right but he was a 0.2 F War last last year 0.2 F4 St and he and he had solid offensive numbers he like you could argue that
This guy should just be a DH so he’s got a lot to prove in in right field defensively if he’s going to play there which I assume the Cardinals are going to play him there right so yeah I mean I I I think that then you
Look at the rest of the division and you know the Brewers there’s potential and I’m not going off potential so I don’t know and I think the Pirates probably have uh maybe I’m sleeping on the Pirates a little too much at least swinsky and Reynolds have put put
Together solid years they coming off solid years right yeah I was gonna I was going to say Reynolds like Rey I think Reynolds had a little worse year this past season than he did the year before and a couple years before um but he is a a solid
Player he got that extension from the pack was that last season or was that this off season it was it was like at the beginning of last season like during the season okay so he got that extension um they obviously believe in him in that Outfield yeah I don’t know CU like with
Swinski and re with obviously Reynolds I think kind of looking at the different death charts and projections that are out there it feels like Brian Reynolds will be that starting right fielder for the Pirates um with swinsky in there Conor Joe also in there um he’s like I
Said Brian Reynold’s a really good player but despite that um he he still ended last season with the lower f for than Suzuki and that’s with Suzuki taking into account the fact that before August like his season was pretty up and down um so the the last two months for
Suzuki really really helped that number for sure so I I again it’s another one where I think the Cubs may be the the the leader in the Outfield like just you could look at it on paper and say they probably have the best right field Group uh but I don’t think it’s
Very I I don’t think it’s they’re they’re far ahead of other teams whereas like I think the Cubs we looked at as probably the clear favorite for the center field yesterday um I don’t I don’t think right field for the Cubs is that uh with Suzuki and talkman in that
Group which again I like Suzuki is a great right fielder I think um and I I think he’s he could put together a potential All-Star season this year and Talk’s a solid backup and you can also have Canario in that group uh just we didn’t just because we don’t know his
Opening day status and whether he’ll actually be on the team um but I just don’t think they separate themselves as much uh from the rest of the groups in the division uh I mean you all know I’m a big seya guy so this is easy for me uh I
Think you know like Cody said like Jordan Walker definitely represents someone who can continue to get better I mean there’s a reason that he was the stud prospect that he was and of course you know coming up he was a disaster in the field it took him a minute to get
Going but the potential is there so unfortunately the Cardinals do have someone again depending on how they shake it out with some of their injury stuff like Jordan Walker is someone who can definitely take that next step and be someone that we are sick to watch
Coming to the plate for however long but I’m a big believer in seya and I think of of this group I’m taking him no question and of course he also has his own question marks you know he was only that player for a couple month span he
Had some real lows uh that he had to go through we’ve also seen of course not to the degree that Walker had but you know SE has had to make some adjustments in the field as well he’s made some uh notoriously bad plays out there don’t
Remind me so you know of course there there’s the potential for that I think uh Brian Reynolds is a really solid player so I think if you’re looking for someone that has kind of that like solid floor kind of a safe bet to just be a solid player like Brian Reynolds
Certainly represents that but yeah I’m taking I’m taking seya I I predict big things for him I’m not like the biggest Fantasy Baseball guy but did a draft yesterday got accused of taking him way too early uh because I just wasn’t going to let him go like I I I
Believe in that potential I believe he’s going to be in a better place and you know especially last year like dealt with that oblique injury before he ever really got going and you know that being kind of part of his transition still getting his footing under him into the
League like I think he’s I think he’s primed for big things this year am I betting on Allstar or four war or something I don’t I don’t know but I think of this group obviously I’m betting on seya Suzuki to be the best right fielder of this group I think we
All agree I think we all agree it’s it’s the Cubs it’s sort of like center field or I agree I agree with uh Ryan that the separation isn’t quite as great but it is the Cubs and then kind of you could go everybody else I would go I would go
Seya number one then I would put Reynolds number two and the thing that’s interesting about that is I would say I I would have to go back and look at last year’s but I would suggest that I probably went Reynolds higher last year he has a more proven Major League
Career than seya does but as you mentioned his his War or F War SE was even better and he had that horrible stretch last year so I believe SE has hit that hump now yesterday what was I saying I said well this is a show me
Season for SE Suzuki we’ve had some ups and downs we’ve seen the great we’ve seen the low but now I want to see it for 155 games that’s what I want to see I he may not be and and that’s not a dig on him that’s just the reality of
Baseball I have as much confidence in SE Suzuki’s big season as I do almost any player on the Cubs this season I believe he’ll be worthy of an All-Star I don’t know if he’s going to be an All-Star because a lot of things come into that
But I believe he will play at an All-Star level which would be huge for the Cub so I would go seya then I would go Reynolds then I would go Cardinals and you could you could you could do whatever you want at the bottom fry is a pretty good player that’s why
When you say separation isn’t a big deal Fry’s not a Fry’s not a bad guy like he was on the Cubs I wouldn’t mind Reynolds he reminds me of the other Outfield site he he’s to me he’s the Ian haap version of right field he he’s they’re similar
Players like you’re not going to complain when they’re coming up they’re they’re good players they’ve proven it they’re solid players they’re Allstars but for me it’s it’s SE and everybody else right now in right field yeah I mean it’ probably for me go next SE Reynolds right behind him and then I
Mean probably looking at like honestly like you’re talking about a lot potential like Jordan Walker Garrett Mitchell and Jake fry if those are the other three starting right fielders I mean it’ probably be Jordan Walker Garrett Mitchell Jake fry like but it’s it’s it feels it feels relatively close
Because a couple of those guys haven’t done a whole lot at the major league level Jake fry had was a one 1.4 F4 last year so a solid player but not like a super great player um so yeah it probably be some combination of those three behind SE at one and Brian
Reynolds at and and the Cubs Cubs combination and the Pirates combination one and two for me yeah would be shocked would anybody be shocked if if some any one of those other teams ended up first no no no no again because Jordan Walker and Gary Mitchell are such yeah such
Good players that are still getting their feet wet at the big league level but as Cory said like you look at Jordan Walker he’s definitely a guy that you could see taking that next step and and whether that is just improving or like having some semblance of a defense game
In right field like we know the dude can hit and you could totally see him by the end of the year taking a pretty big leap at the major league level I mean we didn’t even mention like Mike tochman and his you know being the backup like he’s the fourth outfielder we talked
About him yesterday obviously plays mostly Center or he played mostly Center last year but when seya did struggle and that you know they put him in right field a little bit too when said when they especially when uh they gave him the those handful of days off off I know
That’s just like a four or five day thing but still like they played tochman in all three of those Outfield spots too and he was a solid backup again almost a two War player being a as your basically fourth outfielder that ended up being kind of like a big part of your team
Last year so I think depthwise the Cubs win here uh going into the season they win here and as far as potential for sure I I think Jordan Walker has the biggest upside but dudes got to learn how to play The Outfield there he had a lot of issues out there man I
Think like in in talking about seya too it does sort of highlight kind of I I think like ultimately the you know we’re eight days away from the season so we don’t have to belabor it too much but like the frustration with I think it not being
Like super clear that the Cubs are like absolutely better than all these teams and I think on seya in particular it’s a little disappointing maybe is the word that you you know I I have such high hopes for him but it also feels like a lot kind of hinges on him doing that
Which I think is not where I wanted them to be like you want you want to be like an expectation not a hope yeah and you sort of hoping that if he does take that next level it’s it’s it’s not like the offense kind of hinges on that but it
Does sort of feel like that like if seya is not the hitter he was those last couple months and maybe not quite that good he was really good in those last two months he doesn’t really need to do exactly that kind of feels like if he’s
Even like a middle ground of that you’re like uh like kind of need more than that they didn’t really build enough around it so that’s just like as we talk about it something that I sort of I’ll get over but I remain frustrated on that like you have every right to be
Frustrated that wouldn’t you know it wouldn’t be a cherry on top it would be like well we kind of require that to happen like if seya has an average season it’s tough to see yeah where this really goes you know no yeah it’s you definitely want to see him separate
Himself from the pack at least what we’re doing right now separate himself from the pack by the end of the year like that would be if he if he could do that that’s obviously just in itself huge for him and huge for the Cubs you know what separates themselves from the
Pack Factor meals oh there’s nothing like Factor meals when it comes to you know these these types of uh you know personalized meals meal kits meal plal thank you thank you that you get straight sent straight to you in the mail you don’t have to go to a store to
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Once again so head to factor meals.com chubs 50 and use code CHD Cubs 50 to get 50% off that’s code CHD Cubs 50 at Factor meals.com Cubs 50 to get 50% off now the rest of the chat is telling me that we were lied to say is not even
Playing today why lying to us why’ you lie to us oh people in the chat saying say you later he just crushed one why why the only thing that’s going to get me past this is if I have some blue moon no I was going to say like seya may not
Have crushed one but we crush blue moon all the time absolutely love crushing blue moon I got this one right here wake up blue moon go eat lunch Blue Moon should we I got to I can’t get underneath there you go there it is nice cold right out of the fridge oo again
Like I said said Can bottle draft however you like to take it blue moon orange slice yeah with the little orange slice in the draft like blue Moon’s great love Blue Moon can’t can’t live without it at this point can’t uh Blue Moon made brighter get Blue Moon
Delivered and see delivery options by visiting get. Bloon beard.com chgo celebrate responsibly Blue Moon Brewing Company Golden Colorado all right this next segment it’s uh it’s also presented by Factor today’s uh takeaways are presented by Factor use code Cho cups 50 to get 50% off your first Factor box and free wellness shots
For life with any active subscription at Factor meals.com show CBS 50 all right um Patrick wisdom’s back I feel like we’ve been talking about back injuries a lot lately all right it’s starting to give me a back injury all right he was scratched last night due to back
Stiffness and I think what did Craig Cil say it was it’s concerning cuz he had a quad injury like a week like a like last week and now he was scratched last night because of his back injury so he’s kind of been you know not healthy most of the
Spring and uh listen I like I I think the Dom Smith Garrick Cooper era is coming and uh I think we this also like opens up more questions about Third Base as well just because wisdom can play Third Base and I will say it was cool to
It was good to see Christopher Mor make the routine plays last night in the spring training game uh he had a couple ground routine ground balls hit to him last night that you know made a clean throw right to Michael Bush at first base I know that’s no one no one’s
Worried about the glove they’re worried about being him being able to throw the ball to first base two accurate throws so so that’s a good sign but again having that backup third baseman with Nick magal still hurt from my understanding and now wisdom it’s like your third base is kind of it’s thinning
Out miles Master bony playing Third Base today which I’ve been waiting to see him play some Third Base because like he’s he played third Bay last year you know yes I know myy for sure no yeah so Patrick wisdom back discomfort back stiffness was scratched so we’re going
On a week now where um he hasn’t played and the yeah the word out of Arizona from Craig Council um obviously concerning or they they’re concerning they didn’t know the next steps yet but that uh you know now his opening day is definitely un question um the update
From magical from Council that uh he has taken some live at bats uh he had the hamstring uh injury a few weeks ago um and he could play in minor league games by the end of the weekend or early next week um so like going right up to
Opening day um this is council’s quote I’m reading from uh Andy Martinez Marquee Sports Network um it just puts us really close Council said I’m not sure we would have an answer yet there uh he’s got a chance to be ready for opening day obviously uh but it would be
Pushing it so you have two potential Third Base options that are at this point may not and maybe even more probably not going to be ready to be on the team opening day so I mean you’re looking at yeah M Bon obviously in that mix but morel’s looking more and more
Likely by the day to be the opening day third basement yeah and I mean unfortunately for both wisdom and Madrigal like they’re not the they’re not the type of player you shouldn’t be pushing that like you want the depth sure but they’re not neither of them are good enough or
Like necessary enough like what are you rushing we we don’t need Nick Madrigal as quickly as possible do we and I’d say the same for Patrick wisdom like these are these are guys who really should not be getting a ton of playing time more selective playing time if anything so if
They’re not fully healed there’s not even to me there’s not even a discussion to be had I know they want the depth and like at least depth that they understand but this is not you know this is it’s a very long season and these are not there
There’s just no reason to be doing that it’s tough for both of them you know wisdom included now with the back stuff that like that sort of plays into it like they’re going to have to make some decisions of course you can put guys on the injured list and things like that
But you know even as our chat is is saying like these are guys that really questionably should have a role in the first place so it’s going to open stuff up for other guys to take those opportunities whether it’s Garrett Cooper as you said uh miles Master bony
Who you know showed some good stuff last year I think like a lot of us were pretty frustrated when he was like leading off with a 400 Ops which was super weird and at least something I uh am pretty positive Craig council is not
Going to do but a lot of his you know uh under the hood like baded ball metrics were good he was able to be used all over the field like and so this is going to give them at least an opportunity and yeah like looking in our YouTube chat
Like Rachel puts it pretty well like a pile of meh players isn’t really depth and so yeah that’s kind of how I feel about this like you’re never rooting for guys to get injured and you’d like Council and Hoyer to be able to choose from the roster of players at their
Healthiest and like make those decisions with everybody being healthy and like kind of all the information being there but yeah that’s unfortunately not the position that they’re in so they’re going to have to figure out who do we want to give those opportunities to and I think moreover
How much do we want to keep putting on these guys like do you expect any anything out of them how much do we not that we care that they get healthy but at a certain point it’s like yeah these guys really questionably have a certain role in the first place now if Patrick
Wisdom has like a lingering back problem how much how much do you put in for like Nick madal at this point not being able to trust at all that he can stay on the field for more than a couple months at a time so even if he works himself back
Like how much stock are you going to put in that are you going to cut other guys to give him that opportunity back are you going to cut other guys to see if Patrick wisdom’s back now holds up I mean backs are a a messed up thing as we
Know so that’s the decision that these guys are going to have to make that’s a good that’s a really good point this isn’t uh seiya’s injury last season where you were like oh what are they going to do he’s not going to make it back this these are Fringe guys trying
To make the team right now who have injuries and a hamstring and a back I know any you could say is about most injuries but a hamstring and a back even if they are ready by opening day and there are a lot of off days early in the
Season there’s a lot of cold weather and backs and hamstrings don’t do well in all that cold weather early in the season so there’s no there’s nothing that says even if they get ready by opening day that this could not linger on into April into may like that’s
That’s why they have to be careful with it and I think it’s part of why you see Craig Council putting out the type of lineup that he put out today right he’s looking for that flexibility he wants to know whether it’s in April or whether it’s
In September where can I where can I slide some guys if I need to even if it’s just for a couple Innings you see Canario played left Canario played right you see Nico back over at short today you see Master bony at third he’s kind of moving guys around and just saying
Listen you’re not going to play here a lot but I have to see if you can play here and I want to give you some reps even if they’re you’re not going to get a lot of reps until two months from now I want to see what you’d be like if
You’re in the middle of a Groove and if you if I can afford to put you there for a couple of innings that’s what these two types of injuries kind of have led to and as Corey was saying we went into this offseason saying first base and
Third base not not much has changed I mean there’s possibilities but not much has changed well and and this is going to be you know for as much as uh I and a lot of other people have talked up Craig Council and really like trust Craig
Council to handle a lot of things and make the right decisions this is a tough one for him uh and he had you know he had to deal with some less than Stellar kind of platoon groups in Milwaukee as well but this is this is going to be
Like you want to test your managerial chops like here’s a third baseman that we’re not really sure if he can field like to a passable level your depth isn’t that good and they’re hurt so you know good luck right like it it it it’s going to be an interesting situation if
They do get the impression that Morel cannot do it like the throws just it’s it’s not working good luck you know what I mean like you’re going to need somebody to step up and it’s going to be one of those things that they’re going to have
To pretty quickly be able to well the the thing is is that all of this is a play until Matt Shaw like how many bats do the do do the Cubs want Matt Shaw to get in the miners this year before potentially potentially getting called up I think a large majority of prospect
People and all that believe that mat Shaw will make his debut this year yeah but what what I’m my my my frustration of this entire situation has nothing really to do with third base it’s just the DH situation cuz at at this point I don’t know who’s dhing I didn’t want I
Didn’t think wisdom is going to be your full-time DH so it’s not a big deal to me as far as like his injury like it hurts because he brings a big Power threat and he’s not expensive but like I really don’t care that GAR Cooper’s had
A great spring and I and and I’m I don’t care about Dom Smith even though Dom Smith his swing looks nice he looks healthy they’ve talked a lot about or he talked a lot to the media about uh you know being healthy now and he it’s and
How he feels it’s going to affect his numbers and stuff in a positive way I I I’ve read all this stuff um I get I guess my my frustration is just the fact that we’re sitting here eight days before opening day we’re you’re still you still have this yep um question of
Honestly in in my opinion it’s more of DH like Michael Bush is going to get this full run at first base and to me he’s he’s looked nice in the spring um he’s had some great at bats I like the approach he walked again last night I’m
Not I’m I’m not worried at a point of where first base is a massive hole like it felt like going into last year it’s just this DH situation like who is it gonna be I don’t how are they going to fit both G Garrick Cooper and Dom Smith
On this roster if they put wisdom on the iil I guess that’d be how they would do it they’d have to put him and Caleb Killian on the I still so I guess that’s how they would do it but then once wisdom is healthy what do they do then
Or are they just going to cut Patrick wism you know what I mean and so like there’s all these questions they still have so many guys to cut off this roster and we have eight days before opening day like I don’t want them to rush the
Whole cutting of guys but at the same time it’s like what are we doing well that’s the reason is like we’re finding out now that wisdom is hurt like like got back stiffness and if you had cut other guys prior to you know a week ago
Then you’re looking at you just lost a couple guys for no reason that’s why you keep they’re that’s why they are keep keeping guys this long and I think when you mentioned the DH thing I that not that it’s not a question mark but it’s just like council’s messages this whole
Spring has kind of been like that’s not he hasn’t been saying we need to find one guy to be our full-time DH like it’s not that’s not how they were going to do that’s not never felt like the plan it’s they’ve obviously ran a couple different
Guys in at DH and I think that’s just been the idea is they’re going to have different guys contributing in that role whether that’s Morell you know taking a day off a third base give someone else the opportunity and he dhes or give a guy in the Outfield a day off and he
Dhes or it’s wisdom dhing or whoever it is uh worrying about who’s going to be the full-time DH is that it’s there’s not really going to be one unless they go out and sign JD Martinez or something like that I think we I think we got a
Super chat about that and uh from Justin Nelson appreciate that need to know why for the presumptive cost in our current options JD Martinez hasn’t been signed by the Cubs it it’s something we we’ve talked about it’s almost assuredly they don’t want to go over that threshold and
I know you know you guys have talked about it but obviously like for me I’ve listened to Brendan explained this to me like 50 times um they don’t want to go over it doesn’t seem like they want to go over at all or at least right now but
They also don’t want to go over that first threshold for moves they don’t feel truly like push them to a different sort of like probability and I think the argument would be that whatever JD Martinez was able to contribute isn’t moving you enough right now they’re like a probably Fringe playoff team enough
Goes right you can win a bad division you can they were a game out last year from making the playoffs and unfortunately for all of us that seems fine for the front office and our ownership group we’ve complained about that being fine enough does JD Martinez move you from that description
To a sure division winner or assuredly a play not really you’re you’re kind of in the same spot at least that’s how they’re going to view it so but I I do think like that this conversation highlights again sort of what is frustrating about where we’re at where
One you are talking about a bunch of I don’t want to call it a bunch of garbage that’s rude but this isn’t exactly the most this isn’t the greatest conversation of baseball Talent ever assembled you know we’re debating who should be on the roster where it’s like
Half the chat is like I hope I never see that guy play again for right or wrong so that’s a little frustrating yeah the uncertainty of it also frustrating I think the one thing we all asked was just like be the best team in this Division and the fact that we don’t we
Can’t really confidently sit here and say that with any level of certainty frustrating um it also highlights the sort of precarious nature of the situation that they put themselves in now as I just said the the group we’re talking about it’s not really the best depth it’s not
Particularly exciting it has a lot of flaws but it also highlights like this roster is it’s on thin ice man like one injury one guy not performing to those projections it makes you really question stuff and for now the injuries being to Nick madal or Patrick wisdom things like
That it’s it’s not going to oh shoot now they’re going to be awful but it does sort of highlight like this depth is thin the the way that this all works out is it’s not that many paths to greatness for this team you are like one major
Injury away from a big time player to it being like yeah this team has the potential maybe to be bad like if certain guys don’t play up to projections you’re putting a lot in Michael Bush you’re putting a lot and Christopher Morel like unproven things and so I think it just highlights it’s
Very easy for this to look uh pretty dicey even though right now the injuries are only affecting you know maybe like that not so St depth but it does highlight like it’s pretty easy for this to create some really tricky conversations for them like very fast
Yeah um you know what’s for sure though Luke It’s one it’s cd1 Price Cleaners yeah if you’re looking for a clear path to uh greatness just take that path right to C1 Price Cleaners like I did the other day I picked up my magic Walgreens I went next door to the one
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The only team we recommend visit them today on Route 12 in Fox Lake for more information visit Ray cdjr in Fox Lake or Ray cjr.b so uh I there’s a comment in the chat I want to respond to but at first when Luke said that about the leather vest I
Was like I would never wear a leather vest but then I was thinking of like you know a vintage kind of Stone Cold Steve Austin leather and then as I’m thinking about it I’m like you know what like now I’m kind of into it right like you know
Steel 316 on the back the smoking skull anyway Brendon will yell at me for talking about wrestling um WrestleMania only but just like in the chat uh kebert saying I hear you Corey but that’s the case for any MLB team if a major component goes down then it jeopardizes anyone’s
Season that that’s true but I think there are other teams that are more anybody I think would admit that like the Dodgers or Braves are you know positioned as such that if you know I mean it happened to the Braves like aunia got hurt the was that last year
The year before yeah and they were fine like it almost literally didn’t matter to them uh because that depth is so good and because they’re built so well that they can afford it like that’s the thing is that we’re looking at uh what low 80s is kind of projections still I haven’t
Looked at whatever they’ve updated it to so a major injury instead of taking them from like a 98 win team to a 95 win team it might literally take them out of the playoffs and it goes to the conversation where a lot of those options we just
Still don’t have those answers on it would be one thing if we felt really confident that when Canario got in there he was ready to take that we have no idea and that’s been one of those sort of frustrating things like if it does happen you know what you’re putting a
Lot on on unproven guys I will re like B like rebut rebuttal to this like kyber in the chat he’s like a Braves Braves a special case and like in that and that like to what he’s saying is like I agree like you mentioned the Dodgers and the Braves all right well
Those are World Series favorites we we know the Cubs aren’t World Series favorites but we think that they can take a step from last year we can all confidently sit here today and believe that this team is better than last year’s team at this time right yeah I
Think we can all sit here and confidently believe that even though a lot of it is based on Pro projection we think the depth is better we think that the prospects that are scheduled to debut this year are better and could potentially help impact the win total
Right so as much as yeah I wish the were in the Braves or the Dodgers position going into this year yeah I wish that the Cubs had Otani I dreamed about it for months okay but I think that’s the only like that’s what I push back a
Little bit on is like I do think the roster overall is still better than going into last year there’s no there’s no Trey manini there’s no Eric Hosmer there’s no Tucker Barnhart you’re those the guys that are filling into replace those guys are all young and have done something recently except for Michael
Bush who still is a top 50 Prospect in baseball he’s worth giving the runway to yes right top 50 Prospect in all of baseball not like in the cup system in baseball all right so I I guess that’s how I I’ll just kind of end that segment is just the fact
That what we’re all saying about wisdom and magical and all that like yes it’s in a way a little concerning but I W like based off what we talked about in the first segment and yesterday like the Cardinals having Tommy Edmund being hurt LS Newar being hurt you know like TJ
Fredel being out for the Reds like the Cubs don’t have an injury like that going into opening day so to me that’s a positive well so that’s I good segue into the next thing that we were going to talk about which I I wanted to say to
A little bit backing up Corey it’s like I think what he’s trying to say is just that if an major injury were to happen to one of their more important players they are just less equipped than some other teams to weather that storm like Ian hap we talk we’re talking about left
Fielders now the best out left fielders in central Ian hap like when he got hurt earlier in the spring training we didn’t know if he was going to be ready for opening day and or how long that would be clearly now he’s back in games
Playing so it looks like he is going to be ready for opening day um but like who knows had he had gotten a major injury whether the Cubs would have been able to you know weather that storm because he is a pretty important player for them
Right now yeah but I’ll let when I I think too uh there was uh another you know getting back to like some of that luxury tax stuff and like the JD Martinez thing I think uh you know I’ve talked about before like the real hope
At this point like I think at at this point the the roster is the roster I know that there’s you know there’s been some weird like free agents still out there taking weird deals so you never know like what comes up but I think the
Key is going to be if they don’t want to go over now okay but if they are in a position at the deadline like last year where they really need something and it’s like you are in this division you are in this playoff hunt but you’re going to
Need whatever to get through this season last year it was more solid Bullpen depth maybe this year the team’s doing well they’re in first place but the third base situation is a mess they must be able they must be willing to spend that money and eat that tax threshold if
It’s going to actually help them pursue making the playoffs and securing that if they don’t they will I could tell you that right now I know what gives you what gives you that confidence I would say I’m not really sure I mean I’ve I’ve had conversations with with different
People that just they’re a different situation right now obviously breaking news when we no it’s it’s not even breaking news it’s just like they’re in a much better position yeah um to like and and that’s also part of why they aren’t making more moves now is like
That because we talked about the other day on the show that it just limits what they could do at the trade deadline as far as that flexibility and being like I I I think the Cubs are if they’re in that position my belief is that the Cubs
Are are willing to go over the luxury tax threshold to get you know whatever player they need to to do but again that’s that’s why they’re not doing it now because that just limits yeah flexibility later on but right and this is largely why I don’t think Jordan
Montgomery will be here but we’ll see um yeah so moving good segue to left field all right CU you mentioned Ian hap uh this list some people in the chat are reacting to this list as if it’s ranked we just threw this list together this is
Not a ranking all right um I guess this is kind of somewhere to right field like it’s a little bit more competitive than center field I guess the Brewers would be number one because Christian Yelich has exper has more experience and if we’re going to use Bellinger being an
MVP like as an excuse for him to be the best in the division yesterday I guess technically I have to do this even though I don’t want to all right big of me to do so okay you can I won’t but I would say the Cubs are at
Least second in this in in this uh group Brenan Donovan uh he’s I mean he’s kind of like a utility guy I think it would be Lars Nar if he was healthy um then Spencer steer is also like a like he’s played all across the diamond played
Some f Third Base last year played some first base I think this year they might he might get more time in left field um and then with the Pirates Jack swinsky if he’s not playing right he’s probably in Left Right the the the Pirates are going to play swinsky so he’s going to
Be starting somewhere uh whether in one of those Corner Outfield spots so um it’s a lot more competitive of the three positions in the Outfield I believe uh but I would say the Cubs are right there top two at the very least in this one what do you think think Luke I think
It’s Brewers I think it’s Cubs I think it’s Cardinals I think it’s Pirates and then it’s Reds the one thing I would say again I don’t think there’s a ton of separ like rightfield I don’t think the separation for the co for like for the Cubs and the other teams behind
Them is as great as it was in center field I think what you see is that the Outfield in the National League central has a ton of depth of really good outfielders it doesn’t have super star potential quite like you you know the the the east in the American League
Might or some other divisions would have but it’s got a lot of really good I would say Cody Bellinger might have the highest upside of any outfielder potentially in the entire division like he has the most Superstar potential of almost any outfielder in the division Yelich you could you could argue that’s
Yelich okay that’s fine but I don’t think that there’s a ton of super superar talent I think what you also see with the Cubs is we’re now looking at a position of strength for the Cubs right we’re we’re looking at a position of strength not just left field Outfield has become a
Major position of strength for the Chicago Cubs not only because you have hap who we just I’m ranking second and that’s a gold Glover and an All-Star and left we have Bellinger we put first I put seya first so I went first first and second on on the Outfield ranking Power
Rankings right looking at the division that’s look at the triaa Outfield lineup the Cubs have going Owen Casey alcantra and PCA they probably have the best triple I would assume they have the best triaa Outfield too the best doublea Outfield so Outfield has become a major position of strength for the Cubs and
While yeah we do worry about the depth at third base and first basee I even if ha were hurt I don’t worry about it in the Outfield because I think it’s it’s a place of organizational strength right now yeah no I mean I agree with that and
Then like you we didn’t even mentioned Canario who he’s just kind of in limbo right now but he’s still part of that depth we have we had hap and talkman as the the left field grouping just because toan’s the fourth Outfield but like Canario he had very limited ey bats but
He had some success um last season so he’s definitely in that grouping and if he makes the opening day roster you’re looking at him as the fifth fourth SL fifth outfielder along with talkman um yeah I’m kind of with you guys and and then I’d go Yelich would lead the the
Brewers with Yelich and even Garrett Mitchell if he’s in that or whoever it is I forgot who we put in there weamer and Joey weer yeah yeah uh whoever is in there but like Yelich at the top for the Brewers that’s just especially when you had when he had that bounceback season
Last year uh he was like he had been a couple years removed from like that ceiling that we saw from him that he won the MVP in the past he had a couple donur and we were kind of sitting here wondering is y ever gonna get back to
That level last year he got close I don’t know if he specifically got back to that level uh but he was pretty good last year so I’d probably have him at one ha is you know a one time Allstar two time or two time Allstar one time
Two Gold Glove two time Gold Glove one time Allstar um he’s proven he’s important to the Cubs lineup he had a good year last year um so he’s probably right there at number two and then I mean I’d probably go who do we got I mean swinsky is there who would we put
In left field for the Reds it was steer steer and Donovan like those three are neck and neck I mean it’ probably be swinsky steer Donovan or swinsky Donovan steer but like those three are all pretty solid and then with the with the depth that you mentioned Luke um solid
Depth around the division so like the groupings while I would say yich and hap are one and two and and pretty solidly one and two those other three are like they’re not too far behind and they’re all right there with each other I think I think I like Conor Joe yeah Connor
Joe’s in there too I I I think he’s a good player yeah again if L’s new bar was healthy I think he would argue to be ahead of Ian half he’s to me he’s that good as much as I like to joke about him being a creative player from MLB the
Show he does have a great name um yeah I mean this this Ian like you said Ryan Ian ha’s a little bit more proven he’s got uh you got an All-Star on the resume um and so I yeah I but I unfortunately I do think yel it’s
Probably the best here but and that’s just coming off going into this year coming off the year that he had which was you know he was a 4 4 4.1 F War last year which is not far off of Cody Bellinger so whatever yeah I
Mean I’m not you will never over by dead body am I ranking Christian yich number one at anything um I’m not really ranking him number one I’m just saying like I understand that he had a good year last year I uh yeah until I got that until we get that public apology to
You darish like Christian Yelich yeah I don’t have nice things to say about him but I think the the yell chap thing does represent you know a sort of interesting thing to watch this season and a potentially huge one as these teams are you know the the Brewers are dealing
With they lost a lot the Devon Williams thing is a big deal so like there’s a lot going on there but you know for hap had back-to-back seasons in the mid Theses like if we’re if we’re looking at yeah if we’re looking at uh F War we are
A fangraphs war family as Cody has you know Luke recently uh converted to fangraphs family only because the Stucky stats AR the steroids yeah uh but you know so you have him putting up back-to-back Seasons that are A Step Above obviously where he had been at before getting defensive accolades now
And the big question is you alluded to Ryan like is Christian Yelich kind of back like it certainly wasn’t at that mvp level but uh a four- win season definitely not what he was doing for a little while so it does suggest perhaps that knee is maybe healed up and he’s
Feeling better and uh you know but he’s also I think like at some point in this season he’ll be 33 or he’s going into it 32 in four months whatever it is so those are questions you know as we’ve seen with guys like Paul gold Schmid you
Know he was 35 you know putting up MVP level seasons and I remember sitting here going like is he just going to be this good until he’s 45 years old like could he slowed down and last year it looked like you know maybe you sort of
Started to see a little bit of that age season but yeah he did but not so that’s you know that might be a pretty like integral thing to how this division plays out and just even how those head-to-head matchups go like is Ian hap able to continue being that
Player or even possibly put together a better offensive season and is Christian Yelich now kind of just back to being Christian Yelich he’s going to be that that type of hitter again I don’t know but I’ll you know throw Ian haap at number one cuz I don’t like christiany
So big of you all right um so I to sum it up the Cubs have the best Outfield in division fact yeah the the this is not fax this is fact going into the season it feels that way going into the season andall and I I say this with and
Like emphasize the fact that to have three Outfield positions locked up pretty well that have given you success or have been successful like do I need to mention the injuries across the division in this position right now like again I’ve done it like three or four times like again I
Understand that this team isn’t World Series ready yet unless like you know the whatever the Diamondbacks were drinking last year somehow gets injected into the Cubs this this season but I think there there you hope to see some you hope to see seya take that next step
You hope to see belly continue to do what he does and hopefully PCA comes up and and adds to that right and and hap just gives you another three and a half to four War season like he has the last two years right like that’s that’s what
The Cubs are banking on honestly fans should Bank on it too because if they’re not doing that then we have even more questions to answer and more issues to talk about I don’t I don’t want to be concerned about the Outfield in July I want to still only be concerned about
The two Corner positions because at least that’s just two things that we need to worry about you know so that’s my Spiel well and hopefully we get to a point as we talked about that the the situation we’re talking about the Outfield is how do you fit these people
In what do you do with those prospects are playing well and you have have to figure out okay now we have a good problem to have like do we need to trade people do we and the whole team might not look like that there’s positions where it’s certainly not going to be
Like that but sure the Outfield at least represents a territory where hopefully things just go so well that it becomes a problem for Craig and Jed to figure out what do we do with all these good outfielders that sounds like a nice place to live sure all right um Gerard
Is here he’s at Gerard at the game he’s at the game he’s in the chat and he’s telling us that is that that that there hasn’t been a hit yet there has not been a hit yet for the so perhaps we switch up The Vibes by finishing the show and
Maybe the Cubs will get a hit and then if they do you can all credit us for ending the show they’re getting no hit and uh Hector’s giving up bombs so we could also just end the show by panicking yeah yeah yeah I’m going to we’re going to end the show and I’m
Going to go scream out on the balcony all right stuck yeah I hope you feel better man thank you thank you I appreciate it I think I’m I think I’m on I’m not gonna say it I’m not gonna say it knock on wood real quick you kind of
Started saying it I did I did but that’s that’s the the medication is same friendly reminder go to our watch party the watch party eight days eight days all right RSVP all the information on allo.com under the events tab it’s free Sarah will be there Barb I know you love Sarah
So much we also would love to just finally meet you Barb if you ever want to you know you can come to our watch party all right yeah you can bring us some tuna balls oh boy yeah Barb just walk in with them right absolutely love that yeah so
We’ll be back tomorrow 3:30 I won’t be here they’re dragging me to Circus sports book they’re literally dragging me tomorrow to dragging you as if you don’t want to go to Circ the Bears guys are dragging me to Circus sports book tomorrow so I’m going to be there as if
You don’t want to sit in a sports book and watch with with March man watch watch marching I’m so upset about it guys everybody pray for Cody but to stop it make sure he was going yeah yeah but Kevin wells will be in for me tomorrow
So at least you could see his his beautiful face all right so uh I’ll see youall next week um thanks for checking out the CH show Cubs podcast presented by Blue Moon we’ll see you tomorrow Bye we all like the man
3 Comments
Cubs are on the board!
Corey yeah!
The biggest screw job of all is when Chet got screwed out of the Chad title.. soo close!