All of them could help."The Cubs are off to a bad start. You
Tanner Roark Jersey , obviously, already know this.But you also know that they have played four games of 162, and many teams have gotten off to worse starts and won pennants and World Series. Though Jed Hoyer was quoted as saying that it was very important for the Cubs to get off to a good start, the “start†to the season isn’t necessarily over. To cite one team associated with Joe Maddon, the 2002 Angels (for whom Maddon was bench coach) were 6-14 (and 10 games out of first place!), yet won 99 games and the World Series. At one point during that stretch they lost six in a row and were outscored 38-13. Now that’s a bad start. For the Cubs this year, it’s... four games, during which the Cubs have averaged seven runs per game despite being shut out once.Nevertheless, there are a few things that can be done right now — without any of them really being a “panic†move — to change the fortunes of this team. Here are my suggestions.Install Kyle Schwarber as the permanent left fielderThis is so obvious at this point that I simply do not understand why the Cubs won’t do it. The Cubs have faced two lefthanded starters out of the four games in 2019 and Schwarber has started against neither of them. While he still has some trouble hitting lefties, it’s clear that platooning him with Mark Zagunis is not working. (And why would you do that?)Just let Kyle play. The Cubs will face another lefty on Thursday, Atlanta’s Max Fried.Send Mark Zagunis back to Triple-AZagunis had a good spring training (.370/.444/.761, four HR in 46 at-bats), but we all know how spring training numbers can be deceptive. (Jason Heyward, for example, already has as many hits in four regular-season games as he had all spring in more than twice as many at-bats).Zagunis does one thing well — draw walks. I suppose the Cubs could keep him around as a pinch-hitter, but then they don’t have a defensive replacement for Schwarber
Khris Davis Jersey , which they could use on occasion in the late innings.There have already been some suggestions that Ian Happ return, even before he’s played one game at Iowa. This isn’t likely to happen. Happ needs to work on some aspects of his game, and I suspect he’ll be in Triple-A for at least a month, maybe more.There are a couple of outfielders on the Iowa roster who could be recalled and be decent bench players, though both have limitations. Johnny Field can play all three outfield positions well. His issue is strikeouts — he struck out 25 times in 59 spring at-bats, an even worse ratio than his 72 K’s in 221 at-bats last year with the Rays and Twins. He does have power, which could be helpful.Jacob Hannemann, the Cubs’ third-round pick in 2013, can also play all three outfield positions. He got brief MLB time in 2017 when the Mariners claimed him, and then the Cubs got him back on waivers after that season ended. He has decent baserunning speed, with 142 stolen bases (30 CS) in six minor-league seasons.Field and Hannemann are not on the 40-man roster and would have to be added. There would seem to be a spot or two that the Cubs could free up on the 40-man; I’m not quite sure why Jen-Ho Tseng is still on it, and the Cubs could probably get Taylor Davis through waivers.Let’s end the Brandon Kintzler experimentThe Cubs didn’t hesitate to send Brian Duensing through waivers and get him to Iowa. The same should be done with Kintzler, even though he’s thrown decently in his two outings so far this year. (Also, getting him through waivers and to Iowa would open a 40-man spot.) As has been pointed out by many, the Cubs don’t have what a lot of bullpens do, and that’s guys who throw 95+ on a consistent basis. And that leads me to my next point...Put Dillon Maples or James Norwood in the bullpenI am aware that both these righthanders still have some trouble with command. But Maples struck out 16 in 8鈪?spring innings
http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , and Norwood can throw 97-98 on a consistent basis. While other teams seem to have a near-endless supply of guys like this who can throw hard, the Cubs’ only relievers who can hit 95 are Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards Jr. In modern baseball, teams need more guys like this, unlike Kintzler types who are ground-ball specialists.Cubs starters need to go back to attacking the zone Cubs starters have made quite a few messes so far this year and this is one of the reasons they are tied for third-most walks in the major leagues with 27 (and the other three teams with 27 or more, the Orioles, Diamondbacks and Rangers) have all played more games than the Cubs.But Cubs starters are averaging only 4.5 innings per start, and that ranks 26th among all MLB teams. One of the reasons for that, obviously, is the walks; they are averaging 92 pitches per start, tied for fourth-most.Are Cubs starters being told to nibble? Are they afraid of challenging hitters? Veteran starters like the Cubs have shouldn’t be. One of the best outings by any Cubs starter this year was Jose Quintana’s four-inning relief stint on Saturday. That’s backwards. Q likely gets his first start on Friday in Milwaukee.Lastly, I want you to remember again that this is just four games. If the Cubs had a four-game stretch like this in, say, the middle of June, you’d be concerned but not panicking. The fact that it began on Opening Day magnifies things.Consider another MLB team, that’s off to a 1-5 start with a -18 run differential and has been shut out twice in a row.That’s the defending World Series champion Red Sox, and I assure you no one’s asking for Alex Cora to be fired. The Red Sox will be just fine. And so will the Cubs. A few tweaks
Jake Smolinski Jersey , though, might help them fix things a bit faster. CINCINNATI (AP) — Sonny Gray had a few hours to make a career-changing decision. The Yankees no longer needed him. The Reds wanted another starter, and they were willing to deal for him so long as he agreed to a three-year contract extension.That’s a big commitment to a team that’s lost 90 games each of the last four seasons. Sure, Gray had a personal connection with Cincinnati — his dad tried out for the Reds’ farm system, and Gray attended his first big-league game at Great American Ball Park. Still, the Reds have languished in last place for four straight years.What to do? Gray signed on .“I think it’s obviously notable what the Reds have been doing,†said Gray, who agreed to a deal adding $30.5 million from 2020-22. “I’ve got a really good feeling that we’re trying to turn the corner here and we’re trying to start winning a lot of baseball games.â€After four years of shedding veterans and tossing rookies onto the field to see what they’ve got, the Reds decided it was time to start moving up again. They rebuilt the rotation through three trades, adding Gray, left-hander Alex Wood and Tanner Roark while getting rid of Homer Bailey.They also overhauled the lineup by acquiring outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp from the Dodgers.The remake wasn’t confined to the field. They hired David Bell as a first-year manager to oversee the metamorphosis from rebuilding to contending — or, at least, being competitive in the short-term. Significant attendance drops during the rebuild prompted the moves that made the Reds an intriguing team as spring training opens.Instead of wondering how low they’ll go, it’s now more a question of how much ground they can make up in one year in the formidable NL Central.“I think we’ve got a good chance to win now,†Gray said.Some things to watch as the Reds fit the new pieces together in Goodyear, Arizona:NEW LOOK: The rotation got a total makeover
http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , with the three newcomers joining Anthony DeSclafani and Luis Castillo. Bell has to decide how to arrange his new staff. Also, the arrival of Puig and Kemp give the outfield a new dynamic with center fielder Billy Hamilton gone.ROOKIES TO WATCH: Unlike the last few years when rookies came and went, there should be much more focus on veterans. Nick Senzel could have the biggest impact of the youngsters. He’s a career infielder, but the Reds haven’t ruled out giving him a chance to win the open job in center field.THEY’RE SET: The infield returns Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett, Jose Peraza and Eugenio Suarez. The back of the bullpen is set, too, with David Hernandez and Jared Hughes setting up closer Raisel Iglesias.THEY’RE NOT: Center field is their biggest question. They could move Scott Schebler or Puig to the spot, or let Senzel try to grow into the role.ON DECK: Puig and Kemp are free agents after the season, along with Roark, so if it doesn’t work out, there could be trades in July and the Reds could be back to starting over in some ways. At least the fans will have something different to watch when the Reds open their spring schedule against the Indians on Feb. 23 and the regular season at home against the Pirates — a division rival they’re looking to overtake — on March 28.
30th May 2019
None of these are panic moves.
