Cubbies Gazette

 As we enter 2022, it's time for goals to be set, predictions to be made, and chance to make things happen. I hope all of you have a fantastic New Years and looking forward to the year ahead! It's also time to make my own predictions for the Cubs in 2022.  The Cubs Will Sign Carlos Correa Wow! I really surprised you there...but I have a gut feeling they will. Think ahead to 2024 when the Cubs have Correa, Davis, Kilian, Marquez...anyway, yeah. I can tell you one thing though, if the Cubs sign Correa the whole baseball world (and the Cubs fanbase) will be going insane. I'll borrow from myself what I mentioned about him before: He can hit well. To say the least. He batted .279/.366/.485 with a 134 wRC+ in 2021, so if you think Correa isn't worth it, let me tell you that his bat is worth it in itself. He boasted a low 18.1% K rate and a high 11.7% BB rate along with an overall 5.8 WAR. Along with that, he also had a Max EV of 116.4 MPH, which is in the top 3% of the league...

Because we have a break in all the baseball activity and signings that would usually be happening right now, I thought it would be a good time to consider some possible trade scenarios starting with Ian Happ. Why Happ? Happ has been playing with the Cubs since 2017, and since then it's been a bit of a roller coaster. Although having a 100+ wRC+ in each of his MLB seasons, he's been a remarkably streaky player. In 2021, he started his year very cold, and then in the latter half of the season, he picked up the pace and did extremely well. In September/October alone, he batted .317/.405/.615 with a 167 wRC+, which is more than enough to cement your place in a team's outfield. But overall, in 2021, he batted .226/.323/.434 with a 103 wRC+, which makes him a barely average player.  In 2020, everyone thought he was finally breaking out for real, batting .258/.361/.505 with a 130 wRC+, but that didn't translate over into the 2021 season. So, based on his history of "break...

 This is the dude that caught the final out of the 2016 World Series and lived out many iconic moments with the Cubs. I came across this compiliation of Rizzo, and thought I'd share. All the best to his future, wherever he ends up!

I was thinking about the lack of strikeouts in the Cubs' rotation, and after doing some digging, I found some interesting things that I'll share with you.  Strikeouts are not the best way to evaluate a pitcher and how effective they are, because some pitchers have great success in not allowing many runs with being a groundball-reliant pitcher. However, for the purpose of this article, I'm going to give you a look at the K% of the Cubs' rotation and why or why not that is good. Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks had a 16.4% K rate in 2021, which Statcast puts in the bottom 8% of MLB.  Wade Miley. Miley had a 18.1% K rate in 2021, which Statcast puts in the bottom 15% of MLB. Marcus Stroman. Stroman had a 21.7% K rate in 2021, which Statcast puts in the bottom 35% of MLB. Adbert Alzolay. Alzolay had a 24.7% K rate in 2021, which Statcast puts in the bottom 58% of MLB. Alec Mills. Mills had a 16.8% K rate in 2021, which Statcast puts in the bottom 9% of MLB. Justin Steele. Steele h...

 I hope you all had a great Christmas, as I did, and now I'm back to writing you some articles on America's favorite team...the Chicago Cubs.  I must admit that my article title is pretty subjective and open to lots of unexpected things, but nevertheless, I'm still going to try to figure out how many games the Cubs can win in 2022. One big factor is Carlos Correa. If the Cubs do end up getting Correa, then they might be winning a few more games than I originally thought. If they do not and settle for a high-defense shortstop (like trading for Ha-Seong Kim), then they might not win as many games as if they had Correa. So, I'm just going to go based off of the Cubs current roster and add a few things at the end. Infield Infield contributes a lot to winning games, as the Cubs illustrated in 2021. If you don't have good infield defense, then you allow runners to reach base. Then they end up scoring, and you end up losing the game. Not fun. Right now (without Correa), th...

 Now before everyone is saying "now you know the Cubs can't actually sign anybody..." I want to clarify that I understand that and I'm not actually that naive about what's going on with this lockout thing. With that out of the way, lets' move on with my Christmas wish list for the Cubs. A Shortstop Every Cubs Fan Wants All I've been hearing lately is Cubs fans and writers talking about "Correa to the Cubs." And I love it. Something I want to remind Cubs fans of is that Cubs fans were doing everything they could to get Stroman and Hoyer changed course at the last minute to sign Stroman. Coincidence? I really think Cubs fans wanting Stroman so bad had an influence on the Cubs front office.  And you know what? The same can happen with Correa, so KEEP IT UP CUBS FANS! Anyway, Correa is certainly on my wish list, along with many other Cubs fans. Here's some reasons why Correa is on my wish list: He can hit well. To say the least. He batted .279/...

  Kilian was acquired in the Kris Bryant trade with the Giants and boy did it pay off (from what we can see.) Kilian played for Double A with the Giants and then with the Cubs for the rest of the season. He also played in the AFL (Arizona Fall League) and put up some amazing starts. Between both Double A organizations, he posted a final 2.75 ERA in 78.2 IP. Despite inflated numbers during the AFL (5.14 ERA), due mainly to a couple starts that he was working on some pitches, he still impressed many, especially with his final start in the AFL Championship Game where he pitched 6 innings and allowed no runs. Check out his final start here: I am super excited about Kilian's future with the Cubs, and after watching several videos of his pitching I think the dude will be ready for MLB before long.  I found this video of Kilian's 2021 Highlights, and it is a good watch, especially seeing that rising fastball (touching at 98 MPH) and the changeup which has batters swinging at the grou...

  With the news that the Cubs have "a serious interest" in Correa, a lot of Cubs fans (and players) have been going berserk about potentially getting Correa. That includes new Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman, who has yet to play one game with the Cubs but is actively recruiting. See what he said here: Need you in Chicago my dawg! @TeamCJCorrea https://t.co/JihQciRvai — Marcus Stroman (@STR0) December 22, 2021 That's right, and don't stop saying it! Correa playing in a Cubs uniform would be fantastic, and I don't want to be pessimistic, but we still have to wait until this "lockout" is over...and then the Cubs can sign him. David Bote Projections David Bote had a very bad year in 2021, like I wrote about a few weeks ago here:  What Is David Bote's Role With the 2022 Cubs?   and he ended up 64 wRC at the end of the season. Going into the 2021 season, he was projected to hit pretty well, but he really underperformed, batting .201/.280/.340 with a 68 wRC b...

 I'm guilty of getting caught up in potential Cubs rumors, but this one I can say has a little more validity to it. Let's first back up to things that have happened prior to this: Correa was seeking a big deal, apparently big enough that the Tigers shied away from it in favor of Baez. Possibly a record-breaking deal, according to some past sources. Hoyer has mentioned that he is done focusing on pitching and will move to other needy parts of the roster, specifically the infield. It's no secret that the Cubs could use a top-tier shortstop, considering the defense that will be needed and the extra power in the lineup is a need. Correa has mentioned (before the offseason started) that Wrigley is a great place to play and a lot of players would be interested in going there. He separately stated that he wanted to play for a "rebuilding team", something the Cubs are of sorts. Putting things together before this last big announcement, we can already see some "mutual...

  I just love moments like these, especially when it's against one of your top division rivals: the Cardinals. I'll take you through a play-by-play of what happened and then you can watch the video at the bottom. It's the top of the 9th inning and the Cubs are down 6-1 to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. This is July 20th, 2021, and the core group has yet to be traded. It's just another game that the Cubs are going to lose, most Cubs fans are thinking, and a comeback isn't really on many minds. Luis Garcia was pitching for the Cardinals and Patrick Wisdom was leading off in the inning. He led off by a strikeout (I mean, it is Wisdom), but the ball got away from Molina, making it a wild pitch. Wisdom reached first and now the Cubs have one on base and no outs. Nico Hoerner was up next, and hit a groundball to shortstop Paul DeJong, but he threw it away and Hoerner reached first, and Wisdom took third. Now the Cubs have first and third and no outs. Now Garcia walked Ja...

  With the baseball world being stuck in a lockout and us not knowing when it's going to end, though I hope it will be over before March, it's time to take a little review of the Cubs' offseason checklist, what they have accomplished and what needs to be accomplished. Starting Pitching The Cubs added Wade Miley off of waivers in the beginning of the offseason, adding a solid rotation piece that has great durability and shown some good success in 2021. Then, right before the lockout, they surprisingly added Marcus Stroman on a 3-year deal, giving the rotation a pitcher that has had great success in 2021 and one that is now a die-hard Cubs fan (and recruiter.) The Cubs said at the beginning of the offseason that starting pitching would be a priority, and Hoyer said just recently that they were done focusing on the rotation, so we can conclude that they made the additions they wanted to for the rotation.  What are my thoughts on the final product? The rotation looks like this...

  The Cubs were not the best defensively this past season, ranking no. 20 with defense (I mean, at least they weren't no. 30!), but that doesn't mean they didn't make any good plays. I found this pretty awesome video on the Cubs defense highlights from 2021, so take ten minutes and watch this neat compilation.  I just want to make a few comments about the video and the great defensive plays: Notice how many times Alcantara got featured? I mean, I didn't think he was an awful defensive player, but after watching the video and seeing his great range and arm, I think he was one of the Cubs better shortstops in 2021. Wisdom had a few nice plays at third, and I liked his arm in throwing to first. One kind of funny moment is when he had a sweet play at third and threw Bryant out at first. I still like Bryant, just thought that was kind of ironic. Schwindel really showed he could be a solid first baseman, and in that video, you see him stretching up and down and making some ...

The last article I wrote evaluating the Iowa Cubs' roster, I analyzed the pitching depth. This article we'll discuss the infield depth of the Iowa Cubs including catcher, first, second, shortstop and third. If you are unfamiliar with the minor league system, here is my explanation from my previous article: " Players are drafted by a team from high school or college, and when that team drafts them, they start training in that team's farm system, starting with the bottom, usually a complex league or rookie league. Then they jump to the official minor leagues, starting with Low A, and they work their way up to the Triple-A level from which it is one step to reach MLB." That's just a simplified explanation, but it'll give you an idea if you are unfamiliar with the topic. Anyway, as a precursor to my evaluation, I do want to say that infield prospects do a lot of shifting around the infield instead of strictly staying with one position. While some shift around ...

 Since not much is happening in the Cubs world besides Cubs pitchers having a deadlifting competition and Cubs fans singing carols with the purpose of bringing Correa to the Cubs: Cubs fans changed the words of ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’ to ”Correa come play in Chicago.” 😅🎄 (via @RyanMcGuffey ) pic.twitter.com/piE7d2lCr8 — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 18, 2021 And Correa responded and wished Cubs fans a Happy Holidays:   Happy Holidays to you all 🎄💙 https://t.co/lWVlFqKtEf — Carlos Correa (@TeamCJCorrea) December 18, 2021 So, besides that, not much has been happening, so it's time to go back and remember two crazy Cubs walk-offs from 2021. 1. Ian Happ Walks-Off On a Pop-Up This was pretty crazy and also pretty stupid, but they were playing the Pirates, and when you're playing a team like that, things like this happen. Of course, Jomboy had a pretty good breakdown of this play, but it's a pretty crazy moment and I'm glad it happened...and in the Cubs' ...

  The Cubs have been sending some invitations to non-roster players for Spring Training and have sent seven invitations. Personally, I was pretty ticked off that I didn't get invited... Anyway, here they are along with a little evaluation. RHP Jonathan Holder. The Cubs signed Holder prior to the 2021 season, but injuries kept him from playing all season long, so the Cubs resigned him again this offseason. With the Yankees he posted a career 4.38 ERA in a grand total of 176.2 IP. He has a career 21.7% K rate against a 7% BB rate and a 36.6% GB rate. One wonders why the Cubs are so intent on having him, a guy who is pretty much an average player. Perhaps we'll see a little of his potential in ST. RHP Mark Leiter Jr. I discussed him in detail in my previous article:  Cubs Sign RHP Mark Leiter Jr.  Excited to see him pitch for the Cubs. LHP Stephan Gonsalves. I made this analysis on him when the Cubs originally signed him: " He spent 7 years in the Twins' system, and then ...

At this point with the lockout in full force, we are forced to get excited about what would normally be "insignificant" signings. I'm talking about signing minor league free agents, which can sometimes be significant, but it's not usually noticed as much because of MLB action. It is somewhat interesting to me that signing MiLB free agents is allowed during the lockout. I mean, I get that the minor leagues are not locked out, only MLB players are "locked out" from MLB teams, but it still seems a little odd. But it is the way it is, so we'll just have to roll with it and get excited when someone signs a minor league player, because at least it's something. Anyway, the Cubs made one of these MiLB signings, and signed RHP Mark Leiter Jr. to a minor league deal.  Leiter has spent most of his career with the Phillies, having been in their system since 2013 and making his MLB debut in 2017, but he then bounced around a little bit before he signed a minor le...

 Schwindel is one of the few things for the Cubs in 2021 that made me excited and happy. "Frank the Tank," "Schwindy City" and other nicknames accurately describe how good this guy was. With the Cubs, ended with a final stat line of .342/.389/.613 with a 163 wRC in 239 PA. He had a low 15.1% K rate and a 6.7% BB rate.  The guy's ability to hit homers (14) and not strikeout a ton, plus his charisma and personality, quickly made him a favorite Cubs player to me and other fans. So, enjoy this highlight video of Schwindel's 2021 season, and just take a moment to admit that this is the legendary Frank the Tank. There you have it. And while I'm not sure if he can hit that well all season long, the personality will still be there. And, before you go, check out these awesome Cubs shirts, the first one being a pretty cool Schwindel shirt. (They do make really good Christmas gifts for Cubs fans)

With not much action happening on the MLB level, and not too much more Cubs roster to talk about and breaking news to share, I thought I'd turn your attention to the lower levels of the Cubs' farm system, starting with the Triple A affiliate of the Cubs, the Iowa Cubs. If you are unfamiliar with how a teams' farm system works, or what prospects are, let me offer a simple explanation. Players are drafted by a team from high school or college, and when that team drafts them, they start training in that team's farm system, starting with the bottom, usually a complex league or rookie league. Then they jump to the official minor leagues, starting with Low A, and they work their way up to the Triple-A level from which it is one step to reach MLB.  Of course, teams trade prospects, and that team now fits that player into their system, which might be the same level, higher level, or lower level. So, all teams have a variety of players either drafted or gotten by trade or off wa...

  Yesterday, Fangraphs came out with their Cubs ZiPS predictions (a method they use to predict a player's performance), and it came with some surprises and some doubts on my part. I'll list some more notable players' predictions including Hendricks, Wisdom, Schwindel and others. Willson Contreras is predicted to hit .240/.339/.442 with 20 HR and a 2.6 WAR. He is set to have the highest WAR on the team besides Marcus Stroman, and so a pretty solid season for the Cubs' main backstop. I see this as pretty realistic for him. Patrick Wisdom is predicted to hit .225/.300/.488 with 29 HR and a 2.0 WAR. He is predicted to have 387 AB, which I think is a little higher than he'll end up getting. Overall, I'm pretty surprised to see them so optimistic about him, given his strikeouts and cold streaks, plus them giving him a total of 157 Ks, but I hope they're right. Ian Happ is predicted to hit .239/.341/.456 with 25 HR and a 1.8 WAR, so they're not expecting him to...