MLB 2018 Season

[LAZER]

Is something I said inaccurate or...?

Nope, I just get a kick out of your loathing of the Cubs. I find it funny.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Is something I said inaccurate or...?

I mean it was a high of 64 that day and it wasn't sunny and the forecast called for rain but don't let facts get in your way. 

[wadesworld]

I mean it was a high of 64 that day and it wasn't sunny and the forecast called for rain but don't let facts get in your way.

The sun was out that afternoon. But sure.

I’ve never seen a game called that early and end up with a rainout where there was no rain.

Glad you’re here to set the record straight though. Definitely a reasonably called game. It happens like every day in the MLB. Weather cancellations for games where there is no precipitation and no dangerous weather conditions. Pretty reasonable that if any weather forecast out there shows any chance of rain baseball games should definitely be called, especially 4 hours before the game when there are no signs of that rain that day.

Leave it to Cubs fans to believe that. Although in their defense not ALL of them are like VBMG.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

The sun was out that afternoon. But sure.

I’ve never seen a game called that early and end up with a rainout where there was no rain.

Glad you’re here to set the record straight though. Definitely a reasonably called game. It happened like every day in the MLB. Weather cancellations for games where there is no precipitation and no dangerous weather conditions. Pretty reasonable that if any weather forecast out there shows any chance of rain baseball games should definitely be called, especially 4 hours before the game when there are no signs of that rain that day.

Leave it to Cubs fans to believe that. Although in their defense not ALL of them are like VBMG.

Did I say the game should have been called, genius? 

[wadesworld]

Did I say the game should have been called, genius?

Dang. Burn.

[jsglow]

I mean it was a high of 64 that day and it wasn't sunny and the forecast called for rain but don't let facts get in your way.

All true.  But it sure was funny.  And if I recall correctly, when the Crew had to bus in for the one game make-up, they put a butt whippin' on the Cubs.   

Look, I get it.  The Cubs are very likely to win the division again and could make another deep playoff run.  But it's been an interesting adjustment for Cubs fans.  For a lifetime they were the lovable losers so everyone outside Cub nation sort of pulled for them.  Now, almost nobody outside of Cub nation does.  Rather, we all like to poke fun.  And so it goes........

Anyway, it should be a good season with the Cubs, Crew and Birds all darn competitive.

[GGGG]

All true.  But it sure was funny.  And if I recall correctly, when the Crew had to bus in for the one game make-up, they put a butt whippin' on the Cubs.   

Look, I get it.  The Cubs are very likely to win the division again and could make another deep playoff run.  But it's been an interesting adjustment for Cubs fans.  For a lifetime they were the lovable losers so everyone outside Cub nation sort of pulled for them.  Now, almost nobody outside of Cub nation does.  Rather, we all like to poke fun.  And so it goes........

Anyway, it should be a good season with the Cubs, Crew and Birds all darn competitive.

So is that why they are now so thin-skinned?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

All true.  But it sure was funny.  And if I recall correctly, when the Crew had to bus in for the one game make-up, they put a butt whippin' on the Cubs.   

Look, I get it.  The Cubs are very likely to win the division again and could make another deep playoff run.  But it's been an interesting adjustment for Cubs fans.  For a lifetime they were the lovable losers so everyone outside Cub nation sort of pulled for them.  Now, almost nobody outside of Cub nation does.  Rather, we all like to poke fun.  And so it goes........

Anyway, it should be a good season with the Cubs, Crew and Birds all darn competitive.

Yeah, the Cubs should have waited to call it and there was clearly some gamesmanship there.  I just like giving Wades crap because he's so predictable and usually wrong.

So is that why they are now so thin-skinned?

[BM1090]

Cubs fans are incredibly thin skinned.

So are fans of every other team.

[Anti-Dentite]

The sun was out that afternoon. But sure.

I’ve never seen a game called that early and end up with a rainout where there was no rain.

Glad you’re here to set the record straight though. Definitely a reasonably called game. It happens like every day in the MLB. Weather cancellations for games where there is no precipitation and no dangerous weather conditions. Pretty reasonable that if any weather forecast out there shows any chance of rain baseball games should definitely be called, especially 4 hours before the game when there are no signs of that rain that day.

Leave it to Cubs fans to believe that. Although in their defense not ALL of them are like VBMG.

I was at the game the day before and it was miserable weather, I was astounded when they called it the next day considering what they played in the day before and the fact that well, it never rained and wasn’t showing any indication it would.

[#UnleashSean]

Last year I started to take a shot of titos everytime wades talked about the sun out or a cubs player using roids (a double if arrieta)

My liver may not live to see 2019. Surprisingly what I thought would be a break in the winter turned into one of the hardest seasons for my liver.

[buckchuckler]

By all accounts he was a pretty good catcher as well.

??????

You couldn't possibly be talking about Schwarber.  By all accounts he was a horrible catcher that was destined to DH.

[buckchuckler]

Why add Cain and Yelich and then do basically nothing with the rotation?  Yeah, they added Chacin but that clearly seems to be a weakness of the team.  Seemed odd to me.

Yeah, super weird.  Going all in on the lineup and just not doing anything in the rotation is baffling in a lot of ways.  Especially when someone like Lynn was so darn cheap.

[wadesworld]

Last year I started to take a shot of titos everytime wades talked about the sun out or a cubs player using roids (a double if arrieta)

My liver may not live to see 2019. Surprisingly what I thought would be a break in the winter turned into one of the hardest seasons for my liver.

Arrietta roided his ass off and the results were outstanding for him. Good for him.

The Chubs tried to break the Brewers momentum by calling a sun out game. Unfortunately for the Chubs the Brewers came and smoked them up in the makeup game. But the sun out game being rescheduled when it was did create a more difficult schedule down the stretch so they got what they wanted. I wonder if the PED user Arrietta was scheduled to be on the bump for the original game or the makeup game. I also wonder if the PED user Sammy Sosa was in the stands for the makeup game. Or maybe the PED user Kerry Wood was in the stands? Wait nevermind he had a baby face and threw a curveball, just a coincidence he came up at the height of anabolic steroids, consistently threw 100 mph, and was injury prone throughout his career.

Here’s to hoping you don’t have family plans for Easter tomorrow. Lots of water tonight. And if the sun’s out I hope your Chubbies don’t have their game called!

Jake Arrietta...steroids.

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

Arrietta roided his ass off and the results were outstanding for him. Good for him.

The Chubs tried to break the Brewers momentum by calling a sun out game. Unfortunately for the Chubs the Brewers came and smoked them up in the makeup game. But the sun out game being rescheduled when it was did create a more difficult schedule down the stretch so they got what they wanted. I wonder if the PED user Arrietta was scheduled to be on the bump for the original game or the makeup game. I also wonder if the PED user Sammy Sosa was in the stands for the makeup game. Or maybe the PED user Kerry Wood was in the stands? Wait nevermind he had a baby face and threw a curveball, just a coincidence he came up at the height of anabolic steroids, consistently threw 100 mph, and was injury prone throughout his career.

Here’s to hoping you don’t have family plans for Easter tomorrow. Lots of water tonight. And if the sun’s out I hope your Chubbies don’t have their game called!

Jake Arrietta...steroids.

[🏀]

Momentum, wow.

[MU82]

wades, as a guy who lived in Chicago for 16 years and spent the entire time making fun of the Cubbies, you crack me up.

But you are starting to sound like Ners bringing up Dawson, Traci and zone defense no matta the subject.

[wadesworld]

159.

Wonder if Arrieta took his steroids with him to Philly.

[cheebs09]

This Brewers team will be fun to watch this year. Lot of questions in the rotation, but the offense is going to be exciting with Cain and Yelich at the top of the order.

[GGGG]

Yeah, super weird.  Going all in on the lineup and just not doing anything in the rotation is baffling in a lot of ways.  Especially when someone like Lynn was so darn cheap.

Not really.  Both Yelich and Cain are long term plays.  They can see how the season develops and determine if they want to trade some assets to acquire pitching.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Not really.  Both Yelich and Cain are long term plays.  They can see how the season develops and determine if they want to trade some assets to acquire pitching.

Disagree. They're clearly planning on being competitive and have already tried to trade for pitching. 

Players like Cain also don't typically age well and it's not like the Cubs window is closing.

Again, I feel like the Twins are a decent comparison in the AL. They're expected to contend for a wild card spot, lost Santana for a while, but went out and signed Lynn and traded for Odorizzi, neither of whom was expensive in money or prospects.

The value of another one or two right now could be huge for the Brewers.

[wadesworld]

Nothing he has done so far has given me any reason whatsoever to doubt Stearns. He seems to know what he’s doing.

I’m fairly confident that if the Brewers found any free agent pitchers worth the money they would’ve gone out and signed one. I highly doubt they went into the offseason with no intentions of improving the rotation if they felt someone worth the investment was out there.

[jsglow]

Wades does hit on it.  Stearns is batting like .850.  I'm hoping he's one of the great talent/cost ratio evaluators in the game.

[MUBurrow]

Disagree. They're clearly planning on being competitive and have already tried to trade for pitching. 

Players like Cain also don't typically age well and it's not like the Cubs window is closing.

Again, I feel like the Twins are a decent comparison in the AL. They're expected to contend for a wild card spot, lost Santana for a while, but went out and signed Lynn and traded for Odorizzi, neither of whom was expensive in money or prospects.

The value of another one or two right now could be huge for the Brewers.

But what do Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi really get you? Giving Lynn and Odorizzi max credit, they're about a combined 7.0 WAR. A bearish outlook on the Brewers options calls them replacement level.  Its tough to say that difference vaults the Brewers in front of the Cubs, so you're spending that prospect capital and $$ to make the wild card a near certainty.  Then you probably don't pitch either of those guys in the wild card game anyway - Nelson is probably a better option.  If you win that game, do both of them even pitch in the NLDS? If so, I'm not optimistic about the chances of Anderson-Lynn-Odorizzi to win a series.  I just don't think the opportunity cost of those guys vs. retaining more flexibility for future moves is worth it.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

But what do Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi really get you? Giving Lynn and Odorizzi max credit, they're about a combined 7.0 WAR. A bearish outlook on the Brewers options calls them replacement level.  Its tough to say that difference vaults the Brewers in front of the Cubs, so you're spending that prospect capital and $$ to make the wild card a near certainty.  Then you probably don't pitch either of those guys in the wild card game anyway - Nelson is probably a better option.  If you win that game, do both of them even pitch in the NLDS? If so, I'm not optimistic about the chances of Anderson-Lynn-Odorizzi to win a series.  I just don't think the opportunity cost of those guys vs. retaining more flexibility for future moves is worth it.

The point is getting to the playoffs, even if it's the wild card game.  Anything can happen.  Lynn cost $12 million for one year, which is a drop in the bucket.  The prospect capital to acquire Odorizzi was next to nothing.  And I don't mean it had to be one of those two guys, either.  Alex Cobb could have also been a nice pick up, although I was surprised he got 4/60 in that market.

Shoulder injuries for pitchers are serious so there's no guarantee Nelson comes back at the level he was performing at last season. 

I agree Lynn and Odorizzi are flawed pitchers and they could both stink (although if they were in the NL I assume they'd be solid).  Even if winning the division is unlikely the Brewers are still competing with the DBacks, Rockies, Cards, and Mets for the two WC spots.  One win could easily be the difference between a wild card or nothing. 

I'm a Cubs fan so I'm fine with Milwaukee rolling out what currently looks like a mediocre rotation.