"not worthy of its own thread" offseason thread

[Farewell Friends]

Good signing. Even away from Coors he has sub-optimal strikeout and walk rates, but $12 million for a fifth starter is solid.

[cardsfantx]

Cubs signed RHP Tyler Chatwood to a three-year, $38 million contract.

Chatwood might not have carried the name recognition of some of the other available starting pitchers on the free agent market this winter, but his ERA+ since 2013 (119) ranks better than Alex Cobb (117) and Lance Lynn (118). The 27-year-old right-hander also showed an improved strikeout rate in 2017 and excelled away from Coors Field, though he does carry durability issues and he has never pitched more than 158 innings in a single season. Chatwood has twice undergone Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. Overall, this looks like a crafty move for the Cubs.

Source: Sahadev Sharma on TwitterDec 7 - 1:23 PM

[Big Amoco Sign]

Cubs have built their team from drafting position players and signing FA pitchers. It's worked well for them. They are the anti-Cardinals.

Cardinals draft pitch-to-contact pitchers with strong arms. Cubs sign FA strikeout pitchers with finesse ability.

Cardinals sign/trade for most of their position players. Cubs draft them.

Cardinals hitters are high-OBP, high pitch count guys. Cubs hitters tend to be feast/famine home run hitters who can walk.

I think Chatwood is decent away from Coors and the Cubs' strategy is really good and a money-saving one despite how rich the team is.

[Farewell Friends]

Cubs have built their team from drafting position players and signing FA pitchers. It's worked well for them. They are the anti-Cardinals.

They've signed Jon Lester, John Lackey and Jason Hammel.

Cardinals draft pitch-to-contact pitchers with strong arms. Cubs sign FA strikeout pitchers with finesse ability.

Lackey, Hammel and Chatwood are not strikeout pitchers.

Cardinals sign/trade for most of their position players. Cubs draft them.

The Cubs didn't draft Russell, Rizzo, Heyward, Jay, Contreras, Zobrist or Baez.

[Jocephus]

[heyzeus]

Cardinals sign/trade for most of their position players. .

.

C - Yadi - drafted
1B- Marp - drafted
2b - Wong - drafted
SS - Dejong - drafted
3b - Gyorko - trade
Lf - Pham - drafted
Cf - Fowler - signed
Rf - piscotty - drafted

[Big Amoco Sign]

The Cubs didn't draft Russell, Rizzo, Heyward, Jay, Contreras, Zobrist or Baez.

Should have specified that Rizzo, Contreras, Baez, and even Russell were traded for young/built through the minors. I was making a generic blanket statement but the philosophy holds true. You're trying to do gotchas with their number 4-5 pitchers. My point remains, finesse and K guys and putting the money into the FA pitchers. Heyward an exception. Like Leake to the Cardinals.

Cardinals don't seem to do that outside of Leake. Philosophy of the Cubs is the anti-Cardinals.

[Farewell Friends]

It isn't a gotcha: it's incorrect. The only significant free agent pitchers who signed were Lester, Lackey and Hammel and two of those had average strikeout rates.

The difference between the Cubs and Cardinals is Kris Bryant. Not drafting Schwarber. Or Happ or Almora. Bryant.

[cardinalkarp]

Cardinals sign/trade for most of their position players. .

.

C - Yadi - drafted
1B- Marp - drafted
2b - Wong - drafted
SS - Dejong - drafted
3b - Gyorko - trade
Lf - Pham - drafted
Cf - Fowler - signed
Rf - piscotty - drafted

To steal Jocephus' .gif

[dmarx114]

Is Big Amoco the new Johnconrad, or is it the same person?