I don't think so. He has a 99 mph fb. I'm more worried about Hendricks due to velo.

Javy doing Javy things again tonight.

Just when I think my man crush on Javy can't get any bigger he hits a game tying 3-run BOMB.

Looks like Hendricks is in for a rough season

Russell will be optioned to Iowa when his suspension is over.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26642957/cubs-option-russell-triple-ban-over

I know the Cubs are better with him @ SS and Javy at 2B...but he needs to be optioned to "not on the Cubs anymore"

diehard03 said:

---

I know the Cubs are better with him @ SS and Javy at 2B...but he needs to be optioned to "not on the Cubs anymore"

---

I agree with the 2nd half of that statement but not the 1st half.

I'm fine with Russell as a mostly bench piece that can play great defense and average bat. I want Javy at SS but I also know he needs some days off in his future.

Quote:

---

I agree with the 2nd half of that statement but not the 1st half.

---

Are you making a hitting comparison or something? Defensively it's absolutely true.

diehard03 said:

---

Quote:

---

I agree with the 2nd half of that statement but not the 1st half.

---

Are you making a hitting comparison or something? Defensively it's absolutely true.

---

Yes, I was talking all around but even if you limit it to defense I might argue that we are better with Javy at SS and Bote at 2B. Addy's arm isn't strong enough and Javy is so extremely valuable at SS that we are diminished defensively when he is not there even if he is at 2B.

Quote:

---

Yes, I was talking all around but even if you limit it to defense I might argue that we are better with Javy at SS and Bote at 2B. Addy's arm isn't strong enough and Javy is so extremely valuable at SS that we are diminished defensively when he is not there even if he is at 2B

---

Yeah, I can't follow you here. Your best combination period is Russell/Baez as your middle infielders. There's no possible way that Bote enters into that picture. The question is then which one is better at SS. I think we can rest on the Cub brass that if Baez was really better, we'd have seen Russell @ 2B since his short stint in 2015.

edit: wrong column looked at. Baez is behind Russell in defensive runs saved for the number innings in just about every year.

Now, for sure you're statement about defense being diminished right now if he's not at SS is correct, but only because Russell is out.

Javy Baez is the Cubs best defender at no less than 3 different positions. He's that damn good. Addy has a great glove but he's a step down from Baez in every way at SS. In no way do I want Russell on this team but if he has to be on the roster than he needs to go back to 2B and keep Javy at SS. He played there before when Starlin Castro was still on the team. And he will be playing both 2B and SS at Iowa per Theo.

Russell just didn't make the routine look flashy. The metrics show this. Now, I can see the Cubs moving forward with Javy as the everyday SS and burning all this PR capital to get a market to move Russell.

Outside of this, I don't see why the Cubs would be doing what their doing if they really thought Javy was better than Russell. It wouldn't make any sense.

The defensive metrics are flawed. They show Schwarber as one of the best OF's in the league. I love the guy and he has worked hard to improve but anyone with a set of eyes knows he's not an elite defender.

The Professor is back, baby! Man, he was channeling Maddux today. A complete game 81 pitch shutout. Amazing.

Great win today! Sweep these female dogs tomorrow!

What a fun weekend of baseball. First place all by ourselves where we belong.

Team looked great tonight.

Chatwood, not so much.

KB needed that

****ing Strop choke job in the 9th is going to blow the 7 game winning streak and drop us back into 2nd.

Bryant with the dagger dinger! He's heating up... Good sign.

AustinAg2012 said:

---

Bryant with the dagger dinger! He's heating up... Good sign.

---

HR's in 3 straight games.

Zobrist to the Restricted List (which means he's off the 40-man roster and likely gone for a while) and Russell up to take his spot. Also Strop is headed to the IL and Monty is back to fill his spot.

zobrist on leave for personal reasons. Interesting

AgShaun00 said:

---

zobrist on leave for personal reasons. Interesting

---

And NOT bereavement leave.

Probably tried to play the circle game in the clubhouse

Quote:

---

****ing Strop choke job in the 9th is going to blow the 7 game winning streak and drop us back into 2nd.

---

Hope he gets better soon. His FIP isn't so far off of last year, and yet his ERA is getting hammered this year. His performance should improve.

it's crazy that the Cubs are up 2.5 games on the brewers....all in the loss column.

Zobrist's wife filed for divorce

I guess that means he will stop using her tunes for walk up music...!

BoDog said:

---

I guess that means he will stop using her tunes for walk up music...!

---

Way to find the positive in this sad situation.

not a cub's fan but read the article online that her occupation is a "professional singer". Performances include singing the national anthem before his games...hmmmm. sounds a little conceded to me.

AustinCountyAg said:

---

not a cub's fan but read the article online that her occupation is a "professional singer". Performances include singing the national anthem before his games...hmmmm. sounds a little conceded to me.

---

You sure that's the right word?

She is a Christian recording artist. That's why no one knows who she is.