Matt Clapp

Cubs & baseball; Editor/writer: @AwfulAnnouncing, @TheComeback. Bears/NFL account: @DaBearNecess. Main account: @Matt2Clapp. [email protected]

[Lance Brozdowski @LanceBroz]

I don’t believe the Detmers portion of this to be true at all (sorry, @Michael_Cerami — you’re still the man!).

Angels ask at the deadline for Detmers—as it has been for a while—is gargantuan. Cubs-Detmers talks never progressed far at all.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

John Mallee seems like a solid hitting coach, but boy does this stuff get exaggerated, especially in the causation vs correlation stuff.

[Jesse Rogers @JesseRogersESPN]

Mets interest in Cubs hitting coach John Mallee heating up as @AnthonyDiComo reported today. Helped preside over a top 5 offense the last couple of years. Worked closely with PCA leading to his MVP caliber season. Had Kris Bryant a decade ago who also won an MVP.

[Sarah Langs @SlangsOnSports]

Freddy Peralta threw 29 pitches at 97.0+ mph tonight

That’s the most in any outing of his career, reg or post

Surpassing his 20 in ALDS G2

[North Side Territory @NSideTerritory]

Tarik Skubal to Chicago isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. 💰

The Cubs have the money, the need, and some intriguing connections to the ace. @PJ_Mooney explains why they shouldn't be counted out.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

Among major changes, I wish they would do a runner-on-first compromise for extra innings so that an offense has to actually earn a run more genuinely than with a runner on second.

[MLB @MLB]

MLB has proposed returning to a 154-game Regular Season, best-of-seven Division Series, and opponent selection in the Wild Card and Division Series

Starting in 2029, shortening the season to a 154-game schedule would create a standard weekly off day benefiting player health, and it would allow the addition of up to 8 more Postseason games by moving to a best-of-seven Division Series format

Beginning in 2027, higher-seeded clubs in the Wild Card and Division Series would select their opponents

[Brett Taylor @Brett_A_Taylor]

The Cubs struck out the third least in the NL.
The Cubs had the best defense in baseball by a mile.
The Cubs had the 6th most steals in the NL.

All well and good, but unfortunately for the Cubs, (1) pitching is also important, and (2) anything can happen in 2 playoff games.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

Like, if Shaw is on the team, I do think you can create a 115-130 wRC+ with either Happ or a pretty solid strong-side platoon partner.

(And/or the same with Tyrone Taylor if they keep him)

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

It's just a matter of being able to do everything they must do on the pitching end as well.

Which, to me, is two frontline starters (or a Skubal if it's just one) and 3-4 total starters, to go with looking for an impact relievers.

[Anuj @ChiTownAL416]

@TheBlogfines I just don't think, with the payroll flexibility they have, that it's too much to ask them to keep Seiya, and replace Happ with a better LH bat to platoon with Shaw in LF. Instead we are likely gonna get a weaker platoon in RF while Happ and a lesser RH bat platoon in LF.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

They can't just punt on the offense either, but I do think they can get creative with at least one of the COF spots and the DH with platoon splits.

Still need an impact bat somewhere there (or a catcher like Jeffers).

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

Their offense absolutely blew away the rest of the league.

And they had *plenty* of above-average bats. It's like people want to believe the numbers are made up out of thin air.

(Also, superstars putting up big numbers is super valuable and important!)

[Francis G @thefrankg]

@TheBlogfines It's not all pitching, fWar is heavily inflated by great DEF and some unique positional values. On offense they had 3 STUDS and then basically a bunch of league average bats.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

The offense/position players had no business not hosting/having home field for a postseason series, which would've led to more favorable opportunities.

Elite pitching frequently wins out in the postseason. The value of the offense/position players shows up over 162.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

This was the top Cubs position-player group in franchise history in fWAR, and a lot of other things.

114 wRC+ was their highest since the 1800s, and their combined batting and baserunning numbers (above average) were far and away the highest in that time.

[Todd @bleacherbum099]

2015-2016 Cubs were 1st and 4th in pitching WAR. I think that's where the misguided notion that this team was nowhere near as good as those teams as an offense. 2015 team had a 96 wRC+ and were 19th in slug lol.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

With even a halfway decent pitching staff, this team is winning 95-100+ games.

Yeah, they stunk in the WC series... so would most offenses vs. the version of Michael King they saw, plus Nick Pivetta, plus an insane bullpen in probably the league's toughest road setting.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

@FullCountTommy But yeah, they need to get the velocity/bat-missing/horsepower guys for the other 2-3 spots if they keep Holmes and Peterson, obviously.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

@FullCountTommy Yeah, those are two they should try to do (if contracts are reasonable) that aren't notable bat-missing types.

And they're elite (particularly Holmes) groundball getters in front of this defense. At least help the home run problem too.

[Greg Zumach @IvyFutures]

Against MLB playoff teams in 2026

[Brett Taylor @Brett_A_Taylor]

The part of the Cubs pitcher development story that doesn’t get enough play (because it’s long, slow, complicated), and is potentially the actual biggest factor in the failing?

The Cubs have been ABYSMAL in pitcher International Free Agency for 15(!) years.

[Greg Zumach @IvyFutures]

Jed’s presser today was heavily focused on pitching. That’s the right call. Offense was elite across the board this year. They need to add to the pitching corps. There are smart folks in house so add more quality pitchers to the roster. It’s not about depth anymore; add top arms.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

They need to at least build what looks like a 93+ win team on paper that can be better with some breaks.

[Matt Clapp @TheBlogfines]

Like, that's the goal... The last two years, it would've meant they won the most games in baseball.

Again, everyone is trying to catch the Brewers. Even the Dodgers haven't in the regular season.

(And they would've easily won 2 AL divisions)

[Leo @ledoylinator]

@TheBlogfines I wish he’d say we need to build a division WINNING roster