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* Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training camp. What’s your hope/prediction/rant about your favorite Major League Baseball team this year?
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:18 am
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Cardinals win WS #12….call that a “hope”
Comment by Annon'in Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:27 am
I hope there’s less playground drama in the Cardinals’ clubhouse. The redbirds’ rotation added a lot of veteran arms to help solve last year’s starting pitching issues. But more than that, I hope guys like Lynn, Gray, and Gibson can bring a some maturity and collectedness that was lacking last season.
Comment by I-55 Fanatic Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:30 am
PECOTA predicted the Cubs would finish 2nd behind the Cardinals at or near .500 on the season. That presumably was calculated with Bellinger in the lineup, or a reasonable replacement.
None of Scott Boras’ big free agents have signed deals yet. I’d love to see Bellinger back on the North Side, but I don’t think Hoyer should overpay for him either.
With Bellinger, I’d bet the over on Cubs wins, 82 or better. Hopefully lightening strikes and they and the Cards have a magical season fighting for the division. We’ll see, but that’s what I’m hoping for. Meaningful games in September are always fun, but unlike last September, it’s more fun when they win those meaningful games.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:31 am
*without Bellinger in the lineup*
D’oh.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:32 am
Neither the Cubs or White Sox have made any of the necessary adjustments to be considered a playoff caliber team at this point. I would actually argue both teams took a step back in the offseason.
Neither team could compete with the Dodgers or Braves, or Astros. Another lost season on the horizon baseball fans.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:38 am
maybe the Sox are putting all the money saved into some big fat contract we don’t know about yet. who else could be signed? at least the give away promotions look good even if the team looks like meh.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:43 am
The Sox hang around contention all summer in a very weak AL Central. I know the odds, but the rest of the AL Central is pretty bad. No team made any going for it moves this offseason. They can surprise people if they play fundamentally sound baseball.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:46 am
I hope the Cardinals’ clubhouse has less playground drama than last season. Veteran arms like Lynn, Gibson, and Gray should help the starting pitching issues, but more than that, I hope they bring some maturity and collectedness that was lacking a bit last year.
Comment by I-55 Fanatic Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:46 am
thinking over/under on Eloy’s stints on DL at 3
Comment by Bridgeport Bob Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:46 am
There’s a great baseball writer named Joe Sheehan who wrote the following about the status of the White Sox. It’s perfect:
“In four decades, Reinsdorf has rarely invested in the team. They did run some top-five payrolls in the wake of the 2005 title, but over the last decade, the White Sox have had more bottom-ten payrolls (four) than top-ten (one). Cot’s has them 23rd for 2024, and more than 10% of that money is going to Andrew Benintendi on what is both a) an overpay and 2) the biggest free-agent deal in franchise history. Reinsdorf’s unwillingness to act like the steward of a $2 billion asset that received a large public subsidy, and instead run his team like the Middle-Class Pirates, is the biggest reason the Sox are in this mess.”
Comment by SoSider Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:47 am
If Bellinger returns to the Cubs, they’ll make the postseason. Then again, 6 of the 15 teams in the league make the postseason these days. It’s not sayin’ as much as it used to!
Comment by The Truth Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:57 am
=== maybe the Sox are putting all the money saved into some big fat contract we don’t know about yet. who else could be signed? at least the give away promotions look good even if the team looks like meh. ===
Unlikely. With this ownership group in place, the White Sox have never spent more than $100m on a player. Look around the league and try to find a top shelf ballplayer for less than that. To date, Andrew Benintendi has the largest contract in Sox history valued at $75m.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:57 am
=== If Bellinger returns to the Cubs, they’ll make the postseason. ===
I doubt it. Last season the Cubs were overperformers and this season they will come back down to earth without additional improvements to the roster.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 11:59 am
The best tweet of the off-season is still:
Will
@IAmWillMarsh
Hearing Shohei Ohtani is nearing a club record deal with the White Sox. Four years, $18 million
12/8/23, 4:35 PM
Comment by Keyrock Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 12:01 pm
**I doubt it. Last season the Cubs were overperformers and this season they will come back down to earth without additional improvements to the roster.**
They underperformed their pythagorean wins (which is based on run differential) by a lot, I could make a pretty strong argument that they actually underperformed. If they bring back Bellinger (and/or add Chapman) still, they are positioned very well to win the division.
Comment by JoeMaddon Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 12:09 pm
More curiousity - what else will happen to shorten the games? Not the greatest basketball fan, but spending no more than 2 hours watching is a great attraction. Seems baseball is figuring that out.
Comment by Anyone Remember Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 12:10 pm
===what else will happen to shorten the games?===
Mark Buehrle’s retirement raised the average time of a game by a lot. I wish all pitchers worked with his approach. He didn’t need a pitch clock. His foot rarely left the rubber. He was always ready to throw. More of that would be nice.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 12:15 pm
Some winners. Some losers. Hope springs eternal. It ain’t over until it is over. Neither cubs or sox will be in play offs or world series.
Comment by Huh? Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 12:15 pm
Looking at the short-term acquisitions the Sox have made, they are set up nice for mid season trades. I hope Cease and Eloy are traded before the season starts. The bullpen is a dumpster fire. They are going to come in 4th in a weak division. At least with a new general manager, I have a little bit of hope that they can build a contender in the next few years.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 12:30 pm
Lifelong Sox fan, but still having a lot of trouble moving beyond the team’s shabby, ableist treatment of Jason Benetti. That plus the mediocrity has me making an effort to follow both Chicago teams this spring.
Comment by stateandlake Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 12:40 pm
I just hope the Cardinals are worth watching past July this season. Still a bit concerned how much they’re leaning on starting pitchers in their mid-30s to carry them this season.
Comment by Treefiddy Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 1:02 pm
I just want to see some knuckleball pitchers in MLB.
Comment by Stoney Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 1:09 pm
=== If they bring back Bellinger (and/or add Chapman) still, they are positioned very well to win the division. ===
I disagree. Bellinger is not the talent that can lead you to the promised land. You need more than that. I doubt the Cubs will spend a lot on Bellinger or Chapman because they are already 10 miles behind the Dodgers. They aren’t going to throw good money away after bad.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 1:15 pm
The Sox will continue to disappoint us (me) if their organizational issues aren’t addressed. It’s clear in retrospect that the team keeps missing out on big signings, even when the money is there, because players have reservations about the organization’s leaders.
So my wish is that Jerry Reisndorf gets visited by four ghosts on Opening Day Eve and starts doing the opposite of what he has done traditionally.
Comment by Benjamin Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 1:16 pm
I thought the Sox decided to skip the season. What has happened to them breaks this diehard fans heart. So much promise a few years ago.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 1:42 pm
“ I doubt the Cubs will spend a lot on Bellinger or Chapman because they are already 10 miles behind the Dodgers. They aren’t going to throw good money away after bad.”
Not sure I understand the logic of “we’re going to do nothing because we’re too far behind to compete.”
The Cubs should sign Belli and Chapman. They have some outstanding rookies coming up. Belli will have another strong season (yea, I get the advanced metrics, hard hit ratio, blah blah blah) because he’s a baller and he was clearly having a great time playing for the Cubs. Will they get past the Braves and the Dodgers? Doubtful, but stranger things happen every year.
As to the Sox, sigh. They are so pathetic and that paragraph above is soooo true. I really don’t know who wins the award for worst Chicago owner - Jerry Reinsdorf or Virginia McCaskey. Probably not a coincidence that both are looking for new stadiums when their current state-funded stadiums still have massive debts. They just aren’t very good at this whole “owning teams” thing.
Comment by New Day Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 1:47 pm
White Sox prediction: In a contract year and not facing the pressure of playing for a contending team, the most overpaid position player in baseball, Yoan Moncada, will miraculously stay healthy and have an all-star caliber season. Hopefully, they can trade him for something valuable in July.
Comment by BC Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 1:53 pm
I’m hoping for competence by the Cubs and maybe a wild card playoff berth.
Comment by TJ Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 2:13 pm
=== Not sure I understand the logic of “we’re going to do nothing because we’re too far behind to compete.” ===
Here is the logic:
1. We aren’t going to win regardless of who we sign.
2. These players will cost us a lot of money despite the fact that we cannot win.
3. We can spend money later when we see an opening to win.
The Cubs (for whatever reason) decided to do most of their offseason spending on a Manager. Not sure that is going to help them make the playoffs. They made no meaningful improvements in their starting rotation or bullpen. They still have huge gaping holes in their lineup. I understand wishful thinking going into a new season, but I just don’t see the path to success for this team other than the fact that their Division is subpar.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 3:02 pm
I predict the Cubs will continue to fail at or below average until Hoyer is gone. I hope this season proves either surprising or so disappointing that becomes a reality.
You need a GM and, hopefully, an owner who believe winning comes from actual wins in the playoffs and not just ticket sales. Wins are not the only thing fans come to see at a ballpark. Superstars are also huge draws for fans which raise ticket prices. Instead, the Cubs behave as though they are a shoelace team in a one-horse town barely getting by without a major stream of cash. No one is tuning in to see this roster. Dansby Swanson won’t put butts in seats. He also can’t win it alone on his glove and abysmal batting average. Rant over.
Comment by MG85 Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 3:19 pm
https://www.dailygazette.com/news/nys-cannabis-control-board-approves-homegrown-cannabis-plants/article_2e06228c-ccf1-11ee-836c-63a7617f7353.html Come on Illinois. grow at home
Comment by Amalia Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 3:23 pm
As good as my KC Chiefs are, my Royals are at the other end of the spectrum. Hoping to still be in the hunt for a title in May.
Comment by Mark Denzler Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 3:57 pm
I hope the Cardinals clinch a playoff spot and possibly win the NL Central.
Comment by Justin Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 4:19 pm
Cubs have a youth movement coming. As much as I want Belli, I am even more excited to see PCA, Horton, Shaw, and Busch be rock starts for years to come. The start of a (hopefully more sustainable) winning period on the North Side is going to be a lot of fun this year
Comment by CornAl DoGooder Friday, Feb 16, 24 @ 4:42 pm