Cubs Fans...

[arrowryan]

If Fowler becomes a FA maybe the defense looks like: Schwarber LF, Heyward CF, Soler RF. Bryant 3B, Russell SS, Baez 2B, Rizzo 1B, Contreras C. Of those eight Rizzo is the oldest and he turns 28 next summer. The offense from that line-up the next 5 years should be nasty.

My lineup would be:
Russell SS
Bryant 3B
Rizzo 1B
Schwarber LF
Baez 2B
Contreras C
Heyward RF
Almora Jr. CF
Pitcher

That is a damn good lineup both offensively and defensively. The only player in that starting lineup is Albert Almora because the Cubs could re-sign Fowler and Madden loves having Zobrist in the lineup. Either way, we're still going to have high quality talent on the bench.

The offseason should be interesting. Do they attempt to re-sign Fowler or Chapman? Maybe both? If they don't re-sign Chapman, I wouldn't mind seeing them give CJ Edwards a shot to be the closer. Also, what do they do with Arrieta and Hammel? If anything is going to look different in the near future, it is going to be the starting rotation.

 

[arrowryan]

Obviously they all won't be there for 5 years. Some guys will take the money elsewhere once they get a ring. That's a good problem to have after 108, 109 or when it happens.

Eloy Jimenez is the future of right field and Ian Happ is going to be somewhere if he doesn't get traded for an upcoming need after free agency takes it's course.

I don't see Ian Happ going anywhere as he is pretty much Ben Zobrist 2.0 and Madden's utility player of the future.

 

[Wild Bill]

Is Schwarber headed to the AL to DH?

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Is Schwarber headed to the AL to DH?

Not unless there's an absolute blockbuster trade on the table...a young, controllable arm or three.

 

[NDisme]

Is Schwarber headed to the AL to DH?

Theo and Jed Loooove Schwarber. Yankees wanted him in the Andrew Miller trade, theo said no way. He is staying put for now.

 

[NDisme]

You can trade Soler down here to us in Atlanta. We need another bat in the OF. We have a ton of pitching prospects.

I would have no problem with that, Soler has a ton of Potential and we have seen glimpses but nothing complete yet. So I would trade him for the right price absolutely.

 

[BobbyMac]

Theo and Jed Loooove Schwarber. Yankees wanted him in the Andrew Miller trade, theo said no way. He is staying put for now.

I tease Schwarber's college coach the Sox are going to trade Sale for him and the flavor of the month somewhere down the road. He made it to Iowa with the Cubs so he ain't got no time for that.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

I tease Schwarber's college coach the Sox are going to trade Sale for him and the flavor of the month somewhere down the road. He made it to Iowa with the Cubs so he ain't got no time for that.

I drink knowing Rodon was taken over him by the Sox.

 

[bluengold4732]

Soler, Rizzo, and Heyward are signed through '20, '21, '24. Contreras is the Catcher in the future and I doubt Bryant, Russell, or Baez walk or are let go, they hit FA in '22. Possible trade options for arms are Schwarber or maybe Soler but the Core will be together at least 5 years. They did trade Gleyber Torres for basically a rental in Chapman so them doing the same with Farm System guys to get pitching would be my guess.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Soler, Rizzo, and Heyward are signed through '20, '21, '24. Contreras is the Catcher in the future and I doubt Bryant, Russell, or Baez walk or are let go, they hit FA in '22. Possible trade options for arms are Schwarber or maybe Soler but the Core will be together at least 5 years. They did trade Gleyber Torres for basically a rental in Chapman so them doing the same with Farm System guys to get pitching would be my guess.

Theo has repeatedly said he will not trade Schwarber. The FO seems to have an affinity for Kyle, although I suppose anything is possible.

 

[NDisme]

Theo has repeatedly said he will not trade Schwarber. The FO seems to have an affinity for Kyle, although I suppose anything is possible.

Yea I can't stress enough how much Theo and the gang just Love this kid. Unless his knee isn't ever the same and he doesn't live up to his potential, I do not see him going anywhere, Soler on the other hand should be in the mix with any trade talks.

 

[Irishnuke]

If Fowler becomes a FA maybe the defense looks like: Schwarber LF, Heyward CF, Soler RF. Bryant 3B, Russell SS, Baez 2B, Rizzo 1B, Contreras C. Of those eight Rizzo is the oldest and he turns 28 next summer. The offense from that line-up the next 5 years should be nasty.

Soler is not replacing Zobrist. Honestly he should have been traded while his stock was higher.

 

[Irishnuke]

Not a popular opinion but they should have traded Schwarber for Miller. I like the kid but Miller is lights out. He's better than Chapman. They won 103 games without Schwarber. He's a luxury, not a necessity.

 

[bluengold4732]

Soler is not replacing Zobrist. Honestly he should have been traded while his stock was higher.

It's a reference into how the team could look in a few years. Zobrist turns 35 next season that why Soler is listed instead. Plus, Zobrist can play IF and OF where as Soler is strictly OF. So he wouldn't be "replacing him."

 

[bluengold4732]

Not a popular opinion but they should have traded Schwarber for Miller. I like the kid but Miller is lights out. He's better than Chapman. They won 103 games without Schwarber. He's a luxury, not a necessity.

Trade Schwarber for Miller No...they wanted him because he is signed through '18 but that's why the Yankees were calling for Schwarber for Miller and took Torres for Chapman because Chapman is a FA. Plus you got Russell 22, Baez 23, and Ian Happ who play up the middle where as you Fowler, Coghlan, and now Zobrist in the OF... two are FA and one is an utility guy and all are over thirty. Schwarber has ML experience where as Torres is unproven. All reasons why I think they went with Chapman instead of Miller. Epstein knows what he's doing

 

[arrowryan]

Not a popular opinion but they should have traded Schwarber for Miller. I like the kid but Miller is lights out. He's better than Chapman. They won 103 games without Schwarber. He's a luxury, not a necessity.

His bat is definitely not a luxury. Besides Rizzo, we don't have someone like Schwarber on the left side of the plate. He has the quickest bat speed I have ever seen from a Cubs player and I think he will be just as dangerous of a hitter as Bryant is in a year or two.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

His bat is definitely not a luxury. Besides Rizzo, we don't have someone like Schwarber on the left side of the plate. He has the quickest bat speed I have ever seen from a Cubs player and I think he will be just as dangerous of a hitter as Bryant is in a year or two.

He's just a devastating major league bat. 40 HR guy from the moment he came up. You bury him in LF and have a CF who can cover a lot of ground and he's an enormous positive.

 

[BobbyMac]

His bat is definitely not a luxury. Besides Rizzo, we don't have someone like Schwarber on the left side of the plate. He has the quickest bat speed I have ever seen from a Cubs player and I think he will be just as dangerous of a hitter as Bryant is in a year or two.

This guy had it. What a summer he had in '87. Seemed like he hit 100 dingers.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f1Z0F61t2fQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

He's just a devastating major league bat. 40 HR guy from the moment he came up. You bury him in LF and have a CF who can cover a lot of ground and he's an enormous positive.

Jim Thome with wheels.

 

[Fbolt]

Keep Schwarber and if you have to trade anyone, trade Soler IMO. I just keep digging Contreras and he'll be there for a long time after his recent performance. Cubs still have several prospects that they can call up when Fowler departs (ian Hap, jimeniz). Heyward needs to spend serious time reworking his swing. Cubs are in a great position.

And yes, the Cubs will break the Dodgers tonight. They're hitting slump is no more and I think Hendricks will outshine Kershaw.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Keep Schwarber and if you have to trade anyone, trade Soler IMO. I just keep digging Contreras and he'll be there for a long time after his recent performance. Cubs still have several prospects that they can call up when Fowler departs (ian Hap, jimeniz). Heyward needs to spend serious time reworking his swing. Cubs are in a great position.

And yes, the Cubs will break the Dodgers tonight. They're hitting slump is no more and I think Hendricks will outshine Kershaw.

I waver on Soler. Not because I think he might blow up into a 30+ HR guy. He's that strong...and maybe it can happen. I just kind of doubt it at this point. But, either way, I'm not sure he'll really net that much in return. He might be more valuable at his salary as a Cub.

ETA: I guess he had 12 HRs in 227 ABs. Extrapolate that to 550 ABs and that's 29. So maybe his arc is to be a middle-order run producer. But Soler and Schwarber in the same OF is a bad defensive liability.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Oh man oh man oh man oh man. Schwarber getting ABs in the AFL today/tomorrow in hopes of playing in the WS if/when the Cubs get there.

 

[NDdomer2]

Going to be a 40° difference in temperatures at first pitch between games 4/5 and game 6.

 

[Fbolt]

Schwarber's AFL start Saturday fans flames of possible World Series return to Cubs - CBSSports.com

 

[NDgradstudent]

Question about the Cubs' curse: Wikipedia reports that the curse only means that another WS game will not be won at Wrigley Field. So if the Cubs advance and win each game at the Jake but lose each one at Wrigley, won't the curse still continue (despite the Cubs winning the WS)? Or do most Cubs fans interpret it as meaning that the Cubs will not win another WS?

 

[bluengold4732]

Cubs won game 6 of the 1945 WS at Wrigley. The curse's interpretation is for an actual WS Championship

 

[johnnycando]

I'm happy to see Rizzo back in the saddle.

 

[IrishinSyria]

Schwarber's AFL start Saturday fans flames of possible World Series return to Cubs - CBSSports.com

Would be phenomenal to have him available to DH.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Congrats Cubs nation. You all deserve this!


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[NDgradstudent]

Congrats to the Cubs and all their fans- as an Indians fan I can't root for the Cubs, obviously, but I'll be less dissatisfied than usual should the Indians lose. Good luck!

 

[twig21]

Would be phenomenal to have him available to DH.

As cool as it sounds it would be almost impossible for any one to get the timing back in just a week.
Maybe as a pinch hitter but as a DH that would be a incredible task.