The Cubs!

[CastroRizzoBaez]

I decided to start a thread about the cubs.... I am currently having a bit of trouble with them so, what trades, signings, strategies, who to bench, and other things are you doing?

[chicubsfan20]

Using the OSFM roster set so Soto, Dempster, and Maholm have already been traded so I've been doing these things:

I have LaHair on the block. He's hitting a decent (.277 avg) with 15HRs in the last week of June but I'm willing to move him. Soriano is another guy I'd move for two C prospects. One high C, one Low or maybe just a Low B, Low C and you throw in a mid level C.

If it helps get you an impact SP prospect I'd look at moving Jackson too. I know he's young and promising but with Alberto Almora and Soler I feel I can probably move Jackson and make a DeJesus like signing when I'm in contention I should be fine without him.

I converted Jay Jackson, Trey McNutt and Alberto Cabrera to RP like they have done in real life. Correspondingly, I moved Marmol and C prospect for a low B SP prospect and a throw in RP D potential prospect.

My main thing with the Cubs is like Theo and Co. have been doing, looking to find impact SP. Its one thing they lack badly. I have very little depth for SP in my season. The depth I do have are 4th/5th starters at best and aren't MLB ready as it is. I am on the fence about moving Garza. he's been good for me (4-7 3.41 ERA) but I'm trying to find if I can get what I'm looking for. I figure I could keep him and resign him and continue to make moves and scout SP. (I did draft SP in the draft first two rounds. Guys I scouted one was a B potential (higher up B) and another I drafted way earlier based on his low OVR I was given but he had A potential).

I have considered maybe moving Garza and Jackson to bring back either: high B SP prospect a mid to high B OF prospect and a mid C to low B prospect or a low to mid A SP prospect, low B OF prospect and low B SP prospect.

Garza, Samardzija, and Wood have been my 3 main starters all year. I've shuffled between Germano, Coleman, Raley, and even Chris Rusin a few times. I have been alternating between Germano and Coleman for the 5th spot. If Coleman is in the rotation, I usually have Germano in the 'pen or vice versa. Raley has been a secret weapon for me. In his 12 starts he's 3-3 with a 4.21 ERA but has 7 quality starts. That includes his first 2 outings I had with him when I think I got a total of 10 innings out of him giving up 10 runs, 8 earned. Rusin has pitched 3 times for me at the big level when Wood went on the DL. He was HBP and was expected to miss about a week so I DL'ed him for 15 days to not lose an arm.

One advice I do give, is when the monthly reports about the player and pitcher doing good/bad in the minors is watch them. I've been shifting people up and down. With my bullpen being a weak point since only Russell, Dolis, and Corpas have been consistent I tend to try to ride hot/cold streaks of some of the younger RP in my AAA. If a guy tends to get hot I bring him up for a guy who's struggling and ride his hot streak but once he gets cold its on the the next guy. Who ever has the hot hand, because when I do get a good outing from my SP or the offense produces and I have to rely on my BP, its scary.

[CastroRizzoBaez]

LaHair is batting something like .285.
Germano has been one of my best starters
Here are some of my trades....
Garza,Sarmajzia, for A.J Griffen, Dallas Braden,and Micheal Taylor
Brett Jackson, Junior Lake for Julio Theran, Randall Delgado, Jair Jurrigens

Yet I am still below .500

[geisterhome]

I want to start a 2nd more sim heavy franchise and was thinking about using the Cubs. I would be playing without preexisting injuries.

They have pretty good starting pitching in The Show, two aces with Garza and Samardzija at the top of the rotation as well as more depth than most other teams with Jackson, Baker, Wood, Villanueva, Feldman and Moscoso.
1 or even 2 of them could also be traded away to a team in need like the Rockies maybe in exchange of a decent hitter or prospect.

Their Bullpen could need some additions but that could be done easily with the remaining free agents. Thinking about adding Brian Wilson or K Rod as well as Bobby Jenks as a middle reliever. Note: Carlos Marmol is actually pretty good in the game.

Other than that the Cubs are a little thin on the bench in terms of infielders, so I could imagine to add Ryan Theriot (maybe make him my everyday 3rd Basemen?) and Tyler Green.
Those additions could solve that problem as well.

What do you guys think about my plans guys, and how good could the cubs be in 2013 after those additions and if everything else comes together?

[dingleberryfinn]

I'm not playin' with the Cubs this year,
but if I did I'd def go after Wilson as the Closer.
I traded for him back on Show11 & developed a little drinkin' game
for whenever I had to bring him in: Fear the Beer!

[kehlis]

Sorry but we can't have individual threads for every team.