Hey guys. I enjoy the reading the board & recently started posting. My best guess for the starting lineup opening night in St. Louis looks like:

1- RF Zobrist
2- LF Schwarber
3- 3B Bryant
4- 1B Rizzo
5- SS Russell
6- C Contreras
7- 2B Baez
8- CF Heyward
9- P Lester

I also see Schwarber also playing catcher, which would allow Maddon to shift Zobrist to LF, move Heyward to RF, put Jay in CF, or move Almora to CF or RF when needed, depending on the matchup that given game.

Mmmmmmhmmmm Brown's Chicken! I can taste it now!

Schwarber, his horrific defense behind the plate, and his surgically repaired knee will never sniff catching again

Considering he's still not 24 years old yet, I wouldn't get too worried about his knee surgery. Players nowadays come back from ACL or MCL injuries stronger than ever. I don't think catching will be his main position, but there may be some nights they want his bat in the lineup or pinch hit late in games and he'll end up catching. I wouldn't count on Montero to be healthy all season as the backup to Contreras either. I agree Schwarber will be more of an outfielder, but I can still foresee some sniffing behind the plate.

He cant play LF either. But he's basically Theo's son and Theo has a mandate from ownership and fans that could only be broken by a Penn State-like scandal, and even then they'd probably look the other way.

2016

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Medically, I could see them catching, but we have also learned that they value stuff like pitch framing, etc. incredibly high.

As long as he's hitting the ball well, he only has to be an average at best fielder or catcher. Maddon loves those Swiss Army knife players. I think Zobrist, Baez, Contreras & Bryant all started games at 3 different positions last season.

Schwarber as a swiss army knife defender dude he's a DH

I agree he'd be better as a DH. But he's on a National League team right now, so that kinda settles that.

No he's not better as a DH he IS a DH and if the Cubs didn't win it this year the pressure would've been on to trade him. Hes so bad at fielding he actually manages to be a danger to himself and others.

Pressure on to trade him? But I thought he was basically Theo's son? At least that was according to your earlier post. Everything I ever read or heard was he was pretty much untouchable for the near future. All I'm saying it would be beneficial to make him serviceable at both LF & C in order to get his bat in the lineup more often. He doesn't have to be good at either position, just average enough so he can consistently hit.

RIGHT. If the Cubs didn't win people would've pressured Theo to cash in the Schwarber chip to sandbag the Cubs weaknesses. But nobody is going to tell Theo what to do for at least another couple years so he can keep his boy around and hope they manage to hide him defensively.

He isn't serviceable at C and LF and he probably never will be. The last time you saw him playing the field it was a series of embarrassing gaffes that culminated in a collision with Fowler that got his shit fucked up. I doubt tearing his ACL has made him better.

Yes, I'm sure he would've caved to all these "people" making him trade a 23 year old first round draft pick. There's been such a large sample size to determine he'll never get any better in the field. Plus he's so past his prime in age!

Another die hard Cubs fan that starting watching games in September. da da-da da da-da da da da da-da-da-da

Good, good. Let the butt hurt flow. Because taking a rational approach to a 23 year old player somehow makes me a fan that just started watching in September? Very original & clever thought. I'd expect rational thoughts & posts out of you, if you're such a seasoned, long time fan.

Da-da da da-da da da-da da da da

Carlos Lee, Adam Dunn and many other less athletic, slower outfielders managed to play LF and I believe Schwarber will do a far better job out in LF than many expect. I think he will rise at least to the level of average in the outfield and be dramatically better at the dish of course. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how good Schwarber will be after a full spring training in the outfield, after a full recovery from the knee injury. I'm very optimistic he will do very well.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Would you be upset if they trade Baez to the Dodgers for a potential future #1 starter? I wouldn't.

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Baez has so much value. If Russell were to get hurt, he would take over SS and do a great job there. If Bryant were to get hurt, he could take over at 3B and do great there as well. He is the best 2B they have as well. But if either Russell or Bryant were hurt (or just need a day off) Zobrist plays 2B and Baez takes over where needed. That is a very valuable commodity. Plus, I believe that his offensive skills will further develop and he will be an all-star. A #1 starter that is proven is one thing (okay). But a POTENTIAL #1 starter......like Samardijia was a POTENTIAL #1 starter.....no thanks.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Shark WAS a #1 starter on the Cubs for a while. Baez's trade value will never be higher than it is right now.

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Baez has made some sloppy errors too. He's a little too slick with that fielding.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

no one allows for the fact that Theo could be building this guy up to up his trade value. Everyone assumes he loves the kid as face value.

Secondly, he's no worse than Adam Dunn. And Dunn played LF every day for some time with the Reds. The only reason Kyle was even there to run into Dexter was because he was athletic enough, fast enough to get there. I'm pretty sure he'll be gun shy now about chasing balls into the left center gap.

And Glenallen Hill while we're at it.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

you disagree? Jeremy Giambi wouldn't have even moved on that ball.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

He was a #1 starter on a shitty team at that time. Tallest midget award. He was never better than a #3 or #4 starter on a good team.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Add Greg Luzinski and Carlos Lee to your list.

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Go Cubs!!!!

He got there. He did not get there quickly or gracefully. If he was that good and that fast, he would have caught the ball and/or called Dexter off.

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There are other things you could cite but a guy ripping apart his knee should never be one of the things you cite saying they are athletic.

He's so athletic he had to go completely out of control and then he injured himself! That means he can play the position!

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

And on the flip side, the only reason Dexter was there to run into was because Dexter knew he had to expand his range to cover for a lumbering oaf in LF.

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This is so dumb. Lee and Dunn didn't "manage to play LF", the just stood on a designated spot on a patch of dirt and tried to knock down anything that was within a 4 foot radius of them.

This is why you're a fucktard and even Cubs fans think you are a shitstain. Schwarber has a lot of positive things going for him at this stage in his career, and defense is not one of them. To the contrary, defense is one of those things that is a negative for his career right now. Stating the truth about Schwarber doesn't mean you hate him, it just means you recognize the truth.

He sucks in the field, at every position so far. There is a very good chance that for a long time his offensive output will more than compensate for this, there is also a chance he improves, but right now, he sucks in the OF.

Comparing him with two well known remarkably awful OFs doesn't buttress your argument, it just makes you look like a stupid ballsack.