How will the rotation be set up? Chatwood will be the 5. Other than that it could be set up in a lot of ways.

I will say

1. Lester
2. Darvish
3. Q
4. Hendricks
5. Chatwood

Also will be interesting what happens with Montgomery. He clearly wants to be a starter.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Hendricks
Lester
Darvish
Q
Chatwood

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

I would be really good with that. Hendricks is the man as far as i am concerned.

I put Lester 1 just because I think that is what Maddon will do

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I was betting on his penchant for alternating pitching arms (RLRLR).

_________________
Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

I would trade Montgomery to a team like the Twins, but they won't.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

You are not getting much for him unless he is paired with prospects.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I'm not as high on Hendricks as others. I consider him more of a 3 or 4. I know a lot of people hated on Quintana, but I thought he was solid of the Cubs. I consider him a 3 or 4 as well, with #2 potential. With this being said, I would line the up this way

1. Lester
2. Darvish
3. Quintana
4. Hendricks
5. Chatwood

You keep Monty for the injury or rest day.

If Joe decides to go with Yu as the 1, I make Kyle the 3.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

Darvish
Lester
Quintana
Hendricks
Chatwood

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"Now comes good sailing. Moose. Indian."

What else does Hendricks have to do to be held in high regard?

Beating Kershaw and Kluber in the playoffs and being a huge part of a World Series champion is enough for me.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

This is probably the most excited I've been about a rotation, since the days of Wood, Prior, Z, and Clement

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

Montgomery should be kept. You need another guy or two that can start when injuries eventually happen.

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Agree. I'm a little worried about Lester this season. I think last season we started to see him wear down a bit. I would try to ease up on his workload.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

I don't want a guy who will bitch and moan about his role, which he's obviously been doing.

Send him to Baltimore. He'd become their #3 starter with four years of team control, so they should be able to get back a couple of Baltimore's better prospects at AA and a lottery ticket they can keep off the 40-man for a while.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Eddie Butler is a pretty good guy to have as a spot starter too so if the deal is right I would be cool shipping monty out.

I would still not be surprised to see Monty and Schwarber dealt to Boston for Bradley and a prospect.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Agreed

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

break 200 IP sometime in his career

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Don't forget Mad Dog!

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I'm not excited about this at all. I see hurty and bad written all over this.

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A lot of that is out of his control. He is pulled from games before he should be.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

He seems to be especially affected by the whole "Starters shouldn't go through the order three times" mania

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

"Should be" in your estimation, correct?

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I am not going to argue semantics with you. If the biggest issue with Hendricks is he doesnt go 200 innings a year then that is pretty weak in todays baseball.

He has been arguably the best pitcher on the team the last 2 years.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Unfortunately, I think you may be right. I think Lester starts opening day, with Darvish #2, then Hendricks, Q and Chatwood. Opening series in Miami and I'll be there! I was in Miami 3 years ago, to watch Atlanta play the Marlins in Miami and liked the ballpark and looking forward to seeing how Jeter will have changed it. Building has a retractable roof, and is pretty much Miller Park, just decorated very differently. But first is Spring training and I'll be there March 6-12 and see the Cubs play the Dodgers on the 6th, the Padres on the 8th and White Sox on the 10th. Baseball, Golf, white water rafting and mountain climbing. Can't wait.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Actually, that is pretty strong in today's baseball standards. You ask what he needs to do to be held in high regard. 200 IP is one of those landmarks even today. Sorry I didn't wave the pom poms

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

In the last 2 seasons, only 15 players each year pitched 200 innings. And there are some less than great players up there. There are some great players not up there. When you are a winning team with a decent bullpen, I'd rather have 175 great innings from my SP than 200 iffy innings just for the sake of a silly, meaningless threshold.

But dolphin gonna dolphin.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I'm not a huge believer in Darvish, but the rotation assembled together....looks really good.

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I’ll take Houston’s.

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Elections have consequences.

Yeah.. Innings pitched is not a real sign of success..look @ the guppy( samardzija) as scorehead once said.." He eats innings and shits hits n runs"

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Agreed. Still....Cub rotation is very strong.

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This is the most excited I've been since the build up to "Our American Cousin"

-Mary Todd Lincoln