The Wrigley Roundtable

Premier Edition

Every day you can go on Social Media and take place in many different debates in regards to the Chicago Cubs. The Wrigley Roundtable plans to do exactly that. We bring together some different views on some of the hot topics surrounding the Cubs organization so you can hear some different thoughts.

You may not agree with everyone on every issue, but we hope that you can find common ground within one of the answers our panel gives.

So who are these people that we asked to share their opinions? Let’s take a look at who they are and where you can find them. (I mean on social media. We won’t be giving out their address if you disagree)

Paul Steeno

Paul spent 11 years pretending he was good at running. After hanging up the track spikes and officially becoming an elite hobby jogger, he decided to do something that he was actually good at: like writing about the Cubs. He is also a perpetually frustrated Chicago Bulls fan. This one time he got super lucky and ran 3:52 in the 1500-meter run. You can follow Paul on Twitter @KingSteeno.

Doug Preszler

Doug is the type of person who can be a Cubs fan and an Iowa fan while living in South Dakota. He is a man who cares not for regional loyalty. He can be found on Twitter @PreszlerDoug, telling tales of the Dakotan Cubs fan’s existence.

Stephen Sciaraffa

Stephen Sciaraffa is currently a student at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. Born in Chicago, Stephen spends his free time following the Cubs and taking in games at beautiful Wrigley Field with his dad. You can add him on twitter @Stephen Sciaraffa

Brandon Anderson

Brandon is what we call a Master of sports, humor, pop culture & life musings. If there is something you want to know about then this is the guy to ask. He is one of the top writers on Medium.com & if you give him a follow here @Brandon Anderson you will quickly see why.

Austin Hutchinson

If you follow the NBA at all then you have probably ran across Austin a time or two. Although he has developed a solid following for his statistical views to basketball he is also a die-hard Cubs fan. He also just happens to be our Editor in Chief & Co-founder. He grew up and Chicago and now makes his residence in Cali. He always brings a good amount of knowledge into every conversation. You can follow him on Twitter @AE_Hutchinson.

Craig House

Well that just happens to be me. I’m Co-editor in Chief & Co-founder of Wrigley Rapport. I have been a Cubs fan my entire life. I like to surround myself with good people so therefore I avoid Cardinals fans like the plague. I still haven’t forgiven my parents for making my middle name Ryan instead of Ryne. You can follow me on Twitter @Craig_House3.

So without further ado let’s get this discussion rolling.

Is Keeping Ian Happ up the best thing for his future? Or the best for the Cubs?

Steeno

Trick question, because both parties have benefited.

The Cubs obviously benefit because Ian Happ has flat out helped this team win games. He has posted two home runs, five RBIs, and a .323/.417/.710 slash line in nine games in the MLB. His dynamic presence at the number five spot in the batting order has also helped to protect Bryzzo. He is the Cubs hottest hitter right now, and this team has averaged six runs per game and are 5–3 in the eight games he has started.

On the flip side, this experience can only benefit Happ’s career moving forward. He proved he was ready for the Big Show after slashing a sparkling .417/.473/.813 in spring training, and has showed that these numbers weren’t fluky with his production so far at the Major-League level.

Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, and Addison Russell all spent three years or less in the minors before making their MLB debuts, so bringing up Happ after just two seasons in the minors isn’t unheard of at all. Getting ingrained into clubhouse culture and familiarizing himself with what goes into being a professional baseball player can only help him moving forward. Lastly, the opportunity to absorb information and learn how to play the game from his accomplished teammates, who have shown a willingness to help out, is an irreplaceable learning experience for the young star.

Preszler

Ian Happ has the ability to be a Ben Zobrist type player for the Cubs moving forward. And knowing Joe Maddon’s preference for having a position player roster full of movable parts that give him the flexibility to manage games in his preferred style, Happ has those abilities. He can play all three outfield positions as well as second base. When you jump forward to the 2019 season, Ben Zobrist is more than likely no longer an everyday player if the Cubs keep him beyond his current contract. Allowing Happ two seasons playing alongside Zobrist, gives him an everyday opportunity to learn from him.

Kyle Schwarber is not a leadoff hitter. I believe Happ can be. He hits from both sides of the plate. He may not have elite speed, but he has the ability to steal bases successfully. So far, in his minor league career he has stolen 28 of 35 bases in less than 3 seasons. In 1,092 plate appearances he has grounded into a mere 14 double plays. The Cubs offense has struggled to score consistently. Since Happ was called up the offense has picked up. With Heyward returning and showing signs of an offensive resurgence it could potentially enable Maddon to hit Happ at the top of the order. Already, with Happ’s emergence, Maddon is willing to move Schwarber out of the top spot. Try this batting order on for size:

1.Happ CF

2.Bryant 3B

3.Rizzo 1B

4.Zobrist 2B

5.Schwarber LF

6.Heyward RF

7.Russell SS

8.Contreras C

Maddon still gets protection for Rizzo with Zobrist and perhaps a more consistent on base guy with Happ at the top of the order. When Baez is in the lineup instead of Zobrist, Happ is still leading off and Baez is hitting 6th. If Happ is out of the lineup, Zobrist goes to the top of the order, Baez slots in at 6, and you move Schwarber to 4 and Heyward to 5.

These options with Happ on the major league roster absolutely justify him staying. It is absolutely the right thing for him and for the Cubs currently. I believe they should commit to keeping him on the major league roster permanently. That decision also makes several other players expendable that can be used to upgrade the pitching staff.

Anderson

I think it depends on the Cubs’ plan for him. If they definitely plan to trade him, they should send him back down because his trade value can only really drop. But I don’t want to lock into trading him and I’d rather let him learn against major league pitching all season. He can easily start 3 of every 5 games and pinch hit in the others. No reason not to keep everyone rested and rotating as long as Happ keeps hitting so well.

Sciaraffa

I think that keeping Happ up is good for both sides. Happ gets to come up and fit in with a clubhouse full of champions and guys that were where he was not too long ago. It’s important for a young player to feed off of the veterans while coming in and being themselves and the Cubs are one of the best teams at doing just that. On the flip side, the Cubs are in a spot as a franchise where most of the big prospects are up and producing, you’ve won a World Series, and you have a group young enough to keep doing it for another 10 years. The time to win is now. If a guy can help your team, he’s going to play and be apart of this team. Also, the Cubs have Jake Arrieta and John Lackey set to become free agents at the end of the season so it would be huge to win another World Series before some real turnover in the rotation.

Hutchinson

I don’t think keeping Ian Happ is an issue. Where the issue lies is getting him playing time. Would it be more valuable to the Cubs to let him get his swings in Iowa until a spot opens up in the bigs? As long as he keeps hitting you have to keep him up. There will come a point of no return. Theo and Jed will have to figure out if he is trade bait or if it’s time to get rid of Ben Zobrist.

House

One of the hardest things for this Cubs organization is finding playing time for so many young talented players. It’s a good problem to have though. I think keeping Ian Happ up is the best for both parties. He is no doubt Major League ready and continues to prove it. Having another solid bat like his can only improve this team. It also forces some other players to recognize that there is talent waiting to take someones place on the roster. Could it be Zobrist, Javiar Baez or another player? Who knows right now, but it has already impacted this team as we have watched the Cubs improve since the call-up of Happ.

2. Who would you be willing to part with in a deal for a starter with years left on their contract?

Steeno

Kyle Schwarber.

To obtain talent, you must give talent away, and the Cubs are in a unique position where they are deep enough in the outfield to absorb losing Schwarber without skipping a beat.

Sure, it’s not an ideal scenario. However, in the name of getting better, the Cubs should consider a trade involving Schwarber if there is a desperate need to beef up the starting rotation or bullpen moving forward.

There is substantial market value for a 24-year-old, lefty power bat, and Schwarber’s limitations defensively always made him better suited as a designated hitter for an American League club rather than a misplaced left fielder in the National League.

Of course, Master Theo has expressed reservations on multiple occasions about trading Schwarber, so if a trade does materialize it probably won’t feature the Schwarb man.

Preszler

I’ve spent some time thinking about this question actually. There are some intriguing possibilities if you have the courage to pull it off and can find the right fit. Jake Arrieta and John Lackey are both in the final year of their contracts. Lackey is going to be 39 in October. Arrieta is going to seek out a multi-year deal to try and cash in on his Cy Young and World Series experience.

If Theo is not committed to re-signing Jake, than instead of losing him to free agency cash him in. They can make a qualifying offer I suppose, but if you can flip him for a young, proven starter with years of control, I believe as unpopular as that deal could be, it would absolutely be the right thing moving forward. We all know that pitching has been the sacrifice the front office made to build this roster. They committed to finding pitching through free agency and trades. So if that is the commitment they made, than here is their opportunity to do that without giving up a ton of minor league talent to get it done.

The post-season pretty much requires you to have 4 quality starters but not 5. Lester, Hendricks, Lackey or Arrieta, and your new pitcher received in trade gives you 4. Winning now mode for the Cubs doesn’t mean only this season. It means the next 4–5 seasons. This team has the core to win multiple championships if they stay healthy. The upcoming free agent pitching market is strong, but most of them are 30+ in age.

So the centerpiece of the trade is Arrieta or Lackey. Jeimer Candelario is expendable. And if you are committing to Happ as an everyday player Tommy LaStella is expendable. Justin Grimm is expendable. That is a pretty solid core of 4 players with major league experience to build a strong trade.

Anderson

For now I’m not too excited to move any of the regulars unless a can’t-miss deal comes along. Not too desperate yet on pitching so just wait for the right deal. At the end of the day Bryant, Rizzo, Russell, Contreras are the only four guys I’d be stunned to see moved. Anyone else is an option if a slam dunk offer comes up.

Sciaraffa

I think that the prime candidate to go in a deal would have to be Jeimer Candelario. Candelario has a similar situation as former Cubs prospect Dan Vogelbach, who was traded to the Mariners for Mike Montgomery. Vogelbach was blocked at 1st base by Anthony Rizzo and Candelario is blocked by Kris Bryant. He hasn’t played any other positions either so he’s extremely expendable. In reality, the depth that the Cubs have really makes all of their position player prospects expendable, even outfielder Eloy Jimenez. Between Contreras, Schwarber, Bryant, Almora, Heyward, Zobrist, and Happ, the Cubs are in very good position in terms of outfielders making Eloy Jimenez expendable as well. If the Cubs are going to make a deal for a young controllable starter, the talks start with these 2 prospects. However, I would not like or expect the Cubs to put any pitching prospects in a deal of that magnitude.

Hutchinson

Any prospect not named Kyle Schwarber- this, I believe, has been Theo’s guidlines. However, to acquire a young starter with years left means they have to give up assets worthy. The Cubs have a talented catcher down in AAA by the name of Victor Caratini that could be an option, Happ, or any other prospects we have should be on the table for those discussions.

House

This is a tough one because they have so much talent at every level. As much I would hate to see it I think that Jake Arrieta might be your best option to offer up in a trade. He is due to get a huge pay raise and the Cubs have to keep in mind that players like Bryant, Rizzo, Baez and others are not making that bank just yet. With Arrieta’s contract ending at the end of the season it could be time to consider parting ways with him.

Another player that we all love and would hate to see go is Kyle Schwarber. I don’t think there is a chance the Cubs deal him away, but I do think they should be open to listen to what other teams might be willing to offer. The next few years are going to be very challenging for Theo and Jed when it comes to making these decisions and I do not envy them at all.

3. What do you see as the Cubs biggest concerns so far?

Steeno

Scheduling. No, seriously.

Twenty five of the Cubs first 40 games came against above .500 competition, and 12 of those games were against first-place ball clubs (as of May 24 at 6:30 p.m.). Recently, the strength of schedule has softened a bit, and the Cubs have accumulated a 5–2 record so far on the home stand.

The MLB scheduling gods did a fantastic job of front loading the Chicago Cubs 2017 regular season schedule, and the Cubs are only a few games above the .500 threshold as a result.

It’s important in baseball not to ever get too high or too low about a team at the beginning of the season. As the strength of schedule evens itself out as the season progresses, the Cubs will right the ship.

Preszler

It is the number 5 starter. Brett Anderson has not earned the opportunity to return to that slot. Eddie Butler probably deserves one more start, as the weather was atrocious his last time out. Mike Montgomery is a possibility, but is probably more valuable in the pen. We will have to see how that all pans out.

Anderson

Definitely the starting pitching. I’m not worried about the hitters at all. The young bats will warm up and even out. The bullpen has largely been great. So that leaves the starters by default. We don’t have a fifth, and Arrieta worries me some. But we don’t need a fifth starter in the postseason, so it’s just that Jake spot I’ll want to keep a close eye on, especially with his spot up next year.

Sciaraffa

The biggest concerns for me were the starting rotation and our hitting but both seem to be improving and coming along. Lester and Hendricks have found their stride and Eddie Butler has stepped in for a few nice starts. The Cubs really need Jake Arrieta to find himself and string together multiple strong starts to get a rhythm going. You need starting pitching to get to the playoffs and go deep and the Cubs have gotten that the past few seasons. The bullpen has been strong so the rotation coming around will make for a really good pitching staff. In terms of hitting, the Cubs are starting to find themselves. Early on, they were striking out a lot and chasing pitches out of the zone but the Cubs are the most successful when they’re taking their walks and making pitchers work. They started to do that and they are starting to get the results that’s they want. The division is still theirs to win and I expect them to iron out the kinks and make a run at another World Series title.

Hutchinson

Consistency from the starting pitching. Arrieta isn’t nearly what he once was, and the rest of the guys seem to have regressed to the norm a bit. It’s not a large issue until come the dog days and playoffs, but I don’t have that same feeling of security when I see a Cubs starter take the mound. This is why they should definitely be targeting a starter in July.

House

It’s hard to pin point just one thing really. We got spoiled by the historic start in 2016 and thought this team was going to do it all over again. I think we are seeing a bit of a hang over from winning the World Series and playing so late into the fall. We have seen other teams hit this same type wall in the past. I believe as the days begin to warm up we will see the bats start to pick it up too. As far as the pitching goes I think we are seeing our pitchers begin to look a little more human. I’m not worried just yet, but I do think pitching could end up being our biggest concern going forward.

4. Are we seeing the return of the Jason Heyward that everyone remembers from a few years ago?

Steeno

Jason Heyward as we remember was a four-tool baseball player. This player never left in the sense that he was still a fantastic right fielder with a crazy strong arm and could run the bases and get you steals, etc. Obviously, the hitting is what went away and it’s nice to see all the work he spent adjusting his swing pay off big in games thus far. However, I’m always skeptical about small sample sizes and 46 games into the season isn’t long enough to definitely say that J-Hey is back all the way.

Preszler

Yes we are seeing the return of the Jason Heyward that we thought we were getting last year when Theo and Jed signed him. Last year he hit 27 doubles, 1 triple, and 7 home runs. This season he already has 1 double, 2 triples, and 5 home runs. Last year he drove in 49 runs. This year he’s already drove in 19. He’s hitting .256. His slugging percentage sits at .427. 100 points higher than last year. But the most important thing for me is he was willing to put in the time to break down and rebuild his swing. He’s a great teammate and example to the young guys. He’s driving the ball again. And his defense is second to none in right. And his offensive turn around is huge for this young club. I would be very comfortable with him hitting in the 2 hole again, where he spent time at the beginning of last season.

Anderson

No. I don’t think that Heyward exists anymore as a hitter. But this Heyward is just fine. He adds so much else to the team that just hitting north of .250 with 15+ HR and not grounding out every time is good enough. That swing isn’t looking as good as early in the year, and I think we just need to accept Heyward as the great-defending life-altering-speech-giving mediocre-hitting player he is.

Sciaraffa

I think that Jason Heyward put so much pressure on himself after getting the big contract that he pressed all year long. He kept trying so hard to produce that he just threw himself into a permanent funk that he couldn’t find a way out of. Now that the Cubs have won a World Series during the worst year of his career and he settled in with the city and the organization, I think he is able to be more relaxed and realize that the despite the big contract, he’s not expected to be the man. He can relax and just play ball and be one of the guys as opposed to being “The Guy”. He tinkered with his mechanics which has helped a lot, but I think his timing overall is better than it was last year. He’s not missing pitches to hit anymore. He has also shown more discipline and is working himself into better counts. This allows him to see better pitches and he is driving the ball to all fields. His approach and willingness to go to left field has really helped him turn things around. Now he is getting pitches that he might not have gotten if he kept pulling the ball to the second base side. He’s too talented to be a player that stays in decline and he sees an opportunity to be a leader and win multiple rings in Chicago now that the curse is over. I think that we will start to see the Jason Heyward of old and maybe even a better version of J-Hey as he continues to develop throughout the season and the rest of his career.

Hutchinson

It’s a new Jason Heyward and I love it. We all knew he would have to revamp his swing, and wow, is it revamped! His ability to drive the ball with distance and still be a high contact guy is incredible for what he does defensively and in the club-house. The dude’s resurgence has been spectacular. How can you not root for the guy?

House

I don’t think we will ever see the guy Heyward once was in Atlanta. What we are seeing is something new. Heyward put in the work this offseason and has come back a completely different player at the plate. It’s not the old Heyward, but instead a new and improved version of a more experiences player. With his ability to be a dominant defender roaming the outfield and his new found ability to square it up we should see some great things from him this season. I will say however that he is probably the unluckiest Cub on the team. He has more hard hit balls for an out than anyone. I can live with that though because they gotta start falling sooner or later.

Thanks for reading our premier edition of “The Wrigley Roundtable”. If you have an opinion or a question you want to see in the next edition then tweet it our way @WrigleyRapport or email us at WrigleyRapport@gmail.com. Check back soon for more roundtable discussion. Also please hit the heart button so we know you enjoyed this and give us a follow on Twitter.