ptatc

170 minor league at bats and he's on the hot seat.

If the pitchers can't figure out command of the fastball there is nothing anyone can do for them.

Pitchers need to be taught that? Maybe if they aren't trying to throw everything through a wall they would learn control.

I'm pretty sure he is a soft tosser. Fastball sits around 90, 94 max.

Pitchers and hitters are always tweaking something. They need to make adjustments to survive in the MLB. The key is to find the basics and make tweaks not major changes. He needs more time with the new mechanics to see how they do against MLB hitters. It's all fine to do them in the offseason in a lab. It's a other thing to see how MLB hitters react to them.

We'll see. Now that the Cubs are struggling a little, fans and the media are questioning the Chapman/Torres trade.

Its extremely difficult to do do that now with blood baseline testing. Masking is no longer effective because you can't mask a level. They dont need to look for specific substances any longer.

As opposed to positive regression? ?

I don't think so. That was their excuse but I don't buy it. they just weren't going to give the guarateed highest contract of all time with 10/300.

That's what you get during a rebuild. the only thing that matters this year is the development of the players that will be here when they are ready to win. None of the players in this discussion matter to this at all.

Even if they saved that money, they wouldn't have spent it on Machado. They were adamant that they weren't going to go for a guaranteed 300 million and more 10 years. It had nothing to do with available money. it was the line they drew in the sand.

They don't want them to go too many days without pitching. It's a fine line between rest and too many days in between pitching.

And Cease, later in the year. The staff will be Rodon, Giolito, Lopez, Cease and Kopech, if all goes well.

It certainly isn't an exact as far as effectiveness is concerned. However we do know what positions put stress on either the shoulder or the elbow. The variable is the individual anatomy, some pitchers can absorb that stress better than others.

His family maybe but he's not. Doesn't matter how much money the parents have. He needs to make his own life.

They had an interesting story on the radio on the way home. A guy went to vote and was told he had already voted. He proved who he was and was allowed to vote but he wasn't sure if his "previous vote" was deleted or still counted.

I believe this is the case.

Ask Morrow about that. I'm sure they don't want to injure the players that are actually proven by pitching them too early too often in the season.

I'm not defending Renteria, just saying it really doesn't matter much in the long run. He and Cooper will make more questionable moves but they will work out. Just like they will make moves that are the best choices and they won't work out. The way Jones threw in the Spring he may not have been a better option. If Ned Yost can win a World Series any manager can. It more about the players performing when called upon.

In the long run it doesn't matter. Every manager has to put in the last guy in the bullpen at some point even in non-blowout situations. It happens. The next time he puts Covey in he will probably do the job. Over a full season the moves matter very little because many are dictated by bullpen use and not pitching the best guys too many days in a row.

Eh, managers don't really matter much during games. Keeping the clubhouse engaged and problem free is there primary importance. He seems to do a pretty good job of that.

Pitchers aren't trained to do that anymore. Steve Carlton purposely paced himself to finish games. Pitchers today throw as hard as they can until they are out of gas. Not to mention they've been trained to go not more than 100-115 pitches in a game. For the first game of the season they would not let him go over 100. That's why he didn't piutch into the 8th.

They took out Nova because he was at 93 pitches in his first start of the year. All teams needs to find out what they have in their players. They need to put players in high leverage situations to see what player thrive and which ones flop. They aren't trying to lose, the lack if talent on the team will take care of that, they are trying to see who can fill which roles. They can't run Herrera and Colome out there every game and they can't let pitchers sit inactive to long. All teams go through their rosters early in the season to get the players into the season.

I can see why they used Covey. The saw him as a starter last year, not so good. They need to know if he can be a high leverage reliever for next year. This is still a rebuilding year with this roster. They need to determine who will be on the team and in which roles for next year. Expect to see other young pitchers in high leverage situations as the season goes on. Herrera and Colome will get most of them but young pitchers will get their share.

I don't think so. It will be Davis the starter, Cohen #2 and a draftee #3. The forth back, will need to be a special teams player.