This article on battingleadoff.com does a nice job in laying out just how different the team will look come Opening Day. I'm excited to see this group gel together over the next couple of years. With the right role players and some guys living up to their potential, this team can contend long term.

 

How Rick Hahn Revamped Chicago's Offense

Edited January 21, 201412 yr by ChrisLikesBaseball

This article on battingleadoff.com does a nice job in laying out just how different the team will look come Opening Day. I'm excited to see this group gel together over the next couple of years. With the right role players and some guys living up to their potential, this team can contend long term.

 

How Rick Hahn Revamped Chicago's Offense

Link is a little broken. Just like my buddy with Crohn's, it's missing a colon. Reading now, though.

http://battingleadoff.com/2014/01/15/rick-...icagos-offense/

Link is a little broken. Just like my buddy with Crohn's, it's missing a colon. Reading now, though.

 

Haha! Thank you.. It's fixed now.

Interesting how the article states that DeAza getting less at bats than Eaton or Viciedo in 2014 is a mistake.

Interesting how the article states that DeAza getting less at bats than Eaton or Viciedo in 2014 is a mistake.

This is likely true from a production standpoint and it's why De Aza should be traded.

Interesting how the article states that DeAza getting less at bats than Eaton or Viciedo in 2014 is a mistake.

Also interesting that it doesn't seem to be allowing for progress from Viciedo.

Also interesting that it doesn't seem to be allowing for progress from Viciedo.

Viciedo blows.

Viciedo blows.

Currently

Also interesting that it doesn't seem to be allowing for progress from Viciedo.

 

Viciedo is projected in the article at a 107 wRC+, up from a 96 wRC+. That's a fairly substantial improvement.

If Dayan posts a 107 wRC+, he'll be here for a while. That would be a logical step given how competitive he was against RHP last year, especially down the stretch. He was actually worse against LHP than RHP last year, whereas he had been absolutely otherworldly against lefties in the past.

Am I wrong or is trading DeAza a problem because we are so lacking in left handed hitters?

 

Am I wrong or is trading DeAza a problem because we are so lacking in left handed hitters?

 

Even if De Aza is still here, he's probably not starting so does it really matter? If he stays he will probably be taking Jordan Danks spot who is also a left handed hitter.

Viciedo is projected in the article at a 107 wRC+, up from a 96 wRC+. That's a fairly substantial improvement.

 

Those are Steamer projections.

 

And we all know that Steamer smokes crack.

If Dayan posts a 107 wRC+, he'll be here for a while. That would be a logical step given how competitive he was against RHP last year, especially down the stretch. He was actually worse against LHP than RHP last year, whereas he had been absolutely otherworldly against lefties in the past.

 

Consistency seems to be one of Viciedo's biggest detriments. If he could get more consistent, I have no doubt he can easily put up a 107 wRC+. He's proven that he can be a dominant player when he's going good.

Edited January 21, 201412 yr by lasttriptotulsa

To me, the most interesting piece of the article is that 7 out of 9 projected starters are 27 or under. Over the next 3-5 years many of them will be in their prime playing ages. Obviously, everything that Hahn has done over the last 6 months has been part of a longer term plan, but if some key players perform at the top of their game in the same season(s), they'll definitely contend.