Not even sure where to begin about this Happ discussion. Totally off base. They are running 9 starters for 8 spots. They'd recall a reliever (Duensing most likely) before anything if there was an injury. If Happ is mashing like Schwarber did (this dude OPS'd 1000 plus his entire fucking minor league career), than maybe he enters the discussion. But shit...he isn't even on the 40-man roster. They're not going to yo-yo him at the expense of his development. The obvious guys to fill in are there already. Almora, Jay, Szczur, La Stella. Where are these rumors that he butted heads with brass? He hasn't echoed those statements re: his future position on a star studded team privately? Huh?? The Cubs might eat Zobrists remaining contract? It's clear the Cubs think the world of Schwarber for obvious reasons. More highly than most...? Just last July Brian Cashman insisted on an injured 2nd year Schwarber for the best reliever in baseball (Andrew Miller) Straight up.
I think I said zero of the things that you said I did. Duensing will be on the 25 as soon as he is healthy and ready to go. I never said Happ would be called up after injury number one, I clearly said "down the stretch". I literally said the rumor was that he hasn't echoed those statements publicly, only privately. I never said this either. I said he might not be on the team in 2019. His no trade becomes partial after 2018 and there will be extensions to make with cheap alternatives available. I think that only helps my point? FO believe his bat has the potential to be generational. Them saying no to that deal while trading away Torres, Warren, McKinney, and Crawford for less value shows how highly they think of Schwarber. Something else to keep in mind is that Schwarber has more value to CLE than he does CHC because he is a clear DH candidate.
You said his bat is too valuable and it could be a Schwarber like situation and that he is clearly in the Cubs plans for 2017. Im suggesting it would take a massive improvement for him to be considered Schwarber like. He's less than a year removed from .262/.318/.415 season at double-A in 275 PA; Schwarber was .320/.438/.579 at double A in about 250 PA then started at Iowa the following year and posted .333/.403/.633 in 70 PA's. You said Happ is the obvious guy to fill in for an injury. That's not true. There's no indication he's a better OF than Almora, Szczur or Jay. And if a middle IF goes down La Stella, Baez and Zobrist are here. Where are these rumors coming from that he has privately echoed to management he only wants to play 2nd? Maybe you're privy to what he has privately expressed. I just can't imagine a prospect not on the 40 man roster would dictate to his bosses what's best. I'd wait til he's rostered for one and seeing sustained success at Iowa before proclaiming he's a lock to be up this year. If you're point is the Cubs value Schwarber tremendously, yeah, no doubt. I don't think that was ever in question. In fact Theo flat out said it, there's no inferring necessary.
I'm just reporting what I've heard from a friend who is connected because I thought you might be interested. If you don't believe it you can just let it slide. I'm not saying he's as good or better of a hitter than Kyle Schwarber. I meant it could be a Schwarber-like situation in that his bat is too valuable to keep him off the big league team despite no true spot for him--a la Schwarber in the 2015 season. I never said that there's a rift between the two or that it's a problem, I just heard that Happ has been very adamant privately that he can play second base at a big league level and that's where he wants to be. It wasn't worded to me like it was Happ dictating to his bosses what's best...more like he has a fervent confidence that he's able to play 2B. And it seems like whoever he has voiced that confidence to has listened, because he's been starting at 2B every day for Iowa.
Most of the big names are doing something today. Schwarber is at Macy's, Rizzo is at O'hare, Baez is with Rahm in Humboldt Park.
The fact that apparently no one else found this as perfect as I did is a tough one to swallow. Just imagine Rizzo as Hogan; Heyward as Nash; Strop as Hall; KB as XPac; Schwarbs as Konan; and Ricketts as Bishoff. Maybe that will help.
He looked really good tonight, but the wind was also a big reason why Willson's fly-out wasn't a HR. Same with Rizzo.
Candelario with another extra-base hit. Amazingly, 10 of Candelario's first 11 hits have been for extras. And, Tennessee overcomes a 7-0 deficit and scores 8 runs in bottom of 9th. Haha
Carlos Martinez has walked 4 guys and thrown 2 wild pitches so far in the first inning. Good for the Cubs, bad for the Cardinals and my fantasy team. UPDATE: 6 walks and 6 strikeouts after 2 IP. Still has the no-no going.
Pirates are pretty good at letting the wind take their fly-outs into the bleachers. We need to be better at that.
Happ hits his 6th HR of the season Also he may be seeing some time at 3B shortly. They are trying to find him at bats for the big league club.