WHY are the Chicago Cubs doing this!?

We wonder if the Cubs truly know what their problems are as The Athletic reported they will be relying more on analytics than the human element. Plus: Ian Happ wins the Gold Glove and roster moves.
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[@rafaellopez5565]

“Getting to the TV to see if he hits a Bomb”…That was me every Schwarber at bat with the Cubs. No player in Cubs uniform has caught my attention after that. Maybe Imanaga, but pitching, and each 5 days.

[@BigLar56321]

Congrats to Happ. He has worked on his craft and while not exceptional he is very good and apparently better than the competition. As a hitter, he can go into some funks but he does work a lot of walks.

[@TtoTheRock]

I don't really care what data/models the Cubs reasonably use to spend the resources. Just make the team better.

[@trees3d]

Ron Santo with 5 straight gold gloves in the 60s at 3rd base

[@dave-pm9bu]

Cubs need a coach who acts like he ENJOYS what's he's doing, bullpen improvement , one big bat....and a little luck...good show.

[@MikeBell-i1h]

CC sucks, leaving pitchers in way too long

[@rotoninja]

Can we just take a second and appreciate the cumulative production of Ian Happ has over the years? 👏

[@lukebonnell3605]

bro why does everybody wanna get away from the eye test this makes me so sad numbers NEVER tell the full story

[@chriscarlson9556]

I now have zero faith in Hoyer. You can use analytics as a method of vetting a player, If all that matters is analytics then go acquire Trevor Bauer. Alex Anthopoulos The GM for Atlanta Braves was interviewed and discussed how character and human qualities are a big factor in the players they acquire. Using one tool like analytics is like saying all I need to repair something is using my channel locks. It's a great tool for a lot of things but it's not the right tool for everything.

[@peachesaranda0711]

You can see a big difference between the 2016 team and the current team. The 2016 players brought something different and yet weren't just teammates, they were friends. The current team is the same in a boring way. Reminds me of office workers in their cubicles. Morel, Armstrong, and Shota were the only energized players to me. Jed needs to look at the Yankees, Padres, Phillies, Mets, and the Dodgers sometime. He will see what an actual team is.

[@Heavymetalpunk]

Do the dodgers and Yankees use analytics? Hell no, they sign players who are good. Screw analytics, use the eye test

[@Fin-eo2bg]

Awesome show guys. We are not robots! This change to analytics is small market and small minded! And the perfect example is Millar I. The Red Sox show

[@aduncaroo]

Man was that commercial awkward

[@knleonhart]

Somebody protect the children watching this😂

[@JohnDePewIII-tn6ui]

If I could tell the ricketts family anything it would be focus on the game. Why is Pat Hughes so much better at broadcasting than boog, because when you are a radio announcer you focus on the game instead of looking at a computer and trying to find something interesting to talk about. When they put a team on the field focus on the game and what the fans want to see when they buy a ticket. My examples would be Harry caray, Sandberg, Sosa, Rizzo and Baez. And don't forget Wood. An announcer and players that made the game fun to watch and attend

[@aakar88]

Pat has the ability to put you @ Wrigley, via audio only. The best

[@mikecrespi1184]

“You know, get a guy who will hit a ball down a bike path” bahaha 😂 dude that’s hilarious

[@edwardwilliams3185]

I'm so old I recall Santo, Banks, Kingman, Glenallen Hill, Ramirez, Sosa - analytics don't factor in 'intangibles', like getting the team fired up.

[@funkeytoad08]

Keep up the good work boys!

[@tomcrane9448]

Great job on the gold gloves Sam! I'm not an expert but analytics surely can only take you so far even same between seasons it can vary massively according to ball park, change of age, injuries maybe all baseball will be played by AI soon. I think the cubs need a leader Happ seems a great guy I'm not sure he is a true leader (maybe by example and the way he plays), nor Cody. I think they need a slugger (not sure how to get that in the lineup), a pitcher and a backup catcher plus the main thing better late innings bullpen guys. This does not take a computer to work out almost every cubs blog and post says so, I'm guessing Jed can work that out without a computer.

[@ericcurtner1145]

If we are going strictly by analytics and models we can use AI to build our roster and get rid of Jed and his mini-me. The Dodgers, Yankees and Mets spent money on the top players, it didn't take analytics to see that and to compete for a World Series.

[@TomMurray-pd5jj]

That FO doesn’t get to spit out analytics when they spend 230 million dollars to go 83-79, blow 25 saves, and not add a closer… It’s like sitting down with a guy who’s dying of cancer, and telling him to cheer up because it’s sunny outside…

[@Higs8091]

This is suddenly coming out because Jed is really feeling the heat from the fans and he's trying to deflect blame onto his lieutenant. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how they scout, just win games!

[@scottspence9178]

Let’s just say it. How are they going to win. They will trot out the same team and if they do not have an explosive season unlikely to say the least they will be worse than they have been the last two years. I’m worn out with my lifelong love. I need a separation. Not a divorce

[@rafaellopez5565]

I did exactly that between 2010 to 2014. I took a break from the Cubs, without loosing my fandom.

[@hanke2588]

Need new owner. You don’t need the best manager. You need the best team.

[@Heavymetalpunk]

Correct, I don’t think Dave Roberts is all that great of a manager, if he was he wouldn’t choke as much as he did in the playoffs past. He was given the best players and he did what any manager in that spot should do, won with those players.

[@jacobyork5723]

Matt Cozzi the goat!

[@Gnar_Dogg]

I'd be alright with these changes if they were acting like say the Mets organization. Stearns came from a small market and brought his philosophy to an organization with an owner that would give him more resources and money. Using these small market strategies while allowing more spending gives teams a much larger room for error making it easier to have that consistently open contention window Hoyer likes to talk about. Problem is Ricketts is seemingly giving them a self imposed salary cap that's quite a bit lower than other big market teams.

[@jaysanderson3167]

And they are going to pay Counsell $8 million a year to relay that info to the players.

[@robertcuratolo5339]

2 minutes to 5 minutes of the video was impressive and he did this without breathing.

[@Greymantle63]

Scouting/rookies is the heart of any team and building a long term successful team. What am I missing why would you cut down on scouting young talent?

[@rodneyelylesrealestate]

Well, if you aren't going to trade for guys that can make a difference, i guess you don't need to scout them. This has become a cheap ass organization with a self-imposed spending limit, and that will not change as long as the team has the same ownership. The Dodgers and Yankees will dominate the next decade because they get players that win. The Cubs are discount shoppers.

[@jeremymishefske1754]

They are going to run back the same team this year except for a couple of bargain relief pitchers. Bust out the 83 win T-shirts. What a shame!

[@JC-pu7gi]

This team needs a power bat in the middle of this lineup. Alonso,Soto, Schwaber will make everyone in lineup a better hitter. It’s time for Ricketts to open his Wallet. Trade Happ or Suzuki. Let’s have a great off season. Wake up Hoyer. Winning the pennant and playing in the Series every year has to be our number 1 goal every Season. Nothing else should be Acceptable

[@gonz702]

hims unlike the cubs you can hit the ball outta the park be a star ! lol

[@Heavymetalpunk]

Carter Hawkins is the GM, not Hoyer but we don’t see that because Jed does it all the time

[@cstomp1]

But Tom Ricketts wrote us a letter.........

[@michaelbingham6907]

I am for Belli+ for Soto

[@MikeBell-i1h]

Why is Belli so damn scrawny compared to Dodgers days?

[@tracykharp]

They’re ruining our team. This numbers crap is taking all the joy away. Jed’s a soulless robot.

[@johnlenon8872]

the Cubs just need to be better at pitch selection and aggression. Swing at strike one down the middle is analytics 101. Look at the team batting avg or slug or plus plus this or that. If you are down 0-1 you suck. I remember looking at a guy looking for a fast ball on the first pitch recently. Oh yeah, his name is Freddy Freeman with a 3rd degree ankle sprain. He looked for that first pitch fastball in game one of the World Series in the last inning. It was a walk off grand slam. Dodgers go up 1-0 over the Yankees. One pitch. Look for it. Don't miss it. Put it in play or into the seats.

[@hermanwilliams7358]

First 0:08

[@andrewwietecka85]

Second 🫶

[@MikeBell-i1h]

Rely on data? Does this mean we don't let the real talent go we brought up in the farm system?

[@rmyers1020]

analytics is ruining the game

[@theclownservatarian6410]

Santo won 5 GG in a row for the Cubs…

[@randywilbanks5532]

Why would Cubs go after Fried, we already have enough lefties in the rotation

[@jcarnetjr.9143]

Jed Hoyer will give the Cubs a good enough reason to fire him if they don’t improve in 2025.

[@fbales]

Disappointment after disappointment. 😡

[@youarethecreator1]

Ai is now replacing scouts. How about replace Jed Hoyer?

[@rafaellopez5565]

Again: you tell me that last off season Hoyer didn’t have a little bit more to offer for Soto than the Yankees? Isn’t our minor leagues “loaded” with prospects as Hoyer has sold us? Maybe the other teams don’t think so. No matter if it were for one year, but maybe there was the difference.

[@naturallawman2965]

I'm more convinced than ever that Jed is clueless and needs to be fired immediately

[@thechi2848]

This team is cheap, seems incompetent, who's ran by billionaires who only care about money and the cubs brand, this why this team will remain average.

[@kevinkucera5338]

Hoyer is listening to Hawkins and now wants to reduce scouts and go more heavily into analytics. Whyt? Clearly, this is the first sign of Hoyer's desperation to keep his job. What's next? Bad FA signings? Bad trades? Cub fans, beware of The Ides of March.......

[@whatareuthinking1]

What it does do is take away the blame game. The numbers are the numbers. 😂😂😂 down a bike path

[@ScooniePenn10]

I almost get the feeling Jed is changing course simply to save his job. I don't believe he believes but he'll do anything to stay in charge. Sorry Jed, you've made this team below average with a bloated salary base. His poor evaluation of players and what appears to be an even poorer FO staff surrounding him. Maybe Ricketts is meddling but my goodness has he taken this team in the wrong direction.

[@rebth1st]

Anything below

[@evertonpakeman181]

Hoyer should be fired outright.

[@Beatlesbec]

Bears need to fire Eberflus

[@timad11]

The Cubs do everything except improve the roster

[@Nil2none]

Lol... nevermind the numbers a player actually does during the season..... not that difficult. Cubs problem is front office and management is the issue..... not the player skill. We have a great team full of skill and good numbers....its management thats the problem

[@michaelbingham6907]

Sign Bauer nowadays!

[@joanshortall7333]

Moneyball.

[@Xxxomar880]

I hope jed hoyer get Fire for this he wants rid of scouts

[@davidgoscha3036]

Anythin'

[@nc3659]

F analytics. They are complete garbage

[@uncle-ted]

baseball is as much WWE as it is Statcast!

[@rafaellopez5565]

So scouting no so important? A little history: Dodgers scouts. In the 50’s they saw the Negro Leagues stadiums packed. How to bring them to MLB? Scouted a young player in Jackie Robinson. How to attract jewish people to a baseball stadium? Scouted for Sandy Koufax (who retired, almost unhittable). After mexicans were evacuated from Chavez Ravine in LA for the stadium, mexicans in L.A hated Dodgers. Ok, lets scout in mexican leagues for a star SS but wait!, we found and brought a chubby, indian lefty, Fernando Valenzuela who still has semi-god status between latins and packed the stadium each game he pitched.

[@rafaellopez5565]

I know there were other star jewish players (Hank Greenberg, etc.) but not as great as Koufax.

[@rafaellopez5565]

MLB Scouting for trades? Lets start wih Sammy Sosa from rhe White Sox, Derek Lee from Marlins, and lots more.

[@TomMurray-pd5jj]

You aren’t a small market team when you are spending 230 million dollars a year and are valued as the 4th highest franchises in the MLB… Just stop Jed… You’re drunk… go home…

[@rebth1st]

The Cubs need a Bryce Harper

[@brotherhiram5682]

They are doing this because Jim Hendry is sitting in the basement of the Tribune wearing a Cerebro helmet that links directly to the Ricketts household.

[@Higs8091]

😂😂😂

[@rds990]

Stop scouting AAA ? Busch came from a competitive AAA team. They had to scout him. Without AAA scouting, we’d still need a 1B.

[@fjf8385]

Aka we’re going to use analytics to find little things wrong with big contract players and use it as an excuse not to sign them. I’m guessing Jed is just counting down his days until he returns to the red sox with Theo.

[@bradmoretz]

Why does everything get on the Happ hype train when the seasons over? Let's not forget he sucks ass 2 months out of every season

[@bradleys4783]

Sam, you just won me over. But, sadly it's too little too late (not you but MLB in general). For me it's all swirling around the bowl and about to go down. Nothing can change it. The AI nerds have ruined it. $250,000,000 for some of these contracts. Are you F'in kidding me ?