Claim OwnershipCubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game
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Hello! And welcome to CubsPS+: A North Side Numbers Game, a weekly Chicago Cubs podcast that dives headfirst into the analysis of hot topics driving Cubs baseball. I’m your host, Mike Waller, a life-long Cub fan, full-time baseball stat nerd and sometime youth baseball coach.
Thank you for spending some time with me today, I know there are a lot of choices out there! You can also find me on Twitter, TikTok & Instagram, all @CubsPSPlus, a spin on the baseball metric OPS+.
I’d love to know what you want to know about Cubs baseball!
Thank you for spending some time with me today, I know there are a lot of choices out there! You can also find me on Twitter, TikTok & Instagram, all @CubsPSPlus, a spin on the baseball metric OPS+.
I’d love to know what you want to know about Cubs baseball!
70 Episodes
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The podcast has moved to the Bleacher Bunch Network, which can be found wherever you find your podcasts. Links below to Bleacher Bunch and CubsPS+ on Patreon:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cubspsplus
Bleacher Bunch Network: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bleacher-bunch-network-a-chicago-cubs-podcast/id1462808218
We’ve talked about Shohei Ohtani and what the Dodgers are doing. We’ve talked about what the Cubs aren’t doing. We’ve talked about what the Cubs might look like if they actually do nothing. Here we are, stuck in Groundhog Day, waiting for news of the first big move. Why is the baseball offseason the way it is? Why don’t things move faster? This week I dig into those questions.
Find CubsPS+ on the Bleacher Bunch Network: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bleacher-bunch-network-a-chicago-cubs-podcast/id1462808218
A week after Shohei Ohtani came off the board, the Cubs still have not made a single major league transaction this offseason. A lot of rumored and potential paths to a successful offseason remain available, but in this episode, I dig into the current roster and what this season could look like if the Cubs do nothing. How many wins could this team win? How might they replace lost production from 2023?
It’s been a wild week of fake reports, erroneous reports made in good faith and a whole lot of rumors as the world waited for Shohei to sign. Now he’s made up his mind and will be staying in LA. I talk about his contract and the what deferred money means in terms of luxury tax hit and then get into the “so what?” Of it all. What does this mean for the Cubs? Where do they pivot next. Let’s dive in.
UPDATE: Jon Becker corrected the calculations he had put out yesterday before I recorded. I have provided the updated link below. Nutshell - deferring $400M of Ohtani’s contract would take LA’s CBT hit to as low as $42-ish million per year, not the $60M per year I cited in the pod.
Excellent Twitter thread about deferred comp in MLB from @jonbecker_ https://x.com/jonbecker_/status/1733855093462630748?s=61&t=1Aka_sJo8QXHplWFFqMVAg
Great read on Collective Bargaining Tax (CBT) optimization (including explanation on deferred money) by @DrummeyDylan at Pitcher List https://t.co/r0wrSwMBoZ
It’s hot stove time, but the fire is just getting started, so it’s still a little chilly in here. Not much is happening yet, outside of a few moves here and there. All of the big guns are still on the board and everyone – pretty much the whole world – is waiting for Shohei Ohtani to make a decision. Do the Cubs have a shot? Could they actually land the biggest free agent in the history of baseball? Nobody knows, but it sure looks like they’re trying. Let’s see what we know about Ohtani and what other players the Cubs may be targeting.
Starting January 1, this podcast will be exclusively posted to the Bleacher Bunch podcast feed and on my Patreon feed. Patreon supporters will always get episodes ad-free.
https://cubspsplus.patreon.com
The Cubs have added a number of young players to the 40-man roster over the last week and today I was joined by friend of the pod, Greg Huss of Northside Bound and the Cubs on Deck podcast. We talked about the guys the Cubs added, a variety of strategies for turning prospect depth into a winning big-league club and then dove into the first year of his BASH metric, which measures offensive production across levels of the minors in a way somewhat similar to wRC+.
Greg Huss can be found across social media at @OutoftheVines and @cubsondeck. His writing can be found at North Side Bound
Jed Hoyer comes in off the top rope to open the offseason with the shocking hire of former Brewers manager Craig Counsell, setting up what could be a really exciting offseason. This week I’m joined by Cody Delmendo from the CHGO Cubs podcast and we discuss the Counsell hire, how he makes the Cubs better and what this all means for the offseason.
There’s a lot to talk about today – I get into the front office moves and rumors and what those might mean for the Cubs going forward. I also talk more about the various Kyle Hendricks rumors and how those might play into the Cubs’ roster construction for 2024. Let’s also talk through some hitting numbers and what the Cubs should target on the trade and free-agent markets.
Let’s talk about pitching - the Cubs had more quality pitching this year than they’ve had in 5+ years and they’re developing pitching better than they have since the early 2000s. How do they build on that in 2024? What do they need to do this offseason?
Today I break down some of the Cubs’ pitching numbers and what was missing. Factoring in who is likely to return gives an idea what the Cubs need to target. The obvious answer is velocity and swing-and-miss stuff in the rotation and certainly more in the bullpen, but let’s dig deep into velocity, K rates, barrels, etc. and look at what the numbers tell us.
The playoffs are in full swing and we’re seeing former Cubs all over the place. The Cubs missed the post-season by 2 games. It was so close and yet so far away. The Cubs are obviously working to get back to the playoffs, but before the offseason team building begins, let’s take a look at this year’s field, the new playoff structure and what it all means going foreward.
With the Cubs missing the playoffs by a hair after fading to the finish, I want to talk about what happened this season to keep them out and talk about the idea of blame. What does blame mean? Who should carry it? What should happen next? There’s a lot to get into, so I’d love for you to join me!
NOTE: It’s a long episode. Worth listening to with opinions from a lot of smart Cubs people. I join for the last hour and get introduced at the 2 hr 20 minute mark….but it’s great from the jump. Kap is always entertaining to open and the rest of the voices are first rate and all worth following on their own.
Join an All-Star Cast of the best brains in the baseball biz!
Featuring!
David Kaplan, Bleacher Nation’s Michael Cerami and Luis Medina, Fly the W’s Crawly, Cuppa Cubbie Blue’s Sara Sanchez, Cubs Insider’s Evan Altman, Swerski’s Alex Patt, CHGO’s Cody Delmendo, Comedians: Joe Kilgallon, Billy Devore, Eric Wielo and Zach Funk, Poet Sandra Marchetti, Cubs PS +’s Mike Waller and Cubs on Deck's Greg Huss. With the Son Ranto Show Crew, Danny Rockett, Michael Cotton and Infield Fly Girl.
After a devastating week with 3 close losses and several blown leads to the Atlanta Braves, the Cubs limp into Milwaukee behind Miami and currently out of a playoff spot. Can the Cubs find a way to get back into playoff position? It’s do-or-die time now. In Episode 54, I talk about missed opportunities and how the Cubs got here.
The Cubs are hanging on to a playoff spot and have a a huge last week with three games in Atlanta followed by three games in Milwaukee. Today, I’m joined by my friend and Braves fan, Lance Rafdal to talk about the Braves and look ahead to the playoffs.
It has not been the best or most enjoyable week of Cubs baseball. The Cubs’ position as the 2nd Wild Card team is gone and the Cubs are barely hanging on to a tie for the 3rd wild card, having lost 9 of their last 12. Can the Cubs hang on and get into the post season? Why are the Cubs struggling?
In this episode I talk about what I see as the problems with the Cubs season, opine on David Ross as manager and on Jed Hoyer & the front office. Can the Cubs do this thing? Let’s find out!
CHGO’s Brendan Miller joined me this week for a great conversation about all things Cubs - Pete Crow Armstrong and his impact on the Cubs up-the-middle defense, as well as the state of Cubs pitching development with all the baseball nerd breakdown you’d expect from Brendan. As he put it, “the car is driving itself at this point” and we’re all just along for the ride as the Cubs sprint to the finish, hoping to lock up their first playoff bid in 3 years.
In this episode, we talk about the debuts of PCA & Luke Little and Brendan breaks down a variety of pitchers, including Justin Steele, Jamison Taillon, Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Cuas, Julian Merryweather, Mark Leiter, Jr., and others.
Brendan (@brendan_cubs) does a weekly Sunday podcast with long-time co-host Corey Freedman (@corey_cubs) as part of the CHGO Cubs podcast.
You can find CHGO’s Cubs content at https://allchgo.com and on Twitter/X @CHGO_Cubs
This week I’m thrilled to be joined by Bryan Smith, who provides prospect coverage for Bleacher Nation. Bryan and I talk about how the Cubs are handling September roster expansion and what to expect from Alexander Canario and Luke Little now that they’re up and have debuted. We also talk about a variety of other prospects like Jordan Wicks, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton, among others. Who else might the Cubs look at this month in a pennant race? Let’s find out.
It’s an off day today, but for a day off, there’s a lot going on. In this episode I talk about the Cubs ongoing surge, all the waiver activity today and the Cubs announced roster expansion for September. We’re going to get to see at least one really exciting young player. Want more? What more could you want than to watch a contending team as we head into September???
The Cubs are in the dog days right now – the bullpen is tired and the starting rotation is going through injuries and struggles, but the team continues to win baseball games. There are some big questions as the Cubs move forward towards September, but they’re moving up in the Wild Card race and staying on the Brewers’ heels in the division. What do the Cubs need to do to stay in the race and get over the hump? Let’s discuss. Are you ready? I’m ready. Here. We. Go.
All we asked for before the season was to play meaningful baseball after the trade deadline, and here the Cubs are. It’s all about the sense of urgency - fans feel it in ways they haven’t in years game by game, David Ross is showing more of it in his lineup decisions and Jed Hoyer is showing more of it in his roster construction.
It’s winning time and this week I talk about that increasing sense of urgency and what it means as the Cubs continue to fight for a spot in the post-season.
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