Maddon's response to PECOTA's last place projection for Cubs |
Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA just handed the Cubs season long locker room material.
The Cubs were projected to go 80-82 by the respected website and finish alone in fifth place in the National League Central division. Cubs manager Joe Maddon was asked about the prediction that his team could be a last-place squad. “Who knows why or how they arrive at that stuff? It really means nothing," Maddon said via The Athletic's Patrick Mooney. "You got to go out and play the game. You got to compete. I have zero interest in (that)." This is Maddon's last year of his contract with the Cubs and he certainly doesn't want to go out in last place. It will more than likely not happen as the team is highly driven and the manager is also motivated in his 'free agency' year. Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber was also asked about the last-place projection. "Wow that's cool," Kyle Schwarber said about the projection via NBC Sports Chicago. "I guess they want to be different, right? They want to get some publicity, I guess. I think we all know what we have in this clubhouse, but baseball's baseball. It *might* happen, but I'm betting on it won't happen. "I don't think we'll [finish last] so next question."
