Morning Mound Visit: sabermetrics news - 11/8/19

FanGraphs | Craig Edwards: The Cubs have said they plan to make big moves without spending much money, which is an odd statement considering they are the most profitable team since 2016 (wonder why) and they have basically two years before losing most of their core. They have a chance to cement themselves in the Central for at least 2020/21, and they need to seize it.

Baseball Prospectus | Rob Arthur ($): Teams are charging more for tickets over the last five years, higher than increases in the previous five, and it’s because of tanking, for one, and two because teams are willing to have a smaller base of high-paying fans... not to mention teams like the Yankees, Cubs, and Red Sox that draw despite the higher prices.

Bill James Online | Lindsay Zack: Max Scherzer is probably a Hall of Famer, so it’s funny to think that Stephen Strasburg, new free agent, basically has identical career statistics in terms of rate stats. There are big differences, of course; Scherzer never had Tommy John, and he has been elite for a bit longer than Strasburg has been, though that could change.