Levine: Cubs eying Adrian Gonzalez

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't need the Cubs to pay 7M a year so we can see if he can become a slightly above average pitcher who doesn't walk people.

[shnsajax]

I hope this is true and I would think the Cubs do have enough to complete the deal without including Jackson and Castro. Archer/Mcnutt, Guyer, Hak Ju Lee/Vitters two low level prospects would probably do it.

I would pull the trigger on anyone in the system not including Jackson/Castro is an extension would be possible. With Aram, Zambrano, Dempster, Fuk coming off payroll within the next 2 years I do not see how the Cubs could not afford a 6 yr 120 mil deal or something in that range. He would then be surrounded by younger inexpensive players like jackson, castro, colvin, dewitt etc....

 

Wait a year for him to be a FA since we will probably not be winning the WS next year and keep every player that you mentioned.

 

Sign Dunn and Wood. If you have to have a SP look for someone like Bedard or Sheets until the kids in the minors are ready.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I hope this is true and I would think the Cubs do have enough to complete the deal without including Jackson and Castro. Archer/Mcnutt, Guyer, Hak Ju Lee/Vitters two low level prospects would probably do it.

I would pull the trigger on anyone in the system not including Jackson/Castro is an extension would be possible. With Aram, Zambrano, Dempster, Fuk coming off payroll within the next 2 years I do not see how the Cubs could not afford a 6 yr 120 mil deal or something in that range. He would then be surrounded by younger inexpensive players like jackson, castro, colvin, dewitt etc....

 

Wait a year for him to be a FA since we will probably not be winning the WS next year and keep every player that you mentioned.

 

Sign Dunn and Wood. If you have to have a SP look for someone like Bedard or Sheets until the kids in the minors are ready.

 

Id trade anyone not named Castro. In fact, Id be more willing to part with jackson, Im assuming you mean Brett than Archer.

[davell]

Are we even sure AGON is going to be ready to start the season? Didn't he have shoulder surgery recently? I want to say that he's supposed to be ready around March, but that's awfully close and a setback could cost him some time.

 

For me, this is the exact reason that San Diego will listen(but not take) any offers on AGON until the deadline.

 

That said, if he could be had for one of Archer/McNutt, Lee, Guyer, and a couple of borderline guys, I'd do it and probably not think twice.

[dew1679666265]

I would. This team isn't going to get better by signing innings eaters. They need to score more runs first and foremost, and the only way they are going to improve the pitching is by getting a real stud, not more guys who are okay.

 

Let me clarify - I'd be ok with signing Westbrook if Rothschild was pretty confident he could turn him into Lilly or close to him. Garland would probably more have the upside of Marquis (even with Rothschild working with him) and I'd be pretty much against adding him.

 

I'd prefer we not add either, but Rothschild is good enough and Westbrook has shown enough stuff when healthy to believe he could become a younger (I think) Lilly. That's better than an innings eater, though it's not a stud either.

 

It's not the best use of funds, but hopefully adding a Westbrook type pitcher would eliminate any desire they have for a reliever (since one of the starters would move to the pen) - which would be a bigger misuse of funds.

[dew1679666265]

I don't need the Cubs to pay 7M a year so we can see if he can become a slightly above average pitcher who doesn't walk people.

 

I don't want them to either, but there are worse ways they can use the money - and if they're dead set on adding pitching, then a Westbrook type and moving a current starter to the pen would be better than spending big on a reliever.

[davell]

Another interesting tidbit to the Levine chat is that evidently the Cubs still don't have an EXACT budget to work with. Probably overthinking this, but anyway......Maybe they aren't sure how much to put on the major league budget versus how much to put in the minor league budget as of yet. This seems fairly plausible to me.

 

But, maybe Hendry is trying to talk them into actually spending on an ace. Could be Lee, maybe trading for Greinke. Then, in a perfect world, you can still go out and get AGON or Fielder next offseason since you'd have Aramis, Silva, Grabow, and Fukudome all coming off the books, equaling around 40 mill. Basically the same it's going to cost us for a combo of bigtime 1st baseman and ace........Like I said, I seriously doubt we even sniff around Lee, but evidently Heyman did bring us up as a surprise suitor anyway.......

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't need the Cubs to pay 7M a year so we can see if he can become a slightly above average pitcher who doesn't walk people.

 

I don't want them to either, but there are worse ways they can use the money - and if they're dead set on adding pitching, then a Westbrook type and moving a current starter to the pen would be better than spending big on a reliever.

 

It'll also convince the dumbass management to move more of our starting pitching prospects to the bullpen.

[soapy]

If Hendry is going to take the position that they can't afford Dunn and then go sign people like Garland/Westbrook and middle relievers, he's even more inept than I thought and that is saying something.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'd all but guarantee that we bring in new players at least equaling Dunn's salary.

[jersey cubs fan]

I would. This team isn't going to get better by signing innings eaters. They need to score more runs first and foremost, and the only way they are going to improve the pitching is by getting a real stud, not more guys who are okay.

 

Let me clarify - I'd be ok with signing Westbrook if Rothschild was pretty confident he could turn him into Lilly or close to him.

 

Why? It's not like Larry has a long track record of turning castoffs into really good pitchers. And I don't care how confident he is.

[SouthSideRyan]

Well it's not like Westbrook or Garland are cast-offs...and that's exactly the problem. They're going to command real live money that we (apparently) can't afford to fill a hole that isn't there.

 

If it was a reclamation project that costs you 800K, sure knock yourself out, but I am dumbfounded as to why we'd use half the offseason budget upgrading the depth on our deepest position.

[UMFan83]

Another interesting tidbit to the Levine chat is that evidently the Cubs still don't have an EXACT budget to work with. Probably overthinking this, but anyway......Maybe they aren't sure how much to put on the major league budget versus how much to put in the minor league budget as of yet. This seems fairly plausible to me.

 

But, maybe Hendry is trying to talk them into actually spending on an ace. Could be Lee, maybe trading for Greinke. Then, in a perfect world, you can still go out and get AGON or Fielder next offseason since you'd have Aramis, Silva, Grabow, and Fukudome all coming off the books, equaling around 40 mill. Basically the same it's going to cost us for a combo of bigtime 1st baseman and ace........Like I said, I seriously doubt we even sniff around Lee, but evidently Heyman did bring us up as a surprise suitor anyway.......

 

Decent point. Even if we sniff around Lee, I don't think it's smart to outbid the Yankees for him, which is exactly what's gonna have to happen.

[dew1679666265]

Why? It's not like Larry has a long track record of turning castoffs into really good pitchers. And I don't care how confident he is.

 

According to xFIP, Westbrook has been better than Lilly over the past few years. Since 2004 Westbrook hasn't had an xFIP over 4.09 and every other one has been below 4.00. He'd be our second best starter immediately unless Z recaptures the 03-05 magic. And Rothschild is an excellent pitching coach who has gotten considerable improvement out of both Dempster and Lilly over the past couple of years and he got a 3.90 xFIP out of Silva last year. If he feels he can work with a pitcher and get improvement out of him, it's worth a look - especially if any improvement from that pitcher means he's the best starter on the staff.

 

Like I said, I'm not in favor of signing a starter and it's not the best usage of our limited cash. But if the options are sign a starter who can be our second best starter or sign a reliever to a 2-3 year deal, I'd prefer the starter.

[dew1679666265]

If Hendry is going to take the position that they can't afford Dunn and then go sign people like Garland/Westbrook and middle relievers, he's even more inept than I thought and that is saying something.

 

My hope is that Hendry feels we need one pitcher, be he in the bullpen or a starter. Hopefully he'll sign Westbrook and then be done with the staff - if he insists that we need another pitcher.

[dew1679666265]

It'll also convince the [expletive] management to move more of our starting pitching prospects to the bullpen.

 

That's definitely a concern. If they sign Westbrook, hopefully they'll go with a rotation of Demp/Westbrook/Wells/Z/prospect-Silva-Gorz and move either Silva or Gorz to the pen. That's my hope, at least.