General Baseball Chit-Chat Thread

[Derwood]

[Stratos]

Not sure why any team would consider Albert Pujols, an 1B/DH, to be a managerial candidate.

[Rcal10]

What is anyone’s take on guys like Bieber and Flaherty accepting the one year option? I find it strange that they did. Especially Bieber. He would have received $4M had he refused the option. So he is playing for $12M this year. To me, it looks like both him and Flaherty feel the next CBA is going to be better for them. Both are betting they can make more money after the lockout. I tend to agree with them. Which is why I have no idea why a team like the Cubs would be concerned spending beyond 2026. I think the players landscape will be better. Why not lock guys up now for what will seem like a deal after the new CBA.
But the other interesting thing about this is, does that mean FA this year will be open to 1 year deals? That could play right into the Cubs hands. If a guy like Cease feels he could do better under a new CBA than he can do now under the uncertainty of what comes after 2026 maybe he would be open to a Bellinger like deal. 3/$105 with opt outs after each year. Maybe Schwarber would consider that as well. That doesn’t even take into account the mid to fringe level guys like Laureano. Andujar, Bader, Hays, etc…..A solid right handed bat sort of guy. 
Maybe a pen arm like Williams also takes 3 year opt outs after each every year, sort of deal. There is a lot of uncertainty, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bad for the Cubs off season. 

[Stratos]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

What is anyone’s take on guys like Bieber and Flaherty accepting the one year option? I find it strange that they did. Especially Bieber. He would have received $4M had he refused the option. So he is playing for $12M this year. To me, it looks like both him and Flaherty feel the next CBA is going to be better for them. Both are betting they can make more money after the lockout. I tend to agree with them. Which is why I have no idea why a team like the Cubs would be concerned spending beyond 2026. I think the players landscape will be better. Why not lock guys up now for what will seem like a deal after the new CBA.
But the other interesting thing about this is, does that mean FA this year will be open to 1 year deals? That could play right into the Cubs hands. If a guy like Cease feels he could do better under a new CBA than he can do now under the uncertainty of what comes after 2026 maybe he would be open to a Bellinger like deal. 3/$105 with opt outs after each year. Maybe Schwarber would consider that as well. That doesn’t even take into account the mid to fringe level guys like Laureano. Andujar, Bader, Hays, etc…..A solid right handed bat sort of guy. 
Maybe a pen arm like Williams also takes 3 year opt outs after each every year, sort of deal. There is a lot of uncertainty, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bad for the Cubs off season. 

Maybe they feel overall spending will be down this offseason because of the looming CBA and potential work stoppage? And they'll try again after the CBA is signed.

Could be a lot if 1 year deals this winter.  It might get weird.

[jersey cubs fan]

On 11/3/2025 at 8:30 PM, Stratos said:

Not sure why any team would consider Albert Pujols, an 1B/DH, to be a managerial candidate.

What does position matter for a manager, outside of maybe pitchers and catchers? 

[Bertz]

The Rockies' situation to this point has been SO BAD that this still probably helps, but lol

[Post Count Padder]

On 11/3/2025 at 6:40 PM, Derwood said:

Honestly think everyone here should be in. Valenzuela, Mattingly, Murphy were among the best at their positions for a decade. Delgado is often overlooked for playing on some bad teams and being a power hitter during the steroid era but he was elite. 

[Jason Ross]

53 minutes ago, Bertz said:

The Rockies' situation to this point has been SO BAD that this still probably helps, but lol

What a weird, weird hiring. Like all around. On one hand the Rockies picked someone who has an analytical background and has run MLB organizations before. On the other hand, the last time he was truly relevant in the baseball world was like two decades ago, and also, he was in a completely different sport prior to this.

It has to be exhausting being a Rockies fan. What the hell?

[JHBulls]

If you’re the Colorado Rockies and you’re going to hire someone from a different sport to run baseball operations, then it makes complete sense that the person is coming from the Rockies NFL equivalent. 

[I owned a Suzuki]

On 11/6/2025 at 3:05 PM, Post Count Padder said:

Honestly think everyone here should be in. Valenzuela, Mattingly, Murphy were among the best at their positions for a decade. Delgado is often overlooked for playing on some bad teams and being a power hitter during the steroid era but he was elite. 

I think Mattingly ultimately just can be lumped in with a bunch of other 1b. I understand the injuries, but longevity is part of it. He was only top 5 in the league in WAR 1 time. Never won a WS, heck did the Yankees ever even win the division when he played? There are more 1B with higher WAR and JAWS not in the Hall, than ones with less that are in. Honestly this would absolutely be him getting in for being a Yankee

[Derwood]

[Hot Sauce]

On 11/3/2025 at 5:40 PM, Derwood said:

Top row is the Hall of Notoriously awful people.

Edited November 14, 2025 by Hot Sauce

[cl smooth]

1 hour ago, Hot Sauce said:

Top row is the Hall of Notoriously awful people.

what's delgado's issue? 

in my mind, jeff kent's baseball career is overshadowed by his stint on survivor and his final words is an all-timer:

 

[Hot Sauce]

38 minutes ago, cl smooth said:

what's delgado's issue? 

in my mind, jeff kent's baseball career is overshadowed by his stint on survivor and his final words is an all-timer:

 

Should have said minus Delgado.

I either never knew Kent was on Survivor or blocked that memory out. Either way, what an unlikable guy.

[Derwood]

[Banedon]

 

[JHBulls]

 

[Jason Ross]

That's some Colorado Rockies level horsefeathers.

[JHBulls]

A CT scan of the brain should be mandatory for any player who willingly goes to the Angels. 

[JHBulls]

From the best run baseball club to the worse. 

Dude just made a career defining move. 

[Neuby]

We might luck out and Tucker takes the Blue jays fat check instead of the Dodgers.  

[Dfan25]

NVM

Edited December 4, 2025 by Dfan25

[javy knows my name]

On 12/3/2025 at 8:44 PM, JHBulls said:

From the best run baseball club to the worse. 

Dude just made a career defining move. 

Did he take a demotion too?

[Dfan25]

Cubs are listed as one of the 3 serious suitors for Ranger Suarez , by Feinsand on mlb.com . Astros and Orioles the other two .  
 

People have sort of write him off because of the strikeouts comments by Hoyer and all the lefties they have , but I wouldn’t rule him out .

Hoyer is more than anything else a value hunter . If he feels Suarez will give him the best value among the top SP , he won’t hesitate IMO , and Imanaga and Boyd are due for FA after the season anyway.

 

Edited December 5, 2025 by Dfan25

[Bertz]

14 hours ago, javy knows my name said:

Did he take a demotion too?

Baseball teams make it tough to say things like this definitively with their ridiculous title inflation, but I believe this is a step up.  Byrnes was as far as I can tell the #3 or #4 guy in LA and is now clearly #2.

I'd also guess he's pretty close to a partner with Depodesta.  I.e. more of a Theo/Jed dynamic than a Jed/Carter one.

Honestly the bar was so low in Colorado I do suspect Depodesta + Byrnes is going to be a major upgrade.