Random Offseason Musings and Rumors

[Post Count Padder]

Phillies get Howie Kendrick for Darin Ruf (a prospect Sandberg ruined) and Darnell Sweeney (a guy the Dodgers traded for Utley).

 

He's slated to continue playing the outfield though the Phillies are rumored to be entertaining offers for Cesar Hernandez.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I don't think Sandberg ruined him as much as father time did. dude is just plain old

[wvcbxl]

Isn't Lourdes a girls name?

 

It's a place of pilgimage in France; the Blue Jays may be on to something.

[David]

Isn't Lourdes a girls name?

 

yes

[Post Count Padder]

Mariners get Danny Valencia from the A's for former Cubs prospect Paul Blackburn.

[Tedward]

Today is QO deadline day. Ten players have been offered QO's and they have until 5pm to accept or decline the $17.2MM offer. Has anyone seen official word yet that Fowler has declined? I've only seen Heyman's report from last week that he intended to do so...

[Post Count Padder]

Today is QO deadline day. Ten players have been offered QO's and they have until 5pm to accept or decline the $17.2MM offer. Has anyone seen official word yet that Fowler has declined? I've only seen Heyman's report from last week that he intended to do so...

Heyman is reporting again that he will decline it.

 

Apparently Hellickson and Walker are still on the fence about accepting/declining.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Hellickson accepted the QO.

[Post Count Padder]

Aaaand Hellickson accepting the QO. I....don't get that. Weak market, he was definitely getting a 3-4 year deal from someone.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Aaaand Hellickson accepting the QO. I....don't get that. Weak market, he was definitely getting a 3-4 year deal from someone.

 

We have to give Boras credit for being pretty smart, at least most of the time. If he spent the past week surveying things and gave Hellickson a recommendation that he should accept, they must have gotten a pretty strong feeling the offers weren't going to be great.

[David]

Hellickson accepting the QO

 

[jersey cubs fan]

Not sure what this means

 

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/798248462722576384[/tweet]

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Hellickson is still young enough that postponing FA by a year or so won't change much, so if you think last year wasn't a huge aberration(and after you consider AL to NL movement it's not all that out of line with his career), then taking the QO is the right move. If he backs it up this year he'll get a better deal at 31 than he would this year at 30, and the 17 million up front is a nice buffer even if he doesn't.

[Post Count Padder]

Not sure what this means

 

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/798248462722576384[/tweet]

I take as the Phillies didn't want him to accept and wanted to get the pick, but they can afford him and have a spot in their rotation for him.

 

I'm sure they aren't thrilled, given they kept him at the deadline to get the draft pick this offseason, but it sets them up to trade him at the deadline if he's still good/healthy.

[davell]

 

I'm not sure what we could get, but because the asking prices are sooooo high on others, I hope this is explored. We would need to find a SP, even with Monty joining the rotation. But Jake isn't likely going to be a Cub after 2017 and we're a playoff team without him.

[mul21]

Hellickson is still young enough that postponing FA by a year or so won't change much, so if you think last year wasn't a huge aberration(and after you consider AL to NL movement it's not all that out of line with his career), then taking the QO is the right move. If he backs it up this year he'll get a better deal at 31 than he would this year at 30, and the 17 million up front is a nice buffer even if he doesn't.

 

That plus the fact that the QO with the signing team losing a pick tied to it sounds like it's going away makes the likelihood of him cashing in with a better deal for himself next even better, as you said, assuming the performance is there again next year.

[soccer10k]

Hellickson is still young enough that postponing FA by a year or so won't change much, so if you think last year wasn't a huge aberration(and after you consider AL to NL movement it's not all that out of line with his career), then taking the QO is the right move. If he backs it up this year he'll get a better deal at 31 than he would this year at 30, and the 17 million up front is a nice buffer even if he doesn't.

 

He's probably hoping that if he has a repeat year, the Phillies will deal him at the deadline so there's no QO next year.

[jersey cubs fan]

Hellickson is still young enough that postponing FA by a year or so won't change much, so if you think last year wasn't a huge aberration(and after you consider AL to NL movement it's not all that out of line with his career), then taking the QO is the right move. If he backs it up this year he'll get a better deal at 31 than he would this year at 30, and the 17 million up front is a nice buffer even if he doesn't.

 

He's probably hoping that if he has a repeat year, the Phillies will deal him at the deadline so there's no QO next year.

QO system won't be a part of next CBA.

[cubsclapp]

 

I'm not sure what we could get, but because the asking prices are sooooo high on others, I hope this is explored. We would need to find a SP, even with Monty joining the rotation. But Jake isn't likely going to be a Cub after 2017 and we're a playoff team without him.

 

The value in his chances to help them win the 2017 World Series, along with the draft pick they'll get (so they would still come out of this with a good prospect), likely outweighs what they'd get back in a trade for one year of him.

 

Also, I'd think any team would be skeptical about the chances Jake returns to pre-2nd half form if Theo is willing to give the guy up for what won't be a system-changing haul. And without Bosio, which is very notable given how massively important and unique Jake's mechanics are.

 

And the Cubs would then have two rotation slots open -- we don't know if Montgomery has one of them yet and the Cubs may (ideally) prefer him as a dominant reliever -- with a crappy trade market to work with.

 

I'm sure Theo would only do it if he had something else lined up, of course. But it just seems like way too many obstacles for this to realistically happen. Should they listen to all offers and make Jake "available"? Absolutely. But much more on the listening side than the actively shopping side.

[biittner77]

I think the way to trade Arrieta would be to package him with Soler and others as part of a blockbuster deal with a team that sits in limbo between maybe being able to compete if things break the right way or maybe needing a short term rebuild. That team- I don't have anybody particular in mind- would then have the option of trading him at the deadline to get max value or keep him for a playoff run and then get the comp pick (if that's still a thing next year). This is the kind of move that would generate a lot of excitement within a fan base as it looks like a win now move without a really huge risk long term.

[jehr]

I think the way to trade Arrieta would be to package him with Soler and others as part of a blockbuster deal with a team that sits in limbo between maybe being able to compete if things break the right way or maybe needing a short term rebuild. That team- I don't have anybody particular in mind- would then have the option of trading him at the deadline to get max value or keep him for a playoff run and then get the comp pick (if that's still a thing next year). This is the kind of move that would generate a lot of excitement within a fan base as it looks like a win now move without a really huge risk long term.

I don't know about any "limbo" scenario. I think he's traded in the offseason, or not at all. If anyone trades for him as a rental at the deadline, then they're in the race, and we might be facing him in the offseason...so dealing him at the deadline when we're trying to win it all again is counter-intuitive. If someone like the Braves wants to pretend like they have an outside chance of making the wild card this year (like AZ last year or SD the year before), then sure, deal him in the offseason. You don't tend to have people willing to trade away anything legit after pipe dreams at the end of June.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think the way to trade Arrieta would be to package him with Soler and others as part of a blockbuster deal with a team that sits in limbo between maybe being able to compete if things break the right way or maybe needing a short term rebuild. That team- I don't have anybody particular in mind- would then have the option of trading him at the deadline to get max value or keep him for a playoff run and then get the comp pick (if that's still a thing next year). This is the kind of move that would generate a lot of excitement within a fan base as it looks like a win now move without a really huge risk long term.

I don't know about any "limbo" scenario. I think he's traded in the offseason, or not at all. If anyone trades for him as a rental at the deadline, then they're in the race, and we might be facing him in the offseason...so dealing him at the deadline when we're trying to win it all again is counter-intuitive. If someone like the Braves wants to pretend like they have an outside chance of making the wild card this year (like AZ last year or SD the year before), then sure, deal him in the offseason. You don't tend to have people willing to trade away anything legit after pipe dreams at the end of June.

 

He's referring to the other team having the option of keeping Arrieta all year or trading him at the deadline, not the Cubs.

 

The Cubs would only trade him midseason if they are looking to be out the race.

[Cubswin11]

The Mets should trade for Joey Votto. IIRC they hit the third most HRs in baseball last year but were in the 20s for OBP.

Nah dude, don't you read Mets Refugees. All they need is to resign Cespedes and get all their pitchers back (who for sure are staying healthy this time because reasons) and they are gonna own us.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Mets should trade for Joey Votto. IIRC they hit the third most HRs in baseball last year but were in the 20s for OBP.

Nah dude, don't you read Mets Refugees. All they need is to resign Cespedes and get all their pitchers back (who for sure are staying healthy this time because reasons) and they are gonna own us.

 

Text from Mets fan before game 7:

"Good luck. Would rather see the Cubs win. You have 1 shot before the Mets pitchers all come back healthy!!!"

 

Me:

"Pitchers don't come back healthy"

 

Him:

"The Mets are never healthy..."

[Post Count Padder]

I enjoy the idea of the Mets emptying the farm system for that contract. I also believe the Reds never deserved a player like Votto, when the manager and GM have said things like he should walk less.