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Bullpen Options

davell

By davell,
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Bobson Dugnutt ACL Cubs

Bobson Dugnutt

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For a closer, I want elite performance, not good performance. I'd be happy to have him in a middle relief role, just not the highest leverage innings.

 

Oh, I wouldn't at all want him closing, but he's plenty fine as another guy in the mix. Morrow would almost surely get the nod over him at least. And Wilson if he hasn't turned into Rick Ankiel.

Every good bullpen needs a guy who can induce a double play. And, as you wrote, he'd play up with the Cubs elite infield defense behind him.

 

Theo and Jed have gone out and got ground ball inducers before to varying degrees of success. Kintzler's track record is better than all those guys. I agree he'd be a good guy to have come out of the pen. I think the pushback was in the idea that if the Cubs signed him it would mean they'd be out on someone like Davis, Holland or Reed. So long as that's not the case, I don't think anyone wouldn't want to have him.

 

Yep, that’s where I’m at. I’m fine with Kintzler, just not as the second best reliever acquired.

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CubsWin Myrtle Beach Pelicans

CubsWin

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If Kintzler is going to Washington, Colome is going to St. Louis, and Holland still looks most likely to go to the Rockies, how many suitors for Davis are really left? One of the Texas teams? The Twins?

Does anyone really see the Cubs signing both Cobb and Davis (or Lynn and Holland)? I don't. It's an either/or for me. Which means either a trade is likely to fill one of those spots (or both spots) or the Cubs are willing to stand pat with the closer options they currently have because they have to add another (decent at least) starter.

CubsWin Myrtle Beach Pelicans

CubsWin

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There are still lots of options here. I mean it's not inconceivable that the top end of their bullpen is set with Morrow, Strop, Edwards and Wilson. They could still add a FA like Steve Cishek or Seung-Hwan Oh and have Monty, Grimm and Maples fill out the rest, but that's rolling the dice in a fairly serious way in the middle of a championship window.

 

They could trade for Britton, Colome or Hand though that might get pricey. They could visit the South Beach Pawn Shop and pick up a Barraclough (I hear they're delicious). Addison Reed is still unsigned (as of this writing). Reed and say a cheaper reclamation project like Neftali Feliz might not be bad. So still plenty of different ways to go to improve the top end of the pen beyond signing Davis (or Holland).

 

On the starter side, there a several trade options (some better than others). My personal favorites are Gausman and Archer but it won't be cheap. Danny Salazar's name has been mentioned. Duffy has been talked about but I'm not high on that idea. Or the Cubs could look for a one-year stop gap guy like Patrick Corbin. A surplus for surplus deal with the Braves could be worked out. Of course, Alex Cobb is still an option if they don't spend big on someone like Wade Davis (or even if they do, but I doubt it).

 

Something tells me, it's trade for one of a high leverage reliever or good MOR starter and sign the other. Or trade for both, I guess. I just don't like the idea of 4 years of either Davis, Holland or Cobb.

Cubswin11 All-Star

Cubswin11

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I get why, but I hate the idea of trading for the pitching needs (especially the rumored guys that would go). We have money and ability to stay under the LT, spend it on the pitching. Cobb and Davis may be an either or but probably could get both done with staying under the LT. But I even prefer Cobb or Darvish and then someone like Oh (as mentioned) or a lesser RP or Davis and then like Hellickson vs trading any of Happ/Javy/Almora/Russell/Schwarber for one or both of the pitching spots needed yet.
Bryants Disco Ball ACL Cubs

Bryants Disco Ball

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With every decent reliever and some mediocre ones getting an AAV of at least $7 million this offseason, great job by the Cubs signing Strop to that contract that pays him $5.85 mil this season and has an option for $6.25 mil next season.
BigbadB First Round Pick

BigbadB

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Twins sign Rodney. Don’t see where Davis goes and gets big years/money at this point. Morrow’s deal +$15ish more million seems far more likely.

 

There just aren't enough Mariano Rivera/Trevor Hoffman type closers in baseball these days where you can just pencil in 40 saves for the next 4-10 years, so it's not really surprising to me that a guy like Davis and a 4 year deal is still sitting out there at this point. How many current top tier closers were closers 3 years ago? How many will still be closing in 3 years? That's just not something teams seam all that willing to gamble on.

Cubswin11 All-Star

Cubswin11

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Twins sign Rodney. Don’t see where Davis goes and gets big years/money at this point. Morrow’s deal +$15ish more million seems far more likely.

 

There just aren't enough Mariano Rivera/Trevor Hoffman type closers in baseball these days where you can just pencil in 40 saves for the next 4-10 years, so it's not really surprising to me that a guy like Davis and a 4 year deal is still sitting out there at this point. How many current top tier closers were closers 3 years ago? How many will still be closing in 3 years? That's just not something teams seam all that willing to gamble on.

Yeah agree. Notwithstanding Davis probably should go kick Mark Melancon in the nuts next time he sees him.

davell Chicago Cubs

davell

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Travis Wood DFAd by the Padres. Any interest in bringing him back on a cheap deal?

 

I'd explore it. But, only if its at the league minimum. He was awful last year obviously and lost close to 2 MPH off his FB. Is it real or did his pitching coaches horsefeathers him up? My guess is its the former and he may justbbe at the stage where he's not a ML pitcher anymore. But, I'd take a look and find out, I guess.

Transmogrified Tiger All-Star

Transmogrified Tiger

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Travis Wood DFAd by the Padres. Any interest in bringing him back on a cheap deal?

 

I'd explore it. But, only if its at the league minimum. He was awful last year obviously and lost close to 2 MPH off his FB. Is it real or did his pitching coaches horsefeathers him up? My guess is its the former and he may justbbe at the stage where he's not a ML pitcher anymore. But, I'd take a look and find out, I guess.

 

It looks like he's lost about 1 mph from his Cubs days, he was 89-90 as a starter and 91-92 as a reliever, and last year it was more 88s as a starter and 90s as a reliever.

We Got The Whole 9 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

We Got The Whole 9

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horsefeathers, I know that it is pointless to think about this but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we had thrown gobs of money at Jansen last winter. Reportedly he was ready to sign with the Nats until Turner and some of his Dodgers teammates called him and convinced him to go back to L.A.. If we had just gone above and beyond and signed him instead, not only would we have been considerably stronger but the Dodgers would have been a lot weaker and we might have made it back to the WS and also had our closer situation figured out for another handful of years. I just think that when a talent like that is on the open market we should be all over it and we messed that one up. Edited by We Got The Whole 9
  • 4 weeks later...
Cubswin11 All-Star

Cubswin11

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With Reed gone there's really nobody left I'd feel comfortable with committing multiple years and decent AAV to in the relief market. But Oh on a 1 year deal intrigues me a bit as a last bullpen piece. I'd be fine trying him as the nominal closer to start the year if they feel he looks like he's back to his 2016 self or close to it.
Tim MVP

Tim

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After the success that Romo had in Tampa for the second half, I wonder if we could get him here on a cheap, one year deal.
davell Chicago Cubs

davell

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Jed said they like the pen as it is, at the convention. I doubt they're in the market for anything more than NRI guys at this stage.
Cubswin11 All-Star

Cubswin11

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Jed said they like the pen as it is, at the convention. I doubt they're in the market for anything more than NRI guys at this stage.

I’m fine with that, go try and find a Duensing as NRI and be done with it

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