The way too early, but I'm bored, Off-season Options Thread

[Cubswin11]

I say sign Harper and Jed Lowrie and spend the rest on good relievers. Bring back Jesse Chavez and Cole Hamels.

 

Send these players away in trades:

 

• Heyward
  Morrow
  Almora
  Caratini
  Duensing
  Chatwood
  Russell
  Kintzler (if he picks up his option)
  

 

I think Morrow has good value if fully healthy (will have to take a physical to determine that). I don't care how you get rid of those guys: salary dump, bad contract swap, include an okay prospect or two, etc. I don't mind non-tendering Russell if no team is interested in him. horsefeathers him and cut him loose if that's the case.

I can’t see them making that many trades. And some of those guys like Heyward and Morrow it’s not even worth it. Better off holding on to Morrow and hoping the health is better and he’s used better than whatever we’d get back and Heyward would take something really good to attach or a ton of money paid and I just don’t see that being really worth it. The rest I’m fine with moving and maybe Caratini is enough to attach to Duensing for someone to take the money. Hopefully Kintzler opts out and Chatwood has to be unmovable. Russell is def gone in some way.

[Old Style]

I say sign Harper and Jed Lowrie and spend the rest on good relievers. Bring back Jesse Chavez and Cole Hamels.

 

Send these players away in trades:

 

• Heyward
  Morrow
  Almora
  Caratini
  Duensing
  Chatwood
  Russell
  Kintzler (if he picks up his option)
  

 

I think Morrow has good value if fully healthy (will have to take a physical to determine that). I don't care how you get rid of those guys: salary dump, bad contract swap, include an okay prospect or two, etc. I don't mind non-tendering Russell if no team is interested in him. horsefeathers him and cut him loose if that's the case.

who plays cf?

Gore

[Sammy Sofa]

[Backtobanks]

I say sign Harper and Jed Lowrie and spend the rest on good relievers. Bring back Jesse Chavez and Cole Hamels.

 

Send these players away in trades:

 

• Heyward
  Morrow
  Almora
  Caratini
  Duensing
  Chatwood
  Russell
  Kintzler (if he picks up his option)
  

 

I think Morrow has good value if fully healthy (will have to take a physical to determine that). I don't care how you get rid of those guys: salary dump, bad contract swap, include an okay prospect or two, etc. I don't mind non-tendering Russell if no team is interested in him. horsefeathers him and cut him loose if that's the case.

who plays cf?

Gore

 

You need Gore for RH power off the bench. :-"

[Backtobanks]

 

 

We need a guy who can put the bat on the ball in clutch situations (to move runners over, to hit a sacrifice fly, etc.). I'm tired of watching batter after batter swing for the fences and then strike out with men in scoring position. We have too many all-or-nothing hitters.

I'm tired of this constant complaint at the end of every Cubs season. A certain segment of the audience always claims the thing the Cubs need is fewer all or nothing hitters and more contact guys.

 

Does this player even exist anymore? Players are striking out at record levels.

 

And the Cubs had Zobrist, Murphy, Rizzo, and Heyward who put the ball in play. Almora not too bad either. That's plenty of non-all or nothing hitters.

 

 

Unfortunately Schwarber,Baez, Contreras, Happ, etc. were the guys who came up in those situations.

[javy knows my name]

I'm tired of this constant complaint at the end of every Cubs season. A certain segment of the audience always claims the thing the Cubs need is fewer all or nothing hitters and more contact guys.

 

Does this player even exist anymore? Players are striking out at record levels.

 

And the Cubs had Zobrist, Murphy, Rizzo, and Heyward who put the ball in play. Almora not too bad either. That's plenty of non-all or nothing hitters.

 

 

Unfortunately Schwarber,Baez, Contreras, Happ, etc. were the guys who came up in those situations.

 

Jesus Christ

[Tim]

I'm tired of this constant complaint at the end of every Cubs season. A certain segment of the audience always claims the thing the Cubs need is fewer all or nothing hitters and more contact guys.

 

Does this player even exist anymore? Players are striking out at record levels.

 

And the Cubs had Zobrist, Murphy, Rizzo, and Heyward who put the ball in play. Almora not too bad either. That's plenty of non-all or nothing hitters.

 

 

Unfortunately Schwarber,Baez, Contreras, Happ, etc. were the guys who came up in those situations.

So you're picking on Javy here?

 

The guy who led the NL in RBI?

 

The guy who had a .860 OPS with runners in scoring position?

 

Odd choice.

[JennieGarthAlgar]

Javy Baez had a very good all or nothing year but that doesnt change the fact that he's still an all or nothing player, and we want less of those, obviously.

[Tim]

Javy Baez had a very good all or nothing year but that doesnt change the fact that he's still an all or nothing player, and we want less of those, obviously.

Define All or nothing. I don't think it means what you think it means.

[squally1313]

Javy Baez had a very good all or nothing year but that doesnt change the fact that he's still an all or nothing player, and we want less of those, obviously.

 

The 'obviously' at the end horsefeathering kills me.

[Sammy Sofa]

It's arguably pointless to get into these kinds of debates in regards to Baez because he's a Baseball Freak who somehow bent the game to his will this season. He arguably is....just whatever the hell he is, and it seems like a complete shot in the dark to argue that .860 RISP Baez is now the real deal, or .725 career RISP Baez is the real deal.

[Old Style]

Javy Baez had a very good all or nothing year but that doesnt change the fact that he's still an all or nothing player, and we want less of those, obviously.

We want LESS players like Javy?

 

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

The idea that there are desirable good players and undesirable good players is a concept I refuse to entertain.

[Sammy Sofa]

The idea that any team could even have more than one Javier Baez in the first place is raw, savage insanity.

[Backtobanks]

 

Does this player even exist anymore? Players are striking out at record levels.

 

And the Cubs had Zobrist, Murphy, Rizzo, and Heyward who put the ball in play. Almora not too bad either. That's plenty of non-all or nothing hitters.

 

 

Unfortunately Schwarber,Baez, Contreras, Happ, etc. were the guys who came up in those situations.

So you're picking on Javy here?

 

The guy who led the NL in RBI?

 

The guy who had a .860 OPS with runners in scoring position?

 

Odd choice.

 

 

Baez had a great year, but I'm not sure he's the perfect person to make contact and hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

 

 

Unfortunately Schwarber,Baez, Contreras, Happ, etc. were the guys who came up in those situations.

So you're picking on Javy here?

 

The guy who led the NL in RBI?

 

The guy who had a .860 OPS with runners in scoring position?

 

Odd choice.

 

 

Baez had a great year, but I'm not sure he's the perfect person to make contact and hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run.

Raking a double to drive in a run is much, much better than a sac fly for a run. You see, then not only do you not make an out, but you are in position to score if one of your teammates gets a hit later in that inning. If Baez can advance to third, then HE can score on a sac fly! Half of the trick getting sac fly RBIs is getting someone on third with less than two outs in the first place. Baez was able to do things like this often enough that he drove in more runs than anyone else in the National League. Why is this even a conversation? I thought this was the board that wanted Adam Dunn to field every position on the field because he hit dongs and drew walks? We won the World Series just two years ago by crushing dongs and drawing walks (and playing defense a little bit better than Adam Dunn.) What has happened here?!

[bbvideo=560,315]

[/bbvideo]

[KrisBryantisaBeast]

Here's what I would do.

Sign Harper

Bring back Chavez and Hamels

Sign Jordy Mercer

Trade Ian Happ + spare parts for a dominate relief pitcher.

Trade Russell for a young reliever with options or a solid relief prospect.

Try to get salary relief for these guys if unsuccessful then cut them. Duensing/Kintzler/Chatwood.

[Sammy Sofa]

So you're picking on Javy here?

 

The guy who led the NL in RBI?

 

The guy who had a .860 OPS with runners in scoring position?

 

Odd choice.

 

 

Baez had a great year, but I'm not sure he's the perfect person to make contact and hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run.

Raking a double to drive in a run is much, much better than a sac fly for a run. You see, then not only do you not make an out, but you are in position to score if one of your teammates gets a hit later in that inning. If Baez can advance to third, then HE can score on a sac fly! Half of the trick getting sac fly RBIs is getting someone on third with less than two outs in the first place. Baez was able to do things like this often enough that he drove in more runs than anyone else in the National League. Why is this even a conversation? I thought this was the board that wanted Adam Dunn to field every position on the field because he hit dongs and drew walks? We won the World Series just two years ago by crushing dongs and drawing walks (and playing defense a little bit better than Adam Dunn.) What has happened here?!

[bbvideo=560,315]

[/bbvideo]

 

You're both firing ridiculous haymakers around how the Cubs do genuinely and bizarrely suck, for years now, at something as basic as getting a gun in from 3B via something like a sac fly.

 

That's not to say it's a skill they should seek someone out for, because that's ridiculously crazy. But they are bizarrely bad at it (and were only just OK at it in 2016).

[JennieGarthAlgar]

Javy Baez had a very good all or nothing year but that doesnt change the fact that he's still an all or nothing player, and we want less of those, obviously.

Define All or nothing. I don't think it means what you think it means.

 

 

The 'obviously' at the end horsefeathering kills me.

 

We want LESS players like Javy?

 

 

Guess I should have used the green font :banghead:

[Ding Dong Johnson]

 

Does this player even exist anymore? Players are striking out at record levels.

 

And the Cubs had Zobrist, Murphy, Rizzo, and Heyward who put the ball in play. Almora not too bad either. That's plenty of non-all or nothing hitters.

 

 

Unfortunately Schwarber,Baez, Contreras, Happ, etc. were the guys who came up in those situations.

 

Jesus Christ

even he he was 0-5 with RISP

[Old Style]

 

 

Unfortunately Schwarber,Baez, Contreras, Happ, etc. were the guys who came up in those situations.

 

Jesus Christ

even he he was 0-5 with RISP

That's because he can't hit a curveball.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

 

Jesus Christ

even he he was 0-5 with RISP

That's because he can't hit a curveball.

[Gilby]

Non-tender Russell

Trade Duensing and Kintzler (and maybe prospects) for as much salary relief as possible

Trade Almora and Chatwood (maybe a prospect as well) to the Rockies for as much salary relief as possible

 

Sign Harper 10/340

Re-sign Hamels 2/30

Re-sign Chavez 2/10

Sign Hechavarria 1/2.5

 

That leaves an OD roster of

 

Zobrist

Harper

Bryant

Rizzo

Baez

Schwarber

Heyward

Contreras

 

Caratini

Hechavarria

La Stella

Happ

(Bote chillin' in AAA)

 

Lester

Hendricks

Hamels

Quintana

Darvish

 

Montgomery

Smyly

Rosario

Morrow

Strop

Cishek

Edwards

Chavez

 

There will likely be more new faces than that, specifically in the bullpen and backup catcher if there's enough money left, but that's my rough draft. I still don't think this FO and another team will agree on Schwarber's value, and Happ's value for us is still significant if Russell departs. I'll be surprised if either gets traded.

[davell]

As an FYI, I listened to a podcast with Ben Finfer, that had Sharma, Mooney, and Greenberg on it......

 

A few highlights.....

 

Feel even more confident in Hamels being back, than Joe. They also all feel we'll make the Rangers pay the 6 mill buyout. Expect him to sign a multi year deal.

 

Expect Almora back. Expect Happ back, because the Cubs think more highly of him than other teams do. Expect Schwarber to be dealt. Said they came really close to dealing him last offseason.

 

Needs are a back end of the pen option, a middle infielder, and a big middle of the order bat. With a backup C being possible too.

 

In non roster news, they questioned if Rizzo is too laid back to be the leader. Mentioned Javy and Strop as guys that are really starting to speak up more.

 

Almora and Schwarber took the WC Game loss particularly hard, a few guys were acting like nothing had happened.

[Bertz]

I wonder if $40m over the cap is not as much of a red line as we expected, or if they're just particularly confident that they can dump any salary they need to. Otherwise I'm not sure how keeping Hamels works. They're already right around the LT threshold here as the offseason begins.

 

If they're no longer married to Schwarber, he makes the most sense to go in the event they get Bryce. It's a clean 1 for 1 swap on the roster, whereas when dealing a Happ or someone you worry more about that loss of positional flexibility.