The 2018-2019 Cubs Offseason Rumors & Discussion Thread AKA The Rickettssss take a dump on EVERYTHING

[DonnieD]

Another trump tax cut will give the Ricketts mucho dollars.

 

Is that the “middle class tax cut” I keep hearing about that should be finalized by Monday?

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

IF the Indians are selling SPs please make Trevor Bauer a Cub

He's a tumbling, tumbling [expletive]. Hard pass.

[Cubswin11]

Cubs Prospect guy broke the guy(s) involved in the Murphy trade and maybe even the trade itself, he seems to be at least a little connected and says he hears 246 is OK to go to. If that’s the case I’d assume 260-65 is in play since if we’re fine going over, you go over 246 a decent amount and not like $2 mil over.

 

Using TT’s numbers (currently at 221.7) if we trade off Kintzler and Duensing for PTBNL and non-tender Russell we get down to 208.9. That leaves ~$55 million to add Bryce, backup C/SS and a bullpen arm(s). That’s plenty of money to work with to do all that without having to do other money clearing trades and if we did other trades it would be because we wanted to and not have too.

 

[Bull]

 

 

NEVER SETTLE FOR THESE DONGLESS SCUMBAGS.

 

Your home runs uber alles campaign is going to some strange places. Wherever will an offense with Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, Schwarber, and Contreras find power?

 

They were 11th in the NL in home runs last year with all those boys on the roster.

 

But remove the Chili powder (the opposite of pixie dust) and the whole thing is much more dongerific, right?

[Backtobanks]

Saw a blog from a NY writer on what the Yankees ought to do this offseason. He suggested a trade of Stanton for Darvish and I wondered if that could be expanded to Stanton + Gray + $$$$ for Darvish + Chatwood. Obviously the amount of money involved (and in what years) would be the sticking point. Figuring Gray gets $10 million in arbitration, we would be spending an extra 3.5 million in 2019. The problem with future finances arises on what happens to Gray in 2020 (extension?) and Chatwood after 2020. It's not Harper, but it would satisfy the power-crazed among us.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Saw a blog from a NY writer on what the Yankees ought to do this offseason. He suggested a trade of Stanton for Darvish and I wondered if that could be expanded to Stanton + Gray + $$$$ for Darvish + Chatwood. Obviously the amount of money involved (and in what years) would be the sticking point. Figuring Gray gets $10 million in arbitration, we would be spending an extra 3.5 million in 2019. The problem with future finances arises on what happens to Gray in 2020 (extension?) and Chatwood after 2020. It's not Harper, but it would satisfy the power-crazed among us.

 

I can’t imagine the Yankees are actually interested in trading Stanton, despite what vocal segments of the NY sports media and their fanbase say.

[Tim]

Assuming we've got a "no" on Harper, how about this...

 

1) Happ for Jon Gray

2) Chatwood for Cozart

3) Russell for Hector Neris+ (or better if you can get it)

4) Sell off Kintzler & Duensing

5) Sign Donaldson

6) Sign Rene Rivera (or some version of Rene Rivera)

7) Sign De La Rosa to cheap 1 yr deal

8) Sign Chavez to cheap 1 yr deal (he was at 1/1 last year)

 

That gives us a lineup of:

 

2B) Zobrist

RF) Bryant

1B) Rizzo

3B) Donaldson

LF) Schwarber

SS) Baez

C) Contreras

CF) Heyward

 

With a bench of: Rivera, Cozart, Almora & La Stella

 

Starters are:

 

Lester

Darvish

Hendricks

Quintana

Hamels

Gray

 

If nobody is hurt, then either play DL games; turn Gray into the multi-inning reliever; or piggyback Gray and Quintana

 

Pen is:

 

Morrow

Strop

Cishek

Neris (hope his 2018 second half is his new normal - 41.6 K%, 5.9 BB%, 2.71 FIP, 2.13 xFIP)

Chavez

Edwards

Monty

De La Rosa

+ shuttle guys

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Assuming we've got a "no" on Harper, how about this...

 

1) Happ for Jon Gray

2) Chatwood for Cozart

3) Russell for Hector Neris+ (or better if you can get it)

4) Sell off Kintzler & Duensing

5) Sign Donaldson

6) Sign Rene Rivera (or some version of Rene Rivera)

7) Sign De La Rosa to cheap 1 yr deal

8) Sign Chavez to cheap 1 yr deal (he was at 1/1 last year)

 

That gives us a lineup of:

 

2B) Zobrist

RF) Bryant

1B) Rizzo

3B) Donaldson

LF) Schwarber

SS) Baez

C) Contreras

CF) Heyward

 

With a bench of: Rivera, Cozart, Almora & La Stella

 

Starters are:

 

Lester

Darvish

Hendricks

Quintana

Hamels

Gray

 

If nobody is hurt, then either play DL games; turn Gray into the multi-inning reliever; or piggyback Gray and Quintana

 

Pen is:

 

Morrow

Strop

Cishek

Neris (hope his 2018 second half is his new normal - 41.6 K%, 5.9 BB%, 2.71 FIP, 2.13 xFIP)

Chavez

Edwards

Monty

De La Rosa

+ shuttle guys

In this scenario do we not resign Seal Boy but he just kinda hangs out around the ballpark and makes the team that way?

[Tim]

He's under control through 2020, so they just tender him a contract. Am I missing something? I didn't bother saying that they have to tender Bryant, either.

[Tim]

btw - my interest in Donaldson is if some of the contract estimates I've seen out there around 3/60 are accurate.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

He's under control through 2020, so they just tender him a contract. Am I missing something? I didn't bother saying that they have to tender Bryant, either.

My bad. I thought the 1 year contract was a free agent contract. Lame. (I think there is a chance they non-tender him, tho...unlike Bryant)

[Named After Maddux]

On the Gray multi inning thing - are they still viewing him as a SP for 2020+? They should! I am not against the idea of regrouping in the pen, that’s a quality way to break in a potential long term SP

 

I think there’s a lot of value in bringing in Jon Gray if you can this offseason. Every team is going to need extra SP and his team control/stuff is a good combination. It was posted earlier, but if Eric L from Fangraphs is right that Happ is too much for Jon Gray, maybe David Bote actually makes sense for both teams. COL is likely losing LeMahieu and launch angle will certainly play in Denver. It’s not too cost prohibitive for the Cubs’ side provided that they do bring in someone who can play 2b/SS

Completely separate, but I’ve been hoping Happ to PIT for Vazquez will be an option.

[KingCubsFan]

Completely separate, but I’ve been hoping Happ to PIT for Vazquez will be an option.

I'd be a big fan of that.

[Southpaw19]

It's just been reported that Seattle is prime for a sell-off this offseason, but they have to be wowed with their returns. I'm not sure we have the pieces, but I think they should be interested in Edwin Diaz.

[imb]

No no no no to Donaldson. I bet he doesn’t even play 300 games the next three seasons.

[Sammy Sofa]

No no no no to Donaldson. I bet he doesn’t even play 300 games the next three seasons.

 

Disagree. With as much time off as he's gonna have, he's gonna set the record for Diamond Dynasty.

[Cubswin11]

It's just been reported that Seattle is prime for a sell-off this offseason, but they have to be wowed with their returns. I'm not sure we have the pieces, but I think they should be interested in Edwin Diaz.

Oh hell yes on Diaz if they are rebuilding. They have quite a few guys I’d be interested in if they’re selling off. Diaz, Paxton, Segura, Pazos, Zunino and Colome would all interest me to varying degrees.

[Bertz]

Seattle's a very good Tyler Chatwood destination. They have the money that they'd probably be cool eating his contract for prospects. Or if we preferred more of a bad contract swap, Dee Gordon's making basically exactly the same salary and is a really interesting option if the scouts liked how he looked at SS last year.

[champaignchris]

Astros a decent salary dump trade partner?

 

They just lost McCullers to TJS. Verlander and Cole are their only other returning starting pitchers and they’re both FA’s after 2019. They’ve got a few promising rookies and can move Peacock back from the pen, but that’s not a particularly impressive starting pitching staff for a team with World Series ambitions over the next few years.

 

Package Quintana with a bad contract (or two)? Or maybe just Chatwood or Darvish straight up?

 

ETA - while Heyward is pricey, he’s arguably an upgrade over their outfielders other than Springer.

[jersey cubs fan]

Package Quintana with a bad contract (or two)? Or maybe just Chatwood or Darvish straight up?

no thank you

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Astros a decent salary dump trade partner?

Package Quintana with a bad contract (or two)? Or maybe just Chatwood or Darvish straight up?

 

ETA - while Heyward is pricey, he’s arguably an upgrade over their outfielders other than Springer.

 

Am I understanding this right that you are hopeful we could just trade them Chatwood, Darvish or perhaps Heyward to them for nothing? Despite the reasons you gave why they would, why in the world they take on any of those contracts for those players?

[Bull]

Astros a decent salary dump trade partner?

Package Quintana with a bad contract (or two)? Or maybe just Chatwood or Darvish straight up?

 

ETA - while Heyward is pricey, he’s arguably an upgrade over their outfielders other than Springer.

 

Am I understanding this right that you are hopeful we could just trade them Chatwood, Darvish or perhaps Heyward to them for nothing? Despite the reasons you gave why they would, why in the world they take on any of those contracts for those players?

Because cubs eat half of contract, Astros dip the guys throwing hand in their patented molasses and horse bone mixture and Boom! Cheap cy young.

[champaignchris]

I’m just suggesting asset that Astros want (starting pitcher or outfielder) + big contract that somewhat fits into Astros’ roster (starting pitcher or outfielder) in return for something with a smaller contract than what the Cubs traded.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Astros a decent salary dump trade partner?

Package Quintana with a bad contract (or two)? Or maybe just Chatwood or Darvish straight up?

 

ETA - while Heyward is pricey, he’s arguably an upgrade over their outfielders other than Springer.

 

Am I understanding this right that you are hopeful we could just trade them Chatwood, Darvish or perhaps Heyward to them for nothing? Despite the reasons you gave why they would, why in the world they take on any of those contracts for those players?

Because cubs eat half of contract, Astros dip the guys throwing hand in their patented molasses and horse bone mixture and Boom! Cheap cy young.

 

Oh, I thought he was talking about eating the whole contract.

[Cubswin11]

What a depressing couple of articles

 

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