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

[ConstableRabbit]

How hard is it going to be to trade a guy who's suspended for 40 games and is pretty much a defense-only player?

Probably hard. But if the wild card game counts (I assume it does) he’s missing 28 games next season, not 40. Would be eligible to come back in the beginning of May.

[Cubswin11]

How hard is it going to be to trade a guy who's suspended for 40 games and is pretty much a defense-only player?

Probably hard. But if the wild card game counts (I assume it does) he’s missing 28 games next season, not 40. Would be eligible to come back in the beginning of May.

Just non tender him

[Sammys Boombox]

On the record as no for Harper.

Like you don’t want him or don’t think we get him?

Don’t want him because I’m a big fraidy cat who thinks every big contract we sign is going to hamstring us when their shoulder or wrist or knee gives out.

[squally1313]

This doesn't really factor much into our plans per se, outside of luxury tax implications, but it just occurred to me that KB's arbitration number is going to be pretty interesting based on his performance this year. Has anyone ever gone down in salary from A1 to A2?

[Cubswin11]

This doesn't really factor much into our plans per se, outside of luxury tax implications, but it just occurred to me that KB's arbitration number is going to be pretty interesting based on his performance this year. Has anyone ever gone down in salary from A1 to A2?

I think it would be pretty rare for that to happen (maybe not even allowed?). I bet they give KB a healthy bump and treat him right like they always have in ARB before.

[Cubswin11]

On the record as no for Harper.

Like you don’t want him or don’t think we get him?

Don’t want him because I’m a big fraidy cat who thinks every big contract we sign is going to hamstring us when their shoulder or wrist or knee gives out.

Think that’s a risk you gotta take on a guy like Harper.

[Bertz]

This doesn't really factor much into our plans per se, outside of luxury tax implications, but it just occurred to me that KB's arbitration number is going to be pretty interesting based on his performance this year. Has anyone ever gone down in salary from A1 to A2?

 

You only usually go down if you suffer a catastrophic injury that will almost definitely keep you out the entire upcoming year. And even then I don't think you can go below 80% of what you've made previously. Most guys. even after a down year, still get a healthy raise. I'd still expect KB to get ~15 million.

[17 Seconds]

i want harper, but what do we honestly make of his 2018?

[raw]

i want harper, but what do we honestly make of his 2018?

 

That he's really good. And his "down" year would have still made him the best player on a Cubs team that has a top 3 MVP candidate?

[Cubswin11]

i want harper, but what do we honestly make of his 2018?

His overall WAR was dragged down a bit by the defense rating poorly but I think that’s partially due to him holding back a bit to not hurt himself diving/running in to a wall/etc (especially once the Nats were done) and he also was playing CF a lot where he’s more an emergency guy there than everyday guy there. He isn’t Heyward on defense but he also isn’t that bad.

 

He had the 2nd best BB% in MLB, 15th in wOBA, 16th in wRC+, and 17th in Dongs (2nd highest total in his career) in a “down year.” He’s really good and does things we really need to help cure and permanent chili ball damage/injuries next year.

[17 Seconds]

i want harper, but what do we honestly make of his 2018?

 

That he's really good. And his "down" year would have still made him the best player on a Cubs team that has a top 3 MVP candidate?

 

it's a question about how much he's worth and what the cubs should give him. but how was he better than baez this season?

Edited October 4, 2018 by 17 Seconds

[imb]

what happens if harper's BABIP is .350 (like every season other than injury marred 2016) rather than .289? He has a 1.000 OPS.

[raw]

i want harper, but what do we honestly make of his 2018?

 

That he's really good. And his "down" year would have still made him the best player on a Cubs team that has a top 3 MVP candidate?

 

it's a question about how much he's worth and what the cubs should give him. but how was he better than baez this season?

 

He's 25. He's worth whatever a team can afford. OPS seems like a simple way Harper > Baez this year.

[17 Seconds]

 

That he's really good. And his "down" year would have still made him the best player on a Cubs team that has a top 3 MVP candidate?

 

it's a question about how much he's worth and what the cubs should give him. but how was he better than baez this season?

 

He's 25. He's worth whatever a team can afford. OPS seems like a simple way Harper > Baez this year.

 

come on man

[Cubswin11]

what happens if harper's BABIP is .350 (like every season other than injury marred 2016) rather than .289? He has a 1.000 OPS.

Right, he definitely was a little unlucky too. His BABIP is like .320 for his career and all his underlying batted ball numbers were in line with his career too and he even did things better.....

 

His LD% was up 1% over career average, GB Rate was the 2nd lowest of his career, FB rate right at his average, infield flyball percentage easily at a career low (over 3% lower than career average and 2% better than any other year), he pulled the ball and went oppo a bit more at expense of up the middle compared to career average, set a career low in soft contact% (over 2.5% down from career average), his med% contact was down but that’s because it was all made up for in a career high in hard contact% (6.5% above his career rate too). He’s horsefeathering good and had a good year.

[Cubswin11]

i want harper, but what do we honestly make of his 2018?

 

That he's really good. And his "down" year would have still made him the best player on a Cubs team that has a top 3 MVP candidate?

 

it's a question about how much he's worth and what the cubs should give him. but how was he better than baez this season?

The smartass answer is he’s worth whatever the market says but somewhere around ~$35 aav for 8-12 years seems right. He was better than Javy at everything but BA, SLG and defense.

[17 Seconds]

 

That he's really good. And his "down" year would have still made him the best player on a Cubs team that has a top 3 MVP candidate?

 

it's a question about how much he's worth and what the cubs should give him. but how was he better than baez this season?

The smartass answer is he’s worth whatever the market says but somewhere around ~$35 aav for 8-12 years seems right. He was better than Javy at everything but BA, SLG and defense.

 

he didn't say harper was better offensively, he just said that he would have been the best player on the cubs this season. he obviously was not a better player than baez this season. da fuq are you guys talking about

[Cubswin11]

 

it's a question about how much he's worth and what the cubs should give him. but how was he better than baez this season?

The smartass answer is he’s worth whatever the market says but somewhere around ~$35 aav for 8-12 years seems right. He was better than Javy at everything but BA, SLG and defense.

 

he didn't say harper was better offensively, he just said that he would have been the best player on the cubs this season. he obviously was not a better player than baez this season. da fuq are you guys talking about

Javy had the better year on a whole. I’m not arguing that. I was just saying Harper did a lot of things better offensively and was assuming that’s more what was meant.

[17 Seconds]

The smartass answer is he’s worth whatever the market says but somewhere around ~$35 aav for 8-12 years seems right. He was better than Javy at everything but BA, SLG and defense.

 

he didn't say harper was better offensively, he just said that he would have been the best player on the cubs this season. he obviously was not a better player than baez this season. da fuq are you guys talking about

Javy had the better year on a whole. I’m not arguing that. I was just saying Harper did a lot of things better offensively and was assuming that’s more what was meant.

 

he flatly said harper would have been the best player on the cubs this season, and then you said harper was better at "everything but BA, SLG, and defense", which is an incredibly pointless statement. i ask again, da fuq are you guys talking about?

[Cubswin11]

 

he didn't say harper was better offensively, he just said that he would have been the best player on the cubs this season. he obviously was not a better player than baez this season. da fuq are you guys talking about

Javy had the better year on a whole. I’m not arguing that. I was just saying Harper did a lot of things better offensively and was assuming that’s more what was meant.

 

he flatly said harper would have been the best player on the cubs this season, and then you said harper was better at "everything but BA, SLG, and defense", which is an incredibly pointless statement. i ask again, da fuq are you guys talking about?

I was answering your question on “how was he better than Baez” with my response and only assuming that was the intent of the original comment. But Raw will have to answer for what he meant or how he wants to back it up. I don’t necessarily agree with it either.

[17 Seconds]

Javy had the better year on a whole. I’m not arguing that. I was just saying Harper did a lot of things better offensively and was assuming that’s more what was meant.

 

he flatly said harper would have been the best player on the cubs this season, and then you said harper was better at "everything but BA, SLG, and defense", which is an incredibly pointless statement. i ask again, da fuq are you guys talking about?

I was answering your question on “how was he better than Baez” with my response and only assuming that was the intent of the original comment. But Raw will have to answer for what he meant or how he wants to back it up. I don’t necessarily agree with it either.

 

harper's defense was a big part of my question, so it would have been weird for him to just compare them offensively in the first place

[Cubswin11]

Speaking of Baez - what are we expecting if he gets 100-120+ starts a SS?

Defensively? Probably average to above average but not elite like Russell. Offensively I have no idea what to predict other than 30ish HRs.

[Sammy Sofa]

Speaking of Baez - what are we expecting if he gets 100-120+ starts a SS?

Defensively? Probably average to above average but not elite like Russell. Offensively I have no idea what to predict other than 30ish HRs.

 

This isn't the first time that Tom has talked about someone playing SS like it has an impact on how they perform offensively, and I don't get it at all.

[Sammy Sofa]

And as for the Harper discussion, I definitely would prefer Machado if he's willing to play 3B.

[davell]

This doesn't really factor much into our plans per se, outside of luxury tax implications, but it just occurred to me that KB's arbitration number is going to be pretty interesting based on his performance this year. Has anyone ever gone down in salary from A1 to A2?

 

I'm not sure if anyone's ever gone down. I think you have to offer at least 80% of their prior year. That said, it's only done then, if it's someone that's a complete non tender candidate. And even then I think teams basically give them the same as the year before or even a very slight raise.

 

My guess is KB gets between 13-15 mill next season. He'll definitely get a raise.