2020 roster

[Named After Maddux]

I'll definitely start by saying that I do not agree with trading Bryant. However the more rumors that come out the more it looks like it is a legitimate possibility. Assuming you trade Bryant and sign Rendon (which they should) or obtain a young 3B option in the trade, I wonder about a Bote/Todd Frazier platoon.

David Bote against RHP: wOBA .349, wRC+ 115

Todd Frazier against LHP: wOBA .382, wRC+ 142

 

It's not Bryant and it won't be, but maybe it's tolerable for a year.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'll definitely start by saying that I do not agree with trading Bryant. However the more rumors that come out the more it looks like it is a legitimate possibility. Assuming you trade Bryant and sign Rendon (which they should) or obtain a young 3B option in the trade, I wonder about a Bote/Todd Frazier platoon.

David Bote against RHP: wOBA .349, wRC+ 115

Todd Frazier against LHP: wOBA .382, wRC+ 142

 

It's not Bryant and it won't be, but maybe it's tolerable for a year.

 

The reporting could be wrong, but nothing in the Bryant trade news I’ve seen indicates that a big FA move would come on the heels of it. Either way, there’s no outcome with Cole, Rendon, or Strasburg.

 

How to backfill Bryant depends on the specifics of what he’s traded for, bit I vote that if you’re willing to trust Bote v. RHP, that you just give him the job. He’s a good defender there and lets you focus resources elsewhere.

[Backtobanks]

I don't understand why people bring up trading Quintana for salary relief, when the most obvious choice is trading Chatwood. He makes more and would be easier to replace than Quintana.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I don't understand why people bring up trading Quintana for salary relief, when the most obvious choice is trading Chatwood. He makes more and would be easier to replace than Quintana.

 

Hmmm, yep it’s a mystery

[Named After Maddux]

I'll definitely start by saying that I do not agree with trading Bryant. However the more rumors that come out the more it looks like it is a legitimate possibility. Assuming you trade Bryant and sign Rendon (which they should) or obtain a young 3B option in the trade, I wonder about a Bote/Todd Frazier platoon.

David Bote against RHP: wOBA .349, wRC+ 115

Todd Frazier against LHP: wOBA .382, wRC+ 142

 

It's not Bryant and it won't be, but maybe it's tolerable for a year.

 

The reporting could be wrong, but nothing in the Bryant trade news I’ve seen indicates that a big FA move would come on the heels of it. Either way, there’s no outcome with Cole, Rendon, or Strasburg.

 

How to backfill Bryant depends on the specifics of what he’s traded for, bit I vote that if you’re willing to trust Bote v. RHP, that you just give him the job. He’s a good defender there and lets you focus resources elsewhere.

 

Sorry TT. Read it twice and still missed it. I meant assuming they trade Bryant and DON’T sign Rendon or obtain another 3B option I’d be okay without Bote/Frazier.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'll definitely start by saying that I do not agree with trading Bryant. However the more rumors that come out the more it looks like it is a legitimate possibility. Assuming you trade Bryant and sign Rendon (which they should) or obtain a young 3B option in the trade, I wonder about a Bote/Todd Frazier platoon.

David Bote against RHP: wOBA .349, wRC+ 115

Todd Frazier against LHP: wOBA .382, wRC+ 142

 

It's not Bryant and it won't be, but maybe it's tolerable for a year.

 

The reporting could be wrong, but nothing in the Bryant trade news I’ve seen indicates that a big FA move would come on the heels of it. Either way, there’s no outcome with Cole, Rendon, or Strasburg.

 

How to backfill Bryant depends on the specifics of what he’s traded for, bit I vote that if you’re willing to trust Bote v. RHP, that you just give him the job. He’s a good defender there and lets you focus resources elsewhere.

 

Sorry TT. Read it twice and still missed it. I meant assuming they trade Bryant and DON’T sign Rendon or obtain another 3B option I’d be okay without Bote/Frazier.

 

Oh I know that’s what you meant. What I’m getting at is if I think Bote is for real enough to trust him v. RHP, I won’t bother getting a platoon partner for the pitchers Bote already has platoon advantage against, even if their career numbers are a bit better.

[Named After Maddux]

 

The reporting could be wrong, but nothing in the Bryant trade news I’ve seen indicates that a big FA move would come on the heels of it. Either way, there’s no outcome with Cole, Rendon, or Strasburg.

 

How to backfill Bryant depends on the specifics of what he’s traded for, bit I vote that if you’re willing to trust Bote v. RHP, that you just give him the job. He’s a good defender there and lets you focus resources elsewhere.

 

Sorry TT. Read it twice and still missed it. I meant assuming they trade Bryant and DON’T sign Rendon or obtain another 3B option I’d be okay without Bote/Frazier.

 

Oh I know that’s what you meant. What I’m getting at is if I think Bote is for real enough to trust him v. RHP, I won’t bother getting a platoon partner for the pitchers Bote already has platoon advantage against, even if their career numbers are a bit better.

 

And I can buy that as well. I’m curious to know the internal evaluations of someone like Bote (I suppose we’ll likely find out the gist this winter). He’s someone that played a decent portion of the season with a broken toe and seemed like he made changes later in the year, but he could completely flop as well. I suppose Frazier or someone of that same level should at least be brought in since there aren’t too many internal replacements if Bote flops in that scenario. I’d agree that spending resources on the small side of a platoon isn’t ideal.

[Cubswin11]

I don't understand why people bring up trading Quintana for salary relief, when the most obvious choice is trading Chatwood. He makes more and would be easier to replace than Quintana.

Come to think of it, with all this talk of trading guys to save money. Why don’t they just trade Heyward, he makes the most and is easiest to replace.

[Bertz]

Okay let's put lipstick on this pig. Say PTR is demanding we get under the tax, which means we basically have to trade Bryant. What's the least depressing path forward? Something like this?

 

Trades:

 

- KB to the Braves for Pache, Wright, and Minter (or equivalent)

- Contreras+Q to SD for Margot, Munoz, and Morejon

- Trade Chatwood (let's say we have to attach Tyson Miller to fully clear his salary)

 

That brings payroll to ~42M under the tax level

 

Signings

- Backfill Contreras (~5M for Jason Castro?)

- Sign your favorite FA 2B (~7M for Cesar Hernandez?)

- Sign a backup 3B type (~5M for Asdrubal Cabrera?)

- Sign Treinen or Betances to a 1 Yr Pillow Contract (~10M)

- Extend Javy (~10M)

 

Leaves ~5M for the deadline

 

SP - Darvish/Kyle/Lester/Wright/Mills

Iowa SP - Morejon/Alzolay/Abbott/Cotton/Rea

BP - Kimbrel/Munoz/Treinen/Wick/Ryan/Minter/Iowa Shuttle/LRP (Underwood to start)

Lineup - Hernandez/Rizzo/Baez/Schwarber/Bote/Caratini/Heyward/Margot

Bench - Cabrera/Happ/Castro/Descalso/Kemp

 

The lineup is....depressing. That being said it's still probably middle of the pack offensively, and the defense is comfortably above average. Pache and Nico should be up by midseason, which probably won't move the offensive needle much beyond lengthening the bench,but would move the defense up to elite.

 

The pitching is legitimately fun and exciting. The rotation might be a little bumpy the first ~6 weeks while figuring out which guys should be in the last two spots, but there's 7-8 guys that I'd be legitimately cool handing starts.

 

The bullpen is AWESOME. If Kimbrel or Treinen bounces back it's Yankees-esque, if both do it's the best in baseball. Also everyone but those two and Underwood have minor league options, so you can cycle guys in and out based on effectiveness.

 

The 2021 offseason is no longer apocolyptic, so next year the team could resume going after fun guys like Betts. The team's probably favored to win the Central in 2020, but the margin would be negligible.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Okay let's put lipstick on this pig. Say PTR is demanding we get under the tax, which means we basically have to trade Bryant. What's the least depressing path forward?

 

- Contreras and Q for Lamet, Margot, Hedges, and Munoz

- Bote for Chirinos

- Zobrist for one year

- If you can squeeze him in(maybe by dumping Descalso and Almora), sign Brock Holt

 

Zobrist/Bryant/Rizzo/Baez/Schwarber/(Happ/Margot)/Heyward/(Caratini/Hedges); bench adds Holt(otherwise Descalso/Hoerner) and Kemp

 

Hendricks/Darvish/Lester/Lamet/Chirinos

 

Kimbrel/Wick/Ryan/Chatwood/Wieck/Munoz, rest are Iowa/NRI shuttle

 

This plan leans hard on the pitching infrastructure improvements bearing fruit, since Chatwood, Cotton, and Alzolay are backstopping a rotation unlikely to give you 900 IP. We’ve set that up for maximum success by stacking positive UZRs up and down the roster and going all in on framing. Munoz is hopefully what we hoped Carl would turn into, but if not we’re going to leave the variance with the pitching where it’s the least certain anyway. I’m pretty sure if you have less than 15 million being paid to Zobrist, Holt, Almora, and Descalso that this fits, but with no margin for error and I could’ve miscalculated.

[CyHawk_Cub]

^^Ricketts (and fans who care deeply about billionaires keeping their $$) approves of that plan.

[Cubswin11]

My blow it up the budget is coming offseason:

 

Baez to the Angels for Jo Adell

Bryant to the Braves for Fried, Anderson, Waters, Wilson, and Wright

Contreras to the Mets for Ronny Mauricio

Schwarber to the Indians for Triston McKenzie and Bradley Zimmer

Quintana to the Marlins for low minors prospects

 

FAs: Russell Martin ©, Cesar Hernandez (2B), Jose Peraza (SS), various MiL deals to pitchers

 

C: Martin/Caratini (~$4-5 million tops)

1B: Rizzo (still cheap, but getting suspiciously older should have been looking for outs two years ago)

2B: Hernandez/Hoerner/Happ ($4-5 million tops)

SS: Peraza/Hoerner ($3 million tops)

3B: Bote ($3 million)

 

RF: Heyward (most of the cap space)/Zagunis/Happ

CF: Happ/Hoerner (~$2 million?)

LF: Zimmer/Happ/Zagunis

 

Hendricks

Lester

Darvish

Fried

Wright

 

There's quite a bit of money and assets spent on these 5 + Kimbrel and Chatwood, can't say the Cubs aren't trying. The great thing is that if this team isn't competing at the deadline it shouldn't be hard to trade Kimbrel, Hendricks, or even Chatwood. Maybe even Morrow can nab a top 100 guy if healthy. Unfortunately Darvish's contract might have the Cubs stuck, definitely same with Lester

 

Kimbrel

Chatwood

Wick

Ryan

Morrow

????

????

???

????

 

Give this team a couple years and they'll be just as loaded as the 2015 team was if not a little more. For the time being the org regains it's famed flexibility, replenishes a farm that is now among the best in baseball with room to get better through a deadline clean, might gain even more cap space if they ask politely for Lester to voluntarily retire, and yeah basically be one of the best teams in baseball again by 2022 or so

This is a pretty good let the MF’er burn the hell down for a few years plan. Certainly no half measures, which probably is a good thing. Pick a lane go full measures instead of being stuck in the middle.

[Gmoney23]

My blow it up the budget is coming offseason:

 

Baez to the Angels for Jo Adell

Bryant to the Braves for Fried, Anderson, Waters, Wilson, and Wright

Contreras to the Mets for Ronny Mauricio

Schwarber to the Indians for Triston McKenzie and Bradley Zimmer

Quintana to the Marlins for low minors prospects

 

FAs: Russell Martin ©, Cesar Hernandez (2B), Jose Peraza (SS), various MiL deals to pitchers

 

C: Martin/Caratini (~$4-5 million tops)

1B: Rizzo (still cheap, but getting suspiciously older should have been looking for outs two years ago)

2B: Hernandez/Hoerner/Happ ($4-5 million tops)

SS: Peraza/Hoerner ($3 million tops)

3B: Bote ($3 million)

 

RF: Heyward (most of the cap space)/Zagunis/Happ

CF: Happ/Hoerner (~$2 million?)

LF: Zimmer/Happ/Zagunis

 

Hendricks

Lester

Darvish

Fried

Wright

 

There's quite a bit of money and assets spent on these 5 + Kimbrel and Chatwood, can't say the Cubs aren't trying. The great thing is that if this team isn't competing at the deadline it shouldn't be hard to trade Kimbrel, Hendricks, or even Chatwood. Maybe even Morrow can nab a top 100 guy if healthy. Unfortunately Darvish's contract might have the Cubs stuck, definitely same with Lester

 

Kimbrel

Chatwood

Wick

Ryan

Morrow

????

????

???

????

 

Give this team a couple years and they'll be just as loaded as the 2015 team was if not a little more. For the time being the org regains it's famed flexibility, replenishes a farm that is now among the best in baseball with room to get better through a deadline clean, might gain even more cap space if they ask politely for Lester to voluntarily retire, and yeah basically be one of the best teams in baseball again by 2022 or so

This is a pretty good let the MF’er burn the hell down for a few years plan. Certainly no half measures, which probably is a good thing. Pick a lane go full measures instead of being stuck in the middle.

 

I dont get the blow it up plans. The whole tanking till 2015 was to build a core (supposedly save $ during the tank) then use that saved $ to pay that badass core. So when this team thats averaged 94 wins.per season cost controlled core comes to FA finally then its time.for Ricketts to payup..

[Hairyducked Idiot]

My blow it up the budget is coming offseason:

 

Baez to the Angels for Jo Adell

Bryant to the Braves for Fried, Anderson, Waters, Wilson, and Wright

Contreras to the Mets for Ronny Mauricio

Schwarber to the Indians for Triston McKenzie and Bradley Zimmer

Quintana to the Marlins for low minors prospects

 

FAs: Russell Martin ©, Cesar Hernandez (2B), Jose Peraza (SS), various MiL deals to pitchers

 

C: Martin/Caratini (~$4-5 million tops)

1B: Rizzo (still cheap, but getting suspiciously older should have been looking for outs two years ago)

2B: Hernandez/Hoerner/Happ ($4-5 million tops)

SS: Peraza/Hoerner ($3 million tops)

3B: Bote ($3 million)

 

RF: Heyward (most of the cap space)/Zagunis/Happ

CF: Happ/Hoerner (~$2 million?)

LF: Zimmer/Happ/Zagunis

 

Hendricks

Lester

Darvish

Fried

Wright

 

There's quite a bit of money and assets spent on these 5 + Kimbrel and Chatwood, can't say the Cubs aren't trying. The great thing is that if this team isn't competing at the deadline it shouldn't be hard to trade Kimbrel, Hendricks, or even Chatwood. Maybe even Morrow can nab a top 100 guy if healthy. Unfortunately Darvish's contract might have the Cubs stuck, definitely same with Lester

 

Kimbrel

Chatwood

Wick

Ryan

Morrow

????

????

???

????

 

Give this team a couple years and they'll be just as loaded as the 2015 team was if not a little more. For the time being the org regains it's famed flexibility, replenishes a farm that is now among the best in baseball with room to get better through a deadline clean, might gain even more cap space if they ask politely for Lester to voluntarily retire, and yeah basically be one of the best teams in baseball again by 2022 or so

This is a pretty good let the MF’er burn the hell down for a few years plan. Certainly no half measures, which probably is a good thing. Pick a lane go full measures instead of being stuck in the middle.

 

I dont get the blow it up plans. The whole tanking till 2015 was to build a core (supposedly save $ during the tank) then use that saved $ to pay that badass core. So when this team thats averaged 94 wins.per season cost controlled core comes to FA finally then its time.for Ricketts to payup..

 

The point of tanking to build a core was that Epstein was bored in Boston and wanted to tank somewhere and build a core.

[Cubswin11]

My blow it up the budget is coming offseason:

 

Baez to the Angels for Jo Adell

Bryant to the Braves for Fried, Anderson, Waters, Wilson, and Wright

Contreras to the Mets for Ronny Mauricio

Schwarber to the Indians for Triston McKenzie and Bradley Zimmer

Quintana to the Marlins for low minors prospects

 

FAs: Russell Martin ©, Cesar Hernandez (2B), Jose Peraza (SS), various MiL deals to pitchers

 

C: Martin/Caratini (~$4-5 million tops)

1B: Rizzo (still cheap, but getting suspiciously older should have been looking for outs two years ago)

2B: Hernandez/Hoerner/Happ ($4-5 million tops)

SS: Peraza/Hoerner ($3 million tops)

3B: Bote ($3 million)

 

RF: Heyward (most of the cap space)/Zagunis/Happ

CF: Happ/Hoerner (~$2 million?)

LF: Zimmer/Happ/Zagunis

 

Hendricks

Lester

Darvish

Fried

Wright

 

There's quite a bit of money and assets spent on these 5 + Kimbrel and Chatwood, can't say the Cubs aren't trying. The great thing is that if this team isn't competing at the deadline it shouldn't be hard to trade Kimbrel, Hendricks, or even Chatwood. Maybe even Morrow can nab a top 100 guy if healthy. Unfortunately Darvish's contract might have the Cubs stuck, definitely same with Lester

 

Kimbrel

Chatwood

Wick

Ryan

Morrow

????

????

???

????

 

Give this team a couple years and they'll be just as loaded as the 2015 team was if not a little more. For the time being the org regains it's famed flexibility, replenishes a farm that is now among the best in baseball with room to get better through a deadline clean, might gain even more cap space if they ask politely for Lester to voluntarily retire, and yeah basically be one of the best teams in baseball again by 2022 or so

This is a pretty good let the MF’er burn the hell down for a few years plan. Certainly no half measures, which probably is a good thing. Pick a lane go full measures instead of being stuck in the middle.

 

I dont get the blow it up plans. The whole tanking till 2015 was to build a core (supposedly save $ during the tank) then use that saved $ to pay that badass core. So when this team thats averaged 94 wins.per season cost controlled core comes to FA finally then its time.for Ricketts to payup..

I don’t get it either but it seems like there’s a real possibility it’s on the table as a course of action over the coming weeks/months.

[sneakypower]

- Contreras+Q to SD for Margot, Munoz, and Morejon

- Contreras and Q for Lamet, Margot, Hedges, and Munoz

Jesus Christ

[Andy]

This is a pretty good let the MF’er burn the hell down for a few years plan. Certainly no half measures, which probably is a good thing. Pick a lane go full measures instead of being stuck in the middle.

 

I dont get the blow it up plans. The whole tanking till 2015 was to build a core (supposedly save $ during the tank) then use that saved $ to pay that badass core. So when this team thats averaged 94 wins.per season cost controlled core comes to FA finally then its time.for Ricketts to payup..

 

The point of tanking to build a core was that Epstein was bored in Boston and wanted to tank somewhere and build a core.

Which lined up well with Ricketts' desire not to spend money, which he successfully conned people into believing was part of some long-term plan to spend buckets of money later when really the plan was to spend only as much as he could get away with as a so-called big-market team.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

As I have previously wrote, we better be in the top-5 in payroll moving forward every year. The market and the popularity of this team is a huge advantage and must be utilized.

 

Right now, I am more disappointed that what I consider a top front office has not utilized that advantage very well at all. The $210 million or whatever being spent is just not showing up that well on the field. Hell, I'd rather Theo do most of his work through trades and smaller signings, where he seems to excel better. (Talking out of my butt there, too lazy to see if that opinion is validated through facts).

 

So, anyway, I think the payroll should be even HIGHER, but I can't use the money we are spending presently as an excuse for not being as good as we should be.

[UMFan83]

As I have previously wrote, we better be in the top-5 in payroll moving forward every year. The market and the popularity of this team is a huge advantage and must be utilized.

 

Right now, I am more disappointed that what I consider a top front office has not utilized that advantage very well at all. The $210 million or whatever being spent is just not showing up that well on the field. Hell, I'd rather Theo do most of his work through trades and smaller signings, where he seems to excel better. (Talking out of my butt there, too lazy to see if that opinion is validated through facts).

 

So, anyway, I think the payroll should be even HIGHER, but I can't use the money we are spending presently as an excuse for not being as good as we should be.

 

Yes, I think its a perfectly reasonable take to be angry at ownership for limiting payroll but also to call out the front office for not getting a return on the money they spent. It really sucks that in 2015 we had a ridiculous number of high end prospects and a ton of money to spend and this is where we ended up. I really hope the behind the scenes hirings by the FO fix whatever sort of malice that has infected the organization

[David]

It really sucks that in 2015 we had a ridiculous number of high end prospects and a ton of money to spend and this is where we ended up.

 

a historic and as-fun-as-you-could-possibly-script world series and 3 straight nlcs appearances and 4 seasons of 90+ wins (including a 95, a 97, and a 103) in a row? yeah, ok, sulley. it was a really shitty outcome we got out of that.

[UMFan83]

It really sucks that in 2015 we had a ridiculous number of high end prospects and a ton of money to spend and this is where we ended up.

 

a historic and as-fun-as-you-could-possibly-script world series and 3 straight nlcs appearances and 4 seasons of 90+ wins (including a 95, a 97, and a 103) in a row? yeah, ok, sulley. it was a really horsefeathers outcome we got out of that.

 

thats not what im referring to. I'm saying the position we were in circa 2015 with all the prospects and financial flexibility and this is where we're at now with a mediocre farm and no payroll space and a roster whose best players are 2 years from FA.

 

The in between was amazing and the rebuild has been a success by every measure.

[David]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5203nRHDz4/

 

caption translates roughly/clunkily to: more than to ask you for, i have a great deal to thank you for, my god

 

Mas que pedirte, tengo muchísimo que agradecerte mi Dios

[David]

thats not what im referring to. I'm saying the position we were in circa 2015 with all the prospects and financial flexibility and this is where we're at now with a mediocre farm and no payroll space and a roster whose best players are 2 years from FA.

 

The in between was amazing and the rebuild has been a success by every measure.

 

aka 324 regular season baseball games over two ML seasons including two playoffs that will end with a champion series apiece

 

How is this treated as bad, something to run away from, and not something that was always going to happen that everyone knew about going in?

 

right the main thing was foolishly not expecting PTR to cry poor again

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Contreras is a master vaguetweeter(or instagrammer), truly world class

[sneakypower]

-3 years of outright forfeit

-4 years of success

-4+ years of rebuilding, roster restoration

-??

 

WS is undeniably great but we also need to accept that ownership is content to ride that goodwill as far as possible