Cubs Sign Eric Sogard to Minor League Deal

[Bertz]

 

I think I like him more than Ildemaro Vargas?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Makes sense, with so many schools still shut down there's probably not a lot of substitute teacher work.

[Cubswin11]

horsefeathers Eric Sogard, hopefully he just pulls a hammy or jams a wrist in ST and that’s enough to set him back we never see him at the MLB level.

[CyHawk_Cub]

horsefeathers Eric Sogard, hopefully he just pulls a hammy or jams a wrist in ST and that’s enough to set him back we never see him at the MLB level.

Was wondering what you'd do with Almora now gone.

 

Sadly, I'm still searching.

[Cubswin11]

horsefeathers Eric Sogard, hopefully he just pulls a hammy or jams a wrist in ST and that’s enough to set him back we never see him at the MLB level.

Was wondering what you'd do with Almora now gone.

 

Sadly, I'm still searching.

He basically is infield Almora who walks a little more and Ks a little less and had two huge outlier seasons and plays worse defense. I hope we just never have to see him.

[Bertz]

I mentioned this I think when we were rumored to be connected, but I wonder how the de-juiced ball helps or hurts Sogard. On the one hand, he's really only hit well with the juiced ball in homer friendly parks, because the confluence of those two factors allows him to hit some wall-scraper dongs. On the other hand, .250/.330/.350 might be playable with a deader ball given his defense.

[CubinNY]

He makes the team, Nico gets sent down. This has to be a Ross decision.

[We Got The Whole 9]

He makes the team, Nico gets sent down. This has to be a Ross decision.

You don't think they're eyeing that extra year by keeping him down til May?

[CubinNY]

He makes the team, Nico gets sent down. This has to be a Ross decision.

You don't think they're eyeing that extra year by keeping him down til May?

Sure, a lot of momentum working against having the best team available coming out of spring training in a year where they really need to get off to a good start.

[pitchcs]

He makes the team, Nico gets sent down. This has to be a Ross decision.

You don't think they're eyeing that extra year by keeping him down til May?

Sure, a lot of momentum working against having the best team available coming out of spring training in a year where they really need to get off to a good start.

 

I don’t think a decision like this moves the needle much on getting off to a good start or not.

[Cubswin11]

He makes the team, Nico gets sent down. This has to be a Ross decision.

You don't think they're eyeing that extra year by keeping him down til May?

He’s going to be 24 this year, his FA year is his age 30 year. His upside is maybe Kolten Wong. I don’t see how that’s good enough upside and you don’t gain any prime production years or anything by playing the service time game, plus this isn’t really a money savings thing either. I just think they fell in love with Sogard and Bote is a fine enough 2B. The service time thing is a bonus I guess but I really find it hard to believe making sure we potentially have Nico for his age 30 season is that big of a deal.

[Post Count Padder]

You can argue he was overmatched last year and could use some more seasoning in the minors. You can also argue Sogard will not be better than him for a month or two and the team is still in contention. I don't hate it but I don't love it. I also hope Ross and Jed had a real conversation with Nico and talked about the expectations and what he did this spring and offseason because I would be understandably pissed if I were him.

[Cubswin11]

He’s going to be 24 this year, his FA year is his age 30 year. His upside is maybe Kolten Wong. I don’t see how that’s good enough upside and you don’t gain any prime production years or anything by playing the service time game, plus this isn’t really a money savings thing either. I just think they fell in love with Sogard and Bote is a fine enough 2B. The service time thing is a bonus I guess but I really find it hard to believe making sure we potentially have Nico for his age 30 season is that big of a deal.

 

It's about the money, it's forever about the money. They don't care what his perceived upside is, they have confidence he can start and start for a good team, that's more than enough incentive to have as much control of earning potential as possible, delay arb, etc

If it’s about the money then they’re spending more this year keeping Sogard over Nico for some potential, minimal, savings 3-4 years from now.

 

Paying more for Sogard this year than what Nico costs, in a year they’re at their poorest, so Nico makes like $3.75 mil vs $4.25 mil in Arb in a few years is some galaxy brain horsefeathers.

[Brian]

i swear the majority opinion here throughout the offseason was that they should sign a 2B because Nico should start the year at AAA.

[Derwood]

Nico in 2020: Tell me what I need to do to make the team next year

 

Team: Do this, this and that

 

*Nico does this, this and that in the off season/spring training*

 

Nico: I did what you asked, so I made the team, right?

 

Team: LOL NO

[Cubswin11]

i swear the majority opinion here throughout the offseason was that they should sign a 2B because Nico should start the year at AAA.

It was, until that signing was Sogard and not a Wong, Hernandez, etc type. Nico’s spring and physical growth doesn’t mean nothing and when it’s him vs a shitty ass player like Sogard the calculus changes.

[Cubswin11]

If it’s about the money then they’re spending more this year keeping Sogard over Nico for some potential, minimal, savings 3-4 years from now.

 

Paying more for Sogard this year than what Nico costs, in a year they’re at their poorest, so Nico makes like $3.75 mil vs $4.25 mil in Arb in a few years is some galaxy brain horsefeathers.

 

Minimal? They're saving literal millions by 2023 when he's collecting a league min salary instead of going through arb, which in turn will impact his 2024 and so on and on into and beyond his FA. Paying Sogard for a few weeks to benefit even more over years on Hoerner, plus having the cover of his 2020 triple slash to do it, is a no brainer for them

Lol, it’s not literal millions by 2023. 2023 is Nico’s first Arb year. He won’t even make, or barely make, more than $2-3 million that year. Then he’s a FA 2 years later. There’s literally no savings here.

[squally1313]

i swear the majority opinion here throughout the offseason was that they should sign a 2B because Nico should start the year at AAA.

It was, until that signing was Sogard and not a Wong, Hernandez, etc type. Nico’s spring and physical growth doesn’t mean nothing and when it’s him vs a horsefeathers ass player like Sogard the calculus changes.

Nico is better currently and in the future than Eric Sogard. In my opinion, David Bote is the best option for a starting second baseman. With him theoretically being competent defensively, there's less need for Nico to step in late game like there was last year with Kipnis. They get a day off every week for the first four weeks...I just don't see a lot of ABs for Hoerner in April if we're trying to win. If anyone in the infield gets even dinged up for a couple days, he should be on the next bus to Wrigley and into the starting line up. But getting him 100 ABs in April in Iowa is better than three or four starts and a marginal defensive replacement upgrade for a couple innings in the maybe 50% of games we'll be winning late in.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

i swear the majority opinion here throughout the offseason was that they should sign a 2B because Nico should start the year at AAA.

It was, until that signing was Sogard and not a Wong, Hernandez, etc type. Nico’s spring and physical growth doesn’t mean nothing and when it’s him vs a horsefeathers ass player like Sogard the calculus changes.

Nico is better currently and in the future than Eric Sogard. In my opinion, David Bote is the best option for a starting second baseman. With him theoretically being competent defensively, there's less need for Nico to step in late game like there was last year with Kipnis. They get a day off every week for the first four weeks...I just don't see a lot of ABs for Hoerner in April if we're trying to win. If anyone in the infield gets even dinged up for a couple days, he should be on the next bus to Wrigley and into the starting line up. But getting him 100 ABs in April in Iowa is better than three or four starts and a marginal defensive replacement upgrade for a couple innings in the maybe 50% of games we'll be winning late in.

 

I'm 100% with you here, but I will point out that Iowa is not starting before the first week of May(with rumors it could be later I think) so the reps Hoerner will be getting would be at the alt site in South Bend.

[Backtobanks]

Lol, it’s not literal millions by 2023. 2023 is Nico’s first Arb year. He won’t even make, or barely make, more than $2-3 million that year. Then he’s a FA 2 years later. There’s literally no savings here.

 

Yeah, the league min salary is a little less than 600K so yes, millions, in savings and just for that one year alone. That arb salary would influence the next and so on

 

By the time Nico is ready for a modest payday, the Cubs will trade him to save money and play the guys we got in the Darvish trade.

[squally1313]

It was, until that signing was Sogard and not a Wong, Hernandez, etc type. Nico’s spring and physical growth doesn’t mean nothing and when it’s him vs a horsefeathers ass player like Sogard the calculus changes.

Nico is better currently and in the future than Eric Sogard. In my opinion, David Bote is the best option for a starting second baseman. With him theoretically being competent defensively, there's less need for Nico to step in late game like there was last year with Kipnis. They get a day off every week for the first four weeks...I just don't see a lot of ABs for Hoerner in April if we're trying to win. If anyone in the infield gets even dinged up for a couple days, he should be on the next bus to Wrigley and into the starting line up. But getting him 100 ABs in April in Iowa is better than three or four starts and a marginal defensive replacement upgrade for a couple innings in the maybe 50% of games we'll be winning late in.

 

I'm 100% with you here, but I will point out that Iowa is not starting before the first week of May(with rumors it could be later I think) so the reps Hoerner will be getting would be at the alt site in South Bend.

 

Yeah good point, clicked on the wrong link that had an old schedule for Iowa. Still fine with it. Going with a four man bench makes me pretty confident that if Baez/Bryant/Bote went down for a few days they'd immediately make a move and not try to tough it out shorthanded, so think there's a good chance he's up before the 36 games or whatever the number is anyways.

[Cubswin11]

What a horsefeathers head

 

[UMFan83]

Does anything positive ever happen to this team?

[Proven Veteran]

Cut this [expletive] and bring Nico back.

[NonProfitCow]

 

 

 

Checks out.