2021 Offseason Thread

[Bertz]

Baseball Trade Values thinks it'd be fair to net Nick Lololol, Nick Senzel, and one of several relievers in exchange for taking on Mike Moustakas' contract

 

Jed really needs to make a move I don't hate because I'm basically spending my day at this point staying green on Teams and coming up with trade proposals for various bad contracts

[Cubswin11]

The Reds and Pirates are going to suck, the Brewers and Cardinals aren’t anything special. We should spend some money and resources to try and win.

[UMFan83]

 

Reds are really tearing it down. Luis Castillo and Joey Votto pretty much all that's left?

 

Must be nice to have at least one franchise face that stayed there long term to keep some continuity going.

 

Im not saying its the right approach necessarily especially if that face is someone like Miguel Cabrera who is significantly diminished, but it certainly makes a tear down slightly easier to swallow.

[UMFan83]

The Reds and Pirates are going to suck, the Brewers and Cardinals aren’t anything special. We should spend some money and resources to try and win.

 

Agreed, as has been the case the last several years, the division is very winnable if the right moves are made. You have to balance that fact with whatever long term plan Jed has I guess.

[UMFan83]

Also thank you so much for moving Suarez out of our division. I will miss Pat saying his first name though

[CubinNY]

 

Reds are really tearing it down. Luis Castillo and Joey Votto pretty much all that's left?

India

[Backtobanks]

The Reds and Pirates are going to suck, the Brewers and Cardinals aren’t anything special. We should spend some money and resources to try and win.

 

Agreed, as has been the case the last several years, the division is very winnable if the right moves are made. You have to balance that fact with whatever long term plan Jed has I guess.

 

It's getting pretty obvious that the "right moves" aren't going to be made this offseason.

[Cubswin11]

[champaignchris]

As it currently stands, the Cubs have the 17th highest payroll in MLB. They’d never been below 15th in opening day payroll (2001) for as far back as I looked (2000).

 

Without taking inflation into account, this would be the lowest opening day payroll since 2014. Taking inflation into account, this would be the lowest opening day payroll since 2003.

 

The Ricketts bought the team for just shy of $850 million in 2009 and most sources now value the franchise at about $4 billion, the 4th most valuable franchise in MLB.

 

Not saying anything anyone here doesn’t already know. Just venting.

[CyHawk_Cub]

As it currently stands, the Cubs have the 17th highest payroll in MLB. They’d never been below 15th in opening day payroll (2001) for as far back as I looked (2000).

 

Without taking inflation into account, this would be the lowest opening day payroll since 2014. Taking inflation into account, this would be the lowest opening day payroll since 2003.

 

The Ricketts bought the team for just shy of $850 million in 2009 and most sources now value the franchise at about $4 billion, the 4th most valuable franchise in MLB.

 

Not saying anything anyone here doesn’t already know. Just venting.

But the pandemic losses were biblical, dude. You just don't understand.

[mias_tisg]

Cubs should sign Freddie Freeman. He's the leader that can replace Rizzo without the back problems. Frontload his deal and give him what he wants and move Schwindel to DH. This seems too easy.

[Derwood]

Brewers sign Cutch

[Backtobanks]

Cubs should sign Freddie Freeman. He's the leader that can replace Rizzo without the back problems. Frontload his deal and give him what he wants and move Schwindel to DH. This seems too easy.

 

There's one big problem, Freeman wants to be paid what he's worth.

[Cubswin11]

He’s done some weird social stuff in the past with posts and what not, so who knows. But idk if he’s ever taken the Cubs off his bios or whatever.

 

https://twitter.com/runningflannel/status/1503696718692560900?s=21

[Bobson Dugnutt]

He’s done some weird social stuff in the past with posts and what not, so who knows. But idk if he’s ever taken the Cubs off his bios or whatever.

 

https://twitter.com/runningflannel/status/1503696718692560900?s=21

 

Just trade the poor guy. He deserves better than this

 

[CubinNY]

I wonder if there isn't a little bit (lot) of collusion going on after the lockout.

[Bertz]

Buzz seems to be building towards Freddie Freeman to the Jays.

 

That should unjam much of the rest of the market. Correa's definitely waiting on Freeman, and Story is definitely waiting on Correa. Then it'll be a run on the large number of all-bat no glove corner guys and the last few relievers worth an MLB deal, and that'll be that.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

So if we assume Correa isn't going to happen for whatever reason, what's your preferred positions to fill and targets for them? For me it's:

 

SP: I really want Paddack, like I really really want to make that happen. If it's not him maybe one of the Marlins SP could be shook loose but otherwise it's an off the board thing because the SP options are grim

 

RP: Looking at the list, Mychal Givens would be a big help and I think he'd be interested given the lack of late inning uncertainty and the potential chance to close. I'd also add another LHRP but that can be more of the Chavez/NRI variety since I don't see any terrific candidates

 

OF: Ideally this player would be young enough to not be post-peak immediately, left handed but doesn't need platooning, and can at least be playable in RF. Conforto is all 3 but costs extra comp, Suzuki and Schwarber are 2 of 3, and Myers is only 1 but hits RHP fine and might be free/the path to Paddack

 

Bat: This is probably a 1B type bat but if you find someone with 3B or starting OF versatility, all the better. Hosmer isn't the perfect fit but it does a good enough job if he brings you other fixes for free, I think Dom Smith is a decent buy low option, and I thought the same of Evan White but a RH 1B/DH is a tough sell. Ji-Man Choi might not be too expensive. Rizzo(or Brad Miller) isn't ideal but would also plug this gap.

[Rex Buckingham]

If we're not going to sign Correa or Story, the biggest thing I want is to take Hosmer and/or Myers from the Padres and getting some prospects/Paddack, etc. to go with them

[PriorFighter]

FWIW...I think Correa is happening. Previous post about the logjam is spot on and that's playing right into Jed's hands. CC will have to make a quick decision to get into camp and get going. Seems like the Cubs are the only team that has been consistently in on him. Astros had years to get an extension done and didn't, can't imagine he's going to back there.

 

THAT SAID - KB's market has been insanely quiet so far. Don't believe Rockies will make a legitimate run. I think their "interest" is just fan service. Wonder if KB would want to run it back on a contract with an opt-out after year 1 or 2. Of all Cubs traded, seems like he and Jed had the best post-trade rapport.

[CubinNY]

FWIW...I think Correa is happening. Previous post about the logjam is spot on and that's playing right into Jed's hands. CC will have to make a quick decision to get into camp and get going. Seems like the Cubs are the only team that has been consistently in on him. Astros had years to get an extension done and didn't, can't imagine he's going to back there.

 

THAT SAID - KB's market has been insanely quiet so far. Don't believe Rockies will make a legitimate run. I think their "interest" is just fan service. Wonder if KB would want to run it back on a contract with an opt-out after year 1 or 2. Of all Cubs traded, seems like he and Jed had the best post-trade rapport.

Welcome new poster! I will believe Correa when they sign him. I don't think Bryant will be back no matter what.

[Gilby]

I am kinda surprised there's been nothing on Correa since things were supposedly heating up with the Astros late Sunday night. I was expecting to wake up Monday with more news there. I suppose he's just waiting on Freeman though.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I am kinda surprised there's been nothing on Correa since things were supposedly heating up with the Astros late Sunday night. I was expecting to wake up Monday with more news there. I suppose he's just waiting on Freeman though.

 

Does this strike anyone else as a little weird? They don't play the same position, Correa is widely understood to be more desirable and worthy of a (much) bigger deal, and as far as I know they don't have any of the same suitors.

 

This is guesswork, but what strikes me as more likely is that Correa isn't getting any super long offers(8-10 years) to his liking from the Yankees, Cubs, etc. So the Astros(who IIRC maxed their offer pre-FA at 150 million) re-enter the picture as a more desirable short term option, and Rosenthal just so happens to write a 'what if Correa took a pillow contract' article. So now it's a waiting game to see if that plus the time pressure of any post-Correa contingent moves are enough to get a team to blink. That risk can go both ways though, because there's very little risk if Correa is willing to take an existing ~7 year offer from someone, but if he is seriously considering a 1 year deal or a deal that heavily incentivizes a 1 year opt out, he's gonna want to get into camp ASAP so he can put another contract year season together. Or maybe this is all made up and he signed with the Astros last night but no one cares to leak it, I dunno.

[Rob]

FWIW...I think Correa is happening. Previous post about the logjam is spot on and that's playing right into Jed's hands. CC will have to make a quick decision to get into camp and get going. Seems like the Cubs are the only team that has been consistently in on him. Astros had years to get an extension done and didn't, can't imagine he's going to back there.

 

THAT SAID - KB's market has been insanely quiet so far. Don't believe Rockies will make a legitimate run. I think their "interest" is just fan service. Wonder if KB would want to run it back on a contract with an opt-out after year 1 or 2. Of all Cubs traded, seems like he and Jed had the best post-trade rapport.

 

The Rockies thing for KB seems like a clear cut case of an agent leaking a rumor to try to get another team to up their offer just a bit more. I still think he ends up with the Mariners.

[fromthestretch]

FWIW...I think Correa is happening. Previous post about the logjam is spot on and that's playing right into Jed's hands. CC will have to make a quick decision to get into camp and get going. Seems like the Cubs are the only team that has been consistently in on him. Astros had years to get an extension done and didn't, can't imagine he's going to back there.

 

THAT SAID - KB's market has been insanely quiet so far. Don't believe Rockies will make a legitimate run. I think their "interest" is just fan service. Wonder if KB would want to run it back on a contract with an opt-out after year 1 or 2. Of all Cubs traded, seems like he and Jed had the best post-trade rapport.

 

The Rockies thing for KB seems like a clear cut case of an agent leaking a rumor to try to get another team to up their offer just a bit more. I still think he ends up with the Mariners.

 

The Mariners thing seems like a longer-shot to me after getting Winker and Suarez from the Reds, unless they have plans to flip one of them.