Is Jed Stroman it?

[SaorsaDaonnan]

The IP escalators are interesting...Makes me think they really might be looking into expanding on the approach changes he made in 2021 and maybe losing some innings in the process...or maybe, I don't actually suspect this, they didn't love the physical

 

IMO, if the Cubs didn’t like the physical and then lowered their offer, Stroman would have gambled that another team would have a rosier outlook later, and offer him something better in Feb.

 

Therefore, I think the shorter deal is something he’s cool with.

[SaorsaDaonnan]

The opt-out after year two also points to Stroman being interested in hitting the market again soon, imo…

[Tim]

 

Wow that is not as much money as I expected

That is a much better deal than I was anticipating. Fantastic.

[Rob]

Interesting to see the deal frontloaded -- even if only marginally so.

 

It may signal they're thinking about adding significant payroll in 2024.

[Bertz]

Interesting to see the deal frontloaded -- even if only marginally so.

 

It may signal they're thinking about adding significant payroll in 2024.

 

After '23, Heyward and Happ fall off, while Stroman falls off if he's good, and Hendricks falls off if he's bad. Given the timing of what's on the farm too, post 2023 offers a good opportunity to either *really* push the chips in, or dial things back a bit if the next two years don't go so well.

[Irrelevant Dude]

I like it. If Stroman gets hurt or underperforms, it's still only a short commitment that won't hurt the team long term. If he is good and the Cubs are bad, he's a valuable trade chip.

 

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[Rob]

I like it. If Stroman gets hurt or underperforms, it's still only a short commitment that won't hurt the team long term. If he is good and the Cubs are bad, he's a valuable trade chip.

 

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

Precisely. There's really no such thing as an absolutely terrible short-term contract. Worst case scenario is a minor wound.

[SaorsaDaonnan]

The IP escalators are interesting...Makes me think they really might be looking into expanding on the approach changes he made in 2021 and maybe losing some innings in the process...or maybe, I don't actually suspect this, they didn't love the physical

 

IMO, if the Cubs didn’t like the physical and then lowered their offer, Stroman would have gambled that another team would have a rosier outlook later, and offer him something better in Feb.

 

Therefore, I think the shorter deal is something he’s cool with.

 

Oh yeah, I think he's looking at this as a huge opportunity. I was speaking more to having escalators at 160 IP considering his durability, maybe suggests the Cubs and Stroman have bigger ideas than just plug and play

 

2023 strikeout king, Cy Young award winner Marcus Stroman does have a nice ring to it…

[CubinNY]

Now go get Carlos.

And bring back Riz.

[jersey cubs fan]

[Bertz]

I don't like Dom but literally LOL'd at this

 

[Post Count Padder]

Why don't people like Dom or CubsTalk or whatever that other guy is. I'm not fully in Cubs Twitter and only see stuff in passing.

[Cubswin11]

Why don't people like Dom or CubsTalk or whatever that other guy is. I'm not fully in Cubs Twitter and only see stuff in passing.

He’s an over the top homer, loser, who just constantly posts and retweets obnoxious Cubs stuff. He’s also close with Happ and his stupid coffee nonsense.

[17 Seconds]

Why don't people like Dom or CubsTalk or whatever that other guy is. I'm not fully in Cubs Twitter and only see stuff in passing.

He’s an over the top homer, loser, who just constantly posts and retweets obnoxious Cubs stuff. He’s also close with Happ and his stupid coffee nonsense.

 

I muted him a long time ago because he would defend the ricketts a lot and just seemed like a big shill

[Post Count Padder]

Why don't people like Dom or CubsTalk or whatever that other guy is. I'm not fully in Cubs Twitter and only see stuff in passing.

He’s an over the top homer, loser, who just constantly posts and retweets obnoxious Cubs stuff. He’s also close with Happ and his stupid coffee nonsense.

 

I muted him a long time ago because he would defend the ricketts a lot and just seemed like a big shill

That would do it.

 

Fwiw I like Happ and Connect Roasters. But I am not a fan of giving the Ricketts any benefit

[Cubswin11]

Why don't people like Dom or CubsTalk or whatever that other guy is. I'm not fully in Cubs Twitter and only see stuff in passing.

He’s an over the top homer, loser, who just constantly posts and retweets obnoxious Cubs stuff. He’s also close with Happ and his stupid coffee nonsense.

 

I muted him a long time ago because he would defend the ricketts a lot and just seemed like a big shill

I never got the sense he’s a Rickett’s shill. He’s just insanely over the top optimistic idiot at all times. Like even when the cubs are out of the playoffs he’d still say they can win the World Series

[Bear Cub]

Ricketts is still Ricketts!

[Bote McBoteface]

I don’t really get this signing……we still suck don’t we?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I was out during some of Stromania last night and lockout depression hasn't hit quite yet, so I'm wondering what we can read into Stroman's signing about the rest of the offseason.

 

- It gives lots of flexibility to future moves on a lot of different axes. Stroman didn't require a long term deal, so if they're worried about stacking too many long term commitments at once they still have that club in their bag. He didn't require a QO so if they want to pay a player cost they have less concerns about losing the gains they've made on the farm. He makes for a third durable starter(Stroman, Miley, and Hendricks are all in the Top 30 of IP since 2019 and Stroman opted out of 2020) which means they can take some bigger risks with subsequent pitching additions if they want.

 

- It also didn't answer a few questions that will inform those moves. The flexibility afforded by a 3 year deal and no QO is great, but it also means it's unproven that they'll be willing to hand out a longer term deal to a Correa/Story, or sign a QO'd player like those two, Castellanos or Conforto. It bumps the payroll up to a less pathetic 114 million, but if last year is a reasonable target of where they'll land it remains to be seen if upcoming spending will be deep or wide since either are reasonable options but both might be pushing it.

 

Based on the rumors that the Cubs were still in conversation with FA pitchers, and what we know about Jed's treatment of the rotation in his tenure(namely: he seems to value innings/durability more than the average GM), it seems likely they'll be spending at least a little more capital in the rotation. Whether that looks like an aggressive pursuit of Rodon or picking off a velocity flyer like Urena or Richards would depend on their view of the position players on the roster, which is a pile of hopes and dreams more than a robust offense right now.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don’t really get this signing……we still suck don’t we?

The payroll was extremely small and they had a desperate need for starting pitching. What is the confusion?

[Bote McBoteface]

I don’t really get this signing……we still suck don’t we?

The payroll was extremely small and they had a desperate need for starting pitching. What is the confusion?

 

 

I guess I was expecting scott feldmans and Ian Stewarts, I dunno. People who were clearly signed to be dealt at the deadline. I guess its possible that we plan to flip him this deadline or next. Its just a higher quality of FA than I thought we’d be considering

[Tim]

Based on the rumors that the Cubs were still in conversation with FA pitchers, and what we know about Jed's treatment of the rotation in his tenure(namely: he seems to value innings/durability more than the average GM), it seems likely they'll be spending at least a little more capital in the rotation. Whether that looks like an aggressive pursuit of Rodon or picking off a velocity flyer like Urena or Richards would depend on their view of the position players on the roster, which is a pile of hopes and dreams more than a robust offense right now.

This topic might be worth its own thread, but I was also thinking about what we are able to infer about Jed's pitching preferences last night. I was looking at durability and command. If you look at Miley, Stroman and Kilian, all three have plus command. Maybe they feel that velocity / stuff is overpriced? I admit I didn't pay nearly as much attention to the draft as normal this year. Is Wicks also a plus command guy?

 

Or maybe it's too few data points to be a trend. After all, Arrieta isn't a command guy and neither was Williams.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Based on the rumors that the Cubs were still in conversation with FA pitchers, and what we know about Jed's treatment of the rotation in his tenure(namely: he seems to value innings/durability more than the average GM), it seems likely they'll be spending at least a little more capital in the rotation. Whether that looks like an aggressive pursuit of Rodon or picking off a velocity flyer like Urena or Richards would depend on their view of the position players on the roster, which is a pile of hopes and dreams more than a robust offense right now.

This topic might be worth its own thread, but I was also thinking about what we are able to infer about Jed's pitching preferences last night. I was looking at durability and command. If you look at Miley, Stroman and Kilian, all three have plus command. Maybe they feel that velocity / stuff is overpriced? I admit I didn't pay nearly as much attention to the draft as normal this year. Is Wicks also a plus command guy?

 

Or maybe it's too few data points to be a trend. After all, Arrieta isn't a command guy and neither was Williams.

 

Yes, Wicks and Killian are not quite the same, but I would group them together in that they have better command than stuff, but the stuff isn't a big limitation. I think the 2021 acquisitions were at least partially about the unknown of how pitching staffs would hold up after 2020's weirdness(and Williams and Arrieta did take the mound consistently I guess), but Miley and Stroman(and Wicks/Killian to a lesser degree) seem to paint a picture that durability and command are something Jed cares about.

[JeffH]

Jed's pitching preferences

 

Volume of innings out of the starters. Some sort of diversity in pitch type, approach, velocity within the rotation, to whatever degree is reasonably possible. Power arms and strikeout stuff in the bullpen. Home run avoidance in general.

[UMFan83]

Interesting to read that Jed consciously altered his offseason plan when pitching names started dropping like flies. Explains why the Cubs were so incredibly quiet until earlier this week.

 

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2021/12/02/jed-hoyer-says-yes-the-cubs-realized-they-needed-to-adjust-their-strategy/

 

“You can’t just make plans and not alter them if things change,” Hoyer said via Gordon Wittenmyer at NBC Sports Chicago. “Clearly the pitching market was moving very quickly …. It was obvious that acting on those starting pitchers before Dec. 1 was something that was going to be really important.”