2022-23 Offseason Thread (Cubs)

[17 Seconds]

right now we could have schwarber, rizzo, and contreras on good contracts, and all it would have cost us is kevin alcantara

Contreras contract isn’t good

 

i said we could have had him on a good contract, he seemed to want to stay pretty badly

 

and i'd still take him on the cards contract

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think part of the answer to the above (albeit not a great reason) is that fellow players are less likely to cast aside players of his caliber even after a couple of (really) down years than we as fans are. It's just kind of the nature of him being one of them and having been really good. But maybe I'm way off.

 

A little bit of that, and also that the most important number is the 17 million. Players aren't going to be looking up the individual OPS or WAR of all their new potential teammates, but if they've got an offer from the Cubs who are saying "we're going to be in the playoffs next year" it is more clearly demonstrated that Jed isn't blowing smoke when he drops 35 million AAV on 2 players and says there's more coming.

[Cubswin11]

right now we could have schwarber, rizzo, and contreras on good contracts, and all it would have cost us is kevin alcantara

Contreras contract isn’t good

 

i said we could have had him on a good contract, he seemed to want to stay pretty badly

 

and i'd still take him on the cards contract

We’ll never know what the Cubs offered but the rumored offer to Rizzo as an extension is far more than he’s gotten from the Yankees (4-5 years for $75 mil or so I want to say). I think some of these guys overplayed their hand and glad we avoided Willy’s deal. Close to 9 figures for a 30+ catcher who has injury history and isn’t great defensively is a bad bet, imo.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Cubswin11

[Bobson Dugnutt]

I think part of the answer to the above (albeit not a great reason) is that fellow players are less likely to cast aside players of his caliber even after a couple of (really) down years than we as fans are. It's just kind of the nature of him being one of them and having been really good. But maybe I'm way off.

 

A little bit of that, and also that the most important number is the 17 million. Players aren't going to be looking up the individual OPS or WAR of all their new potential teammates, but if they've got an offer from the Cubs who are saying "we're going to be in the playoffs next year" it is more clearly demonstrated that Jed isn't blowing smoke when he drops 35 million AAV on 2 players and says there's more coming.

 

Fair enough. I suppose I get the logic to a degree. I’m still very leery as to how meaningful it is to other players. But what do I know…maybe the do give more of a look to a roster with a name like Bellinger instead of a 5-headed monster of Ortega/Hermosillo/Valazquez/Heyward/Morel even if the actual level of production isn’t all that different. 2019 just feels like ancient history.

 

I tend to think the “Cubs are open to signing TWO shortstops” and “Ricketts has mandated that Hoyer spend whatever it takes to turn the team around” leaks were crafted to signal that intent to spend. But if the Taillon/Bellinger signings add to that perception, all the better.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Bobson Dugnutt

[Tryptamine]

Still a lot could happen but we're almost 100M in, currently the offense looks worse and the pitching a bit better compared to a bad team last year.

[Bertz]

A couple of blurbs from Mooney this morning:

 

The Cubs may eventually sign another free agent who can play first base, but that position is not as much of a priority right now, given Bellinger’s defensive versatility, Matt Mervis’ emergence as a left-handed power hitter in the minors, and José Abreu’s decision to take a three-year offer from the Houston Astros.

 

I think this was talked about on here somewhere yesterday as likely, that the Cubs' to-do list has a bat on it but the ability for that guy to play 1B is more of a nice to have

 

After evaluating his body of work with the New York Yankees across the last two seasons, and setting aside future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, the Cubs rated Taillon as the top free-agent starter not attached to a qualifying offer, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reported.

 

Taillon’s four-year, $68 million deal is not viewed as a finishing piece to the rotation, but it does allow the Cubs to act patiently instead of desperately as they layer their pitching staff with more depth.

 

I take this as Taillon is viewed as being the "other" SP this winter, but they wanted to get it done now to make sure they didn't whiff entirely on the rotation. Are they planning to pull down their top guy via trade? Pablo Lopez?

[jersey cubs fan]

A couple of blurbs from Mooney this morning:

 

The Cubs may eventually sign another free agent who can play first base, but that position is not as much of a priority right now, given Bellinger’s defensive versatility, Matt Mervis’ emergence as a left-handed power hitter in the minors, and José Abreu’s decision to take a three-year offer from the Houston Astros.

How does another team’s acquisition of a player make the position less of a priority?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

A couple of blurbs from Mooney this morning:

 

The Cubs may eventually sign another free agent who can play first base, but that position is not as much of a priority right now, given Bellinger’s defensive versatility, Matt Mervis’ emergence as a left-handed power hitter in the minors, and José Abreu’s decision to take a three-year offer from the Houston Astros.

 

I think this was talked about on here somewhere yesterday as likely, that the Cubs' to-do list has a bat on it but the ability for that guy to play 1B is more of a nice to have

 

After evaluating his body of work with the New York Yankees across the last two seasons, and setting aside future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, the Cubs rated Taillon as the top free-agent starter not attached to a qualifying offer, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reported.

 

Taillon’s four-year, $68 million deal is not viewed as a finishing piece to the rotation, but it does allow the Cubs to act patiently instead of desperately as they layer their pitching staff with more depth.

 

I take this as Taillon is viewed as being the "other" SP this winter, but they wanted to get it done now to make sure they didn't whiff entirely on the rotation. Are they planning to pull down their top guy via trade? Pablo Lopez?

 

I dunno, viewing him as the best non-QO SP and waiting to add more 'depth' could be about making another SP simply fit in salary wise more than ensuring they're better than Taillon. Thanks to trades it could be both, but I didn't get the same impression.

 

As for the bat, it sounds like they only see one spot to be filled aside from SS & C? I wonder if that's sincere belief that they're fine with the depth, or they're gonna cross that bridge with what's left over if they do end up using MLB position players in a trade. Swanson, Vazquez/Narvaez, someone like Martinez/Brantley, and a 10M SP(Smyly?) would probably let you extend Hoerner and just barely stay under the tax line.

[CubinNY]

A couple of blurbs from Mooney this morning:

 

The Cubs may eventually sign another free agent who can play first base, but that position is not as much of a priority right now, given Bellinger’s defensive versatility, Matt Mervis’ emergence as a left-handed power hitter in the minors, and José Abreu’s decision to take a three-year offer from the Houston Astros.

How does another team’s acquisition of a player make the position less of a priority?

I think he is awkwardly saying there isn't another FA 1st baseman worth talking about on the market.

[UMFan83]

 

Not sure I agree with the “spend or else” take but the comments crane is making do see like they are putting some pressure on Jed to spend

[CubinNY]

 

Not sure I agree with the “spend or else” take but the comments crane is making do see like they are putting some pressure on Jed to spend

Or making him the scapegoat.

[Bertz]

I dunno, viewing him as the best non-QO SP and waiting to add more 'depth' could be about making another SP simply fit in salary wise more than ensuring they're better than Taillon. Thanks to trades it could be both, but I didn't get the same impression.

 

As for the bat, it sounds like they only see one spot to be filled aside from SS & C? I wonder if that's sincere belief that they're fine with the depth, or they're gonna cross that bridge with what's left over if they do end up using MLB position players in a trade. Swanson, Vazquez/Narvaez, someone like Martinez/Brantley, and a 10M SP(Smyly?) would probably let you extend Hoerner and just barely stay under the tax line.

 

Yeah that's fair. I feel like "not the finishing piece" and "allowing them to act patiently" to me says that he's the complimentary guy, but the talk of building layers of depth and top non QO target would work the other direction.

 

On the bat, that seems right? Let's say they come down with Swanson, Vazquez, and Brantley. This would be the position player group:

 

C - Vazquez

1B - Mervis

2B - Hoerner

SS - Swanson

3B - Morel

LF - Happ

CF - Bellinger

RF - Suzuki

DH - Brantley

Bench - Gomes, Wisdom, Madrigal, one of Mastrobuoni/Mckinstry

 

That's a full group. Madrigal making it to ST with the team in this scenario would feel unlikely, so they could add another player, but they'd still have Nelly (logical platoon option with Bellinger) or Higgins (Ross seems to like 3 catchers on the roster) in house that fit well on the end of the roster. I'd kind of guess if they do add a fourth position player it'll be someone low cost and highly specialized, like maybe a super fast outfield defense/baserunning threat, or a more defensive minded 3rd catcher than Higgins.

[David]

For anyone who wants to hear the Kenney interview

 

[champaignchris]

 

Not sure I agree with the “spend or else” take but the comments crane is making do see like they are putting some pressure on Jed to spend

 

Implicit in ownership’s “You can spend now,” leaks is that Hoyer wasn’t able to spend before.

 

The Cubs aren’t going to find better bang for the pitching buck than the 2 years for $39 million left on Darvish’s contract on the open market now. Too bad Jed was forced to sell him for pennies on the dollar due to “Biblical losses.”

 

See also the failure to pursue Harper in free agency after 2018. 9 years for $222 million looks pretty good today.

[Bertz]

 

I didn't realize until after I saw this and looked it up that Swanson is getting married tomorrow. I wonder if all the confidence from Crane et al is that the Cubs have a deal with him that's on like the 1 Yard line that's been put on pause because of the wedding.

[CubinNY]

 

I didn't realize until after I saw this and looked it up that Swanson is getting married tomorrow. I wonder if all the confidence from Crane et al is that the Cubs have a deal with him that's on like the 1 Yard line that's been put on pause because of the wedding.

Could be all the talk from Crane et al. is foreshadowing the big announcement. Who knows? If they manage both Swanson and Correa I promise to hold my words about the Ricketts for a year, even about politics.

[Bull]

A couple of blurbs from Mooney this morning:

 

The Cubs may eventually sign another free agent who can play first base, but that position is not as much of a priority right now, given Bellinger’s defensive versatility, Matt Mervis’ emergence as a left-handed power hitter in the minors, and José Abreu’s decision to take a three-year offer from the Houston Astros.

How does another team’s acquisition of a player make the position less of a priority?

 

I think the implication was that they were going to get a significant bat, and if Abreu was available, he would be that bat. With him gone somewhere else, there's no one else available at 1B that they feel fills that need, so they will find the bat at another position. I don't agree, but I think that's what is implied.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

I didn't realize until after I saw this and looked it up that Swanson is getting married tomorrow. I wonder if all the confidence from Crane et al is that the Cubs have a deal with him that's on like the 1 Yard line that's been put on pause because of the wedding.

Could be all the talk from Crane et al. is foreshadowing the big announcement. Who knows? If they manage both Swanson and Correa I promise to hold my words about the Ricketts for a year, even about politics.

They aren’t getting Swanson and Correa

[Ding Dong Johnson]

 

I didn't realize until after I saw this and looked it up that Swanson is getting married tomorrow. I wonder if all the confidence from Crane et al is that the Cubs have a deal with him that's on like the 1 Yard line that's been put on pause because of the wedding.

Could be all the talk from Crane et al. is foreshadowing the big announcement. Who knows? If they manage both Swanson and Correa I promise to hold my words about the Ricketts for a year, even about politics.

They aren’t getting Swanson and Correa

Boy are you gonna look silly

[Tim]

Just give Correa the 12/360 contract at this point and let him & Boras set the record for shortstops.

[UMFan83]

Just give Correa the 12/360 contract at this point and let him & Boras set the record for shortstops.

 

Seriously, I just want to feel something again. Don't care if I'll regret it later on lol

[Bertz]

 

[17 Seconds]

Just give Correa the 12/360 contract at this point and let him & Boras set the record for shortstops.

 

give him 400. i don't think the cubs should be outbid with their situation

[UMFan83]

Not really news but speculation from someone who knows things:

 

[Backtobanks]

Not really news but speculation from someone who knows things:

 

 

 

$200,000,000 / 8 yrs. for Swanson?????????????????????????????????????????????????