Ohtani to Dodgers for an ungodly amount of money

[17 Seconds]

didn't nightengale break lebron to the heat, or am i misremembering? i think that's how he made a name for himself

[CubinNY]

I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd. This thread is like Trealawney's tea leaves class. Nothing wrong with it though. I'm not gonna deny anyone's right to speculate. It's fun. 

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, username said:

Remember this?  Literally same day that word broke he was coming to Chicago.

Nightengale is the most clueless out there.

A very good reminder. 

[ILMindState]

5 minutes ago, 17 Seconds said:

didn't nightengale break lebron to the heat, or am i misremembering? i think that's how he made a name for himself

That was Stephen A Smith.  It revived his career

[Bertz]

4 minutes ago, 17 Seconds said:

didn't nightengale break lebron to the heat, or am i misremembering? i think that's how he made a name for himself

He is right about just enough that you have to listen to him, but he trips on his horsefeathers in hilarious and embarrassing ways constantly.  Similar to Bowden.

Always listen to him about anything White Sox related though, he's clearly connected to Reinsdorf.

[Jason Ross]

So, I'm going to try to accept the Bob thing as possible right now. How would Bob have that kind of information? Well, I'd assume the Cubs didn't tell Bob, so I'd guess, as someone else suggested, that the Cubs are pushing to sign other free agents, causing someone to suggest the Cubs don't have the confidence to bring home Ohtani (either that or someone told an agent that). With Yamamoto at least a week away, I guess I don't understand what free agents they could be pushing for. Matt Chapman? Jordan Montgomery? These aren't bad players, but kind of represent that "safe" option the Cubs have gone after recently. 

Edited December 5, 2023 by 1908_Cubs

[17 Seconds]

4 minutes ago, ILMindState said:

That was Stephen A Smith.  It revived his career

i think stephen a picked it up after bob, but i could be wrong

[DYMNO]

I know Boob sucks, but could this be scuttlebutt due to other execs noticing the increased level of activity on the part of the Cubs in pursuing alternatives? I could see how they are laying the groundwork to pivot in case Ohtani *doesn’t* sign with the Cubs, and others are taking that as waning optimism. 

[ILMindState]

3 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

So, I'm going to try to accept the Bob thing as possible right now. How would Bob have that kind of information? Well, I'd assume the Cubs didn't tell Bob, so I'd guess, as someone else suggested, that the Cubs are pushing to sign other free agents. With Yamamoto at least a week away, I guess I don't understand what free agents they could be pushing for. Matt Chapman? Jordan Montgomery? These aren't bad players, but kind of represent that "safe" option the Cubs have gone after recently. 

I think plan B is Yamamoto, Hoskins, and a trade we don't know about yet.

[Jason Ross]

Just now, username said:

That'd be a very disappointing pivot.  That's like a kid thinking Santa is bringing him a new PS5, and then he opens up an old Super Nintendo on Christmas morning.  

Yeah, I'd be pretty disappointed with that pivot. Sadly, I just don't see what other FA they could be really pushing for (outside of Yamamoto who is too far out for that to be the push, IMO). 

If there's a positive here...maybe this isn't the Cubs waning. Maybe it's the Cubs confident they're getting Ohtani and building around him? But that could be hopium.

[Irrelevant Dude]

4 minutes ago, username said:

That'd be a very disappointing pivot.  That's like a kid thinking Santa is bringing him a new PS5, and then he opens up an old Super Nintendo on Christmas morning.  

That would be one lucky kid.

[Jason Ross]

 

[UMFan83]

I'm sorry, I refuse to believe @PlaymakerDavid duped us

[Bertz]

If Jed doesn't pull down Ohtani, he ought to go after Soto.  If he doesn't do that for whatever reason, I'd expect two solid bats and a pretty stellar group of pitchers brought in.  Basically an offseason like this:

- Trade for Glasnow

- Trade for Jorge Polanco

- Sign Imanaga

- Sign Hoskins

- Sign one of the high end relievers (Stephenson?)

- Trade for another high end reliever (one of the Marlins lefties?)

It's not nearly as fun as an Ohtani or Soto offseason but that team is very very strong

[Jason Ross]

3 minutes ago, Bertz said:

If Jed doesn't pull down Ohtani, he ought to go after Soto.  If he doesn't do that for whatever reason, I'd expect two solid bats and a pretty stellar group of pitchers brought in.  Basically an offseason like this:

- Trade for Glasnow

- Trade for Jorge Polanco

- Sign Imanaga

- Sign Hoskins

- Sign one of the high end relievers (Stephenson?)

- Trade for another high end reliever (one of the Marlins lefties?)

It's not nearly as fun as an Ohtani or Soto offseason but that team is very very strong

It's a good team. But I'm not entirely sure I'm jazzed about the use of resources on the BP, there. And the general lack of star power for the Cubs remains. If the Cubs sit out Yamamoto, Soto, and can't hit on Ohtani, it really feels like the Cubs will kind of remain in this perpetual state of lacking truly impactful talent. That's probably a team you can count on winning high 80's, but still feel like 2025 then becomes a "Soto or bust" offseason, which has kind of just been the same revolving door for the team recently. 

I can also recognize I may just being pissy and disappointed.

[17 Seconds]

8 minutes ago, Bertz said:

If Jed doesn't pull down Ohtani, he ought to go after Soto.  If he doesn't do that for whatever reason, I'd expect two solid bats and a pretty stellar group of pitchers brought in.  Basically an offseason like this:

- Trade for Glasnow

- Trade for Jorge Polanco

- Sign Imanaga

- Sign Hoskins

- Sign one of the high end relievers (Stephenson?)

- Trade for another high end reliever (one of the Marlins lefties?)

It's not nearly as fun as an Ohtani or Soto offseason but that team is very very strong

not saying you're wrong, but god that would be boring. who would the best player on that team? dansby? and who would be the best bat? seiya?

[Rcal10]

12 minutes ago, Bertz said:

If Jed doesn't pull down Ohtani, he ought to go after Soto.  If he doesn't do that for whatever reason, I'd expect two solid bats and a pretty stellar group of pitchers brought in.  Basically an offseason like this:

- Trade for Glasnow

- Trade for Jorge Polanco

- Sign Imanaga

- Sign Hoskins

- Sign one of the high end relievers (Stephenson?)

- Trade for another high end reliever (one of the Marlins lefties?)

It's not nearly as fun as an Ohtani or Soto offseason but that team is very very strong

This is pretty close to my off season thoughts. (Without Ohtani or Soto)

but I am not sure they add 2 pen arms. 
 

not super exciting.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Rcal10

[CubinNY]

 

[Bertz]

1 minute ago, 17 Seconds said:

not saying you're wrong, but god that would be boring. who would the best player on that team? dansby? and who would be the best bat? seiya?

It's probably a comparable offense to last year (there's no Bellinger but you're replacing a lot of replacement level PAs with Jorge Polanco's ~115 wRC+).

That pitching staff, assuming Taillon’s dong problems from last year aren't permanent, will absolutely horsefeathers people up.  It is good and it is deep.

Like 1908 said it sucks to not pull down a star, but realistically there's only 3 of those available this winter.  The worst thing in the world IMO would be paying e.g. Bellinger star money just because you're feeling burned and impatient.

[imb]

ohtani inexplicably choosing the cubs over the dodgers was always a longshot. i just take solace in the fact that almost every time i get my heart set on a FA, we don't get him and it works out fine anyway

[Rcal10]

8 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

It's a good team. But I'm not entirely sure I'm jazzed about the use of resources on the BP, there. And the general lack of star power for the Cubs remains. If the Cubs sit out Yamamoto, Soto, and can't hit on Ohtani, it really feels like the Cubs will kind of remain in this perpetual state of lacking truly impactful talent. That's probably a team you can count on winning high 80's, but still feel like 2025 then becomes a "Soto or bust" offseason, which has kind of just been the same revolving door for the team recently. 

I can also recognize I may just being pissy and disappointed.

I don’t think you are being pissy or sounding like you are posting this way out of disappointment. I think it is very likely what they would be with those moves. A decent team who wins around 87-91 games. It is ok, but not great. Maybe Yamamoto as the free agent instead helps a little more. Maybe Alonso instead of Hoskins? Honestly I don’t know. Maybe if the Blue Jays land Ohtani the Cubs do trade for Bichette? I don’t see the sense in that, but it has been mentioned the Jays might move a guy or two if they get Ohtani. 

[Jason Ross]

7 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I don’t think you are being pissy or sounding like you are posting this way out of disappointment. I think it is very likely what they would be with those moves. A decent team who wins around 87-91 games. It is ok, but not great. Maybe Yamamoto as the free agent instead helps a little more. Maybe Alonso instead of Hoskins? Honestly I don’t know. Maybe if the Blue Jays land Ohtani the Cubs do trade for Bichette? I don’t see the sense in that, but it has been mentioned the Jays might move a guy or two if they get Ohtani. 

Eh, I don't want to try to horsefeathers on the best Cubs team in the last half decade, because that's arguably what it is; the best team the Cubs have put on the field since 2018. So, part of me would feel a bit ungrateful. Hoskins and Polanco make the lineup fairly deep, if lacking impact hitters. The rotation could be really good at the top and then you'd have Horton waiting. It's a good team. Logically, I shouldn't be mad at that offseason. It's active and the Cubs get better. It just feels a bit "more of the same" with the team. 

We'll see. I'm trying 'to stay neutral and not getting bent out of shape. It's not easy haha. So that's why I'm trying to be cognizant of being pissy and disappointed. 

Edited December 5, 2023 by 1908_Cubs

[CubinNY]

The Cubs have stars in the making, we have to hope they hit on more than one. Morel, PCA, Horton, Canario, and maybe Shaw (he needs to continue to destroy the baseball next spring and summer). Plus if Alcantara gets to his 80th percentile. That's a lot of good young talent. 

This is what Tommy Boy and Jed have been after. 

I'd love to get Ohtani, but more than that, I'd love the young Cubs to develop. 

[Jason Ross]

Just now, CubinNY said:

The Cubs have stars in the making, we have to hope they hit on more than one. Morel, PCA, Horton, Canario, and maybe Shaw (he needs to continue to destroy the baseball next spring and summer). Plus if Alcantara gets to his 80th percentile. That's a lot of good young talent. 

This is what Tommy Boy and Jed have been after. 

I'd love to get Ohtani, but more than that, I'd love the young Cubs to develop. 

Of that group, only Horton and PCA have real star upside. Morel is fine, but at this stage has shown zero ability to play a position, and Canario has way too much variance in his profile and even then probably projects as more of "good" in his 95% outcomes. There was a really great article by fangraphs the other year, basically showing how even if you have the best pitching prospect and best hitting prospect, how unlikely it is for you to still have a star between the two of them. and while I love Horton and PCA, it's more likely neither hits that level. 

The Cubs have a lot of good young talent. But when you have chances to get already stars, you have to start getting some, too. I don't want the Cubs to piss away all the talent they have. At the same time, they can't become beholden to it.

[17 Seconds]

jesse rogers is on the radio saying he doesn't think it's happening for the cubs

Edited December 5, 2023 by 17 Seconds