Cubs offseason chit chat...

[Bertz]

3 hours ago, Rob said:

I'm still surprised we haven't been linked to Brandon Belt.

He's 36 years old, and a lot of his success in recent years has been at least partially attributable to an inflated BABIP. But he's at least a decent bet to perform reasonably well as the strong side of a 1B or DH platoon. Since we don't really have any in-house options for either aside from guys the FO seems down on, he strikes me as a decent pickup.

Yeah I like him a ton.  His contact is slipping as he ages but it's still ++ patience and + LHH power. 

 

[Bertz]

 

I know this has been talked about ad nauseum but man things are so much easier on the position player side if you feel like you can comfortably play Morel at 3rd. 

[CubbyBlue2008]

26 minutes ago, The20thK said:

Morel can hold down 3rd, and we sign Belli, do we start PCA in CF? That would mean any other dollars we have to spend can go towards pitching, right? 
 

this seems like the best case scenario. 

I’d put Bellinger in CF if you resign him and then trade PCA. He will likely get back a lot. I think you can get a controllable starter and more for PCA. Then sign Hoskins and sign/trade for another bat. 

[Tryptamine]

If you're going to give Bellinger 200M he has to at least start the contract in CF. That also means shopping PCA for the best arm you can get that has at least a few years of control. You don't give 200M to a 1B not named Freddie Freeman. 

[Rcal10]

21 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

If you're going to give Bellinger 200M he has to at least start the contract in CF. That also means shopping PCA for the best arm you can get that has at least a few years of control. You don't give 200M to a 1B not named Freddie Freeman. 

I agree, Belliger has to start in center. But I’m not sure you have to trade PCA. He can get another year at AAA. Decide before the 25’ season what to do. That said, if PCA gets you a young controlled starting pitcher or is used for a bigger deal for a pitcher and another bat, that works too. 

[gocubs218]

Starting to wonder if we turn to someone like Montgomery and end up trading for a bat instead of a starter. If we lose out on Glasnow I would rather go that route than Bieber. 

[ToolDRT]

3 minutes ago, gocubs218 said:

Starting to wonder if we turn to someone like Montgomery and end up trading for a bat instead of a starter. If we lose out on Glasnow I would rather go that route than Bieber. 

Is there a general consensus on what a Montgomery contract would look like? I’ve heard so little about him this offseason. 

[gocubs218]

9 minutes ago, ToolDRT said:

Is there a general consensus on what a Montgomery contract would look like? I’ve heard so little about him this offseason. 

5/125ish? 

[Rex Buckingham]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

No, Belliger should only be signed for center. Either trade for Naydor or sign Hoskins too. Or both. One can DH.

Man, I know sometimes it can be hard typing on a phone, but you've called Naylor 'Naydor' like 25 times this weekend...

[Jason Ross]

17 minutes ago, gocubs218 said:

5/125ish? 

Most contracts are coming in higher than expected so far on the upper end of the market. Probably closer to 6/$150m.

To your greater point: I'll take 1 year of Bieber over the Montomgery contract. Montgomery is fine. I don't love that contract.

Edited December 11, 2023 by 1908_Cubs

[mul21]

6 minutes ago, Rex Buckingham said:

Man, I know sometimes it can be hard typing on a phone, but you've called Naylor 'Naydor' like 25 times this weekend...

I'm convinced he's a Score caller from the southside.  He was referring to one of the pitchers as Wesnecki too.

[Rcal10]

21 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I'm convinced he's a Score caller from the southside.  He was referring to one of the pitchers as Wesnecki too.

You would be wrong. Just can’t type and mess up names. And I have since corrected Wesneski since you mentioned it. 

[UMFan83]

This is a fairly weak rumor but apparently Bellinger’s girlfriend posted an Instagram from Toronto 😱

[Bertz]

 

 

[UMFan83]

Haha I beat you by seconds

Edit: in all seriousness, she’s a model that travels places for modeling so it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s there with Belli on a FA visit. But also Bellinger is obviously going to take FA visits so not that big of a deal unless he signs a contract.  But as a Boras client I doubt he will unless they absolutely blow them away with an offer 

Edited December 11, 2023 by UMFan83

[PackLandVA]

18 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

This is a fairly weak rumor but apparently Bellinger’s girlfriend posted an Instagram from Toronto 😱

So Bellinger will be signing with the Dodgers tomorrow or Tuesday.

[JHBulls]

Photo of a person at the winter meetings but it’s obvious a different time period because of signage in the background of said photo. Kikuchi and the sushi restaurant. Ohtani on the plane. Shark tank dude actually on the plane. Morosi calling everything wrong. National guys following Morosi’s lead by all calling Ohtani to Blue Jays wrong (see, Ohtani and the plane). Ohtani and the $700 Million deal the very next day. Rosenthal comes out of nowhere to announce the deal hasn’t been done because of no Dodger acknowledgment (hours after Ohtani said he’s a Dodger). Bellinger’s model girlfriend posts from Toronto and Twitterers (X’ers?) already calling BS on it being from today.

This winter can only be summed up one way:

[ToolDRT]

I don’t want 200 million dollar Bellinger anyway. Too risky, in my opinion. 

[Layoutman]

3 hours ago, ToolDRT said:

I don’t want 200 million dollar Bellinger anyway. Too risky, in my opinion. 

This.
Be it CF or 1B considering that the POTENTIAL long-term solutions at those positions could already be on the 40 man roster in PCA and Mervis. Rhys Hoskins is a far cheaper bridge to sort out first base than Bellinger. 

Would really like the Cubs to tell Owen Caissie to bring his first base glove to spring training.

Edited December 11, 2023 by 84 Cubs

[Rcal10]

4 hours ago, 84 Cubs said:

This.
Be it CF or 1B considering that the POTENTIAL long-term solutions at those positions could already be on the 40 man roster in PCA and Mervis. Rhys Hoskins is a far cheaper bridge to sort out first base than Bellinger. 

Would really like the Cubs to tell Owen Caissie to bring his first base glove to spring training.

First, Bellinger needs to come down some on what Boros is suggesting. I don’t want him at $200M either. But for a Swanson deal, he would be fine. And, he has to play centerfield. Counting on rookies to fill these spots and penciling them in as if it is a given they will be stars is a recipe to be a bad team a long time. I do also like Hoskins and/or Naylor. There is room for all of those guys. Doing this, even having all 3 doesn’t mean they have to trade PCA. They can give him the year at AAA. In 25’ they can figure out what to do. If they have Naylor and PCA is proving he needs to be in the majors and playing everyday. They can rotate outfielders as DH. Or they can trade a corner outfielder and move Bellinger to the corner. A lot can happen in a year. 
I feel there is something about Mervis the Cubs don’t like. I don’t see him as an option. I wish he was, but I don’t think he will be. 

[Rcal10]

6 hours ago, The20thK said:

Is that cause of the dollars? He wants elite CF money and not 1st Base money? 

Yes. If they are paying him and bidding against other teams for his services in centerfield he needs to be in centerfield. That is too much money for 1st base. 

[Jason Ross]

"Tyler Glasnow remains a target, but the Braves and Dodgers look like stiff competition… Hoskins, Glasnow and Shoto Imanaga all make sense and remain targets. Cleveland, the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners remain teams to watch on the trade market, along with the New York Mets and Alonso. Matt Chapman fits the mold that Hoyer has sought in recent winters, and if Jordan Montgomery’s market doesn’t get out of hand, he looks attractive — especially without a qualifying offer. "

The Athletic

[Derwood]

Clearly we just need to make PCA our third baseman. 

[Rcal10]

26 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

"Tyler Glasnow remains a target, but the Braves and Dodgers look like stiff competition… Hoskins, Glasnow and Shoto Imanaga all make sense and remain targets. Cleveland, the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners remain teams to watch on the trade market, along with the New York Mets and Alonso. Matt Chapman fits the mold that Hoyer has sought in recent winters, and if Jordan Montgomery’s market doesn’t get out of hand, he looks attractive — especially without a qualifying offer. "

The Athletic

A lot of possibilities with Twins, Guardians and Mariners. But he needs to get going. Don’t want to be left behind when the smoke clears. 

[Bertz]

Before Stearns took over there was a ton of smoke on Alonso.  Since then there's been pretty much nada.  I expect the new boss clamped down on that idea real quick.  Unfortunate because he's in that offensive tier in between Soto/Ohtani and all the guys we're talking about now.