Cubs offseason chit chat...

[We Got The Whole 9]

38 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

PCA, Mervis, Caissie, Alcantara,  Brown, Wicks, Canairo, McGeary, BJ Murray, Davis, Vazquez,  Kilian, Little,  Hodge, Aliendo, Franklin.... All with ETA of 2023 and 2024.

Here a crazy what IF ..

What if Hoyer/Carter plan for 2024 is to play their young guys throughout the season and see who ready to stay up.

They dont sign anyone to a big multi year contract, just short deals, and instead of trading their top prospects, they play them all or the ones that force their way up.

Next offseason,  theyll have more then enough money to go after Soto and another top player , theyll have a good idea about a few of their kids, who to trade, who to keep.

Outside pf possibly bringing Bellinger back, I think this could be their plan to fill in 1B, CF, and 3B this coming season. 

Go with the young arms in the rotation and bullpen 

I actually am leaning toward some of this being true. They are going to use this year to hold a lot of auditions for prospects. 

 

They believe that Counsell will squeeze out enough wins to be competitive. 

 

I think they will eventually cave for Bellinger and make some ancillary moves. I'm not convinced that Jed will ever trade a prospect of significance. 

[Stratos]

2 hours ago, ILMindState said:

Holy horsefeathers what are we doing here. Are we the Reds now but with the Brewers old manager?

"Hey Craig, here's a crap roster now go do your thing that we're paying you to do".

[Stratos]

2 hours ago, Bertz said:

I think I've seen some stuff from some of the pitch design guys on Twitter that Wacha's last two years are not as smoke and mirrors as they look at first blush.

That said I don't understand what the point is unless he's backfilling for a chunk of pitching depth going out the door in trade.  With Soto and Glasnow spoken for and Cleveland/Seattle looking more at bats I'm curious what that trade would be?  Because if we have all of Assad/Wicks/Wesneski/Brown in hand still adding a mediocre veteran to block them seems needlessly conservative.  And if Wacha's the #1 SP added this winter...woof.

Maybe the Cubs will defer some of Wacha's contract in order to add more talent to the Cubs over the length of the deal.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Sign Cody and Hader. Trade for Clase and Naylor. That's basically a Brewers roster and should win the division and only adds ~50M to the payroll. 

[Stratos]

Checking for signing news more than once a day is psychologically unhealthy I have discovered.

[Tryptamine]

Not that I was particularly interested, but Jack Flaherty to Det

[Tryptamine]

Didn't notice Mahle signed a 2 year deal with the Rangers. Pitching market thinning out. 

[Rcal10]

28 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Sign Cody and Hader. Trade for Clase and Naylor. That's basically a Brewers roster and should win the division and only adds ~50M to the payroll. 

What is the rotation. Switch Hader for Imanaga or Montgomery or Clase for Bibee or Allen and at least you added a starting pitcher. If Morel can handle 3rd that might be enough, tbh. DH rotates between Bellinger, Happ, Suzuki and Naylor. PCA stays in center. Bellinger plays all outfield positions as well as some first base. 

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, Tryptamine said:

Didn't notice Mahle signed a 2 year deal with the Rangers. Pitching market thinning out. 

Not someone the Cubs should be interested in anyway. 

[TarzanJoeWallis]

3 hours ago, CubinNY said:

Dawson, Heyward, Big Jon?

in the 1980’s before Dawson they made a huge investment in a pitcher from Houston and two other guys and it was a dismal failure. I think his name was Mike Scott. I remember they were on the cover of SI during spring training. 

As has already been noted by others, it was Dave Smith. They also signed Danny Jackson and George Bell that offseason. Bell should definitely count as a big free agent they landed. 

[Jason Ross]

I'll take a crack at the rest of the offseason or the plan right now:

1) I think the Cubs will trade for Shane Bieber. I'll guess Canario fits the bill here. My guess is that Jed likes the price on Bieber more than Glasnow. 

2) I think they'll shortly (before Christmas) pick up a decent leverage reliever. Maybe Stephenson, but I bet lower than that.

3) I think the bulk of the FA work at this stage comes in January. I think they're going to wait this out. They'll grab another SP, like a Snell or a Montgomery if the market doesn't come together. They'll be out on Imanaga, however. McDaniel posted yesterday on ESPN that his contract is coming in higher than expected. Cubs don't do bidding wars. They'll wait out Bellinger, Chapman and Hoskins, too and grab at least one. Maybe two on higher AAV shorter deals if possible. If only one, they'll grab a lower tier of second bat. Belt, Pederson, Turner...those guys. DH types. But I think the FA stuff comes after New Years. 

This feels like a pretty conservative way to spend $60m+, in my books, which is how I'm starting to feel this team works. They're slow. They're patient (to a fault). They'll spend a decent chunk of money on the surface, but it'll all be on their terms. 

Edited December 15, 2023 by 1908_Cubs

[17 Seconds]

why did counsell choose to come here? 

[CubinNY]

1 minute ago, 17 Seconds said:

why did counsell choose to come here? 

They lied their asses off 

[ToolDRT]

1 minute ago, 17 Seconds said:

why did counsell choose to come here? 

Have to wonder if he’s asking himself the same question. If not yet, he will. 

[Rcal10]

9 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I'll take a crack at the rest of the offseason or the plan right now:

1) I think the Cubs will trade for Shane Bieber. I'll guess Canario fits the bill here. My guess is that Jed likes the price on Bieber more than Glasnow. 

2) I think they'll shortly (before Christmas) pick up a decent leverage reliever. Maybe Stephenson, but I bet lower than that.

3) I think the bulk of the FA work at this stage comes in January. I think they're going to wait this out. They'll grab another SP, like a Snell or a Montgomery if the market doesn't come together. They'll be out on Imanaga, however. McDaniel posted yesterday on ESPN that his contract is coming in higher than expected. Cubs don't do bidding wars. They'll wait out Bellinger, Chapman and Hoskins, too and grab at least one. Maybe two on higher AAV shorter deals if possible. If only one, they'll grab a lower tier of second bat. Belt, Pederson, Turner...those guys. DH types. But I think the FA stuff comes after New Years. 

This feels like a pretty conservative way to spend $60m+, in my books, which is how I'm starting to feel this team works. They're slow. They're patient (to a fault). They'll spend a decent chunk of money on the surface, but it'll all be on their terms. 

Sadly this is probably right. The only reason I would think they might stay in on Imanaga is because the others you mentioned come with the QO penalty. They might want to aboud that. If not Imanaga, sadly Wacha might be their target. No QO. 

[SOFNR]

10 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I'll take a crack at the rest of the offseason or the plan right now:

1) I think the Cubs will trade for Shane Bieber. I'll guess Canario fits the bill here. My guess is that Jed likes the price on Bieber more than Glasnow. 

2) I think they'll shortly (before Christmas) pick up a decent leverage reliever. Maybe Stephenson, but I bet lower than that.

3) I think the bulk of the FA work at this stage comes in January. I think they're going to wait this out. They'll grab another SP, like a Snell or a Montgomery if the market doesn't come together. They'll be out on Imanaga, however. McDaniel posted yesterday on ESPN that his contract is coming in higher than expected. Cubs don't do bidding wars. They'll wait out Bellinger, Chapman and Hoskins, too and grab at least one. Maybe two on higher AAV shorter deals if possible. If only one, they'll grab a lower tier of second bat. Belt, Pederson, Turner...those guys. DH types. But I think the FA stuff comes after New Years. 

This feels like a pretty conservative way to spend $60m+, in my books, which is how I'm starting to feel this team works. They're slow. They're patient (to a fault). They'll spend a decent chunk of money on the surface, but it'll all be on their terms. 

That sounds about right.

[Tryptamine]

9 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

They lied their asses off 

The same way they got Seiya here

[chibears55]

Dodgers get Glasnow

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by chibears55

[Tryptamine]

Just now, chibears55 said:

Dodgers get Glasnow

 

Already a thread

[JHBulls]

15 minutes ago, 17 Seconds said:

why did counsell choose to come here? 

 $40 million over 5 years is a hell of an offer to turn down. Money helps in a big way and all Counsell needed to do was leave a division rival with less resources. 

[LBiittner]

2 hours ago, Randall Simon said:

Alou, Zobrist, Fukudome

Dave fuckit Kingman was the most exciting free agent ever signed by the cubs.

Not the BEST mind you. But the most exciting. I don't care about stats in this explanation. You had to live the experience that was King Kong. Uncomparable, where a swing and a miss was as breathtaking as him smashing one onto Waveland or Sheffield

[17 Seconds]

1 minute ago, JHBulls said:

 $40 million over 5 years is a hell of an offer to turn down. Money helps in a big way and all Counsell needed to do was leave a division rival with less resources. 

I'm sure he could have gotten as much from the Mets or others

[Tryptamine]

Just now, JHBulls said:

 $40 million over 5 years is a hell of an offer to turn down. Money helps in a big way and all Counsell needed to do was leave a division rival with less resources. 

 Resources don't matter if you don't use them. He left a team that has been better than the Cubs for the past half decade, have a top tier farm including a league MVP potential prospect locked up long term, and that farm will get even better should they decide to move on from Burnes and Adames. 

[CubbyBlue2008]

38 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I'll take a crack at the rest of the offseason or the plan right now:

1) I think the Cubs will trade for Shane Bieber. I'll guess Canario fits the bill here. My guess is that Jed likes the price on Bieber more than Glasnow. 

2) I think they'll shortly (before Christmas) pick up a decent leverage reliever. Maybe Stephenson, but I bet lower than that.

3) I think the bulk of the FA work at this stage comes in January. I think they're going to wait this out. They'll grab another SP, like a Snell or a Montgomery if the market doesn't come together. They'll be out on Imanaga, however. McDaniel posted yesterday on ESPN that his contract is coming in higher than expected. Cubs don't do bidding wars. They'll wait out Bellinger, Chapman and Hoskins, too and grab at least one. Maybe two on higher AAV shorter deals if possible. If only one, they'll grab a lower tier of second bat. Belt, Pederson, Turner...those guys. DH types. But I think the FA stuff comes after New Years. 

This feels like a pretty conservative way to spend $60m+, in my books, which is how I'm starting to feel this team works. They're slow. They're patient (to a fault). They'll spend a decent chunk of money on the surface, but it'll all be on their terms. 

I’d like if they could grab Bellinger, Hoskins, and trade for Cease. I know Bieber costs less, but I don’t think it’s impactful enough.

[Rcal10]

I know everyone is upset and pissed about what has been happening. But if they do as 1908 suggested and get Bieber in a trade, sign a solid starting pitcher as well as a pen arm and Hoskins and Bellinger they actually will have a good team who would most likely be the favorite in the central with a expected win total of 87-90 wins. It is a far cry from what I wanted them to do, but they will be good. I guess Bellinger would play all outfield positions and first base. If Morel can actually handle 3rd and PCA is at least not terrible with the bat they have a chance to be better than a 90 win team.