Cubs offseason chit chat...

[gocubs218]

 

Nothing much new but just points more towards trades coming. 

[Jason Ross]

5 minutes ago, gocubs218 said:

 

Nothing much new but just points more towards trades coming. 

Interesting to note the Cubs could make a trade to replace Bellinger. Does seem to suggest the Cubs are adverse to negotiating up with Boras clients. A bit concerning if you want them to sign Montgomery or Snell, however.

[Rcal10]

4 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Interesting to note the Cubs could make a trade to replace Bellinger. Does seem to suggest the Cubs are adverse to negotiating up with Boras clients. A bit concerning if you want them to sign Montgomery or Snell, however.

A trade doesn’t have to be for a centerfielder, I would assume. They can replace Bellinger’s bat with Naylor, as an example. That does track with what has been suggested before. Naylor and Bieber. Then maybe Chapman on a 4 year deal. DH Morel and Tauchman in center until PCA is ready. They should have enough money to sign  top lefty starter and a pen arm. That wouldn’t be a terrible off season. Not as good as I hoped, but passable. If Chapman is too costly or they feel he holds back prospects then they have to pivot. If Morel can handle 3rd that opens up getting a bat like JD Martinez or Solar to DH, instead of signing Chapman. That off season doesn’t cost too many prospects, doesn’t hold anyone back and doesn’t overload the team payroll. 

[Bertz]

Once again someone who's in the know is like "oh yeah they're definitely gonna make some trades".  And this time specifically it's mentioned on the offensive side.

Really curious if it's the usual suspects we've been discussing, or if it's anyone a little more off the radar.

[Jason Ross]

2 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Once again someone who's in the know is like "oh yeah they're definitely gonna make some trades".  And this time specifically it's mentioned on the offensive side.

Really curious if it's the usual suspects we've been discussing, or if it's anyone a little more off the radar.

Wonder if it's Alonso they want.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

3 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Wonder if it's Alonso they want.

Sharma has been persistent in making sure to drop Alonso's name, so you do start to wonder.  I don't think this is literally true, but there's maybe a 'don't have to deal with Boras' premium they might be willing to pay in trade or in a possible Alonso extension given how much of the bigger names have to go through him at this point in the offseason

[Bertz]

1 minute ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Wonder if it's Alonso they want.

I believe Sharma mentioned him on TV over the holiday and it was the first time I'd heard his name basically since Stearns took over.  He is the one guy who seems realistically available in that hitter-tier in between Soto/Ohtani and like Rhys Hoskins.  

[Bertz]

Thinking out loud, if you pulled down Alonso, Imanaga, and traded for Jansen with Boston covering ~half his salary, you would have filled the three biggest holes on the roster with legit 1st division talents.  You'd also, we suspect, have $20-30M more to play with.  You could at that point more confidently play a game of chicken with Boras for Chapman/Bellinger, do the Bieber/Naylor deal, or build Counsell a bullpen of doom with e.g Robertson + Stephenson.

[Petrey10]

At this point I really want Alonso AND Hoskins. We need freaking offense. 
 

it’s incredible we are the only team in the mlb to not add mlb talent so far. If I’m Counsell I’m seriously questioning the FO plan.

[Rcal10]

18 minutes ago, Petrey10 said:

At this point I really want Alonso AND Hoskins. We need freaking offense. 
 

it’s incredible we are the only team in the mlb to not add mlb talent so far. If I’m Counsell I’m seriously questioning the FO plan.

I don’t see a fit for both of them. 

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Thinking out loud, if you pulled down Alonso, Imanaga, and traded for Jansen with Boston covering ~half his salary, you would have filled the three biggest holes on the roster with legit 1st division talents.  You'd also, we suspect, have $20-30M more to play with.  You could at that point more confidently play a game of chicken with Boras for Chapman/Bellinger, do the Bieber/Naylor deal, or build Counsell a bullpen of doom with e.g Robertson + Stephenson.

Most of our discussions have been about Jed waiting on the FA market to drop. But he also might be waiting on the trade market to soften as well. We have seen Sale go for a solid prospect. Glasnow went for more than expected, Rhe white Sox are asking for a crazy return for Cease. I think Jed’s delay in getting things done is very much a result of teams asking an awful lot for established talent. And he is just not willing to give up that much prospect assets. 

[ToolDRT]

19 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Most of our discussions have been about Jed waiting on the FA market to drop. But he also might be waiting on the trade market to soften as well. We have seen Sale go for a solid prospect. Glasnow went for more than expected, Rhe white Sox are asking for a crazy return for Cease. I think Jed’s delay in getting things done is very much a result of teams asking an awful lot for established talent. And he is just not willing to give up that much prospect assets. 

This approach sounds like a good way to back yourself into a corner and get stuck with the #4 guy on your list. 

[Rcal10]

30 minutes ago, ToolDRT said:

This approach sounds like a good way to back yourself into a corner and get stuck with the #4 guy on your list. 

In free agency I agree with you. But in a trade I don’t want the Cubs giving up Brown and Morel for one year of Alonso, or Alcantara for 1 year of Bieber.  These are just examples, but the point is if teams are greatly overvaluing their player and asking for a return that is too much, Jed shouldn’t make that trade. In free agency in order to get someone you just have to sometimes give the going rate. 

[Stratos]

Not sure if I posted this before.  So i looked at team stats on Fangraphs.  The amount of WAR that the median team (15th ranked out of 30) had at each position for the year last year was between 2.0 and 2.3 WAR.  The exceptions were at 2B (2.8 WAR) and DH (0.5 WAR).

Given most players don't typically play every inning for a team in a season, that means that an average full-time starting player for most positions will put up about 2.0 WAR, or maybe a little less like 1.8.  So 0 WAR is replacement level (AAA) for a player, and around 2.0 is average.

Since catcher isn't a full-time position, it would be where all catchers on a team add up to 2.0 as the median for the league.  Cubs had 1.4 WAR last year at C.

Last year the Cubs were weakest at 1B, DH, and C last year (all below average).  Lots of room to easily improve at 1B and DH this year.  They were 11th in MLB at 3B, surprisingly.  Best position was CF (5.3 WAR total, 2nd in MLB).

Edited January 3, 2024 by Stratos

[chibears55]

Have Hoyer/Epstein ever sign a guy that they were linked to by the media on day 1 of offseason outside of like last season with the 4 SS and they got the last one standing.

Just seems like their offseason additions have been players that noone really connected to them or figured they would be in on them because of the price.

[Rcal10]

33 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Have Hoyer/Epstein ever sign a guy that they were linked to by the media on day 1 of offseason outside of like last season with the 4 SS and they got the last one standing.

Just seems like their offseason additions have been players that noone really connected to them or figured they would be in on them because of the price.

I think Bellinger was mentioned on day 1 last year. 

[Jason Ross]

54 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Have Hoyer/Epstein ever sign a guy that they were linked to by the media on day 1 of offseason outside of like last season with the 4 SS and they got the last one standing.

Just seems like their offseason additions have been players that noone really connected to them or figured they would be in on them because of the price.

Jon Lester was highly anticipated to be a Cub target as they headed into the winter of 2014/2015 due to the Red Sox/Epstein connection.

[gocubs218]

So apparently Korean reliever Woo-Suk Go has to be signed by tomorrow night? I don’t think he’d be too expensive. 
 

3.68 ERA with 59 K’s in 44 IPs last year. 

Edited January 3, 2024 by gocubs218

[Jason Ross]

We'll see. I have a feeling the Cubs will add a reliever, but it will be someone more established. The Cubs have a ton of dudes who have stuff and carry questions with them. Maybe if he's cheap, but I don't really think the Cubs will be the team there. Who knows, though.

[WhyCantWeWin]

36 minutes ago, gocubs218 said:

So apparently Korean reliever Woo-Suk Go has to be signed by tomorrow night? I don’t think he’d be too expensive. 
 

3.68 ERA with 59 K’s in 44 IPs last year. 

About to sign with the padres according to heyman

[LBiittner]

Tucker Barnhart signs minors deal with Dbacks. 

Is Tucker essentially double dipping the Cubs by not signing a major league team deal?

[Stratos]

3 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Tucker Barnhart signs minors deal with Dbacks. 

Is Tucker essentially double dipping the Cubs by not signing a major league team deal?

Would you sign him to an MLB deal?  He sucks.  The Cubs think him not worthy of MLB playing time.

[chibears55]

Lester and Maybe Bellinger in last 9 offseasons they have signed a guy they were linked to by the media.

Why I don't get too much into rumors 

[LBiittner]

Hahaha, I'm surprised the whitesox didn't sign him. They picked up like 4 scrub catchers so far this offseason. 

Actually it would've made fiscal sense for the Cubs to bring him back for spring training since they are already paying him

Edited January 3, 2024 by LBiittner

[LBiittner]

But actually, he has a good chance of hanging on with the world champion Dbacks