Cubs offseason chit chat...

[Bull]

4 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

They can also just leave Madrigal or Morel at 3rd if they really thought either filled a need. But I agree with you a deal is not happening. 

Madrigal in particular does not have the arm for third.

[Stratos]

3 hours ago, gocubs218 said:

They should have traded for Suarez if he was gonna be had for that cheap. 

Mariners essentially gave him up for nothing.  Looks like a salary dump.

[ToolDRT]

 

[Tryptamine]

2 hours ago, Bull said:

Madrigal in particular does not have the arm for third.

Did you miss where he was a plus defender at 3B this year?

[Rcal10]

5 hours ago, gocubs218 said:

They should have traded for Suarez if he was gonna be had for that cheap. 

Suarez salary is not cheap. Maybe the cost in prospects to get him is cheap, but he isn’t. 

[Jason Ross]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

Suarez salary is not cheap. Maybe the cost in prospects to get him is cheap, but he isn’t. 

I don't want Suarez, but he's only at $11m next year. He's not expensive, either. If you think he's 2 win player he's below market value.

Edited November 24, 2023 by 1908_Cubs

[Stratos]

Suarez is a pretty decent pickup for the price.  He likely gives you some surplus, which is more than you can say about the vast majority of FA's.

[thawv]

19 hours ago, LBiittner said:

Roederer is free falling in his ranking within the system. The only reason he's still Cub relevant is his $1.2 million signing bonus.

 

Any player that fits his surplus value.  I just threw out his name.

[thawv]

16 hours ago, 1908_Cubs said:

No he couldn't. A "Roederer-type" is a non-prospect. Wesneski has some upside but as of today is a decent, multi-inning reliever. Was Vlad not great last season? Sure. The Jays have more invested in him than simply his 2023 fWAR. They have hope that he can get back to prior (and his base savant data suggests that is well within belief at the age of 24). They aren't trading him for a maybe MLB SP who needs work and a literal nothing prospect.

I don't think he's on the market at all.  It's just a response to someone else.  The point is, I don't think he has much trade value.  Someone like Wes and a "non prospect" should be able to get it done.  It doesn't have to be Wes.  But someone in his surplus value range should do it.  Again, the Jays don't have a reason to trade him, and it's highly doubtful that they do. 

[thawv]

11 hours ago, ToolDRT said:

 

A threat to who????  To me, "thought as a threat" means nothing more than the Cubs driving up the price to the real favorite.   That said, I really have a good feeling that the Cubs sign him.

[BigbadB]

53 minutes ago, thawv said:

A threat to who????  To me, "thought as a threat" means nothing more than the Cubs driving up the price to the real favorite.   That said, I really have a good feeling that the Cubs sign him.

How much different are the tax implications for signing with the Dodgers vs. the Cubs? 

[ToolDRT]

1 hour ago, thawv said:

A threat to who????  To me, "thought as a threat" means nothing more than the Cubs driving up the price to the real favorite.   That said, I really have a good feeling that the Cubs sign him.

Hmm, I don’t think it had to do with us “driving up the price”. I think Heyman just meant that we’re a real option to win this. Heyman, I feel, has been mentioning the cubs and Ohtani consistently.  

[Bull]

12 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

Did you miss where he was a plus defender at 3B this year?

Did you miss that every time he threw to first, he had to run halfway across the diamond before he threw? If he was a plus defender at third, it was because of his range. Making him an option at 2B.

[Rob]

11 minutes ago, Bull said:

Did you miss that every time he threw to first, he had to run halfway across the diamond before he threw? If he was a plus defender at third, it was because of his range. Making him an option at 2B.

I mean, you don't really need to extrapolate. Madrigal came up as a 2b. The defensive metrics have him about average there.

[ToolDRT]

Thanksgiving is over. Time to get down to business with the offseason!

Feels like Ohtani could happen at any time now. I’m obsessed. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by ToolDRT

[Jason Ross]

7 minutes ago, ToolDRT said:

Thanksgiving is over. Time to get down to business with the offseason!

Feels like Ohtani could happen at any time now. I’m obsessed. 

Yeah, next week sometime feels right. Rumors have been that he wants to sign before the Winter Meetings. Kind of tracks with him waiting to avoid some of the signing media circus and team leaks. So next week feels like it could be it.

[Rcal10]

8 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Yeah, next week sometime feels right. Rumors have been that he wants to sign before the Winter Meetings. Kind of tracks with him waiting to avoid some of the signing media circus and team leaks. So next week feels like it could be it.

Going to be a huge letdown if they don’t either sign Ohtani or make the Soto trade. Here just isn’t that much offense this off season. I guess if they missed on those two there can be trades. Maybe Bo or Vlad? Maybe Alonso? Maybe a surprise bat is available. I think they can go numerous ways to get pitching. Decent amount of free agents, some solid young controlled guys can be traded for, and even some guys on the last year of their deals. Bats are a bit harder after Ohtani and Soto. 

[Bertz]

38 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Going to be a huge letdown if they don’t either sign Ohtani or make the Soto trade. Here just isn’t that much offense this off season. I guess if they missed on those two there can be trades. Maybe Bo or Vlad? Maybe Alonso? Maybe a surprise bat is available. I think they can go numerous ways to get pitching. Decent amount of free agents, some solid young controlled guys can be traded for, and even some guys on the last year of their deals. Bats are a bit harder after Ohtani and Soto. 

It wouldn't be that hard to pivot to something a little more pitching and defense-forward.  Like you could do something like Bichette, Bellinger, Glasnow, and one of the second tier SPs (Imanaga?) for $80M.  You wouldn't have that monster bat we all want but that's a similar lineup to last year, an even better defense, and a hell of a rotation. 

That said, I am all in on Ohtani or Soto, and will be pretty disappointed with an offseason that doesn't include one of them even if it's comparable on paper.

[CubbyBlue2008]

https://x.com/howierose/status/1728088509926219927?s=46&t=UF0SjM6FU9Bcmp3EVT4iMg

[ToolDRT]

Just now, CubbyBlue2008 said:

https://x.com/howierose/status/1728088509926219927?s=46&t=UF0SjM6FU9Bcmp3EVT4iMg

I can’t feel my legs

[Derwood]

10 minutes ago, CubbyBlue2008 said:

https://x.com/howierose/status/1728088509926219927?s=46&t=UF0SjM6FU9Bcmp3EVT4iMg

 

Who the hell is Howie Rose?

[WhyCantWeWin]

That will be nasty if the Mets get Ohtani

[NorthsideAvenger]

4 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

That will be nasty if the Mets get Ohtani

If it is the Mets, I'm fine with as a non-Cubs option. I want to see how bitter the Dodgers get if they miss on Ohtani a second time. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by NorthsideAvenger
more specific thought

[Bertz]

6 minutes ago, Derwood said:

 

Who the hell is Howie Rose?

Mets Radio play by play guy I believe.  So like not a rumor guy but very much not a rando.

[JD94]

Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the Mets just because he said that. Interesting though. Definitely has my antennas up