Phillies (Mercado) vs Cubs (Wesneski): 7/2/24, 7:05pm

[KCCub]

1 minute ago, Rcal10 said:

I think the point is by trading Happ and Hoerner you are adding more holes to fill next year. If Bellinger is traded and guys like Hendricks, Smyle, Gomes, Mancini, Barnhardt, Neris and maybe they don’t tender a few guys dont they have about maybe $70M they can spend. Wouldn’t they be competitive if they signed Soto and then used some minor league talent to fill a spot at catcher and maybe 3rd base. Maybe even play Shaw at 3rd and use Morel in a trade for a decent controlled pitcher. Maybe you add someone to him to make it happen. Isn’t that easier than also having to fill Happ and Hoerner’s spots as well? Is it a bad think to have two starters who give you WAR at 3 or better? 

Exactly. The goal should be gaining financial and positional flexibility while not moving two of your best assets that could help you compete next year. Belli and Taillon make too much sense to move, as both help financially and are redundancies. Then, sign or trade for a big bat and do the opposite for a SP this off-season. Plenty of cap space left to fix BP, catcher, and possibly 3b. 

[chopsx9]

1 minute ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I think you're probably going to receive assets back that are unlikely to help the Chicago Cubs for a few years.

That's why the sentence is finished with "long term prospect of team success".  Also there are POTENTIALLY in house replacements for some of these players in the shorter term.

[Jason Ross]

8 minutes ago, chopsx9 said:

That's why the sentence is finished with "long term prospect of team success".  Also there are POTENTIALLY in house replacements for some of these players in the shorter term.

The Chicago Cubs have seven prospects on the MLB Pipeline top-100, which is about the most of any team. If we're worried about prospects, then the Cubs aren't really hurting for that. That doesn't mean they ignore the MiLB side of things, but that as is, the Cubs have plenty to help the long-term prospect of success that doesn't require them to trade a 3-4 win second baseman with control. 

As well, I directly addressed the second part when I broke down Hoerner's contract, and the "in house" replacements. But let's talk those "in house" replacements. Who's an in-house replacement right now? Matt Shaw and James Triantos have a combined 0 PA's above Double-A currently. And while I think both are good prospects, Triantos' defensive profile at 2b remans "iffy", Shaw might be the future at 3b (he can't be the future at two positions at the same time), and as we have seen over, and over, and over again, expecting prospects to jump straight from Triple-A into three+ win value off the bat is a difficult ask currently. The best prospects on the planet have struggled. And while Shaw and Triantos are fun dudes, they're less universally loved than guys like Jackson Holiday in the prospect world. 

It's highly unlikely that the 2025 Chicago Cubs are any better than the 2024 Chicago Cubs by trading Nico Hoerner. And I don't think the Chicago Cubs as an organization are looking to be worse in 2025 than 2024. I can understand a bit more of an argument on Happ; but even then I think it's hard ask.

[Eeyore]

Why can't the Cubs ever get players like Schwaber or Castellanos?

[JHBulls]

Wes against that lineup.

Okay. Good luck. 

[Rcal10]

4 minutes ago, Eeyore said:

Why can't the Cubs ever get players like Schwaber or Castellanos?

I get your point. Sarcasm. Except maybe you should look at Castellanos stats before making this comment. He sucks.

[KCCub]

4 minutes ago, Eeyore said:

Why can't the Cubs ever get players like Schwaber or Castellanos?

The funny thing is, we pretty much could have had this exact team the Phillies built. 

[Rcal10]

38 minutes ago, Cuzi said:

If you could guarantee me Busch can play 2B at the major league level, the Cubs used prospects to trade for Vlad, and Juan Soto signed on the dotted line, then I would be all for trading Hoerner and Happ. But you can't guarantee that.

I'd love to hear an alternative plan that's more realistic that improves the team more than having Happ and Hoerner on the 2025 roster.

The funny thing is what you suggested is exactly what my thoughts were if they were to trade Happ and Hoerner. Maybe you can add Busch to play 3rd and then fill in second with either Morel, Shaw or Triantos. But still same thought. Guarantee a top bat via free agency and a high end bat through trade. And I agree with you, I don’t have faith that would happen.

[CubinNY]

Wes is dialing up the gas but can’t miss bats

[Derwood]

BABIP inning

[LBiittner]

1 hour ago, Stratos said:

It's hard for me to see Nico traded at this point.  Next year I could see it with Shaw and/or Triantos potentially knocking on the door. Maybe Nico is moved not this offseason but next.

Taillon and Happ could potentially be traded.  Ideally they'd hold on to Happ until Caissie or other corner OF are a bit closer, but Bellinger can always play a corner if PCA & him stick next year.

IMO there's some potential for an overreaction in dealing guys just to deal them. I'm more worried about improving 3B and catcher for next year.

We're still in the early stages of this rebuild.  With the prospects and players we have I think the state of the infield and OF  look somewhat promising.  Catcher is unknown because we don't know how the Cubs see Bellosteros' catching defense.  We still need more HR power from somewhere.

We are currently in year 4 of jeds rebuild. Hardly early by an stretch of the imagination.0

[Rcal10]

Just now, LBiittner said:

We are currently in year 4 of jeds rebuild. Hardly early by an stretch of the imagination.0

I get that. But how does trading two of your better players make you better the next year? Unless they are going to be very aggressive next off season(and we know how that will go) how do they get better without Happ and Hoerner? 

[LBiittner]

Just now, Rcal10 said:

I get that. But how does trading two of your better players make you better the next year? Unless they are going to be very aggressive next off season(and we know how that will go) how do they get better without Happ and Hoerner? 

I never mentioned a freaking thing about trading happ/Hoerner. Stop it.

I was responding to the statement "we're early in on jeds rebuild" 

Give it a rest dude

[CubinNY]

That was a pathetic 1/2 inning. 

[CubinNY]

I’ve seen enough of Wesneski. 

[WhyCantWeWin]

Would much rather have Turners bat

[LBiittner]

6 outs 47 pitches

[squally1313]

3 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Would much rather have Turners bat

Yes, agreed. Devils advocate, because why not, after this year:

Dansby: 5/125m

turner: 9/245m

[WhyCantWeWin]

7 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Yes, agreed. Devils advocate, because why not, after this year:

Dansby: 5/125m

turner: 9/245m

that’s what Jed was probably thinking too, with his aversion to long, big money contracts. In those last couple seasons Turner will probably decline but right now hes a monster 138 wRC+ and great value on the basepaths. 
 

thats what I miss about Theo, he treated each season like it was sacred, Jed configures his contracts so that he can sell in any given year

Edited July 3, 2024 by WhyCantWeWin

[JHBulls]

That moundball thing is weird. Every day a season ticket holder has the chance to win $1000 in some product. The whole thing sound elitist.  😂 

[JHBulls]

Some very hard hits off Mercado, but bad luck until that hit.

[CubinNY]

If PCA could hit at all

[Hairyducked Idiot]

33 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

We are currently in year 4 of jeds rebuild. Hardly early by an stretch of the imagination.0

Rebuild for 5 years, compete for 4, then rebuild for 5 more.

You get to try less than half the time but fans will think it makes them virtuous and patient to believe in it.

[LBiittner]

He makes fielding look easy

[LBiittner]

2 minutes ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

Rebuild for 5 years, compete for 4, then rebuild for 5 more.

You get to try less than half the time but fans will think it makes them virtuous and patient to believe in it.

I get it, compete for 4 out of every 14 years. LOL