Cubs DFA Neris. Cleared Waivers. Jack Nealy called up.

[Eeyore]

I wonder if there's a grievance here. Neris could argue that he was cut to prevent his option from vesting. I'm sure that the Cubs would point out that he still had 14 more appearances to make and that nobody else wanted him. 

[CubinNY]

5 minutes ago, Eeyore said:

I wonder if there's a grievance here. Neris could argue that he was cut to prevent his option from vesting. I'm sure that the Cubs would point out that he still had 14 more appearances to make and that nobody else wanted him. 

So what? There is no grievance 

[Bertz]

Now that they do have clarity on Neris, I wonder if we see the team get a little aggressive and extend Lopez.

Right now, the bullpen for next year probably looks something like this:

CL - Hodge

SU - Merryweather, Pearson

MR - T. Miller, Little, K. Thompson, Neely

LR - Wesneski

There are other guys who could fit into the mix, Almonte if he comes back from surgery right, any of the young starters who don't make the rotation, etc.

But regardless of how you fiddle with the specifics, the above is probably two, maybe even three arms short of where it needs to be?  Encouraging work from some combo of Merryweather/Pearson/Neely the next six weeks could make it 1-2 instead of 2-3, but regardless veteran reinforcements will 100% be needed. 

Lopez is seemingly breaking out.  Can the Cubs commit early, absorb a little additional risk, and fill a 2025 relief spot with a portion of the money earmarked for Neris?  Lopez might be passing up on the opportunity for some additional 2025 cash, but he'd get to keep working with Hottovy, have a pretty clear line to save opportunities, and have an opportunity for a bigger payday heading into '26.

[Tim]

37 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Now that they do have clarity on Neris, I wonder if we see the team get a little aggressive and extend Lopez.

Right now, the bullpen for next year probably looks something like this:

CL - Hodge

SU - Merryweather, Pearson

MR - T. Miller, Little, K. Thompson, Neely

LR - Wesneski

There are other guys who could fit into the mix, Almonte if he comes back from surgery right, any of the young starters who don't make the rotation, etc.

But regardless of how you fiddle with the specifics, the above is probably two, maybe even three arms short of where it needs to be?  Encouraging work from some combo of Merryweather/Pearson/Neely the next six weeks could make it 1-2 instead of 2-3, but regardless veteran reinforcements will 100% be needed. 

Lopez is seemingly breaking out.  Can the Cubs commit early, absorb a little additional risk, and fill a 2025 relief spot with a portion of the money earmarked for Neris?  Lopez might be passing up on the opportunity for some additional 2025 cash, but he'd get to keep working with Hottovy, have a pretty clear line to save opportunities, and have an opportunity for a bigger payday heading into '26.

Lopez career ERA by year:

• 2015: 5.40
• 2017: 4.50
• 2018: 5.03
• 2019: 6.33
• 2020: 6.69
• 2021: 6.07
• 2022: 2.54
• 2023: 5.95
• 2024: 2.44

This year on the whole, he has a below average k% and above average bb%. This is the fifth time he's split a season across multiple teams. He got DFA'd because of attitude issues earlier this season. 

Even if he's nails down the stretch, do we really think he's going to command a big contract?

(also, I'd think about giving the save opps to Porter to keep the cost down on Lopez)

[Bertz]

4 minutes ago, Tim said:

Lopez career ERA by year:

• 2015: 5.40
• 2017: 4.50
• 2018: 5.03
• 2019: 6.33
• 2020: 6.69
• 2021: 6.07
• 2022: 2.54
• 2023: 5.95
• 2024: 2.44

This year on the whole, he has a below average k% and above average bb%. This is the fifth time he's split a season across multiple teams. He got DFA'd because of attitude issues earlier this season. 

Even if he's nails down the stretch, do we really think he's going to command a big contract?

(also, I'd think about giving the save opps to Porter to keep the cost down on Lopez)

Robert Stephenson got 3 years $33M last winter off of a stellar half season with the Rays.  I don't think that's waiting out there for Lopez regardless, but the next six weeks might be the difference something like 1/$8M and 2/$20M

[NorthsideAvenger]

Neris is back with Houston. 

[jumbo]

Cots has the Cubs at $234,047,396 and lists the luxury tax threshold at $237,000,000

Maybe this isn't up to date but they seem to have everyone, even Wingenter listed

[Tim]

17 minutes ago, jumbo said:

Cots has the Cubs at $234,047,396 and lists the luxury tax threshold at $237,000,000

 

Maybe this isn't up to date but they seem to have everyone, even Wingenter listed

Cots is really useful, but that's an estimate. Apparently, benefits players receive in their contracts count against the cap, too. One of the articles about this I read says that things like comped plane rides and such all count. 

[Andy]

On 8/22/2024 at 12:25 PM, NorthsideAvenger said:

Neris is back with Houston. 

I'm excited for him to immediately return to form with the Astros because they're definitely not doing anything suspicious that jacks up half their pitchers' performances

[CubinNY]

Neely looks like he came to baseball after  flying B-17s over Dresesden

[Ding Dong Johnson]

1 hour ago, CubinNY said:

Neely looks like he came to baseball after  flying B-17s over Dresesden

RIP OMC. Posts like this used to be his bat signal for a random war fact.

[Rcal10]

On 8/23/2024 at 8:56 AM, Tim said:

Cots is really useful, but that's an estimate. Apparently, benefits players receive in their contracts count against the cap, too. One of the articles about this I read says that things like comped plane rides and such all count. 

I wonder if Bellinger opting out and the Cubs having to pay 5M goes into this years salary. Maybe that is the difference beteeen them going under or over the LT. If he opts in they are under. If he opts out they are over? Would actually make for an interesting discussion.
Would you rather he stays and they are under, but they don’t have his money to spend on FA. (But if they went over it would be just the first year over)

Or would you rather he opts out (therefore making his buy out salary this year, and puts them over the LT) but the Cubs have money to spend. But the problem is in all likelihood would use the excuse they went over this year, to not go over in 25’, so not spend over the LT.