General Offseason Priorities

[Rcal10]

10 minutes ago, Cuzi said:

The 15-20 times it doesn't work is why I say trade any and all prospects. Especially given the make up of the roster. This roster is set for at least 2 years. Since the Cubs are already ruling out Soto, when even a team like the Rays at least called Boras, then trade these damn prospects and make a better team. You have to be confident you can find new prospects to build up because there's not a damn one of them that's going to be making an impact on the MLB roster any time soon without trading a starter which the Cubs equally aren't interested in.

I get it. But I don’t think you need to trade them all to build a winner the next few years. With trades and FA signings you can build a good team and still have some top end prospects. I would agree everyone is available in the right deal. I just wouldn’t trade everyone. I don’t think k there is enough guys on the trade market for the Cubs to blow through all their high end prospects. Plus you might want to keep a few around to fill a spot and/or to be used as trade bait at the deadline. 
 

[Cuzi]

You are taking "any and all" too literally. I'm not saying to trade all of them, though I wouldn't care if they did, I'm simply saying no one is off the table. People are in here saying they would trade Caissie but not Alcantara or vice versa. Trade any of them.

Shaw is the only one I would think twice about because I can see multiple scenarios in which he gets a roster spot opened up for him. Let's say the Astros lose Bregman, Paredas probably becomes pretty valuable to them. Get on the phone with them about Paredas + Alcantara/Caissie for Tucker. Now 3B is open for Shaw. Or trading Hoerner in a deal for a controlled SP. Now 2B is open for Shaw. You can't say you can open up a spot for the rest of our prospects with such ease because the starters have NTCs. I would still not think twice about trading Shaw if it was him or bust for a TOR controlled pitcher.

Edited November 8, 2024 by Cuzi

[LBiittner]

6 minutes ago, Cuzi said:

You are taking "any and all" too literally. I'm not saying to trade all of them, though I wouldn't care if they did, I'm simply saying no one is off the table. People are in here saying they would trade Caissie but not Alcantara or vice versa. Trade any of them.

Shaw is the only one I would think twice about because I can see multiple scenarios in which he gets a roster spot opened up for him. Let's say the Astros lose Bregman, Paredas probably becomes pretty valuable to them. Get on the phone with them about Paredas + Alcantara/Caissie for Tucker. Now 3B is open for Shaw. Or trading Hoerner in a deal for a controlled SP. Now 2B is open for Shaw. You can't say you can open up a spot for the rest of our prospects with such ease because they have NTCs. I would still not think twice about trading Shaw if it was him or bust for a TOR controlled pitcher.

It might have surprised a lot of the prospect hoarders, if jed had been allowed to make the ohoppe trade at the deadline? I wonder just how far jed would've paid out the butt? 

[Cuzi]

4 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

It might have surprised a lot of the prospect hoarders, if jed had been allowed to make the ohoppe trade at the deadline? I wonder just how far jed would've paid out the butt? 

It was reported the Angels strongly rebuffed any offers for O'Hoppe. So they either aren't interested at all, or Jed wasn't even close to offering equal value in return.

[Post Count Padder]

The Angels' best two catching prospects are 19 and 18. O'Hoppe is still affordable and also good. I assume that while we checked in, there was no deal that was close. 

[Stratos]

11 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

I get your plan. I just think too often people suggest trading good players and replacing them with minor league players and assume that minor league player is going to be successful instantly. And that that player will be every bit as good as the guy he replaced at a 1st year salary. Replacing guys like Happ, Suzuki, Hoerner, and even Parades with Alcantara, Cassie, Shaw and Triantos would turn this team into a 70 win team. And I realize you aren’t suggesting trading all of those guys. This is just an extreme example. IMO the Cubs are pretty close to being that 90 win team they are shooting for. Replacing Hendricks with a solid starter, having Paredes and PCA all year, adding  solid catcher, a pen arm or two and maybe strengthening the bench get them to a 90 win team. Between prospects and money they can spend, they can do all of that. For me, rather than trading Happ or Suzuki(who both have NTC anyway) and replacing them with a prospect, use those prospects to bring back someone like one of the Seattle pitchers or Crochet. Maybe a solid starting catcher. Maybe a solid left handed hitting bat who can play the infield. Maybe a bench bat or pen arm. Not all of those things via trade. Don’t trade all the minor league talent. Keep some to hopefully take over in a year or two. But they can use 3 or 4 of their top 10 prospects along with a few more between 11-30 to add a few solid pieces via trade. That plus spending on a few guys through FA and using the minor league talent they keep to filter into the majors could make this a very good team and still have talent to replace guys in a few years. 

Of Happ, Suzuki, and Hoerner i'd trade at least 2 of them.  Not this offseason and maybe not even next offseason, but before they become FA.  Treat them like we treated Bryant, Baez, and Rizzo.  Thank them for their most productive years and move on.  I don't want post-prime Happ, Suzuki, or Nico at FA or near-FA prices thus paying even more for the same players who will likely decline in production, I would much rather find the next Happ and Nico in our system (or something close to it) and pay them pre-FA salaries, and maybe sign the next Suzuki as a FA, and put that money saved elsewhere (extensions or FA).  They're not going to be a 70 win team if we're saving lots of money on salary to spend elsewhere on players who are just as good or better than late prime or post-prime Happ/Suzuki/Hoerner. 

Yes we can trade some prospects, we have lots of them.  Trading one of Caissie/Alcantara may be fine too depending on the return, since a quality corner FA isn't hard to find in FA.

Edited November 9, 2024 by Stratos

[LBiittner]

7 hours ago, Cuzi said:

It was reported the Angels strongly rebuffed any offers for O'Hoppe. So they either aren't interested at all, or Jed wasn't even close to offering equal value in return.

I realize jed's hope failed. But I'm curious which prospects he had targeted to offer up from his well stocked inventory. It never got to a proposal. He had to have a plan in place. He just didn't sit down at his desk with a 5th of Wellers and call up the angels and try to imitate bill veeck doodling on the back of a napkin.  I'd love to know the names he was willing to say buh bye. It had to have been substantial. Only jed knows and none of us will ever. And this kinda had to fall in the same vein as your "any and all" conviction. So I do believe he was prepared to do the "any" during this instance

[harmony]

On 11/6/2024 at 4:51 PM, Backtobanks said:

It looks like Ballesteros is more DH than catcher.  According to Baseballtradevalues.com Ballesteros has a value of 21.9 while Raleigh is 19.8, O'Hoppe is 24.9, and Langeliers is at 20.  He probably wouldn't get any of those guys alone in a trade, but adding another prospect might get it done.

On Thursday Baseball Trade Values assigned Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh a surplus value of $28.7 million:

https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades/175538

Raleigh may be the most underrated player in baseball. Spotrac gives Raleigh a current market value of $194 million over eight years for an AAV of $24.2 million:

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/market-value/_/id/26119/cal-raleigh

Over the past three seasons Raleigh has posted an fWAR of 14.0, valued at $110.2 million:

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/cal-raleigh/21534/stats?position=C#value

Raleigh, who turns 28 years old this month, has three years of team control with a projected 2025 salary of only $5.6 million.

After winning this year's AL Gold Glove at catcher, Raleigh this week was awarded the Platinum Glove as the American League's top defensive player overall. In addition, Raleigh has been nominated for the Silver Slugger award after hitting 34 home runs and driving in 100 runs on a club that for much of the season struggled to score runs.

Raleigh's value to Seattle's vaunted pitching staff is difficult to quantify but the Mariner pitchers might revolt if Raleigh were traded.

Regardless of the BTV assessment, the Seattle Mariners probably value Raleigh more than any player on the team.

Edited November 9, 2024 by harmony

[Tim]

As of now, here is my dream, completely unrealistic offseason:

• Sign Soto - 14/$600M with some deferrals
• Recruit Sasaki
• Trade for Crochet - Caissie, Triantos, McCullough
• Trade for Langeliers - Wesneski, Horton, BJ Murray
• Sign Jeff Hoffman
• Trade Tauchman for Andrew Nardi
• Extend Lopez

We'd have a rotation in the OF of Soto, PCA, Happ, Bellinger, Suzuki. Bellinger would also spell Busch at 1B from time to time. Infielders are all strong with Shaw available at Iowa in case anyone gets injured. The lineup is just ridiculously deep with Soto as the everyday anchor.

I'd be willing to eat money to move Bellinger in this scenario (and keep Tauchman). Teams in the bottom 10 in 2024 WAR from CF that hope to contend in 2025: SFG, STL, LAD, CLE, NYM, ARI. Keep half the salary and see what you can get for him from one of those teams. I'd like a lefty reliever as part of the return, but really just maximize the talent return.

Starting pitching would be killer with Sasaki, Crochet, Steele, Imanaga & Taillon. Plus the depth available with Brown, Wicks, etc.

Relief would be very strong, as well. Very strong options at the top with Hoffman, Hodge, Brown. Quality depth with Lopez, Tyson, Merryweather, Pearson, etc. Lefty options are Nardi, Wicks & Little. 

[Post Count Padder]

37 minutes ago, Tim said:

As of now, here is my dream, completely unrealistic offseason:

• Sign Soto - 14/$600M with some deferrals
• Recruit Sasaki
• Trade for Crochet - Caissie, Triantos, McCullough
• Trade for Langeliers - Wesneski, Horton, BJ Murray
• Sign Jeff Hoffman
• Trade Tauchman for Andrew Nardi
• Extend Lopez

We'd have a rotation in the OF of Soto, PCA, Happ, Bellinger, Suzuki. Bellinger would also spell Busch at 1B from time to time. Infielders are all strong with Shaw available at Iowa in case anyone gets injured. The lineup is just ridiculously deep with Soto as the everyday anchor.

I'd be willing to eat money to move Bellinger in this scenario (and keep Tauchman). Teams in the bottom 10 in 2024 WAR from CF that hope to contend in 2025: SFG, STL, LAD, CLE, NYM, ARI. Keep half the salary and see what you can get for him from one of those teams. I'd like a lefty reliever as part of the return, but really just maximize the talent return.

Starting pitching would be killer with Sasaki, Crochet, Steele, Imanaga & Taillon. Plus the depth available with Brown, Wicks, etc.

Relief would be very strong, as well. Very strong options at the top with Hoffman, Hodge, Brown. Quality depth with Lopez, Tyson, Merryweather, Pearson, etc. Lefty options are Nardi, Wicks & Little. 

I wouldn't trade Horton at this point. His stock is low and I still believe in his future. I don't mind that Crochet deal. And I do love Jeff Hoffman as a pickup. Watched him the last two years here in Philly.

[Backtobanks]

Interesting trade proposal from BTV:

Luzardo + Faucher for Alcantara + Arias + Mcgeary

[Post Count Padder]

19 minutes ago, Backtobanks said:

Interesting trade proposal from BTV:

Luzardo + Faucher for Alcantara + Arias + Mcgeary

Hmmm that's an odd one for sure. Luzardo's stock is down because he was bad and injured. I'm not sure I'd part with Alcantara for him at this point. McGeary as a throw in is kinda amusing because he basically has no value anymore. 

[Longhorn20]

What is Suzuki's contract. Do you think he will be happy just DH-ing?

[Jason Ross]

15 minutes ago, Longhorn20 said:

What is Suzuki's contract. Do you think he will be happy just DH-ing?

Free agent after 2026. 

I doubt he's "just" DHing. There will be injuries and the Cubs will likely rotate the spot some. Do I think Seiya will really care much? Probably not. He seems very easy going.

[Stratos]

9 hours ago, Longhorn20 said:

What is Suzuki's contract. Do you think he will be happy just DH-ing?

If it bothers him then he should field better.

[squally1313]

15 hours ago, Stratos said:

If it bothers him then he should field better.

Suzuki graded out as a better rightfielder, defensively, than Soto and Santander, among others. He's not good, but his gaffes are more memorable than frequent. It's not Chris Morel at third bad. EDIT: Alright you can mostly ignore this point when I look on a per inning basis. I still don't think he's downright unplayable, but withdraw the comparison. 

As for whether he minds it, it probably just depends on how the bat performs. He seemed to take another step forward offensively when he moved to more of a DH role, and a 140 wRC will always have a home in the line up. If that starts to slip down to 115-120, then his DH-only status is going to start to have an impact. 

Edited November 11, 2024 by squally1313

[Wilson A2000]

On 11/8/2024 at 7:07 PM, Stratos said:

Of Happ, Suzuki, and Hoerner i'd trade at least 2 of them.  Not this offseason and maybe not even next offseason, but before they become FA.  Treat them like we treated Bryant, Baez, and Rizzo.  Thank them for their most productive years and move on.  I don't want post-prime Happ, Suzuki, or Nico at FA or near-FA prices thus paying even more for the same players who will likely decline in production, I would much rather find the next Happ and Nico in our system (or something close to it) and pay them pre-FA salaries, and maybe sign the next Suzuki as a FA, and put that money saved elsewhere (extensions or FA).  They're not going to be a 70 win team if we're saving lots of money on salary to spend elsewhere on players who are just as good or better than late prime or post-prime Happ/Suzuki/Hoerner. 

Yes we can trade some prospects, we have lots of them.  Trading one of Caissie/Alcantara may be fine too depending on the return, since a quality corner FA isn't hard to find in FA.

I think Suzuki and Happ have full no-trade clauses 

[CubinNY]

I want to say that it is fan-fukin-tastic when the third largest revenue team that you root for preemptively rules out the 26 year old best hitter and the two best pitchers in free agency almost before the offseason gets started.

Keep filling Wrigley. 

[LBiittner]

Welp, I'm guessing Matt thaiss is our new lefty bat off the bench? Can wear a catcher mitt, a 1b glove and 3b cup.

Edited November 13, 2024 by LBiittner

[Bertz]

19 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Welp, I'm guessing Matt thaiss is our new lefty bat off the bench? Can wear a catcher mitt, a 1b glove and 3b cup.

So we've just skipped right past whining about every rumor and moved onto whining about theoretical fits we don't like simply existing

[CubinNY]

23 minutes ago, Bertz said:

So we've just skipped right past whining about every rumor and moved onto whining about theoretical fits we don't like simply existing

I love how you use the word whine. It's the opposite of a whine. It's a lament. 

[Bertz]

24 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

I love how you use the word whine. It's the opposite of a whine. It's a lament. 

Lamenting requires some tether to reality

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Was it a bemoan? Maybe it was a quip. Could have been a grumble.

[LBiittner]

4 hours ago, Bertz said:

So we've just skipped right past whining about every rumor and moved onto whining about theoretical fits we don't like simply existing

Didn't say I was complaining 😜

[Post Count Padder]

I mean, Matt Thaiss isn't a bad bench bat. But we're not talking about possible fits, we're playing #PTR roulette.