Winter Meetings thread

[Rcal10]

7 hours ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Jed has the ammo to beat any offer for Tucker but I'm really pessimistic on him actually doing it. Feels a bit like last winter with the Guardians and Clase/Bieber. I know he has a lot of maneuvering to do still but something is telling me to brace for blue balls again.

Hard not to think that way,tbh. But it does feel a little different this year than years past. At least we hear a lot about Cubs options. Years past we would be complaining right now about Jed not doing anything. But with prior years of Jed not being aggressive I am in the “I will believe it when I see it” mode. Just hopeful I am  it disappointed again. 

[Bertz]

Quote

The game of musical chairs could actually begin with Alex Bregman. If Houston retains the infielder's services, it all but guarantees Tucker will be traded. He might be anyway. -- Jesse Rogers

Via ESPN

[Tryptamine]

A lot of ifs, but if the Cubs attain Tucker, while keeping Seiya, and manage to move Cody+ for Castillo, they're 1 back end bp arm away from actually a pretty scary team.

[KCCub]

Sherman with an idea of what Astros are looking for. 

 

 

[Cuzi]

6 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Via ESPN

At the same time, how many teams are out there as potential landing spots for Bregman? The guy has a $150M offer from the Astros but is asking for $200M.

The Yankees would be one and then move Chisholm to 2B, but if they get Walker I have to imagine that closes that door because they'll have around $30M to get 2 outfielders and BP. Probably trade one of their pitchers.

Boston probably. They are trying to trade Casas and move Devers to first but they have to trade Casas first.

Other than that, who's forking that money over for Bregman? Giants are set. Mets are set. Phillies are set. Blue Jays maybe?

[Bertz]

3 minutes ago, KCCub said:

Sherman with an idea of what Astros are looking for. 

 

 

Their non-Tucker corner outfield is pretty rough too.  I'd think adding Caissie and having him revisit learning 1B would make a lot of sense.  Separately, if a deal requires a 3rd guy Jonny Long would fit them well.

Shaw doesn't feel like a great fit, despite being our best prospect. 

[Rcal10]

12 minutes ago, KCCub said:

Sherman with an idea of what Astros are looking for. 

 

 

So is this assuming they don’t sign Bregman If he did come back to the Astros that would cover a corner. Regardless of the cost, the Cubs could fill their needs. All depends on if Jed is willing to move that is needed. 

[Rcal10]

Just now, Bertz said:

Their non-Tucker corner outfield is pretty rough too.  I'd think adding Caissie and having him revisit learning 1B would make a lot of sense.  Separately, if a deal requires a 3rd guy Jonny Long would fit them well.

Shaw doesn't feel like a great fit, despite being our best prospect. 

Shaw doesn’t feel like a fit IF they sign Bregman. But I agree their outfield could use work too if Tucker is traded. So maybe Alcantara or Cassie instead. 

[Rex Buckingham]

18 minutes ago, KCCub said:

Sherman with an idea of what Astros are looking for. 

 

 

Michael Busch and Brandon Birdsell?

Caissie and Assad?

[WhyCantWeWin]

19 minutes ago, KCCub said:

Sherman with an idea of what Astros are looking for. 

 

 

They can have Paredes

[KCCub]

I know we feel good about being able to beat the Yankees package, but Sherman (Yes, take with a grain of salt) is saying the Astros like Luis Gil. That's a nice piece with 4 years of control if the Yankees do move him. 

[Cuzi]

Just now, KCCub said:

I know we feel good about being able to beat the Yankees package, but Sherman (Yes, take with a grain of salt) is saying the Astros like Luis Gil. That's a nice piece with 4 years of control if the Yankees do move him. 

I dont feel good about anything with this FO, really. I dont trust them enough to not blink first.

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, KCCub said:

I know we feel good about being able to beat the Yankees package, but Sherman (Yes, take with a grain of salt) is saying the Astros like Luis Gil. That's a nice piece with 4 years of control if the Yankees do move him. 

And the Yankees have a lot of starting pitchers.

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, Cuzi said:

I dont feel good about anything with this FO, really. I dont trust them enough to not blink first.

Also very true.

[KCCub]

1 minute ago, Cuzi said:

I dont feel good about anything with this FO, really. I dont trust them enough to not blink first.

Sure. Was more meaning in theory we have more trade chips/assets to make it work. Jed pulling the trigger is another thing. 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

For those who want to go down a rung from the beat reporter level of speculation

 

 

[BKHoo]

Is Tucker just a one year rental? It is predicted he will sign long term with whoever trades for him (if it happens)? 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Just now, BKHoo said:

Is Tucker just a one year rental? It is predicted he will sign long term with whoever trades for him (if it happens)? 

He is only one year from Free Agency. I believe we don't know a ton about his interest in an extension, other than the Astros didn't get much of anywhere with that.  He is not a Boras client.

[CubinNY]

2 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

Is Tucker just a one year rental? It is predicted he will sign long term with whoever trades for him (if it happens)? 

My hope is that the Cubs wouldn't give up what it takes to get hm without also getting a long-term deal done. 

Edited December 11, 2024 by CubinNY

[KCCub]

1 minute ago, CubinNY said:

My hope is that the Cubs wouldn't give up what it takes to get hm without also getting a long-term deal done. 

That's the hope. But at somepoint you have to take the risk. Getting him here is a plus.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Here are the things I'm really really curious about a potential Tucker deal.

• Can you extend him at all?  And does that extension start in 2025?  I assume that would be Jed's preference to avoid another post-prime year, but that eats up a lot(almost all?) of the money the team has to work with on the current roster
• What MLB talent has to go to get Tucker?  Paredes going out might help a little with any money crunch, but creates a hole that is difficult to fill(Shaw cannot be the opening day plan A).  Busch plays an easier to fill position but exacerbates the spending problem in order to backfill him.
• What's the plan for pitching?  If Tucker is eating up monetary and trade resources, it makes for a very narrow road to getting both another SP and a late inning RP unless all indications were way off about payroll.  Or, Tucker isn't extended and you've used a ton of resources and shuffled the roster significantly for a single shot at 2025.

 

These aren't unanswerable questions(even in a Tucker extension scenario), but boy am I not really sure how Jed would do it.

[We Got The Whole 9]

I think Squally nailed it - they should have a fuckton of interest in Paredes. So I'm out on offering Alcantara, I want him as CF insurance in case we trade Belli and PCA goes down or sucks. Caissie would be my 2nd piece and they can have virtually any pitcher in our system and we take Pressly. 

 

Sound good?

[CubinNY]

2 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

I think Squally nailed it - they should have a fuckton of interest in Paredes. So I'm out on offering Alcantara, I want him as CF insurance in case we trade Belli and PCA goes down or sucks. Caissie would be my 2nd piece and they can have virtually any pitcher in our system and we take Pressly. 

 

Sound good?

Wicks + Shaw + OWNKC

[squally1313]

I think you have to consider the trade for Tucker and the extension of Tucker as two totally separate things. You are trading for one year of a 6 fWAR outfielder that you only have to pay $16m. That's really valuable, especially for a team that is probably an 83 win team right now and is trying to stay under the first rung of the cap. 

A long term deal would be nice, because he is very good at baseball and it is certainly not my money, but realistically Kyle Tucker on a long term deal that pays him his worth doesn't have much trade value right? Like if we traded for him, signed him to a 10 year deal, and he was still this hot commodity, his agent didn't do a very good job in negotiating the deal and getting him market value. 

I'm fine making the trade with the very real chance we have Tucker for 6 months. I want to push our chips in, the subsequent Bellinger-for-similarly-overprice-midrotation-starter makes too much sense, I have less problems than others handing the job to Shaw out of the gate (and go sign Solano or whatever). Players seem to like it here, whatever leg up that gives us in the extension negotiation, great. But this is a 2025 trade. 

[KCCub]

2 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

These aren't unanswerable questions(even in a Tucker extension scenario), but boy am I not really sure how Jed would do it.

Agreed. In theory, all of it could be done. BUT it feels like we are playing MLB The Show and not living in reality with the scenarios that would need to happen. e.g. Trading Paredes & Bellinger, landing Tucker, landing a stopgap 3b, getting the SP we need, backend BP arm, RH bench bat, etc.