Post Winter Meetings Free Agency thread

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, Tryptamine said:

The cost would be enormous , like farm destroying, and seeing as the Cubs aren't going to get crazy with the spending,  they're desperately going to need those cheap young players.

This is true. But Kirby has years of control left. So he is a cheaper pitcher. But I don’t see something like this happening. I don’t know why Seattle would want prospects. I would be very surprised if they did any kind of a deal for Kirby. 

[Bertz]

I'm not sure there's any point this winter where a trade for Kirby or Gilbert felt less likely than it does right now.

[Bertz]

So I think if you're the Cubs the questions you have to ask yourself from here as you fill out the roster are:

1. Do both you and Tucker feel comfortable having him play CF and/or 1B?  

2. Of the non-Shaw kids at Iowa, which one(s) are you comfortable giving MLB at bats to in April/May if there's an injury?

Adding a 3B to the bench is a given.  But the answer to these two questions colors whether you also add a CF, a 1B, or both.  Plus how to weight the allocation of resources between those bench spots.

3. Is Luzardo the SP you wanted, or is he the SP you basically had to pursue if you couldn't find a satisfactory Bellinger deal?

With ~$40M to play with, adding a $15M SP like Dylan Cease is pretty doable.  Hell if you gave him an extra year to keep the AAV down adding a Jack Flaherty wouldn't be insane.  So now that you do have options it's probably good to confirm you're pursuing Luzardo because you think he's a GUY not because he's the best guy you could get for a sub $10M salary without blowing up the farm.

[muntjack]

Add an ace and the Cubs are probably the 2nd best team in baseball. 

[Jason Ross]

If there's one thing that I can say looking at the offseason *so far* is that it's been fairly well mapped and planned. For example, we wondered a lot about why Bellinger was being considered moveable. Maybe it was to open up funds. Or to reinvest in the SP depth. But considering reports that the Astros already looked into Parades at the deadline (after we traded for him) and that we went hard after Tucker (Hoyer's comments between Soto signing and trading for Kyle paint the story of a defined plan for a while to end up with Tucker) seems as though the team had this planned from jump street. 

I'll extend that plan to now. Or at least...plans, as it may be a plan A, plan B and plan C type thing. Im fairly confident that the team is setting themselves up fairly well this offseason. And I quite like the look of things. 

Excited to see where they have this money marked for. 

[Hunter]

Pass oh George Kirby he isn't a LHP.

[Stratos]

8 hours ago, Post Count Padder said:

OK with Bellinger gone, Cerami predicts we have about $40 mil we can spend rest of the offseason. So what about:

Yates and Minter: maybe 20 mil total

Trade for Luzardo: 6 mil

Sign Kim or Moncada for bench/3B: 10 mil?

Another reliever or OF bench bat for 5?

I'm not sure i'm favour of spending 6-10m on a 1 WAR bench bat.  I say spend on quality or go cheap.  Kim seems out of their range and Moncada isn't good enough to spend decent money on.

I'd probably rather try Shaw/Cowles/Workman and others at 3B and spend elsewhere than sign the next Trey Mancini.  At 2B Triantos is another option along with Cowles/Shaw if Nico isn't ready, but its a bit thin, and Triantos could probably use another few months in AAA at least.  Maybe they can swing a minor trade to shore up at 2B/3B.

[thawv]

So what's the right number, and why?  Roster Resource has them 50 million under the threshold, and Cot's has them 61 million under the threshold.  

[squally1313]

[jersey cubs fan]

[CubinNY]

Andy Kaufman's ghost on NSBB

[Bertz]

This feels like when a little kid learns "Guess what, chicken butt" and gets some positive attention and then to chase the high tries the bit on everyone they see for the next week.

[NorthsideAvenger]

Let me get some 🍿. This ought to be good.

[BigbadB]

42 minutes ago, thawv said:

So what's the right number, and why?  Roster Resource has them 50 million under the threshold, and Cot's has them 61 million under the threshold.  

I can't think of a better way to start out the day. 

[Rcal10]

5 hours ago, Stratos said:

I'm not sure i'm favour of spending 6-10m on a 1 WAR bench bat.  I say spend on quality or go cheap.  Kim seems out of their range and Moncada isn't good enough to spend decent money on.

I'd probably rather try Shaw/Cowles/Workman and others at 3B and spend elsewhere than sign the next Trey Mancini.  At 2B Triantos is another option along with Cowles/Shaw if Nico isn't ready, but its a bit thin, and Triantos could probably use another few months in AAA at least.  Maybe they can swing a minor trade to shore up at 2B/3B.

The problem I have with going with Cowles or Workman if Shaw struggles is going with a lesser prospect if the higher ranking one fails is not a way a playoff team should operate. They have plenty of money. They can allocate some to a decent bench bat who can play 3rd. Not every one year deal on a bench player has to turn into Mancini. Not all signings turn into a 1 WAR or player. I think they have to sign someone as insurance for Shaw. Maybe not spend $10M. Maybe more in the $5M to $7M range. People talked all year about a terrible bench and now when they have money to add someone to that bench you are suggesting just using Cowles and Workman. I think they have to at least try to get better. 

[thawv]

30 minutes ago, BigbadB said:

I can't think of a better way to start out the day. 

So you don't know??  Got it. 

[thawv]

36 minutes ago, Bertz said:

This feels like when a little kid learns "Guess what, chicken butt" and gets some positive attention and then to chase the high tries the bit on everyone they see for the next week.

So yet another guy who has not idea what source to use and how much space they now have after these moves.  I can see not responding at all if you don't know.  That's more logical.  Just say nothing if you have no idea.  

[mul21]

Jesus H. horsefeathers Christ 🤦‍♂️

[Post Count Padder]

This is some Groundhogs Day horsefeathers. 

[Rex Buckingham]

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2024/12/17/cubs-payroll-cody-bellinger/

just read this, @thawv

[Rcal10]

14 hours ago, chibears55 said:

You think they'd go with 4 lefties in rotation?

Im not that high on Luzardo as some of you are, id prefer them actually getting a guy like Burnes, I like to dream big..lol

Going back to actual baseball, I answered this quickly yesterday. The shortest answer is yes, In think they don’t have an issue with going with 4 lefties in the rotation. However, I do think it is a little odd. Especially if you consider Wicks would probably be one of the first guys called upon to fill a rotation shot if someone does down or misses a start or two. If that is Tailon they have an all lefty rotation. When they want to give guys an extra day, it might be Wicks so that is 5 lefties in a 6 man rotation on occasion. Luzardo probably wouldn’t be my first choice. It would be a right handed pitcher. But by all accounts, up until now, he appears the Cubs choice. At least if it is him, if the rotation can stay healthy, it would an awesome rotation, and they would still have a lot of money they can spend elsewhere. 

[Brian707]

1 hour ago, thawv said:

So yet another guy who has not idea what source to use and how much space they now have after these moves.  I can see not responding at all if you don't know.  That's more logical.  Just say nothing if you have no idea.  

[Rcal10]

2 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

Can’t we just let this go. It is pretty much the consensus the Cubs have roughly $40M to spend and still be $8M to $10M from the imaginary line they will not cross. Can we just talk baseball using that figure? There is still work to do this off season and this is finally an off season they are making some news. What does anyone expect next. I say a resolution on Luzardo. Either they get him or decide to back away. I also think Yates will be here before Christmas. Jed has gone this far. He can’t stop now. 

[17 Seconds]

1 minute ago, Rcal10 said:

Can’t we just let this go. It is pretty much the consensus the Cubs have roughly $40M to spend and still be $8M to $10M from the imaginary line they will not cross. Can we just talk baseball using that figure? There is still work to do this off season and this is finally an off season they are making some news. What does anyone expect next. I say a resolution on Luzardo. Either they get him or decide to back away. I also think Yates will be here before Christmas. Jed has gone this far. He can’t stop now. 

why not respond to the person who actually won't let this go?

[Brian707]

4 minutes ago, 17 Seconds said:

why not respond to the person who actually won't let this go?

I agree, that person is nothing but a troll or 12 years old.