Post Winter Meetings Free Agency thread

[Stratos]

4 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

The only way Rea makes any sense is if Assad is traded along with others in a bigger deal for a starting pitcher. Rea takes Assad’s spot. If it is just Rea for the rotation this is horseshit. 

I agree.  Rea could be a swing man like Assad (or Smyly and Wesneski), and more depth.  If he's the last rotation piece then holy moly I don't know what they're saving all their cash for unless its going back into RIcketts' bank account.

To paint a rosy picture on this, for 5m and 1 year that's not bad at all.  That's hard to pass up so maybe they just pulled the trigger on it because of the price.  He kinda replaces Wesneski and/or Smyly but seems like a better deal than Smyly was.

There's a possibility they don't like the SP on the FA market this year terms of talent vs dollars they want?  A lot of guys are either older and a bit expensive or younger but have had injuries or red flags.

[Post Count Padder]

Quote

Jeff Hoffman signed a three-year, $33MM contract with the Blue Jays this evening. The righty nearly landed with a division rival. Robert Murray of FanSided reports that Hoffman and the Orioles had agreed to terms on a three-year, $40MM contract earlier this week. According to Murray, Baltimore pulled out of the deal after the physical revealed something related to his throwing shoulder that concerned the organization.

Well that's interesting.

[Stratos]

2 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

Best I have is he is here to replace Assad because Assad is going to be traded along with whatever else is needed for someone like Lopez or Cease. How is that???🤷

Its possible they trade one of Assad/Wicks in a package for someone.  Either that or they're hedging for injuries?  Not all of their best 13 pitchers are going to be healthy on OD, and Iowa pitching isn't the strongest

[Stratos]

2 hours ago, LBiittner said:

Im waiting with baited bad breath and Jed gives us Colin focking Rea.

Colin focking Rea is a biblical loss for an mlb staff.

Why does jed keep pissing in the shallows? 

On the bright side he didn't cost 16.5m like Hendricks last yr.

[Bertz]

26 minutes ago, Post Count Padder said:

Well that's interesting.

 

[Rcal10]

Now that Hoffman is gone is there any FA starting  pitcher worth going after? Realistically they aren’t going after Flaherty or any FA pitcher making $20M+ a year. Hoffman was the last guy in the $10M to $15M range I would have been interested in. Are we looking at Kyle Gibson now? YUCK! I think IF they add another starting pitcher it will either come from a trade or it will be a guy like Gibson as a FA. So I am hoping for a trade. 

[Post Count Padder]

35 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Now that Hoffman is gone is there any FA starting  pitcher worth going after? Realistically they aren’t going after Flaherty or any FA pitcher making $20M+ a year. Hoffman was the last guy in the $10M to $15M range I would have been interested in. Are we looking at Kyle Gibson now? YUCK! I think IF they add another starting pitcher it will either come from a trade or it will be a guy like Gibson as a FA. So I am hoping for a trade. 

Colin Rea. 

[Rcal10]

3 hours ago, Post Count Padder said:

Colin Rea. 

Wrong answer!😥
Edit: after looking at the remaining FA pitchers outside of the couple what will make $20M annually, Rea might have been the best one left. Or at least equal to anyone else. Which is why the Cubs will only add a solid starter via trade, if they add one. And, man do I hope they add one. 

Edited January 11, 2025 by Rcal10

[Bertz]

The Cubs' pitching staff right now.  Guys with asterisks have minor league options:

SP - Steele, Shota, Taillon, Boyd, Rea

CL - Hodge*

SU - Pearson, Thielbar

MR - Morgan*, Merryweather

Matchup - T. Miller, Zastryzny

LR - K. Thompson

It's long been rumored the team will add a closer, so swapping that guy in for Zastryzny feels pretty easy. 

Beyond that, Keegan's roster spot is the only one that feels all that tenuous.  But if you replace him with someone guaranteed a roster spot you don't have anywhere for a minor leaguer to break in unless there's a cut or an injury.  This staff is too mid and Iowa has too much talent to be this inflexible.

[chibears55]

4 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

Now that Hoffman is gone is there any FA starting  pitcher worth going after? Realistically they aren’t going after Flaherty or any FA pitcher making $20M+ a year. Hoffman was the last guy in the $10M to $15M range I would have been interested in. Are we looking at Kyle Gibson now? YUCK! I think IF they add another starting pitcher it will either come from a trade or it will be a guy like Gibson as a FA. So I am hoping for a trade. 

I dont think theyre going "after" anyone as you know...

I just think theyre hoping Sasaki chooses them and if he doesn't theyll just go into ST with what they have for the 5th starting spot/depth.

Assad, Rea, Wicks, Poteet, Brown, Horton, Jensen

I do to hope that if they don't get Sasaki that Hoyer will get more aggressive in a trade for a SP, especially for someone that could drop Taillon and Boyd down a slot.

[chibears55]

2 hours ago, Bertz said:

The Cubs' pitching staff right now.  Guys with asterisks have minor league options:

SP - Steele, Shota, Taillon, Boyd, Rea

CL - Hodge*

SU - Pearson, Thielbar

MR - Morgan*, Merryweather

Matchup - T. Miller, Zastryzny

LR - K. Thompson

It's long been rumored the team will add a closer, so swapping that guy in for Zastryzny feels pretty easy. 

Beyond that, Keegan's roster spot is the only one that feels all that tenuous.  But if you replace him with someone guaranteed a roster spot you don't have anywhere for a minor leaguer to break in unless there's a cut or an injury.  This staff is too mid and Iowa has too much talent to be this inflexible.

Unless he is traded,  Assad will likely start on the Major League roster either as a 5th starter or in bullpen, I just dont see how they can leave him off the roster.

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

I dont think theyre going "after" anyone as you know...

I just think theyre hoping Sasaki chooses them and if he doesn't theyll just go into ST with what they have for the 5th starting spot/depth.

Assad, Rea, Wicks, Poteet, Brown, Horton, Jensen

I do to hope that if they don't get Sasaki that Hoyer will get more aggressive in a trade for a SP, especially for someone that could drop Taillon and Boyd down a slot.

I agree that once they find out they are not getting Sasaki they need to make a trade for a pitcher that drops Tailon and Boyd to 4th and 5th in the rotation. 

So if you don’t think they are “after” anyone, do you think it was just bs when they were said to be in on Crochet or Luzardo? I believe they were. I also believe they will TRY to add another starter via trade. Maybe Lopez or Cease🤷. There are several other options. They may not succeed, but I do think they will try. 

[Rcal10]

3 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Unless he is traded,  Assad will likely start on the Major League roster either as a 5th starter or in bullpen, I just dont see how they can leave him off the roster.

He has options. That would be why. 

[chibears55]

6 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I agree that once they find out they are not getting Sasaki they need to make a trade for a pitcher that drops Tailon and Boyd to 4th and 5th in the rotation. 

So if you don’t think they are “after” anyone, do you think it was just bs when they were said to be in on Crochet or Luzardo? I believe they were. I also believe they will TRY to add another starter via trade. Maybe Lopez or Cease🤷. There are several other options. They may not succeed, but I do think they will try. 

I honestly think that Hoyer probably checks in with an agent on a FA to get an idea of what it'll cost or may ask a team about a player's availability, but I don't think he actively goes after certain players and does whatever it takes to get a deal done for them outside of someone like Tucker or say Imanaga last offseason. 

I mean who actively goes after guys like Brujan, Festa, Heller, etc.

[Post Count Padder]

40 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

He has options. That would be why. 

You go with the best 26 guys. Assad has done nothing but show he belongs since he broke into the majors, whether you believe in his numbers/peripherals or not. If Assad is sent to Iowa to start the season solely because he has options then we've lost the bigger picture.

[Rcal10]

39 minutes ago, Post Count Padder said:

You go with the best 26 guys. Assad has done nothing but show he belongs since he broke into the majors, whether you believe in his numbers/peripherals or not. If Assad is sent to Iowa to start the season solely because he has options then we've lost the bigger picture.

Assad is hardly a guy I would get upset about if he wasn’t on the OD roster. 

[Rcal10]

54 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

I honestly think that Hoyer probably checks in with an agent on a FA to get an idea of what it'll cost or may ask a team about a player's availability, but I don't think he actively goes after certain players and does whatever it takes to get a deal done for them outside of someone like Tucker or say Imanaga last offseason. 

I mean who actively goes after guys like Brujan, Festa, Heller, etc.

I am talking about guys he can trade for. IMO since they are not going to go after Flaherty or any pitcher making $20M+ in this FA class, there isn’t a guy I want. I am asking if you think they were actually talking about Crochet and Luzardo. Again, I do. And I think they will TRY to add another starter who will, at the very least, push Tailon and Boyd to the 4th and 5th starter with Rea as a swing starter/middle relief. They may not pull the trigger and go with Rea as the 5th starter. But I really hope that isn’t the case and really do not think that is the plan. 

[chibears55]

2 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

I am talking about guys he can trade for. IMO since they are not going to go after Flaherty or any pitcher making $20M+ in this FA class, there isn’t a guy I want. I am asking if you think they were actually talking about Crochet and Luzardo. Again, I do. And I think they will TRY to add another starter who will, at the very least, push Tailon and Boyd to the 4th and 5th starter with Rea as a swing starter/middle relief. They may not pull the trigger and go with Rea as the 5th starter. But I really hope that isn’t the case and really do not think that is the plan. 

Like I said, he might check and see what teams are looking for in return for a player they are looking to move,  doesn't always mean he wants them or looking to make offers yet.

I think reporters get wind that teams had a conversation,  then just report there's interest whether there really is or isn't.  

I don't know, I guess I'm just not a fan of Hoyer and the way he goes about putting a roster together so I don't give him a benefit of the doubt when it comes to how he goes about his job.  I think he relies too much on catching lightning in a bottle with his acquisitions.

 

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, chibears55 said:

Like I said, he might check and see what teams are looking for in return for a player they are looking to move,  doesn't always mean he wants them or looking to make offers yet.

I think reporters get wind that teams had a conversation,  then just report there's interest whether there really is or isn't.  

I don't know, I guess I'm just not a fan of Hoyer and the way he goes about putting a roster together so I don't give him a benefit of the doubt when it comes to how he goes about his job.  I think he relies too much on catching lightning in a bottle with his acquisitions.

 

I get not giving Hoyer the benefit of the doubt. I also am not happy about the way thr Xubs organization does abusing a team. But if they start the season $30M or more below the LT I am putting that blame on Ricketts. If they are that far under that is by design of ownership, not Hoyer. 

[Rcal10]

19 hours ago, Bertz said:

The Cubs' pitching staff right now.  Guys with asterisks have minor league options:

SP - Steele, Shota, Taillon, Boyd, Rea

CL - Hodge*

SU - Pearson, Thielbar

MR - Morgan*, Merryweather

Matchup - T. Miller, Zastryzny

LR - K. Thompson

It's long been rumored the team will add a closer, so swapping that guy in for Zastryzny feels pretty easy. 

Beyond that, Keegan's roster spot is the only one that feels all that tenuous.  But if you replace him with someone guaranteed a roster spot you don't have anywhere for a minor leaguer to break in unless there's a cut or an injury.  This staff is too mid and Iowa has too much talent to be this inflexible.

Another bullpen construction with about just as much a chance of what you are suggesting would show more interchangeable pieces. I am not so sure Merryweather and Thompson make the team. As you already mentioned Rob Z will probably be replaced by a more solid back end guy. But what if he isn’t. What if they went with Little there. And instead of Merryweather in MR they went with either Palencia or Brown(both hard throwerssimilar to a healthy Merryweather). Then the long relief guy is Assad instead of Thompson. Now you have added 3 more interchangeable pen spots if they don’t get a late inning guy, or 2 spots if they do. That would be several spots in the staff they can move guys in and out of. They may even trade for a starting pitcher and put Rea in the pen. That would eliminate an interchangeable spot. But if they did that, they might not add a back end guy. The point is, what you suggested is very possible. But there are also a lot of other very possible scenarios. Which is why right now it is hard to figure out what they will do. I tend to think there will be multiple spots to move guys in and out as well as multiple injuries throughout the year, so having a lot of options is good. 

[LBiittner]

Who the horsefeathers on this current roster makes up for 26 blown horsefeathers saves?

[LBiittner]

Colin focking Rea?

[LBiittner]

I understand it's all part of negotiations blah blah blah. but, what a slap in your butthole when your new team can't negotiate a contract with the teams next great american hero but on the same day turns around and  gives 5 mil in 25 and possibly 6 mil in 26 to Colin focking Rea.

[LBiittner]

They've possibly set aside 11 million bucks for roster fill today when he could've been picked up for 5mil when the Brewers offered him up in November.

Smacks of trey mancini-like negotiations 

[javy knows my name]

Shut. Up. Boomers.