Cubs acquire Ryan Pressly

[squally1313]

22 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

Is it bad that I’d rather have Hodge as closer and just pick up guys like Robertson? 

It seems very dumb to cling to these labels in what baseball has become, and have really seen nothing about pressly that makes me think I’d like him as a person, this ‘demand’ to be closer especially. This isn’t leading to an arbitration where they still cling to old school stats for whatever reason, you would think an effective 60 innings would get him his payday regardless of those 60 were 8th innings or 9th innings. 
 

but he’s a good pitcher and worrying about personalities with professional athletes is pretty futile, and honestly this is where counsell earns his paycheck. I liked him coming out at the convention and saying plainly that Suzuki was going to DH a lot, need a similar approach here. Pressly would show up as one of the top 2ish pen options and should get the crucial roles until proven otherwise. 

[Randall Simon]

If you don't guarantee closing role to Pressly, he won't waive his NTC to come here. Obviously, if he's terrible in the role through the first few months we'll have no choice but to pull him. But we'll have to give him the job out of ST. 

[chibears55]

 

Just now, Randall Simon said:

If you don't guarantee closing role to Pressly, he won't waive his NTC to come here. Obviously, if he's terrible in the role through the first few months we'll have no choice but to pull him. But we'll have to give him the job out of ST. 

That fine, he only here for 1 season. 

Hodge can work his way into that role as a set up guy and either take over later this season or next season..

Pressly just moves everyone else down a slot and probably knocks out Merryweather.

 

[Stratos]

3 hours ago, ILMindState said:

Who the horsefeathers wants to live in Detroit?

Detroit is a beautiful city

for me to poop on.

[Bertz]

I'm really talking myself into the Pressly/Robertson combo.  That has a real chance to give us a Yankees style bullpen of doom.  It also leaves money for at least one more quality bench add, pretty decent chance for two.

It's not as sexy as Bregman or Flaherty, but we'd be looking at a strong roster top to bottom.

[Stratos]

3 hours ago, KCCub said:

 

Robertson is probably off the table if it happens. 

Not sure why the Cubs are so gung-ho on Pressly over Robertson.  Latter projects slightly better.  Maybe cost. And I could see Astros eating about 5m.

[Stratos]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

Is it bad that I’d rather have Hodge as closer and just pick up guys like Robertson? 

His BB/9 history in the minors is terrible.  That could come back at any time.

[Stratos]

58 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

It seems very dumb to cling to these labels in what baseball has become, and have really seen nothing about pressly that makes me think I’d like him as a person, this ‘demand’ to be closer especially. This isn’t leading to an arbitration where they still cling to old school stats for whatever reason, you would think an effective 60 innings would get him his payday regardless of those 60 were 8th innings or 9th innings. 
 

but he’s a good pitcher and worrying about personalities with professional athletes is pretty futile, and honestly this is where counsell earns his paycheck. I liked him coming out at the convention and saying plainly that Suzuki was going to DH a lot, need a similar approach here. Pressly would show up as one of the top 2ish pen options and should get the crucial roles until proven otherwise. 

I agree. They shouldn't promise anything to anyone.  All they can say is he'll probably close and will have a good opportunity to do so. I don't many GMs and managers guarantee much to any player, it's more about opportunity than promises IMO.

Once he's on the team Counsell needs to be free to always act in the best interests of the team.  I've never seen Ross or Counsell act differently.  If he's terrible in April/May they aren't going to keep him as closer.

Edited January 25, 2025 by Stratos

[Stratos]

18 minutes ago, Bertz said:

I'm really talking myself into the Pressly/Robertson combo.  That has a real chance to give us a Yankees style bullpen of doom.  It also leaves money for at least one more quality bench add, pretty decent chance for two.

It's not as sexy as Bregman or Flaherty, but we'd be looking at a strong roster top to bottom.

I think our rotation is pretty average. 

[squally1313]

1 hour ago, Stratos said:

I think our rotation is pretty average. 

You should go look at a lot of teams rotations. 

[thawv]

On 1/23/2025 at 6:03 PM, Rcal10 said:

I think I would rather the Cubs take the entire contract and give little up. Not like they are using that money anyway. Give them back Canario or Thompson. Someone they have to take off the 40 man for Pressley, Berti or any other late addition they plan on acquiring. Even with the $14M they still have another $16M to $18M for 2 bench bats. 

What if the new reported budget of 220 is in fact their their ceiling?  Or are you still going by the CBT level of 241, and leaving around 10 million for injuries and in season moves?  

[Derwood]

25 minutes ago, TomtheBombadil said:

Welcome to 2.0:

 

 

Edited January 25, 2025 by Derwood

[squally1313]

29 minutes ago, TomtheBombadil said:

Welcome to 2.0: where no one’s good or likable or anything but here on this earth to produce or else 

I mean, no. I’m generally willing to overlook the fact that I probably have different views than these guys because they are very good at a game I enjoy watching and should get paid handsomely for their efforts and etc etc etc. Insisting on a very arbitrary and outdated label is where the personality traits start to overlap with the ‘enjoying baseball’ part. But ultimately I’m aware this probably isn’t my best take and he should be free to use his NTC however he wants. I just think it’d be cool, for me, if he came to wrigley and pitched good for us. 

[Bertz]

9 hours ago, Stratos said:

I think our rotation is pretty average. 

Sure, that's not wrong.  I think once we get off of paper into real games and injuries start taking their toll the depth will make it's mark though.

Like we're all underwhelmed by Colin Rea, but by volume he was the #3 starter for the Brewers in '23 and the #2 starter last year.  And both teams comfortably won the division.  The point there is not "Colin Rea is secretly good actually" but instead the point is that the rotation we talk about in February and the one we get in June are very different and not in a good way.  I mean hell look at last year's Dodgers for an extreme example.

[squally1313]

By 2024 ERA, and admittedly dropping the minimum innings down to 30 to include Boyd, we have the 9th, 18th, 27th, and 38th best starters. Those four are also all top 100 in xERA, Steele/Boyd/Shota roughly top 30. Very much cherry-picking good data here (projections aren’t as friendly), but there are a lot of bad rotations out there. 

[Rcal10]

10 hours ago, Bertz said:

I'm really talking myself into the Pressly/Robertson combo.  That has a real chance to give us a Yankees style bullpen of doom.  It also leaves money for at least one more quality bench add, pretty decent chance for two.

It's not as sexy as Bregman or Flaherty, but we'd be looking at a strong roster top to bottom.

I would like to see both as well. Just not sure what they have in this imaginary break even budget. I would hope enough to add at least one more decent bat to the bench. If they are working with $33M and total cost of Pressley and Robertson comes to $23M, they still have room. But if Nightengale is right and they are going to take a cut more substantial than just going $7M short of the LT line they may not have that much money. Bench may end up what it is now. I am not sure that’s a good bench. If they can’t go to the line, I would rather they spend the Robertson money on a good bench bat.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

14 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Famously there’s a kangaroo court in every clubhouse dummy

maybe in australia duh

[Stratos]

5 hours ago, Bertz said:

Sure, that's not wrong.  I think once we get off of paper into real games and injuries start taking their toll the depth will make it's mark though.

Like we're all underwhelmed by Colin Rea, but by volume he was the #3 starter for the Brewers in '23 and the #2 starter last year.  And both teams comfortably won the division.  The point there is not "Colin Rea is secretly good actually" but instead the point is that the rotation we talk about in February and the one we get in June are very different and not in a good way.  I mean hell look at last year's Dodgers for an extreme example.

Well the Brewers had a bad rotation last year.  Around 24th in xFIP and 17th in ERA.  They won with hitting, baserunning, defense, and luck.

We have some depth but I wouldn't call Rea, Assad, or Wicks anything more than BORPs and they may all be below average SP.

We do probably have a higher than average floor for the rotation hopefully with the depth.  The upside i see is if Brown and Boyd are healthy and above average and Steele/Imanaga stay healthy.

Our defense will help the run prevention to be hopefully above average and the offense can hopefully also be above average.

[Bertz]

I wonder how long you give Pressly in a situation like this.  Obviously it's not the trade deadline or the winter meetings, there's some time to think things over.  But do you give him a day?  The weekend?  Until the #2 guy on the Cubs' list is about to sign elsewhere?

[CubinNY]

7 minutes ago, Bertz said:

I wonder how long you give Pressly in a situation like this.  Obviously it's not the trade deadline or the winter meetings, there's some time to think things over.  But do you give him a day?  The weekend?  Until the #2 guy on the Cubs' list is about to sign elsewhere?

That’s a good question. I’d guess like a week and find out what he needs in the form of concierge service for his family to be comfortable or whatever else they can do to make the transition easier. But I don’t know how these things work.

[Rcal10]

12 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

That’s a good question. I’d guess like a week and find out what he needs in the form of concierge service for his family to be comfortable or whatever else they can do to make the transition easier. But I don’t know how these things work.

I think a week is very generous. I would say by the end of the weekend, until they have another deal ready to go. Whichever came first. Can’t sit around and wait to see if he wants to come or not. 

[CubinNY]

They obviously don’t have another deal ready to go or it would be done. You don’t hard sell a guy you want who has a NTC. There is nothing going on until ST. 

[Rcal10]

31 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

They obviously don’t have another deal ready to go or it would be done. You don’t hard sell a guy you want who has a NTC. There is nothing going on until ST. 

This is true. Maybe they give him whatever he needs as long as they are still pursuing other players. But as soon as something else becomes a reality, if he hasn’t decided, they need to either get an answer or make the other move. As long as he isn’t holding anything up, I guess it is ok. 

[mul21]

6 hours ago, CubinNY said:

They obviously don’t have another deal ready to go or it would be done. You don’t hard sell a guy you want who has a NTC. There is nothing going on until ST. 

What? Are you just saying via trade? Because it sounds like the conversation with Robertson is decently far down the road. 

[Stratos]

8 hours ago, CubinNY said:

They obviously don’t have another deal ready to go or it would be done. You don’t hard sell a guy you want who has a NTC. There is nothing going on until ST. 

He could be the Cubs #1 preference.  It's not like he's the only guy they're interested in.  If he declines they move to their 2nd best option.