Winter Meetings Thread

[Jason Ross]

23 minutes ago, Cuzi said:

Generally speaking, I don't consider 1 playoff appearance in a division you out spend by at least $60M "fine." But that's just me.

To be clear, I'm not over the moon with Hoyer. I'm mostly willing to give him a pass on 2021-2023; he was essentially forced to gut the team mid-2021 due to "biblical losses" and the team in 2023 probably over performed what it looked like it'd have done. Rebuilding the roster is something I'll give you two years to get right. You can see that differently, but that's my viewpoint.

Entering 2024, I felt the Cubs were a player short in the offseason, they missed the boat at the deadline, and deservedly, crashed on the back end. It was a team that had some negative variance but the Cubs didn't properly handle that. That's on Jed, don't disagree.

2025, the Cubs landed on their high end of projections. It's an imperfect roster; they missed on Scott and Bregman, ended a player short on the offseason and then couldn't get another useful piece at the deadline. Even if we're assuming SP prices were out of control, relievers were doable and two of the three players the Cubs acquired weren't useful in the playoffs. They also brought in players who did better than we expected - they get credit for that. Overall, it was a successful, yet flawed year in the sense that I don't think the Cubs optimized their output. 

When it comes to spending, the spending does give the Cubs a boost, but they've also been highly dependent on outside help as the farm system wasn't really producing much. I can't find many places where the Cubs are overspending right now; they're pretty much market value or surplus value on their contracts, too. So I think it's a bit overblown, but it certainly gives the Cubs an advantage and it's fine to point that out, too. 

We'll see what 2026 brings. At this point, when it comes to Jed I expect a few things:

• The Cubs will do well with player acquisition and they won't really miss
• The Cubs will likely not get the top-wishlisted player ever
• The Cubs will routinely be a player short
• The Cubs will be a pretty good and competitive roster
• Fans will be upset initially at many of the signings but later will turn out fine

I'd like to be proven wrong at some point by their inability to get "the" guy they want or to close out a full-offseason or deadline without being a perceived player short. 

[Rcal10]

9 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

It’s not for nothing that Jed’s shown “interest” for 2 winters in a row. If he ends up half punting on all the of the pitchers with no teams willing to match Bregmans years, the plan C i’d think is signing him on Jed’s terms. With the log jammed group of position players, he’ll come up with a package and flip someone for a cheap pitcher. Having a productive right handed bat who mashed away from Fenway won’t hurt short term. Why else is Bregman even a topic? Leverage? 

I just think the Bregman talk is overblown. I am not sure it is a topic. Again, just my opinion. What you say is very reasonable. I just don’t see it happening. 

[Bertz]

Depending on what the team does bat-wise feels like there's an obvious Alcantara pitching trade to be made here 

[Geographyhater8888]

6 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I just think the Bregman talk is overblown. I am not sure it is a topic. Again, just my opinion. What you say is very reasonable. I just don’t see it happening. 

Perhaps. I just can’t ignore the fact he floated Bregman an offer last winter. King signs first because he’s still in a bidding war for Imai and loses, par for the course. It’s mid January and no one is willing to match his years, there’s a remote chance IMO.

Edited December 17, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[CubinNY]

The rickets are pocketing tens of millions of dollars every single year maybe even hundreds of millions of dollars we don’t know

[Bertz]

This is a bad sign.  Not the Yankees mention, but the fact that Romero has us so far along.  He's Nightengale levels of always wrong

 

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, Bertz said:

This is a bad sign.  Not the Yankees mention, but the fact that Romero has us so far along.  He's Nightengale levels of always wrong

 

Yeah, Romero was the guy who had us connected to Suarez the other day, too. My best hope here is that he's just reading tea leaves and guessing. 

[Backtobanks]

50 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Well, here's the issue; the Cubs did pony up for Shohei Ohtani it seems. They offered him a contract that would have structured things out in a way that he would have made more real-world-money by not using deferrals. 

I'm uninterested in playing any game where we create narratives around it in such a way where we are affirming our pre-conceived beliefs (for example "the only reason the Cubs offered that is because they knew he'd never sign it and was always going to the Dodgers". While it may be true, it also is just an assumption made by people with no knowledge, so let's skip on the narratives). 

Regardless, the point is this; the Cubs probably did offer him plenty of money. Ohtani wanted deferrals, the Cubs didn't do it. Why? Not sure.

You say my post is "naive" because I pointed out that the Cubs make a lot of moves every year (they do) and that the Cubs brought in successful MLB players last year (they did) and that the Cubs had a successful year (success is subjective but I think we're jumping the shark when 92-wins and a playoff series win becomes beneath success in any fashion, especially for a team that was not considered an elite one at any point). I would say my post was realistic, finding the middle ground between the consistent whining while also pointing out counter claims (roster turnover, lack of killer ability to get the best players). 

I don't love Jed Hoyer. I don't hate Jed Hoyer. Jed Hoyer is generally fine at what he does, and yet feels flawed as well. He is what he is.  

How do we know what The Cubs offer was?  The only accurate numbers are when the player signs with a team.

[CubinNY]

28 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

I just wonder if it’s a chicken an egg thing. Is he operating Toms vision of Reinsdorfs 2000’s Whitesox or Tom simply feels he’s the most qualified for the job and Jed has full autonomy over trades and free agency on a pre approved budget.

They share the same philosophical underpinnings for operating an MLB team. Tom has said multiple times he doesn't want to pay for past performance, and the best way to build a sustainable winner is to build from within. Jed is his sock puppet. The only problem is that they are both mediocre white guys who produce mediocre outcomes. Look at the guys he drafts in the top rounds- they are all a different version of Ian Happ., 

[Jason Ross]

3 minutes ago, Backtobanks said:

How do we know what The Cubs offer was?  The only accurate numbers are when the player signs with a team.

We can't know anything. But I think it's probably important to remember that people like Jon Heyman run on reputation; that's what reporting is. It's why when Jeff Passan tweets something we respond differently than what our friend Fancys Romero tweets above. We also haven't had anyone refute that report. I don't think Heyman puts that out there unless he believes it's true to a high degree, and while Heyman can kind of be a shill for owners or Boras at times, he rarely just reports false horsefeathers. This isn't a Bob Nightengale thing, for example. 

Can we take this as a stone-cold-fact? Fine, there's some level of "I don't know..." to it. But there's also zero reason to believe that report isn't true, either. 

[Geographyhater8888]

10 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

They share the same philosophical underpinnings for operating an MLB team. Tom has said multiple times he doesn't want to pay for past performance, and the best way to build a sustainable winner is to build from within. Jed is his sock puppet. The only problem is that they are both mediocre white guys who produce mediocre outcomes. Look at the guys he drafts in the top rounds- they are all a different version of Ian Happ., 

That would make the most sense. Jerry’s 2000’s Whitesox is the blueprint. 

[CubinNY]

Every year it's the same thing. The media ties them to a top teir free agent and then they end up signing whoever will sign for X dollars for X years. That's how they got Swanson. Going into that year's offseason, Dansby was the fourth SS by a large margin. He would have been hitting 8th or 9th in the batting order in Atlanta. They paid a price for Tucker and then teased at an extension, knowing full well it wouldn't happen unless a lot of other things happened first.

And every year we have the same conversations that go something like this: "I'm glad the Cubs didn't sign him to that contract." "He must have wanted to go to team X, because the Cubs offer was similar." "This guy they just signed kind of sucks, but it at least they didn't overpay." "I wouldn't sign player X to that fourth year either." 

God forbid they pay one penny more or one year more than "good value".  

[mul21]

23 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

They share the same philosophical underpinnings for operating an MLB team. Tom has said multiple times he doesn't want to pay for past performance, and the best way to build a sustainable winner is to build from within. Jed is his sock puppet. The only problem is that they are both mediocre white guys who produce mediocre outcomes. Look at the guys he drafts in the top rounds- they are all a different version of Ian Happ., 

What the hell is Cade Horton doing on the mound then?  Wild strategy!

[PackLandVA]

“Mediocre white guys”??

[CubinNY]

10 minutes ago, mul21 said:

What the hell is Cade Horton doing on the mound then?  Wild strategy!

Don't be obtuse.

And it remains to be seen what kind of a pitcher Horton is or even if he can pitch a full season, seeing as how he's never done,... since high school. 

Edited December 17, 2025 by CubinNY

[mul21]

Just now, CubinNY said:

Don't be obtuse.

You're the one exaggerating wildly to make a point that doesn't exist.  There are plenty of reasons to criticize the way the Cubs run things, but their first round draft choices is pretty much bottom of the list.

[Geographyhater8888]

He’s probably referring to Happ as mediocre. He’s not. He’s an above average hitter and defender. That’s the Cubs in a nutshell though. Cubs are in a position where they have a ton of expendable players but no position they have a pressing need to upgrade.

Edited December 17, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[CubinNY]

1 minute ago, mul21 said:

You're the one exaggerating wildly to make a point that doesn't exist.  There are plenty of reasons to criticize the way the Cubs run things, but their first round draft choices is pretty much bottom of the list.

I'd say somewhere in the middle, just like him. 

[chibears55]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

I just think the Bregman talk is overblown. I am not sure it is a topic. Again, just my opinion. What you say is very reasonable. I just don’t see it happening. 

I agree, I mean if the offer to Bregman was 4/120 with 2 opt outs last year, I just dont see them making any kind of better offer this year for him, I wouldn't put it pass them if their offer if made was 3/90..lol

This was part of why I never believed that there was ever a big interest in him, that zoom meeting probably lasted 5 minutes and was probably basically just the Cubs asking if he'd accept that 4/120 now and he said nope...

[chibears55]

So far the Cubs main additions to the roster has been Hoby Milner, Maton and Theilbar, all bullpen guys.

 

[CubinNY]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

So far the Cubs main additions to the roster has been Hoby Milner, Maton and Theilbar, all bullpen guys.

 

They are waiting for the Imari. If he doesn't sign they will go after King or make a trade for a pticher. 

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

So far the Cubs main additions to the roster has been Hoby Milner, Maton and Theilbar, all bullpen guys.

 

Is this meant to be a recap in case we were not aware of this, or is there a point you are trying to make? Pretty sure everyone here knows what the off season has been up until now.

[CubinNY]

The Cubs and the Yankees are the same team to an extent. The owners have the same outlook, so I'd say the Cubs have a 50/50 chance if it's just the two teams left standing. However, I'd bet that Cashman is much more likely than Hoyer to talk his owner into something uncomfortable. 

[Jason Ross]

This is more speculation than reporting, but there does seem to be a gathering smoke-storm on the Imai stuff. While I don't really think any of it is definitive, it does seem like we're winding this thing down. 

[CubUgly]

2 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

I just think the Bregman talk is overblown. I am not sure it is a topic. Again, just my opinion. What you say is very reasonable. I just don’t see it happening. 

I do think they really like Bregman, and project him to age well.   I think the interest in a vacuum is genuine.  I just have next to zero faith that if it comes to a bidding war with anyone for him they won't call or raise.   So in the end the interest is pretty meaningless.