Winter Meetings Thread

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Backtobanks said:

You contradicted yourself when you said that " they are counting dollars to try being under the LT" and "There is no reason they shouldn’t get Imai, Suarez (RP) and Bregman this off season".  

 There is no contradiction. It is actually 2 true statements. To simplify for you:

Cubs won’t spend beyond the first level luxury tax so they won’t get Imai, Suarez and Bregman. 1st truth

Cubs are a major market team so they shouldn’t use the first level of the LT as a salary cap for the team. They should spend what they need to spend to get the players they want without fear of going over the first LT line. 2nd truth

[mk49]

5 hours ago, Dfan25 said:

According to Levine , the Cubs made a 3 year offer to Devin Williams and his preference was to sign with the Cubs . They just didn’t approach 51 million  😂

Most people are not like Shota.  Shota took less money to sign with Chicago in 2023/2024, just because he liked Chicago and the Cubs.  I think Boyd could have received a little better deal, but he signed with the Cubs early, because of the memory of his granddad.  

[Stratos]

8 hours ago, KCCub said:

 

Gotta think there'd be a trade if that had happened.

Seems like Hoyer is trying to be flexible and creative and I think most of the Cubs who are FA next offseason could also be trade candidates. Whatever prospects they got in return could be flipped for a SP. 

Wouldn't be surprised if Hoyer has checked in on the price for pretty much every quality FA on the market.

[Geographyhater8888]

12 hours ago, KCCub said:

 

Did he ask Scott Boras if Pete would accept Cody’s 3/$80 million contract with incentives and opt outs? He wastes his time every offseason showing “interest” in players way out of his $ comfort zone.

Edited December 11, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Geographyhater8888]

5 hours ago, Stratos said:

Gotta think there'd be a trade if that had happened.

Seems like Hoyer is trying to be flexible and creative and I think most of the Cubs who are FA next offseason could also be trade candidates. Whatever prospects they got in return could be flipped for a SP. 

Wouldn't be surprised if Hoyer has checked in on the price for pretty much every quality FA on the market.

He would’ve been the perfect DH. If they had chosen to keep Shaw and or the young outfielders I wonder if there’s a world where he’d find a trade partner for Happ and free up some $ to sign another higher AAV pitcher instead of going the trade route.

Edited December 11, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[chibears55]

Hoyer adding those cheap depth arms for the pen 

 

[thawv]

10 hours ago, Backtobanks said:

You contradicted yourself when you said that " they are counting dollars to try being under the LT" and "There is no reason they shouldn’t get Imai, Suarez (RP) and Bregman this off season".  

The first quote is a fact and a complaint.  The second quote is what he would like them to do.  The two statements are not related. 

[Geographyhater8888]

16 hours ago, Cuzi said:

Still some large and medium market teams out there with some overlap with the Cubs. When those teams make their moves and the market settles, the Cubs will be there ready to pounce on what is left.

Unless it’s a manager we’re talking about, then he’ll write a blank check. 

Edited December 11, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Backtobanks]

10 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

 There is no contradiction. It is actually 2 true statements. To simplify for you:

Cubs won’t spend beyond the first level luxury tax so they won’t get Imai, Suarez and Bregman. 1st truth

Cubs are a major market team so they shouldn’t use the first level of the LT as a salary cap for the team. They should spend what they need to spend to get the players they want without fear of going over the first LT line. 2nd truth

I take it as there's no reason for them not to sign Imai, Suarez, and Bergman except they refuse to go over the LT.  The second part is a reason for them to not sign those players.

[CubinNY]

Now it's back to waiting to see who falls into their lap.

[Geographyhater8888]

27 minutes ago, Backtobanks said:

I take it as there's no reason for them not to sign Imai, Suarez, and Bergman except they refuse to go over the LT.  The second part is a reason for them to not sign those players.

They’re clogged with good options at the positions. Perhaps Suarez is decent insurance for Cassie or Belestaros at DH but they’re a Tucker away, I’m not averse to Suarez but it’s another lateral move. Good is the goal so I’ll take 1/2 win over nothing.

[Rcal10]

46 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

They’re clogged with good options at the positions. Perhaps Suarez is decent insurance for Cassie or Belestaros at DH but they’re a Tucker away, I’m not averse to Suarez but it’s another lateral move. Good is the goal so I’ll take 1/2 win over nothing.

The Suarez I was referring to is the relief pitcher. I want no part in the 3rd baseman.

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Backtobanks said:

I take it as there's no reason for them not to sign Imai, Suarez, and Bergman except they refuse to go over the LT.  The second part is a reason for them to not sign those players.

Then you took it wrong. I know why they won’t sign all those guys. Doesn’t mean I agree with their reasoning or that they are right to limit their spenskng to under the LT line. 

I specifically said as a major market team the LT line shouldn’t be a salary cap for the Cubs. I am not suggesting they go to $300M+ or be the Dodgers. I am saying their payroll shouldn’t be capped at the LT line. By not spending they are refusing to take advantage of the only advantage major markets teams have….. the ability to spend money. Signing Imai, Robert Suarez and Bregman takes them probably into the top 5 teams on spending. Since they are a top team in generating revenues I see no reason they shouldn’t also be a top 5 team in spending. And, with all the guys coming off the payroll at the end of next year, if they really need to lower payroll for ‘27 they can. With a new CBA we don’t even know if they will have to lower payroll. 

[Bertz]

Free agency this winter basically 

[Jason Ross]

20 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

The Suarez I was referring to is the relief pitcher. I want no part in the 3rd baseman.

I'm pretty bearish on Suarez the reliever myself. I've come around on Fairbanks for a few reasons (including my new obsession, popups) but I'm probably out on Robert Suarez for a multi-year deal. I don't like the trajectory of his pitch mix right now.

In fact, between E, Suarez, Robert Suarez, and Ranger Suarez, they might represent three of my least favorite free agents. And I promise it has nothing to do with some deep seeded hatred for people names Suarez!

[Geographyhater8888]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

The Suarez I was referring to is the relief pitcher. I want no part in the 3rd baseman.

The least boring Suarez popped to mind. My bad.

[chibears55]

With all the Suarez available to get this offseason, Hoyer will even fail to grab one of them 😅😅😅

[Tryptamine]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/nico-hoerner-drawing-trade-interest.html

 

Unless the return is huge, there is no way this makes even the slightest bit of sense. Yeah, you could probably get fairly similar production between 2B/3B from a combination of Shaw/Nico and Shaw/Bregman but it would also come at the cost of an additional 20M in payroll in 2026 and that's ignore the next 4 or 5 years they'd also have Bregman signed for.

[Jason Ross]

3 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/nico-hoerner-drawing-trade-interest.html

 

Unless the return is huge, there is no way this makes even the slightest bit of sense. Yeah, you could probably get fairly similar production between 2B/3B from a combination of Shaw/Nico and Shaw/Bregman but it would also come at the cost of an additional 20M in payroll in 2026 and that's ignore the next 4 or 5 years they'd also have Bregman signed for.

Sharma and Mooney talked about it in an article on The Athletic today and it seems more along the lines of "teams are asking, and while the Cubs do not operate on sentimentality, it probably isn't going to happen"

[Rcal10]

2 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

I'm pretty bearish on Suarez the reliever myself. I've come around on Fairbanks for a few reasons (including my new obsession, popups) but I'm probably out on Robert Suarez for a multi-year deal. I don't like the trajectory of his pitch mix right now.

In fact, between E, Suarez, Robert Suarez, and Ranger Suarez, they might represent three of my least favorite free agents. And I promise it has nothing to do with some deep seeded hatred for people names Suarez!

Honestly I am mixed on Robert Suarez. I was only using him as an example of a player the Cubs are supposedly interested in. I was just making a point that if they have real interest in him, Imai and Bregman, as a major market team they shouldn’t worry about getting all of them and going over the LT line. 
 

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, Rcal10 said:

Honestly I am mixed on Robert Suarez. I was only using him as an example of a player the Cubs are supposedly interested in. I was just making a point that if they have real interest in him, Imai and Bregman, as a major market team they shouldn’t worry about getting all of them and going over the LT line. 
 

Oh, I know. Mostly just throwing out there that I don't like him. His fastball bleed and pitch mix changes are not ones I love on a multi-year deal. 

[Rcal10]

Is Michael Kopech healthy? Wouldn’t he be worth a shot. Instead of Suarez for $16M a year, why not Fairbanks and Kopech for that same money? 

[KCCub]

If we sign one of the remaining top arms (Imai, King, etc), would you guys consider trading for Tyler O'Neil as he seems to be the odd guy out now in Baltimore? Owed 2/$33m - if we get them to kick in some cash, it could make the numbers work. He was hurt and bad last year, so maybe not worth the squeeze but that might make them enticed to unload his contract without asking for much prospect capital. He does fit some needs - righty power bat with a career 145 wRC+ against lefties that can play corner OF. Don't love the idea of TON with his injury history, but also don't hate this route either as it's going to be tough to land a decent bat if we spend up in FA on SP. 

[Bertz]

Legitimately more upset about this than any of the stuff that went down at the meetings.  He should have come home.

[Bertz]

7 minutes ago, KCCub said:

If we sign one of the remaining top arms (Imai, King, etc), would you guys consider trading for Tyler O'Neil as he seems to be the odd guy out now in Baltimore? Owed 2/$33m - if we get them to kick in some cash, it could make the numbers work. He was hurt and bad last year, so maybe not worth the squeeze but that might make them enticed to unload his contract without asking for much prospect capital. He does fit some needs - righty power bat with a career 145 wRC+ against lefties that can play corner OF. Don't love the idea of TON with his injury history, but also don't hate this route either as it's going to be tough to land a decent bat if we spend up in FA on SP. 

I really wanted him last winter, and Steamer projects him to a 122 wRC+ against lefties.  It's very much a backup plan but it's one I like quite a bit.