Screw Winter Doldrums! The Get a Big Bat and Call It an Offseason Thread

[Hot Sauce]

Transitioning from exhilarating football playoffs back to plodding baseball off-season is kind of a bummer. 

[Neuby]

Trent Thornton is a great get on a minor league deal 

[chibears55]

Cubs and Boras supposedly still in discussion about Gallen 

[Bertz]

40 minutes ago, Neuby said:

Trent Thornton is a great get on a minor league deal 

Yeah I'm never going to jump up and down over a minor league signing but I like this a lot.

[Rcal10]

28 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Cubs and Boras supposedly still in discussion about Gallen 

I don’t think that means exclusively. I think the comment is to mean the Cubs still are interested in Gallen. I am not sharing you are suggesting this either. Just trying to clear it up. I don’t think Cubs and Gallen are close. Just an option. 

[Dfan25]

 

[Rcal10]

29 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

 

If he signed I would think he would be taking Austin’s spot on the bench. And if he signed they better add more too. Don’t want to go over for a bench bat. He is a solid right handed bat who can play 1st on occasion and DH against lefties.

Edited January 19 by Rcal10

[Irrelevant Dude]

Out of the Cubs big 3 position player free agents following this season (Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki), who do people think they are most likely to bring back? 

Prior to the Bregman signing, Hoerner was the obvious choice, but now I'm not so sure.  It may be more likely they try to keep Happ around for a few more years so they only have one corner outfield spot to fill.

I would still really prefer the Cubs keep Hoerner and reconstruct the outfield, but I think it is unlikely they commit that amount of long term money to 3/4 of the infield.

 

[Cuzi]

2 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Out of the Cubs big 3 position player free agents following this season (Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki), who do people think they are most likely to bring back? 

Prior to the Bregman signing, Hoerner was the obvious choice, but now I'm not so sure.  It may be more likely they try to keep Happ around for a few more years so they only have one corner outfield spot to fill.

I would still really prefer the Cubs keep Hoerner and reconstruct the outfield, but I think it is unlikely they commit that amount of long term money to 3/4 of the infield.

Give me Seiya over Happ.

[Post Count Padder]

1 hour ago, Neuby said:

Trent Thornton is a great get on a minor league deal 

Yeah that's a nice low-risk signing. He could be this year's Keller.

[Post Count Padder]

13 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Out of the Cubs big 3 position player free agents following this season (Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki), who do people think they are most likely to bring back? 

Prior to the Bregman signing, Hoerner was the obvious choice, but now I'm not so sure.  It may be more likely they try to keep Happ around for a few more years so they only have one corner outfield spot to fill.

I would still really prefer the Cubs keep Hoerner and reconstruct the outfield, but I think it is unlikely they commit that amount of long term money to 3/4 of the infield.

 

Ideally Hoerner is the one brought back but Happ is also well liked and he loves it here so there's a non-zero chance he signs a team-friendly extension by the end of the summer.

[chibears55]

8 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Out of the Cubs big 3 position player free agents following this season (Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki), who do people think they are most likely to bring back? 

Prior to the Bregman signing, Hoerner was the obvious choice, but now I'm not so sure.  It may be more likely they try to keep Happ around for a few more years so they only have one corner outfield spot to fill.

I would still really prefer the Cubs keep Hoerner and reconstruct the outfield, but I think it is unlikely they commit that amount of long term money to 3/4 of the infield.

 

My guess if they keep one it would be Hoerner, he'll just be 30 in 2027. They can keep the entire infield intact through 2029 when Swanson contract ends and slow roll Rojas into taking over who will be 21 this season. 

Happ will be 33 in 2027, likely be looking for 3-4 yrs and at least over 20 per..

Suzuki will be same age 33, and im sure if he wants to continue playing in the States he'll be looking for same type of contract.

[Irrelevant Dude]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

My guess if they keep one it would be Hoerner, he'll just be 30 in 2027.

That is part of the reason why I think it could end up being Happ.  At Hoerner's age, he can go into free agency looking for a 5+ year deal.  Happ, on the other hand, might settle for a semi team friendly deal on a shorter term (3 years).

[Cuzi]

So are we picking Happ just because he will probably be looking for the cheapest extension?

If my options are Hoerner, Happ, and Suzuki. Happ is firmly on the bottom of that list. Not saying he's a bad player, but he's a guy that lives on a roller coaster of success where as the other 2 are just as good in one case and clearly better in the other while maintaining consistent success.

Best players, please. I dont care about the Cubs wallet.

Edited January 19 by Cuzi

[Bertz]

23 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

Out of the Cubs big 3 position player free agents following this season (Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki), who do people think they are most likely to bring back? 

Prior to the Bregman signing, Hoerner was the obvious choice, but now I'm not so sure.  It may be more likely they try to keep Happ around for a few more years so they only have one corner outfield spot to fill.

I would still really prefer the Cubs keep Hoerner and reconstruct the outfield, but I think it is unlikely they commit that amount of long term money to 3/4 of the infield.

 

Seiya.  It's really hard currently to find RHH outfielders who aren't either a defensive liability or the short side of a platoon.  

[Post Count Padder]

2 hours ago, Neuby said:

Trent Thornton is a great get on a minor league deal 

 

[chibears55]

3 hours ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

That is part of the reason why I think it could end up being Happ.  At Hoerner's age, he can go into free agency looking for a 5+ year deal.  Happ, on the other hand, might settle for a semi team friendly deal on a shorter term (3 years).

Why not offer him 5 years ? Unless of course hes looking for something crazy money wise.

But I'd offer Hoerner from ages 30-34, a 5 year deal, unless they feel Rojas will be ready in 2 years.

 

 

 

 

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

Why not offer him 5 years ? Unless of course hes looking for something crazy money wise.

But I'd offer Hoerner from ages 30-34, a 5 year deal, unless they feel Rojas will be ready in 2 years.

 

 

 

 

I agree about offering Hoerner 5 years. But using your argument,  being he is younger, why wouldn’t he want 7 years. Also, what is  crazy money to you. Is 5/$125M crazy? 

[chibears55]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

I agree about offering Hoerner 5 years. But using your argument,  being he is younger, why wouldn’t he want 7 years. Also, what is  crazy money to you. Is 5/$125M crazy? 

I was just responding to poster about the 5 yrs, if they can get him for 7 then sure why not.

Yea I was thinking 25 per would be too much for the cubs to pay a second basemen only because theyre already invested with Bregman and Swanson and would likely need to pay an OFer that much or more next offseason to replace Happ and or Suzuki. 

Only 2BMEN making 25 or more per right now are Boegarts(25.4) Altuve(25) and Semien(25), do you feel Hoerner is there with them or more in the Marte range at 19.5?

[Rcal10]

11 hours ago, chibears55 said:

I was just responding to poster about the 5 yrs, if they can get him for 7 then sure why not.

Yea I was thinking 25 per would be too much for the cubs to pay a second basemen only because theyre already invested with Bregman and Swanson and would likely need to pay an OFer that much or more next offseason to replace Happ and or Suzuki. 

Only 2BMEN making 25 or more per right now are Boegarts(25.4) Altuve(25) and Semien(25), do you feel Hoerner is there with them or more in the Marte range at 19.5?

Kind of a tough question to answer on what he should get. I mean he is better than all the 2nd baseman making $25M and probably not as good as Marte, making $19.5. I would guess he would want $25M annual but probably get in the low to mid $20M a year. I don’t think I would give Hoerner 7 years. But, again, that might be what he is looking for. 

[CubUgly]

6 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Kind of a tough question to answer on what he should get. I mean he is better than all the 2nd baseman making $25M and probably not as good as Marte, making $19.5. I would guess he would want $25M annual but probably get in the low to mid $20M a year. I don’t think I would give Hoerner 7 years. But, again, that might be what he is looking for. 

Do you think Hoerner wants to play SS?  If so it's a different discussion.  

[Rcal10]

13 minutes ago, CubUgly said:

Do you think Hoerner wants to play SS?  If so it's a different discussion.  

🤷 But is a team views him as one he might be able to get more money. Hard to say what a player wants to do. The only certainty is they want to make as much money as they can. 

[chibears55]

Didn't see this posted anywhere...

 

[squally1313]

Zips coming out for the Cubs tomorrow. To the surprise of probably very few, they love the offense, hate the pitching. Projects every single position (besides the DH spot) to be more valuable than any of our starting pitchers. But does have 6 starters putting up between 2.4 and 1.5 fWAR, which is encouraging enough I guess. 

[Bertz]

4 hours ago, squally1313 said:

Zips coming out for the Cubs tomorrow. To the surprise of probably very few, they love the offense, hate the pitching. Projects every single position (besides the DH spot) to be more valuable than any of our starting pitchers. But does have 6 starters putting up between 2.4 and 1.5 fWAR, which is encouraging enough I guess. 

Looks like every SP except Rea is a little better here than via Steamer, and that's a healthy bump for the bullpen too.  

But good lord does it love the lineup.

 

Edited January 21 by Bertz