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

[Hunter]

No Kris Bryant either. It isn't like he has something else to do. Pretty sure the Sheraton is ADA compliant. 

[jersey cubs fan]

2 hours ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

By no means am I an Addison Russell fan and I couldn't tell you anything he has done in the last 5 years.  I do know he did some really bad things over an extended period of time prior to that.  Maybe this is a bit too soon, but what if he has turned his life around?  I do think we need to be willing to give people a chance to come back from their past transgressions.  He may still be a scumbag, but maybe he isn't.  He was a big part of the 2016 team though, and if he has taken steps forward in his life, I'm ok with him being included in events celebrating that team.

He was a good ball player for like 5 minutes and a ****** human for much longer. We don’t need to do anything for him. 

[Outshined_One]

6 hours ago, chibears55 said:

Exactly, he did a scumbag thing but we dont know what hes been doing the last 7 years to help better himself as a person and how things are going now between him and his Ex and son.

That's the thing, we don't know what he's done. It's also possible he's done jack crap and is still a domestic abusing scumbag.

There are ways for people in his situation to rehabilitate his image and demonstrate to the world that he's a better person now, but I'm not aware of any interviews or stories with him or his ex about that. Bringing him back out of the blue comes across as callous, at the very least.

[thawv]

18 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

This is a complete about face. Aren’t you the guy who continually says you don’t expect them to do anything? Aren’t you all about just bringing up prospects who will magically be as good as Happ and Suzuki? Now you are suggesting something that we all know has absolutely no chance of happening? Obviously you know it too. Just surprised you even suggested it.
Honestly, I would rather see them get Bichette and Gallen. Trade Tailon. That would cost them a net of around $32M to $38M. They would be over the LT, but not by that much. And they can get under next year. While I think this is also pretty unlikely, I think it is way more likely than what you suggested. 

We should also remember that the CBT number used is the end of season payroll.  So they can go over now and be over for 3-4 months and make a salary move at the deadline to get under if they choose to.  

[thawv]

15 hours ago, Dfan25 said:

A Red Sox / Cubs showdown for Bregman would be very interesting . They are so similar in the way they do business 

I was thinking the same thing here.  Boston set a franchise payroll record last year and went over by a little bit.  They are less than 4 million from going over again.  Both teams are very similar with the way they operate.  I just don't see Boston going over again.  And if they sign Bregman, that will also put them over the 2nd level.   Who know?  Maybe they move enough money to sign him.  Or they just decide to go over the second level.  I just don't see it though. 

[thawv]

13 hours ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

I hate how good the Brewers are at everything, except getting to the World Series 

If they had the money, they would get there!

[Geographyhater8888]

3 hours ago, Outshined_One said:

That's the thing, we don't know what he's done. It's also possible he's done jack crap and is still a domestic abusing scumbag.

There are ways for people in his situation to rehabilitate his image and demonstrate to the world that he's a better person now, but I'm not aware of any interviews or stories with him or his ex about that. Bringing him back out of the blue comes across as callous, at the very least.

Good optics. It’ll go over really well if they also whiff on Bregman/Bichette/Tucker

Edited January 10 by Geographyhater8888

[Geographyhater8888]

Sergio Mitre will be attending Cubs Con from zoom in his prison cell.

[Rcal10]

2 hours ago, thawv said:

If they had the money, they would get there!

If they had money they wouldn’t get the other benefits they get like extra picks in the amateur draft, more international money, etc…. So they may not have as much good cheap talent. There FO does an amazing job. I am not disputing that. But they do have more opportunities every year for cheap talent then large market teams have. 

[Geographyhater8888]

33 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

If they had money they wouldn’t get the other benefits they get like extra picks in the amateur draft, more international money, etc…. So they may not have as much good cheap talent. There FO does an amazing job. I am not disputing that. But they do have more opportunities every year for cheap talent then large market teams have. 

I think it’s complete horsefeathers. Is it true that the Brewers received an extra first round pick for not resigning Adames? 

Edited January 10 by Geographyhater8888

[Neuby]

34 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

I think it’s complete horsefeathers. Is it true that the Brewers received an extra first round pick for not resigning Adames? 

and we will get one for not re-signing Tucker assuming we don't go the Bichette route.

[Geographyhater8888]

1 minute ago, Neuby said:

and we will get one for not re-signing Tucker assuming we don't go the Bichette route.

A first round pick? So it’s not specific to small market teams then? 

[Rcal10]

22 minutes ago, Neuby said:

and we will get one for not re-signing Tucker assuming we don't go the Bichette route.

No we don’t. I am not sure exactly what the difference is when losing a FA, but I know the small market teams do get a higher pick in the draft when they lose one. And penalized less when they sign one. And every year the entire division, except the Cubs gets a competitive balance pick. That pick is either after the first round or the second round. So they get more chances at young talent. Plus they have a higher limit they can spend internationally. While this doesn’t make up for a large market team just spending money, it does give them an advantage over large market teams who don’t spend as large markets, since the one advantage large markets has is they have money to spend. 

Edited January 10 by Rcal10

[CubUgly]

22 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

I would lump that in with comfort in a city and a team. I wouldn’t put personal numbers as a separate category, unless it is for a future contract. Using Happ as an example doesn’t really pertain. He wants good numbers for a better contract. I agree all athletes have egos. They all want to see big time stats. But a big time back account far outweighs stats. 

I was using Happ's show as an example of how much personal numbers do matter to those guys.  And their legacy matters.  So I think it pertains and I'll give my reasoning.

And specifically to Belli he well knows if the money is equal or close it IMHO it would be a consideration that he without question could put up better numbers in his final years at Yankee Stadium vs. Wrigley or almost any other park. 

Now if some team offers him $5 million more a year....of course that would almost certainly weigh more heavily in his decision.   But if all things were equal or close to equal I absolutely think playing in a stadium that is best for your personal production offensively matters. 

[CubUgly]

10 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

He was a good ball player for like 5 minutes and a ****** human for much longer. We don’t need to do anything for him. 

Do we hold Aroldis Chapman to the same standard if it comes to him being invited and accepted?

[Rcal10]

15 minutes ago, CubUgly said:

I was using Happ's show as an example of how much personal numbers do matter to those guys.  And their legacy matters.  So I think it pertains and I'll give my reasoning.

And specifically to Belli he well knows if the money is equal or close it IMHO it would be a consideration that he without question could put up better numbers in his final years at Yankee Stadium vs. Wrigley or almost any other park. 

Now if some team offers him $5 million more a year....of course that would almost certainly weigh more heavily in his decision.   But if all things were equal or close to equal I absolutely think playing in a stadium that is best for your personal production offensively matters. 

I get it, and I agree legacy does matter. But I think in a last contract, money is the winner, period. Some guys might have an ego where legacy matters more than others. But then some guys might value family comfort in a city. So, as an example, Bellinger knows his numbers would be better for his career if he signed with the Yankees. But what if his family loves another city better? Does he put legacy over family? Maybe one guy does and another guy doesn’t. We don’t know. We do know money talks. IMO everything else is far down the line of concerns. And to each player they may value things differently. 

[chibears55]

6 hours ago, Outshined_One said:

That's the thing, we don't know what he's done. It's also possible he's done jack crap and is still a domestic abusing scumbag.

There are ways for people in his situation to rehabilitate his image and demonstrate to the world that he's a better person now, but I'm not aware of any interviews or stories with him or his ex about that. Bringing him back out of the blue comes across as callous, at the very least.

It took Ricketts a day and forever to bring Sosa back, let just hope they've been aware of what Russell been doing to better himself as a human.

Glancing at his Instagram just now, he has current photos of himself with wife and their 2 kids. 

 

[thawv]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

If they had money they wouldn’t get the other benefits they get like extra picks in the amateur draft, more international money, etc…. So they may not have as much good cheap talent. There FO does an amazing job. I am not disputing that. But they do have more opportunities every year for cheap talent then large market teams have. 

All true.  But they scout, draft, develop, and promote better than most teams.  If they did that and had that extra cash to get them over that hump, I think they would be better. 

 

[jersey cubs fan]

1 hour ago, CubUgly said:

Do we hold Aroldis Chapman to the same standard if it comes to him being invited and accepted?

Aroldis Chapman should be deleted from history 

[Derwood]

1 hour ago, CubUgly said:

Do we hold Aroldis Chapman to the same standard if it comes to him being invited and accepted?

Most of us were upset when they traded for him

[Bobson Dugnutt]

2 hours ago, CubUgly said:

Do we hold Aroldis Chapman to the same standard if it comes to him being invited and accepted?

Yes.

[chibears55]

18 hours ago, chibears55 said:

 

Just saw both Ross and Zobrist will be at convention 

[Tryptamine]

We are about 1 month until pitchers and catchers report and, according to ESPN, the #1, #2, #3, #4, #7, #11, #12, #13, etc. free agents are still unsigned. 

[JunkyardWalrus]

That there are only a few owners who are trying to win a world series, and a large market team, ahem the Cubs, the third largest market, are making everyone uncomfortable in the kiddie pool scouting reclamation projects. 

[Neuby]

6 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

No we don’t. I am not sure exactly what the difference is when losing a FA, but I know the small market teams do get a higher pick in the draft when they lose one. And penalized less when they sign one. And every year the entire division, except the Cubs gets a competitive balance pick. That pick is either after the first round or the second round. So they get more chances at young talent. Plus they have a higher limit they can spend internationally. While this doesn’t make up for a large market team just spending money, it does give them an advantage over large market teams who don’t spend as large markets, since the one advantage large markets has is they have money to spend. 

 

 

• Compensation: If Tucker declines it and signs a multi-year deal elsewhere, the Cubs would receive a compensatory draft pick after the second round (a CB pick) in the 2026 draft. 

Correct the Cubs don't receive a competitive balance pick but they will likely be receiving  a compensatory pick.