Cubs Offseason Mega Thread

[Gjfificifjdej]

6 hours ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

It’s the Same one step forward one step backwards approach year after year. Maybe they’ll win 88 games with a +70 run differential instead of +125.

Expecting more than high 80s/low 90s for wins is extremely optimistic no matter what happens this offseason. I don’t think its possible make a pitching staff that was as bad as 2026 even average in one offseason, and the offence will almost certainly not be able to replicate last year. Pitching going from breathtakingly terrible to just regular bad and the offence staying atleast good would be a huge win. 

[Bertz]

Morosi's not the firmest source but worth noting

(I generally expect very few big trades regardless of team control)

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

GM meetings start tomorrow, maybe something of note will finally happen

[JunkyardWalrus]

6 hours ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

GM meetings start tomorrow, maybe something of note will finally happen

I'd forgotten about this! It used to be my favorite week back in the PSD days!

 

[Jason Ross]

I'm sorry, I gave them too much credit. The Athletic and Sharma reports the Cubs will not be involved in Skubal. And listen, you can say a fine offseason can be had or whatever, but this is horsefeathers behavior from a big market team to declare yourself out on November 9th. 

Sell the horsefeathers team if you have no aspirations, Tom.

Considering this comes from Sharma and so close to the Passan article last week, I'd assume the Cubs have set their budget. And I'm not particularly feeling very strong about said-budget considering.

[mul21]

Regardless of what moves are made, any projection of Ben Brown in the rotation feels like a fool's errand to me.  

[Rcal10]

I just saw a Will Warren for Shaw suggested on mlbtrsderumors. So it make me look up Warren on baseball savant. Basically he grades very poorly there. A bit of a ground ball pitcher, which was the only reddish line he had. But looking at his actual stat line, he strikes out just over a guy an inning. That and ground balls sounds good. And he is controlled  thru the ‘30 season. Is he someone who makes sense for Shaw? He comes with the amount of control I want the Cubs to trade for, if they trade for a pitcher. But his savant page doesn’t paint a flattering picture of him. 

[Nolo]

Would you rather (left field edition):

• Grisham/Ward platoon
• Alcantara/Conforto platoon
• Ward/Conforto platoon
• Shaw/Ramirez platoon
• Ian Happ

Edited 3 hours ago by Nolo

[Nolo]

8 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I just saw a Will Warren for Shaw suggested on mlbtrsderumors. So it make me look up Warren on baseball savant. Basically he grades very poorly there. A bit of a ground ball pitcher, which was the only reddish line he had. But looking at his actual stat line, he strikes out just over a guy an inning. That and ground balls sounds good. And he is controlled  thru the ‘30 season. Is he someone who makes sense for Shaw? He comes with the amount of control I want the Cubs to trade for, if they trade for a pitcher. But his savant page doesn’t paint a flattering picture of him. 

Matt Shaw is a 2027 Seattle Mariner in my mind.

Edited 3 hours ago by Nolo

[Jason Ross]

4 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I just saw a Will Warren for Shaw suggested on mlbtrsderumors. So it make me look up Warren on baseball savant. Basically he grades very poorly there. A bit of a ground ball pitcher, which was the only reddish line he had. But looking at his actual stat line, he strikes out just over a guy an inning. That and ground balls sounds good. And he is controlled  thru the ‘30 season. Is he someone who makes sense for Shaw? He comes with the amount of control I want the Cubs to trade for, if they trade for a pitcher. But his savant page doesn’t paint a flattering picture of him. 

Zero interest in Will Warren unless you have a real developmental plan there. He has zero feel for anything that moves. None. His sweeper sucks and is routinely bashed. He's a low-arm slot guy so "sweeper?" is usually a go-to pitch there and this thing doesn't work. Below average whiff, he leaves it over the plate constantly and guys crush it. 

Matt Shaw has warts, sure, but you're going into next year at least confident he's good defensively at multiple positions and a solid weak-side platoon hitter. 

I have zero confident in Will Warren. And it isn't like the Yankees are some bad pitching developmental organization. They can keep Warren.

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, Jason Ross said:

Zero interest in Will Warren unless you have a real developmental plan there. He has zero feel for anything that moves. None. His sweeper sucks and is routinely bashed. He's a low-arm slot guy so "sweeper?" is usually a go-to pitch there and this thing doesn't work. Below average whiff, he leaves it over the plate constantly and guys crush it. 

Matt Shaw has warts, sure, but you're going into next year at least confident he's good defensively at multiple positions and a solid weak-side platoon hitter. 

I have zero confident in Will Warren. And it isn't like the Yankees are some bad pitching developmental organization. They can keep Warren.

Thanks Jason. At first seeing he did strike out a guy per inning, I figured I had to look him up. Then saw a terrible savant page except for decent at ground balls. Which was why I had to ask about him. Thanks for the scouting report. 

[Rcal10]

6 minutes ago, Nolo said:

Matt Shaw is a 2027 Seattle Mariner in my mind.

Hopefully for Hancock. 

[Nolo]

2 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Hopefully for Hancock. 

check the edit I made to that comment (savant hancock vs warren)

36 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

I'm sorry, I gave them too much credit. The Athletic and Sharma reports the Cubs will not be involved in Skubal. And listen, you can say a fine offseason can be had or whatever, but this is horsefeathers behavior from a big market team to declare yourself out on November 9th. 

Sell the horsefeathers team if you have no aspirations, Tom.

Considering this comes from Sharma and so close to the Passan article last week, I'd assume the Cubs have set their budget. And I'm not particularly feeling very strong about said-budget considering.

Whats the TLDR; on that article it's behind a paywall. Sharma has been quite the buzzkill raining on the Morejon and Skubal parade over the past week.

Edited 3 hours ago by Nolo

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, Nolo said:

check the edit I made to that comment (savant hancock vs warren)

Whats the TLDR; on that article it's behind a paywall.

The Cubs are not going to spend like the Dodgers and Mets., they are sitting out Skubal. Team will look at groundball pitchers.

[Rcal10]

11 minutes ago, Nolo said:

Would you rather (left field edition):

• Grisham/Ward platoon
• Alcantara/Conforto platoon
• Ward/Conforto platoon
• Shaw/Ramirez platoon
• Ian Happ

If they don’t trade Shaw or Ramirez for a young controlled pitcher I think you will see Alcantara, Shaw, Ramirez, along with guys like Taylor, Ward, Robert, or a few others from the right side and Conforto, Grisham,  Pederson, Bell and a few others from the left side. One from each side of the plate and those 5 guys will fill left, right, and DH. I suppose they can always make a small trade for a platoon outfielder too. Just don’t know who or at what cost. Just my opinion, but I think one right handed and one left handed bat are added to the young guys on the roster. 

[Bertz]

15 minutes ago, Nolo said:

Would you rather (left field edition):

• Grisham/Ward platoon
• Alcantara/Conforto platoon
• Ward/Conforto platoon
• Shaw/Ramirez platoon
• Ian Happ

Grisham and Ward are full time-ish players, you're not getting them in the door to rebuild their value in a straight platoon.  If they struggle, sure, but not from day 1.

That said they're the two best buys on the market IMO.  Grisham makes more sense for our roster but I'd be happy with either.

[Wilson A2000]

47 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

I'm sorry, I gave them too much credit. The Athletic and Sharma reports the Cubs will not be involved in Skubal. And listen, you can say a fine offseason can be had or whatever, but this is horsefeathers behavior from a big market team to declare yourself out on November 9th. 

Sell the horsefeathers team if you have no aspirations, Tom.

Considering this comes from Sharma and so close to the Passan article last week, I'd assume the Cubs have set their budget. And I'm not particularly feeling very strong about said-budget considering.

It’s one thing not to get Skubal. It’s another thing not to try. The pattern of not even trying to offer at the top free agents is incredibly frustrating, but Tom doesn’t have it in him. Big market revenue, mostly mid market payroll.

Edited 2 hours ago by Wilson A2000

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, Wilson A2000 said:

It’s one thing not to get Skubal. It’s another thing not to try.

I would have no issues if the Cubs went into the Skubal thing, offered him a very lucrative offer that matched market rate and he chose another organization. You cannot force someone to sign. 

What I have issues with however is not trying and telling the world you're not trying. It's pathetic.  And if Sharma is reporting it, the Cubs are almost assuredly not trying. It isn't like this is even coming from notable debbie downer Jesse Rogers. Sharma doesn't miss.

[Hunter]

Just now, Jason Ross said:

I would have no issues if the Cubs went into the Skubal thing, offered him a very lucrative offer that matched market rate and he chose another organization. You cannot force someone to sign. 

What I have issues with however is not trying and telling the world you're not trying. It's pathetic.  

It is very disheartening too. They seem content to build a team just good enough to back into the playoffs. While anything can happen in the playoffs, I'd rather go in with a stacked deck. 

[JBears79]

50 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

I'm sorry, I gave them too much credit. The Athletic and Sharma reports the Cubs will not be involved in Skubal. And listen, you can say a fine offseason can be had or whatever, but this is horsefeathers behavior from a big market team to declare yourself out on November 9th. 

Sell the horsefeathers team if you have no aspirations, Tom.

Considering this comes from Sharma and so close to the Passan article last week, I'd assume the Cubs have set their budget. And I'm not particularly feeling very strong about said-budget considering.

Makes total sense. You have injury prone pitching, mediocre and below average pitching and terrible pitching development. Why sign pitchers then? We can just stick with what we have. 

[Nolo]

16 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

The Cubs are not going to spend like the Dodgers and Mets., they are sitting out Skubal. Team will look at groundball pitchers.

What is considered a ground ball pitcher these days? 45% or higher? Or are we talking Clay Holmes and Morejon caliber serving up 60% GB rate? Because I don't think any of the free agent pitchers, besides Morejon, are matching Holmes in that regard but guys like King, Skubal, Griffin all served up 45% GB rate in 2026. Peterson 50% GB. Hopefully Jed realizes the Cubs need an actual ace still nonetheless.

Edited 2 hours ago by Nolo

[Nolo]

4 minutes ago, JBears79 said:

Makes total sense. You have injury prone pitching, mediocre and below average pitching and terrible pitching development. Why sign pitchers then? We can just stick with what we have. 

Holmes, Peterson, Steele, Brown, and Cabrera. Written in sharpie now.

Assad and Garrett, grab your cleats.

Edited 2 hours ago by Nolo

[mul21]

31 minutes ago, Nolo said:

Would you rather (left field edition):

• Grisham/Ward platoon
• Alcantara/Conforto platoon
• Ward/Conforto platoon
• Shaw/Ramirez platoon
• Ian Happ

I have no interest in any scenario that has Conforto as the strong side of an OF platoon.  He's too old and too bad defensively for that to be playable with the pitching this team will likely have.  I think I'd be on board for a Grisham/Taylor combination in the OF if they can make that happen.

[mul21]

3 minutes ago, Nolo said:

Holmes, Peterson, Steele, Brown, and Cabrera. Written in sharpie now.

Assad and Garrett, grab your cleats.

There's no chance this FO is planning on Ben Brown being a rotation piece going into the season.  They still don't know what's causing the neck issue.

[Nolo]

17 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Grisham and Ward are full time-ish players, you're not getting them in the door to rebuild their value in a straight platoon.  If they struggle, sure, but not from day 1.

That said they're the two best buys on the market IMO.  Grisham makes more sense for our roster but I'd be happy with either.

Yeah you're right the Grisham/Ward platoon is unrealistic.