Cubs Offseason Mega Thread

[Stratos]

I'm intrigued by Michael King.  He's consistently had ERAs that outperformed his FIP/xFIP/xERA every year of his career.

It looks to be a skill over luck.  Savant shows he consistently scores highly in Avg Exit Velo and Hardhit%.  Outside of honeruns. FIP/xFIP don't factor quality of contact.  

Anecdotal, but his stuff also looked really good when the Cubs faced him in the playoffs.

[Stratos]

4 hours ago, chibears55 said:

Kaima Taira has been mentioned alot today for the Cubs and Whitesox,  not sure if the cubs are considering him as a starter or reliever but either way, they cannot allow themselves to be outbid by the Sox for him.

Might not mean much, but Fangraphs/Steamer don't like Taira next season  They project below- average K/9 and BB/9 but better- than-average HR rate (due to high GB%) for an ERA in the mid-4's.

[Stratos]

PCA unanimously won the NL MVP.

[mul21]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/11/latest-on-jazz-chisholms-market-2.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky

I know he's not the most popular target around here, but Jazz appears to be willing to play some OF.

[Nolo]

10 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I know he's not the most popular target around here, but Jazz appears to be willing to play some OF.

 

Looking at all of the FA options, I am starting to come around to the idea of Shaw in a corner and sign or trade for an actual outfielder for the other spot. Mostly because I need to come to acceptance with the fact that this is probably going to be the case. 

[Rcal10]

28 minutes ago, mul21 said:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/11/latest-on-jazz-chisholms-market-2.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky

I know he's not the most popular target around here, but Jazz appears to be willing to play some OF.

Projections show him over $20M a year. If the Cubs are going to spend that money on a corner outfielder I would rather have Seiya back. 

[Rcal10]

11 minutes ago, Nolo said:

Looking at all of the FA options, I am starting to come around to the idea of Shaw in a corner and sign or trade for an actual outfielder for the other spot. Mostly because I need to come to acceptance with the fact that this is probably going to be the case. 

I actually think they will be fine with Shaw, Ramirez and Alcantara if they add two bats for around $20M. Could be something like Ward or Robert with Conforto or Grisham and Taylor. Between those 5 guys they have 2 corners and a DH. Or they can think outside the box a little and one of those signing can be strictly a DH. Maybe Pederson with Taylor or Josh Bell with Ward, Robert or Grisham. 

[Nolo]

What would it take to get Jared Duran? 

Also Alcantara is out of options, you think Jaguar is trade capital or a fourth outfielder next season? Perhaps he's increasing his value mashing out in the Dominican winter league.

[Rcal10]

Just now, Nolo said:

What would it take to get Jared Duran? 

Also Alcantara is out of options, you think Jaguar is trade capital or a fourth outfielder next season? Perhaps he's increasing his value mashing out in the Dominican winter league.

Red Sox might not offer him a contract, so probably not much. 

[Nolo]

4 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I actually think they will be fine with Shaw, Ramirez and Alcantara if they add two bats for around $20M. Could be something like Ward or Robert with Conforto or Grisham and Taylor. 

I am fine with that, as long as the rotation looks *something like* Rogers/Holmes/Taira/Steele/Cabrera/Assad.

We also have to consider that lil Pedro may be our DH.

Edited 11 hours ago by Nolo

[Derwood]

9 hours ago, Stratos said:

PCA unanimously won the NL MVP.

First unanimous MVP/platinum glove winner

[Bertz]

This is the first time a QO free agent sign before the QO deadline in years I think.  Glad this offseason is already moving at a decent clip.

 

[KCCub]

Red Sox hoarding all the 1b/DH types

[Bertz]

I wonder how far they'd pay down Yoshida.  Wouldn't hate him for the Conforto role.

[Rcal10]

4 minutes ago, Bertz said:

This is the first time a QO free agent sign before the QO deadline in years I think.  Glad this offseason is already moving at a decent clip.

 

Does this make it more likely Duran is not retained by them? 

[Backtobanks]

13 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Does this make it more likely Duran is not retained by them? 

Time to revisit my trade for Duran + Bello?

[Rcal10]

Brewers get a comp pick after the 1st round for losing Bauers. When the Cubs lose Seiya they get a pick after the 4th round. Something people should think about every time they complain that the Brewers can seem to build a team better than the Cubs with less money to spend. When. You aren’t comparing apples to apples it isn’t fair to suggest the Cubs should be able to do the same thing if their FO was competent. I really wish all teams played by the same rules and there was full revenue sharing. Then at least if you don’t spend or you suck all the time you don’t have built in excuses. 

[Rcal10]

3 minutes ago, Backtobanks said:

Time to revisit my trade for Duran + Bello?

No it is not. Not for what you wanted to give up. Time to wait to see if Duran is cut loose. As for Bello, not interested. 

[Nolo]

I think losing a comp pick isn’t a big deal if the player is going to help you win.

So if the Cubs lose Seiya but sign another qualified offer free agent, it’s basically a wash? 

[Rcal10]

19 minutes ago, Nolo said:

I think losing a comp pick isn’t a big deal if the player is going to help you win.

So if the Cubs lose Seiya but sign another qualified offer free agent, it’s basically a wash? 

That isn’t what I said. Brewers GAIN a extra pick after round 1 for losing Bauer. Cubs GAIN a 4th round pick for losing Seiya. I am not suggesting the Cubs shouldn’t sign a player because they lose a pick. I am just pointing out a huge advantage the Brewers have losing their FA versus the Cubs losing theirs. But if the Cubs do sign a FA who comes with a QO they lose a 2nd and 5th and $100,000 in IFA money. So not “basically a wash”. Remember, with losing a pick or gaining a pick you lose or gain that money associated with that pick. So getting a pick in rd 1 gives you more money in the draft to move around. It does matter. 

[Bertz]

17 minutes ago, Nolo said:

I think losing a comp pick isn’t a big deal if the player is going to help you win.

So if the Cubs lose Seiya but sign another qualified offer free agent, it’s basically a wash? 

Unfortunately no because the Cubs went over the luxury tax.

Under the luxury tax you lose your 2nd rounder for signing a QO free agent and you gain a pick at the end of the 2nd round for losing a QO player.  It's not quite a wash but it's close enough.  

Over the luxury tax you lose your 2nd and 5th picks for signing a QO free agent, and you only gain a single pick after the 4th round for losing a QO free agent.  So if e.g. the Cubs lose Seiya and sign Bauers, they gain a pick after the 4th for losing Seiya, then after signing Bauers lose their second rounder and also the pick they just got for losing Seiya.

So the bar needs to be especially high for signing a QO free agent.  My personal POV would be Rogers or bust, but everyone's mileage will vary.

[mul21]

41 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Brewers get a comp pick after the 1st round for losing Bauers. When the Cubs lose Seiya they get a pick after the 4th round. Something people should think about every time they complain that the Brewers can seem to build a team better than the Cubs with less money to spend. When. You aren’t comparing apples to apples it isn’t fair to suggest the Cubs should be able to do the same thing if their FO was competent. I really wish all teams played by the same rules and there was full revenue sharing. Then at least if you don’t spend or you suck all the time you don’t have built in excuses. 

This is the part of the small market/big market thing that pisses me off the most.  If you're going to give the small market teams more/better picks, the draft spending limits on big market teams needs to be addressed.  It's such a titanic advantage to have as many extra picks as these teams get that early in the draft, especially when you look at the success rate as you go further down in the draft.

[Nolo]

24 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

That isn’t what I said. 

My question was just a general one since I don’t fully understand how that comp pick stuff works.  But you and bertz explained it well.

Edited 6 hours ago by Nolo

[Outshined_One]

Stop trying to make Duran a thing.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Me watching Craig Breslow work for basically the entirety of his Red Sox tenure