Backtobanks
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Everything posted by Backtobanks
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Except we're not sure what we're going to get from Busch offensively and defensively. As for a #2 starter, Bieber has been available for quite a while and shouldn't cost too much in the way of prospects.
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He got elevated to "He" when Theo promoted him from coffee gopher to a real title.
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It's obvious the front office has given up on him too. The only reason it's a mystery team with a mystery plan for a mystery player is because Jed is asleep at the wheel. There are (were) trades to be made, but He's going to wait out the pre-season trying to get to 82 wins and hoping to squeeze out 85 and sneak into the playoffs.
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The trade would have to be a package deal with Mervis probably being the third piece.
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Mervis has a trade value of 4.9 @ MLBTV which means he could easily be a 3rd player in a package deal to a team needing a potential power bat. Obviously he's not going to be the primary piece in any trade for something we need.
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The best thing for him would be to be traded in a package deal where he goes to a team that might have a path for him.
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Who needs solid defense, when you have Judge and Soto offensively to counteract it.
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I like Crochett from the WS, how about Crochett + Moncada + $10 million for Madrigal + Palencia? Hope for a bounce back year from Moncada (costing $11 million) and then either trade him or DFA ($5 million next year) and add a hard throwing lefty RP. WS get a cheap replacement @3B and a hard throwing RP while saving $16 million over 2 years.
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There are other options like you mentioned, but Jed apparently doesn't want to trade and the Guardians probably won't trade a big part of their offense.
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The NL Central is so weak that any tiny move basically puts you in contention, which is why I'm so frustrated. Spend a little money, make a serious trade or two and you're in the driver's seat for the next 4-5 years instead of putzing around trying to show how fiscally responsible you are while waiting (hoping) that prospects and question marks will deliver amazing results.
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Thanks for the explanations.
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I'm still having trouble understanding what Kim's options are if the mutual option is not agreed upon. Are his only options Korea or not playing because he can't be a MLB FA until 2027? Since he still has arbitration years left after the mutual option, doesn't whatever team he is on still have control over him?
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I like Busch and he looks like he will be a solid hitter, but he still is a prospect who hasn't proven it at the ML level yet.
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I'm not sure I've ever seen someone who has a mutual option after next year and then 2 years of arbitration before he becomes can become a FA.
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Interesting trade proposal on MLBTV: Merryweather + Morel + Brown for Ty France + Bryan Woo.
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Busch plus Mervis puts us over according to MLBTV and the padres could put Mervis at 1B and move Crowenworth to 2B where he has more value.
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Kim is readily available as a solid option and has basically the same trade value as Busch.
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The injury in 2021 obviously affected his performance in 2022. Making necessary corrections made him Comeback Player of the league in 2023.
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Trade Brown + Mervis + Assad for Bieber + Naylor (slight overpay by us according to MLBTV) Trade Busch + Madrigal + Palencia for Kim + Avila (slight over pay by us according to MLBTV) Sign Bellinger and you still have Morel, PCA, Horton, Shaw, etc. for the future. Stacked lineup, solid 3B, reasonable salaries, 5 solid starters in the rotation, reasonable salaries, etc.
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He was recovering from a devastating injury for two of those years and came back to a great 2023.
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The problem with waiting for prospects is that it doesn't necessarily mean being sustainably good long term, It might turn out that way if they all succeed at the ML level, but the chances of that happening are very low. Meanwhile, you've lost 2-3 years of winning baseball games while you wait for them to develop. The "reported " players available this year in trade or FA include Bieber, Naylor, Hoskins, Clase, Kim, etc. and any or all of them would make this team NL Central favorites for a sustainably good long term.
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I admit that I'm a crabby, old guy that is getting crabbier by the hour waiting for the Cubs to either spend the money necessary or trade some prospects to make this an elite team. Prospects are great to have, if you want to wait to see if they will be productive ML players. The Cubs have the assets (money and trade bait) to make this year's team into a 90+ win team and enough prospects to keep it going for more years. Why wait?
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We can hope,
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In 2022 he hit ,285/be ready ,333,429/,767 with an OPS+ of 119 with 13HR and 64 RBI plus he's an actual 3B and affordable. I put his name out there because we have a bunch of guys who can't play 3B, Jed doesn't want to pay Chapman or trade for someone like Kim, and Urshela would be a placeholder for all of those "can't miss" prospects that may (or may not) be ready eventually.
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I think Gio Urshela is still available and probably on a short term deal. I really want the Cubs to build this team for 2024-2025 and then worry about all of that excess talent to keep them going for another few years. Leaving holes and question marks on the field because you don't want to block someone that might develop into a solid player in a year or 2 makes no sense.
