Backtobanks

If you're talking about us trading prospects for pitchers, then there's a problem. The issue is the willingness of other teams to part with the players. How often have you seen any good, established, pre-arbitration pitchers being traded for prospects? I'm sure there's been some, but I can't think of any right now. If you're suggesting that the Cubs should prioritize getting MLB-ready (or established) pitching in return for Willson, Robertson, etc., then I somewhat agree. I'm hoping for the maximum amount of talent in return. I'd prefer for that talent to be on the pitching side, if possible. That is what I was talking about, since Contreras and Robertson seem sure to be traded. Names like Matt Allen (Mets), Hunter Brown (Astros), Medina, Gil, and Waldichuk (Yankees), Paddack (Twins), and Snell, Lamet, and Weathers (Padres) have all been kicked around as being available in the right deal.

Any trades made this season (and offseason) have to prioritize receiving pitching in return. It's more fun dreaming about signing (or receiving) offensive players, but pitching is the key to a playoff spot.

Waldichuk + Gil + Cabrera for Happ Quantril + Rosario for Contreras

It's a moot point, he's got 3 1/2 years left on his contract and Ricketts is "broke". you mean "mute point" https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=joey+saying+%22moo+point%22&&view=detail&mid=35D11A6585AEDD264B9D35D11A6585AEDD264B9D&&FORM=VDRVRV

In any or all of the trades the Cubs make, starting pitching has to be the priority. Our system is woefully weak in pitching while offensive position players are easier to acquire.

It's a moot point, he's got 3 1/2 years left on his contract and Ricketts is "broke".

Hoyer has gone from "aim for 82 wins and hope for the best" to "aim for 62 wins and hope for the best".

What's this "starting pitching" you speak of?

Not sure I agree with the floor, especially for 2023+. He's 32 next year, lost a MPH on EVs, stopped hitting HRs, isn't really a CF anymore, and the x stats all seem to say this is Ortega. It's also still early but Hill, Mervis, Roederer, Weber, and Young are all hitting well in the upper minors right now and could have some meaty samples by the end of July. If things are going well and the Yankees or Phillies or Giants (if Calhoun goes nowhere) are looking for super cheap LHH OF, a (ideally seemingly) random pitcher with some velocity and the roster spot might be meaningful enough? Without HRs, it might be alot easier for someone like Hill or Roederer to work their way up? Something like that Phillies might be interested in Ortega now with Harper out.

If Jed is planning to aim for 82 wins, he's either delusional or Tom is open the pocketbook really wide.

Trying to build up Heyward and Villar's trade value before the deadline.

We kept them under two touchdowns.

Aaron? Clemente? Musial? Gehrig? Cobb? Wagner?

At home and watch it on TV.

I crack up at the "reports" that the Cubs will be in on Judge, Correa, Turner, etc. I guess these sports reporters don't remember who owns the Cubs. Can any of those guys pitch, because that's what this team needs. If you paired this lineup with the best pitching staff in the league, do you actually think they would be a good team? The team has holes everywhere. This team has holes everywhere, but pitching is the biggest hole. There's a decent chance that they lose/trade Miley, Smyly, Hendricks, and possibly Stroman by next season. I would love to see one or more of those offensive FAs on this team, but somebody has to pitch.

Don't worry, the Cubs are going to be big spenders next year. That's the new mantra every year. They'll come up with some excuse about not acquiring any of Devers, Correa or Turner then either overpay for Dansby Swanson and try and say he's just as good at a fraction of the price or they'll say Nico is our guy and there's no need to get another SS. I crack up at the "reports" that the Cubs will be in on Judge, Correa, Turner, etc. I guess these sports reporters don't remember who owns the Cubs. Can any of those guys pitch, because that's what this team needs.

Let's hear it for being in the NL Central.

The Cubs would get fleeced in that scenario. So you're saying Hoyer will jump on that deal?

Yup. They projected as a 75-80 win team, and the underlying #s (I.e. controlling for their horsefeathers 1-run game record) think that's exactly what they've been I think the projections for 75-80 wins were made by Cub fans. They were on a pace of 50-52 wins last year after the sell off and they're on a pace for 64 wins this year. As for their 1-run game record, that's what happens when you aren't a very good team.

Seems like he's been doing that to make fun of Anderson ever since Anderson (I'm assuming in jest) called himself the new Jackie Robinson during a dispute with MLB a couple years ago. Donaldson probably thinks that's very funny. In today's Tribune, Donaldson said that the two of them have been joking about it for the past two years. Maybe Donaldson is a racist or maybe not. Maybe Anderson is a jerk for comparing himself to a legend or maybe not.

Given the Cubs current situation, getting rid of Heyward adds minimal benefit both financially or talent wise. If you want to get rid of Contreras including Heyward only lessens the prospect in return and fattens the Ricketts' pockets. So you're saying we should keep Heyward because we don't want to fatten Rickett's pockets any more?

Buster Olney must be smoking something to report this: https://www.si.com/mlb/mets/news/mlb-insider-identifies-mets-trade-targets-says-steve-cohen-is-on-a-mission

Using MLB Trade Values, we would need to trade Alzolay, Triantos, Alcantra, Cassie, Crow-Armstrong, Davis, Hernandez, Hoerner, Kilian, Morel, Precidio, and Suzuki to balance out the trade.

What a crock of BS. If you want to get back to competing for the WS every year, you don't put a below-replacement level roster together for 2 1/2 years while keeping one eye on the future and hoping that at least 4-5 prospects become ML stars and your owner will decide to loosen the purse strings.

There were clear opportunities to upgrade in free agency. I honestly have no clue why the went after Suzuki and Stroman if they are choosing to surround them with replacements. The Cubs have 2 starting pitchers and Happ, Nico, Wilson and Suzuki. They are great at building a pen, but at some point their luck is going leave. They are intent on letting Wilson leave and the consensus seems to be to trade Happ. They have no stars to trade and teams seem to be coveting prospect. As you noted, the FA market isn’t great. The team is on the road to at least three more years of awful on top of last year and this year. Who else is to blame if not the Ricketts? The Cubs last rebuild felt like it took forever but it only took 3 years after Theo took over to build a contender. If you consider this year 1 - equivalent to 2012, lets look at what the Cubs had in assets by this point in the rebuild: -On the major league team they had 1 cornerstone piece in Anthony Rizzo and a 2015 bullpen arm in Travis Wood. -In the minors, only 2 of their top 40 prospects actually contributed to the 2015-2016 Cubs - Javy and Matt Szczur -They had the pieces that would eventually be traded for Arrieta, Strop, Fowler, 1/2 of Addison Russell, Hendricks, Carl Edwards, Grimm and Neil Ramirez (probably missing some) -Farm system was ranked around 15-20 in baseball Curious to see how we compare with what we have right now. Obviously a bit hard to say because we don't know how guys like Davis will ultimately look in the majors and we have no idea what we can get for a lot of the veterans on the staff but it seems like we're in a similar position, maybe slightly better now. Definitely seems like another 2-3 years to get to the point of contention on the surface. You said yourself that that team had the pieces to trade for Arrieta, Strop, Fowler, Hendricks, Russell, Edwards, Grimm, etc. Where are the tradable pieces on this team? We are miles behind the situation in 2012 and we don't have Theo's competence to save us.