Backtobanks

I'm one of the more optimistic folks about this winter, but this is 1000% going to happen. One of the good things about the current Cubs roster is the positional flexibility. Aside from Madrigal, pretty much everyone of consequence could shift around a bit. So while there's certain things you'd really like to see this winter, like someone to push Hoerner off of shortstop, Jed doesn't *have* to commit to any specific position aside from SP. He just needs to bring in as many Wins as possible. So even if this ends up a a good offseason, there's still going to be at least one fun name Jed loses out on last minute. That's just gonna happen when you're in on a large cross-section of guys. The motto of the Cubs could be "Jack of all trades, master of none."

Congratulations!

From MLBTR: Cubs To Hire Greg Brown As Hitting Coach

Trading Contreras just adds another black hole to a team full of black holes. If you're trading Contreras, you might as well trade Hendricks too and be honest enough to admit that this has been a rebuild since the deadline.

Story may not get the contract he hoped, but someone will sign him to a bigger/longer contract than the Cubs.

I still think at least one rotation spot ought to come from a trade. Overpaying for pitchers like Means and/or Kelly would certainly help the rotation immediately. Both pitchers are dirt cheap and are on teams that have no hope of contending for quite a few years.

It's not "giving up", but it's admitting that you have pushed the idea of a competitive team back another year or two.

I just posted the same thought in Cubs Discussion about them not wanting a 2012-2014 rebuild and yet Contreras rumors are all over the place.

I believe the majority of the TV revenue comes from people who pay for it as part of their normal cable package, which was always the plan. Seeing rumors online that season ticket prices will drop a very small amount, which, combined with the 6 digit waiting list and your standard stream of Chicago tourists, will be more than enough to keep ticket revenue high. I can see there being some pressure just in terms of keeping the surrounding area lively, but it's pretty much a locked in cash cow at this point. Attendance was down to just under 2 million this year, even in the valleys of 2012-2014 it didn't dip below 2.6 million. Yes, Covid was a big factor, but this is also still stated attendance v. actual, which matters a lot more when the cash cow relies on the gameday experience with all the stuff they just finished building in and around the park. There was also this bit from Mooney recently that indicates it's ownership that won't have the patience for a 2012-2014 level rebuild I don't think we can be all that certain what 'trying' looks like in terms of payroll, but increasingly it seems like the more concerning estimates of 125 million or so are not going to be accurate. Whether that's 150 million or 175 million, and what the FO's appetite is to use that flexibility on longer term contracts/QO recipients remains to be seen. They won't do a rebuild, but Contreras trade rumors are hot and heavy. :-k

He'll fit in. I assume that's the point. Don't be too sure about fitting in because he a pretty diverse pick.

Plan to try what? Winning without spending too much.

Goodrum would have made a much more clever pickup when the team was good, but would be one of the cheaper and more versatile FAs to offer playing time this offseason He's cheap because he isn't very good. He plays multiple positions and hits from both sides, but he doesn't do either very well.

Not sure what they are thinking. Everyone knows they don’t need him and he didn’t show well toward the end. Not sure what leverage they have. it's boob. that option is as good as not picked up. Not picking up the option saves money, but really makes you look idiotic after trading Madrigal and Heurer for him.

The Tribune used to post an all Chicago team at the all star break. Even before the trade deadline, you would be hard pressed to put anyone except Bryant and Contreras in the starting eight.

At least the Dodgers are without Kershaw and Muncy Even with Kershaw and Muncy Dodgers should be heavy favorites, Giants may have had the better, by one game, regular season but, they are not the better team. The Giants are a one season phenomenon, I'd say they are excellent candidates for 30+ game swing next season - 100+ wins to 70+ and out the playoffs next season. Still, why can't this kind of Giants gypsy magic [expletive] happen for the Cubs, just once? I'd take it. A 30 game swing for the Cubs' current roster puts them at .500 for next year.

He's one of my favorite non-pitching FAs to sign. He will probably be affordable (even for the Cubs) coming off of $7.8 million last year.

I think the Cubs ought to use some of their upper level prospects to get some pitching. It might be worth it to "overpay" for Marquez, Means, Gallen, etc., if their teams want quantity as they rebuild.

This is really surprising to me at least. The league feels much less stratified than it was a few years ago. I guess the difference is that the bad teams have been spread out into separate divisions? There's no longer an AL Central with awful Royals, Tigers, and White Sox, where the unbalanced schedule is the only thing preventing all three from losing 100? I think the league is pretty stratified. Going into the last weekend there are 16 teams more than 10 games out of 1st place.

The current Cubs roster is on a pace to lose more than 110 games over a full season.

That will go great with our versions of Vlad, Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez with the world series win in hand, the ricketts are content to go for 80-85 wins To get to the 80-85 win level, they're going to have to spend more than they want to spend or get really lucky.

Well he has job security for a few more years.

They have money to spend, but they don't plan on spending according to all of the articles that I've read. They just have too many holes and weaknesses to fill to compete next year. I think we're looking at a much improved team in 2023 and a competitive team in 2024. Next year will be spent finding out whether Wisdom, Ortega, and Schwindel are for real, whether Hoerner/Madrigal is their middle infield for the future, whether Steele and/or Thompson can be a rotation piece, whether Happ is really fixed or not, etc. They have to spend something, even just running a cheap ass Brewers payroll gives them like $80 mil. There’s paths to building a team through FA, a trade or two and 1-2 of these guys remaining being a thing to a degree. They just aren’t going to run out a $40 mil payroll and keep this current roster next year. I’m not betting on them being good next year as of today but think there’s a reasonable path with not spending up to the $180-200 mil mark/not giving out any 9 figure deals to being a competitive division team. I expect them to sign some mid-level FAs that will accept a short term deal, with the hope that they can be flipped to a contender at the deadline.

They have money to spend, but they don't plan on spending according to all of the articles that I've read. They just have too many holes and weaknesses to fill to compete next year. I think we're looking at a much improved team in 2023 and a competitive team in 2024. Next year will be spent finding out whether Wisdom, Ortega, and Schwindel are for real, whether Hoerner/Madrigal is their middle infield for the future, whether Steele and/or Thompson can be a rotation piece, whether Happ is really fixed or not, etc. I'd love to see some of these articles. Because just about everything I've seen, both on the record and on background, has said some variation of either "retool not rebuild" or "¯\_(ツ)_/¯ until we know what the CBA looks like." I consider a 3 year "retool" a "rebuild".

Fangraphs thinks 2022 is going to be another lost year for the Cubs. I think it’s way too early to claim that. They have so much money to spend even if they run a “cheap” payroll. If 1-2 of these guys actually remain a thing to some level and they hit on the spending/trades they could easily be back to a division competing team. It really shouldn’t be that hard to build a team that can compete for the division without trading any major prospect pieces with the money they have and ancillary prospects to add a bit as well. They also are starting to amass the prospects to go make a major trade (Soto) if they go that route. They have money to spend, but they don't plan on spending according to all of the articles that I've read. They just have too many holes and weaknesses to fill to compete next year. I think we're looking at a much improved team in 2023 and a competitive team in 2024. Next year will be spent finding out whether Wisdom, Ortega, and Schwindel are for real, whether Hoerner/Madrigal is their middle infield for the future, whether Steele and/or Thompson can be a rotation piece, whether Happ is really fixed or not, etc.

They had a winning streak going when they faced the Royals, Pirates, Twins, & Rockies. It's only when they face real ML teams that they struggle.