Backtobanks

I would love to sign Castellanos, but I don't think the Cubs will go all in for a top FA. My preferences keeping the budget in mind is signing Chris Taylor, Lorenzen, and possibly Gray. Ortega and Schwindel are great options for the bench or DH. Try making the Heyward/Hosmer trade work and if that doesn't work, see what it takes for getting Voit from the Yankees. Resign Chirinos to a 1 year deal. Try to work out a deal for Merrill Kelly to fill out the rotation. And finally, hope that Davis progresses and gets to Wrigley asap.

The Cubs conceded the day they traded Darvish.

Baez, Rizzo, Marisnick, Trevor Williams, and Davies and we're done.

The Barnhart situation is interesting. The Reds don't spend, have an obvious replacement in Tyler Stephenson, can get a good backup for cheaper than $7.5, and were shopping and/or considering NT'ing Barnhart while in the Realmuto trade hunt a couple years ago. OTOH he's an effective enough LHH and a GG candidate at catcher and having Stephenson as the cheap backup who also lets them rest Votto some is something that is working out really really well If they want to go with Stephenson, they should pick up the option and trade Barnhart. I'm sure lots of teams would love to have a solid, 1st string catcher for $7.5 million and probably get a decent return.

Lorenzen would be a great addition. Not only to the pitching staff, but the offense too (LOL). As for Barnhart, there's no way the Reds let him go on a $7.5 million club option.

A couple of decent ideas in there, but as I've pointed out before the money spent seems out of line with what I think PTR is willing to spend. Extending Contreras and signing C. Seager and Bryant is a ton money alone. I agree Kyle Seager will take a pay cut because of a poor season and age, but he was making $18 million. I like the idea of of trading some young players/prospects in the Oakland deal, but as contenders are they going to trade away two reasonably young players that are still under control?

The point is that we have a team with a bunch of holes to fill. I think we need to fill those holes first before upgrading positions that are already filled by players like Happ, Hoerner, Wisdom, etc. and then deciding if they need to be upgraded. The obvious holes to fill are 2 SP, 1B, LF, and the bullpen. It's not like we're going to be contending next year. those positions aren't "filled". happ sucks, wisdom likely sucks, and hoerner could very well suck. The team sucks which is why they won't go overboard on spending this year. For those of you that believe this is a "retool" instead of a "rebuild", then the first thing Hoyer ought to do is trade players in our upper ml (like Amaya, etc.) for young ML or ML-ready talent. Hoerner deserves a chance to succeed or suck before we give up on him. Happ should get his last chance to go back to being productive if for no other reason than we really don't have another option until Davis is ready. Money is great, but you can't fill 7-8 spots in one year.

those positions aren't "filled". happ sucks, wisdom likely sucks, and hoerner could very well suck. And also your idea is to sign KB to play left field (move him, make his bat less valuable) but somehow Wisdom, Happ, and Hoerner, who have all played multiple positions, are somehow locked in. KB can play 3B with Wisdom at 1B.

This $30 million contract to Seager or Correa could have been offered to Bryant and then we would have not only an impact bat, but also would fill an actual hole (LF) that this team has. The money should be spent on the rotation first. A solid pitching staff keeps you in every game. you would sign the worst/oldest player of the 3 just because nico hoerner exists? The point is that we have a team with a bunch of holes to fill. I think we need to fill those holes first before upgrading positions that are already filled by players like Happ, Hoerner, Wisdom, etc. and then deciding if they need to be upgraded. The obvious holes to fill are 2 SP, 1B, LF, and the bullpen. It's not like we're going to be contending next year.

Does Arrieta check any of those boxes? Yes, several! Also a contender is adding him for free in dollar and player terms, which is not a comparison to questioning why Davies didn't have a deadline trade market. Apparently the Padres overpaid for him anyhow.

This $30 million contract to Seager or Correa could have been offered to Bryant and then we would have not only an impact bat, but also would fill an actual hole (LF) that this team has. The money should be spent on the rotation first. A solid pitching staff keeps you in every game.

It was a good trade, but Madrigal doesn't exactly qualify for your description of an "impact bat". But Trey Mancini and his .319 OBP from first base does? There's other ways of doing this besides waiting for the next KB to come along, and we should explore those options because that doesn't happen very often. Brennan Davis is the best prospect we have, by a pretty considerable margin, and he's stroking out 28% of the time in AA, without KBs elite walk rate, power, or ability to play a premium position. Sitting around assuming him and a bunch of teenagers are all going to blossom into the next Cubs juggernaut is A. dumb and out of touch with reality, which is that prospects break, and B. the type of strategy that teams like the Pirates try to do because they have no other options. Madrigal and Hoerner are well on their way to becoming dirt cheap, productive major league baseball players. They will never be the three and four hitters of a division winning team, but they allow you to go find and pay for those types of hitters. Go get Correa or Seager, spend another $30m a year on a couple starters, and see where you're at. I'm all for sign top FAs and making this team competitive sooner rather than later, but Hoyer (and PTR) seems determined to take a 2-3 year timeout to wait for our top prospects before breaking the bank. PTR has already determined to put the money into the betting complex and his Hall of Fame honoring his family. He's learned from the master (Trump) to hide problems (the team) with smoke and mirrors so that nobody is looking at the problem.

Once one has decided that the biggest problem this Cubs team has is Nico Hoerner playing SS, no subsequent observation is necessary. The Brewers are running away with the division and have one of the best records in the ML bereft of impact bats. Of course, they have outstanding pitching and a smart manager, and front office. Nice strawman. But coming from the guy who swore Kimbrel would net very little in a mid-season trade, not shocking. It was a good trade, but Madrigal doesn't exactly qualify for your description of an "impact bat".

Once one has decided that the biggest problem this Cubs team has is Nico Hoerner playing SS, no subsequent observation is necessary. The Brewers are running away with the division and have one of the best records in the ML bereft of impact bats. Of course, they have outstanding pitching and a smart manager, and front office.

Platoon DH with Ortega next year.

It's like when I was a kid and we took anybody who had a mitt just so we could field a whole team.

Johneshwy was really bad and had no business on a major league roster, even for a day. Welcome to the 2021 Cubs.

There is no way PTR is going to spend enough money this offseason to get the Cubs to .500. The Cubs were struggling to play .500 when they still had Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, and Kimbrel. bryant/rizzo/baez were only worth like a combined 5-6 wins with the cubs this season. madrigal already makes up for what baez was doing. So now we just need to replace Bryant, Rizzo, and Kimbrel to get back to a sub-.500 team.

SS is not an obvious hole until you see what Hoerner can do. Signing a superstar SS for $30 million per year still leaves this team a 3rd place finisher waiting for 2024. Meanwhile, we have almost no pitching (besides Hendricks) and probably very little to count on for the next few years. As for Pham, I'm more than open to finding another RH LF that PTR can fit into his austerity budget. Also, I mentioned trading for Mancini/Voit to help the offense. I'm looking at many/most of these players as placeholders until 2024. As for your comment about the Preciadp/Hernandez/Caissie group not making it, Hoyer will be fired if they don't because this is where he has put all of his faith into. If you truly believe there's nothing we can do until 2024, why are we wasting money and prospects on dudes who will be 34, 33, and 32 on opening day 2024, and then spending 'big money' on Stroman (will be a month shy of 33) or Rodon (31)? You've got $80m coming off the books, you've got Heyward in 2 years, and you aren't scheduling any big paydays for your internal guys anytime remotely soon. Use the freed up cash, get the team to project to .500, and reassess next June on if you want to wait for the teenagers or use them to get big league talent. There is no way PTR is going to spend enough money this offseason to get the Cubs to .500. The Cubs were struggling to play .500 when they still had Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, and Kimbrel.

He's a 24 year old 2B who has never not been on the IL. You cannot wait to see what such a player can do when there are better options readily available. He came up as a SS and moved because of Baez. The "better options" are outside PTR's budget plan for 2022 in my opinion.

And the first thing everybody wants to do is sign a $30 million per year superstar SS instead of spending it to fill the obvious holes on this team. Next year (and probably the year after) this is a 3rd place team (at best) waiting for our next "core" of possible star players in 2024. I can't see PTR spending a ton of money until the team is ready to really be competitive. Spend big money on at least 1 SP (Stroman, Rodon, etc.), sign a RH LF (Pham), make a couple of trades (Mancini would be my 1st choice, but Voit would be cheaper at 1B and Merrill Kelly), keep Ortega and Schwindel for DH/bench, and keep Chirinos around for another year. By the 2022 offseason, reassess the ML team and the progress of the prospects in the minors to determine the plan of 2023 and 2024. This is mostly bad. "Superstar" and "SS" are pretty obvious holes, right? How long do you want to wait to see if our prospect list turns out a superstar? Davis next year, and then....Ed Howard, all of 21 years old in 2023, currently getting owned in single A? The even younger Preciado/Hernandez/Caissie/Made group? And if those don't hit just press the reset button again? We have $38m in guaranteed salary next year, another $15m in arbitration for Willy, Ian, Ortega, Wieck, and then the league minimum for Mills, Wick, Heuer, Madrigal, Adbert, Hoerner, Steele, Wisdom, and whoever else. Call it, what, $60m? How does signing 34 year old Tommy Pham do anything in your plan as your top offensive move? Go get someone you know is good, gives you a shot of being good soon, and will still be good when those cheap prospects finally make it up. Then figure out how much money you have left and go from there. SS is not an obvious hole until you see what Hoerner can do. Signing a superstar SS for $30 million per year still leaves this team a 3rd place finisher waiting for 2024. Meanwhile, we have almost no pitching (besides Hendricks) and probably very little to count on for the next few years. As for Pham, I'm more than open to finding another RH LF that PTR can fit into his austerity budget. Also, I mentioned trading for Mancini/Voit to help the offense. I'm looking at many/most of these players as placeholders until 2024. As for your comment about the Preciadp/Hernandez/Caissie group not making it, Hoyer will be fired if they don't because this is where he has put all of his faith into.

It’s good to remember the 3 best position players on the team are on the IL, so there’s a significant influx on the current roster relative to what we’re seeing right now, plus any optimism you want to have about others who could be productive role players(Happ, Bote, Deichmann) or better than their current role(most of the non-Hendricks SP). There is a lot of depth to add though. This just made me sad thinking that Nico Hoerner is now a top 3 position player on this team. It was always nice that Willson was like the 5th best player, now he's the best? And for some reason, the Cubs website does not list Madrigal (assuming he's in this sad little group) on the IL. He's shown as in the minors. And the first thing everybody wants to do is sign a $30 million per year superstar SS instead of spending it to fill the obvious holes on this team. Next year (and probably the year after) this is a 3rd place team (at best) waiting for our next "core" of possible star players in 2024. I can't see PTR spending a ton of money until the team is ready to really be competitive. Spend big money on at least 1 SP (Stroman, Rodon, etc.), sign a RH LF (Pham), make a couple of trades (Mancini would be my 1st choice, but Voit would be cheaper at 1B and Merrill Kelly), keep Ortega and Schwindel for DH/bench, and keep Chirinos around for another year. By the 2022 offseason, reassess the ML team and the progress of the prospects in the minors to determine the plan of 2023 and 2024.

Does Arrieta check any of those boxes?

It's a shame the trade deadline isn't 8/31 because we would be more than happy to trade Davies back to them.

Rossy taking care of his buddies With the offense struggling, you gotta go with the better hitter (.198 vs .174) :lol: