Cubswin11

So is this just happening because the CBA is up going into 2021 and it has to look like teams aren't driving prices down on players, but then it will go back to what it was the last few seasons? Or are things legit returning to normal? I think it’s just Nightengale being an idiot. Other than signings happening faster I still don’t see this offseason being all that different as the past few ones so far. Guys are ending up with about the money they should, ultimately. It’s just happening sooner, so far.

Mancini is so bad in the OF and starts costing really money the next 3 years through arbitration. He’d have to come really cheap to me because that’s a big risk to try and back yourself in the corner with that potential OF defense. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think you could probably land him for an Alzolay or less package. I can't imagine he would take any of Amaya, Davis,Nico or Marquez. Or were you thinking even cheaper? He’d need to be cheaper than that for me, honestly. I get why he would cost more but for the fit on the team I wouldn’t give up Adbert (who I think has more use to the team the next 2-3+ years). Doing something like Bote for him I guess I could see as a major league for major league swap. But I wouldn’t touch any of our top 8-12 prospects for him.

He’s 31 and has been basically as good as Lester the last two years. I don’t get this.

Mancini is so bad in the OF and starts costing really money the next 3 years through arbitration. He’d have to come really cheap to me because that’s a big risk to try and back yourself in the corner with that potential OF defense.

No idea who this is but he’s got a blue checkmark [tweet] [/tweet]

Yeah, Brett's having a mini meltdown on Twitter over this and I don't get it. Bundy when he threw 95 had promise and untapped potential. Bundy now that he throws 91-92 is just a dude. If we ended up with him I would have been fine with it, but he's not very different from other mediocre options like Julio Teheran or Gio Gonzalez. That's a guy you settle for in January not one you proactively acquire the first week of December. Yeah the velo drop is concerning. I too would’ve been fine doing a comparable deal for him, but this early I’m fine waiting it out. I’d rather just give Gausman the $5-7 mil Bundy is making this year anyways, but there’s plenty of FA yet who I think you could reasonably project to be as good as Bundy next year that we could afford and there’s also the possibility we get a SP in some sort of trade. I’m fine sitting this one out on December 3rd and letting things play out.

Brewers sign Justin Grimm to a minor league deal

A 4 for 1 for Bundy seems like a lot, even if they’re just organizational filler types. Bundy is damaged goods.

Lol White Sox. Best GM and FO in Chicago sports my ass.

If the oblique was really the reason he sucked and he rushed back like he did in Texas seems like a solid deal. I’d rather do this deal with him than whatever Wheeler ends up getting and even Bumgarner.

I’d have some interest in Lowrie/gamble on him bouncing back and being healthy if it meant we got something else out of it in a good young player (not Smith for us, but something else).

For all the talk of how bad his defense is, can anyone remember games/moments where the Cubs were really hurt by it? I know that there were balls he didn't get to that other OF's may have, but I don't recall embarrassing levels of play from him For me it's less about Nick's defense, which I think is below average but ultimately fine, and more the cumulative effect on the outfield. Schwarber in left, Heyward in center, and Nick in right are each individually okay, but cumulatively it could lead to some real problems. Not to mention Happ as the primary backup. Yup. The sum of the parts could be quite ugly, I think you could still make a Schwarbs/Heyward/Nick OF work to the point of it not killing you but we’d have to bring in a Billy Hamilton type to throw in to CF like every game we got a lead in the 6/7 innings and we’d also have to get back to shifting a lot and be good at it. There’s also the part where Nick very well may take up almost all the available money we have to spend this offseason and there’s plenty more holes to fill. It was discussed yesterday, but Souza could be a nice alternative to Nick if he’s healthy and he’s probably only going to cost $3-6 mil for 1 year to re-establish his value.

Margot has always been on the top of the list for me for CF targets this offseason. Morosi or Heyman or one of the national guys said the Padres would be interested in Pillar. So if they get him you’d think Margot is available. Their infield is a little thin, something around Bote could make sense. Then bring in a Cesar, Holt, etc as a MIF and could still potentially bring in Akiyama. Edit:

I like the fit, in theory, but yeah at around the Moustakas contract there’s probably better ways to build out the team with the money it will take (sounds like enough teams are in on him he very well could exceed Moustakas money). The $17-20 aav gets you Akiyama and Cesar, and maybe even an RP for example. Or some other combination of 2-3 guys who project to probably be around as good (steamer has Didi at 2.5 WAR for next year).

I thought he had more than just TJ, like shoulder stuff or something? If all it is, is TJ I definitely have interest.

The Brewers need to add like 12 guys that are capable of playing in MLB this year. Holy horsefeathers do they have work to do/a bunch of turnover coming.

These numbers were closer than I thought they’d be. Cesar Hernandez 2016-2019: .279/.357/.359, 10.4% BB, 18.5% K, 102 wRC+, 82% contact rate, 10.9 fWAR Ben Zobrist 2016-2019: .269/.362/.411, 12.5% BB,13% K, 103 wRC+, 87% contact rate, 8.2 fWAR

Petition for the NL DH

Souza would be intriguing if they can be reasonably sure he’s healthy (insert medical staff joke here). He had a better year in 2017 than Castellanos ever had, has rated as a plus defender in the OF before, career 108 wRC+ vs LHP (119 in 2017) so could be a Heyward/Schwarbs RHH platoon partner. Would think he won’t cost much either.

I want good hitters who get on base and hit with power more than I want to add more slap hitters for the sake of having more of them. It's a very 2000's Cubs strategy to focus on one faddish/lower value stat over OBP. Yes contact is an area the team can and should improve, but not at the risk of probably getting worse. I just don't see how players described as ideal pickups like Hernandez, Peraza, or even Merrifield move the needle and/or fix what's broke, and these guys aren't even suggested as ultra cheap pickups but multi-year additions. If the options are prioritizing that tier of player over outright upgrades then yeah, I'm down to see the Cubs get walloped running the same core back. Fingers crossed the ignored stuff the FO and ownership has said to open the offseason plays more of a role than what's been allowed to be repeated so far there As far as Hernandez...He just posted his lowest OBP since 2015, his BB:K collapsed to a distant career worst, he doesn't hit the ball hard or far, he isn't a premier defender, he might be pursuing a starter's contract, he's turning 30, and he just got dumped by the Phillies...Honestly not sure how you can look at the total package and deem this guy a clear upgrade for 2020. Honest hot take is that alot of the names you mentioned are meant to fix 2019's problems when 2019's already in the rearview, guys like Hernandez and Merrifield or even Peraza would have been way more interesting last offseason v this one That’s a fair take. I don’t entirely disagree. Just after last offseason’s disappointments I’m trying to align myself with the thinking that FO is likely to take and likely moves they’ll make vs the moves I know need to be made. If some actual good things happen it will be a nice surprise, but I’m not getting my hopes up for more than some Hernandez, Akiyama, Pillar type moves. Adding contact is probably the best way to reshuffle the deck if they’re letting this core play it out.

?? They finished 8th with a stated goal of finishing first, behind pretty much every team already considered better and only a couple ticks better than teams like the Brewers and Mets. 2 of their 5 highest OBPs in 2019 came from guys who are currently FAs While I agree the team could make more contact and play better defense, for sure those are places they can improve, I don't think guys like Hernandez or Peraza move the needle or even do anything Hoerner or even a sunshine-y outlook for Almora can't be hoped to do without going through the trouble of pursuing them in FA So you just want to roll it back with the same core who’s fallen short the last 2 years and “broke?” We aren’t swapping out every guy for Betts or Lindor. We have to look on the margins for the improvement if the core is staying around. I don’t know how you look at Hernandez and don’t see him as a upgrade over any of the trash filtered through last year at the back end of the bench. Hernandez OBP last year would’ve been top ~8 on the team and his career OBP would’ve been top ~5 on top of the very good contact rates.