Cubswin11

- .312 is a a bad OBP made worse because it's tied to a NT'd player being given a contract from a crying poor WS contender to, I assume, start - Theo himself said, this offseason and in that same interview, that he wants the Cubs to lead the league in OBP, IIRC he might even have added year in and year out. I don't see this guy sacrificing that goal just to make more contact for the sake of making more contact - They don't need Rendon to not hand starting jobs and using their supposedly limited $s and trade pieces to add low OBP players and starters - Hernandez has his own problems - clearly a player on the downside of his prime best evidenced by his big declines in distance and EV - not a guy I think Cubs fans should see as a solution Personally, any player whose best offensive skill is said to be contact and can't put up a league average OBP (or be Javier Baez) has a ceiling of reserve for this team barring really really low years or desperate situations. I don't think this roster is desperate anywhere, even at weaker spots like CF/OF, 2B, and P but do believe the urgency to get better should finally lead to something a little more meaningful than a Hernandez/Peraza headlined offseason Other than Hernandez none of these guys I’m viewing as everyday starters. Especially with 13 position players this year on the active roster. These are guys to take the roles of the garbage we had last year in Descalso/Kemp/Almora/Russell/etc. The core offense still has the OBP and other aspects that is more valuable but adding/prioritizing contact for the last best bench spot or two is smart to me seeing as we were dead last in it and were still plenty fine in OBP last year. We’re still going to be a plenty good team by OBP this year, adding a guy who can be contacty off the bench/spot starts would be nice to have. The last bench adds are gonna have warts, it’s why they’re bench players. Making sure that one or two can help improve a weakness is something I want to see. The pieces of of the puzzle haven’t fit together with the offense last two years, part of that is because the offense is redundant and lacks complimentary pieces. Adding some contact can or could fix it.

Random question, but is there any reason you ignore OBP when talking about improving contact rates? Asking because you seem to really value contact this offseason but alot of the individuals that fit into this are terrible OBP guys and OBP is so much more valuable A career .312 OBP isn’t horrible. Especially when that’s not the skill he’s coming in for. I agree OBP is more important, but we were dead last in contact rate last year. Theo himself has said that’s an issue and needs to be addressed. So while yes it would be great to just add Rendon who has world class contact and OBP, that ain’t happening. Most of these contact guys are gonna have trade offs that we gain contact but lose something(s). Which is fine to me, the offense is too 1 dimensional and needs some diversification in the profile with adding contact and most of these adds I’ve suggested are like the last 1-2 bench spots. We’re talking about replacing Descalo’s/Almora/Kemp/Cargo wasted space types from last year to add a guy who brings a tool we lack (Peraza, Duffy, Brock Holt, etc). But this also gets back to my main target for all this since the offseason began, Cesar Hernandez, he brings the contact (80%+) and OBP (.350+ for career). Just add him because he’s the most complete of these contact type targets with the whole offensive profile.

Only 25/26, had a 2.6 win year a year ago. Can play SS/2B/OF, hits lefties okay (.290/.330/.410), high contact guy, think he would help with wanting to get towards that and I’d prefer him over Russell/Descalso/Kemp roster spot(s). Depending on the rest of the roster and how much they want to add contact he could even be a Bote/Happ replacement if they’re moved for other stuff. He also could allow to keep Nico down to start the year for service time manipulation/learn CF.

Him or Cesar please. I’d be fine with a deal around 3/25 for Hernandez, honestly.

7 CT is the deadline for tendering contracts tonight, fwiw.

We probably can get Wilmer Flores for less money and no minor leaguer. I mean I doubt he’d even take a guy who most people even know is a real prospect in the system, at most he’d take a Mekkes/Underwood/etc type. Peraza was a 2.6 win player a year ago, Flores hasn’t been worth that the last 3 years combined and he’s still going to cost like $2.5 million. But yeah I’d be fine with Flores as the last bench bat type. Probably prefer Hernandez the most to any of these guys but he might be promised more of a starting role than we can offer and I prefer Peraza over Flores.

With Peraza only being projected for $3.6 mil we should just send them some lotto ticket minor leaguer and then kick Russell to the curb. Peraza would fit nicely, still only 25/26, played some OF last year on top of MIF, mid-high 80% contact guy, .290/.330/.415 type bat vs LHP.

Assuming they all hit FA. 1 of Hernandez, Peraza or Profar and 1 of Pillar or JBJ along with Akiyama as a FA (more so if Pillar is added), and Conley, Urena (seems like a prime lab candidate) Or Treinen would be a decent offseason, imo. Akiyama, Pillar and 1 of Hernandez, Peraza or Profar taking Almora’s, Descalso/Kemp, and Russell’s roster spots would be a net positive.

Alex Wood should just be moved to the bullpen full time (like Pomeranz) I’d have interest in him for that role.

Yeah the market on C’s is moving in a fortuitous manner to trade him it would seem

Makes sense and you’d think there’s a decent chance he gets through. Every AL team passed on him and so did however many NL teams that finished behind us.

Not that we’d be in on him, but my god I would not want to get anywhere near that deal for Wheeler.

I can't imagine Theo would want to pay him the 10 or so million he's due in arbitration. If he clears then maybe something could get done. Yeah I don’t see us claiming him for the $10 mil or so, but if he hits FA I could see us being in on him. Hoping the Phillies do the same with Hernandez here soon and then we can sign him in FA.

I’m not the biggest fan of his but could live with him on the roster. Especially if it’s taking on of the Descalso/Kemp/Almora spots.

Throws gas and the slider is pretty good plus has some good swing strike %, seems like a worthwhile gamble to go throw in the lab and see what happens.

Wow. I thought he’d get 3 years guaranteed at max and probably would’ve guessed he got 2 over 4.

Hopefully the Padres think Grisham can play CF and it makes Margot more available for us. That’s the only care or takeaway I have on this trade. None of the guys traded seem all that good and it’s just some re-shifting guys around. I guess it’s also a nice bonus to have Davies gone seeing as 3-5 of his starts against us every year he’d shut us down.

Pomeranz signs with the Padres. Glad he didn’t go back to Milwaukee.

They’ve already said Durant is out the whole year, but yeah I like that Nets team next year as long as Kyrie’s weird ass doesn’t mess things up.

If he’s essentially free he’s a worthwhile add as a last bench piece type

I could see us being in on him for bargain bin shopping for contact. I’d prefer Duffy to him though if we are going this route.

Welp, so much for that. God damn it.

The Rays were still wanting d’Arnaud back and in on him as early as today before he signed with the Braves. According to MLBTR. It’s been mentioned before but the Rays seem to have a lot of combinations of guys that make sense for us in a Willy trade and now their top FA target is gone.