Cubswin11

This guy seems to be a little connected, he broke a trade or some obscure players involved in one for us over the summer. So I would assume his predictions have some basis in reality. Like he mentions about the Harper stuff down thread. Also Spangenberg has minor league options left so he makes a decent amount of sense over Seal Boy for roster flexibility/maneuverability in season. [tweet] [/tweet]

Yeah assuming Georgia loses I think if OSU “looks better” than Oklahoma in their game they get in.

Yeah there’s going to be around a half dozen guys not signed come February we can have for nothing that conceivably could be as good or better than Chavez and we aren’t committed more than 1 year and maybe a few million if incentives are hit. I'm not sure there will be a half dozen guys laying around in February that we can get for next to nothing that we can count on putting up 1.15 ERA, 42K/5BB, ERA+ of 374, and WHIP of .795. Well yeah, there likely won’t be a single FA relief pitcher who puts up those numbers over a full year next year and Chavez certainly isn’t going to do that this year or in 2 years either. I’m talking about guys who will be better, conceivably, than Chavez starting this coming year who will come a lot cheaper than him and will be available. Unless you think Chavez is like a top 3 relief pitcher in baseball based off his stop with us last year. Just like Duensing last offseason..... The goal should be to try and find the next Chavez/Duensing on the cheap instead of doubling down on 30 something year old RPs putting up a career year/stretch but otherwise have a spotty track record and/or just okay stuff. A ton of those guys exist and it's a matter of identifying them (which we have successfully twice now in Duensing and Chavez for 1 year) but you probably don't want to end up paying them like we did Duesning you want to overturn them and find 2-3 guys to bring in to ST and hope one sticks for that spot.

$8 million? Well played, sir, and a hard pass! I thought he’d get closer to $10 than not so was never expexting him back. Now’s the time to mix the future with the present and gamble a little. I assume Harper in that last sentence. Find the next Chavez, honestly should not be so hard. Yeah there’s going to be around a half dozen guys not signed come February we can have for nothing that conceivably could be as good or better than Chavez and we aren’t committed more than 1 year and maybe a few million if incentives are hit.

I’m fine we didn’t match or exceed the deal. Regardless of our money situation 2/8 seems a bit steep and kinda Duensing like to go there on him buying in to a few good innings. 1/2-4 I would’ve been fine with. [tweet] [/tweet]

More disappointed in him not coming back than I probably should be. [tweet] [/tweet]

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I'd prefer he doesn't go to the Brewers but he might not be very good anymore. Anyways, if Giants are doing a tear down I'd have interest in Crawford. Him and Chatwood have similar LT hits and he's controlled a year longer and owed ~$20 million more (Crawford owed 3/45, 12.5 LT hit, Chatwood owed 2/25.5 and 12.6 LT hit remain). In the non-Bryce offseason something like Chatwood, Almora and a prospect(s) (throw in Russell too if they want to deal with him) for Crawford and signing Pollock or McCutchen (2 year deal on McCutchen, 3 years on Pollock) wouldn't be that bad of an offseason. I don't know if that's a fair trade for Crawford or not but would think they're going to have to eat money on his deal to move him if they want any sort of decent return and taking Chatwood gets them out sooner and saves more money and they get Almora and a prospect out of it and maybe Chatwood eats some innings. Crawford also has a full NTC so that could limit their options on trading him so that could play in our favor if he only wants to go to a contender/have interest in playing here.

LaStella bouncing back to what, exactly? I view Dietrich as a want only if it’s over LaStella for the last bench spot. Like I don’t care to add him much more than that. LaStella literally can’t play defense anywhere, Dietrich can get by a few places. Dietrich has also had to actually play everyday a few years too where as Tommy is heavily shielded. If Tommy had to play as much as Dietrich his numbers would be awful. I think Dietrich just has more true talent. Dietrich has better numbers vs RHP for his career too (higher OPS, wRC+ and wOBA vs RHP for his career over LaStella, their BA is nearly the same) which facing RHP is something either would primarily do, he also has a lot better numbers not in Marlins park (which is a huge pitcher park, iirc) .271/.351/.462, 120 wRC+, .352 wOBA, in a lesser role like Tommy I think he’s a ton better and in the situation guys get hurt he’s the better option to have to play 4+ times a week for extended periods as well. That being said, someone will likely sign Dietrich with a more clear path to playing time than we would or should and Theo should do something cool soon so we don’t need to argue over the benefits and wants of Dietrich vs LaStella and hopefully neither are on the team next year because we have better options.

Replace La Stella with this guy, please! My thoughts exactly. Crazy they just let him go because they didn’t want to pay him ~$4 million. They could’ve gotten a lottery ticket or two at least from someone. Like at least get some teams Mekkes, Maples, etc types.

Yeah I thought he was going to be a Cardinal too and glad they didn’t get him on a deal like this. I wonder if they have themselves thinking they really are serious players for Bryce or Machado, lol. I do think they will end up with Goldschmidt though, so maybe they passed on Donaldson knowing they were working that trade through.

Braves signed McCann back and Twins claimed CJ Cron after the Rays cut/DFA’d him last week.

Great move for the Braves. Surprised he signed a 1 year deal so early in the offseason

This tweet is a few days old, idk if it was posted during the exhilarating pizza talk, but I just saw it in an article on Bryce

It’s a benefit that’s wasted on Arizona. They aren’t going nearcthe tax anyway. You’d think if they can’t offload his contract in another trade they would be willing to swap him for a bad salary player that can play for them in the majors. Yeah good info/find on this. I’d love for us to figure out a way to dump some combo of the Chatwood, Kintzler, Duensing guys there. I’d throw a decent prospect or two in or even Happ (preferably Almora) if it was the move we had to make to fit Bryce in

We’ve been loosely linked to him already. Would think the next ~20 days leading up to Christmas we’ll see a lot of moves starting to be made as outside of last year that seems to typically be the window for most of the major signings to take place from around Thanksgiving to up to Christmas.

That’s it!!!!??!! Yeah it’s not a lot or prohibitive to do it for 1-2 years. Davell ran the numbers on a post earlier in the offseason. As long as you avoid the top end repeater tax you don’t pay “that” much out. IIRC we’d pay $40-60 million in tax if we go over the top end the next 3 years consecutively and there’s clear ways to get under the top end next year and certainly in 2 years and even possibly reset then too.

The Mets, like the Indians, seem like they want to keep competing with these trades of their pitchers more than get prospects so I could see us being a fit. I’d guess it ultimately takes Javy or Willy to get Syndergaard (I wouldn’t do that), but maybe some combo of Q, Monty, Happ, Schwarbs, Almora (yes please), Russell, Carl (they need bullpen help and he’s still cheap), and prospects (Adbert, Amaya, etc.) gets it done.

Pick up Dietrich and send LaStella to horsefeathering Mars

Full list of moves today....

Yeah if they plan to Iowa shuttle it with the last bullpen spot they’re adding plenty of somewhat intriguing arms. Maples, Mekkes, Wick, Norwood, Webster, Hancock, etc. Clarkin I view as a guy they want to sneak through at a later date to get off the 40-man, I doubt we get to ST with him still taking up a 40-man spot (whether he’s with us or on another team).

like he said, Runamoker I think he meant Whimerheiner Hosenbagger

VAUNTED BULLPEN OF DOOM ENGAGED