Cubswin11

Well, no FU offseason apparently. This magnifies the Kintzler trade being even shittier than we originally thought if money of this low significance matters

The point being, that it doesn't take an article to say it. Also that "fixing the offense" isn't why you're adding Bryce. Also, any regression is covered by Bryant being something resembling Bryant. The Cubs offense from mid Augustish-September “needs fixing” maybe it’s all just noise but something went wrong and maybe it’s not “fixing” but at least “tweaks” are needed. Harper helps regardless of what you think this offense is or isn’t and at the very least it appears we need a SS option addition and a backup C. And adding Harper mitigates the rebounds you need from other guys, he “fixes” things.

There must be some shared medical staff system with the Cubs and Bears

The Cubs were .7 position player fwar off of the highest in baseball last year (ranked 4th). I'm not sure that side of the ball needs fixed. Adding Bryce makes you by far the best offense in baseball.

He’s kinda a waste of a 40-man spot until September. I’m guessing him or so other fast guy will be able to be had for nothing come August.

Davis, Freeman, Gore And Tseng can all go

Johnny Field And Bryce are the same age and both grew up in Vegas and Field and Gallo went to HS together (KB, Bryce and Gallo all played little league together and are buddies). KB also follows Field on social media, so they must know each other. Bryce, unfortunately, only follows his family and sponsors it appears. Hmmmmmm :-k We’re just getting as many of Bryce’s buddies in the org as possible

Sounds like a create a player

Eh, if it can save them ~$5 mil on AAV for LT purposes it might be worth it to do like 2/26 on Hamels (assuming the hit is $20 and not $14 like some think, if it is $14 then just exercise the horsefeathering option). If Chatwood is pitching on this team in 2020 it’s because he figured it out, IMO, he’s only making ~$12 mil and if he’s not producing he won’t have a spot. I still have highish hopes for Darvish over the next ~3 years and think he’ll be plenty valuable this year and next ~2. Lester might be awful but we all knew that was likely the case come 2020 on that deal. Hopefully Adbert or someone else internally/through trade is ready to step in by 2020 if needed. If things are so tight they need to extend him just to save $5m, then just let him walk and save the full $20m. I like Hamels for 2019, but he's a luxury. If Theo needs to be captain efficiency this winter to make Bryce work (totally fair, IMO), then the rotation is best addressed via trades and depth and not via money. The problem with the rotation isn't the specific guys, it's being locked into yet another player with significant guaranteed money. We all were drooling about this rotation at this time last year, and now they look...pretty good, I guess? What is this same group of guys going to look like next year? Because they're pitchers, smart money says the answer is almost certainly "worse." Worse probably doesn't mean bad, but it does leave something to be desired. Fulfilling those desires will be that much harder with Cole locked into a rotation slot and PTR's wallet being $15m lighter. This is definitely how I lean too, I was more just trying to lay out why maybe they’d be doing a 2 year deal but don’t overly like it either. I guess in the end we just have to trust them but hopefully, imo, the option is just picked up.

There’s some dumb horsefeathers in here, like thinking Whit Merrifield is a good leadoff option (he’s not, Heyward has a higher career OBP and Whit would project for like our 7th best OBP next year) and it also talks about not going after Harper/Machado. But there’s some interesting tidbits on Iglesias on being good against “power arms” (guys you face in the playoffs) and it might be enough to sway me to really be interested in him now as our prime backup MIF target since he plays really good defense and would give us a “super defense” option with him at SS and Javy at 2B at times.

Most likely or trying to work out a 2 year deal at less aav Ewww I hope not. If the team can't make his salary work straight up in 2019 then just let him go. It's already worrisome that the 2020 Cubs are locked into Lester, Darvish, and Chatwood for a combined $60 million (includes Lester's 2021 buyout). I don't want to add 36 year old Cole Hamels at ~$15m to that. Eh, if it can save them ~$5 mil on AAV for LT purposes it might be worth it to do like 2/26 on Hamels (assuming the hit is $20 and not $14 like some think, if it is $14 then just exercise the horsefeathering option). If Chatwood is pitching on this team in 2020 it’s because he figured it out, IMO, he’s only making ~$12 mil and if he’s not producing he won’t have a spot. I still have highish hopes for Darvish over the next ~3 years and think he’ll be plenty valuable this year and next ~2. Lester might be awful but we all knew that was likely the case come 2020 on that deal. Hopefully Adbert or someone else internally/through trade is ready to step in by 2020 if needed.

Most likely or trying to work out a 2 year deal at less aav

Well, those teams are either idiots or too poor to afford it so they’ve talked themselves in to that line of thinking when it comes to a player like Harper.

Negotiations over number 34 with Lester. Lester did wear 31 with the Red Sox but Ortiz was 34. Bryce seems to have worn 34 back to his HS days. I hope he has to buy Lester an ATV, pick up truck or fishing boat or something.

He’s definitely getting “close to $400 million” unless some team goes crazy on AAV for like 6 years (like 6/300). I’ll gues he ends up at 13/425.

Bovada has taken down all “what team will sign player x” prop bets, fwiw. Guessing we will get updated lines in the next day or two.

Very interesting...My speculation is that Johnson sees the arms and pedigrees on guys like Iglesias, Luis Castillo, Cody Reed, Robert Stephenson, Garrett, Lorenzen, Finnegann, that potential healthy Michael Fulmer clone they have in the minors, and a couple others as a group that can take his career to another level. I’m a fan of how the Reds have quietly gone about their rebuild. The Senzel injury this year was a bump in the road but should he land and hit in the majors next year the Reds might become annoying sooner rather than later. Sounds like he mostly left because the Reds gave him a huge offer or (more likely) the Brewers were being the cheap ass, poor team that they are and low balled him. [tweet] [/tweet]

Definitely.

Johnson is a huge loss for them, IMO. I think he’s played a huge role in their pitching devil magic and other coaching things. He’s near the top of my list when Joe is gone to replace him. [tweet] [/tweet]

He was a garbage pitcher in 2017 (he had a K/9 under 5) and he’s been a garbage pitcher his whole career who has to rely on soft contact and praying to the BABIP Gods to have any kind of success. He horsefeathering sucks. He had 4 seasons of at least 20 IP prior to this year, with ERAs of 2.69, 3.24, 3.15, and 3.03. He's beating is career FIP but not by Tyler Clippard lengths or anything. That profile can go quickly, and signing up for 5 million this year was a risk, but it's disingenuous to say he's been a terrible pitcher getting by on luck. His walk and home rate doubled from anything he had ever done previously, sometimes that happens with relievers, especially those with Kintzler's skills(or lack thereof). I said what I said. He’s had a nice career and made good money with average stuff at best. Good for him, I hope we trade him.

He was a garbage pitcher in 2017 (he had a K/9 under 5) and he’s been a garbage pitcher his whole career who has to rely on soft contact and praying to the BABIP Gods to have any kind of success. He horsefeathering sucks.

Unless they're giving him a ton more money than everyone else I don't think he'll consider the Giants at all. They aren't in a spot to win anytime soon and that stadium kills offensive numbers.

You guys know how I feel about rankings and those scouting grades! As far as I can tell this and Law’s claims are both heavily subjective Honestly can’t say I’m impressed by the few things that have come out of the AFL on Hoerner. He’s been pushed yada yada but the tools seem second division There's been better reports on Nico since he started, hasn't there? He got out to an awful start (which we think is when Law saw him) but there's been some better things said about him as its gone on and he's performed well. I don't think he's ever going to be a great player, but think he can be a first division starter especially on his rookie deal as like your ~5th best position player. I could see him being somewhere around what Brandon Crawford or Chris Taylor were this year with maybe a little more contact/BA and less HR's (but maybe more 2Bs to keep the SLG up), which if he can stick at SS and be a neutralist defender that's plenty valuable.

Fangraphs has him as a 70/70 on speed. I’d assume that’s based on some numbers they have access to or talked to guys about and this is likely Law just going all in one way on a guy that he does often.

Law is far from alone in thinking that Hoerner doesn't have much in the way of a power, arm, or defense tool. But speed? Below-average? That's just flat out wrong; to the point where I wonder if he was watching the right player. Hey, Keith Law said what he said and made a proclamation. He isn’t backing down now.