Cubswin11

He horsefeathering sucks and is washed up. Can’t imagine Strop took much more. Jeffress has also never been good outside of his time with the cheating Brewers.

Yeah I don’t see how Scooter knocks Almora off the roster unless they feel really good about Nico being able to handle CF. Adding Scooter would more likely result in Nico starting in AAA, Descalso being cut, or deciding not to carry a third catcher (which I think is somewhat possible with us adding Phagley to try and get Willy some extra OF time). The only way Almora doesn’t make the opening day roster, for me, is if he’s hurt or they sign Pillar or get a CF’er in a late offseason trade here. I’d much prefer Holt or Zobrist to Scooter too. I can’t imagine they cost much more. Scooter's best wRC+ seasons: 129 125 123 104 92 Holt's best wRC+ seasons: 109 103 99 97 Yes, Scooter is coming off of a season with a 44 where he was injured. Holt had a 50 in 2017, so he's not immune to bad seasons, either. Scooter is also two years younger than Holt and *nine* years younger than Zobrist. I like what Holt could bring a little more. More contact and OBP (his OBP the last 2 years are higher than any year in Scooter's career) and he can also play a few positions and lets the roster be little more flexible and obviously seems to be the safer bet to have the higher floor. Scooter's injury also concerns me, he missed a lot of time with that and was really bad for the little he played last year. End of the day I'm fine adding either, especially if it's to basically be a battle for Descalo's spot between whoever is added and Descalso, Asuaje, and Robel. Scooter is probably more likely to sign a minor league deal so I'm guessing that's part of the interest. I was also surprised to see he's only 29, I would've guessed he was already in his early-mid 30s.

Yeah I don’t see how Scooter knocks Almora off the roster unless they feel really good about Nico being able to handle CF. Adding Scooter would more likely result in Nico starting in AAA, Descalso being cut, or deciding not to carry a third catcher (which I think is somewhat possible with us adding Phagley to try and get Willy some extra OF time). The only way Almora doesn’t make the opening day roster, for me, is if he’s hurt or they sign Pillar or get a CF’er in a late offseason trade here. I’d much prefer Holt or Zobrist to Scooter too. I can’t imagine they cost much more.

Yeah the hype around them is a bit much. They will be in the mix for sure. But they won 75 games last year and likely only added 5-7 wins between Moustakas, Castellanos, Miley and Akiyama on the high side. Moustakas and Castellanos might take each other out on a short fly ball to RF. The defense is going to be really bad. Don't forget getting a 20+ more starts out of Bauer (and presumably the other 10 they get will be better than the 10 they got last year) and replacing Tyler Mahle with Wade Miley. Although this is the first season since 2017 where Miley won't play for Milwaukee and Houston where he suspiciously had the 2 best years of his career. That has to be worth another 1-3 wins The extra Bauer starts are big. Mahle was worth 1.4 las year to Miley’s 2. Don’t really think that’s an upgrade, but helps with depth for sure. Iglesias and Dietrich were really solid for them last year too, they got 2.7 WAR out of them in the MIF. Which likely is just replaced by Moustakas at best and not improved upon. Same with Castellanos in RF, they got 1.6 WAR out of Acquino and Puig. Castellanos is maybe adding ~1 win there over what they got.

Oh they’re going to be annoying as hell, especially vs us.

Yeah the hype around them is a bit much. They will be in the mix for sure. But they won 75 games last year and likely only added 5-7 wins between Moustakas, Castellanos, Miley and Akiyama on the high side. Moustakas and Castellanos might take each other out on a short fly ball to RF. The defense is going to be really bad.

I’m fine not bringing him back at 4/64 and opt outs. None of the 3 Fangraphs systems have him over 2 WAR for this year and he seems pretty capped at 3 wins as his ceiling. Sucks he’s staying in the division though.

Jesus Christ https://twitter.com/andrewjohnston5/status/1221266114380017666?s=21

Man I hope he falls to us

Hollandsworth put up almost 1 WAR in 60 games in 2004, I’d gladly take that out of Souza in a limited playing time/platoon role.

From December when we were first linked he’s allegedly healthy..

Bullying Kevin Pillar by leveraging the league's collusion tactics into forcing a pay cut and demotion in January is not the same as giving Souza a ML deal in January I was also probably the first to mention Souza as a FA option at all back when the hope was Cole and Lindor, still got Lindor. Souza's been a skilled player throughout the pros, just came up a little older than most and got hurt Got it. I forgot you laid out all the reasons Pillar isn’t good but also think he’s due some big payday and guaranteed full time starter role. But yeah, I like this move as much as you can like a move like this. Good call on him early on. I didn’t get on him until we were first linked to him in December or so.

What a horsefeathers. Garbage cans, cameras and a closed circuit TV aren’t advanced technology you horsefeathers. It’s dirty rotten cheating.

There’s plenty of starts to go around even if he’s on the bench on opening day. I think. Just like years past with the depth people wondered where everyone would play, it works out. I see KB, Nico, Bote, Happ and Schwarber rotating around depending on matchups/pitcher handiness between 3B/2B/LF/CF there’s plenty of starts for Nico in there and he’ll even get some SS time. The only way I’d want him starting in AAA is if they feel he needs to be working on things yet (whether that’s offensive things or even learning CF), if not there’s a way to get him 115-130 starts and it not to affect others, other than maybe Almora. Which seems about right for a guy who will have some on job learning. So if that’s a “bench player” in your book I’m cool with him being that.

Weren’t you against a move just like this like 2 days ago and all offseason? Regardless, welcome aboard! Agree on the IF comment.

His last full healthy season (2017) he was nearly a 4 win player.

Yeah I don’t love having to keep him around another year, but if it’s only $5 million more or so than we have to pay anyways plus gets us under the LT it’s probably worth it. It’s more overall guaranteed money so I’d assume it would count to recalculate the LT hit. Especially if they paid him more in real money this year or something so it would be an entirely new deal. Idk what triggers a recalculation if it’s an extension. I don't think Lester would be willing to only take an extra guaranteed $5 million, though. Fine make it 2/40. Still gets us under the LT. Or horsefeathers go to like 3/45. That’s no money and gets us $10 mil under.

I don't see why not, Lester gets a guaranteed 2021 and more money out of the deal. That would also help stem rotationpocalypse a bit since they didn't get a longer term option this offseason. Yeah I don’t love having to keep him around another year, but if it’s only $5 million more or so than we have to pay anyways plus gets us under the LT it’s probably worth it. It’s more overall guaranteed money so I’d assume it would count to recalculate the LT hit. Especially if they paid him more in real money this year or something so it would be an entirely new deal. Idk what triggers a recalculation if it’s an extension.