Named After Maddux

I'll definitely start by saying that I do not agree with trading Bryant. However the more rumors that come out the more it looks like it is a legitimate possibility. Assuming you trade Bryant and sign Rendon (which they should) or obtain a young 3B option in the trade, I wonder about a Bote/Todd Frazier platoon. David Bote against RHP: wOBA .349, wRC+ 115 Todd Frazier against LHP: wOBA .382, wRC+ 142 It's not Bryant and it won't be, but maybe it's tolerable for a year.

I really like the move. There’s next to no downside and Cotton’s changeup was + to ++ per BP prior to his TJS. What he’s struggled with is his ability to throw a breaking ball. I wonder if they’re going to try to have him incorporate one of these knuckle curves they’ve had some success with in pitching development. Also his 93 mph average FB that can top out at 96-97 with that change up could be awfully interesting in the pen for a couple innings.

He's what Almora should be. He's relatively cheap salary-wise, strong defensive CF, and hits well against LHP. Last year he mashed lefties (.886 OPS, wRC+ of 139 against LHP in 2019). He also had a strong prospect pedigree. If his cost is high, I'd stay away. But if he could be acquired as a second player in a trade (like for Quintana) or third player in a Contreras trade then I'd like it. He is an ideal platoon bat with Heyward.

I’m fine with moving on from Almora as I prefer a trade for Margot to complement our OF, but it wouldn’t be a complete shocker to see him back. I remember conversations about how much Theo, in particular, gravitated to Almora during the run up to the 2012 draft. That being said, I read that as trying to get it out there that they weren’t planning on non-tendering him leading up to the deadline. If a team were convinced he was being NT’d he’d have zero value. Maybe you can convince a team like the Mets to trade a lottery ticket arm or reclamation project.

Yu Darvish should sue the Astros for $50 million dollars.

I agree, I think Snell and Contreras is intriguing. The great thing about the Rays is there’s a good amount of non-Franco prospects that are enticing. Brujan, Liberatore, and Baz super exciting. I went with Lowe because Emily Walden had this to say about him in the AZL: . Also BA described him as likely to stay in CF. But if you’re seeing 1B in his future I get why he’s not as interesting. Ideally, to me, a Contreras trade brings back a starter and a CF or contact oriented 2B. Luis Urias has been interesting as well and I read somewhere that the Padres would view him as available.i don’t know what I think the backbone of a Contreras to SDP deal looks like, but since Gore is off the table, it feels more volume than high impact.

Cubs offseason plan: Trades: Willson Contreras, Jose Quintana for Blake Snell, Josh Lowe, Joe Ryan (net cost -$9 million) David Bote, Albert Almora, Corey Abbot, Yovanny Cruz for Jon Gray (net cost + $3 million) Robel Garcia for Nick Pivetta Free Agent Signings: I used Fangraphs crowdsource for contracts except for a few instances. I don’t think Akiyama comes stateside for $3 million a year even with the foot injury. Jason Castro for 2 years/$12 million Drew Pomeranz for 2 years/$14 million (with 3rd year option at $8 million or $2 million buy-out) Shogo Akiyama 3 years/$15 million Pedro Strop for 1 year/$2.5 million Asdrubal Cabrera 2 years/$12 million Jarrod Dyson for 1 year/$1.5 million Total addition of: $23 million Pitching staff: SP) Hendricks SP) Darvish SP) Gray SP) Snell SP) Lester RP) Kimbrel RP) Pomeranz RP) Wick RP) Strop RP) Wieck RP) Chatwood RP) Kyle Ryan RP) Pivetta/Mills/Triple AAA filler Position Players: 2B) Cabrera/Hoerner 3B) Bryant 1B) Rizzo SS) Baez C) Caratini/Castro LF) Schwarber CF) Akiyama RF) Heyward B) Castro/Caratini B) Hoerner/Cabrera B) Happ B) Descalso B) Kemp B) Dyson

Wonder if San Francisco has enough sourdough bread to handle Harris coming on.

Ground Control to Brandon Taubman: you’ve really been fired It’s been easy to root for the Nats after this came out. Hope the Astros don’t get a game 5.

I'm operating with the assumption the Cubs have $32 million to work with this offseason. Offseason plan: I listed rationale in the spoiler tags. Don't bring in Joe Girardi. I can buy in with basically anyone else that's been brought up (Ross, Beltran, Espada, Fuld, Bard, Loretta). I think it'll be Ross, but my pick would be Espada. Poach the absolute best pitching and hitting specialists from the Rays, Astros, Dodgers and give them Assist GM/Director positions. Trades: Willson Contreras, Jose Quintana, James Norwood for Drew Waters, Kyle Wright, Ender Inciarte Ian Happ, David Bote, Duane Underwood Jr. (or Alzolay if needed) for Jon Gray Free Agents: Sign Yasmani Grandal 3 year/$50 million Howie Kendrick 2 year/$15 million Billy Hamilton 1 year/$2.5 million (25/26th player) Sign Dellin Betances 1 year/$2.5 million Pedro Strop 1 year $2.5 million Total payroll add is approximately $30 million Pitching staff: SP) Hendricks SP) Darvish SP) Gray SP) Lester SP) Wright/Graveman/MIlls RP) Kimbrel RP) Betances RP) Wick RP) Strop RP) Wieck RP) Chatwood RP) Kyle Ryan RP) Graveman/Mills/Triple AAA filler Position Players: 2B) Hoerner/Kendrick 3B) Bryant 1B) Rizzo SS) Baez C) Grandal LF) Schwarber CF) Inciarte RF) Heyward B) Caratini B) Hoerner/Kendrick B) Kemp B) Descalso B) Almora B) Hamilton

Ties are broken using the previous year's standings, with worse record winning the tiebreaker. And to think, you people were disappointed the Cubs didn't win 108 games and the World Series in 2018. Why would I care about one lousy historic season when it means missing out on the 2022 ROY and 2023-2025 NL/World Series MVP?

Ties are broken using the previous year's standings, with worse record winning the tiebreaker. Oh nice. Thanks

Cubs finished tied with Boston so either 16th or 17th pick pending a coin flip (that’s how they do that, right?).

Give me Astros bench coach Joe Espada. Widely regarded as a good communicator, has worked in both Astros and Yankees system, bilingual, and spent time in Yankees front office. There’s been a few other candidates I’ve heard thrown around that I do like: Josh Bard, Carlos Beltran, Sam Fuld (blast from the past). I don’t think there’s any realistic chance that they give the job to Girardi. Ross, I’m not a huge fan for this Cubs team, but whatever.

Hey if he wants to push the Padres or Mets to make a trade to acquire them after he signs on to manage, I’m all for it.

I completely agree and I’d be very interested in signing Grandal for a Grandal/Caratini C tandem.

Well now every one of the Cubs core four players have had significant injuries on the season. Javy is out of the season and that Rizzo injury doesn’t promising.

I posted most of my thoughts on the season in one of the disastrous Brewers game threads: This team is infuriating. Sure they could make the playoffs, but I’m okay with a significant shakeup. 2016 was a once in a (possibly) lifetime team. I get that, but 2017 it was “the hangover”. 2018 was “everyone got hurt but we still won 95”. 2019 had a couple injuries, but nothing extreme or unexpected. [They lost Javy in September. It's not like they were cruising for 90+ wins and he went down. Really his production since the heel-injury derailed his season and he kept playing through it (the medical staff strikes again).] It’s the same unit and has a handful of very excellent performances, but is just so up and down. It’s just not there. Honestly it falls on the entire organization. Ownership tightened purse strings on a team that they make hundreds of millions in profit a year. The front office made poor decisions. Joe plays the hands he's dealt, but still proceeds to make terrible choices related to line-up and bullpen. And ultimately as Theo said “judge us by what we do on the field”, it’s on the players. This year has been exhausting. Hope they give us a fun memory or two in the next few weeks, but I'm trying not to get emotionally invested.

I'm not sure what I expect the front office to do as far as search process. It's possible the Cubs have the most high profile opening this offseason. Unless the Red Sox situation changes that. Regardless, the candidate I'm most intrigued with is Astros Bench Coach Joe Espada. He's in his 40s and has been a scout/special assistant for the Yankees, 3rd base coach for the Yankees, and now the Bench Coach for the Astros. He's bilingual and regarded as a strong communicator. He also declined to interview last year for any positions, perhaps because there weren't many intriguing options at the time (Baltimore, NYM, Cincinnati, Texas, Minnesota). So it's not as though he's been passed up by teams.

Yeah, fine. This team is infuriating. Sure they could and should make the playoffs, but I’m okay with a significant shakeup. 2016 was a once in a (possibly) lifetime team. I get that, but 2017 it was “the hangover”. 2018 was “everyone got hurt but we still won 95”. 2019 had a couple injuries, but nothing extreme or unexpected. It’s the same unit and has a handful of very excellent performances, but is just so up and down. It’s just not there. Honestly it falls on the entire organization. Ownership tightened purse strings on a team that they make hundreds of millions in profit a year. The front office made poor decisions. And ultimately as Theo said “judge us by what we do on the field”, it’s on the players.

A couple bad calls and a bit of bad luck, but some self inflicted pain in this game. Very frustrating day.

I also think that it was that they didn’t even try. As a fan it was frustrating but I can’t even imagine how maddening it must have been to be a star on this team, hear the President of your organization discuss how the offense just broke, and then two weeks later cry poor as two young offensive superstars (including his friend Harper) sit on the market without a [realistic] offer from your club. Players don't give a horsefeathers about this as much as fans. Show him the most money and he will sign. I'm sure he's far more pissed they dicked with his service time and cost him a year of free agency. Oh I don’t think it’ll affect signing him. Even without the Boras factor, he’ll take the best offer for him and his family. I was referring to just being frustrated in season about a lack of support for the team prior to this season.

He’s just waiting for free agency and a big payday elsewhere. The owners didn’t sign his friend Harper and I still think he’s ticked about that. I also think that it was that they didn’t even try. As a fan it was frustrating but I can’t even imagine how maddening it must have been to be a star on this team, hear the President of your organization discuss how the offense just broke, and then two weeks later cry poor as two young offensive superstars (including his friend Harper) sit on the market without a [realistic] offer from your club.

That is exciting. Always good to see them associated with the top bonuses. The Cubs have been very strong in IFA and I don’t hate the overall approach (aggressive but spread out over several players), but I am hoping one of these years they identify and splurge on the top talent like Franco, Dominguez, etc.

Counterpoint, it's great news for Willson. More guys to gun down trying to steal. Best wishes to anyone who tries to steal first on Willson and finds themselves out of the running lane.