Jason Ross

A very good reminder.

I mean, maybe. But then...I guess what's the point of leaking it? The Cubs aren't getting anything from it. And to Bob? Or if not Bob and this is second hand...to whom? Feels weird. I'll admit some of it from my end is copium. But part of it is really just a bit confused. Seems like you've come this far, there's little reason to leak this.

I'm a bit skeptical on where it's coming from. Maybe that's just personal hope, but I have a hard time thinking the Cubs inner circle would leak that to Bob. Seems kind of...odd, no? The Cubs are pretty good about keeping this stuff locked up and quiet. So I really don't know how this could have gotten out.

Yeah, of all the places where Ohtani ends up, I just have an impossible time thinking the Angels will be that team. Maybe he will! But damn, that'd certainly be a choice.

He wasn't in Toronto. He was in Florida at their ST camp.

With no rudeness involved, my question would be "why do you think the Cubs aren't even in any more"? Yes, people like Bob Nightengale and Jon Morosi are not mentioning the Cubs. People like Mooney and Rosenthal claim the Cubs are still in. Overall, it's been said by a few that no one really knows what's happening with Ohtani and it's all just speculation regardless. I really want to be clear: I'm not optimistic, I think the Cubs are not the favorite, and this is an uphill battle. I just think the "woe is me, the Cubs are out" thing some are going with is...on the extreme side. I just think we need to take a step back, shrug it out, and say "well, I don't think we know right now and likely won't until the end"

I just don't think we should be doing this. No one was mentioning the Cubs with Seiya Suzuki most of the winter. They got him. No one saw Counsell. They got him. I know we are used to seeing smoke and thinking fire, but this is not one where I think anyone in the media knows anything. I'm not saying we are definitely getting Ohtani, or anything of the ilk, just that...I don't think we need to be defeatest on this simply because people like Morosi (who is clearly guessing) isn't listing the Cubs. Remember, this is supposed to be a leak-free pursuit. It would go to seem that the media not hearing the Cubs would remain a good thing. We have an uphill battle, but I firmly believe the Cubs are still right in this thing.

I'll say this: I had the same feelings about Nick Madrigal last season. Prior to 2023, Madrigal finished in the 20th, the 14th and the 22nd percentiles of arm strength. He's a short guy, not a lot of projected growth. And yet, not only was he a +8 DRS at 3b, his arm strength jumped to the 46th percentile. The Cubs did some work there and turned someone I was entirely convinced couldn't play 3b and not only made him serviceable, but plus (it's small sample size and it could still be error, but it's what we have to work with) at the position. I'd discount the Cubs in no way shape or for with Matt Shaw at 3b.

Well, two things here: 1. I want to clarify; nothing in that post was suggesting they'll come out of this with Ohtani. Only explaining that I think the timeline matches up that the Cubs were meeting with Ohtani on Sunday based on his other meetings and timelines. 2. If the Cubs were able to get Ohtani in and out without leaks, however, that would likely go to the idea that it doesn't look promising. In many ways this is the opposite of almost any other FA, where smoke may not be a good thing. The less smoke, the better, here. It's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. Without leaks, it will look less promising to the media, but it also may not be the case internally. I really can't say, but the lack of reporting here could also be viewed as a positive. I still think it's unlikely the Cubs get Ohtani. The Dodgers have to be the favorites. But I don't think anything we've heard in the media has changed how I feel about the Cubs being less promising than, say, two weeks ago.

Yeah, unlike Cade Horton, I like the BP to SP route for Ben Brown. I want to see him continue to work as a SP in AAA to start the season (injuries happen and having him stretched won't be bad). But perhaps come around TDL, final two months, adding him to the MLB bullpen would be a good thing. You let him work on the fastball at the MLB level in short stints; creates positive feedback loops with less time for it to go off the rails. His fastball-breaking ball (you're spot on, his breaking balls, between his curve and his slider just don't have a ton of separation at times, which is both almost a good thing and a bad thing because he can mess around with it's shape as he pleases but also they're not clearly identifiably different from a velocity standpoint) would work great in the pen, as well. I like Brown as a 2025 SP option, where as Horton should be in the MLB rotation at some point mid-summer at the very least.

I've been doing some thinking and some sleuthing, and I think I've come to logical conclusion (feel free to tell me I'm just tinfoil-hat-crazy, too). Okay, so reports on Saturday were that Ohtani was in San Francisco to meet with the Giants. Monday, it appears as though Ohtani was in Florida with the Jays. But then you have Sunday...kind of a big blank day, no? Perhaps Ohtani took in some NFL football, a beer, and hanging out with friends, but I have a feeling that didn't happen. As well, there was the report that teams were coming to LA to meet with Ohtani for final meetings, but considering he went to SF and Toronto after (if reports are correct) it seems weird that would be the case, So maybe...what if it wasn't all teams on Saturday making their final pitch/meetings/tours of facilities but the two LA teams (one of which was a team he didn't need to tour, because, he's been an Angel for half a decade). Geographically, if Ohtani were making his tour around the other clubs, it would make sense that he would go from LA to SF, and this feels like it could be accomplished in a single day, like...Saturday. But again...Sunday....It'd make a lot of sense if Ohtani did something Sunday. And, again, thinking logically, planning a trip, geographically around the nation, well Chicago just so happens to be between San Francisco and Florida, and would have made quite the logical stopping place for a visit, wouldn't it have? And conspicuously, Jed Hoyer wasn't in Nashville Sunday. Neither was Craig Counsell. It really wouldn't make a ton of sense if they're both still in LA (Sunday and Monday) if they were meeting with him on Saturday. We know he's not in LA any more; he was in Florida Monday. What I'm trying to get at is this: I think Shohei Ohtani was in Chicago Sunday. And I think the Cubs got him in and out without any leaks. Considering the Cubs were capable of doing this with Seiya Suzuki and Craig Counsell, it would track based on history. I could be way off, and fair, I'm going off logic/guessing. Both his trips to Toronto and San Francisco ended up getting reported/leaked in some way or fashion. If he got in and out of Chicago with zero leaks, I wonder how this helps on the final choice. If Ohtani is truly worrisome of leaks and quietness, which, if he' visiting teams in their cities during the Winter Meetings, you could argue is another reason to believe that, then the Cubs making this happen could help. Edit: I'd also like to point out, the Cubs may have met in Arizona (someone else suggested this to me elsewhere, credit to him). Closer to the West Coast, easier to keep quiet. But regardless, I think very much so that the Cubs had their sit down with Ohtani on Sunday.

This article has a lot of nothing on it. Ignore the headline and here's the only thing they show as to why the Cubs are "fading": "MLB Network insider Jon Morosi didn't even mention the Cubs during a segment discussing Ohtani's next home." Then it spends 95% of the article talking about Glasnow, Bellinger, Morel, and Yamamoto. I don't want to sound dismissive of things that eliminate the Cubs, but I think we have to all take a step back and remember what Olney said today: no one knows anything right now. Jon Morosi doesn't know. Bob Nightengale doesn't know. I'm confident Jeff Passan and Ken Rosenthal don't know. I don't think any team is fading in any knowing way right now. I do think reporters are guessing, and the easy guess is the Dodgers. Outside of guessing though, I don't think there's any evidence as to who's in the lead or who's faded. I remain optimistic that the Cubs are putting forth a big offer and have. They don't get here without it. Jed Hoyer isn't even in Nashville right now because he's (presumably) in LA. Sharma posted yesterday he once thought the Cubs would be outbid by someone but now, he's not so sure (meaning there's belief by him that the Cubs will outbid everyone. How much of that is tea leaf reading or not, be my guest). And none of this should be addressed at you, just kind of talking out loud. I have no idea if they'll get Ohtani, but I'm just not sure anyone has any idea of who's really trending anywhere right now. Hell, it looked right before the Cubs signed Suzuki in a similar courting fashion that the Cubs were no where near that one. That the Cubs aren't getting the headlines might be a good thing.

Also...Ohtani. It sounds like they're big game hunting. I'd say it'll be the goal to get an Ohtani or a Yamamoto. Then fill in the rest with one year guys who have upside. I doubt all of them listed. Just those types though.

Yeah, that feels very much like your Glasnows, Hoskins, Belts... But I also fully believe the Cubs are invested in bringing in stars too. Because I can see the undercurrent of that quote, too. Which is that while the Cubs don't want to block everyone with free agents, they will look to bring in players they deem worthy of taking up spots long term.

I actually like that quote. That says they want stars and one year deals. That they will shy away from the Chapman's. They're big game hunting and filling out the roster with shorter terms.

Could simply be because teams are told they aren't allowed to talk about their meetings.

Yeah, he's doing what everyone else...he's guessing. I don't think anyone has a clue what Ohtani will do.

Did he tweet it? Or was it an interview? I don't see anything on his twitter.Twitter. I'd love to see the full quote.

I sincerely hope he's wearing rubber duckie water wingies and drinking martinis in the hotel hot tub while belting out Don't Stop Believing by Journey before 4pm because Papa Hoyer isn't there.

A really good thing to point out. Opinions here are all over the place because no one really knows what he's thinking. This is a pretty insane free agent situation. I don't think he's going back to the Angels at all, but I guess we can't discount anything.

That feels like your perennial and current bottom feeder teams. Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Washington. Too rich for Oakland, as Fedde is going to make $5 million and not just $5. But that type. Also the teams who have no aspirations of the bigger fish.

I guess. For me, it just feels like we're at this level of money being speculated for Ohtani that it seems near impossible for a team to outbid another at such a level. We'll see, though. Maybe the Cubs can do that.