Jason Ross

Bummer. I like Soto as one of the left handed option in the BP.

Imai was supposed to meet with some teams at the Meetings and the thought was he would sign next week.

Don't necessarily disagree. Ketel Marte is a really good baseball player. He's about to hit the "I'm not so sure" ages where bat speed slows down, but he's been a beast two years running now and with his $15m or whatever he's owed per year until he's 37? He's super cheap money wise

For Marte? Probably not even a conversation starter. My guess is that that an expiring Taillon and Steele with 2 years of control, but coming off a TJS brace that won't make it back until the back half of the first year gets a phone hang up pretty quick. Marte is signed relatively cheaply and has been awesome. They want MLB-ready young pitching. They'll probably get it. It's probably Wiggins + Brown + something else good if Arizona is high on Wiggins and Brown to get a start. But that'd be my guess.

Rogers on ESPN1000. Cubs hits: Predicts the Cubs to get Michael King or maybe Tatsuya Imai Cubs like their position players, money will be spent on pitching (bullpen) In on a "real" closer (names Fairbanks/Suarez) Cubs to funnel money to pitching - might circle back to hitting later Feel relatively comfortable with hitters Predicts Tucker to Toronto for $250-$300m (believes Cubs want to be "nimble" with money - clearly code for cheap)

This has Cub-implications in many ways. Connecting dots: Rogers mentions Red Sox (Marte?) could be close to making trades. As were the Cubs. If Marte ends up in Boston, then Bregman to Chicago likely becomes more likely. Thus the Cubs, who ewre also mentioned by Rogers as a trade team, could be getting close to a SP as well?

Ofman hasn't been relevant in Cubs-media for quite some time. He's had some bananas takes this off-season

I have an article dropping tomorrow that highlights 3 pitchers I think the Cubs might grab for the BP. Won't spoil the list, but one has an 80-geade stache.

Probably worth noting that Rogers claimed the Red Sox, Padres and the Cubs were teams that could be close to finalizing moves and Grissom was traded from Boston. Whether that was the trade Rogers was alluding to or not, I have no idea, but could signal the other two are on trade-watch as well (though like Grissom, could be small).

Super not-legit. They just post "winds of the offseason" stuff. I wouldn't buy a thing this account posts and I say this as someone who wants desperately to believe the Cubs are the favorites for Imai

With Shamra saying the Cubs are doing a better job with the top-end of the market and the Cubs getting near(ish) a trade from Rogers... Bregman and Gore feel like it could be happening?

My gut feeling is "no". I think the return for Marte revolves too heavily around pitching and I don't think the Cubs have it for them unless they like, really love Ben Brown or something. Hoyer was talking about how the Cubs might add another swing starter, so maybe? But I think the Cubs don't really match up well here.

I get it, offense is fun. I think next year, it'll be more pitching focused.

I know we all want a big move (I do too), but we don't need to jump the shark; the Cubs won 92-games last year. Hoyer built a good team. We should probably give him more than a month into the off-season (when most of that month is just the league waiting anyways) before we get worried they will build a mid-80s win team.

Busy day in Orlando.

I think the Cubs would 100% be better with Bregman+Shaw+Nico rather than Bregman+Shaw+Nico's return. We aren't getting a four win player in a straight up swap with him. And yes, the Cubs can probably let multiple players walk. Shaw (as I outlined in a post above) isn't too far off from Hoerner now . Then you hope one of Caissie or Ballesteros is ready to take an OF spot or DH next year. And then you have money. The roster cliff is real and I'm a little concerned about it. But I don't think you're getting much of a controlled option for Nico Hoerner who's on his last year. The strip for landing a Nico trade last year was narrow, I think it's essentially non-existent this year unless you're just okay with actively getting a worse player back than Hoerner.

Well, I don't think it's necessarily so black-and-white for the Cubs. I'll admit up front that I'm not really on Team "Sign Bregman to 5+ years", but I'm going to try to look beyond my biases and figure out a Cubs' line of thinking here: Alex Bregman posted a 125 wRC+ at 3b last year at the 3b position which, league wide, was a 93 wRC+. It's a trash position offensively right now (it's behind catcher). We aren't seeing a decline in bat speed yet and he's been a consistently productive hitter with a plus-plus approach at the plate. Defensively he remains +. We know the team kind of struggled against LHP and he had a 139 wRC+ against them last year. You have Bregman, Shaw, Hoerner and Swanson who can all move around the lineup a little, giving each other some days off, maybe Shaw or Bregman can play some DH against LHH while you sit Caissie/Ballesteros (whichever you roll with). When it comes to 2027. you let Nico walk and you gift the position to Shaw. Shaw, right now, looks not too far off from Hoerner, if we're being honest with ourselves. He was a near plus-plus defender at 3b according to DRS, and a move to 2b you'd think he'd maintain a very plus defensive rating. His wRC+ after his return in May was 99. Compare that to Hoerner's last three years: he's a 105 wRC+. Assuming Shaw shows progress, they're probably not that far from each other. That's no shade on Hoerner either, I like him a lot! But if you needed to find a Hoerner replacement... That's probably your argument. You hope in this scenario that the Cubs have more money than expected and can sign Bregman, don't need to move off Hoerner immediately, and can still get a Michael King and improve the rotation.

They could, but I think, ultimately, you will end up under water. Nico is a 4 win player and you're not going to get 4 wins back for him. I don't think they can realistically move him and be better for it.

While true, depending on the 3b they sign, it will become more difficult to acquire the SP they truly need. If they do Bregman, which they are clearly interested in *some* form or fashion them 1 of 2 things will end up being true; 1. By signing Bregman to a near $30m AAV, they wont have enough money left to sign the impact SP they want because they have roughly $50m in total to spend 2. They actually have more money than reported on If it's number 2, sure, maybe you trade Nico Hoerner because you can just simply sign Michael King, and a bullpen, etc and you're fine! But in the event it is number 1, as much as I like Hoerner, what SP are you getting for one year of Hoerner? We did the same game last year when he had *2* years of control and we found it difficult to even really settle, as fans, as to whom that may be. It's harder at one year. If the Cubs don't have more than that $50m range and they sign a starting 3b, it's going to be hard to acquire a SP by money alone. And I don't really think they're going to be able to headline a Hoerner trade for impact SP either. That doesn't mean you have to trade Shaw, but it makes it all the more likely that Shaw becomes the odd man out because there are realistically only so many players they have that can headline that kind of a trade to begin with. Considering where the Cubs sit with their pitching staff they have to add something pretty good there.

My prediction is something along the lines of - One move, but probably not ground breaking - One really fun rumor that probably goes no where but makes for a good 4 hours - Cubs select a P in Rule 5 But beyond that, the ground work is laid for the big move that happens over the weekend through next Friday

This and in the comments make it very clear that from Matt's perspective and his sources, the Cubs wouldn't be trading for Strahm as they just are okay with doing the shoestring bullpen thing. Hoyer, as well, talked luke-warm about the high-end reliever market. I think we should expect the BP is mostly done from a "name" perspective and that the remainder very well may be a normal, Hoyer, BP. Maybe they cycle back, but I think the resources will be paid for starting pitching and hitting - however they decide to do that.