Dfan25

Much needed win with what on paper looks like a couple of difficult matchups next . They get Kelly tomorrow and then Hendricks pitches Tuesday . Hopefully they can find a way to win a game in AZ . Getting back home after this very difficult part of the schedule 2 games over would be fine . This bullpen will give Counsell nightmares . They really need to get Taillon and Steele back , so they can move a couple of guys to help out the pen .

Stuff is way down . His velo was down last year as well . That’s why he had to take a 1 year deal .

This bullpen is going to give Counsell nightmares . Neris has nothing on the ball . Even his splitter is sitting up in the zone like a beach ball . Velocity way down so far

Bringing in a righty for Teoscar was the right move with Wicks at a 100 pitches . Pitching to Muncy once he was down in count was not a smart move . Should have just walked him with a righty next .

Morel with the bat + 3 Morel with the glove -2

Won’t be too long before Madrigal is playing everyday at 3B.

Really Stratos ? That’s the best you have to defend his stupid spending at the end of last offseason ? Expecting a team to have zero dead money is unrealistic ? It wasn’t a small amount of money . Basically 20 million in garbage players that no team wanted on more than a 1 year deal . How different things would look right now with 20 more mil to use ? What part about signing Bellinger to a 1 year deal makes Jed a genius ? Plenty of teams were interested in signing Bellinger to a 1 year deal . It wasn’t like Jed did anything out of the box than no other team was willing to do to sign Bellinger . If anything the Cubs got lucky Bellinger chose them . Bellinger to the Cubs was a pretty obvious move last offseason . Let’s not talk like Jed had a crystal ball and knew which free agents were going to suck last offseason . They were in pretty deep on Abreu / Vázquez / Bell . They got lucky those players didn’t chose them . At least in year 1 they won with the Swanson deal , I have no problem accepting that . I also think they have done a great job with the minor league system since Hoyer took over . With that said he has made plenty of stupid moves as well and I am just tired of people like you defending every move he makes and blaming Ricketts for his failures . If the only way he can build a really good team while staying under the LT is by waiting for the system to produce 3-4 really good players , then he just isn’t good at his job .

Nonsense , Hoyer should have 20 more million to play with right now . He talks about been responsible with Ricketts money .20 million on this years payroll to pay Smily / Mancini / Barnhart . Thats not responsible . 20 more million he should have available . With those 20 million they could have signed another hitter to go along with Bellinger . With Bellinger at CF and Bush at 1B , PCA could have perhaps lead a package to aquire a cheap SP . Add another middle of the order bat and another SP with Bellinger and tell me it wouldn’t clearly improve the roster compared to 2023. Why can’t they trade prospects .? That’s more nonsense . Stop licking Hoyers balls . I hate Ricketts , but it’s time fans start holding Jed accountable for his mistakes as well .

I think that in real life Morel doesn’t have as much value as people on this board thinks . He can’t field at any position except 2B perhaps ? He hits the ball hard and has power , but the contact issues and k numbers are real . As he has gotten more AB the bat has gone south . I am not sure he will give them that much value even as a full time DH . in terms of the off-season if what they do is sign Bellinger and nothing else , Hoyer failed the offseason . While adding Busch was interesting , it isn’t enough . Asking him to be important part of the offense right away is risky I already gave my thoughts on Morel . Not sure he is the answer to anything. Neris was a necessary add , but they still need one more proven reliever . Guys like Merryweather and Leiter were good stories, but they don’t have track records of success . Almonte is another you don’t know what you are going to get guy. After that is a bunch of guys with good arms but command issues . In the rotation they replace Stroman with another unknown in Imanaga . I am not sure the team they will run on opening day is that much better than the one they had on opening day 2023 . if they go over the LT perhaps they can do enough to change the outlook for me , but wouldn’t surprise me if they stay under. If they do stay under , staying under last year makes no sense now whatsoever . They should have more money available but there are close to 20 million in the payroll that will go to Mancini / Barnhart and Smily this year .Think about that . .

None taken , because I am not saying they should do this . I think they will end up like this due to how Hoyer works .

Yeah , that’s an ominous sign . Last year they sign Swanson and Ricketts did the panel . There were a couple of years when they didn’t do nothing and the panel didn’t happen . My guess is that they will sign Hoskins , a SP on a 1 year + option at the most and a couple of cheap relievers . C- Gomes 1B - Hoskins 2B- Hoerner 3B- Morel SS - Swanson LF- Happ CF - Tauchman RF - Suzuki DH - Mervis SP- Steele SP- Hendricks SP- Taillon SP - 1 year guy SP- Asad / Wicks Wont bother with the pen or bench . You get the picture . They really don’t give a horsefeathers about 24.

I doubt we are going to see anything meaningful from the Cubs anytime soon. Seems to me that since Glasnow is the biggest salary they could realistically add , nothing will happen until he goes somewhere .I don’t think Glasnow will get traded until Yamamoto signs . The waiting game continues .

It will be interesting to see how long it takes now for the flurry of moves to begin . Yamamoto could still hold the pitching market up

Bellinger probably has the Giants , Blue Jays / Mariners and perhaps Ana to get his big deal

Well , can’t wait until Hoskins and Chapman

Lol dodgers if they don’t get him On the other hand Jays fans are been extremely annoying and making fun of Cubs fans , so I don’t like he chose them . Would have like it if he had stayed in Ana .

If the cat says it , it has to be true

I been thinking about a Jon Heyman comment earlier this week. He said that it didn’t look like Ohtani was going to decide during the meetings . The reason he gave was that he was told by a gm of an interested team , that they were expecting a meeting after the winter meetings . I wonder if there is 1 more meeting taking place tomorrow or Saturday before Ohtani makes his decision before the end of the weekend like Morosi reported

Yeah I heard that . Surprising to hear because they don’t normally put too much effort on the bullpen and with them been out of Ohtani and Soto , just not that many impact lefty bats on the market .

All it takes is one desperate team . Looking like SD will come away with a big win here , considering everybody knew they needed to trade Soto.

I would hope they consider JD Martinez if Ohtani goes to LA . Gives them a presence in the middle of the order at the least .

As long as Jed Hoyer is the president of baseball operations , it’s going to be difficult for this team to get stars. His plan seems to be just wait for the minor league system to produce those stars . Pretty risky

This offseason went straight to hell pretty quickly . I would expect them to engage with Candelario now . Should cost less than Chapman and with the lack of lefty bats , I could see it . I don’t love it , but I think it’s. Possibility . Would imagine Bellinger gets a big deal with Tor / Sea / SF if Ohtani picks dodgers

Nvm

I don’t have access to the athletic but saw a headline from Mooney that says the Cubs appear to be pivoting in other directions .Guys Ohtani isn’t going to happen . I really don’t care what Jed said tonight . He is pissed that it got leaked . He probably wanted to give the impression they were in it until the end .