Bertz
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Everything posted by Bertz
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Yeah 5 vets, Palencia, one spot reserved for whichever minor league veteran looks best this spring, and one spot for whichever optionable guy looks best this spring? Very easy to see that being the plan I would hope we aim higher but A) while I wouldn't be excited by the group I also wouldn't be worried and B) yeah if they do something(s) fun elsewhere it's worth it.
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Nice! Thielbar and Milner are both similar in that they're almost always hard on lefties but how they do against righties waxes and wanes. So I'd guess between the two of them we should net out with a LOOGY and a full on 7th/8th inning option. On the potentially not so nice front, Milner on his own was clearly not a pivot from a real closer. But are we about to be looking at a Milner/Thielbar/Stanek at ~$15M collectively in lieu of a more surefire closer?
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I think the simple explanation is that Bregman isn't going to get a significantly more player friendly contract. He almost certainly gets more total dollars but at a noticeably lower AAV and without any options or anything else that tilt the deal in his favor.
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Feels like the simple explanation is that the former implies that the latter isn't true.
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He can ask for whatever he wants but the simple question is who's giving him that? His market as far as we know is BoSox/Cubs/Tigers. All three GMs literally cut from the same cloth.
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Bregman's clearly realistic. Chatter makes it seem like he's their favorite bat, and I'd assume squarely in play if they fill SP via trade. We haven't heard anything on Valdez but he's clearly realistic. This FO either does an obnoxious slow drip of info about their pursuits or does the opposite and ninjas guys. So given that Valdez is in the same vein as their other pursuits I wouldn't write him off. Bichette is a combo of the Bregman rationale and the Valdez one. I'm not counting on it but it doesn't seem crazy.
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https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/2025-26-top-50-mlb-free-agents-with-predictions.html 8 of MLBTR's Top 10 FAs are still on the board. 4 of the Top 5 SPs. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/mlb-rumors-top-trade-candidates-offseason.html Only two trade candidates on this list have been moves, and we were probably always boxed out of Sonny Gray to begin with. The high end reliever market is a couple guys away from being picked over, and Dylan Cease was a kick to the nuts, but mostly it's just been slow all around.
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I'd be surprised if the team does anything big before Imai signs. It's pretty clear IMO that either he's their top guy or their top guy (let's say Gore for sake of argument) isn't going to be moved until they have that market clarity from Imai's decision. Possible exception is the closer. Sounds like they were in on Williams and Pagan until close to the end, so unless the reason they pulled out was purely timing we can be reasonably confident they're comfortable with a 9 figure reliever salary regardless of what else happens.
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You say this like it's a zinger but they're actually quite good at all those things
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So tragic what apparently happened to Brown and Wicks
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There is no new rumor here, but given that Cerami is fairly decently connected I think it's interesting that he wrote this now mostly unprompted.
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Week 15: Bears vs Browns Sunday at noon on fox
Bertz replied to jersey cubs fan's topic in Other Sports
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For however much/little stock you want to put into it Ken Rosenthal on his podcast today said he expects a lot to happen between now and the holidays.
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Garcia kinda sucks but he's a big improvement over Nick Castellanos. I'm curious if Philly has anything else big planned or if they just re-sign Realmuto and call it a winter. They'll have to juice payroll further or get *very* creative in trade to do the former.
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Week 15: Bears vs Browns Sunday at noon on fox
Bertz replied to jersey cubs fan's topic in Other Sports
Bears are very slim favorites to win the division after Green Bay's no good very bad day yesterday -
IMO Fairbanks > Keller > Weaver, with none of the three worth paying a premium over the others
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Week 15: Bears vs Browns Sunday at noon on fox
Bertz replied to jersey cubs fan's topic in Other Sports
Plus 22 receiving yards and a Touchdown -
You know what needs to be done and you're the best one to do it
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I'll say I do really want Stanek if he's not the top guy they add. Stanek seems like he has a decent chance to make a few changes and become fun as hell. And if you do something like Fairbanks and Stanek he would start out in low pressure as the 6th inning guy.
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Is he reported to have signed somewhere? None of the big names have said anything.
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I take it as they have an AL East-centric view of the world. But yeah to me Michael King is in this awkward spot of being the least exciting of the fun arms but the best of the consolation prizes. So hopefully this is a sign we're locked into something on the higher end and we'll get some resolution soon. FWIW Jesse Rogers at the meetings said something like "gun to my head they end up with King."
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Carrabis works for NESN and I don't know the other guy but he's listed as being in Massachusetts.
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Good call. Assuming he makes similar money to Kim who the Dodgers signed last year I'd be really in on him
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I was reminded this AM that Murakami's posting was earlier than the two other big time NPB guys. Murakami's posting window closes next Monday the 22nd. So realistically he probably needs to agree with a team by next Friday/Saturday? Kind of wild how quiet it's been with him given how that deadline is coming up.
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Mostly convinced the Cubs are either only in on FA starters to try and hold leverage in trade or they're okay spending a little more than we're used to. You pretty much can't get a decent FA starter for less than $20M, and while you can *technically* square that with treating the LT as a red line Occam's Razor is clearly indicating the opposite.
