chibears55

I dont disagree, I just think of the 3 hed be the guy theyd want and goes.

If Jesse Rogers is correct, he said no pitching prospects are going in return and it likely for hitting prospects.

Yea but you can find guys to be a DH... I like Mo and wouldn't be upset if he stays and someone else goes, I just think of those 3, Mo Shaw and Caissie, Mo as if now would make more sense.

My guess would be Mo, he doesn't really have a fit on the Cubs. I doubt it Shaw, they wouldn't trade him without securing a replacement first, and Caissie would only make them need another OFer unless they plan on going with Suzuki in RF all year and Mo as DH. If there no pitchers involved in the return, I can see it being Mo who showed he can hit at major league level and a couple lower level position players.

I never said a roster doesn't need inexpensive good players or homegrown. my point was just that you cant just keep relying on just a roster full of good players and young players year after year and hoping you get above average play from some so you can be competitive. To stay competitive every year and open a big window, you need to mix in that big bat and or big SP, those guys can carry a team through long stresses. Do they win 90+ games without Tucker, i doubt it, and i doubt they win 90+ this season without Tucker or another big bat in the lineup like him. Im not saying they need to spend like the Dodgers or Mets and have a team full of 25+ per year players, but they do need to start being more aggressive with trades or FA when it comes to adding a stud player or two and not just keep relying on a roster of players you hope to get great value from to be competitive for that season. Hopefully next offseason if they dont do it this one, Ricketts will allow Jed to not just spend more but attach some long-term deals to the star players so they stay. EDIT: after sending this i just read about Cabrera, that a start, now get that bat, likely be Bichette. Awesome

I looked..lol I would of guessed Heyward but it was Lester, so what your point?

im not blaming Jed, i even said that about the budget he has.. My point was just that they cant just keep relying on hoping guys overplay their value to be competitive year after year, eventually they need to pay star players, will that ever happen who knows, but as we have seen being able to have continious sustainable success isnt going to happen just by hoping guys play above their value. That just brings them success in pockets

Im not saying Happ, Suzuki, or Imanaga are overpaid, or even Swanson for that matter, my point is that although they are good to very good players they are not stars. Hoyer with the budget he is given has to build a roster with guys who you hope can give you that surplus value so they are able to compete, and as I was pointing out in my post, when these are your top 4 paid players on your roster, although they are good players how confidence are you in the 4 of them to carry them to another 90+ win season without a true star quality player or two leading them. It not a knock on the players, it a knock on how this team is run, we have seen it for 50 years when it comes to the Cubs, yea they grab a guy here and there, but it mostly just hoping they get lucky with a roster of guys that everything just clicks for them and they win enough to stay competitive all year. 84 89 98 03 07 08 Then finally a run with a talented group of young cost controlled talent 15-20 25

When Dansby Swanson 28 mil, Imanaga 22 mil and Suzuki/Happ 19 mil are your top paid players on your roster, there's a problem. Close to 40% of the Threshold spent on 4 guys who aren't star players.

You do what good winning teams do, if you sign a star for multiple years then you trade the top ready assets that blocked for upgrades at other positions. But in this scenario with the Cubs if they resigned Tucker, Caissie can still be a guy that can replace Happ in LF.

It a crazy thought but not that weird... If they got Imai the cost would of been around 20 mil, maybe now the guy he looking to add will cost more and he needs to make sure itll fit under his cutoff which makes knowing exactly where their at after Arbs important 🤷🤷🤷 Hey im trying to toss reasons for Hoyers procrastination in acquiring needed upgrades. 😅

He dont have a guy, when writers say he checks in on so n so, im more convinced it an an agent checking in with him to see if he would be interested. Hoyers guys are the ones that are looking for short deals to try and raise their value for upcoming FA

I know they have an estimate of it but i was wondering, if payroll an issue this offseason, could it be possible theyre waiting on the Arbs to see exactly where theyre at with payroll? 🤷🤷🤷🤷

Are the Cubs just not spending anywhere this offseason 🙄🙄🙄 https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/01/05/something-unusual-is-going-on-with-the-chicago-cubs-upcoming-international-free-agency-class/

Funny part will be is what if they do??? What if Imanaga goes out and pitches his ass off and puts up solid numbers and is now looking for a big contract, do we actually think the Cubs will offer him that type of contract to stay? I dont As far as QO goes, I dont think it was about trying to fix him, i think it was more about them needing to add a SP or two and they could either retain Imanaga on a 1 yr deal at a reasonable cost and maybe add another low cost SP, OR go out and bring in a Cease, Imai, etc that may cost a little more, or add one or two other mid 15-22 mil per guy on short year deals.

Ok, I read it wrong... As far as the connections goes and I know we disagree on it but I have felt for a couple years now that these rumors are based off of team needs, and what could fit and not 100% that they're actually sniffing so to speak on some of these players. If there any sniffing being done it likely coming from Agents calling Hoyer to see if theres any interest. That just how I feel when it comes to Hoyer and the Cubs adding anyone of significant at the deadline or offseason.

That what I always say, seems like they rarely sign or trade for a player that these writers have them rumored for cause it mostly speculations from them, it seems like they mostly acquire guys that nobody had being on the Cubs radar.

They may have been trying for Imai but I doubt they were ever in on Bregman let alone Bregman and Imai. Cubs current payroll is at around 209(FanGraph), even if they go to 240 but stay under 244, 30 mil wouldn't of gotten both Bregman and Imai, it won't even get Bregman.. Bichette and Gallen will likely combine for 40+, i just dont see them spending that high. I think theyll either spend 20 give or take on another SP and be done, or add a cheaper depth type SP and another bench bat totaling around 20 mil. I think theyll cutoff payroll no more than lower 230s

I turn the page when I see cubs are interested...lol I'd love to know of all the players that Cubs been rumored to have interest in the past couple years have actually had a legit offer made to them, my guess would be very few. They seem to mostly sign or trade for players that are barely on anyone's radar for them.

Not all of us..lol Next year though I might be one of them because there should be no excuses as far as availability in money

That the route i figured they would take if they added SP, depth type guys. Imanaga Taillon Boyd Horton Rea/Assad or someone in the middle lower tier addition thatll put Rea/Assad in the Pen. Then eventually Steele will be back, I just don't feel like they will actually spend or trade for a top quality SP with already having a stable of starters on roster.

Yea they obviously want to win but in their own way.... Sadly it been this way for the Cubs since Free Agency started in 1975, they signed some free agents but their very first big major FA didn't come until 1987 and that took Andre Dawson giving them a blank contract which ended up being 500K. Since the 2000s the only really big names they signed were Soriano Lester Heyward Darvish and Swanson. Did i miss anyone? So, I dont know, maybe PK Wrigley haunts the Cubs owners in their sleep and scares them from spending money 🤷🤷🤷😅 CubsWay.... we want to win the cheapest way possible 😅😅

Theyll pull a Fowler and he'll come out onto the field during ST but itll be PCA who runs up to him and gives him the big hug like Rizzo did with Fowler 😅😅 10 years

I have been saying all along, I think they went into this offseason with a pretty set roster, especially on the position players side and basically a set rotation and with Steele due back in May/June. So, we were likely to see Hoyer pretty much just add bench, bullpen, and depth players to the roster, which we have seen so far. I just dont think hes going to sign anyone to a guarenteed multi year 20+ mil contract this offseason nor do I think he going to trade away his top prospects assets like Caissie, Mo, or even Shaw to add a top quality SP because with the expiring contracts he is likely going to need these kids for 2027. I really believe Ricketts andHoyer plan is to retool/rebuild (whatever you wanna call it) everything again after the new CBA and start it with basically a clean payroll and their up and coming prospects and guys they have team control of on roster now. Amaya, Busch, Swanson, Shaw, PCA, Horton, Assad, Steele are main players and all under team control for next 2-5yrs. Then they have their top prospects that are ready or close to ready in next year or two in Caissie, Mo, Wiggins, Rojas, Ramirez, Birdsell, Hernandez. So yea, when they didn't resign Tucker and Imanaga returned, i just never felt they were going to go out and spend to bring in players that were going to be difference makers but instead stick with who they have and sprinkle in a few guys for the pen and bench along with possibly SP depth, because their plan is to wait and see what the new CBA brings, have basically a clean payroll, and then build around from most of the players I listed above. I want to be wrong and Hoyer has a shockingly big move coming soon but I wont hold my breath on it.

Right, he comes out in the beginning of them on day 1 for a couple minutes, and there was a couple years they canceled the Q&A panel with the owners. the only time he recieved some boos was when he talked about marquee being the new home to televise games but they haven't come to sn agreement yet with xfinity and others, that when he told everyone theyll be applauding him the next convention cause theyll love marquee...lol, he lucked out cause Covid canceled it the next year.