JD94

I mean I personally consider a team full of young pitching, a couple young position players, one of the best farm systems in baseball on the cusp. Do they need to supplement in free agency? Of course. Should they make a big trade from their prospect capitol for a ready made major league player? Of course. The ingredients of a good team is there. The “cusp” means not there yet, but close. I do think this team is close. It’s up to Jed to get us there. Soto would be a hell of a good start. The prospects are there to make a big move. Which is why I’m beating the drum of Jed/Ricketts showing some horsefeathers urgency. How long are we going to wait all these prospects out? What if they bust? You need to make moves now. The game has started, so I’m sure everyone would appreciate if we take this conversation elsewhere.

There’s a lot to like about playing for the Chicago Cubs. One of the most passionate fanbases that would adore him. Historic franchise. One of the best farm systems in baseball which should help supplement for years to come. Payroll flexibility to continue to add via free agency. A team that’s on the cusp really. At the end of the day, it’s not like we are the Chicago White Sox trying to sign him. If you have to overpay to get him, do it. He will go to the highest bidder.

Brave of Jed to assume he’d be here for the full Soto deal anyways. I want to win now. I don’t care what Juan Soto is doing 8 years from now. A large market team like the Cubs should be able to absorb the back end of his contract when that time gets here.

I think Darvish was still owed 3/66 when we traded him. Justin Steele still has 4 years of control at 29 just going through arbitration if I looked at that correctly. You could pretty much pick which top prospect from any contender you wanted for him. I’m not saying the Cubs should do it at all, just that you could get some great prospects back for him. I prefer to win now though with Steele. It depends on how the Cubs project Steele moving forward.

Unless we develop one, it’s not going to happen. It WAYYYYYYYY to scary to pay a young star a lot of money to come provide the same value than 3 cheaper players on short term deals provide. Bellinger, Happ, Suzuki, and Swanson have a combined 6 fWAR and will be paid a total of $95M for this year. Juan Soto has a 5.8 fWAR by himself and will make 1/3 of that at $31M this year which is not far off from what he will make yearly after he signs his deal this offseason. I just can’t make it make sense why this FO is so terrified of star players. Having a Juan Soto provide the same value as your 4 most expensive players in one year for less money seems like a no brainer. I guess we can just keep signing 2nd tier free agents for $20M a year though and have zero stars because those players never work out, right?

I’m sorry. I just assumed it was a comparison since he was the player you mentioned as an example of the bat being ready but the glove wasn’t. I assumed wrong. That’s fine on Mo. I’m not sure he will ever be an above average catcher no matter how many games he catches in AAA. I think he’s a primary DH who catches 2 times a week. All I know is he’s producing with the bat already, at every level, even if some of the underlying stats aren’t EXACTLY perfect. He has an advanced approach, not just for his age, but in general. I’m not asking for him to come up and catch 5-6 games a week. I’m asking him to come up and hit and catch occasionally. If the Cubs decide to sell, then it doesn’t really matter how much he catches. There’s 8 games left until the deadline. Feels like it’s too late regardless. I’m just looking for internal options to avoid selling again. You know, to try and make the horsefeathers playoffs. Just do something to show you have a pulse and are trying something. But it’s whatever. Let’s just accept another year of failure and talk about the great prospects we will get for Hector Neris and accept not signing Soto this offseason and do it all over again next year. I just want to see an ounce of urgency from this FO. If asking for a guy who is hitting at every level of the minors to come DH to provide a spark before we have to decide if we are going for it or not is too much, then okay. Sorry.

I’m just not giving up much for a rental catcher who only has one year in his career with a greater than 2 fWAR. He turns 30 at the start of next year if you plan on extending him and he’s providing negative value with the bat already this year. He’s been better than Amaya this year, but not by much. I feel like we are overstating the upgrade that Jansen will be.

I mean Steele would bring back a pretty great haul. He’s 29, under control for cheap for multiple years. But that’s a whole different conversation.

I don’t think Morel is a good comparison. Morel could have stayed in the minors and played 3b primarily for another 500 games and I still don’t think he’d be adequate there. The only position he’s shown he can play average is 2b and that’s just not an option unless you move Hoerner to 3b. It’s not like Morel is providing a ton with the bat either.

Yep I’ve heard a bunch of great reviews about the new stadium from friends that go often. & Wow. I didn’t realize it had been that long. I hope every year to get a weekend series in Atlanta and never do. Maybe 2026 is finally my year lol.

The ASB came at a bad time for us. Just when we were starting to play good baseball, boom…. ASB. Drop the game yesterday, then get Gallen today. It makes it hard to pick up where you left off.

Yeah it’s not all perfect as you listed out. He’s still sitting at a pretty solid 114 wRC+. His larger sample at AA was 151. Regardless, he’s still producing even though some of his underlying numbers aren’t perfect, especially as he gets more comfortable in AAA. Sometimes players just out produce their peripherals and expected stats. Hendricks did it for years. It’s been the opposite with Morel all year. His underlying numbers have been good despite nothing to show for it. I think there’s a balance and in this analytical day and age we are in, it’s easy to get too caught up in some of these numbers. I mean I’m a young guy. I’m 29. Thanks to 1908, I learned enough about analytics to be conversant (far from an expert), but I also try to find the balance personally. At the end of the day, your production is all that matters. Mo is producing at every level and this team could use a jolt in the lineup. I mean I guess if nobody cares whether we buy or sell or make the playoffs or don’t make the playoffs, then it doesn’t matter. I, for one, am sick of selling. Sick of losing. I’m about ready to see some of these guys come up and impact the big league club. I’m not trying to rush guys that aren’t ready, but Moises is built different than a lot of prospects. He has an advanced beyond his years approach. If he comes up and struggles, then okay. It’s not going to kill his development. Im not meaning this to be argumentative with you at all. Just posting my standpoint on it. If he weren’t producing, then I would be more worried about some of the underlying numbers being slightly less ideal than preferred.

Is anybody else concerned that since May 20th Danny is slashing .175/.281/.267 with a 63 wRC+ and a .091 ISO?

Unless we eat some money, I doubt we are getting much of anything better than a lottery pick back. Although Jed has proven to be pretty good and finding those diamonds in the rough in these type of deals.

Personally fine with that. Cash in on him having one of the best years of his career. Only if we are putting that money towards a Soto type player or a guy we trade for and try to extend though. It makes no sense to trade him and put that same money towards another Taillon in FA this offseason. You would have to feel good moving forward about a rotation of Steele, Imanaga, Brown, Wicks, Assad, Wesneski, Horton, etc. It gets you far enough under that you could conceivably go get a Vlad type player in a trade and not go over the tax also. I’m not sure if they are willing to make those kinds of moves though with an eye on not just this year, but the future.

Which of his underlying numbers concern you?

This. I live in an area that’s primarily Braves fans. I’m closer to Atlanta than Chicago. I’ve been wanting to do a big weekend trip to Atlanta for Braves and Cubs but it feels like every year it’s weekday games. It’s pretty annoying. I hear the new ballpark is pretty great and the area around it called The Battery is pretty sweet also.

Mo Baller needs to be in the majors. I don’t care. The bat is legit and can help us right now. Can provide a spark to this team before it’s too late. I have zero clue how bad he is defensively, but it can’t be that much worse than when Amaya is out there. He can primarily DH. Whatever. Counsell will figure that part out.

I dug into Dakota Jordan a little bit this morning. Being from MS, I know some people close to him. He wants big money and teams aren’t willing to give it to him. He’s threatening a return to college now. He really struggled against SEC pitching striking out 37% of the time and only 11 xbh. Likely will have to move to a corner spot also. I kind of advocated for him last night, but I really haven’t dug into much past his final stat line, which can obviously fool you. I’m around a lot of MSU fans and they hype him up, but after a closer look, his profile is pretty meh against SEC pitching. Then his asking price is outrageous. I’ll be interested to see if he backs off his price today or returns to college.

Mathis did rake in the cape last summer

I guess not taking a power conference bat there was more of a money deal? Some good P5 bats still on the board.

You also still have Billy Amick still on the board and Luke Holman the LSU ace

Any chance we can land Dakota Jordan with our next pick? Has some swing and miss, but very athletic and big power. I believe the reports are he should stick in CF? Another SEC player which is a plus.

Not sure how he would do that. The deadline to enter the transfer portal in college baseball has closed. I mean there doesn’t seem to be rules in college athletics right now, but technically if you enter the portal after the deadline, you’d have to sit out a year. I don’t think this is correct.

Love that pick from the O’s all things considered. Great fit for both sides