Rcal10

They may go Gray and Holmes. I just doubt Gray is the 3rd best pitcher they sign. Maybe Gray for 2 years and Holmes for 3. Then someone like Soroka, Taira or May for 3.

They don’t have the payroll for Gray to be their 3rd. I have a feeling, based on most of your posts, you are going to be very disappointed this off season. And this is even with them having a good off season.

Why? I mean I am fine with him on. Short deal. What what makes you think he is more likely a Cub than other pitchers? Not doubting you. Just curious as to your reasoning.

Of all the FA, he is the one I am most confident in saying the Cubs will not sign him.

But if they can do Skubal with some deferral money and bring him down to $40M for team payroll purposes that gives them $50M to work with. Holmes at $18-$20M, Taira, Soroka or Paterson, plus a few other options, at $12M-$15M leaves $15M to $20M. If they stick with Ayers at catcher and Shaw, Alcantara and Ramirez all are on the team they need 3 guys. One can be either BJ Murray it Triantos. Now we need 2 bench bats. They can probably fo something like Bauer and Ward and come in close $20M. But if not they can probably pick from guys like Conforto, Taylor, Ward, Robert, Bell and several others in the $6M to $10M range to fill 2 spots. That is a pretty good team and within budget. For Skubal I would like to see something like 7/$315 with a. 8th year at the same annual if he either pitches 1,000 over the 7 years with the team, 450 innings over the last 3 years of his contract or 150 innings the last year of his deal. If any of those happens the 8th year kicks in as an option for him. And again, enough deferred to lower the contract for team payroll purposes to $40M annually. Maybe they can go over a little and still sign someone like Civale as a swing option.

Anything that guarantees there will be action in November with FA is a positive, as far as I am concerned. At least by the lockout we will know if the Cubs have Taira or not.

This is pretty much how I see it too. If they do lose tonight and lose one division game and the game against the Bills that’s 5 losses. I would take my chances at 12-5. And, IMO, they would be favorite in any other games on their schedule. So take care of the division and win the games they’re supposed to win.

Of Taira is in that price level he works as well. There are a lot of guys they can go with as a 3rd pitcher. But Soroka’s baseball savant page has a lot of red.

If the Cubs don’t get it done with Skubal I would like to see Rogers, Holmes and Soroka. That should cost them $65M-$70M. That should give them enough money to add a few bats and give the last bench spot to someone like Triantos or Murray. If not Soroka there are guys like Peterson or May. A few others as well. Soroka seems to have the best stuff among the pitchers that shouldn’t cost $20M annually. He also might be willing to go short term to build his value. So playing with a great defense may appeal to him. Let Ayers be the back up catcher and Shaw, Ramirez and Alcantara all on the team.

How is that possible. What a game that must have been.

Was this necessary? Struck me as poor taste.

Hoping to see the lions win today against the Vikings, but if that happens and then bears lose in Seattle would they actually not be in the playoffs if the season ended this week? Kind of crazy to even consider such a thing.

Honestly, if Alcantara and maybe a pitcher in the low minors and maybe Triantos could land someone like Hancock or some other young pitcher making little money I wouldn’t object to something like that. Then maybe see about spending what you would have on a pitcher, on a bat instead. Maybe something like bringing Seiya back. Arozarena would be fine as wlll. Or see about Happ or Bauer in the $14M- $17M annual range. If you did that you can probably get away with adding guys like Ward, Robert, Taylor, Conforto (pick 2) as additional bats and then let that last spot be a kid in the system (Triantos- if not traded, or Murray, as examples) and they would still have anywhere between $50M and $65M to fill two pitching spots. Maybe even more. We really don’t know what Jed will be given to spend. I am just using $90M, give or take a few million, as a guide.

My issue is the pen is a place that fee fan bases loves. Period. Even if they add Morejon or Bednar I feel you and many others would complain every time the pen didn’t get the job done. And neither is a guarantee to be good next year. Brown in the pen could be just as good as Morejon or Bednar. I just don’t see value in passing a pen arm. Sure, if we KNEW he would be good, great. But we don’t.

Steele getting 170 innings is worthy of an eye roll. I’m not even sure he will be on the team.