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Rcal10

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Everything posted by Rcal10

  1. Rcal10
    So why not just keep him and get one mid tier player they might want now? If they were getting two after trading him why not just one and keep him? Don’t understand why he holds anything up.
  2. Rcal10
    They have enough prospects to make a trade for pitching if they need to. But I also think they can just sign a FA pitcher if the asset cost is too much for a pitcher they have interest in. Any of this could be done with or without Bellinger.
  3. Rcal10
    So if the Cubs freed up money by trading Bellinger that afforded them 2 of Castillo, Flaherty or Eovaldi and then also a closer like Scott or Hughes, that wouldn’t be GOOD pitching? Two of those guys instead of Hendricks and Assad wouldn’t improve the team? An actual closer wouldn’t improve the team? I would rather that be the reason they traded Bellinger than to do so to add Alonso or another FA bat to the team. And I would only want that done assuming they believe Shaw or Cassie could provide Bellinger’s offensive production.
  4. Rcal10
    All of what you said makes complete sense. So they just keep him. Not really a big deal. Plus there are teams that could use him that have nothing to do with Soto. Mariners & Phillies are examples of two teams but I am sure there are more. Seems only the Mets, Yankees, LA, Jays and maybe one more team are going after him. So that leaves over 20 other teams to talk to. Honestly if no one wants him at Jed’s price I am fine with him on the team. I am glad Jed isn’t rolling over and trading him just to trade him.
  5. Rcal10
    Yep, if Jed is gone it will be someone similar to him. That is what Ricketts wants.
  6. Rcal10
    Grass is always greener is a perfect analogy. If the Cubs dumped Bellinger and then signed Alonso it wouldn’t be long before people would be grousing about Alonso. The more I think about them trading Bellinger the less I like it. The one caveat would be if they really felt Cassie or Shaw could be an everyday player next year giving them Bellinger production. Then take the Bellinger money and put it into pitching. Instead of one starter and a decent pen arm maybe two starters and someone like Scott or even Holmes to close. Still add a catcher and some bench help. IMO they need to do that with or without Bellinger. Trading him just to rearrange the deck chairs doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t see them any better with Alonso and Castillo than they would be with Bellinger and Eovaldi or Flaherty, as an example.
  7. Rcal10
    Guess so. But as bigbadb said, they don’t really have to trade him. Yes, if they got equal value on the pitching side, it could make sense. But really it isn’t the worst scenario if Bellinger is in the team next year.
  8. Rcal10
    Yep, that seems much closer. And your 4/$96 is more more like what I am used to seeing from you👍. It is also where I would call the highest I would be interested in too. I don’t want Alonso for more than 4. And, personally I don’t think he is an upgrade to Bellinger. Sure, he will hit more homers. But that is it. Bellinger helps other ways.
  9. Rcal10
    Honestly, with or without Bellinger they weren’t going after Soto. And spending $1M on a back up catcher is hardly a big deal. And, he might not even be on the major league roster,’so he would only make $400,000.
  10. Rcal10
    I am shocked that you think he will get that much. Through the years you have been notoriously low on what you expect people to get. And now you are outrageous high. There is no chance in hell Alonso get $180M. If he holds out for that he will be the 2024 version of Chapman and Bellinger. I think the absolute high end for him would be 6/$150M. And I wouldn’t want the Cubs to do it. Anything more than 4/$100M is too much for my liking.
  11. Rcal10
    But how is trading for Crochet and then adding someone like Bieber aiming for mediocre? Even signing Eovaldi and Bieber is better than giving the #5 spot to Assad all year. Not sure I understand your POV. Sure, I would love Snell, Fried or Nurnes. Love if they were in Soto too. But it is their choice to not be. So how do we get to 80 wins?
  12. Rcal10
    I think Alonso would be a terrible signing if any more than 3 to 4 years.
  13. Rcal10
    But don’t you still need Flaherty or Eovaldi too? He said if they salary dump Bellinger. Not if they trade him for someone like Castillo.
  14. Rcal10
    I’m fine with this. Kind of what I was talking about. Get a solid pitcher (doesn’t have to be Crochet) and then add Bieber. That works for me.
  15. Rcal10
    I don’t think they will add 2. Maybe 1 solid guy and then take a flier on someone. Doesn’t mean Assad is in the rotation. Wicks could be instead. Or combined Assad and Wicks. I wouldn’t be mad if Assad isn’t part of the rotation. But I also wouldn’t be upset if he was a spot starter, 5/6 ish guy either.
  16. Rcal10
    Yep, trade. Or there is also Eovaldi they can sign.
  17. Rcal10
    Ok, so you are suggesting that has Bellinger opted out the Cubs could have used that money to shop at the highest end of the pitching market. Fine. That is all you had to say. I don’t think they would have. I think they would have tried replacing his bat. But at least now I understand your point. Just don’t agree, which is fine. I think the plan without Bellinger was one bat, one MOR starter, a pen arm or two, a back up catcher and maybe improve the bench a little. With Bellinger they scrap the idea of the bat. They can still implement the rest of the plan.
  18. Rcal10
    Still don’t follow. I asked you what they would do with the money had it not been Bellinger. I assume it would have went for a different higher priced bat. Assuming that was the case, how does Bellinger costing maybe $10M more than the higher priced bat they brought in, scrap the entire plan? Maybe it means they get Morgan instead of Stephenson. Now they are back to the same amount (roughly) to spend on the rest of the roster. I don’t understand how you take this to mean I assumed the $32M spend would only be spent on Bellinger.
  19. Rcal10
    Where in anything I said do I suggest the $32M spend on Bellinger was only going to be used on Bellinger. I don’t even know what you are talking about. I have no idea the point you are even trying to same with this comment. This is all part of a discussion we are having because you said Bellinger opting in has caused Jed to scrap his entire off season plan. I disagree with that. And I am trying to see why you suggest that. I already acknowledged that I agree Jed would have rather he opted out. I just don’t see him staying changing much, with the exception of he won’t now sign a FA bat or trade for a FA bat that requires a high salary.
  20. Rcal10
    So Bellinger opting out would have cleared out more money and then the Cubs would have went with Cassie in the outfield/DH and not spent that money? Honestly, if that was the plan I am glad he opted in. If you believe, as I do, that had Bellinger opted out the Cubs would have tried replacing him with a similar player in the way of team value, he isn’t costing them $32M they didn’t expect to spend. He is probably costing them $10M, because whoever replaced him would have probably costed that. So instead of spending $10M on a pen arm they make a trade for Morgan. Again, him being here should not blow up the entire off season. Again, I agree Jed would have rather he opted out. But it isn’t nearly as big a deal as you are making it. It isn’t some egregious mistake Jed made. He is overpaying for a solid player. Hardly something to be all that concerned about. I am sure you can find numerous players in every roster in baseball that you can say the same thing about.
  21. Rcal10
    I’m asking you because you suggested Bellinger opting in scrapped all of Jed’s plans. Jed didn’t say that, you did. So what do you think his plan was? I think Bellinger is probably being paid about $10M too much for next year. I just don’t see that as a reason to scrap everything. Like I said, if he opted out maybe the Cubs sign Alonso or Hernandez for $22M a year. So they are starting FA with $10M less. That is basically trading for Morgan instead of signing Stephenson. Now they are back on track with Jed’s plan. Except no one knows what that plan is. I just think you are making way too big a deal about Bellinger being here. I don’t think he is bowing out of the top FA because of Bellinger. I think he was never going for the top end of FA, regardless(with the possible exception of signing someone to replace Bellinger- and that wouldn’t have included Soto). I do agree with you that Jed would have rather Bellinger opted out. But I don’t see it scrapping all plans moving forward.
  22. Rcal10
    I do expect a pitcher to be spotted in ahead of Taillon. And I also still think they will do that. Not sure if it will be via trade or FA. But tbh, after that I am not sure what they will do. Not expecting much.
  23. Rcal10
    What do you think Jed’s plan was without Bellinger? How does him opting in scrap the entire plan? Was the plan to sign a bat? If so, at most, Bellinger opting in cost the Cubs maybe $10M in payroll this year. But takes them off the hook of having to have someone fir 4 years at $22M a year. I would have rather he opted out, but I feel you are making way too much out of Bellinger staying. He isn’t dead weight. He is a solid player.
  24. Rcal10
    Never be surprised at the Cubs not signing someone. Yes, he makes sense. But doesn’t mean they sign him.
  25. Rcal10
    Probably not going to trade Bellinger. I agree with that. Just suggesting if they did, Castillo would be more appropriate. And now Kikuchi is gone. Went to the Angels. My guess is they stay with Bellinger and sign someone like Flaherty or Eovaldi, if they even go that high for a pitcher.
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