Rcal10

This is true. There really isn’t a good fit. But I don’t see just a 2nd bat added without a chance that guy can play 3rd, if they got Bellinger as the first bat. That bat would be taking AB from Morel then. And to me, that doesn’t make sense. But like you said, Cubs have a lot of “maybes” at 3rd. And maybe Morel is going to get time at 3rd. Or maybe Morel will go to first and Busch to 3rd. That does open up the second bat to be anyone. I know what Jed has said. I also know it doesn’t appear they feel Morel can play 3rd. But “maybe” that is something being worked on right now. Maybe they can live with some errors at 3rd along with some very nice plays. My guess is he will make many more errors than Madrigal made. But because he can play deeper at 3rd because of his arm, he will probably get to more balls too. I know it is a reach but since we are throwing maybe 3rd baseman into the conversation, why not Morel and Busch too. Then any bat would make a lot of sense.

I understand what you are saying. And there is a good chance you are right. But, I agree with you, it wouldn’t be my favorite plan either. However, if we take Jed at his word, they will add more than 1 bat. Even if Bellinger is 1 bat, what position would the second bat fill? Every position is filled if Morel is a DH. So if Jed is a straight shooter and we believe what he says, a second bat should be a 3rd baseman. IMO, if they start the season with a 3rd baseman who is already on the team and only add 1 bat, they shouldn’t be consider the favorite to win the central. And they really will have blown a great opportunity to do so.

I really don’t like the idea of putting a band aid on it until June/July and hope Murray or Shaw can come in and save them there. I agree that could work. But I would rather have a proven guy there to start the season. And if Jed meant bats will be added, I would hope one of them would solve 3rd base (even if solving it meant a bat was added to play 1st and Busch moved to 3rd). Examples would be either Alonso or Naylor in a trade or Hoskins or Belt as a free agent. Maybe even Turner. That said, I like the idea of just putting Busch at 1st and trading for a third baseman. They have enough money left providing they will go over the 1st LT line, they have enough prospect capital to improve the position and they have enough options available who won’t block guys like Murray and Shaw in the future. They can just fill from what they have now, I just hope they don’t.

I’m it too worried about catcher. Gomes is fine and Amaya isn’t a bad back up. 3rd is a concern. Don’t like the idea of any if Madrigal, Wisdom or Mastroboni. I think either something will be done to fill that spot (a trade) or some combination of Busch and/ir Morel surprises us. Catcher only becomes a problem with an injury.

And, if they signed Bellinger, though it wouldn’t be ideal, he could be the back up plan. If PCA comes up and hits the ground running or if Taichman gives them steady play in center and Busch does struggle, Bellinger would be the fallback. In that case the Cubs would only need Busch or PCA to be an everyday player with Bellinger filling in for who falters. I think if they got Bellinger the plan would be him in center, but he is insurance if things go bad at 1st, too.

So there is still possibility of a trade for Naylor, sign Bellinger and sign Stephenson. IMO that’s the best “somewhat” realistic scenario. It would leave 3rd to Busch and Morel with the other being the DH.

I expect one bat FA signing, one pen arm as a free agent signing and one bat via trade. That is a minimum.

And if either Morel or Busch could handle 3rd this would be the best team the Cubs could put on the field in 24. And they would be central favorites and a 90+ win team.

Well than all of Belt, Martinez and Turner are off the table. Sure, Belt can play 1st, but Jed already said that is Busch’s position. If they resign Bellinger he would be the fall back (or Morel) if Busch struggled. What we come back to is cubs really need that second bat to be a 3rd baseman. Assuming it can’t be Morel, and they do eventually sign Bellinger, that is the only position they need an upgrade bat. Which means they have to trade for one, assuming they don’t want to tie the option up long term.

I thought Turner was done too until looking at this numbers. He was pretty solid. I don’t think any of them qualify as a fringe player the Cubs would hope can hit. All can hit and did hit last year, similar to career marks. My biggest issue with any of these guys is who then plays 3rd? If not Morel you are signing this guy to DH, which would take AB for Morel. I want bays taken away from whoever they have penciled in at 3rd now, not Morel.

Signing Turner or JD Martinez on a 1 year deal is different than signing a guy who is 30 for 8 years. Turner and JD last year were both very good. Even if they did go with Busch and Morel on the corners, which most doubt they will do, they still need another bat. Having them for just 24’ isn’t blocking anyone either. If they fall off in 24’ it is one year of bad production where they would have bad production anyway, if they didn’t pick anyone up.

They can also be used for a different bat. Mervis or Wisdom + for Polanco or Davis? Then sign the pen arm. Makes more sense for Polanco if the Twins are in a salary drop mode.

But he has outperformed his expected results each year. In fact his projections for next year have him around 100 innings with an era around 3.90-4.00. Not awful, he has value. But he isn’t someone I would worry about replacing. They have guys like him in the system. And I didn’t say his era would be 4.50. I said it would be closer to 4.50 than 3.0. So with baseball reference protecting him at 3.92, they agree with me.

If it is just bat, I want JD Martinez. Figure out 3rd on the fly. Maybe Morel when they have a fly ball pitcher. Maybe PCA plays center and Bellinger goes to first and Busch 3rd. Maybe Madrigal at times, with a guy who keeps the ball on the ground. But I think for this to work they have to at least feel Morel can handle 3rd a bit. Maybe not good, but not unplayable. To me, if he could do that, Martinez is the easy choice. But I don’t feel they think he can. I do agree with you though, I see Counsell using the roster to mix and match for the best outcome possible.

Well, I know the twins are trying to cut some payroll. So maybe they move from Polanco and his $7M+ deal with an option next year. As for Davis, if the Giants sign Chapman he becomes expendable. if you didn’t overvalue Assad and hold him as some sort of amazing asset you would see his value is pretty much in line with either of those guys. I see Assad as a middle relief/swing starter who will have an era right around 4. He overachieved last year. Typically this sort of guy evens out eventually. He is fine, but not anything I would be afraid to trade. I would bet Assad’s era would be closer to 4.50 than 3 next year. However, even if they didn’t deal Assad, the Twins could like Wisdom. Right handed power bat who cost much less than Polanco. Add Wisdom to someone like Thompson and a minor leaguer and maybe the Twins make that trade. I am sure if the Cubs did decide to target Polanco, Davis or a few other 3rd baseman of that level, Quintana’s might be looking to move, they can put something together that another team would want. And I am suggesting they improve at 3rd pretty much based on what Jed said. He said 2 bats. So if Bellinger is one, who is the second and where does he play? Assuming Morel can’t play 3rd, that is the only position another bat can fill. He didn’t say replace a bat we are counting on with a different bat, so that doesn’t sound like he meant trading Morel to add a bat. Then that bat can be DH. Sounded like he knows the bats he has for the line up and wants two more. One is Bellinger and the other is a 3rd baseman. If he liked the idea of Madrigal/mastroboni/Wisdom at third he would have said he needs bats.

Just adding on to this, it is also hyperbolic to suggest he should be the 3rd baseman next year or that the Cubs shouldn’t get better this year because they have Shaw for 25. As Cuzi said, get a good player now. Worry about where Saw plays later. But I don’t want Chapman. And it just so happens a lot of guys they could trade for do have 1 or 2 years left on their deals. So if they can upgrade with a smaller more to not lose much minor league assets and have the position open by 26’ anyway. It can be a win, win.

The last 3 years Polanco has but up OPS+ of 115, 115, and 125, JD Davis career OPS+ is 113 and has had a few years over 125. Both are substantially better hitters than Madrigal. Both only have one year left. Both would be a pretty big upgrade offensively. The knock on Davis was defense. But he actually wasn’t bad last year. As for Polanco, I know he played 3rd for the Twins late last year. Didn’t do so well, but he has played SS and 2nd base previously. I am not going to say he can’t play the position due to a small sample from last year.

I agree with a one year guy. But not Anderson. Maybe JD Davis? First SF has to sign Chapman. Maybe Polanco? I am not really worried about him not being great at 3rd for 30 games last year. He plays second and SS. We can take the chance for one year at 3rd.

Aside from that second pen arm you want, you pretty much summed up what I want and expect the Cubs will have.

Kind of getting excited about Busch with the positive write ups I am seeing.

First, thank you and TT for responding. Josh Bell hit a lot of ground balls. Busch does not appear to be a guy who hits the ball on the ground. But I would take .260/.360/.460 and a guy who hits the ball in the air.

I realize that. But other posters do. He is a KC first baseman that when it was mentioned he was possibly available several people spoke highly of him. I know 1908 likes him. I am just curious how Busch ranks versus him.

That is encouraging. I asked earlier but no one responded. But how does Busch compare to Pasquintino? I know a lot of guys liked Pasquintino. What is realistic to expect from Busch next year and then in his prime?

How do you make such statements? You saw one guy throw maybe 15 innings and the other guy hasn’t even been up. And you see them over a guy who was one of the best closers in the game once he got the official role. TBH, I hope you are right. Because if you are the Cubs will have a dominate pen. And then they have another guy you consider a star, Canario, in center and with Shaw at 3rd, another star, they should win 100 games. Somehow I doubt any of this actually happens.

I absolutely am not counting on Shaw this year. As usual you are way out ahead of the timeline, He played 40 games after college and you have him a star. IMO. I can see him maybe in 25’ if he does well this year. Hopefully for sure by 26’. And I can see him for a solid 6 years. But I definitely am not penciling him in the lineup now. He is the reason I don’t see Chapman. I want a guy with 1 or 2 years left. This way Shaw could take over. I just don’t want to count on him in May.