Rcal10

Sure they do. It’s baseball. Anything can happen. I wouldn’t say they have a great chance. But I would put them at about a 40% chance of winning the series. Wish the Cubs weee there and I would be happy with a 40% chance.

No, I don’t remember this. When was Harper begging to play for the Cubs? His agent may have been begging the Cubs to get in the bidding for Harper. But I never had this idea Harper wanted to play for the Cubs any more than any other team. He was always going to take a deal from whatever team have him the best deal, period.

You might be aiming a little high here. I was thinking more like CJ Cron.

Not sure yours is light. Maybe something else needed. But Wisdom and Mervis in that deal is definitely not going to get it done.

They would still need a first baseman. Hoskins or Candelario as a FA. Maybe Mervis? Maybe a FA and Mervis??? One can DH. Maybe Stroman to the O’s, a prospect or two to the Mets, and Alonso to the Cubs? I know that is way out there and not likely.

This is kind of where I stand on this. I think it will be far easier for Happ to play first and that is why I would move him there instead of Soto. It has nothing to do with superstar status and how much they pay him. I am also not entirely sold on defensive metrics so I am not as concerned about him in left as some are. I think left field is where most teams hide their worst defensive player. So even Bapp winning a gold glove there doesn’t sway my decision on just moving him to first and letting Soto play left. Happ is also probably a better 1st baseman as well. As long as he hits he earns his pay.

True. If they don’t feel he is worth the cost, regardless of if he plays first, left or DH, they shouldn’t trade for him.

But that is something a team does need to worry about. Look at the angels with a Pujols, Tigers with Cabrera as two examples. Not that easy to eat bad contracts. Sure a high budget team can do maybe 1 but it really isn’t a good way to put a team together.

Well in the hypothetical option you posted I would rather the 8/$125m. But in reality that will never happen. Alonso would never take 3 additional years for $25m. Maybe 5/$120m or 8/$175m is closer to an actual question. And I would rather do the 5/$120m. I think he will be closer to $25m annually then $20M, unless he does get that 10 year deal, which I doubt he gets. He surely is not going to take an annual salary of less that $16M, which would be your 8 year hypothetical option.

And why I wouldn’t want him.

As a short term guy for only 1 year or a long term guy they extend, I would take Soto without a doubt over Alonso. And the margin gets greater if there is an extension. If the Cubs could get Alonso cheap (like maybe a prospect anywhere from 7th and back, in their system) then maybe another fringe top 50 in the system fine. Go get him. If he would sign, at most, a 6 year deal then maybe extend him. But I don’t want him beyond that, and I don’t want to deal anything more than a guy at the top of the Cubs prospect list. Nor would I trade Morel for him. For Soto I would be fine with a longer extension and better prospects dealt.

I agree that if they trade for him they need to extend him. If not he isn’t worth it. With only 1 year left and a $33M salary he isn’t going to cost as much as some think.

Well said. And if the Cubs are a no on Morel to play 3rd they just need one of the 29 GM’s to view him as a yes at some position. That is why I think he is valuable. I think someone will think “yes”. I am also am not sure the Cubs are a no for 3rd. It is one thjnk putting him at a position mid season while also focusing on his offense. It is another thing to work with him all off season on learning the position defensively. If they can do it he is a great asset. If they can’t they should look to trade him. Someone will value him more than the Cubs if they don’t think he can play 3rd.

We may be on the same page. But I do think IF the Cubs coaching staff really thinks they can turn him into an adequate 3rd baseman he becomes much more than a 1.5WAR player. So he could be valuable to the team next year. No one thought they could get Madrigal to be decent and he did a great job. So if they say they can do it, I wouldn’t bet against them. But as you said, as he currently is performing, the Cubs need more. As for a trade and his value, if they got a younger solid pitcher with a few years of control for him I would consider that about right. But I wouldn’t want him used for a 1 year guy like Alonso. I would rather they trade a mid level prospect or two for him instead of using Morel. if the Guardians are listening to offers for Ramirez, who has to be added to Morel for something like that to work? I know Ramirez has a no trade clause. But didn’t Hawkins scout and sign him. Might be waive it for here? And if he did that would be the sort of deal I would like to see Morel + in.

If you read my original post my point was as a trade asset IMO he is very valuable. If the Cubs were to trade him I would think whoever was trading for him would most likely view him as a second baseman. I said nothing about him playing second if he remained a Cub. The only point to my original post was I disagreed with the comment that he would not be a valuable trade bait. If trading him did not bring a good return I would hope they kept him. I would hope the Cubs worked him at 3rd. I don’t think it is that easy to find a kid with as little experience and as young as him who post OPS over 800. That is worth a lot. I don’t think not getting playing time at 2nd, where the Cubs have a gold glove contender, is a knock against his abilities to play second.

All I have is the eye test. Frankly that is all anyone should have. And fielding stays with him at 2nd would be a very small sample size. So very unreliable. From what I saw from him he looks capable at 2nd. And no stat has enough information to prove me right or wrong. if that isn’t good enough for you, so be it. You provide me with proof he can’t do it.

I disagree with the idea he doesn’t get us much back in a trade. He has shown he can play second base. As a 22/23 year old player who spend very little time at AAA he has produced to a OPS+ of 110 in those years. Last year had a slugging of 508, OPS of 821 and OPS+ of 116. With several years of control and young and basically still very green to the game, if he doesn’t bring a lot back there is absolutely no reason to trade him. You could be trading a guy who hits 35-40 homers a year. And he could get better. I think it would be a huge mistake to trade him unless you got great quality back. I feel people greatly under appreciate Morel. How many second baseman in baseball produced OPS of 821 last year? If those how many did it at 23?

Maybe so. But I feel this is said after every season the last few seasons. He shouldn’t be back, but I wouldn’t bet against him.

Morel needs to be at 3rd next year. And I would also give Mervis another shot at 1st. I would like to see someone like Candelario signed so that if either faltered he can fill either spot. And if each did well, he or one of them can DH. A trade for Alonso or signing Hoskins would also work as insurance for Mervis. But it doesn’t work for Morel. If Morel can’t handle 3rd it would need to be Madrigal. I honestly feel if Morel is already working on the mechanics to playing third he should be fine there. They worked miracles with Madrigal. I would think they can get Morel to pass for at least an average 3rd baseman.

I agree I wouldn’t lead with the opt out option. But I do feel he will get one if he wants one. And as young as he is, I also understand why he would want one. Cubs did not do it with Tanaka so he went to the Yankees. Hopefully if that is the thing that gets a deal done they go ahead and do it this time.

Ross was not the problem. Sure, he does some thjngs I don’t agree with. But so do all managers. He is fine. Keeping him is not holding the team back. I am sure if they let him go, whoever replaced him would also be considered bad because he won’t always do what every fan thinks he should do. They just need more talent.

For a player his age it absolutely makes sense to have a players option. After 4 years he would be 29? He would only have 3 years left before having to try to get a new deal at 32? Why not test free agency again? Even if it is the same pay he might be able to get 3 more year on a deal. I know from a teams perspective it isn’t ideal. But that might be what will be needed to sign him. I know back at PSD I had mentioned a conversation I had with TR years ago. It was the year the Cubs drafted Cease. It was actually the day they drafted him. As a STH I had an issue with something the FO did with tickets. I voiced my complaint and TR said he would personally come and talk to me about it. Anyway he did that say. He came to my seat and we chatted for an entire inning of a Cubs/Marlins game. In that conversation he was very open about everything. Like I was talking to a buddy. In that conversation he told me they almost had Tanaka but then “Hank” (I assume Steinbrenner) gave him an opt out after either 3 or 4 years(I don’t remember exactly when it was). Cubs woulsnt do it, so they lost out on him. This is why I feel that situation could happen again. For a younger player it is a great idea to have such an option. And one as in demand as him may get it. As you said, maybe backload the deal. But even then if he is good he would probably get that same backloaded money for more years if he opts out.

I would say this is about right. Maybe there would be a playe option after 3 or 4 years.

I don’t know who you are referring to in the first part of your comment. Who is a 3 win player on 1 year deal for $20M that I said the Cubs would get? And then who is this player you have so much confidence they will get? To me there is no player the Cubs have better than a 50% of getting either by trade of by free agency in any off season.

Of Yamamoto, Nola and Montgomery, IMO Montgomery is the most likely.