Rcal10

Absolutely. IMO, unless Cassie is traded Mo should spend all next year at AAA. Strictly working on his catching. Or if they realize he can’t do it, they may have to get him reps in left field. He can’t play first at 5 Ft 8 inches. Maybe he can hide in left. Could he be any slower than Keith Moreland, who played right field for the Cubs in the mid 80’s?

He isn’t Nick Castellanos either. I don’t love him out there. But I don’t worry about every ball he needs to make a play on, either.

If I had to guess I would say Ballesteros will not be an everyday catcher or even a guy who plays 60 games a year behind the plate. But he is still very young and it is a little too early to definitely write him off. You are most likely going to end up right. But too early for me🤷

What does having $240M to spend have to do with a small market team? The Cubs don’t get the benefits of a small market team. They are a large market. There only advantage is to spend money. What makes you an expert on what is enough money to build a winner. The Mets spend over $100M more than the Cubs. What did they win? The league is filled with teams who spend more than the Cubs, many without the financial resources the Cubs have. How many of them had a better season than the Cubs? Enough about not winning the division. They won 92 games and when playing head to head with the Brewers over the regular season, won the series. They can’t control the Brewers winning 97 games. I just don’t understand how you put it all on Jed. Ricketts is choosing not to spend to win.

When he came here his defense was exaggerated when they spoke of how good he was. Now it has flipped too far the other way. He is pretty average to me.

Defensively he really disappointed me. Not saying he was terrible, but he was supposed to be very good. He wasn’t. I can’t be disappointed in his bat. I believe the reason for poor production after June was his injury. I still believe he is a very good hitter and would love to have him injury free.

I like the idea of trading Tailon and adding Gallen as well. But along with that I wouldn’t mind seeing Cabrera traded for as well. Still gives them 5 starters plus Steele when he comes back. Which is fine. But it also secures ‘27’s rotation. They would have Steele, Cabrera, Gallen, Horton and probably Wiggins for 2027. And because Cabera doesn’t cost too much, they can still sign a big bat (Bichette). Maybe they go a little over the LT, but it wouldn’t be that much.

I think people exaggerate him being so bad in right field. How good was Tucker? Seiya will be fine there.

Double post.

I think the Cubs would have to add someone like Brown, Assad or Wicks for this to work. If not one of them, maybe the Marlins would have an interest in a young prospect not currently ranked in the Cubs top 30. I don’t think Cassie and Long are enough.

He fits, but I also agree they would need to trade at least one of Cassie or Ballesteros and add a pitcher (Cabrera). They can keep one because someone will have to replace Happ and Suzuki in ‘27.

Sadly, I agree with this. May have talked to him but no real offer.

The only thing I would add to this is, if not Tucker than sign Bichette. Otherwise 👍

This is what I don’t understand. Why do you put everything on Jed, when it comes to this. You have said you don’t think Ricketts is cheap and if you owned the team you would put profits over winning. As a fan you want to win. So don’t you think this arbitrary payroll limit Tom puts on the team ties the hands of Hoyer a bit? And please don’t tell me how the Brewers win with far less payroll unless you want to hear how the Mets didn’t even make the playoffs, neither did the Astros, Giants or Diamondbacks. The Padres lost to the Cubs, the Yankees and Phillies lost in the same round as the Cubs,, all with higher payrolls. Plus for every Brewer team there are many teams with lower payroll to that don’t do well. On top of that just remember every year the entire NL central, except the Cubs, gets an extra pick in the amateur draft somewhere between 40th and 100th. Those are valuable. Cubs should have a higher payroll because that is their only advantage. Many teams on that above list don’t even have the resources the Cubs have. And while the Cubs do have a higher payroll than the rest of the central they don’t take advantage of their financial muscle. Basically Tom is choosing not to take advantage, fully, of the one advantage he has. That is 100% on ownership, not Jed. You will never hear me say Jed is great at his job. I just disagree with you when you suggest he sucks at it and everything he does is stupid.

It does make sense. Trade Tailon and sign Gallen for 4 years. That eliminates one of the guys whose contract expires after 2026. But if they did this I would still look to add Cabrera too. Maybe still go over the LT, to get Bichette. But by trading Tailon they would only be over by around $10M. And easily under the following year. And have a rotation in 27 of Horton, Wiggins, Steele, Cabrera and Gallen.

Jed is being Jed, but they aren’t worrying about slight differences in arbitration numbers. It is a weird take.

Yep. Jed lets the other teams dictate who his market is. Which is infuriating. Pick a guy and win the bid.

I agree. It is Mo or Cassie. Right now the bench would be Austin, Alcantara and back up catcher. They need a utility guy. Or sign Bichette and make Shaw the utility.

I think it is Mo or Cassie as DH. But I like the idea of Bichette. Shaw and whoever wins the left handed spot (Mo of Cassie)!can also get many AB. I want Bichette too. I just don’t see the Cubs outfield as set and them having to upgrade Shaw any more than they could upgrade Cassie/Mo.

In your mind, what does he have to do to prove you wrong? Is it win a WS or bust with you? They won 92 games after losing their top starting pitcher in April and their best hitter broke his hand in June and wasn’t the same after that. I am not suggesting he is a great POBO, but I also do not agree that he sucks.

If your narrative is Jed is an idiot and everything he does it wrong, then regardless of what Jed does, he messed up. I believe that is thawv’s, and a few other posters here, narrarive. I didn’t agree with the Cubs extending the QO, but I don’t think they just did it hoping he would reject it and they would get a 3rd rd pick.

I agree with everything you just said. Which is why they need to be aggressive with Bichette and get it done. He makes perfect sense. On the flip side, I have very little faith they will do it.

I agree with this. The issue with the 3/$57 was the years. I do think if they could have settled on a similar dollar amount but each year the team has an option, the Cubs would have done that. I also don’t think Jed only gave him the QO because he hoped he would decline and the Cubs would get an extra pick. I think he knew he would either take it or a deal for 2 or 3 years would be worked out before Shota had to reply. I’m not sure I like the decision Jed did make. But I do believe he didn’t just make it hoping Shota would leave.

It is definitely salvageable. The issue is how the FO goes about salvaging it. They really have to stop waiting for the market to drop and taking whoever falls to them. There is a huge difference in the word salvageable between the Cubs signing Bichette to an 8 year deal and completing a trade for Ryan or Canrera as opposed to them signing E. Suarez and Gallen to discount contracts with numerous opt outs.

I agree. Once they offered it, I didn’t think for one minute that he wouldn’t take the one year deal.