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Stratos

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Everything posted by Stratos

  1. Stratos
    Everyone wanted to fire Jed when the Cubs starting missing out on the big SS last year. I think we should just let this play out for a couple weeks and see how things look around Xmas.
  2. Stratos
    What a silly approach by Jed! Only 3 out of the top 50 position players in WAR last year were over 32 years old. So Jed should be signing guys throughout their entire 30's based on how they performed in the 20's so that 5 years from now the team sucks for the next half-decade. This is how winning is done!
  3. Stratos
    Verdugo traded to NYY
  4. Stratos
    Swanson has been worth 2 wins more than Soto over the past 2 seasons.
  5. Stratos
    Imagine being a huge star and visiting a teams city and being hounded by journalists, cameras etc. everywhere you go. Having fans and paparazzi etc follow you to your hotel etc. I get it.
  6. Stratos
    Maybe "insiders" are mistaking the Cubs inquiring heavily about other players for post-Ohtani contract due diligence (signed or not not signed) as them "moving away from Ohtani". It's a bunch of hot air.
  7. Stratos
    Between Correa, Turner, Bogaerts, Rodon, Verlander, and DeGrom who would you have rather signed over Swanson? Bellinger? 98% of Cubs fans wanted Correa, Turner, or Bogaerts last year. Jed miffed on Mancini and Smyly but the other ones listed were low-risk. His main failure last offseason IMO was the pen. Most fans wanted Mervis to start at 1B opening day. Jed bounced Ross for Counsell. He acquired PCA, Alcanatara, and Canario instead of extending Baez, Rizzo, and/or Bryant. He got Stroman and Suzuki on good contracts. The # of star FA's the Cubs should regret not signing over the last several years isn't very big Jed's doing fine.
  8. Stratos
    Not sure what to think. Not inclined to believe Cubs/Marquee sources. They have every reason to 1. not leak anything and 2. keep Cubs fans thinking they're making a serious push of they aren't. I think you gotta put at least the Dodgers and Jays above the Cubs at this point either way.
  9. Stratos
    Because it's the 27th man. It's one roster spot added.
  10. Stratos
    The 26th or 27th man is the worst and least valuable player on the team, typically a guy bouncing from Iowa and the Cubs. There's already a limit on pitchers on the roster. The spot has value but not "massive value". A 26th or 27th man having 1-1.5 wins is rare, he's the worst player on the team and can't get much playing time. It's like having a 3rd catcher or pinch runner/ defensive replacement. Even if it could be another pen slot, which it can't, that reliever is the worst on the team and isn't getting many IP or leverage.
  11. Stratos
    He's supposed to say nothing per Ohtani camp.
  12. Stratos
    He's ridiculously good, but will also get a ridiculously expensive contract. We'll be paying for what he's worth just like everyone else in FA. I don't expect much of the extra revenue he generates to go back into the Cubs, it'll go into Ricketts' pocket just like everything else. What would an extra roster spot nab us? A late inning pinch runner or another loogy? A platoon guy at some position? And there's zero guarantee his arm comes back 100%. Fans want big stars but the only thing that matters is scoring more runs and preventing more runs, who that comes from is typically irrelevant.
  13. Stratos
    Agree.
  14. Stratos
    Sounds like Hoskins might get a 2 year deal with an opt out: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/cubs-rumors-rhys-hoskins.html
  15. Stratos
    It's not even that big of a issue we're out on Ohtani. He's a 4-6 WAR DH who is going to cost 55-60m in luxury tax room. He was not going to earn this luxury tax salary next year. We could sign e.g. Snell plus Bellinger + a solid pen arm for the same cost and be a better team next year.
  16. Stratos
    The fact that multiple people are saying we're out on Ohtani plus right now hearing reports about specific details about Cubs interest in Glasnow and Hoskins is very good evidence that they're out on Ohtani. Just accept it and move on folks.
  17. Stratos
    My thought is he probably went to Wrigley or will if it hasn't happened. He may not have gone to Toronto because he has to go through customs and has been to the city/ stadium many times, unlike Wrigley. Much, much harder e.g. virtually impossible to go through customs undetected than a private domestic flight.
  18. Stratos
    Because it shows they're interesting in other players and don't need Ohtani. But more likely it's Boras being Boras. It's all nonsense speculation really, we have no idea. But I wouldn't be surprised if the report is true to the extent that the Cubs did their due diligence and at least contacted Boras to inquire on Chapman (and the others). Jed also likes to avoid players outside their prime years where possible. I don't think Chapman is impossible but it doesn't seem a perfect fit. I think Hoskins fits better if they miss on Ohtani, he definitely has the power the Cubs are looking to add.
  19. Stratos
    Counsell is coming to Nashville for the Winter Meetings on Tuesday, Jordan Bastian reports. Sounds like he may be in LA for the Cubs pitch. Good article about what Hawkins said about this offseason: https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-preparing-for-shohei-ohtani-decision
  20. Stratos
    This could also be Cubs-fed leverage in Ohtani negotiations. Or just Boras being Boras haha.
  21. Stratos
    I think they'd likely need Hoskins + another decent bat to get to where they were last year offensively. Hoskins was a 130 wRC+ guy, but coming back from injury you might expect more like 110-120 wRC+. Maybe someone like Belt or another DH or 1B/3B type. Wildcards are Canario and Mervis, hopefully we get some decent performance out of one of them next year. Canario can DH or possibly platoon in CF with Tauchman. If we can improve on what we got from 1B/DH the first 2-3 months of last season we'd be in a better spot already. The nice thing is we'll have a number of hitters besides Mervis/Canario knocking on the door in AAA that may help in the 2nd half of 2024: PCA, McGeary, Davis, Murray, Caissie. A bunch of guys in AA might also make their debut in a pinch: Shaw + others lesser likely in Triantos, Alcantara, Ballesteros.
  22. Stratos
    They have 2 slots to fill in the rotation, Stroman's and the slot where Smyly/Wicks pitched last year. I think they definitely push sign a TORP to replace Stroman. Then Smyly is a contender for that last slot, as are Assad, Wicks, Wesneski, and maybe Brown. It's always possible they fill that last slot with another short-term acquisition like Glasnow, but i'm not sure, they may want to use that money on a position player. But they do have prospects to trade. I think Glasnow is a target if they get Ohtani. If no Ohtani then pivot to someone like Yamamto or Snell and acquire a bat like Hoskins or whomever.
  23. Stratos
    Exactly. His is a totally logical answer and what I want to hear from the FO. If you want to be a very good team and still afford players like Yamamoto, Ohtani then you're going to want some cheap young surplus. It's not like we should have traded Bryant, Baez, and Contreras in 2014 for high priced veterans or blocked their progress.
  24. Stratos
    Cubs will need to keep some guys stretched out in Iowa. I think Brown and Horton may stay stretched out in case of injury. But I guess pen roles aren't out of the question at some point. They both need more work as SP in AAA for now.
  25. Stratos
    His numbers look like what Yamamoto might put up in MLB.
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