Stratos
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Everything posted by Stratos
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I got u mixed up with squally. I apologize
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Why are you freaking out over losing out on a guy you saw as a 16m AAV pitcher? This deal might even make him about as good as Gallen in the eyes of MLB FO's.
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Boras is the most annoying human being in MLB history.
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Losing Shota, Taillon, Boyd, Rea next offseason plus potentially Imai plus Nico/Happ/Seiya/Kelly would be insane.
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At the end of the day the Cubs lost out on a pitcher the market evaluated at 3/63 with opt-outs. Not a huge deal. It's another offseason waiting around on Scott Boras games. No reason to panic, same when we held out for Bellinger. There's still several very good FA from different positions on the table plus the ability to trade for a SP too. Not Hoyers first rodeo.
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Lance did a breakdown of him where his slider is very unique and actually has armside run so almost nothing to compare that pitch to in the MLB, so question marks on how it will play. Imanaga also came in under what we thought he'd get and had lots of protection for the Cubs built in the contract, but also incentives if he did well. Unless you're a Yamamoto type obvious TORP seems teams are weary of the unknowns of these guys.
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Yeah I agree, and that seems how this FO thinks. There's a bunch moving parts that can work here. Looking at the team, if I'm being honest I think if they really wanted to make a push they'd need to sign both a good bat like Bregman and a good SP. If Mo breaks out they could get away with just an SP and still hit 90 wins if things go well. Replacing Tuckers 4.5 wins isn't easy.
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Yeah that's good news for sure.
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I dunno, their SP was average at best last year according to metrics like xFIP. The Wrigley wind and amazing Cubs defense has hidden some of the flaws the last couple of seasons. On the other hand, because of the wind the offense has very likely been better than we think the last 2 years.
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We'll know about 1 hour after the deadline at the latest LOL
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I like the Harvey signing, assuming he's healthy. Pretty happy with what Jed has done with the pen so far on the cheap.
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Last year It sounded like Ricketts was willing to flex the budget a bit to sign Bregman and all of that money wasted spent on other players. So that would have obviously made the Cubs better. Probably not the case this offseason with all the other good options out there, but who knows.
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I think Jed's cheap pens have been mixed at best. They did well last year but each of the previous 2 seasons had almost half a season struggling pens and blown games as a result. I do like how they're building the pen so far this offseason though, a bunch of solid arms that aren't very expensive.
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I don't see how this team gets better in 2026 by signing Bregman and then trading Nico in a 3-way for a Cabrera-type SP, rather than just signing a good SP in FA. Switching Bregman for Nico is a wash at best, if not a downgrade. Switching e.g. Imai (FA SP) for Cabrera (traded SP) is also kind of a wash. I don't see much money being saved either. A different situation than last year where swapping out Bellinger for Tucker saved them a bunch of payroll space to acquire other players. Just sign a good SP like Imai and take the comp pick for Nico walking next year.
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I just can't see them trading Shaw if they signed Bregman. Nico's probably leaving after next season so someone needs to play 2B in 2027 and beyond. If they traded Shaw then they would have traded their 2 best position player prospects (with Cam Smith) over the last 2 offseasons. With what Jed is trying to build it would be a really weird decision.
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Turning Point and Matt Shaw: Politicization and Baseball
Stratos replied to a topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
So I watched Shaw's speech at the Turning Point event (Turning Point was created by Charlie Kirk). He didn't talk about anything political at all, it was about his faith and loving thy neighbour (including the people who now hate him). Sounds like Erica Kirk invited him to speak on whatever topic he wanted and he thought about it and his faith in Jesus is what he chose. He'll still be associated with the general views of Kirk and the others that spoke there (and that's on him) but at least his speech wasn't divisive and won't rile up the Cubs fanbase more. -
A lot of the best FA including most good SP haven't signed. Guess it's just a slow-moving offseason. Only thing to move was relief market. I wonder if the Contreras trade is telling us the Red Sox didn't like the prices on the big FA bats like Bregman/Bichette so they just decided to tap out and make a trade instead. The prices for Schwarber and Alonso were nuts, so maybe prices on others are still high and teams are waiting for them to come down to earth a bit.
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Question is if Moises makes the team to play DH who is the 4th OF? If Caissie makes the team over Mo it likely means Caissie sits vs LHP and Seiya plays RF, and any RHB on the bench would DH. Maybe they acquire a bench IF who can also play OF, like Willi Castro did. An injury to a corner OF means Caissie is almost certainly on the team for sure. Injury to PCA puts Alcantara on the team. I think they sign some dumpster dive corner OF to invite to ST but not to a guaranteed MLB contract.
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He's an Iowa injury backup, similar to what Reese McGuire was last year like Jason said, Good veteran guy for Iowa arms to pitch to also, even in ST. Does he have some kind of opt-out where he can leave if he doesn't make the team?
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I checked Sportac. Boston is at 235m luxury tax payroll after this trade. Last year their payroll finished around 249m. Though they also unloaded Devers mid-season. Not sure what their opening day payroll was last year. Contreras is a 18m hit. It's possible they're out on any big FA now, but who knows what their payroll limit is. Very likely out on getting both a big FA bat and SP though. This is good news for the Cubs either way as you said.
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Turning Point and Matt Shaw: Politicization and Baseball
Stratos replied to a topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
Yes it is. Saying economic issues are politics but identity politics and issues about democracy/constitution aren't politics is just not true. -
Gore is a very solid pitcher. But his walk rate and groundball rate are consistently below average and those things aren't easy to improve and the Cubs shouldn't assume they can improve them, so regardless of his quality stuff he's going to have a certain ceiling.
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Tigers already have Skubal and Flaherty so they don't need someone like Imai as much as the Cubs do. I could just as easily see them being happy with someone like Gallen. Can't count out the Dodgers either, though not as likely. They were reported to be shopping Glasnow earlier in the offseason.
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If you wait the price can come down and you gain more leverage as teams come off the board. Maybe the price doesn't come down, but as long as you're not desperate or can still pivot there's little risk. I can't name a time when Jed had a bad offseason because he waited to long, he usually ends up with good players on good contracts. Had we paid Bellinger/Boras what they wanted in December two offseasons ago we'd have paid out the ying-yang. Montgomery and Chapman were also steals that offseason, and Bregman didn't get the longterm deal he probably wanted last year. Maybe it's mostly a tactic that works with Boras LOL.
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Well again, what's he basing this on? Speculation I'm assuming until he actually reports something. And even then there's a grain of salt. I'm not really worried about this offseason. Jed is never left up the creek without a paddle in the offseason and when he really wants someone out of need he tends to get them, even when boxed in a corner a bit Like Bellinger both times he signed, or Stroman when SP were flying off the shelf before the lockout. The offseason rewards patience because players can fall into your lap later in the offseason when their market collapses as teams come off the board.
