mk49

I want to keep Keller. The dude said he wanted to stay, and he was good. Unfortunately, I started feeling like the Cubs won't sign anybody "top end", unless it's a 1 yr contract. Maybe, there's an exception, but not many. Hopefully, I'm wrong on this.

Seems like Imai just got posted. I watched some Youtube videos, and he looked good. He could be a good No2 guy in most rotations. For 2025, ERA: 1.92 Whip: .89 (best in the league) K: 178 in 163.2 innings Seems like his 4 seam velo is 95 ~ 98mph. His slider, which moves kinda like a splitter, looks good. He also has a weird pitch that I don't know what it is, a change up, screwball or a different slider that goes away from a left handed hitters.? What do you think? I want the Cubs to try to get him. 17K in this, no walk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdfT6gHx_U8 A complete game with 12K https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlN5JbsM7FA

I just found this, and some of them are questionable. Projecting the 13 MLB Qualifying Offer Free Agents https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/3062/projecting-the-13-mlb-qualifying-offer-free-agents Dylan Cease: 7yr, $210M (This is too much or too long for Cease, and if it actually happens, no way the Cubs would pay that much for that long.) Shota: 4yr, $75M (I think Shota will take 2 or 3 years with $17~18M AAV, and I think there will be a team or two that offer that kind of contract. I don't think he's going back to Japan. Basically, he declined the player option, 2yr, $30.5M from the Cubs. What he's looking for is at least 2yr, and a little more than $15M AAV. I'll be really surprised if a team gives him a 4yr contract without a team option after the 1st or the 2nd year. My guess is 2yr, $35M for Shota should be reasonable for a few teams, and he will probably take the offer.) For Tucker, I just don't understand why some teams will offer him a 10yr contract, but I guess that's what he will probably get.

I watched him only once in 2025, so I don't know what was wrong with him. His stats look bad, although he looked better in Sep. A few articles I read today said the Cubs is one of the destinations for Zac, which does make sense. Personally, I don't want him. Maybe, he will pitch really well next year, but this year didn't look good at all, way worse than Shota who was fine in the 1st half of the season.

Okamoto looks like much better fit to our team than Murakami. He's a RHH, unlike Murakami, and he's supposed to be able to defend 1B, 3B and outfields, although I don't know how good he is defensively. Offensively, his numbers look a little worse than Seiya, when he was in Japan. Seiya was a little younger, when he came over, too. Out of those Japanese guys, I want Imai the most. Seems like he could be No 2 guy in a rotation for many teams. Yeah, maybe, we get lucky to find a SP like Shota in 2024 and Boyd in 2025. Yes, keep Keller. Not sure if Robert Suarez will be too expensive for the Cubs, and he's getting old. I hope Hodge will bounce back, and Palencia will perform well next year. For other bullpen guys, maybe, they can find guys like Thielbar, Pomeranz, Keller type, if we're lucky.

Thanks for the link. Here's Fan Graphs version. They don't say which team will likely pick them, though. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2026-top-50-mlb-free-agents/

Personally, I think the projection you saw is low. That said, I see your point. But, I don't want Jamo to be traded. What I meant by "try to sign 1 or 2 SP's" is that one good one (that's a must), and one decent one. Not an easy task, though.

Agreed. I still think it's going to be hard to get one of the top 4 or 5 (if you include Imai) free agent SP's, though. Trading for one should be easier. Either way, the Cubs should, and I think will "try" to sign one or two SP's, even if Shota stays.

It didn't surprise me. I thought there's a little over 50% chance that the Cubs would do it. I don't know if Shota will accept it, though. Most likely, he could get offers that have a little lower AAV, like $17m, but multi year, 2 or 3 years.

Talking about $6m option for Rea, right? I agree with that.

You took it wrong. I wasn't suggesting at all. It's the worst case scenario, and I just said I wouldn't be surprised. Of course, I'm sure the Cubs are going to try to get one or two SP's, But, What they (we) want might not be what they could get. I want two new SP's who could pitch better than Shota.

I don't know what the Cubs are thinking about the lockout and contracts, but the fact is pretty much every player, except for Dansby and ARB/Pre-ARB guys will be FA, after next season. I think a few, like Boyd and Kelly have options for 2027. But, that's about it. I'll be pissed if they don't extend Nico, and sign at least one good SP with a longer than 1yr contract. As I mentioned in another thread, I won't be surprised if the rotation looks like Boyd, Cade, Jamo, Assad and Ben Brown/Wicks or whoever, before Steele comes back.

About Shota being a free agent, I thought more about it today. I love him, and I hoped he stayed (well, he might). That being said, I understood both the team's and Shota's decision. It's going to be hard to sign somebody who's significantly better than Shota. Now, we know Yu Darvish will be out for the next season, and the Padres will probably try to keep either Cease or King. That's two less free agent SP's (Bieber and Cease or King)., or at least, that's going to jack up the price by competing with the Padres for a good SP. I mean there are 30 MLB teams, and only 5 or so good SP's in the free agency, Valdez, Suarez, Cease, King, Gallen? A couple of them are questionable, just like Shota. The Cubs will probably have to find a good one via a trade, if they're actually willing to spend some $. No wonder they couldn't get a good SP at the trade deadline. It's hard to come by, I guess. I just read an article, and it projected; Valdez 7yr, $196m Imai 8yr, $190m Cease 6yr, $174m Suarez 6yr, $153m King 3yr, 75m Of course, we don't know how much they get, but only King and maybe, Cease would be affordable for the Cubs. Either way, they will be much more (and longer) than Shota's 3yr deal. I liked Imai that I saw on Youtube, but 8yr is too long. Teams like the Dodgers will taka that chance, like they did with Yamamoto. The Cubs won't. To be honest, I won't be surprised if our rotation looks like Boyd, Horton, Jamo, Assad and Ben Brown, until Steele comes back.

I can say one word, "wow". I guess I can say more. He didn't pitch many games in the last 2 seasons. I would think many teams pick Shota over Bieber.

Shota did great in Sep, 2024. It was just this year he didn't perform well in the 2nd half. Obviously, we have only two seasons, so we don't know for sure. He was bad in Sep, but if he came back strong in the playoffs, the Cubs would have offered the 3 yr deal. But, that just didn't happen. I think there's a team that will offer Shota a 3yr $60m.

If I remember correctly, Dansby wasn't even the three finalists. He was better than the gold glove SS, whoever got it, in the Wild Card, though.

I don't think either Murakami and Okamoto can play better 3B than Shaw. I heard the average exit velocity of MLB is quite a bit higher than the NPB guys. That would make 3B and 1B guys like Murakami and Okamoto harder to defend. When I researched those guys a few weeks ago, Okamoto had two gold glove as a 1B and one as a 3B man. Murakami never got a gold glove. I don't know how good the NPB gold glove is, because I heard Seiya had it a few times. Either way, Murakami doesn't fit the Cubs, IMO. He could replace Turner, but for the price, nobody wants him for that purpose.

IMO, there are only four available (Valdez, Cease, Bieber and King). Of course, depending on how they perform next year, they could be better or worse than Shota. And, they'll be more expensive than Shota. Also, I don't think the Cubs could actually sign two out four free agents. I feel lucky, if they can sign one them. If King can stay healthy, he would be the one I want. Valdez is probably too expensive for the Cubs. Bieber was out most of 2024 and 2025. Cease had a bad year in 2025, but he'll still be expensive. I guess Cease and King will be awesome. Oh, I almost forgot to mention this Japanese SP, Imai. I watched a few videos on Youtube, and he looked good. He'll probably be better than Shota, but will cost more. Don't know how much more. OK, I just checked, and it says "Some experts estimate his contract will be in the nine-figure range, with figures like $140 million to $150 million being suggested." Some even say over 200 million. Trade is probably easier to get a good TOR SP. But, the easiest is keeping Shota. Except for Sep and Oct 2025, he pitched very well for two seasons. I just don't like to see Shota having a great season (like he did last year) with another team, and new pitchers we get don't perform better than Shota. I agree that they should keep Rea for $6m or whatever. His option wasn't that expensive. I have a feeling Jamo will have a great season next year, if he stays healthy. Not so sure about Boyd. He performed better than expected in 2025. He won't be as good, and maybe, get injured, eventually. I try not to expect much from Steele. When he was good, he was great, but it didn't last that long. Obviously, I'm hoping he comes back strong. For Horton, I'd be happy, if you pitches 150+ inning with ERA around 3.20. Well, only time can tell.

My guess is $20m is probably too much for this guy, if it's a 6+ year contract. I heard his defense isn't good, and he could be a DH, eventually.

Somewhere, I read he's going to get $250~300 million/10years. No thanks. Our of those Japanese players, I'd like to see Imai, a SP. He's probably too expensive for the Cubs, though.

I was pretty sure for Nico and PCA, but I didn't think Happ would get it. Obviously, I'm not complaining.

OK, I didn't know he was hurt. I was just frustrated by his base running.

The Blue Jays could have won the Game 7, if their base running is as good as the Cubs. Especially, in the 2nd inning, I don't remember who the runner was, but he was on the 1st base, and the next batter hit, and I thought the runner was going to reach the 3rd, but he didn't. Then, the next batter hit, I thought the same runner, this time on the 2nd base, was score a run, and he didn't. In the inning, if they were the Cubs, they could have scored at least one run, if not more.

I don't like it, but I agree with you.

Last year, the Dodgers had only one good SP, Yamamoto, but they had good bullpen. Ohtani (and Judge for that matter) didn't do horsefeathers in the world series last year, but the Dodgers won. This year, they have crazy good SP rotation, and still losing, at least for now. I'm hoping the Jays will beat LA on Friday.