Bull

And regardless, your point stands. It was certainly a “megadeal” for its time, regardless of your definition of that term. Or we could say they were at the top tier of the FA market.

SI cut most of their staff just over a year ago. They let less than a quarter of the people write all the articles. But they don’t write, they only edit (poorly) AI written drivel.

There are several routes. The challenge is, it is hard to let go of the Cubs really-good-but-not-good-enough-to contend core. They have so many 2 win players and one need to be upgraded to a 4 win player. The problem in this is that we see upside in a 2-win player like Busch and ZiPs sees 4 win potential in a player like Hoerner. So who do you try to upgrade. And if you trade a 2-4 win position player for a 2-4 win pitcher, you create a big hole at a position like first or second, and all your depth is in the outfield (besides Shaw, who you are already, ostensibly, counting on for 3B. Quality floor but no star power or depth in the starting lineup. Depth but no big WAR in the rotation. It is a great starting point. But I don't think you can put this team over the top by just trades. There has to be FA incoming.

How did you- where did you- what did- hub?

He's worth two wins on defense alone over a full season. And he's actually a net positive on the bases despite the nincompoopiness.

Other way around. Everyone on the board knows you use Cots.

Gold glove caliber defense at every position. Busch to DH.

Old timey secret.

I like bringing in an old first baseman/DH who is mostly a bench guy, starting with Busch at first and Shaw at third. If the experiment fails or there’s an injury, I want the old first baseman to be able to provide a solid floor at first and use Busch’s positional flexibility. but Susuki/Goldschmidt/Busch/Shaw at DH, 1B, 3B, bench might be nice.

What a deal. What a day!

I don't understand all the hand-wringing over whether Shaw can handle third. If he can't, you move your weirdly right-handed first baseman to third and put literally anyone at first base. Sign a DH (Goldschmidt Pederson tier) with the extra money. If Shaw (at third), Alcantara, and Caissie (at first) all strike out, you put that DH at first.

For sure Bellinger was a hedge against the bets on PCA and Busch. Those bets paid out and so Bellinger is superfluous (though I still don't trust Busch). Bellinger opting in was inconvenient. But the urgency is because Seiya made it clear he didn't want to DH. Otherwise you just accept that you have a versatile 111 ops+ lefty that you're stuck with, oh darn.

I think you have this backwards. Seiya doesn't want traded because the Cubs can't find a taker for Bellinger. Bellinger is being shopped because Seiya doesn't want to be a DH. Seiya was convinced he was headed to a DH role because he finished the year as the everyday DH. He probably complained about it then and was told "don't worry, Cody will opt out and we will bring in a DH and put you back in RF where you belong, sir." Then Cody didn't opt out, thus the shopping of Cody and the **slight** possibility of it being Seiya because teams have said "we are more interested and will give you a better return for Seiya"

I like him as a bounce back candidate, but not for this team. This team has too many young starters knocking on the door that could do what you hope Montgomery would do in a 50th percentile bounce back year.

I traded Assad and prospects for Crochet. Whatever it takes. Probably includes Caissie and Ballesteros. If the Tigers DFA Baez, he replaces Iglesias at league minimum and you turn towards a FA bat only guy. Jansen at 2/9 Leaves plenty of budget for Scott. Wicks in the bullpen as a lefty. Considered Bellinger for Scwarber and bring in one of the old bats for the bench, but you lose so much positional flexibility (and insurance against Busch who I don't trust) and everyone gets worse on defense. The more I looked at trading Bellinger, the more value I saw in him. Essentially, I got Crochet, Scott and Jansen and trusted the offense to improve. Whichever of Caissie or Shaw I didn't trade makes a midseason deput at the expense of either Vasquez or Alcantara. C: Miguel Amaya ($0.80M) 1B: Michael Busch ($0.80M) 2B: Nico Hoerner ($11.50M) 3B: Isaac Paredes ($6.90M) SS: Dansby Swanson ($28.00M) LF: Ian Happ ($21.00M) CF: Pete Crow-Armstrong ($0.80M) RF: Seiya Suzuki ($19.00M) DH: Bellinger ($29M) 4th OF: Alcantara ($0.80M) Utility: Vasquez ($0.80M) Utility: Iglesias ($2M) Backup C: Jansen ($4.5M) NA: Add Dead Money Here ($0.00M) SP1: Shota Imanaga ($13.50M) SP2: Justin Steele ($6.40M) SP3: Jameson Taillon ($18.00M) SP4: Garrett Crochet ($2.9M) SP5: Matthew Boyd ($14.50M) RP: Nate Pearson ($1.40M) RP: Julian Merryweather ($1.30M) RP: Tyson Miller ($0.80M) RP: Porter Hodge ($0.80M) RP: Jordan Wicks ($1.00M) RP: Tanner Scott ($15M) RP: Eli Morgan ($1.00M) RP: Luke Little ($0.80M) NA: Add Dead Money Here ($0.00M) Payroll is 7.59% under budget

Good and true. But its not so much that "I want to see them". Its more the limited budget makes improving the pitching AND offense hard to do. With those prospects in the wings I think its more palatable to improve the pitching at the EXPENSE OF the offense. I think the Boyd signing makes it more likely. And... way down the list ... I think they'd be fun to watch. They may not be on the opening day roster, but if they aren't the bench will be so weak as to allow for their mid-season call up. This is more likely, but ewww. That's what prompted my initial post: someone pointing out a VERY weak bench.

They have nothing left to prove in the minors and I don't want them on the bench. If one falls short, send them down to learn their lessons and you still have Busch in the fold. Sending a prospect down to iron out some things is pretty common. You have to let them play at some point. And Busch just does not instill confidence in me. Not enough to block the future. The Cubs top 6 prospects have an ETA on the MLB official site. While I know it is not an official outlet for pressers, it does send a message: the kids are coming. Like it or not, they are either setting the stage to play them or trade them. If Caissie needs to go down, Alcantara is on his heels. Wait till you hear about Ballesteros!

He wouldn't, really. Busch, Belly, Shaw and Caissie would each get about the same number of AB's/play the hot hand and platoon (taking a couple here and there from Dansby and Paredes)

I would love to see Shaw and Caissie start the year at 2B and RF, Hoerner traded for a young controlled SP, and Bellinger at first and Busch on the bench (getting plenty of time at 1B, 2B and DH) and insurance for Shaw. It won't happen but I think it would be an interesting solution. and that would be a fun team to watch.

No one commenting about Matt Shaw wasting away on the bench behind Parades? first option off the bench...maaaaaybe? But in the Mastrobouni slot getting around 98 ABs? No way Matt shaws future is worth more than anything Adames might add next year. And with the positional versatility on this offense, he has no place, especially if that place displaces Shaw.

Don't underestimate the ability of someone we are expecting good things from to turn into a pumpkin. If Dansby continues to under-perform, Bellinger puts up negative WAR again, Happ gets old, Susuki gets hurt and Taillon goes back to 2023 Taillon, there's a lot of room for albatross. There's also a lot of room for regression for low-cost guys but that's not the conversation. There's also a lot of room for some really good things on this team. But one thing is sure, it won't go according to plan. (so put me in the 9 guys for 8 positions camp, I guess).

The versatility on this roster is ridiculous.

1. Pythgorean wins doesn't just correct for luck. It corrects for "bunchiness" and streakiness. It places the runs in a 12-1 win against a scrub as equal in nature to the 1 run in a 2-1 loss because you didn't have a real closer. Some of that evens out, some of it doesn't 2. Injuries hurt more than usual, but the depth in the SR helped them overcome. Lack of quality depth elsewhere was a problem. 3. PCA, for all his nincompoopiness, makes the Cubs significantly better next. Progress from Busch and the arrival of Shaw et al, will help next year as well. 4. Go get a legit closer and leave the variance/league adjusts potential in Hodge start out in the 7th inning.