MLB: ***Official 2019 Chicago Cubs Season Thread***
- Thread starter Cyched
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CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Make everyone a 6 inning starter (postseason). Strop, Morrow, and Kimbrel finish the game.
One more title for the pile.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
If there's a downside to a World Series title, I don't even want to know what it is.
I'd like to thank Julianna Zobrist for not being able to keep her pants on and making this all possible financially.
Wait... I've been a Cubs fan since attending my first game nearly 30 years ago. Nobody ever told me about this "pile" of titles.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Wait... I've been a Cubs fan since attending my first game nearly 30 years ago. Nobody ever told me about this "pile" of titles.
We're getting there.
A dramatic turnaround from last year's lack of All-Stars for the Cubs: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26898455/still-too-early-all-stars-track-midsummer-classic
Contreras, Rizzo, and Baez starters with Bryant as a reserve. No pitchers though. Not too surprised, Hendricks and Lester could make a case with a strong month of June maybe. Part of the problem is all the crappy teams have to have 1 representative and a lot of those teams their best player at the moment is probably a pitcher so the more position players a team gets the less likely they get a pitcher too unless they are just dominating right now.
Contreras, Rizzo, and Baez starters with Bryant as a reserve. No pitchers though. Not too surprised, Hendricks and Lester could make a case with a strong month of June maybe. Part of the problem is all the crappy teams have to have 1 representative and a lot of those teams their best player at the moment is probably a pitcher so the more position players a team gets the less likely they get a pitcher too unless they are just dominating right now.
I hope they don't go too crazy on Kimbrel. He'd be regressing in the last few years and I'm a little pessimistic about what he will bring to the table not having pitched in the last 9 months. Certainly worth a shot if the money is right, though.
If they just give him a bloated 1 year deal that would be ideal. Re-evaluate his value at the end of the season. He probably is looking for more than a 1 year prove it deal though so I'd be OK with something like a 2 year deal with some kind of option or vesting option incentives for a 3rd year. Committing more than 2 or 3 years on a high priced 31 year old reliever whose control can sometimes be wild. Cubs have the $ so if it takes 2 years to get a deal done you gotta shore up the bullpen now. You can probably get a guy with a cheaper salary via trade but how much in prospects will it cost you where Kimbrel is just money at this point.
Cubs are going to be in a tight spot with Strop after this season too because he will be an UFA. He's making $6.25 mil this year so how many years and $ would they be willing to commit to him or would they be better off using that money to get 2 bullpen arms instead. It's hard to believe it but Strop is actually older than Kimbrel as he turns 34 on the 13th.
Lot of $ coming off the books after this season
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/yearly/payroll/roster/
Hamels: 20 mil
Zobrist: 12.5 mil
Strop: 6.25 mil
Cishek: 6.5 mil
Kintzler: 5 mil
Duensing: 3.5 mil
That's about $54 mil there not counting few lesser contracts I did not include and you have guys who are arbitration eligible like Edwards that could always be non-tendered too. Every day Zobrist is out right now is savings on this year too.
I don't know if it works strictly this way, but $10M divided by 162 games = almost $62K a game.
I haven't seen anything definitive but everything I've been reading or hearing seems to think he probably is not getting paid during this leave and the longer he is out the more $ they should have to pay Kimbrel. Dave Kaplan said on the Cub Pre-Game show on TV last night the Cubs have money if you look around the Wrigley neighborhood right now at all the improvements so there is no reason not to pay for a quality relief pitcher right now with this roster.
Friend and i decided to splurge and got tickets in the new Catalina Club off stubhub for $125 (after fees and these were by far the cheapest on there) and holy ******* **** it is worth it. Highly, highly recommend for everyone to do at least once. We’re heavily debating making this a yearly tradition cause it’s incredible
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
I didn't know this one until your post, but yeah.
In other news, Len noting that the Athletic reports that Kimbrel is a Cub pending physical.
BREAKING: #Cubs in agreement with free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, pending physical, sources tell The Athletic.
