I agree with everything you said but the price paid for catchers was outrageous these last few years and teams have found that players aren’t playing to their contracts. I’d love to have WC on the roster until he retires and think $4 million is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but no catcher is worth that. If he could play some 1B and LF, I could maybe see $16 million per year. If he wants 20, I let him walk 100 times out of 100.
MLB: ***Official 2022 Chicago Cubs Season Thread***
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I agree with everything you said but the price paid for catchers was outrageous these last few years and teams have found that players aren’t playing to their contracts. I’d love to have WC on the roster until he retires and think $4 million is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but no catcher is worth that. If he could play some 1B and LF, I could maybe see $16 million per year. If he wants 20, I let him walk 100 times out of 100.
Bleacher Nation reporting the Padres have looked into Contreras and Happ. Throw in eating Hosmers contract and I’d imagine you can get Hassell, Campusano, and an additional top 10 prospect.
Keep Contreras. Catchers like him aren't easy to come by. Trade Happ. Spend some ******* money in the off season on pitching. Who cares if Wilson is expensive. It's the freaking Cubs!!!! Spend some of that moldy money.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
I don't know. Spending money seems like the way to lose money. Biblically, even.
Smyly might work his way into the trade deadline as he's had 2 decent starts now after a DL stint and and a sub 4 ERA in 12 starts this season. I don't expect much of a return but he's only on a 1 year deal so any type of prospect for him as a rental is better than nothing. Starting to hear more possible rumors with Happ that make you wonder if a deal with him in it will happen too. I'm fine with it to be honest, I'd rather sell high on him now with his history of inconsistency as the Cubs have plenty of OF prospects to fill the void going forward. I know you have to eventually build with something but I'm not sure that the big pieces they plan to build with are currently in the system other than Suzuki and the young guys getting their chances right now. Until they show they are willing to splurge on some proven talent in free agency to compliment the young guys they have coming up I don't expect this to be a quick rebuild which is why I am OK trading Contreras now too because I worry the Cubs will waste his best years while stuck in a long rebuild.
Contreras is a fun player to watch. But not sure $15M+ is a reasonable price to pay for a player who hits around .250 and will get 15-20 HR's a year. He has a solid arm behind the plate, but otherwise his catching skills are average. The DH experiment with Contreras has worked, but I would prefer a bigger bat at DH.
Gomes & Higgins would seem like solid catchers for the 2023 season. I would think they will have a pretty good idea if Amaya is their catcher of the future by 2023 mid-season.
Contreras is 11th in the NL in OPS+ this year. Not a lot of opportunity to get a bigger bat there.
It hit me a couple days ago and figured I’d throw it in here.
Ricketts are money-first owners, I think we can all agree on that.
Why would the Cubs sign Seiya when they won’t be competing for 2 years?
They aren’t expected to compete until 2024 at the earliest…
Seiya is friends with Shohei…
Who is a free agent at the end of 2023…
Ricketts are money-first owners, I think we can all agree on that.
Why would the Cubs sign Seiya when they won’t be competing for 2 years?
They aren’t expected to compete until 2024 at the earliest…
Seiya is friends with Shohei…
Who is a free agent at the end of 2023…
I'm going to give this a shot and see if I am right when the deadline is over... My guess is the following get traded listed from most to least likely:
Contreras
Robertson
Givens
Martin
Happ
Smyly
That's 6, I don't think anyone wants to take on Stroman's contract given his injuries and not looking that great this year when he has pitched and he has only pitched past the 5th inning just 4 times this season so durability and that contract there probably is not a market for him right now. He's on the books next season at $25 mil and has a $21 mil player option for 2024. If Hendricks was healthy I think they probably would trade him right now too for the right deal. I don't think they will get much for Smyly but a veteran left hander always will be in demand so I think they will deal him if they can get anything for him. There is no reason not to trade Martin and Givens, they are on 1 year deals and not like the Cubs likely have long term plans for either of them. They likely were signed with the intent to flip them at the deadline.
This is why I think Happ gets traded as there has been a lot more smoke with rumors involving him in the past week: REPORT: "Almost Everyone" Wants Ian Happ, and the Cubs Are "Likely to Trade Him" (bleachernation.com)
I'd be OK with Wisdom going in a trade too, I don't view him as a long term piece either but I doubt there is much of a market for him either as is he really much of an upgrade at 3B for most teams in contention?
Stadium was still packed yesterday. As long as Ricketts keeps printing money he wont give a **** about the product on the field.
I can't think of anything more fundamentally Cub than showing signs of life just before trading away every guy who is worth a **** on your roster.
Kaplan was on Miller and Condon today and said the Cubs will likely get a better return on Happ than Contreras because of the extra year of control plus teams don't view Contreras as a great defensive catcher behind the plate - yes he has a great arm but pitch calling and framing has always been questioned so learning how to handle a new pitching staff in the middle of a pennant race he may see more time at DH than C where he lands. Thinks Robertson should net a decent prospect and lots of teams interested in Givens too.
It's going to be an active deadline for the Cubs and I think all 4 of those guys will get traded and probably a couple others like Martin, Smyly, and maybe even Ortega or a surprise player not being talked about if they have to throw someone in to get a better prospect back.
It's going to be an active deadline for the Cubs and I think all 4 of those guys will get traded and probably a couple others like Martin, Smyly, and maybe even Ortega or a surprise player not being talked about if they have to throw someone in to get a better prospect back.
