Damn phone.
Definitely a take I didn't see coming. He's still in our price range.
Damn phone.
Key points from Jed's presser for those who missed it
- Reiterated his point that his philosophy is building a team that outperforms their expectations, but admitted he needs to build a team which projects for more than 83 wins.
- Implied Bellinger will be opting out
- Does not have interest in going all in for one year (maybe thinking Juan Soto trade from last offseason?)
- Projects Michael Busch to win multiple GG's at 1B
- Admits he dropped the ball on the bullpen and will be a focus of improvement this offseason
- Indicated star players should come internally from the organization; follow-up asked if he thinks star players can come externally, and he said this is possible.
That irked me too when I read that. If that is his plan just more of a reason why he needs to go. Theo had a very clear plan when they built the 2016 team. Heard David Kaplan tell this story before, Theo went to the Ricketts and said they needed to gut the roster and stockpile the farm system with positional talent because the farm system was bad and the talent at the MLB level was not great either. So they sold off what they could for a couple seasons while focusing on getting the best positional players in the draft too. The plan was to develop positional talent that was cost controlled then when they were ready to compete they would go out and buy pitching to finish the roster. Well they got part of the pitching through a deadline deal in 2013 in the form of Arrieta and Strop for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger. Cubs capitalized on flipping Feldman who was on a cheap 1 year deal and having a good season and Arrieta was struggling with walks at the time and was considered a project. Hendricks came to the Cubs as a prospect as part of a 2012 trade of Ryan Dempster. Fast forward a bit to 2015, the Cubs sign Jon Lester to a big 6 year deal in late 2014 knowing the roster was close to competing. Leading up to the 2016 run the Cubs signed John Lackey and some bullpen pieces like Travis Wood and traded for Chapman and Montgomery at the deadline to bolster the bullpen.I can't begin to explain how much the bolded ****** me off. Instead of spending on guys we know are good, we are going to continue to go cheap and just hope we get lucky. Solid plan for a 4 billion dollar organization.
I like a lot of these moves, but I don't really understand the Pete Alonso move (and this post is far from the only place I've seen the suggestion). The Cubs already have a younger, cheaper version of Pete Alonso named Michael Busch. Their offensive numbers are pretty similar, and Busch actually had the better year by WAR.My video game moves as the FO - no I do not expect the FO to make any of these moves, though I do think they’re all possible. Salaries based on Spotrac predictions
Starting Pitching ($70 MM)
Burnes (Signed FA, $32 MM)
Steele ($8 MM?)
Taillon ($17 MM)
Imanaga ($13 MM)
Brown (?)
Relief Pitching ($20 MM)
LR - Assad
LR - Ryan Yarborough (Signed FA - $5 MM)
MR - Nate Pearson
MR - Enoli Paredes
MR - Tyson Miller
SU - Kirby Yates (Signed FA - $5 MM)
SU - Porter Hodge
CL - Mason Miller (TRADE, with Shea Langliers - for Traintos, Alcantara, Wicks, Aliendo)
C ($5ish MM?)
Amaya
Langliers (See above trade)
INF ($84 MM)
Vlad ($30 MM TRADE - Hoerner, Paredes, Canario)
Alonso (FA - $25 MM)
Swanson ($26 MM)
Shaw (Platoon 2B/3B)
Busch ($1 MM?)
Mastro
OF ($40 MM)
Caissie
Happ ($20 MM)
Suzuki ($17 MM)
PCA
Tauchman ($3 MM)
Total cost: $216 MM, $25 MM shy of tier one.
With the extra $$, I’m seeing if I can buy an extra year or two of PCA and talking extension.
Agreed. Why spend 30x the money for an older, less athletic, worse defensive version of what you've already got? Busch is going to grow into that 35 home run guy and I have very little interest in paying Alonso to be a DH only guy in his age 35-36 seasons especially with the bat first/no glove guys you've loaded the minor leagues with.I like a lot of these moves, but I don't really understand the Pete Alonso move (and this post is far from the only place I've seen the suggestion). The Cubs already have a younger, cheaper version of Pete Alonso named Michael Busch. Their offensive numbers are pretty similar, and Busch actually had the better year by WAR.
Both trades proposed probably cost a whole lot more from the Cubs that you listed, unfortunately.My video game moves as the FO - no I do not expect the FO to make any of these moves, though I do think they’re all possible. Salaries based on Spotrac predictions
Starting Pitching ($70 MM)
Burnes (Signed FA, $32 MM)
Steele ($8 MM?)
Taillon ($17 MM)
Imanaga ($13 MM)
Brown (?)
Relief Pitching ($20 MM)
LR - Assad
LR - Ryan Yarborough (Signed FA - $5 MM)
MR - Nate Pearson
MR - Enoli Paredes
MR - Tyson Miller
SU - Kirby Yates (Signed FA - $5 MM)
SU - Porter Hodge
CL - Mason Miller (TRADE, with Shea Langliers - for Traintos, Alcantara, Wicks, Aliendo)
C ($5ish MM?)
Amaya
Langliers (See above trade)
INF ($84 MM)
Vlad ($30 MM TRADE - Hoerner, Paredes, Canario)
Alonso (FA - $25 MM)
Swanson ($26 MM)
Shaw (Platoon 2B/3B)
Busch ($1 MM?)
Mastro
OF ($40 MM)
Caissie
Happ ($20 MM)
Suzuki ($17 MM)
PCA
Tauchman ($3 MM)
Total cost: $216 MM, $25 MM shy of tier one.
With the extra $$, I’m seeing if I can buy an extra year or two of PCA and talking extension.
Agree that Miller could.Both trades proposed probably cost a whole lot more from the Cubs that you listed, unfortunately.
Personally I don’t think Ballesteros is a full or even part time catcher yet. Yet I could see a scenario where he DH quite a bit then ph and stay in long enough to get a second AB. If Busch could be serviceable at 2nd and 3rd this really opens up options of where you can bring him in.I also think a lot of this off-season depends on what they really think of Ballesteros.
If they think he's a primary DH that really limits your flexibility. The dream scenario is him being able to catch 3 days a week but I worry he's not going to stick behind the plate.
If he's at his catching ceiling, he's up by June 1 because AAA isn't challenging the bat.
What management said is all well and good but I believe they were referring to spending on a vet like JD Martinez. A cheap slugger with years and years of control isn’t a commodity we’re looking to deal away.Hoyer and Counsell have both said their philosophy is one guy shouldn't be on the roster solely to DH as it blocks the regular position players from being able to DH on mini-rest days. Happ DH'd 8 times last year just to have a day off on the field.
My guess is if they believe Ballestros is going to be limited to DHing, they will be shopping him to a team that thinks they can find a spot for him defensively.
I don't hate the idea of him playing 1B, as he's done so in the minors, but he's 5'7" which is really demanding perfection from your defensive players lol
#1 nearly bit us in 2016 a few times. Maddon rode Chapman as much as he could and the games he was asked to go more than 1 inning felt like we were playing with fire as he wasn't as sharp the 2nd inning. In the end it worked out but Chapman had nothing left in the tank game 7.I also don't want to put too much stock into the playoffs but there are three big time takeaways for me
1) You can not bank on your elite closer to throw more than 1 inning. Let them stick to the routine they're already elite at. So have more than on guy you can trust in the bullpen.
2) You must have 9 innings of elite pitching.
3) Get TEAM-oriented, high IQ, basic fundamentals hitters. Watching Santander look like Christopher Morel swinging for the lake when the Orioles just needed him on first base is exactly the type of guy we DON'T need on this team.
Wave them Home Willie not coming back next season.