Chicago Cubs 2023-24 OFFSEASON thread

knoxville7

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CSF77

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Ohtani honestly would fit so perfectly on this roster.

A LH middle of the order power bat that will also contribute to the pitching staff in a year.

Hell, sign the two Japanese pitchers that are coming over this year and have a roster with lots of Japanese influence...help attract more of them in the coming years!

Jed pretty much shot that down. Don't expect mega deals.

MLBTR all 3 were in agreement that LAD would get him.
 

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Ohtani is also close friend with Seya(sp) Suzuki..
 

knoxville7

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Sign Ohtani and trade Happ and Morel(and whatever else) for Soto 😍😍😍
 

Castor76

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Whichever teams signs Ohtani can not be affected by being over the CBT for the length of his contract. The guy will be 20-25% of a CBT pretty much the entire time. If you have any concerns about signing a player with an injury history, you shouldn't want more than a 3 year deal for any such player, e.g. Ohtani and Bellinger. If you don't want deal longer than 7 years, you better resign yourself to the reality that the absolute top FA probably won't look your team's way.

Look, I'd trade for Soto and offer him a deal of 17 years for 612M, 36M AAV. A California team would have to offer him a 42.5M deal to break even after taxes. A NY team would have to offer 44M. His production and health history make the risk worth it. It could be structured to entice him to opt out near the and and be a lot like the Stroman opt out. To do so, you'd probably need to get Happ to agree to a trade.
 

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One other thing that wouldn't surprise me is to see any or all of Morel, Mervis, and Owen Caissie traded this off season. Morel is a valuable piece without a true position. Mervis can't be the 1B for Iowa in 2024 lest you announce to MLB he has no to negative trade value. Caissie I put on this list because he shot up the prospect rankings list but is currently blocked to the MLB for at least 2 if not 3 seasons. His trade value is more a risk to fall than increase. He's a top 70 overall prospect. I'm not saying give him away. I could see him in package to bring in either a long term controlled 3B/1B or perhaps a close to TOR SP, Jose Ramirez or Dylan Cease come to mind.
 

CSF77

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One other thing that wouldn't surprise me is to see any or all of Morel, Mervis, and Owen Caissie traded this off season. Morel is a valuable piece without a true position. Mervis can't be the 1B for Iowa in 2024 lest you announce to MLB he has no to negative trade value. Caissie I put on this list because he shot up the prospect rankings list but is currently blocked to the MLB for at least 2 if not 3 seasons. His trade value is more a risk to fall than increase. He's a top 70 overall prospect. I'm not saying give him away. I could see him in package to bring in either a long term controlled 3B/1B or perhaps a close to TOR SP, Jose Ramirez or Dylan Cease come to mind.

Caissie should be in AA-AAA this year. He has the power to be a DH. I don't see him moved.

Mervis has no trade value until he is a proven product. He has more of a chance going to Japan.

As much as I would love to see Morel traded for Alonso I really don't see it tbh. But it is far more likely to happen than Ohtani. Even if Jed blew all of his payroll cushion (which is what it would take) getting him off the West Coast is even a harder feat.

Most have Ohtani at 12/585. I just don't see Tom shelling that out like ever
 
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CSF77

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Can you be any more gullible? Hoyer is such an honest guy. LOLOLOL

Really? I think he has been fairly honest. Add to it Tom has said that payroll will hoover in the same ball park.

I'll flip it and say you guys are smoking the good stuff. Puff puff pass bro.
 

Castor76

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Caissie should be in AA-AAA this year. He has the power to be a DH. I don't see him moved.

Mervis has no trade value until he is a proven product. He has more of a chance going to Japan.
Canario and PCA have shown similar pop. Right now the Cubs have a LF and RF with 3 years left on their deals and a NTC each. Caissie would be brought up to DH, but only if Morel is moved. Best case for Caissie is he spends 2024 in Iowa and continues to develop like he did in 2023. He still doesn't have anywhere to play unless somebody in front of him is traded. Cubs have a big surplus of top rated OF prospects. 1 getting traded can't be a surprise or a non-starter conversation.
 

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Jed pretty much shot that down. Don't expect mega deals.

MLBTR all 3 were in agreement that LAD would get him.

“But certainly, I really like our position. And if there are moves, even big moves, that will help us continue that trajectory, we'll definitely do it.. — Hoyer
 

Discus fish salesman

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Caissie should be in AA-AAA this year. He has the power to be a DH. I don't see him moved.

Mervis has no trade value until he is a proven product. He has more of a chance going to Japan.

As much as I would love to see Morel traded for Alonso I really don't see it tbh. But it is far more likely to happen than Ohtani. Even if Jed blew all of his payroll cushion (which is what it would take) getting him off the West Coast is even a harder feat.

Most have Ohtani at 12/585. I just don't see Tom shelling that out like ever
Ricketts has repeatedly said jed has whatever resources he needs. I'm pretty certain Ricketts is fine going up to the threshold and maybe over it if it means a deep playoff run.
 

knoxville7

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Jed pretty much shot that down. Don't expect mega deals.

MLBTR all 3 were in agreement that LAD would get him.

seems to be some buzz amongst the insiders that the cubs will be legit competitors for Ohtani
 

CSF77

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Very black horse move here. This kid has a top end glove and added some power last year. Who knows maybe he becomes a 3B option if he bulks
 

CSF77

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I swear you guys always do this every off-season.

It never happens.

But cool keep dreaming.
 

JP Hochbaum

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I swear you guys always do this every off-season.

It never happens.

But cool keep dreaming.
It isn't us doing this. Most of us had us with Ohtani chance at like 5-10% at the end of the year. But now with Craig being signed and other sources saying Ohtani is being pursued heavily even the odds makers are saying we are near 50% now.
 

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I swear you guys always do this every off-season.

It never happens.

But cool keep dreaming.
Oh, that's rich. Off season? You do it every damn day. No one here is even close to the original windsock. Best part is that its 90% wrong. There's so much useless shit in your posts, you can't even keep up with it all.
 

CSF77

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It isn't us doing this. Most of us had us with Ohtani chance at like 5-10% at the end of the year. But now with Craig being signed and other sources saying Ohtani is being pursued heavily even the odds makers are saying we are near 50% now.

I saw the reports that Ohtani is on the Cubs radar. Don't get me wrong I would be ecstatic

But thinking it over realistically a signing like that will cost 40-50M AAV. Tom has been a owner that has limits. We are not talking about a Mets or Padres team that overspends then goes into panic sale mode.

The system is decent but it would be hard pressed to be comfortable knowing that the payroll would be hampered going forward and the system would be challenged to provide a supporting cast.

So that is worrisome. That puts a supporting cast at 150M maybe. They still have to pony up 20M for the farm and players insurance which comes out of payroll and counted into tax.

It could be done. Sure but it would be inhouse support. I personally feel that Jed would be smarter using payroll for a rounded team. Like adding to the pen. Then trading for Alonso. Targeting Chapman for 3B. Get some cornerstone types then let some talent up well while trading some out.
 

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