Cubs offseason rumors/transactions

SilenceS

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Don’t think they have what it takes to get Bryant.

Bryant is a once in generation player. No, they have nothing. The cubs are built to win now not in 4 years


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CSF77

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Two Teams Have Made Offers To Bryan Shaw
By Kyle Downing | November 24, 2017 at 8:09pm CDT

According to Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com, two separate teams have made multi-year offers to Indians free agent reliever Bryan Shaw. As of now, the identities of the two teams are not yet known.

Hoynes notes that the Mets are reportedly among the teams that have shown interest in the right-hander. Shaw has spent the last five seasons with the Indians, during which time newly-minted Mets manager Mickey Callaway was his pitching coach.

Shaw has long been one of baseball’s most durable relievers. Since coming to Cleveland in the three-team trade that sent Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds, the 6’1″ righty has logged at least 64 innings. During that time, he’s appeared in a major league-leading 378 games. That kind of consistency from a reliever is rare, making him a coveted asset in this year’s free agent crop. Shaw ranked 25th on this year’s iteration of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents With Predictions. For what it’s worth, MLBTR picked Shaw to land with the Red Sox.

Durability wasn’t the only reason Shaw earned a spot in the top 25, however. The former second-round draft pick of the Diamondbacks has a lifetime 3.13 ERA, and has never posted a full-season mark higher than this year’s 3.52. And yet, despite a career-high ERA, Shaw managed to post his highest-ever fWAR total for a single season in 2017 (1.6 fWAR). While his 0.65 WPA for the season doesn’t quite paint the same picture, it’s difficult to argue that Shaw has provided great value to the Tribe in a setup role.

Shaw just turned 30 years old this month. It seems likely he’ll command at least a three-year contract.

Feels like a deal that Theo would do. Get in a legit set up under the table.
 

TC in Mississippi

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Feels like a deal that Theo would do. Get in a legit set up under the table.

Amazing that in the piece you posted that the writer, while mentioning Shaw's highest career ERA, didn't mention his career best FIP of 2.96 which was the reason he put up such a gaudy WAR number. I'd certainly take Shaw. He's that rarest of beasts, a consistent reliever.
 

CSF77

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They haven’t mentioned the 2nd team to this point. Mets are going nowhere fast as a team.

I would be happy if Theo was in on him.
 

CSF77

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That is the one area that I felt would be strong in 2017. I looked at it as they leaned on Chapman too much and went into 2017 adding Davis and Uehara. Now in theory the pen should have been better but they lacked leverage guys in it. When you are left with your starter and your closer you are screwed. Renting another closer solves nothing.
 

CSF77

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But living in San Diego for 20 years I’ve watched the Pad’s pretty close every year. Every year that they were good they had one thing in common. A strong pen. The starters were 6 inning pitchers and they had a set 7th and 8th inning guy. Basically if they had the lead going into the 7th game over.
 

beckdawg

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Shaw has a pretty high ground ball rate(50.6%) and a pretty low(for a reliever) walk rate(3.04). Typically that hasn't been the type of guy the cubs went after in relievers which is kind of odd because that *is* the type of guy they've gone after as a starter. They've been more apt to go for high k rate guys who haven't really had great control.

Depending on cost I wouldn't hate Shaw but I'm just not sure that's how the front office will think.
 

zack54attack

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My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Fire
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
  1. North Carolina Tar Heels
So this Javy Baez/Orioles thing is just someone throwing things at a wall trying to get their name out there, isn't it?
 

beckdawg

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What Baez/O's thing? I've not heard it yet.

Assume you're talking about https://sportsmockery.com/2017/11/report-orioles-cubs-baez/ right?

If so... I don't think I see it. Baez for Britton + Gausman makes a tad bit of sense but you're basically banking on Gausman being a good starter. I think Gausman would be an intriguing guy to buy low on but to buy low on him and buy low on Britton for baez? Not seeing it making sense. Plus I've read the O's are looking to add starters not subtract.
 

CSF77

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So this Javy Baez/Orioles thing is just someone throwing things at a wall trying to get their name out there, isn't it?

Kevin Gausman Would be a ideal fixer project.

I don’t believe this has any wheels though
 

CSF77

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I hate you.

I guess. Nice weather doesn’t suck. High gas prices bad job market and over priced housing. My 2 BR condo is valued the same as the 2 BR house my brother sold in Rolling Meadows. And my condo would add 200k if in mission valley.

Nice in theory but not ideal. I’m concidering Azl after retirement myself. Cost of living is far better
 

CSF77

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Many expect the Cubs to trade from their position player depth to fill a spot in the rotation, but ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers cautions that such a trade may not be as likely as one would think. President Theo Epstein did acknowledge after the season that the team may have to consider dealing from the big league roster to add a pitcher, and names like Javier Baez, Addison Russell, Ian Happ, Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora have all been listed as speculative possibilities. However, Rogers points out how crucial that depth has been in dealing with injuries and suggests that depleting said depth could simply create further troubles. Free agency is a better fit, Rogers opines, suggesting the oft-speculated match between Alex Cobb and the Cubs as a starting point. Also of note, Rogers notes that an informal poll of rival execs at this month’s GM Meetings suggested that Baez and Russell are “neck and neck” in trade value.
 

anotheridiot

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Many expect the Cubs to trade from their position player depth to fill a spot in the rotation, but ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers cautions that such a trade may not be as likely as one would think. President Theo Epstein did acknowledge after the season that the team may have to consider dealing from the big league roster to add a pitcher, and names like Javier Baez, Addison Russell, Ian Happ, Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora have all been listed as speculative possibilities. However, Rogers points out how crucial that depth has been in dealing with injuries and suggests that depleting said depth could simply create further troubles. Free agency is a better fit, Rogers opines, suggesting the oft-speculated match between Alex Cobb and the Cubs as a starting point. Also of note, Rogers notes that an informal poll of rival execs at this month’s GM Meetings suggested that Baez and Russell are “neck and neck” in trade value.

They did not repeat so "players" are all "assets" again. I bought into Theo until the Heyward signing. They signed him with the excuse to replace Fowler for a couple years. Gotta wonder how much that effects him in making another 9 figure deal. As far as Cobb, did anyone really know about him before these talks started? Sure we knew try to fix the sins of the past getting Archer back, but giving up Russell or Baez for Cobb? For Archer, no problem, but Cobb?
 

beckdawg

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They did not repeat so "players" are all "assets" again. I bought into Theo until the Heyward signing. They signed him with the excuse to replace Fowler for a couple years. Gotta wonder how much that effects him in making another 9 figure deal. As far as Cobb, did anyone really know about him before these talks started? Sure we knew try to fix the sins of the past getting Archer back, but giving up Russell or Baez for Cobb? For Archer, no problem, but Cobb?

? Cobb is a FA. And people did know about him prior to this year. He was one of Tampa's better starters prior to 2016 when he blew out his arm. Personally I don't think I would sign him because of the fact he literally only had 2 useful pitches last year. But if you're a proponent for him you're suggesting his change up goes back to the out pitch it was prior to 2016.
 

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