Offseason rumors/discussion thread

[JimJohnson]

I said if Russell comes back and HAS SUCCESS. Past years are irrelevant.

 

[CSF77]

I said if Russell comes back and HAS SUCCESS. Past years are irrelevant.

If Nico blasts up like we expect and fills the lead off role and Baez continues his trend Russell is out. If he has success it adds trade weight. His actions sealed his fate. Everything said has been lip service.

 

[anotheridiot]

If Nico blasts up like we expect and fills the lead off role and Baez continues his trend Russell is out. If he has success it adds trade weight. His actions sealed his fate. Everything said has been lip service.

It was interesting to see Nico listed as 2B on a prospect site I saw. Dont know if he is officially off SS other than fill-in in the organization or just the ranking site.

 

[CSF77]

It was interesting to see Nico listed as 2B on a prospect site I saw. Dont know if he is officially off SS other than fill-in in the organization or just the ranking site.

They will most likely keep him at SS most of the way up. But in reality he is not going to end up there. 2B is a natural default. They may also have him play some CF. But it is his bat that they are looking at which forces playing time. Same thing happened with Javy. It pushed Zo off 2B

 

[chibears55]

Guess we can take this as something big about to happen soon...

https://twitter.com/MLBBruceLevine/status/1081581609277710338?s=19

 

[CSF77]

Guess we can take this as something big about to happen soon...

https://twitter.com/MLBBruceLevine/status/1081581609277710338?s=19

They went over with Hamels and continued with each minor signing.

 

[chibears55]

They went over with Hamels and continued with each minor signing.

I doubt that what he was talking about

 

[CSF77]

I doubt that what he was talking about

Hope is another 4 letter word

 

[Castor76]

With pure guesstimation on what guys will get in arbitration, gave them 50% raises or average of 2 M for first timers, The Cubs will have about 180 M if they pick up all the options they have and the team stayed static with the roster. I know it won't, but got nothing else to work with right now. 4 of the suspected 25 Man roster would be coming off. That's where they'd be in 2020.

 

[beckdawg]

Tommy Birch
✔
@TommyBirch
Free agent signing that #Cubs fans should keep an eye on: RHP Colin Rea. Source tells me the Cascade, Iowa native is on Chicago's radar.

Kind of an uninteresting depth arm but he's only 28. Been rehabbing the past 2 seasons from TJ.

 

[JimJohnson]

Kind of an uninteresting depth arm but he's only 28. Been rehabbing the past 2 seasons from TJ.

Cubs always trying to go after players rehabbing from TJ.

 

[CSF77]

Cubs always trying to go after players rehabbing from TJ.

So SDP basically paid him last year to rehab. while adding to his service time. Cubs would have him at super 2, Which is dumb as he missed 2 full years.

I would honestly pass. They would be adding service time and is a arb case (why SD most likely dropped him)

Stuff like this takes up pay roll that could be used for this year. This is a 2020 opportunity and those should be dealt with then. Both situations are B.S. IMO.

 

[beckdawg]

So... just a couple of thoughts. The media has made this FA period out to be the end all be all one with Machado and harper. But is it *really*? Mookie Betts is gonna hit FA in 2 years. Lindor will hit FA in 3. Mike Trout is in 2 years. Arenado is next year. Rendon is also next year. Out of the top 11 guys in fWAR that's 5 guys over the next three years. Now sure some probably re-sign but I doubt Lindor does. I doubt Arenado does. And Betts and Trout would sorta be crazy not to at least test FA unless they are just given ridiculous deals.

 

[fatbeard]

Arenado would be insane to leave CO. Coors Field pumps up his numbers to where he's a perennial MVP candidate. He's completely pedestrian on the road.

 

[beckdawg]

Arenado would be insane to leave CO. Coors Field pumps up his numbers to where he's a perennial MVP candidate. He's completely pedestrian on the road.

While I agree to an extent, the rumors are they don't really want to pay him. With Story likely to move to third when Brendan Rodgers is called up and with Garrett Hampson likely as their 2B of the future they don't really need to pay him. And I mean like I said I tend to agree his splits are troubling but it's not like he's *bad* on the road. He's a career .263/.318/.469 hitter(108 wRC+) on the road and clearly he's a gold glove defensive 3B. It's more a question of how much money he wants. If he wants to be paid like the hitter he is with the inflated numbers from COL then sure he's asking a lot. But it wouldn't shock me if the market is softer on him because of those splits.

Regardless even at a 108 wRC+ which I think its probably a bit low given hitters typically hit better at home, he is easily a 3-4 win player.

 

[MDB111™]

So... just a couple of thoughts. The media has made this FA period out to be the end all be all one with Machado and harper. But is it *really*? Mookie Betts is gonna hit FA in 2 years. Lindor will hit FA in 3. Mike Trout is in 2 years. Arenado is next year. Rendon is also next year. Out of the top 11 guys in fWAR that's 5 guys over the next three years. Now sure some probably re-sign but I doubt Lindor does. I doubt Arenado does. And Betts and Trout would sorta be crazy not to at least test FA unless they are just given ridiculous deals.

Trout is a East coast kid. I could see the Yankees backing up all the money trucks for him in 2 years.

 

[beckdawg]

Trout is a East coast kid. I could see the Yankees backing up all the money trucks for him in 2 years.

I could see every team in baseball backing up all the money trucks for him. I mean he's probably already a hall of fame player and he's only 27.

 

[beckdawg]

I could see every team in baseball backing up all the money trucks for him. I mean he's probably already a hall of fame player and he's only 27.

To put this into perspective, Chipper Jones in his entire career had 84.8 fWAR in 19 seasons. Trout has 64.7 in 8. He could conceivably have more by the time he becomes a FA than Chipper has in his entire career.

 

[MDB111™]

To put this into perspective, Chipper Jones in his entire career had 84.8 fWAR in 19 seasons. Trout has 64.7 in 8. He could conceivably have more by the time he becomes a FA than Chipper has in his entire career.

I picked the Yankees because theoretically, the only teams capable of signing Trout would be your annual deep pocket teams Dodgers, Sox, Yanks, Cubs etc.
But yeah, Trout is insane. He is damn near tied with Dawson right now in WAR!

 

[CSF77]

I could see Trout getting 10/400 and no one would bat a eyelash. He is most likely the best hitter sense Williams.