Offseason thread

[TL1961]

It's good to see the Dodgers finally able to land a FA. This should help their chances of making the playoffs.

 

[Diehardfan]

It's good to see the Dodgers finally able to land a FA. This should help their chances of making the playoffs.

Yeah, I hope they win 150 games and maybe MLB will finally get their heads out of their asses.

BTW, how close are the fires to Dodger Stadium? That would be hilarious.

 

[CSF77]

Cubs are after Carlos Estévez. Blue Jays also in the mix. Cubs were the runner up to Scott. So they are serious about adding a high leverage to work with Hodge.

 

[CSF77]

Yeah, I hope they win 150 games and maybe MLB will finally get their heads out of their asses.

BTW, how close are the fires to Dodger Stadium? That would be hilarious.

Tokyo Dodgers has a nice ring to it.

 

[JP Hochbaum]

I'd like to see deferred payments banned in the next CBT, and just have current contracts grandfathered in. THis really destroys competitive balance.

 

[SilenceS]

I'd like to see deferred payments banned in the next CBT, and just have current contracts grandfathered in. THis really destroys competitive balance.

Deferred payments are nice but they actually will be less in the future, so kinda weird players are buying into it.

Cubs offered 4 years 66 million. Dodgers offered 4 years 72 million. 21 million signing bonus. 20 million deferred.

Edit: Im weird on relievers. They are so volatile year to year. Very few are constant dominant forces.

 

[CSF77]

HUGE News: Cade Horton Is Set for a Normal Spring Training!

Yes. Yes. Yes. YES. This is excellent news, my friends. According to Jordan Bastian (Cubs.com), Cubs top pitching prospect Cade Horton has already resumed

www.bleachernation.com

 

[CSF77]

Deferred payments are nice but they actually will be less in the future, so kinda weird players are buying into it.

Cubs offered 4 years 66 million. Dodgers offered 4 years 72 million. 21 million signing bonus. 20 million deferred.

Edit: Im weird on relievers. They are so volatile year to year. Very few are constant dominant forces.

I would be fine with either Yates or Estévez.

Ya it is worth less with inflation but it gets players signed in budget so it works.

What they are doing is called a loophole. Closing or lessening should be of more importance going forward.

Either a set % of the teams current payroll can be not on the 40 man. Say 5-10%. So a team can add base payroll to get into that % or not defer as much

A deal like that helps the union as it forces teams to spend to avoid penalties. And it limits loopholes.

 

[CSF77]

Dodgers To Sign Kirby Yates

The Dodgers and reliever Kirby Yates reached a "tentative" agreement, pending completion of a physical. Read more at MLB Trade Rumors.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

Over the top.

 

[CSF77]

Cubs Sign Jon Berti

The Cubs are adding a veteran utility player to their infield. Find out more at MLB Trade Rumors.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

A bit delayed. Been busy...

Seems that this is the IF answer to Hoerner being delayed. I take this is all in on Shaw/Hoerner with a vet injury back up.

I am fine with it. There will always be a fear issue with talent adjusting to MLB talent. But those decisions should come after said player proves to be inadequate vs blocking said player from opertunity

 

[CSF77]

Cubs at 198M for CBA. 43M under.

I can not see them going into spring under 225M. As far as a glaring hole it is closer right now. That is not going to cost 30M

There has been two directions talked about. Both are not long term solutions.

Trade with Houston again. Houston needs to drop payroll and they have Pressley. 16M and 1 year of control. Then Kenley Jansen on a one year.

I have no opinion on this tbh. Neither gives me a sense of excitement. Just a filler.

Personally I would be more excited to push button Horton to the rotation and make Brown the closer and lock up Tucker and Steele long term with that payroll.

Dodgers are going to financially implode eventually. Cubs should be looking at a 5 year window vs 2025.

 

[CSF77]

MLB Passes Two Small Rule Changes

MLB has passed two rule changes. Find out more at MLB Trade Rumors.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

 

[CSF77]

Cubs, Astros Have Discussed Ryan Pressly; Pitcher Has Not Waived No-Trade Clause
January 23rd, 2025 at 4:46pm CST • By Anthony Franco and Darragh McDonald
4:46pm: Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that Pressly has not agreed to waive his no-trade clause to this point. According to Rome, while the Astros are shopping Pressly, a deal is not considered imminent. The veteran righty would obviously need to approve a trade for anything to get across the finish line.

4:36pm: The Cubs are “on the verge” of acquiring right-hander Ryan Pressly from the Astros, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Pressly has a full no-trade clause and will have to waive it for a deal to be finalized.

 

[CSF77]

Interesting, why not I guess. Makes me wonder who they would flip it the no trade gets lifted

I'm guessing that he wants leverage right now. Maybe get the Cubs to add a year or two.

 

[CSF77]

x.com

x.com

Kicking the tires. This would be a 8th inning job offer and Hodge closes.

 

[CSF77]

I'm predicting Pressley. Cubs need to remove one 40 man spot for Berti and another for the closer add. Canario has no options and Kilian has one but no future in Chicago.

It makes sense. 14M puts them at 212M CBA. That allows Jed some room to extend players (PCA/Steele/Shaw) to keep payroll manageable over the next 5 years.

​

 

[CSF77]

Cubs, Astros Still Discussing Pressly; Tigers No Longer In The Mix​

By Anthony Franco | January 24, 2025 at 7:37pm CDT

7:37pm: Nightengale reports that the Tigers are no longer in the running. If Pressly does agree to move, it’s expected to be to the Cubs.
6:57pm: The Astros have officially asked Ryan Pressly whether he’d approve a trade to the Cubs, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports that they’ve also asked the reliever if he’d accept a deal to the Tigers. Chandler Rome, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic first reported this afternoon that the Tigers had been in discussions with Houston about Pressly.
In any case, it seems the ball is firmly in Pressly’s court. Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes that the Astros have reached a “tentative” agreement with at least one of those teams, which is obviously conditional on Pressly waiving the no-trade rights. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score suggests that the Cubs feel the holdups on the no-trade protection are “resolvable.”
Pressly has full no-trade protection as a player with at least 10 years of MLB service and five-plus service years with his current team. He grew up in the Dallas area and has pitched in Houston since the 2018 trade deadline. His wife Katharine is a Houston native. It’s not out of the question that he and his family simply prefer to stay there.
Pressly combined for 110 appearances between 2023-24, which triggered a $14MM vesting option on his deal. That’s probably a little above market value but not dramatically so. José Leclerc and Andrew Kittredge each signed $10MM free agent contracts this winter. Blake Treinen, who is six months older than Pressly, landed two years at $11MM annually.
After serving as Houston’s closer between 2020-23, Pressly moved into a setup role last year. That was in response to their late strike to add Josh Hader on a five-year free agent deal. He had a solid season, working to a 3.49 earned run average through 56 2/3 frames. Pressly’s strikeout rate dropped to a league average 23.8% clip — his lowest mark since his 2018 breakout — but he posted a solid 7.4% walk rate while picking up 25 holds.
The Cubs and Tigers have both been exploring the closer market. Each would presumably give Pressly the chance to return to the ninth inning. Chicago has a few less experienced pitchers (e.g. Porter Hodge, Nate Pearson, Tyson Miller) who could compete for saves. It’s a similar story in Detroit, where Beau Brieske, Jason Foley, Will Vest and Tyler Holton are part of what would projects as a closer by committee group. The Tigers have a strong relief group but lean heavily on their bullpen in games not started by Tarik Skubal. Adding Pressly would solidify the back end. He’s a known commodity for skipper A.J. Hinch, who managed him in Houston between 2018-19.

 

[CSF77]

Andrew Chafin is also out there. I would be fine with Chafin and Hodge setting up Pressly.

#DFA Zasnasky

 

[DrGonzo]

Bye bye Alzolay. Sorry if already posted.

New York Mets Agree to Contract With Former Chicago Cubs Closer

Former Chicago Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay has found a new home, as he has reportedly agreed to a two-year minor league deal with the New York Mets, according to

www.si.com

 

[CSF77]

Astros Trade Ryan Pressly To Cubs

The Cubs acquire two-time All-Star reliever Ryan Pressly in a trade with the Astros. Visit MLB Trade Rumors for more details.

www.mlbtraderumors.com