Offseason thread

[knoxville7]

Better hope that Shota, Suzuki, and even Yu Darvish let Ro know Chicago is a great destination

But yeah, dodgers are obviously the favorite

 

[CSF77]

Better hope that Shota, Suzuki, and even Yu Darvish let Ro know Chicago is a great destination

But yeah, dodgers are obviously the favorite

I would say that Chicago is #2. It comes down to do you want to compete or just get auto rings.

 

[CSF77]

All right this one might be gaining steam.

Max Fried and Travis d'Arnaud. Max's best numbers came with Travis behind the plate and they have been exclusive.

It has that feel of Lester and Ross so ya I can see it

MLBTR has Fried at 6/156. d'Arnaud is not ranked. He was sitting on 8M per and the braves dropped his opt. So 2/10-12M might be his market and if fits into Jed's preferred personal catcher style.

I would put this into the more likely rumor.

There have been a few pieces written on F/A pitchers and their pitching style and matching them up to team philosophy on the arms that they bring up. Max matched up with the Cubs well as his fastball has the same run that Steele's and Horton's. So a little tid-bit that pushes it to the more likely than not box.

 

[CSF77]

Angels Sign Travis d'Arnaud To Two-Year Deal

The Angels announced that they have signed catcher Travis d'Arnaud to a two-year deal. That pact reportedly comes with a …

www.mlbtraderumors.com

Typical. Come on Jed stop snoozing

 

[CSF77]

Nico Hoerner and Cody Bellinger Are Cubs Trade Candidates

Could the Cubs trade Nico Hoerner and/or Cody Bellinger this offseason?

www.bleachernation.com

 

[CSF77]

Here is some info on the why part on Jed focusing on rotation

Shota Home 2.72 ERA Road 3.14
Steele Home 3.23 ERA Road 2.87
Taillon Home 2.18 ERA Road 4.58
Assad Home 2.47 ERA Road 4.87

So the park played up more than normal. We should expect regression from both Taillon and Assad. Plus Shota could see more high fastballs in the seats.

 

[CSF77]

Yusei Kikuchi​

Gary Sanchez

Could be targets now. Might cost Jed 13M in 2025.

Another name tosses out there is Tyler O’Neill.

These are non QO targets. Jed would need to surrender their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2025 draft as well as $1 million of space from their 2025 international bonus pool.

I would guess at this moment Jed will not be able to go over tax or pick up QO player.

I do not see this being a thing on O'Neill. It would take trading out Cody to get RF open.

Kikuchi and Sanchez I can see being a real option.

 

[CSF77]

Kyle Higashioka is another to look out for. Half Japanese and bilingual. So if they are targeting Japanese pitchers it is a logical move at catcher.​

 

[TL1961]

One minute we are trading Bellinger because we have a glut of outfielders and outfield prospects, and the next minute we are trading for Tyler O’Neill. Makes no sense.

 

[CSF77]

One minute we are trading Bellinger because we have a glut of outfielders and outfield prospects, and the next minute we are trading for Tyler O’Neill. Makes no sense.

Cubs need a HR bat. He is a free agent Prediction:19. Tyler O’Neill: Three years, $42MM

There are options.

Kyle Higashioka and Yusei Kikuchi make the most sense. Gives a catcher and a Japaneese pitcher. Solves the language issue with Shota. Also makes the Cubs a better option for Roki Sasaki. Right now it is the Dodgers and the other teams. A move like this puts the Cubs into the conversation. It will not be about the money. It will be about other factors. Who he plays with will be a major factor. A basic being able to talk to your catcher is a ease of life offer.​

This illustrates that there are options available going forward. I personally would be fine letting Brown and Horton start out in the pen. That is two high quality arms learning the league while adding high leverage to a shitty pen.

O'Neil is just a name tossed out there from a site. He has GG quality D plus 30+ HR power. He is a clear upgrade form all 3 Cubs corner OF options.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Lol I'd much rather have bellinger for 2 more years than Oneill at all

 

[CSF77]

Lol I'd much rather have bellinger for 2 more years than Oneill at all

Depends if he is healthy or not. When healthy he has put up 3.5 WAR seasons. When his PA drop to 1/2 his value drops also.

Bellinger will make 52M over those two years and outside of 2023 his production has been worse. Even in full seasons his best was last year post 2019' juiced ball.

So if you are cool with paying 52M for a 2.5 WAR player on you man.

 

[CSF77]

The reality is Jed has made some bone headed moves. Swanson and Bellinger both make 27M each and both are producing as a 16-18M talent

O'Neil should get that type of cash and produces more.

If Suzuki made the step to a 30HR hitter or Paredes repeated 2023 this would be a lesser issue

If you are paying 30M you should be getting 5 WAR production.


Last year showed that the rest of the league was right on Cody and Jed is a clueless sod.

 

[knoxville7]

The reality is Jed has made some bone headed moves. Swanson and Bellinger both make 27M each and both are producing as a 16-18M talent

O'Neil should get that type of cash and produces more.

If Suzuki made the step to a 30HR hitter or Paredes repeated 2023 this would be a lesser issue

If you are paying 30M you should be getting 5 WAR production.


Last year showed that the rest of the league was right on Cody and Jed is a clueless sod.

Jed aint the only one...

 

[TL1961]

The reality is Jed has made some bone headed moves. Swanson and Bellinger both make 27M each and both are producing as a 16-18M talent

O'Neil should get that type of cash and produces more.

If Suzuki made the step to a 30HR hitter or Paredes repeated 2023 this would be a lesser issue

If you are paying 30M you should be getting 5 WAR production.


Last year showed that the rest of the league was right on Cody and Jed is a clueless sod.

You are clearly not familiar with Tyler O'Neill and his roller coaster career. You can't count on him to stay healthy or to produce. He will at times, but not consistently at all. He's a strike out machine as well.

 

[TL1961]

Cubs need a HR bat. He is a free agent Prediction:19. Tyler O’Neill: Three years, $42MM

There are options.

Kyle Higashioka and Yusei Kikuchi make the most sense. Gives a catcher and a Japaneese pitcher. Solves the language issue with Shota. Also makes the Cubs a better option for Roki Sasaki. Right now it is the Dodgers and the other teams. A move like this puts the Cubs into the conversation. It will not be about the money. It will be about other factors. Who he plays with will be a major factor. A basic being able to talk to your catcher is a ease of life offer.​

This illustrates that there are options available going forward. I personally would be fine letting Brown and Horton start out in the pen. That is two high quality arms learning the league while adding high leverage to a shitty pen.

O'Neil is just a name tossed out there from a site. He has GG quality D plus 30+ HR power. He is a clear upgrade form all 3 Cubs corner OF options.

You're suggesting a Japanese catcher and justifying it by saying it "solves the language issue with Shota". What issue?

O'Neill is a GG OF with 30+ HR power? He won two gold gloves (one in shortened 2020), and none since 2021. You know who has won every year since? Happ who you just said O'Neill is better than. O'Neill has 7 seasons in MLB. Four of them are <100 OPS+. I realize RBI is not the best stat to use, but it is hardly meaningless. Last year's 31 HR resulted in 61 RBI. Clutch. Sorry, I live in StL and watched him plenty. Cards fans were happy to see him go.

 

[CSF77]

You're suggesting a Japanese catcher and justifying it by saying it "solves the language issue with Shota". What issue?

O'Neill is a GG OF with 30+ HR power? He won two gold gloves (one in shortened 2020), and none since 2021. You know who has won every year since? Happ who you just said O'Neill is better than. O'Neill has 7 seasons in MLB. Four of them are <100 OPS+. I realize RBI is not the best stat to use, but it is hardly meaningless. Last year's 31 HR resulted in 61 RBI. Clutch. Sorry, I live in StL and watched him plenty. Cards fans were happy to see him go.

RBI is a team stat...

Happ 122 wRC+
Suzuki 138 wRC+
Bellinger 109 wRC+

O'Neil : 131 wRC+

So that puts him #2 behind Suzuki. I can buy Wrigley suppressing Suzuki's HR production.

Add to it O'Neil had 473 PA and still hit 31 HR. Devers was #2 at 28 with over 600 PA

You can go and bang the anti cards vibe. He was injured with the Cards and I get why they would shit on a injured player. It fits their shitty fan base well.

Regardless. This shows how clueless Jed is and his mantra of intelligent spending

Pay the most and get the least production from your so called super stars

Fucking typical Cubs logic.

 

[CSF77]

You are clearly not familiar with Tyler O'Neill and his roller coaster career. You can't count on him to stay healthy or to produce. He will at times, but not consistently at all. He's a strike out machine as well.

Strike outs are part of the game. It is only a problem if it causes a player to fall below 100 wRC+

I do get the injury vibe. His lower out put seasons were due to lower PA.

The way that I see this is Jed will most likely do not much. Cody is not a marketable player. He would have to take back a shitty player plus pay cash if their contracts are off.

Say Cody for Stro. 9M diff. If Jed is strapped he could toss in a prospect to have NY eat the diff.

But it makes more sense to build up Cody a bit. Get some of the bloated deal absorbed and trade out the left over for someone who has a high ceiling.

Jed is good as gone. He is good for trades. Putting together a final product he is not that guy. Theo was. So let him go into the season with a job to do. Pick up some short term filler to add to the sell off then finish off the season with the kids. See what they bring and let the new prez build a team around them.

I don't personally want O'Neil. I was just illustrating that he is better than Cody. Gauntlet was tossed and that was a easy win

So with Cody on a bad contract and Hoerner with a surgery recovery the correct move is to hold the deck. Get into the trade season and sell.

They are not going to be able to compete when they have over 50M locked into 2 sub 5 WAR players. I can buy Swanson. He put up over 4 WAR on his D. Just getting a decent year at the plate makes his cash work. Cody has to put up 4 WAR off of his bat. His glove is over rated.

 

[TL1961]

RBI is a team stat...

Happ 122 wRC+
Suzuki 138 wRC+
Bellinger 109 wRC+

O'Neil : 131 wRC+

So that puts him #2 behind Suzuki. I can buy Wrigley suppressing Suzuki's HR production.

Add to it O'Neil had 473 PA and still hit 31 HR. Devers was #2 at 28 with over 600 PA

You can go and bang the anti cards vibe. He was injured with the Cards and I get why they would shit on a injured player. It fits their shitty fan base well.

Regardless. This shows how clueless Jed is and his mantra of intelligent spending

Pay the most and get the least production from your so called super stars

Fucking typical Cubs logic.

You picked one year of his seven year career.

You just got done talking about Bellinger’s played appearances falling and thus his value falling and you turn around and Tyler O’Neill. And then you dismiss an injured year and pick on Cardinals fans. The fact of the matter is Tyler O’Neillin seven years in the bag has had four in which he’s done practically nothing. Injuries or not the whole point is you can’t count on him

 

[CSF77]

You picked one year of his seven year career.

You just got done talking about Bellinger’s played appearances falling and thus his value falling and you turn around and Tyler O’Neill. And then you dismiss an injured year and pick on Cardinals fans. The fact of the matter is Tyler O’Neillin seven years in the bag has had four in which he’s done practically nothing. Injuries or not the whole point is you can’t count on him

I did say that when he was healthy.

He has only 2 years that he has around 500 PA. both years he got to 30 HR.

We can kick out 2020 as that was the COVID season.

First two years is pretty typical for young players. Shuttle.

So 2021 was his break out. 22-23 were injury years and 2024 a rebound year.

He should get ,3/42 or 16M per. That is fair for his talent.

Cody on the other hand 1 season post COVID that he had less than 500 PA. but one season that was above 4 WAR. And no seasons after the juiced ball 2019 joke year that he broke 30 HR

So I take this as one guy that can put up raw power when he has 500 PA. Other guy is not.

Add to it one guy should get 16M other 27M.

It comes down to that. Poor spending by Jed to appease the fans vs making intelligent decisions and paying for players that can produce at a level that justifies a investment