Our prized recruit from the rebuild haul

[TL1961]

Grammar police when you realize you have no other argument lol

No I don’t play grammar police very often I just wanna point out somebody calling other people idiots being an idiot

 

[knoxville7]

it also shows the OP’s lack of knowledge when he refers to the kid as a “recruit.” Lmao what does he think this is…college??? There are no “recruits” in MLB

classic @jts1207 BRANEfarts

 

[CSF77]

Cards should trade for Hendricks. Just so he won't spank them anymore.

"I'm ready for him to retire -- that's my thought on him," Marmol quipped after Hendricks dealt St. Louis a 3-0 loss on Friday night at Busch Stadium. "He does a nice job and baffles the [expletive] out of me every time. Knows what he’s doing, controls counts, mixes well and keeps guys off balance.
"Yeah, I’m tired of seeing his face."

 

[knoxville7]

Cards should trade for Hendricks. Just so he won't spank them anymore.

"I'm ready for him to retire -- that's my thought on him," Marmol quipped after Hendricks dealt St. Louis a 3-0 loss on Friday night at Busch Stadium. "He does a nice job and baffles the [expletive] out of me every time. Knows what he’s doing, controls counts, mixes well and keeps guys off balance.
"Yeah, I’m tired of seeing his face."

It’d suck to see him in a cards uni, but I imagine the Cubs would make the cards overpay to get him since trading with your division rival is so “taboo.”

 

[DrGonzo]

Agree Thompson and Steele are a bright note in an abysmal year. I still think it's reasonable to expect Ricketts to pony up for an ace if/when the roster is rebuilt enough to compete.

 

[TL1961]

It’d suck to see him in a cards uni, but I imagine the Cubs would make the cards overpay to get him since trading with your division rival is so “taboo.”

Teams seem to give players to the Cardinals for next to nothing. Dbacks, Rockies, etc

 

[knoxville7]

Teams seem to give players to the Cardinals for next to nothing. Dbacks, Rockies, etc

Not the cubbies…at least in a long time! Lol

 

[zack54attack]

Teams seem to give players to the Cardinals for next to nothing. Dbacks, Rockies, etc

Two pretty bad trades for those teams in terms of what they got back. Almost as bad as the Brewers getting Yelich for nothing..

 

[CSF77]

Most of those deals were to clear payroll for the other team. Cards just know when to strike and to take on cash vs lose talent.

Now if StL would do a deal lol ke Contreras and Hendricks for:

3. Jordan Walker, 3B, 19, High-A
Walker dominated 2021 in a big way. The 19-year-old hit 14 home runs, 48 RBI, 14 SB, and a .317 average. Walker has skyrocketed up most of the Cardinals prospect lists and will be a mainstay in the top of them for years to come. The all-around talent is there and has made him into one of the top 3B prospects in all of baseball. He’s still really young and will be a future stud.

4. Ivan Herrera, C, 21, AAA
Herrera got a small taste of Triple-A in 2021 with only 4 plate appearances. Although he didn’t have a great average in Double-A, he did hit 17 home runs and 63 RBI. One of the more consistent hitting prospects in the organization, that average in 2021 seems like a minor speed bump on the way to being the next big thing behind the plate in St. Louis.

Then StL gives Wilson his cash that he wanted and they really don't lose much when Yadi retires.

 

[SilenceS]

I think the MEt are going to be big players for Contreras and they have some great prospects.

 

[CSF77]

I think the MEt are going to be big players for Contreras and they have some great prospects.

Yanks might be all in. They are in win all mode and have a team that can beat the Dodgers. Ya Mets might be in on it just because Coehn sold the farm for the magic beans this year.

 

[Diehardfan]

Here's the thing....sure, you can get some great "prospects" for Willy but that's all they are. They might turn out great, they might suck. Out of all the top guys the Cubs were prepared to deal, he is the one guy I would sign. At the catcher position, you need to look long and hard to find one that can hit, defend and even run. Plus he's a baller....plays like his "hair's on fire". And now with the DH in play, his longevity just increased as he doesn't have to be behind the plate to still be in the lineup. They'd have to really hit a home run to win a trade featuring Contreras.

 

[SilenceS]

Here's the thing....sure, you can get some great "prospects" for Willy but that's all they are. They might turn out great, they might suck. Out of all the top guys the Cubs were prepared to deal, he is the one guy I would sign. At the catcher position, you need to look long and hard to find one that can hit, defend and even run. Plus he's a baller....plays like his "hair's on fire". And now with the DH in play, his longevity just increased as he doesn't have to be behind the plate to still be in the lineup. They'd have to really hit a home run to win a trade featuring Contreras.

They want Amaya for the future. He is down with TJ. Im torn on it cause Willy can be inconsistent but I also do think he could be a little Yadier Molina for a team for the next 5 years. We will see

 

[Diehardfan]

They want Amaya for the future. He is down with TJ. Im torn on it cause Willy can be inconsistent but I also do think he could be a little Yadier Molina for a team for the next 5 years. We will see

I'm not sure I'd want someone who's not had an AB past AA ball and is coming off major surgery to hold the Cub's catching future in his hands.

Call me crazy.....but if Hoyer does his job, I think the Cubs will be making another run in two years. Willy will be ready....not sure Amaya will.

 

[SilenceS]

I'm not sure I'd want someone who's not had an AB past AA ball and is coming off major surgery to hold the Cub's catching future in his hands.

Call me crazy.....but if Hoyer does his job, I think the Cubs will be making another run in two years. Willy will be ready....not sure Amaya will.

Amaya is defensively ready. His bat had progressed well. Willy told him this off season the future is him. Thats why I am saying that

 

[Adipost]

Reading these recent comments by the Cubs president of business operations tells me they are going to be spending big again next season. If that is the case, they should probably just lock Contreras up…


Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney called the organization’s cost-cutting moves “a talking point” and “a false narrative,” defending the Ricketts family ownership group during Saturday’s appearance on 670 The Score, the team’s flagship radio station.

Kenney also referenced the concept of the savings account for baseball operations that Theo Epstein and Hoyer set up years ago. This is not standard operating procedure in the baseball industry, but the famous example became the Yankees outbidding the Cubs for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka after the 2013 season. Epstein and Hoyer reallocated that money and pursued big-game pitcher Jon Lester, who signed a six-year, $155 million contract with a last-place team after the 2014 season and helped end the 108-year World Series drought.

“If you look at between 2016 and 2021, we rank fourth in all of baseball, only behind the Yankees, Dodgers and just a smidge behind the Red Sox,” Kenney said. “When we were in that championship window, we were one of the top spenders in baseball. And during those six years, we tripped the CBT penalty three times, including as late as 2020, (which) was a shortened season, obviously, but we were over the limit in ’19 as well. I go back now through Sam Zell and all the way back through Tribune (Co.). We’re so lucky that we have an owner that lets us spend when the time is right.

“Clearly, this year, we’ve taken a step back. And as I said, all the resources that weren’t used that would have pushed us up the ladder on the payroll chart this year will go into next year’s budget. So I feel really lucky that Tom (Ricketts) has never said like, ‘No, I don’t want to spend.’

“Yes, in this one single year, we’re back into the middle of the table. But if you look at any sort of reasonable length of time, we’re always in the top four or five.”

 

[JP Hochbaum]

I think it depends on what the Cubs get offered. Because right now the chance of resigning Contreras is really low, so letting him walk without compensation is a horrible move, and could happen even if Cubs give a fair deal. We saw this with Baez, Rizzo and Bryant who all walked and got less money.

 

[Diehardfan]

I think it depends on what the Cubs get offered. Because right now the chance of resigning Contreras is really low, so letting him walk without compensation is a horrible move, and could happen even if Cubs give a fair deal. We saw this with Baez, Rizzo and Bryant who all walked and got less money.

And why exactly, is that? They will have the funds and the way Ross is using the catchers this year tells me that there will be plenty of games and ABs for Amaya if he is indeed ready. If he doesn't work out, you still got Willy and if Amaya is the real deal....having two catchers that can play and DH would be a bonus. Contreras loves it here, he wants to stay and he's still young enough where if he was used correctly....he could be a useful piece for another 5 years.

IMOP.....unless it's an absolute killer, franchise altering offer....they should and will resign him.

 

[CSF77]

What I would call a strong play from the Cubs is:

Trade Contreras and Hendricks. Free up a bit of cash. Toss in Madgral for a better return.

Cubs have 2 solid catchers right now. Promote Kilian to take his lumps. The Cubs need to be in the top 3 in the draft after this mess.

Off-season.

Target Max Muncy and Josh Bell. Muncy can play 3B, 2B and 1B. That would be a huge improvement over what is current. Bell is a masher. Make the splash deal here.

After that keep Happ and maybe extend him. He does give plus value and he would still work going forward.

Way I would work it:

SS Hoerner.
LF Happ
RF Suzuki
1B Bell
3B Wisdom
2B Muncy
DH Schwindel (cost cut)
C Gomes
CF Morel (Dude got a cannon in CF)

 

[CSF77]

After Morel reeled in the liner off the bat of Solano for the inning's second out, he came up firing quickly, as Pham tagged and sprinted for the plate. According to Statcast, the throw left Morel's hand at 97.3 mph.