Trade Deadline:

[knoxville7]

I would lean towards no deals right now. He will have to demote Mastro to bring in Paredes. He did open 2 40 man roster spots in that deal so Person and Paredes should slot in with no issues.

I don't feel it is enough to compete but getting a play off slot is with in reason as is. We can assume that Bellinger will DH for the time being and Paredes will man 3B.

Hoerner 2B
Busch 1B
Paredes 3B
Bellinger DH
Suzuki RF
Happ LF
Swanson SS
PCA CF
Amaya C

This should add 1-2 runs per game on avg. Cubs are pretty solid when scoring 4+ per game so it is not outside of possibility that they can get into a run.

lmao wut?! you think adding paredes will add 1-2 runs per game?? lmao

 

[Diehardfan]

lmao wut?! you think adding paredes will add 1-2 runs per game?? lmao

I see PCA in that lineup too.....lol. Weren't we just told he was a bust. The wind must have changed direction.

 

[SilenceS]

Leiter Jr to the Yanks for Cowles and Neely

Cowles seems more of UI that has worked on his swing and miss this year.

Neely is interesting. Giant guy.

6'9 with a 95 to 97 MPH fast and a plus plus slider. Seems like a late inning guy that could produce in the very near future.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Thank Allah, they got rid of Morel and Leiter!

 

[Szlachcic]

Cubs traded Mark Leighter to Yankees.

Home

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www.nbcsportschicago.com

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Nico no show/no called his weekly hit on 670 right now... never done that before. Hmm.

 

[Probie2429]

Nice haul for Leiter. Hopefully Hoyer isn’t done. Smyly seems like an obvious depth piece for a playoff team.

 

[TL1961]

Padres traded their #2, #4, #5 and #24 prospects for Tanner Scott.

Good gravy.

 

[TL1961]

Eloy Jimenez is apparently still in baseball. Who knew?

Traded to Orioles.

 

[TL1961]

Meanwhile the Dodgers just continue to add.

Jack Flaherty to LA.

Hope it’s post-deadline’23 Jack Flaherty.

 

[Probie2429]

Last place team and was only able to trade Leiter out of all the guys that really have no long term future on the club. Will Hoyer even be GM this time next year?

 

[JP Hochbaum]

The Cubs can drastically have reduced payroll next year, which is why I think they largely stayed the same team.
1. It gives this team a decent chance to come back. Highly unlikely I know, but it means something to the players.
2. With the year Belli is having, I think it would be a bad move for him to opt out. So I think he stays. Though I think the Cubs can buy him out for 2.5 million to let him go, not 100% sure about this though.
3. Swanson, Suzuki, Taillon, Happ, Hoener, Imanaga, are the only roster players not in arbitration years, so the rest of the roster is very cheap.
4. If the Cubs wanted to make a move for Soto, I would have to think they trade one of their outfielders as well.
5. I feel pretty good about the state of their starting pitching, and wouldn't make a major move there.
6. The focus has to be a superstar weather it be Soto or Alonso, or a trade. They need to get at least one this off season.
7. THey also need a catcher and the Jays have two, either Kirk or Jenses would be fine.

 

[TL1961]

As far as adding a “superstar“ I would absolutely throw up all over myself if that was Pete Alonso. You mentioned Soto and Alonso in the same sentence and they just are not at all comparable. (Not suggesting you are saying they are.)

Alonso will hit home, runs and play bad defense, but we now have someone at third and first, so hopefully pursuit has ended.

With PCA in centerfield and two gold glovers in the middle of the infield that’s a nice solid D up the middle, but you gotta get offense somewhere. Frankly, with all of the outfield prospects the Cubs have, and with or without Bellinger on the team in 2025, Suzuki‘s the guy that’s got to get out of the lineup. He’s an average bat and bad defender. That needs to be replaced.

I would certainly hope for better than Ian Happ as well, but unless that’s a trade acquisition, he’s not gonna lose his spot to a rookie. So we have what we have: mediocre to bad offense.

Defensively if you had Happ, PCA and Bellinger in the outfield, that would be very solid but again who hits?

I think salary wise as you pointed out, they actually could take on a big salary like a Soto although that will be enormous. I just don’t think they’ll seriously be a contender for him, but I hope I’m wrong.

 

[JP Hochbaum]

Yeah the major holes are OF hitting, 2b hitting, catcher hitting, closer. I leave out Swanson, because we are stuck there, he just has to improve.
This leaves trading one of Suzuki or Hoerner. I don't consider Alonso a super star but a star, he adds tremendous offense though, and agree we don't really have a spot for him unless we move Hoerner and shift Busch over to 2b.

 

[knoxville7]

Yeah the major holes are OF hitting, 2b hitting, catcher hitting, closer. I leave out Swanson, because we are stuck there, he just has to improve.
This leaves trading one of Suzuki or Hoerner. I don't consider Alonso a super star but a star, he adds tremendous offense though, and agree we don't really have a spot for him unless we move Hoerner and shift Busch over to 2b.

DH Alonso? Im not a fan of bringing him in, but i could see them DHing him with Busch at first

 

[TL1961]

Yeah the major holes are OF hitting, 2b hitting, catcher hitting, closer. I leave out Swanson, because we are stuck there, he just has to improve.
This leaves trading one of Suzuki or Hoerner. I don't consider Alonso a super star but a star, he adds tremendous offense though, and agree we don't really have a spot for him unless we move Hoerner and shift Busch over to 2b.

And if you move Busch to second and play Alonso at first all the offense in the world isn’t gonna help because that’s one horrible defense side of the infield

 

[Szlachcic]

Frankly, with all of the outfield prospects the Cubs have, and with or without Bellinger on the team in 2025, Suzuki‘s the guy that’s got to get out of the lineup. He’s an average bat and bad defender. That needs to be replaced.

I don't agree about Suzuki, he and Bellinger carry the same batting avg,,

 

[TL1961]

I don't agree about Suzuki, he and Bellinger carry the same batting avg,,

Well, if they have the same batting average, that’s one thing. Bellinger has more power and Bellinger is a significantly better defender so why in the world would you stick with the guy who can’t catch in the outfield over Bellinger?

based on batting average of all things?

 

[CSF77]

Ideally they run:

LF Happ
CF Bellinger
RF Caissie
3B Paredes
SS Swanson
2B Hoerner
1B Busch
C (I would target Jansen)
DH Suzuki

Closer the market really is not looking great. This they should target a trade. Over pay on Mason Miller IMO. Cubs will have the return that Oakland wants. His broken hand prevented a trade this season

They will be in Sacramento for a few years so those fans will not matter. So looking at it from the A's perspective Miller is pointless for a few wasted seasons in Sac. Their window should be starting in Las Vegas.

My opinion is Shaw and Tirantos bye. Cubs are set in their IF for years. I can see Paredes being the next ARam and it is desirable to lock that up for a few years. He has smooth D at 3B and holds a solid OBA while S/O little. I see no reason why not.

So going into next year Janson as a F/A and over pay on Miller. You need to stabilize those 2 spots to have a team that we can say, ya they could be dangerous

 

[JP Hochbaum]

And if you move Busch to second and play Alonso at first all the offense in the world isn’t gonna help because that’s one horrible defense side of the infield

I wouldn't say that, Busch just started playing first regularly and he has developed nicely there, better than average. And he used to play second so yeah there would be a drop off from a gold glover to him, but calling it horrible is a bit extreme.