So in free agency, since it sounds like we're not bringing Belli back, all the money has to go to...Chapman and bullpen?
Cubs need to fire Boog and go after Len again White Sox world series hopes are over for a while and calling a WS game on the radio was his reason for leaving Boog is a tough listen
I always felt like that was a bullshit excuse and it had more to do with him not liking the way things were ran between the Ricketts/Marquee. Either way I feel like Len coming back is a long shot at best.
knowing they played some meaningful games in September will keep me warm as I watch Bellinger sign elsewhere this winter
Exactly. All the guys we likely would have dealt won't be back next year anyway, and now we got nothing in return.
unlike these last 2 months which ultimately led to absolutely nothing. We’ll all remember this for years and years
that the point of playing baseball is the acquire good players and play in meaningful situations even if it doesn’t work out
It’s cool you prioritize being entertained for 7 weeks over acquiring a few top prospects to continue a rebuild on a roster that just proved wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs like we knew before the season started. Im sure you’re going to talk to your grand kids about the time you got to see the 2023 cubs choke in September. But at least they didn’t improve the roster!!!
Listening to Hoyer and it’s pretty clear that Belli isn’t returning… Man what a fucking stupid decision to not sell off. Looks like Ross is safe, both Ricketts and Hoyer came out strongly in favor of Ross. Let’s see where we spend this offseason, I’m not sure I love the Alonso rumors but they are red hot.
While I agree with the concept that we need a first baseman, not sure what I'd be willing to give up for a guy who just hit .217 and is not a good defender. Love the homers, but at at 3-4 WAR price. Think we go after the Japanese pitcher and bullpen help in addition to one + bat.
Or maybe he prioritizes the development of players already on the team that will be part of that future. Getting 1-2 low to mid-level prospects for a rental was never going to change the future of the franchise. You're so addicted to #prospectz!!!! that you can't see the forest for the trees. Players develop through meaningful action. Not on spreadsheets. You have to give these guys chances to play in games that matter. That's how you build a long-term culture instead of playing the lottery every year and hoping some magical recipe of #prospectz!!!! works out.
his average was way down this year compared to the last 2, I’d be interested to know why. He has one arb year left but I assume any trade would come with a big extension
No im a realist and every metric said this team wasn’t a playoff team going into the season and the eye test said they weren’t good enough. The regular season record against playoffs teams told you that. 1 run game record told you that. The fact they were 9 under against the toughest part of the schedule told you that. But hey trading one of the top pitchers and hitters on the market apparently would only return a low level prospect in your bullshit narrative. Everyone knew these guys weren’t returning so the question was prospects or false hope for 8 weeks. I have no interest in the false hope.
They took calls on Bellinger, Stroman, Leiter and Gomes. None of it amounted to anything. Let’s hope Steele and Wicks keep going and that Horton, PCA and Shaw are legit. They would have moved Caissie for something bigger than Jeimer.
Nah man, we turned down some incredible imaginary trades for the top 5 prospects in baseball and we would have won 17 world series the next 20 years if we hadn't.
Nobody is saying the prospects would be elite players or lead to a dynasty. But I rather have more bullets in the clip for moves down the road when this team is actually looked at like a legit contender over this bullshit two month run where they choked at the end. We look at things differently and that fine. No need to continue to talk in circles.
Why is that? I’m going to lean on the reason being the team catching fire by beating terrible teams, the fan base getting exited because the local media began a narrative that this team could be in the playoffs. At that point with so much constant talk about this ownership and front office being cheap, not spending and always concerned with prospects that Hoyer let this team go. It’s not like he spent on acquiring talent to reinforce the team. That alone tells you he knew this team wasn’t legit. Couple token moves but nothing that screams let’s do this! it’s over with… now we can focus on free agency because this team needs a couple of power bats, a front of rotation starter and probably a pen arm or two. They worked the few guys early in the season they had nothing left in September
I totally understand your viewpoint, I just think you're flippantly downplaying the gains from getting experience in high leverage situations. I don't care if I thought we were World Series caliber or not. I care about progress I just don't think that continually throwing away half of your season and crossing your fingers is the best way to evaluate prospects and build culture Sometimes you have to let the guys go for it.
If we were brining back Belli and Stro I would be 100% on board with you. Because the points you make are logical. But we all know they won’t be coming back. So all this progress is for nothing because we have a lot of work to get the talent level back to what it is now.
What would it take beyond Caissie and Shaw to get Soto? Only one year left, so it's not gonna be anywhere near the haul SD gave up to get him.
I think Cade Horton might be the only player the cubs have id be hesitant to put in a Juan spot trade. I just can’t see the cubs making the move and then giving him a ten year $400 mil contract or whatever it will cost
Rumor has Cody landing in the 165m range. I think the cubs could be in that game. Anything north of 200m I think we look elsewhere Also seems like Stro will opt back in. Hendricks was going to get an extension but hasn’t happened. We shall see if they are linked and if one may have to be traded