The 2018-2019 Cubs Offseason Rumors & Discussion Thread AKA The Rickettssss take a dump on EVERYTHING

[champaignchris]

Free agent relief pitchers still available:
Greg Holland
Cody Allen
Adam Ottavino
Sergio Romo
Brad Brach
Justin Wilson
Alex Wilson
Hunter Strickland
A.J. Ramos
Jake Diekman
Sam Howard

Can we afford any of these guys? Probably not.

Did I miss Craig Kimbrell signing? Or are we just assuming there’s no possible way?

[TomtheBombadil]

Did I miss Craig Kimbrell signing? Or are we just assuming there’s no possible way?

The shunning/dismissal of Kimbrel as a very legit upgrade and possibility is some of that enabling nonsense I can't stand. If we're OK with ownership not spending on the best of the best of the best (sir!) in areas of need then duuuuh...

[TBS Playoffs Insider]

Did I miss Craig Kimbrell signing? Or are we just assuming there’s no possible way?

The shunning/dismissal of Kimbrel as a very legit upgrade and possibility is some of that enabling nonsense I can't stand. If we're OK with ownership not spending on the best of the best of the best (sir!) in areas of need then duuuuh...

signing craig kimbrel to a 5 year deal or whatever is one of your top 5 worst ideas

[TomtheBombadil]

Did I miss Craig Kimbrell signing? Or are we just assuming there’s no possible way?

The shunning/dismissal of Kimbrel as a very legit upgrade and possibility is some of that enabling nonsense I can't stand. If we're OK with ownership not spending on the best of the best of the best (sir!) in areas of need then duuuuh...

signing craig kimbrel to a 5 year deal or whatever is one of your top 5 worst ideas

Oh that's for sure not true...I've had soooooo many terrible ideas. What if he's definitely not colluded down to 4?

[TomtheBombadil]

The Yankees signed LeMahieu? Yooooooo...I swear, it feels like Jah herself is trying her damndest to get the Cubs to sign both Machado and Harper.

[Bear Cub]

Why the hell do the Yankees have money to spend and we dont?

[KingCubsFan]

Why the hell do the Yankees have money to spend and we dont?

If you think the Cubs are cheap, I suggest you look at the Yankees. They could easily sign both Harper and Machado and instead they’re choosing LeMahieu.

[Backtobanks]

Why the hell do the Yankees have money to spend and we dont?

If you think the Cubs are cheap, I suggest you look at the Yankees. They could easily sign both Harper and Machado and instead they’re choosing LeMahieu.

Don't speak too soon, they may end up with at least one of them anyhow.

[Bertz]

I just realized that Marwin Gonzalez is still a FA, which totally caught be by surprise. Man he really fits this roster well. He gives us back that flexibility that we're starting to lose with Zobrist getting older and Baez hopefully being tasked more with regular everyday shortstop duties. And he lets us banish Russell to the Phantom Zone.

I understand that he's probably not an option if we're going after Bryce, but if we're not then what the hell? A "we're poor" offseason is really not that hard to pull off:

- Use prospects to send Chatwood and Duensing away.
Cut Russell. Boom, there's $18m to play with
- Sign Gonzalez to something approximating the Ben Zobrist contract
- Use whatever money you still have available on relief help. Will Smith would be my ideal, and would you look at that him plus Gonzalez is almost exactlt that $18m we just saved

This is the team

2b - Gonzalez
1b - Rizzo
SS - Baez
3b - Bryant
LF - Schwarber
C - Contreras
RF - Heyward
CF - Happ

BN - Zobrist, Almora, Descalso, Caratini
SP - Yu, Cole, Kyle, Q, Jon
RP - Morrow, Smith, Strop, Cishek, Carl, Monty, Kintzler, Iowa Shuttle

That team is awesome. It's not the majestic dong party that Bryce would lead to, but it's really strong from top to bottom, with plenty of depth to handle a few injuries or disappointments (Looking at at you Happ and Almora). This is what causes me to think we're still trying for Bryce. There's a good argument that waiting out the relief market is the smart way to augment the bullpen on a budget. But the rest of the market? If we're not players in the Bryce sweepstakes, what is the incentive to not go ahead and finish building the rest of the team? Unless time doesn't matter because our offseason is going to be literally just Descalso and some $4m reliever? Which....man that's a dark offseason.

[Backtobanks]

I just realized that Marwin Gonzalez is still a FA, which totally caught be by surprise. Man he really fits this roster well. He gives us back that flexibility that we're starting to lose with Zobrist getting older and Baez hopefully being tasked more with regular everyday shortstop duties. And he lets us banish Russell to the Phantom Zone.

I understand that he's probably not an option if we're going after Bryce, but if we're not then what the hell? A "we're poor" offseason is really not that hard to pull off:

- Use prospects to send Chatwood and Duensing away.
Cut Russell. Boom, there's $18m to play with
- Sign Gonzalez to something approximating the Ben Zobrist contract
- Use whatever money you still have available on relief help. Will Smith would be my ideal, and would you look at that him plus Gonzalez is almost exactlt that $18m we just saved

This is the team

2b - Gonzalez
1b - Rizzo
SS - Baez
3b - Bryant
LF - Schwarber
C - Contreras
RF - Heyward
CF - Happ

BN - Zobrist, Almora, Descalso, Caratini
SP - Yu, Cole, Kyle, Q, Jon
RP - Morrow, Smith, Strop, Cishek, Carl, Monty, Kintzler, Iowa Shuttle

That team is awesome. It's not the majestic dong party that Bryce would lead to, but it's really strong from top to bottom, with plenty of depth to handle a few injuries or disappointments (Looking at at you Happ and Almora). This is what causes me to think we're still trying for Bryce. There's a good argument that waiting out the relief market is the smart way to augment the bullpen on a budget. But the rest of the market? If we're not players in the Bryce sweepstakes, what is the incentive to not go ahead and finish building the rest of the team? Unless time doesn't matter because our offseason is going to be literally just Descalso and some $4m reliever? Which....man that's a dark offseason.

I'm not sure all of Chatwood's salary would disappear because it's unlikely somebody is going to pick it all up. That's why everybody was suggesting bad contract trades earlier. As for Russell, we gave him a new contract, so we're obligated to pay it. I agree Gonzalez would be a good fit if PTR would open his wallet.

[Bertz]

I just realized that Marwin Gonzalez is still a FA, which totally caught be by surprise. Man he really fits this roster well. He gives us back that flexibility that we're starting to lose with Zobrist getting older and Baez hopefully being tasked more with regular everyday shortstop duties. And he lets us banish Russell to the Phantom Zone.

I understand that he's probably not an option if we're going after Bryce, but if we're not then what the hell? A "we're poor" offseason is really not that hard to pull off:

- Use prospects to send Chatwood and Duensing away.
Cut Russell. Boom, there's $18m to play with
- Sign Gonzalez to something approximating the Ben Zobrist contract
- Use whatever money you still have available on relief help. Will Smith would be my ideal, and would you look at that him plus Gonzalez is almost exactlt that $18m we just saved

This is the team

2b - Gonzalez
1b - Rizzo
SS - Baez
3b - Bryant
LF - Schwarber
C - Contreras
RF - Heyward
CF - Happ

BN - Zobrist, Almora, Descalso, Caratini
SP - Yu, Cole, Kyle, Q, Jon
RP - Morrow, Smith, Strop, Cishek, Carl, Monty, Kintzler, Iowa Shuttle

That team is awesome. It's not the majestic dong party that Bryce would lead to, but it's really strong from top to bottom, with plenty of depth to handle a few injuries or disappointments (Looking at at you Happ and Almora). This is what causes me to think we're still trying for Bryce. There's a good argument that waiting out the relief market is the smart way to augment the bullpen on a budget. But the rest of the market? If we're not players in the Bryce sweepstakes, what is the incentive to not go ahead and finish building the rest of the team? Unless time doesn't matter because our offseason is going to be literally just Descalso and some $4m reliever? Which....man that's a dark offseason.

I'm not sure all of Chatwood's salary would disappear because it's unlikely somebody is going to pick it all up. That's why everybody was suggesting bad contract trades earlier. As for Russell, we gave him a new contract, so we're obligated to pay it. I agree Gonzalez would be a good fit if PTR would open his wallet.

Teams are rational: if you are willing to give up $20m worth of prospects you can make $20m worth of dead money disappear. Chatwood would not be hard to dump, it's not like he's Heyward with $100m left on his deal.

For Russell, you can cut players on non guaranteed contracts (e.g. arbitration eligible guys) and only pay 1/6th of their salary. The only catch is you have to do it by a certain date, I don't remember it off hand but it's in the middle of March. We did this with Justin Grimm last year.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Just a casual $20m worth of prospects. Just got that hanging around myrtle beach* like loose change in the couch

* - (i have no idea where are lower affiliates are these days, prospect nerds don’t @ me)

[TomtheBombadil]

Imagine the Cubs giving up $20 million worth of prospects they don’t even have to sign Marwin Gonzalez in an offseason they can buy 3-5 years of being a behemoth (easy) only losing who cares number of draft picks.

urgetokillrising.gif

——

Also Realmuto agreed to $5.9 million and Stroman got $7.4. Just throwing that out there, sneaking in this reminder/hot take that both are also badass talents

[Derwood]

It's maddening how many Cubs fans (on other sites) still think that a) leadoff hitter is a "thing", b) that it's a major need, and c) that not having one is the reason the Cubs didn't go far last year.

2018 leadoff hitting statistics are basically identical to 2016 numbers. Of all the things we can point to about how horrendously the 2018 offense performed, the person who happened to be penciled first in the batting order wasn't one of them

[Sammy Sofa]

Just clobber them with the dong of the 2018 Cubs' lack of dongs.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

It's maddening how many Cubs fans (on other sites) still think that a) leadoff hitter is a "thing", b) that it's a major need, and c) that not having one is the reason the Cubs didn't go far last year.

2018 leadoff hitting statistics are basically identical to 2016 numbers. Of all the things we can point to about how horrendously the 2018 offense performed, the person who happened to be penciled first in the batting order wasn't one of them

They are similar to 2016 because they put Rizzo there for 25% of the season and he put up a .979 OPS at leadoff.

It’s not high on the priority list but there is a lack of a good person for that role that gets a ton of PA. Zobrist is probably a better option than most reasonable external options though.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Talking about baseball is barely tolerable here. Doing it with rando cubs fans is a “doctor it hurts when I go like this” moment.

[Derwood]

It's maddening how many Cubs fans (on other sites) still think that a) leadoff hitter is a "thing", b) that it's a major need, and c) that not having one is the reason the Cubs didn't go far last year.

2018 leadoff hitting statistics are basically identical to 2016 numbers. Of all the things we can point to about how horrendously the 2018 offense performed, the person who happened to be penciled first in the batting order wasn't one of them

They are similar to 2016 because they put Rizzo there for 25% of the season and he put up a .979 OPS at leadoff.

This is a problem to idiots because Rizzo is a "cleanup hitter" and not a "leadoff hitter", as if either of those are things after the 1st inning

[NOLA]

It's maddening how many Cubs fans (on other sites) still think that a) leadoff hitter is a "thing", b) that it's a major need, and c) that not having one is the reason the Cubs didn't go far last year.

2018 leadoff hitting statistics are basically identical to 2016 numbers. Of all the things we can point to about how horrendously the 2018 offense performed, the person who happened to be penciled first in the batting order wasn't one of them

They are similar to 2016 because they put Rizzo there for 25% of the season and he put up a .979 OPS at leadoff.

This is a problem to idiots because Rizzo is a "cleanup hitter" and not a "leadoff hitter", as if either of those are things after the 1st inning

Agree, but don’t you think there’s something to be said for having someone on base ahead of your best hitters? Sure, Rizzo did fine there, but then you’re taking his bat away in potential RBI situations.

[Sammy Sofa]

As pointed out already, repeatedly, the Cubs already have Zobrist.

[ConstableRabbit]

Talking about baseball is barely tolerable here. Doing it with rando cubs fans is a “doctor it hurts when I go like this” moment.

People talk about baseball here?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

zobrist is not fast and does not play CF so he can’t lead off

[Cubswin11]

The Padres have asked about Bote/we’ve had discussions with them about him. Allegedly. Figure out a way to have them take Chatwood for him.

[Bull]

zobrist is not fast and does not play CF so he can’t lead off

While I agree with the sarcastic sentiment here, Zobrist is old and crusty, and there’s no guarantee he’ll continue to get on base at a —— holy crap! He had a .378 OBP last year?!? Nevermind.

[Bryant's Disco Ball]

zobrist is not fast and does not play CF so he can’t lead off

While I agree with the sarcastic sentiment here, Zobrist is old and crusty, and there’s no guarantee he’ll continue to get on base at a —— holy crap! He had a .378 OBP last year?!? Nevermind.

Plus he needs like four days off per week.