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Chicago Cubs Thread - Playoff Push Pending

DaDeacs, it appears that Javy and Rizzo have enjoyed their debuts in NYC. Any excitement where you live?

Hendricks pitches like the Ace. The little guys manufacture enough runs for a much needed win. A shell shocked dugout finally exhales.
 
DaDeacs, it appears that Javy and Rizzo have enjoyed their debuts in NYC. Any excitement where you live?

Hendricks pitches like the Ace. The little guys manufacture enough runs for a much needed win. A shell shocked dugout finally exhales.

Everything I read says yes - but I am not in NYC right now. I usually spend summer in Georgia, I'm in Tampa right now visiting family. But, I'm definitely grabbing a couple of Yanks day game tickets when I get back to go watch Riz - defs wearing a Cubbie shirt too. I might go out to Citi, but that is such a haul to get out to Flushing/Queens - Citi Field is great though, one of the better ballparks I've been to. New yankee stadium stinks, but its only a 20 minute subway ride.

Hoyer was on the radio this morning and just said none of Baez, Rizzo or Bryant countered the Cubs extension offers. On one hand, its likely because the extensions were super low, but on the other, its a negotiating table. I do feel like there is no real reason to get out in front of this, though, and it might alienate any of those dudes from coming back - versus the way they handled Jake, which was to make him the same offer as Yu and let him turn it down before signing Darvish. Jed also said he is not sure if this is going to be a full rebuild or just a partial teardown - which stinks, but hopefully they figure it out soon. The have plenty of money and some core pieces to make a run if the FA's are there and some of these pitchers develop.

If Steele and Keegan Thompson can be decent SP options, the Cubs only have a few gaps to fill to be competitive. Looking at the FA market, not sure there are pieces to fill the gaps all this year, but as I've been stumping for, if Nick opts out - and Cubs can lure Rizzo back and he doesn't play himself into a massive contract in NY, that will put the offense in a decent place and still leave $30-$40 million to get them back to the 2021 payroll to fill out the remaining starter and RP gaps. If Rizzo is too expensive, not a lot of 1B on the market (still not expecting Freddie to hit the market, and he likely gets close to double what Riz gets anyway). My gut says 2022 and 2023 are a wash, the Cubs move on from Happ and Willy, JHeys contract ends, replace them with Davis and Amaya and Hendricks, Madrigal, Hoerner, Steele and Thompson will still have 2-3 years of control and you can spend more freely on a lot of the younger guys coming out of contracts then - and by that time can see if Marquez still has it, along with some of the other questionable AA+ talent (Strumpf, Deichmann, Morel).
 
Love all this trade deadline stuff trickling out. Rosenthal just posted a piece on the Athletic talking about the Cubs/Rays potential trades - and that the Rays were interested in both/either of Kimbrel and Bryant. The trade for Bryant alone had the Cubs getting back Kiermeier and paying his whole contract (another $13 million or something next year) and basically the Cubs buying prospects, but they couldn't match up on prospects. The Kimbrel/Bryant together package was centered around Tyler Glasnow, which would have been crazy, but Glasnow is getting TJ, so wouldn't be back until 2023 and even then likely to not have a full season and he would have been an FA after that, so Cubs wanted prospects too and couldn't find a match.

With the return for Baez and Bryant now, shocked Baez got more and what was the hold up from the Mets if the ask was lower than the Baez ask? I mean, it could be the Cubs value Kilian a lot more than prospect rankings and see him in the rotation by 2023, if not earlier, since he is doing great in AA right now.
 
Rizzo on Chicago radio this morning saying all the right things, as he does. But, when asked about Jed's comments, he didn't go into any specifics, but said "sounds like a bad breakup and a person saying they're fine when they're not" and "the common denominator is that no one resigned". Ha. He said he isn't thinking about his contract or trades or the offseason and just trying to play baseball - obviously didn't rule out coming back to the Cubs, but didn't say he would love to either.

He did say he specifically asked for the day off, so it wasn't some colluded thing where Rizzo and Bryant were at because a trade was specifically upcoming.
 
I'll be surprised if Baez, Bryant or Rizzo return. Hoyer seems determined to build a new team. The money Bryant ($300M) and Baez ($200M) wanted was too high. If Rizzo was offered $70M/5 it was too low. I doubt Rizzo or Baez leave NYC. Unless they bomb out the remainder of the season they will be offered enough to stay. The Yankees value leadership and Rizzo can own that clubhouse if they make a run. Once the fans and brass see "El Mago" on a daily basis the deal will be done. A showman for Broadway brings added value for the Mets. Hoyer did them both a favor. Boros will get Bryant stupid money that the Cubs would never pay so that door is closed. Hoyer made a good business decision and got a decent return for the farm system. He put Rizzzo and Baez with teams that will pay big and are a perfect fit, so he won't need to explain not resigning them. Boros is all he needs to say to explain Bryant. Cubs move on and build a new team that Hoyer develops, not Theo. If Hoyer succeeds he is set for life in Chicago. To follow a HOF legend with success is rare. If he succeeds, he becomes a legend himself.
 
It was already unlikely they resign, now even more so. The only thread that can still pull it back is the David Ross angle - he said he continues to talk with the players and there is absolutely a chance that one or more could be back next year. I still think it is going to be none, but Rizzo was the one that made the most sense - 5/$85 I would think gets the deal done, but I agree with Blackjack, I am not sure he gets out of NY if he keeps performing and if Gallo doesn't.

KB and Baez aren't getting those dollars anymore. KB needs to finish strong to even get $25 million a year, and Baez might get $20 million on a shorter term deal, but the 8/$200 isn't happening. The SS market is going to keep Javy down because Seager and Correa will get more money, 3rd picking team isn't shelling out a ton - he would do good to take a massive short term deal and go back on the market in 1-2 years like Castellanos.
 
Fangraphs has updated their prospect ranking and have the Cubs farm system as #8 in the majors now. They do have a tendency to overvalue toolsy youngsters, so Alcantara is a high prospect for them. The Cubs farm is loaded with a bunch of midrange guys now, with 31 prospects ranked with a Future Value of 40+ or higher, but only 3 ranked in their top 120 (Davis, Alcantara, Preciado). Would expect to see Owen Cassie be a big riser on most rankings next year as he is crushing rookie ball - and wait and see on Marquez if he can come back and Cristian Hernandez, who the Cubs spent big on in the last international signing - and is 17 in the Dominican league and showing solid plate discipline, if not much power yet.
 
Cubs lose another one run game to go 2-4 since the purge, 1-3 in one run games. Arrieta bombed again.

Duffy has been on the bench this month. Two hits in 24 AB's since his return will do that. Heyward hasn't made an appearance since leaving Washington. His absence has been conspicuous.

Edit. Javy outdid himself this afternoon. If three strikeouts is a hat trick and four strike outs is a golden sombrero, what do you call five strikeouts in five plate appearances other than bad?
 
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Really wish we could have traded Davies, he has fallen off a cliff and is just horrible. Like DFA him horrible.

I am assuming most of the dudes playing right now are going to be like the 2012 Cubs, where no one remembers any of their names. But, Ortega has looked like he could be a solid piece next year. Alcantara is likely going the other direction. Will be nice to get a look at Deichmann for the next few weeks, Happ and Bote have both been horrid this year, although luck is a pretty tough factor there, as they have both hit the ball hard this year, but not seen a lot of balls fall or get through. I am assuming Happ will still be tendered and not just let go a la Schwarber last year.

Tomorrow the Cubs are calling up Justin Steele, who has looked amaze in AAA the last month. Alzolay is still hit or miss, but like him to get better next year - and if Steele shows well, would be 3 solid SP arms for the next few years. Now, 2022 is looking more and more like a full on rebuild year, like 50-112 kinda year, but there are a lot of factors, including the CBA, that could change that. Not a lot of great bats at AAA, and with only Willy, Wisdom, Happ, Heyward, Bote and Ortega coming back, there is nowhere near enough offense unless there is a huge spending splurge, which Ricketts said is possible, but I'll believe it when I see it.
 
Ortega and Wisdom are two AAAA players that have stepped up and seized their opportunity. Schwindel is a AAAA that has responded well in a limited time frame. The next two months are the most important in their careers. I'd say the same for Bote to earn a starting role in Chicago. He's a solid bench piece but can he produce everyday? Deichmann is up as a future player, but the future is now if he is able to produce.

I'm ready for Steele and Thompson to join the rotation. Let's see what they have for us. I have a guarded optimism about them. If Marquez is healthy, pencil him for next year as well. If the Cubs want to develop pitchers they must be given a legit shot. Alzolay has benefitted from a full shot. He and the team know his strengths and areas for improvement.
 
6 man rotation? Good for both guys like Hendricks to limit wear and tear and the fringe pitchers to show how they handle MLB starts.
 
Looks like the Cubs are in full tank mode. Lost another the the new crew 10-0. Arrietta 8 ER in 4 IP. Can’t see how he’s part of the future.
 
Looks like the Cubs are in full tank mode. Lost another the the new crew 10-0. Arrietta 8 ER in 4 IP. Can’t see how he’s part of the future.

If I am reading the report correctly, the Cubs cut Jake today.
 
Contreras move is likely just to give him a rest - hes caught more innings than any catcher in the league. Jake did himself no favors by being an asshole in the press conference last night, assume that helped the team move on.

Might mean the Cubs get over the 85% vaccination threshold now with Riz, Jake and Sogard gone.
 
From ESPN piece on Arrieta release: "Chicago has lost seven in a row and is 2-13 since the All-Star break, when it traded Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez and Kris Bryant. On Wednesday, the Cubs struck out 10 straight times against Brewers starter Corbin Burnes, allowing him to tie a major league record. Hoyer insisted this version of the Cubs won't be the team that heads into next season."

10 straight Ks? Yikes. Jed, better get Ricketts to open up the checkbook if you don't want next year to look like the past month. Losing again today 5-1.
 
Another blowout. Contreras has been running on fumes. Caratini's absence has been felt all season. The Arrieta release is long overdue. A rotation of Hendricks, Davies, Mills, Alzolay, Steele and Thompson is just over the horizon.

Bote, Happ and Duffy are the only position players on the active roster remaining from opening day. The bullpen is a shipwreck. Expect lousy and you won't be disappointed.
 
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