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Chicago Cubs Thread - Playoff Push Pending

Let's start a new thread. This one is a chronicle of a winning team that was a disappointment after the championship. It's rebuild time and the thread deserves a new start.
 
I missed this got bumped.

I don't understand the Andrelton Simmons signing. I get that he is a top tier glove guy at SS and IF defense is clearly a big point of concern, but are we really going to start him on a regular basis? He provides less than 0 offensive presence (OPS'd .558 in 400+ ABs last year), on a team that still needs some proven hitters. I'm guessing this means we will see Madrigal in the DH role a bunch, which is ok, but this team needs 1-2 more consistent offensive bats to make any kind of noise. Wisdom, Ortega, Schwindel, Hoerner are super unproven - Happ and Frazier are inconsistent, at best - JHey is likely garbage - leaves Mads and Contreras as the bats to count on going into the season. Really want to add Simmons into that lineup?
 
The other big name the Cubs are in on is the Seiya Suzuki from Japan. Projected to be an above average corner OF with decent OBP and some pop (projected 25-30 HR). Doesn't appear to be a game changer, but Zips projection is 5/$83, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Guessing he would slide into the COF platoon with Frazier and Jhey (and Happ, Ortega and Hoerner). Still only 27, so has some prime years left. I know its been like 15 years, but still burned by Fukudome. And their japanese league stat lines look eerily similar.
 
After Fukudome, no thanks on Suzuki.

There should be some good value free agents available at the end of spring training. The cost should be manageable. Give the unproven players an opportunity to show they belong. Add free agents as depth or options to start.

If Simmons is any more than a back up glove, this will be a long season. Hoerner and Madrigal have had difficulty staying on the field, so Simmons provides solid defense in the event of injury.
 
DaDeacs said:
I missed this got bumped.

I don't understand the Andrelton Simmons signing. I get that he is a top tier glove guy at SS and IF defense is clearly a big point of concern, but are we really going to start him on a regular basis? He provides less than 0 offensive presence (OPS'd .558 in 400+ ABs last year), on a team that still needs some proven hitters. I'm guessing this means we will see Madrigal in the DH role a bunch, which is ok, but this team needs 1-2 more consistent offensive bats to make any kind of noise. Wisdom, Ortega, Schwindel, Hoerner are super unproven - Happ and Frazier are inconsistent, at best - JHey is likely garbage - leaves Mads and Contreras as the bats to count on going into the season. Really want to add Simmons into that lineup?
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For $4M I wouldn't necessarily count on him starting. I view him as a depth/platoon type of piece. I also wouldn't expect this team to contend no matter what the FO says. Davis will be up by June - that could come with some struggles. Kilian is likely to be up sometime this year - ditto. We've got pick a starter for the back end of the rotation. Madrigal is going to play 2B I suspect. Nico is going to be super utility guy.

Anyway, I think this is a bridge year to next season when the Cubs start pushing more chips in and really look to contend. I just don't think they can build a team deep enough to do so this year unless a ton of things go right. Next year the farm will be able to actually contribute more significantly IMO.

I do hope they go hard in on Correa.

I also would not be surprised to see them trade Willson before the season starts.
 
Cubs get Suzuki, it appears. Conflicting contract reports, but looks like it's 5/$70 with a $14 million transfer fee paid to his Japanese club.

Let's hope for the best - fangraphs pegs him at a 2-3 win guy for the next few years, so not bad - .350 OBP with 25ish dingers? Sounds ok to me. He's also only 27. He's gonna be a starter for that money - and causes a decent logjam in the OF. Not sure what's gonna happen with the 2/$44 on JHey, maybe a fee more mysterious injuries and just eat his contract. But, got Ortega, Happ and Hoerner who can all play CF - Frazier, Hermosillo, Suzuki, JHey as the COFs.
 
DeacMan said:
For $4M I wouldn't necessarily count on him starting. I view him as a depth/platoon type of piece. I also wouldn't expect this team to contend no matter what the FO says. Davis will be up by June - that could come with some struggles. Kilian is likely to be up sometime this year - ditto. We've got pick a starter for the back end of the rotation. Madrigal is going to play 2B I suspect. Nico is going to be super utility guy.

Anyway, I think this is a bridge year to next season when the Cubs start pushing more chips in and really look to contend. I just don't think they can build a team deep enough to do so this year unless a ton of things go right. Next year the farm will be able to actually contribute more significantly IMO.

I do hope they go hard in on Correa.

I also would not be surprised to see them trade Willson before the season starts.
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With ya on Correa, and he doesn't have a bunch if suitors anymore, so the high AAV, short year offer may be a fit. Also agree on Contreras, highly possible.

If the cubs can get Correa, would think Hoerner is the better glove, and while he can super sub, figure he would slot in at 2B a bit more than Madrigal, who has the far superior bat and we don't have a lot of decent DH options on the pine - maybe Frazier or Happ.
 
Cubs replacing Heuer with David Robertson on a 1/$3.5 deal. He hasn't looked so hot the last couple of years, but looked he might have been putting it together late last year and looked ok in the postseason.

Guessing he slots into the 7th/8th inning role in front of Wick, hope he isn't being signed to be the closer.
 
BOOOOOOM - Cubs get the infielder they have been after.

Oh, wait, nevermind, its Jonathan Villar. I know this also doesn't technically take them out of the running for Correa, but at some point you can have too many IFs. Haven't seen the contract, but assuming this is an MLB contract, so we have Madrigal, Hoerner, Simmons, Wisdom and now Villar to play 2nd/SS/3rd. Not a lot of room left for another dude.

Oh well. Weren't really going to compete this year anyway.
 
Well shit. Does that suggest the Cubs are out of the Correa pursuit? Ricketts just bought part of Chelsea, so maybe he's running short on funds...

Correction - Ricketts made a bid for co-Chelsea ownership.
 
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Someone help me understand why we dumped all of our good players over the last two years to end up with this roster. I will still pull for them/and/or enjoy sitting in the bleachers 2-3 times year while the rest of you saps are at work/posting in the Tunnels but it seems like we kept our powder dry and then the powder succumbed to dry rot.

We shaved our legs for this?
 
WokeandBroke said:
Someone help me understand why we dumped all of our good players over the last two years to end up with this roster. I will still pull for them/and/or enjoy sitting in the bleachers 2-3 times year while the rest of you saps are at work/posting in the Tunnels but it seems like we kept our powder dry and then the powder succumbed to dry rot.

We shaved our legs for this?
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Kevin Alcantara
PCA
Reginald Preciado
Owen Cassie
Alexander Canario

These dudes are gonna be good. Like real good. Alcantara is 19 and 6'6 with room to grow and plus tools across the board. PCA is a legit gold glove CF right now - they are retooling his swing, if he can have a plus hit tool with the expected power, he will be real good. Cassie and Canario are power hitting COF under 22 years old - Preciado is likely the next big 3B to come through, he's 18 and just got done OPSing over .900 in rookie ball.

They did a great job getting pieces and pulling the farm system out of the cellar. Its rebuild time though, figured this year is a wash if they cant add a few more pieces, but starting in 2023, we should see Brennan Davis and Amaya as starters with growth from Madrigal and Hoerner, having 3-5 years of control on all 4, thats when you add high priced arms and a couple of bats. Problem is, Correa isnt going to be here next year or the year after - you lock him down now to have his 3-6 years of his contract be competitive years. But, oh well, the front office won a ring, so they get a pass.
 
DaDeacs said:
Kevin Alcantara
PCA
Reginald Preciado
Owen Cassie
Alexander Canario

These dudes are gonna be good. Like real good. Alcantara is 19 and 6'6 with room to grow and plus tools across the board. PCA is a legit gold glove CF right now - they are retooling his swing, if he can have a plus hit tool with the expected power, he will be real good. Cassie and Canario are power hitting COF under 22 years old - Preciado is likely the next big 3B to come through, he's 18 and just got done OPSing over .900 in rookie ball.

They did a great job getting pieces and pulling the farm system out of the cellar. Its rebuild time though, figured this year is a wash if they cant add a few more pieces, but starting in 2023, we should see Brennan Davis and Amaya as starters with growth from Madrigal and Hoerner, having 3-5 years of control on all 4, thats when you add high priced arms and a couple of bats. Problem is, Correa isnt going to be here next year or the year after - you lock him down now to have his 3-6 years of his contract be competitive years. But, oh well, the front office won a ring, so they get a pass.
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Good post. Thanks for the insight and encouragement. Saw someone else on Twitter.com contrast the 2016 infield with the 2022 infield and echo my lazy WTF-this-is-somehow-progress? sentiment. Glad to know I'm missing the big picture here. Back to March.
 
I probs should put this in the MLB thread, but Luke Voit traded to the Padres.

This is likely gonna lead to a Hosmer trade, and all the smoke has the Cubs trading for Hosmer and taking on his full salary to get some prospects/draft picks back. This has been a thing for about a year, so assuming its getting closer. Hosmer has 4/$60 left, with an opt out after 2022 which he will absolutely not be opting out of. He is supposedly a good locker room guy, but a very average player at this point in his career - gives a lot of flexibility, though, if Schwindel is not really the dude he showed last year. Also, if that means the Cubs can get Bobby Barrels with the trade, I am all for it (not happening, but one can dream).
 
So, I was wrong - Correa will be available next year. Guess that's actually a better option for the Cubs.

Castellanos to the Phils. Gonna be Cubs fans second favorite team this year after they also signed Schwarber.
 
Buttermaker said:
Thoughts on the Contreras contract situation?
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Not really sure why they are nickel and diming him - but this at least means they are very unlikely to sign him to an extension at this point.

Have to think, with the short spring, Catcher is a tough position to trade for, especially if you want him to be a starter - because he will need to time to get to know the pitchers. Since he hasn't been moved yet, would assume they wait until closer to the deadline to see if they can get something bigger from a team that is in desperate need. Yankees have a glaring hole at the C right now and the Cubs likely have some strong scouting reports on their prospects after the Riz trade last year. Would love to see a deal like the one the Marlins got for Realmuto (hasn't really worked out for them, but was a good haul) if the Cubs do trade willy.

I know it's likely a dumb comment, but with the Ricketts about to blow a shit ton of money on Chelsea, maybe they are not interested in signing any more big deals this year and want to wait until 2023 to shell out big bucks. Willy will be 30 when 2023 starts, so he has one chance for a big contract, but would imagine a 5/$100 would get it done, which is basically what Realmuto got from the Phils after the arb year buyout. Thats not a lot for a stud catcher, but what does he look like at 35? And you have Amaya waiting behind him, now he has had a lot of issues, had a down 2021 and is on the shelf for all of 2022 and he is more a defensive catcher, so that may never pan out.
 
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