Author Topic: Cubs in '18  (Read 75516 times)

guest61

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #810 on: December 11, 2017, 08:46:11 pm »
Im game to give Harvey a chance if it comes cheap.

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #811 on: December 11, 2017, 10:03:52 pm »
Maybe Hickey or Benedict will have some little tweak to improve his breaking ball just a bit?  Maybe even an unimproved breaking ball plays a little better when fastball is coming 95-97 instead of 91-93 and is being thrown with higher frequency?  Heh heh, not expecting, but sometimes when a season turns out great, some unexpectedly effective guys emerge.

Do you really want to sign multi-million dollar contracts based on maybe's which don't even seem to have any particular logic of reason behind their likelihood?

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #812 on: December 11, 2017, 10:07:57 pm »
Harper isn't just the clear second-best player in baseball (and he'd be the best in most eras, when there isn't a once-in-a-generation talent eclipsing him) - he'll be the youngest FA of his caliber ever.  It's hard to put a true estimate on how much would be fair value for him, but it's an awful lot.  If he truly is intrigued by the idea of playing for the Cubs (and who knows if he really is) I don't know how you can't be extremely interested.
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davep

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #813 on: December 11, 2017, 10:18:56 pm »
I don't think there is anyone that wouldn't want Harper on the Cubs.  The question is, would he become a Cub at a price that we are willing and able to afford.

Robb

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #814 on: December 12, 2017, 08:11:57 am »
With the new TV deal coming online and the improvements to Wrigley wrapping up along with the increased revenue streams, it's time the Cubs put on their big boy pants and act like a big market team at some point. Yes, that will probably mean paying the luxury tax, but they can and will easily be able to afford it.
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brjones

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #815 on: December 12, 2017, 10:17:56 am »
Jeff Passan @JeffPassan
Sources: The San Diego Padres continue to be one of the more active teams at the Winter Meetings. There's traction to their talks with Eric Hosmer, and they're seeking a young, under-control shortstop. One match to keep an eye on: The Chicago Cubs.


What possible match would the Padres have with the Cubs for Baez or Russell?  Seems like it would have to be a three way trade.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #816 on: December 12, 2017, 10:31:54 am »
With the new TV deal coming online and the improvements to Wrigley wrapping up along with the increased revenue streams, it's time the Cubs put on their big boy pants and act like a big market team at some point. Yes, that will probably mean paying the luxury tax, but they can and will easily be able to afford it.

There's spending like a big market team, and then there's just spending irresponsibly.  How high are you willing to go?  The contract is going to be, at minimum, 10 years, $400 million...and that's if only one team is seriously in the market.  Are you willing to pay him $45 million a year?  $50 million a year?  At some point, the cost is too much even for Harper.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #817 on: December 12, 2017, 10:35:57 am »
Jeff Passan @JeffPassan
Sources: The San Diego Padres continue to be one of the more active teams at the Winter Meetings. There's traction to their talks with Eric Hosmer, and they're seeking a young, under-control shortstop. One match to keep an eye on: The Chicago Cubs.


What possible match would the Padres have with the Cubs for Baez or Russell?  Seems like it would have to be a three way trade.

I can't see Hand being enough, but maybe a three team trade for Archer.

ticohans

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #818 on: December 12, 2017, 11:34:03 am »
There's spending like a big market team, and then there's just spending irresponsibly.  How high are you willing to go?  The contract is going to be, at minimum, 10 years, $400 million...and that's if only one team is seriously in the market.  Are you willing to pay him $45 million a year?  $50 million a year?  At some point, the cost is too much even for Harper.

In a year where he only played 111 games, Harper was worth 5 wins last year. At market rate that's $45M in value. He's one of two players in the game capable of putting up a 10 win season. He'll be 26 when he's a free agent. Yes I would pay him $40M (but that deal likely extends beyond 10 years). Yes I would pay him $45M. If it had to go as high as $50M that would begin to limit the number of years I'd be willing to offer. I'd potentially be willing to go higher than $50 if Harper wanted to hit the market again in his early 30's.

Harper is basically left-handed Frank Robinson. I'm all in.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2017, 11:59:17 am by ticohans »

craig

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #819 on: December 12, 2017, 11:49:32 am »
http://www.nbcsports.com/...de-davis-maddon-mlb-trade

"We'd love to add another starter one way or another if we could and at least one more reliever."

Obvious enough.  If anything, only surprise is reference to "one" versus mentioning "two" relievers. 


"Our greatest threats right now relate to pitching and not having enough quality pitching, suffering multiple injuries to pitching, not having enough depth."

"the Cubs still figure to be involved in what Epstein calls a very deep reliever class. "  Andracki

[/size]That would seem to be an opportunity to add more than one more capable guy, of course. 

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #820 on: December 12, 2017, 11:57:45 am »
Okay, this is a stretch, but if they are thinking of re-signing Duensing or Rondon, that would not be adding a new reliever right?  Semantically?

craig

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #821 on: December 12, 2017, 12:14:52 pm »
Every winter Theo and Hoyer talk about pitching contingency planning, wanting depth, being prepared, etc..
The trick is you can only dedicate so many roster spots to pitchers.  So you want contingency/flex in-roster; and you want some off-roster help at Iowa.

At present, MM is the only pen/rotation swing guy. Adding another could be helpful. 

Flex in the pen, in case a main guy gets hurt or a guy expected to be a main guy goes haywire, that just depends on having depth of guys who are quality or at least anti-awful.  Nowhere is "status" more fluid than in pen; we know a guy with a good arm who starts near the back of then pen pitching only in losses or in the 6th inning, can sometimes pitch well and end up getting used extensively in the 7th and 8th to protect leads.  Got some work to do there, obviously.

Off-roster, I guess Tseng, perhaps Mills, Zastryzny, or Maples are options guys.  (Maybe Maples will be good, others are probably hoping for anti-awful.)  Maybe Alvarez?  But they haven't had much luck in past with their Florio and Frankoff "depth-with-options" pickups. 

Otherwise will try to get veteran(s) for Iowa, but obviously vets who aren't good enough to get big-league contracts are limited.  I'm more interested in injury-rehab take-a-shot guys than proven 4A guys, but long odds regardless.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #822 on: December 12, 2017, 12:24:37 pm »
"Joe Maddon is a huge proponent of rest and the Cubs have no interest in running relievers — closers or not — into the ground by having them throw more than three outs on a consistent basis." Andracki

Not sure I actually agree.  Might it not be LESS stressful on a reliever to pitch two full innings every three-four days, each one starting as a clean inning with warmups, rather than pitching single or partial innings more frequently, often amid high-stress "dirty" innings?

For example, 40-45 two-inning outings ending up with 80-90 innings. 
*Versus Strop pitching 60 innings over 69 appearances? 
*Edwards 66 innings over 73 games? 

Might not the 69-73-appearances guys be more worn out come October than the 40-45 appearance guy, even if the latter did end up with 20-30 more innings?  I dunno, maybe not. 

I'm just kinda thinking that as we realize that starters often decline by 3rd time through lineup, and that all of the starters arms are already tired by the all-star game and need some extra rest their, Lester especially, we almost want to ask the relievers to pick up even more innings, not less.  But how can they possibly pick up more innings, if MM is the only reliever who averages more than 1-inning per appearance? 

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #823 on: December 12, 2017, 12:51:16 pm »
I wonder if somebody like Underwood or Butler could be an effective 2 inning reliever?

craig

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Re: Cubs in '18
« Reply #824 on: December 12, 2017, 01:20:42 pm »
I wonder if somebody like Underwood or Butler could be an effective 2 inning reliever?

Yeah, could see Butler settling into a role like that.