Author Topic: Cubs in '20  (Read 49174 times)

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1080 on: December 08, 2019, 02:20:39 am »
If the Cubs are going to trade Bryant, they need to do it soon while Rendon and Donaldson are still out there. If they free up Bryant's money, surely they'd at least talk to those guys.

The issue with doing it soon is the grievance.  No team is going to give up two years value until they're sure they're getting two years.

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1081 on: December 08, 2019, 07:14:53 am »
MLB.com's "11 bold predictions" for the winter meetings:

Quote
5) The Padres will trade for Willson Contreras

All the motivation lines up. The Cubs are motivated to improve their long-term outlook with a trade that brings in cost-controlled talent. The Padres are motivated to contend in 2020, because the front office has been put on notice.

General manager A.J. Preller has already done a lot of heavy lifting this winter with trades for outfielders Tommy Pham and Trent Grisham and infielder Jurickson Profar, and the bold free-agent signing of reliever Drew Pomeranz. But Contreras, who has three seasons of arbitration control remaining, would take the lineup to another level and erase the defensive catching concerns the Padres are carrying with Francisco Mejía behind the plate.

The Cubs don’t necessarily have to get a catcher in a Contreras trade, because they like Victor Caratini. But the switch-hitting Mejía would be an attractive piece and worthwhile risk here. If he doesn’t stick behind the plate, he could be a corner-outfield option. He’s under control for five more seasons and not eligible for arbitration for two more years.

History tells us the Padres have to do something at a Winter Meetings in their home city. In 2014, they traded for Matt Kemp. In 1985, they took Bip Roberts in the Rule 5 Draft. In 1963 ... they didn’t have a team yet.

OK, so that’s only two instances, but that’s good enough to guide us.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1082 on: December 08, 2019, 08:16:35 am »
From Rosenthal:

A reunion with free-agent outfielder Nicholas Castellanos? Not a chance, at least for the moment. Club officials are telling representatives of even low-budget free agents that they need to clear money before engaging in serious negotiations.

https://theathletic.com/1441618/2019/12/08/rosenthal-signings-and-stories-that-could-make-for-decadent-drama-at-the-winter-meetings/

They're right around the lowest luxury tax threshold right now. I bet if they trade Bryant, we start hearing about how they're going to stay under the luxury tax this year.

Bennett

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CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1084 on: December 08, 2019, 09:53:44 am »
If the Cubs trade Bryant I’m going to be cranky. If the Cubs trade Bryant and stay under the luxury tax I’m going to be picketing the governor’s mansion in Lincoln.
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CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1085 on: December 08, 2019, 10:18:43 am »
Pete Ricketts is the real power behind the Cubs?  Who knew?

From that article a couple years ago, the whole clan seems self-absorbed with getting credit for stuff that I'm not sure anybody is in control.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1086 on: December 08, 2019, 10:32:32 am »
If the Cubs trade Bryant I’m going to be cranky. If the Cubs trade Bryant and stay under the luxury tax I’m going to be picketing the governor’s mansion in Lincoln.

Yeah, that’s pretty close to a worst case offseason. They make themselves worse next year, and they haven’t done enough to really change their post-2021 trajectory where they fall off a cliff.

If they trade Bryant, they need to follow that up by going all in on Rendon (or maybe Donaldson), or they need to trade other guys who won’t be around after 2021. Either replace him or do a mini-rebuild.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1087 on: December 08, 2019, 10:43:21 am »
Pete Ricketts is the real power behind the Cubs?  Who knew?

From that article a couple years ago, the whole clan seems self-absorbed with getting credit for stuff that I'm not sure anybody is in control.

Pete gets the luck of me being 1/2 hour from my house.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1088 on: December 08, 2019, 11:12:57 am »
Yeah, that’s pretty close to a worst case offseason. They make themselves worse next year, and they haven’t done enough to really change their post-2021 trajectory where they fall off a cliff.

If they trade Bryant, they need to follow that up by going all in on Rendon (or maybe Donaldson), or they need to trade other guys who won’t be around after 2021. Either replace him or do a mini-rebuild.

Sharma heavily implies that Bryant would be traded after Rendon and Donaldson are off the board. If they trade Bryant to the Dodgers just burn it all down.

Thanks to Tom’s interview if they stay under the luxury tax it will be because he doesn’t want to pay other owners money.

Jack Birdbath

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1089 on: December 08, 2019, 11:57:07 am »
This whole mess appears to be tied to incompetence on the business side - massively over budget on the Wrigley renovation and not getting the kind of TV deal they were anticipating.  Hopefully Crane pays the price. That guy is an **** and apparently not good at his job.

Jack Birdbath

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1090 on: December 08, 2019, 12:31:19 pm »
But, this does not let the front office and their horrible player development process off the hook. 

craig

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1091 on: December 08, 2019, 03:59:43 pm »
Early in the rebuild, Theo referred to spending being related to revenue.  Post-season was supposed to generate a lot of millions, which could cover season expenses and subsequent-year payroll. 

Early in rebuild, they tended to save up, for later.  (Tanaka story...) 

More recently, Theo has tended to use future-year money for Nowacrat signings.  (Heyward and Darvish signings both borrowed from the ensuing-year's discretionary spending.)  I wonder if perhaps he did that again this past summer, with both the Kimbrel and Castellanos pickups?  He hoped Kimbrel would get them into the playoffs and playoff-success would self-fund the contract? 

Second, popular team superstars were supposed to generate lots of jersey revenue.  When they were rising young stars, and we won the world series, I assume they made lots of sales.  But now that they've got an 8th place team, I'm not sure that there have been lots of Russell/Rizzo/Bryant/Schwarber/Lester/Quintana jersey sales outside of the Chicago area? 
« Last Edit: December 08, 2019, 05:02:23 pm by craig »

davep

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1092 on: December 08, 2019, 04:47:08 pm »
This whole mess appears to be tied to incompetence on the business side - massively over budget on the Wrigley renovation and not getting the kind of TV deal they were anticipating.  Hopefully Crane pays the price. That guy is an **** and apparently not good at his job.

I haven't seen any reporting on that subject.  Do you have a link for it?


davep

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #1094 on: December 08, 2019, 06:16:27 pm »
Thanks, Jeff.  I am not a subscriber.  Does it give specific information about going over budget on the Wrigley renovation?