Bleacher Bums Forum

Seems like most expect Contreras to decline QO. Also, Senga contract expectations seem closer to $15M/yr than $20. With these things in mind, revamping my offseason wish list. FA adds in bold.

C: Gomes - $6.5M
1B: Abreu - $18M
2B: Hoerner - $2.2M
3B: Morel - $800K
SS: Correa - $35M
LF: Happ - $10.6M
CF: Nimmo - $20M
RF: Suzuki - $17M

BN: Wisdom - $800K
BN: Bote - $3M
BN: Madrigal - $1.1M
BN: McKinstry - $800K
BN: Higgins - $800K

SP: Steele - $800K
SP: Stroman - $23.67M
SP: Hendricks - $13.88M
SP: Senga - $15M
SP: Smyly - $10M

RP: Robertson-type - $10M
RP: Givens-type - $5M
RP: Wick - $1.5M
RP: Heuer - $800K
RP: Sampson - $800K
RP: Thompson - $800K
RP: Alzolay - $800K
RP: Hughes - $800K

Brings payroll to $200.45M, about in line with 2022 Braves, and still less than 2022 White Sox.

Assume Abreu is a 1+1 or 2 year deal. If Mervis emerges at the MLB level, he's not blocked, and there will be 1B/DH AB's for him and Abreu to share, if needed.

If Hoerner and/or Morel regress, the presence of Wisdom, Bote, Madrigal, and McKinstry provide a ton of flexibility.

At SS, we've got the money to get the best, so go sign Correa. CBJ gets their superstar. 

Taken altogether, that IF defense rivals the 2016 crew while offering league-average-or-better offense at every position, with ample depth to cover injury/underperformance.

For OF, none of the prospects will be ready to start at the ML level in 2023, and the trio of Happ, Nimmo, and Suzuki should provide excellent defense and well-rounded offensive skills. If all 3 stay healthy and productive, Davis missed a lot of time in 2022 and wouldn't hurt for more AAA AB's. Neither would Canario. In a best case scenario where everyone is healthy and the prospects all hatch, Happ gets a QO next winter and walks, and the Cubs figure out how to balance OF AB's between Davis, Canario, Nimmo, Suzuki. It's a problem I'd love to have.

For the rotation, yes, there are bigger names out there than Senga and Smyly, but it seems all the Verlander/DeGrom types are likely to resign with their current teams. I'd certainly be open to the idea of reallocating the Nimmo $$$ to Rodon, if someone can make a compelling argument that results in a better 2023 team. However you put the pieces together here, I think the Cubs would have a very capable rotation, with enough depth and BP quality to maximize the group of mostly #3 SP-types.

What would your rotation be, Jeff? Who takes Smyly's spot?

EDIT: Just realized my calculations above don't include Heyward's salary. Oops. So add $23M and know we're going over the lux tax a little this year, but have significant $$$ rolling off at the end of the year in all of Stroman, Hayward, Happ, and potentially Abreu (~$55 - 75M).

The $224M payroll would put us even with 2022 BoSox who were #6 last year, and one spot ahead of 2022 White Sox.

Cubs easily have the resources. 

What would your rotation be, Jeff? Who takes Smyly's spot?

Sampson, Wesneski, Assad, Thompson, Leiter Jr.

I just don't see Smyly being $10 million better than those guys, especially if I can really fortify the offense.

Also, Canario doing some things in CF down in the DR...

https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/1582932911904665601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1582932911904665601%7Ctwgr%5E7bcdb7648c9e97cf946c2bd33b3770432df3bf86%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bleachernation.com%2F%3Fp%3D326693

Bellinger's slugging these last two years has been .389 and .302.

Is this for 2123?

He's a big guy. 

And yet he had 23 SB vs 3 CS in 2022.