Author Topic: Cubs in ‘23  (Read 54893 times)

Playtwo

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #405 on: November 24, 2022, 10:36:44 am »
I agree that the Cubs MUST get one of the big 4 FA SSs.  Also agree that Correa is the preferred target by a wide margin.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #406 on: November 24, 2022, 06:07:10 pm »
Hoerner with Morel/Madrigal is the fallback.

Abreu and Swanson is holding serve at best on offense.
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davep

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #407 on: November 25, 2022, 08:00:14 am »
It is interesting that Morel has become the invisible man in the off season discussions.  He played an adequate defensive second base, whild slugging .433 and OPS of .741.  If he were another team's free agent this year, there would be a clamor of fans rooting for the Cubs to sign him.  There is reason to believe that, just as Happ greatly improved his defense by being restricted to one position, the same is likely with Morel.  His best defensive position in the majors was second base, his main position in the minors.  Although it is useful to have a utility player that can fill in at several positions, very few are like Zobrist, who could excel at several of them.  And personally, I would rather have a really good second baseman, than average utility player.  And he brings several things to the table that most fans feel the Cubs are lacking.  Exceptional speed.  Exceptional arm.  Better than average power at a position that seldom provides power.  And an enthusiasm that would be helpful if it rubbed off on the rest of the team.

I would love to sign Correa, Turner or Bogaerts if the price fits the budget.  But I don't think that either Hoerner at short or Morel at second would leave the Cubs with gaping holes at the positions.

JeffH

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #408 on: November 25, 2022, 09:06:28 am »
It is interesting that Morel has become the invisible man in the off season discussions.  He played an adequate defensive second base, whild slugging .433 and OPS of .741.  If he were another team's free agent this year, there would be a clamor of fans rooting for the Cubs to sign him.  There is reason to believe that, just as Happ greatly improved his defense by being restricted to one position, the same is likely with Morel.  His best defensive position in the majors was second base, his main position in the minors.  Although it is useful to have a utility player that can fill in at several positions, very few are like Zobrist, who could excel at several of them.  And personally, I would rather have a really good second baseman, than average utility player.  And he brings several things to the table that most fans feel the Cubs are lacking.  Exceptional speed.  Exceptional arm.  Better than average power at a position that seldom provides power.  And an enthusiasm that would be helpful if it rubbed off on the rest of the team.

I would love to sign Correa, Turner or Bogaerts if the price fits the budget.  But I don't think that either Hoerner at short or Morel at second would leave the Cubs with gaping holes at the positions.

Actually, Morel played very little second base in the minors.

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #409 on: November 25, 2022, 09:57:05 am »
Actually, Morel played very little second base in the minors.

His speed isn’t really all that exceptional either.

Morel does have a chance to be a useful player, and you have to love his attitude. But he has a long way to go to prove he can be an everyday player on a good team, and I don’t think most Cubs fans would be clamoring for the Cubs to sign him if he were a FA playing for somebody else.

Reb

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #410 on: November 25, 2022, 11:38:37 am »
For me, Morel is a classic utility guy. That’s probably his value in these days of a 4/5 man bench.

Keep in mind that pitchers started to figure him out after his hot start—batted .194 after the break, albeit with some continued power.

I don’t know, maybe he’ll be able to make some adjustments. Wouldn’t put it past him. But, see his upside as an average guy (aside from his versatility) and probably doesn’t reach that plateau. He’s a wait-and-see guy for me or trade bait if some club likes him more than that.

Playtwo

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #411 on: November 25, 2022, 12:03:48 pm »
That's my sense as well, Reb.  But I hope he is able to make adjustments since he seems like the kind of personality you'd like to have on your roster.

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #412 on: November 25, 2022, 12:06:05 pm »
I think Ross is grooming him to be his Zobrist.

ben

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #413 on: November 25, 2022, 05:23:55 pm »
Whether or not Christopher Morel could be a well-above average defensive 2nd baseman (and I believe he could become one in time), count me with DaveP as believing Morel could bring one helluva lot of value to the Cubs in the future. 

There's a GOOD reason Brennen Davis and his buds at Iowa called Morel "The Electric Show." His tools are about as loud as Javy's at age 22/23.

Elite arm - at one point in the season, his arm rated among the strongest in MLB - 96mph average on all field throws, at least at one point.

Very fast - he was among the top outfield guys in pure sprint speed (up there with Buxton and Trout), but his anticipation and 1st step were not considered CF-ready (though his closing speed was excellent).

Light-tower power - we all saw the power he produced and when he squared it up, his exit velos have been in the 110 area.

While his BA and OBP etc were way down in the 2nd half, the league adjusted and some wear down would be expected as he's still raw for MLB and doesn't turn 24 until late June.

Morel may not be able to continually adapt and become a plus regular at any position; however, his tools are LOUD and there's almost NO WAY Cubs should trade him at this point! His upside potential is HIGH at some position (it's easy to see him at 3rd or 2nd), if he can't Zobrist.

And, about as important as anything else, by all accounts C Morel is a GREAT teammate!  And, in the MLB's long season, that really matters, too!





 

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #414 on: November 25, 2022, 05:25:24 pm »
Cubs in on Conforto, accoring to MLBtraderumors.com

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/cubs-interested-in-michael-conforto-cody-bellinger.html

That's a tough one to assess.  If the shoulder is OK he's probably still a good hitter - you'd expect closer to pre-'21 numbers.  Lefty bat, obviously a huge need.  It'd be nuts to count on him as a CF (pretty much a dumpster fire there), but it's another guy that can play anywhere in the outfield in a pinch.  Especially with the DH the Cubs just need good hitters, especially LHBs.  They need to sign multiple starter-quality position players and they have as much short-term money as they could need, so Conforto on a one or two-year deal may make sense.

guest405

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #415 on: November 25, 2022, 05:52:40 pm »
Im a Morel fan as well though I think he's a 2nd baseman or CFer.

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #416 on: November 26, 2022, 10:57:19 am »
from MLB rumors
4. Cubs
First off, the Bleacher Creatures would absolutely love him at Wrigley. But this is about more than aesthetic fit. The Cubs seems to have some money to spend but might want to wait another year or two to make a splash on a free agent hitter. They also have a clear need for hitting. Bellinger could play center field -- or first base, really -- and bat in the middle of the order, giving him every opportunity to rebuild his value around baseball in one of the most high-profile situations in the sport. And the Cubs make sense as a multi-year play too, if Bellinger’s up for that. Seriously, he’d look so great in that uniform.

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #417 on: November 26, 2022, 11:01:39 am »
same source
Nov. 25: Bellinger drawing serious interest

Eleven clubs, including the Astros, Cubs and Giants, have expressed interest in 27-year-old Cody Bellinger, non-tendered by the Dodgers earlier this month, according to a report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

Bellinger is likely seeking a one-year deal after another lackluster season in which he hit .210/.265/.389 with 19 home runs over 144 games.

guest405

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #418 on: November 26, 2022, 02:23:39 pm »
Kodai Senga remains at the top of Hoyer’s shopping list according to Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. 

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in ‘23
« Reply #419 on: November 26, 2022, 03:38:22 pm »
I've seen comments where he prefers Padres  Giants, Angels Rangers...no mention of Cubs