Bleacher Bums Forum

…By avoiding a huge commitment to a reliever thus far this offseason — the Cubs have signed Webb, Phil Maton, Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar for $24.25 million combined — the club is presumably leaving more room in the baseball budget to potentially acquire an accomplished starting pitcher and an established hitter."..

Actually, it’s $17 (CBT) for the above four relievers—less than $17 if not counting buyouts—not $24.5.

Indeed, the entire bullpen may be less than $24.5 because the remaining current candidates are pre-arb (except for Assad and Rea who may or may not be relievers).

Not crazy about this approach. If it allows Hoyer to net a significant bat, on top of a very good SP, then okay. Let’s see the plan as  achieved.

In any case, Hoyer seems to think that whatever off-season bullpen he puts together, it’s going to be very different as the season progresses—as happened in 2025. Risky, with the bullpen candidates on board now, I think.

Arizona beat reporter Dan Bickley says he hears Bregman to the D-Backs is basically a done deal.

Well, here’s another recent link below that says DBacks signing Bregman is a “longshot.” 

“Done deal” OR “Longshot”??  Take your pick.

Bregman rejected a 6/$156 offer from Astros and a 6/$171.5 offer from Tigers a year ago, in order to take a higher AAV contract with a quick opt-out. Now, he has that and back on the market. This will likely be his final shot at big money.

Buster has talked about Bregman and Dbacks recently too. Bregman grew up in nearby New Mexico and now lives in Phoenix. Has small kids. So, may well be a player who, ideally, would like to play in his hometown. Don’t doubt that.

But, of course, Bregman is a Boras client. That typically means best offer. Dan Bickley expects Bregman to take a hometown discount to sign with DBacks. Maybe, but color me skeptical.  Think they will have to show Bregman the money. And probably need to move Ketel Marte in order to make a competitive offer to Bregman. They will want real value for Marte, a superb player.

Could well be another case of Boras putting stuff out there to get other clubs to raise their offers.  Will find out sooner or later.

Dbacks may well be the front-runner for Bregman, given the hometown ties, but skeptical it’s a “done deal.”

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/bregman-long/3606714/#:~:text=D%2Dbacks%2DAlex%20Bregman%20deal,would%20be%20playing%20somewhere%20else.

Hunter Harvey is apparently signing with the Cubs pending a physical, per Will Sammon…

A little birthday present for you, Dave!

Saw Hunter Harvey in D.C. when with Nats couple of years ago.  Power pitcher throwing 98 then.  Former O’s 1st round pick and a premier prospect 10 years ago.

As lightening-in-a-bottle type of guys go, he’s an interesting one. Could be a factor if everything aligns.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47428030/sources-cubs-reliever-hunter-harvey-agree-1-year-deal

$6/1.  Unexpectedly large, I was guessing as a health rehab guy, that he'd be cheaper.  Interesting investment. 

Barely pitched last season and a 2 MPH velocity crater when he did. ...

Given that he only pitched 10 innings, not sure the velocity dip means a lot?  Was down the first couple of innings, then less down the latter couple of innings.  Hopefully he'll have it all back and can stay healthy.  got some upside, I think. 

Two followup notes:
1.  Assad actually still has option year.  Seems he's been around, and effective when he's pitched, for years.  But yeah, I guess he still does have option, per Cots.  So that could allow Hoyer to add one more guaranteed contract FA, at the expense of Assad.  Seems unlikely, though?

2.  "Competition" is a cliche value.  But guaranteed FA contracts ≥$3.75 are not really "competing" in camp.  Unless injured, they're in.  Packing bullpen with old guaranteed FA's is not really conducive to "competition"?  If you add another, such that all of Assad, Hodge, Brown, Little, and Wicks are Iowa bound no matter how good they look in camp, that isn't really "competition" at all, at least in camp.  That said, they all know they will be competing to be effective and to get called up and to stay up, when injury or failure opens opportunity.  And if you did option Assad just because he's got options, or whatever, having Assad, Brown, Wicks, and Wiggins all competing with each other at Iowa, and Hodge with whichever Snider and other non-roster guys, that could provide plenty of competition there.