Offseason/2019

[HBK9]

My wish list for this off season.

1. Pick up Hammels option. I thought yesterday was the deadline and I haven't see anything on this either way.

2. Resign Murphy. With the Russell situation and his trade value next to zero I think this is a must for a bunch of reasons. I was never big on Russell as I always felt and still do that Baez is the best SS they have. With Murphy you get that bat. One thing that Madden does a good job of, if he is not over thinking it, is getting guys rest. With the free agents this year and the way the market was last off season, I think you will be able to get him on the cheap. One drawback is that it only leaves Bode as the back up SS.

3. Sign a "name" reliever. Don't care who just get a proven guy or two if we want to be greedy. There is nothing wrong with slotting everyone an inning down.

4. If you go after Machado or Harper, which after the postseason I am not on the Machado train anymore and I never was on the Harper train, I'd take Machado because he can move Bryant to the OF and also play SS if needed.

[hermes]

what's the damage on the hamels option? he did pitch great but he is old, i'd be alright with bringing him back

yes to murphy, he was really good down the stretch

[HBK9]

It was $20 million but they traded Smyly and dumped $7 million with that so the "experts" are saying they are only paying $13 million. Fuzzy math in my book. But Hammels is worth it. He was throwing very well for them after he got here.

[Kizz Fastfists]

I'd like to see them resign Murphy, but we'll see what the market dictates with him. They still have Zobrist, Happ and Bote that can play 2B.

I don't expect them to go after Machado or Harper as there really isn't a spot for them. To make Machado fit you either trade Addy and let Murphy go then then have Machado at SS with Javy at 2B and Bryant at 3B OR you move Bryant to LF and have to trade Schwarber to clear some OF space. It really only makes sense if they are going to play Machado at SS where he has the most value, because dumping Schwarber to drop Bryant in LF and Machado at 3B isn't really a significant upgrade for the money. They would be better off investing in keeping Murphy and adding to the bullpen. Harper makes more sense as he could become the everyday CF and be a significant upgrade over Almora/Happ in center. This keeps Schwarber's bat in the lineup. It also adds to the depth and defensive replacement options in the OF.

I don't expect the Cubs to go after any significant FA for offense. Murphy being the potential exception if you want to call him a significant FA pursuit. After a quick glance none of the reliever FAs really jumped out at me. I like Cody Allen after his down year along with Zach Britton and Andrew Miller. All three of them had "down" years, but are established relievers.

I expect a relatively quiet off-season. An Addy trade for relief pitching or pitching prospect(s) would not leave enough of a hole for them to need to chase Machado. With Javy there to be the everyday SS and with Happ and Zobrist capable of handling 2B even if Murphy left they could add a utility infielder without it needing to be a significant investment. They could also go with Bote as the utility infielder.

[karch34]

Wilson 2/$10 with Mets. Depleted farm system for rentals and wind up trying to get bullpen help every year in FA

[hermes]

i see spring training has started, anything significant happen in the off-season for us?

i wasn't really paying attention. are we mostly rolling back the same team to try again?

[Kizz Fastfists]

i see spring training has started, anything significant happen in the off-season for us?

i wasn't really paying attention. are we mostly rolling back the same team to try again?

Mostly the same team. The farm is pretty much void of assets and the payroll is maxed out so there wasn't anything for them to do. The computer projections are not being kind due to the age of the rotation. Hopefully Darvish can have a healthy season. We need Lester and Hamels to show that being 35 isn't an issue.

[jc23]

So with this Harper deal that means KB is mostly likely a goner when the time comes right?

[hermes]

i didn't pay much attention to the situation in washington. were the nationals not a contender to resign him?

[Kizz Fastfists]

It depends on what the Nationals really offered. It was pretty much about money. The Phillies won the bidding. It will be the same with KB when he hits FA. People don't have Boras as an agent to give discounts to the team that drafted them. The only reason Washington didn't have a real chance is if Harper didn't trust their front office to contend and that was really a criteria. I can't imagine KB feeling that way about the Cubs, but like we have seen with other players in FA, i.e. Cano and Machado, when they want that big paycheck contending isn't important.

I'm not worried about KB leaving at this point. I expect the Cubs to have the ability to give him the $35M/yr, give or take, it will take to keep him. Lester will be off the books and it will be the last year of Darvish's and Heyward's deals.

[bearadonisdna]

[tweet][/tweet]

i see spring training has started, anything significant happen in the off-season for us?

i wasn't really paying attention. are we mostly rolling back the same team to try again?

This is what it seems like to me.
The cubs were pretty good with addison russell last year.

Right now im finding it hard to follow this team, seems like an exercise in futility.