2021 Talk (too early?)

[The20thK]

You can move this into a new thread if you like of delete entirely but I wanted to start thinking about what our team looks like next year.

Lester, Chatwood and Q are all gone (presumably). That leaves 2-3 rotation spots, if you want to keep Mills in a starting a position. The option I see are:

1) See if you can add $5-10m to Lesters buyout, making it $15-20m Unless you think you can get his value from a someone who cost less than $5-10m. Not sure who that would be.

2) I know everyone wants to sign Bauer, and I do too. Not sure what it will take. But with Hendricks, Darvish and Bauer... we'd be hard to beat in a series.

3) Marquez will be 21 and has the arm... not sure what they have seen in SB but hopefully they liked it.

4) Q LT#was 10.5m, Lester LT# was 25.8m, Chatwood LT# was 12.6. Thats a total of lets say 50m (48.9 + change). Lester will getting 10m of that already. So we have 40m left to spend on three starting pitchers. If we give (and he accepts) 5-10m more then we have 30-35m left to spend on 2 starting pitchers. If we give Mills another year or give Marquez a shot (with Mills as a backup plan), we could spend all of that on 1 pitcher (Bauer). Or save the 5-10m from Jon and start both Marquez and Mills (even less likely).


So we could end up with Bauer, Darvish, Hendricks, and some combo of Lester/Bauer/Mills/Marquez



There will be all kinds of speculation about what to do with Bryant, Baez, Schwarber, Contreras and to a lesser extent Rizzo.

I think the safest bets to stay on the team on Heyward, Happ, Hoerner, Bote, Almora and Contreras. (maybe Caratini).

What I'd personally like to see:

Trade Bryant (20 LT# 18.6m) Schwarber )20 LT#7m) and Baez (20 LT# 10m) and get mlb ready players in return. Resign Rizzo. Saving $35m+ on the LT.

Bote to third, Hoerner to SS and finding a 2nd basemen. (LeMahieu, Hernandez or third basemen(who though?) and put Bote at 2nd).

In the OF, depending on who you replace Kyle with, You could move Happ to LF. Options could be NC, Ozuna, Springer or jumping Brennen Davis up (not likely I know). Almora to stay as the 4th OF.

Does Jeffress stay? Id like to see it. Maybe Carraway gets a shot in ST? Sign Hendrix from OAK? bring back some of our guys like Ryan(?), Underwood, Wick and Wieck? Some of the other guys who have shown something this year like Adam, Winkler and Chafin?

Also... is DH staying? and if so.... do we sign a masher or use it as a spot to rotate guys in on their days off?

Please don't rip me apart for these suggestions... I know that many of you have much more knowledge about this team, and league, than I do... Just suggesting what I could foresee as a way to continue to stay competitive so we don't have to tank the team.

[CP_414]

I don’t have any expectation that they’ll respend most of the money coming off the books.

They’ll likely be looking to slash payroll. I think guys like Bauer, LeMahieu, and even Liam Hendriks are going to be out of the Cubs budget.

[Dfan25]

Idelmaro Vargas is going to be the 2B . That is all


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[1908_Cubs]

Idelmaro Vargas is going to be the 2B . That is all


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Why must you hurt me?

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[chibears55]

Idelmaro Vargas is going to be the 2B . That is all


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I could see it now the cubs 2021 tank team..
Opening Day

C. Caratini
1B. Wisdom
2B. Vargas
SS. Hoerner
3B. Bote
LF. Almora
CF. Hamilton
RF. Maybin
DH. Martinez

SP. Mills

[Prior22]

Three fifths of the Cub rotation are free agents and the farm system is devoid of intriguing pitchers besides Marquez. Do what you can to sign Trevor Bauer.

As for the lineup, most of the key cogs are coming off down years. So dealing them would be selling way too low for comfort. I would have the hitting coach in the offseason work with Mr Personality, Kris Bryant, on hitting the ball the other way. Way too much weak pull side contact.

[petrey10]

Why in the F would Vargas start at 2b? Stop

[The20thK]

I don’t have any expectation that they’ll respend most of the money coming off the books.

They’ll likely be looking to slash payroll. I think guys like Bauer, LeMahieu, and even Liam Hendriks are going to be out of the Cubs budget.

What indication have they given that they won't?

[The20thK]

Three fifths of the Cub rotation are free agents and the farm system is devoid of intriguing pitchers besides Marquez. Do what you can to sign Trevor Bauer.

As for the lineup, most of the key cogs are coming off down years. So dealing them would be selling way too low for comfort. I would have the hitting coach in the offseason work with Mr Personality, Kris Bryant, on hitting the ball the other way. Way too much weak pull side contact.

I don't think this season is going to effect anyones value. It was just too short and small of a sample to say. Whats likely to happen is that the value will be decreased because of less control.

[chibears55]

I don't think this season is going to effect anyones value. It was just too short and small of a sample to say. Whats likely to happen is that the value will be decreased because of less control.

Too bad they cant do like basketball where they do sign and trades..lol

[chibears55]

Ross been saying stuff that sounds like most of these core guys will be gone

https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status...082021378?s=19

[chibears55]

...

[1908_Cubs]

What indication have they given that they won't?

Every. They didnt spend a guaranteed penny last year until the very end. They didnt spend in any meaningful way at the deadline. Connected guys like Sharma are on the record stating they expect the Cubs to "spend as little as possible" and that they wont be players in FA this offseason. Theyve already given the numbers to Rogers on their yearly losses with the pandemic.

The Cubs aren't spending this offseason. I expect a reduction in payroll.

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[CP_414]

What indication have they given that they won't?

It’s been widely reported they won’t spend much this winter. They’ve talked repeatedly about $100 mil + in financial losses this year. They’ve talked about only expecting 50% seating at Wrigley early next season. They haven’t added any significant FA in years. Even before COVID there was zero chance they’d cross the tax line 3 years in a row.

It’s highly unlikely the Cubs sign a guy like Bauer or LeMahieu. Obviously I hope they do, but there is zero reason to expect it.

[Cubboy]

It isn’t out of the realm to add a couple pitchers who are better than Chatwood and Lester, while paid less.
Not a terribly high bar, but improvement is improvement.