2020 Chicago Cubs Offseason Thread

[CubsRule08]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/statu...928289280?s=19

Dodgers and Bryant won't happen.

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Looks like the Mets are the only real option left for a KB trade

[Sofnr]

Looks like the Mets are the only real option left for a KB trade

I'm curious what the Cubs are asking. I'm not expecting it's much. I know all the owners are pretending they're poor this year but I figured Cohen might be the exception. If he's not willing to take on KB's salary for a couple lottery tickets he's a ****ing idiot. A healthy KB could potentially be a game changer for very little risk.

[chibears55]

I'm curious what the Cubs are asking. I'm not expecting it's much. I know all the owners are pretending they're poor this year but I figured Cohen might be the exception. If he's not willing to take on KB's salary for a couple lottery tickets he's a ****ing idiot. A healthy KB could potentially be a game changer for very little risk.

I don't think Hoyer really looking to trade him now, I've always felt they're going to try and get an extension done with him.


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[1908_Cubs]

I don't think Hoyer really looking to trade him now, I've always felt they're going to try and get an extension done with him.


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Bryant has little reason to take an extension right now. He's not going to sign a team friendly deal, his agent is Boras. The Cubs have little reason to pay him high, he's off a bad year.

There's almost zero hope for an extension now.

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[Stratos]

If we're talking qualms, I have a bigger issue with the Marisnick signing. He offers little upside at all. He's not good against LHP (93 wRC+ career). He's not a significant upgrade over Happ vs LHP (88 wRC+ career, 100 last year). He's not a better corner platoon player than Phil Ervin (113 wRC+). He offers no upside to trade (no one is going to go "Oh, Marisnick, I need that guy!"). There's a contending team out there where Marisnick as 26th man makes a lot of sense. The Cubs aren't going to be good, they should be finding someone with upside with that spot; either trade upside (Kevin Pillar on a bounceback may be a LHP platoon guy someone would want), or a Nomar Mazara, where they could have a future starter if they can squeeze him back to life (unlikely, but hey, upside). Instead they have...a dude. It's probably moot, but the Cubs should have used that spot to get something; a lottery ticket with upside in some way. Marisnick offers neither future trade value nor future Cub upside.

Pillar would be more expensive I could only assume. He's better but 2 mil+ for a bench guy who won't play a lot seems like a lot.

I find it odd that we swapped some guys out but replaced them with very similar players. Schwarber for Joc. Almora for Marisnick. Lester for Arrieta. Quintana for Williams. Most of those are slight upgrades at least.

[Stratos]

Bryant has little reason to take an extension right now. He's not going to sign a team friendly deal, his agent is Boras. The Cubs have little reason to pay him high, he's off a bad year.

There's almost zero hope for an extension now.

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Yeah it makes no sense to sign an extension when your value is at a career low and free agency is looming.

I think Rizzo is the only guy who could be signed.

[1908_Cubs]

Pillar would be more expensive I could only assume. He's better but 2 mil+ for a bench guy who won't play a lot seems like a lot.

I find it odd that we swapped some guys out but replaced them with very similar players. Schwarber for Joc. Almora for Marisnick. Lester for Arrieta. Quintana for Williams. Most of those are slight upgrades at least.

Pillar may have cost $500K more (he's still available, so I'm not sure he would) but he presents some upside of...anything. Something. I just can't see what Marisnick does for a fringe/bad team. Pillar has some upside of a good half being a platoon bat someone wants.

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[Stratos]

Pillar may have cost $500K more (he's still available, so I'm not sure he would) but he presents some upside of...anything. Something. I just can't see what Marisnick does for a fringe/bad team. Pillar has some upside of a good half being a platoon bat someone wants.

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Maybe Pillar wanted more playing time opportunity. I can't see why he'd want to sign with the Cubs.

[1908_Cubs]

Maybe Pillar wanted more playing time opportunity. I can't see why he'd want to sign with the Cubs.

Hed have plenty here with Happ, Pederson and Heyward all bad against LHP. One Phil Ervin can't handle three spots. I doubt any team is giving him an opportunity for any more. He was awful last year.

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[thawv]

So, I'm going to answer this question with an anecdote. I teach middle school Social Studies. I have for a decade now. In about my third year, I realized something very important; when I told my students they had to write "at least 2 sentences to answer" a specific question, almost all of my students would only write 2 sentences, whether they had fully answered the question or not. They'd miss things, they wouldn't fully explain...because the minimum required was 2, this was the line that was required to meet, many would stop at the minimum. So you know what I did? I stopped giving minimum sentences. "How long does it need to be, Mr. 1908?" my students would ask. "As long as you need to answer the question fully". Magically, my quality of answer went up. Some students needed 2 sentences to answer that question; others four. But they answered the question much better. My lazy students still gave me lazy answers, but on the average, much better.

I answer with such an anecdote because I don't believe a "floor" benefits anyone. Teams will haphazardly find new ways to exploit a floor. As stated, the NHL has a floor. The ****ing Phoenix Coyotes were trading for retired players and guys who would never suit up again to make these minimum floor requirements. Teams signed players to front loaded contracts in terms of cash payment, but because the floor is AAV, would then trade high cap/low cash players to the cheap teams to get them to the floor. The NFL gets to minimums by claiming "dead money". Leagues play with floors to do the bare minimum like my students.

The Pirates will find fun ways to "buy" their way to the floor. They'll "trade" for Heyward-type bloated deals. Teams will give up their prospects to send high AAV players to other teams; and then retain salary and/or purposefully add years with low cash payouts. The Pirates will buy the AAV, get a prospect for it, and maintain their way to salary floor. Does that benefit the sport? The league? It'll be the new "DFA". Trade bad contract X to Poor Team Y and help them get to the floor. It'll be the same thing; teams who don't want to put a real competitive team on the field...won't.

People love to believe a "floor" benefits players because it some how will guarantee them X, when in reality, teams will always do the bare minimum when it comes to spending if they don't have to do more. So get rid of the minimum. Tell them you can spend $60m if you are a good team; if you want to do **** like the Rays and make life hard on yourself; fine. But the end needs to be "winning gets you something". Revenue sharing is the easy answer.

Now, as I've stated, I realize how unrealistic it is. But that's where I come down on floors and ceilings. I think they're ********. If you make winning matter (look at the English Premiere League), no one ****ing tanks. Everyone tries. Every year. That's good for the sport.

Excellent post. But at the end of the day, winning is never going to matter over profits.

The owners don't care "what's good for the sport." They care about what's good for their profits. They will never be on board with the fans thinking.

[CP_414]

Excellent post. But at the end of the day, winning is never going to matter over profits.

The owners don't care "what's good for the sport." They care about what's good for their profits. They will never be on board with the fans thinking.

All the more reason to tie revenue sharing to winning.

[Dfan25]

I doubt the Cubs are looking to do anything else except maybe trade Bryant but anyway :

https://twitter.com/mlbbrucelevine/s...933958658?s=21


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[WOwolfOL]

Theyre just gonna sign Sogard

[Bluefire]

Theyre just gonna sign Sogard

I think they'll bring Kipnis back. Jake Lamb is available, lightning in a bottle maybe?

[chibears55]

https://twitter.com/mlbbrucelevine/s...933958658?s=21


Payroll sits around 170 now, so if they add a couple more vet players for 2B and pen, it'll put Payroll between 175-180

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