2020 Chicago Cubs Offseason Thread

[Stratos]

That's probably real good for the Cubs. That instantly makes Javier Baez and Kris Bryant on one year contracts interesting for them. Bryant could slide into LF with Jeff McNeil retaking 2b, or Baez could be on the radar for 2b.

True. Could make it harder to get LaStella or someone else though if we wanted to go for them. Though that seems unlikely if they do a rebuild.

[1908_Cubs]

If a team has a president of baseball operations, why do they need a general manager also? Don't they have essentially the same job duties?

I could be wrong, but didn't Theo pretty much make every baseball decision? Why was Jed needed?

That being said, why is it necessary to hire a general manager if Jed is the one that's going to be making baseball decisions? Conversely, if the general manager is going to be making all the decisions, what's the purpose of Jed's job? It seems like a waste of money.

Am I missing something here?

What the GM does and the baseball Ops is kind of shifting. We lived in a world 10 years ago where we barely talked about VP of Ops and it was all "GM, GM, GM". Today, it seems to have shifted up. Your VP is basically what the GM was, the GM has become the "assistant to the GM" and so-forth. I think in many ways it was a way to circumvent contracts and hire outside of the org the GM you wanted (for example, Porter and Samayde, both of Arizona's assistan GM's who are on the Cubs wish list, I'd assume, based on their track record and their connections to the Cubs FO would both have been able to be hired as a GM probably 3-5 years ago. Now their contracts have stipulations that it must be for a VP position outside of the org or they can block the interview).

In the end, it's another voice. It's more ideas. Jed is going to run the big picture. Your GM may handle more day to day stuff, handle initial trade stuff...but they're going to be very important. They're the number 2 guy. Take it this way; according to Theo, it was Jed pushing for Pedro Strop in trades. The Cubs got half a decade out of Pedro Strop as a high leverage reliever. Doesn't that kind of just pay for the GM itself? Hard to say it's a waste of money.

So now, we need Jed's guy who says "Dude, make sure you get that guy".

[1908_Cubs]

True. Could make it harder to get LaStella or someone else though if we wanted to go for them. Though that seems unlikely if they do a rebuild.

It could. But at this stage it's probably best to look at every opening as a potential landing spot for our guys, and less of the Cubs as a landing spot for anyone else. It's becoming clearer and clearer; we ain't trying to be a winner next year. More opening spots; creates a bigger market for what is going to be, I think, a crowded, depressed market.

[chibears55]

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/s...588631052?s=19

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[chibears55]

Wow. Mets gonna be looking for a 2B now:

He is subject to a 162 game suspension since this is his 2nd positive PED test. Next positive would result in lifetime ban

Should just retire...
I was wondering if they were still testing these guys for PHD, didn't hear anything about it during the season

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[thawv]

What the GM does and the baseball Ops is kind of shifting. We lived in a world 10 years ago where we barely talked about VP of Ops and it was all "GM, GM, GM". Today, it seems to have shifted up. Your VP is basically what the GM was, the GM has become the "assistant to the GM" and so-forth. I think in many ways it was a way to circumvent contracts and hire outside of the org the GM you wanted (for example, Porter and Samayde, both of Arizona's assistan GM's who are on the Cubs wish list, I'd assume, based on their track record and their connections to the Cubs FO would both have been able to be hired as a GM probably 3-5 years ago. Now their contracts have stipulations that it must be for a VP position outside of the org or they can block the interview).

In the end, it's another voice. It's more ideas. Jed is going to run the big picture. Your GM may handle more day to day stuff, handle initial trade stuff...but they're going to be very important. They're the number 2 guy. Take it this way; according to Theo, it was Jed pushing for Pedro Strop in trades. The Cubs got half a decade out of Pedro Strop as a high leverage reliever. Doesn't that kind of just pay for the GM itself? Hard to say it's a waste of money.

So now, we need Jed's guy who says "Dude, make sure you get that guy".

This is exactly how I view it also.

I don't understand why things changed. If you have a general manager and assistant general manager, that's essentially the same as a president and general manager.

Most teams have always used 2 heads. I feel like it cost more money doing it this way because of their titles

[chibears55]

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/s...286830599?s=19

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[1908_Cubs]

This is exactly how I view it also.

I don't understand why things changed. If you have a general manager and assistant general manager, that's essentially the same as a president and general manager.

Most teams have always used 2 heads. I feel like it cost more money doing it this way because of their titles

So that you could hire guys away. It was a title change, nothing more. If a contract says "you can't move latterly" than you have to "move them up". So the GM becomes VP. Bingo. They're still doing the same job.

It was semantics. But it circumvented contractual language.

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[CP_414]

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/s...588631052?s=19

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I’m a big fan of how the DBacks have drafted the last few years. They’ve built an excellent farm system while being over .500 3 straight years before 2020.

Even if the Cubs can’t get one of their assistant GMs, I’d love to see some trades with Arizona in the next year.

[1908_Cubs]

Should just retire...
I was wondering if they were still testing these guys for PHD, didn't hear anything about it during the season

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Cano just forfeited $24m over the 2021 season. If he retires, he then forfeits the $24m he's owed in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He's not going to make a $24m mistake into a $96m hit to his pocket.

[La_bibbers]

What more did Hoyer need to do as GM other than be another intelligent voice that Theo trusted to be doing his job? It'd be pretty overwhelming/terrifying to not have second opinons on... Pretty much any move you make as an MLB executive.

Of course we can't be completely certain what exactly what Hoyer's job looked like as GM, but in my head, he was right there in the room with Theo helping make virtually all decisions. Theo just had the final say.

[thawv]

So that you could hire guys away. It was a title change, nothing more. If a contract says "you can't move latterly" than you have to "move them up". So the GM becomes VP. Bingo. They're still doing the same job.

It was semantics. But it circumvented contractual language.

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Fair enough

[chibears55]

Cano just forfeited $24m over the 2021 season. If he retires, he then forfeits the $24m he's owed in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He's not going to make a $24m mistake into a $96m hit to his pocket.

Didn't look at his contract
Mets screwed themselves here making that trade..
Guy going to be 39 when he returns next year
Gonna be one expensive bench player for 2 years

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[1908_Cubs]

Didn't look at his contract
Mets screwed themselves here making that trade..
Guy going to be 39 when he returns next year
Gonna be one expensive bench player for 2 years

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For 3. He's signed through 2024. Thats a truly ugly contract heading forward. For everyone who's hated the Heyward deal; he didn't sign until the age of 42.

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[cubs1423]

For 3. He's signed through 2024. Thats a truly ugly contract heading forward. For everyone who's hated the Heyward deal; he didn't sign until the age of 42.

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I don't believe that is true. Pretty sure that he has 3 years remaining inclusive of 2021. Although I did go and confirm, perhaps I am still mistaken.