2020 Chicago Cubs Offseason Thread

[CP_414]

I do think there's something to the idea that the Cubs waited too long to sell players. Theo himself admitted they bet on players too long.

I do agree with your general point though. This is the best time in many, many years to acquire premiere MLB talent at below market value rates. Teams are shedding payroll for obvious reasons so we could be acquiring great players from them via trade or we could be signing great free agents at discount rates.

It's exactly why the Darvish trade was not "selling high." We sold him after a good season yes, but we sold him in the worst selling market in years. Unlike KB/Baez where they have just one year left, we didn't have to sell Darvish this offseason.

If you're a big market team, one of the advantages you theoretically have is deeper pockets. One way to capitalize on that advantage is to buy when other teams cannot or when it's a buyers market. Instead we are using our excess funds to service Ricketts' Wrigleyville property debt.

Agreed on the overall point.

In terms of the Cubs selling players, they did try at a few points but they were never in a great position to do it.

They weren’t going to sell after 16 or 17. They just won a WS and then went back to the NLCS and had a young core controlled for 4+ years. By the end of 18 Russell lost all his value. Schwarber a value was at a low point. KBs value was at a low point off an injured season. Javy was almost the MVP so he wasn’t getting traded since they were trying to win. After 19 they were about to lock up Javy so he wasn’t moving. They tried to move KB but he had his contract dispute that went to late January and then the pandemic hit not long after. Schwarber still had little trade value. Russell was gone. Now it’s post 2020 and they are tearing it up.

Maybe some of the offers they got the last few years are better than the offers they can get now, but they were likely still bad offers. They chose to try to win last year instead of taking bad trades and they won the division. This year they are taking the bad trades rather than trying to win.

[CP_414]

I think the Cubs could have been buyers overall this offseason, but gone forward without their current core of players. They definitely need a change, but that doesn't mean a rebuild and going cheap like they are.

If you are cutting $80 million from payroll that isn’t being respent, then by rule you are not a buyer.

If they dropped $80 million and spent it all immediately then they are a buyer (sort of).

[CP_414]

https://twitter.com/nypost_mets/stat...632812546?s=21

What’s up with us and catchers and SS’s?

Worth trying, but zero chance the Mets do that.

[chibears55]

I think if anything, the Mets would look for a LFer or CFer so they can move Smith to 1B and bump Alonso..

That would help them more defensively in the OF and possibly offensively by upgrading over Alonso in the lineup

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[1908_Cubs]

I think if anything, the Mets would look for a LFer or CFer so they can move Davis to 1B and bump Alonso..

That would help them more defensively in the OF and possibly offensively by upgrading over Alonso in the lineup

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

The Mets have two 1b they want to play in Pete Alonso and Dominick Smith. They aren't going to bump one of those guys out of the lineup.

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk

[chibears55]

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/s...607694336?s=19

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[chibears55]

The Mets have two 1b they want to play in Pete Alonso and Dominick Smith. They aren't going to bump one of those guys out of the lineup.

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk

My bad, I meant Smith not Davis to play 1B

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[WOwolfOL]

https://twitter.com/nypost_mets/stat...632812546?s=21

What’s up with us and catchers and SS’s?

To me, SS make sense. Load up on elite athletes. If the bat develops then you can find plenty of places for them to play if they "outgrow" the position, so to speak. Probably the only places they likely wouldn't/couldn't convert to would be C and RF. But I think we'd all love the defense if we had 3-4 more guys with the athleticism of Javy, for instance.

And the higher up the d spectrum they are, if the bat plays, then they get more love around the industry and are more valuable assets to utilize in trades.

C to me feels like us just trying to corner the market as best as we can at such a thin position.

Others can provide better reasoning im sure.

[CP_414]

To me, SS make sense. Load up on elite athletes. If the bat develops then you can find plenty of places for them to play if they "outgrow" the position, so to speak. Probably the only places they likely wouldn't/couldn't convert to would be C and RF. But I think we'd all love the defense if we had 3-4 more guys with the athleticism of Javy, for instance.

And the higher up the d spectrum they are, if the bat plays, then they get more love around the industry and are more valuable assets to utilize in trades.

C to me feels like us just trying to corner the market as best as we can at such a thin position.

Others can provide better reasoning im sure.

I think it’s partly what you said there, catcher is a weak position across the league so it’s a great one to have depth. The other part is that he’s one of the Mets most talented 19 year olds. The Cubs must know that they aren’t getting a big upside close to Mlb prospect for KB at this point so maybe they are targeting the biggest upside far from MLB guy they can get and started with Alvarez. When they are that far away just grab the best talent you can.

I don’t see the Mets trading Alvarez for KB.

[thawv]

To me, SS make sense. Load up on elite athletes. If the bat develops then you can find plenty of places for them to play if they "outgrow" the position, so to speak. Probably the only places they likely wouldn't/couldn't convert to would be C and RF. But I think we'd all love the defense if we had 3-4 more guys with the athleticism of Javy, for instance.

And the higher up the d spectrum they are, if the bat plays, then they get more love around the industry and are more valuable assets to utilize in trades.

C to me feels like us just trying to corner the market as best as we can at such a thin position.

Others can provide better reasoning im sure.

A SS can pretty much play every position. They are usually the best fielder on the team. If a team is loaded with SS's in all likelihood, they can all be moved off position and still shine.

[JBears79]

To me, SS make sense. Load up on elite athletes. If the bat develops then you can find plenty of places for them to play if they "outgrow" the position, so to speak. Probably the only places they likely wouldn't/couldn't convert to would be C and RF. But I think we'd all love the defense if we had 3-4 more guys with the athleticism of Javy, for instance.

And the higher up the d spectrum they are, if the bat plays, then they get more love around the industry and are more valuable assets to utilize in trades.

C to me feels like us just trying to corner the market as best as we can at such a thin position.

Others can provide better reasoning im sure.

Absolutely the right answer. I think they love catchers so much because of how tough it is to find good ones. They can "corner" the market on elite catching prospect for future needs.

[kyubi256]

The minute he was approved, I knew about 28, or so, fan bases would be pretty jealous.
I’m still kind of shocked the other owners did approve him.

They had to. The wilpon's were completely broke and put the team up for an auction. If they denied this, then there would be huge issue in MLB when Wilpon can't afford the Mets and the entire team would just disintegrate. Which is a MLBPA mess in a year where need new CBA agreement. Could very well lead to strike.

[JD94]

https://twitter.com/dom_frederic/sta...368350208?s=21

This guy called the Boog announcement before it happened. Might be something to watch today.

[1908_Cubs]

Schwarber signs with Washington. 1 year deal.

https://twitter.com/dougherty_jesse/...820954624?s=19

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk

[CubsRule08]

They had to. The wilpon's were completely broke and put the team up for an auction. If they denied this, then there would be huge issue in MLB when Wilpon can't afford the Mets and the entire team would just disintegrate. Which is a MLBPA mess in a year where need new CBA agreement. Could very well lead to strike.

To be fair, I think we’re inevitably heading towards a strike anyways after this season