Agree, slow as molasses, doesn't walk a lot at least 1 strikeout each game, yes a Homer every now and then but 240 average. And he's 30 he's gonna want a TON of money.
I think he’s going to opt in. He had a so-so season last year, but it was not as good as his first year with the Cubs. There’s no way any team is going to pay him the type of money he wants for the numbers he put up last year plus an almost guaranteed stint on the DL, which is becoming a yearly thing.
Yup, I think Jed was saying all that b.s about he’s gonna have a lot of options in hopes he does opt out thinking his value is higher than it actually is. At the same time his agent is crazy so might have him opt out lol
You know, when the cubs season ended, i really thought we would see the end of these heart throbbing losses for atleast a lil bit. Bears think otherwise
I dont think he will opt out....I think they are hoping he does..... I thought his season was lackadaisical in typical fashion of a player who got the big dollars in the previous offseason.... His power and slug were huge question marks... if he had hit 28-35 with 90 -110 RBI's ~ the cubs season would have been much better ~ a completely different narrative, excitement and trajectory.... Bellinger was a LETDOWN vs. the hopes. I wish I really knew why ~ was it injury? Was he on the weed and video game diet??? You never know with him....Seasons like this ~ and there have been a few~ I question his drive and ability to handle success. If he picked it up and got into the HOF with a productive 10 years in front of him I wouldnt be surprised~ he is that gifted... but if he faded away into obscurity that wouldnt shock me in the least either... I had much bigger hopes for him as a fan honestly... I always root for Cody. I am always waiting for that offseason when he comes in stacked with 10-15 pounds of extra muscle to turn on those 97 mph pitches he has so much trouble turning on these days.
@@popsmoke99 absolutely. His power fell off big time. But like a lot of other players on the team his slash was much better on the road vs at home. His slug was only .399 at home but it was .451 at home. Not as good as the .525 he put up in 2023 but it's on par with his 2018 season where he hit 25 HR, 7 triples and 28 doubles.
Look up Jimmy Herget- I didn’t even know the cubs claimed him- he actually has a really nasty curveball and sinker so as long as nothing “broke” him, he might be worth keeping. I watched him a lot last year (or maybe even 2022) on the angels (I was watching for ohtani) and he was one of the only relievers you could count on most of the time. Absolutely nasty.
I think he'll opt out. He'll be 30 next year and I think he wants to get a long-term contract done at this point in his career. Even if the AAV isn't above what he's making now. He wants years over a large AAV, IMO.
Daaaa Bears 🐻🐻🐻🐻 just broke my heart not because they lost but how they lost that my heart broke for all the Bears on the team as well as all my fellow fans as well...but before the play even happened i just knew it was going to be caught in the end zone...but i am a grumpy fan as it is because with all these new rules in football as it is Football doesn't feel like football very much as it is..but even more so now with all these new rules go...smh...as far as Bellie goes...he is due this season no matter where he plays at..🤷🤦🙇👉💯👈🚫🧢🫵😎
@@voidman6035 , it was just game 7 of 17. It wasn't a playoff game, and not even a late regular season game with playoff implications. And they weren't even favored. Plus, they were dominated most of the game and made inexplicably bad coaching decisions. It would have been stealing a win if they had won. Yeah, good teams do that. But people need to dial it back with their expectations for this team. It still not ready to compete at an elite level. Players still need seasoning and they still need to upgrade a few positions. As for Bellinger, it would be best if he opted out and was no longer blocking young players ready to contribute. I'm convinced he will opt out. But I could be wrong.
Let’s be rational about the 83 wins. Cubs offense regressed from 23 which mostly of two biggest reasons of 23 surprise 83 win : Cody & Gomes. Their bullpen was not near 23 with 5 major injuries. Their SP is almost the same with Steele injury, Hendricks regress & Imanaga emergent. So to me, getting the same win total with meaningless last 15 games(means Cubs did not go all for it to win) is a step forward even it is a very small step.
Don't have to spend major money to get top reliever. Trade a prospect or two for Mason Miller.What a bullpen with Mason Miller, Hodges, Brown, Merryweather, Lopez, Miller etc.
The decision to opt in or out may come down to personal decisions, where the family wants to live, and so forth. BTW, maybe a Mike Trout stays healthy in a right field/DH situation?
People forget he was battling rib injury most of season. He will opt in. Jed put cubs in this situation. No lineup or financial flexibility due bad contracts. I.e. no trade clauses for happ and Suzuki
Moises Ballesteros would probably be the Chicago Cubs best hitter if they can find a spot for him. He’s definitely not MLB ready as a catcher. He’s too short to play 1B. DH is the only place for him from what I’ve seen.
I expect Cody to opt out and test the market again. I think he will figure that if not now, when? And although he may lose some money in the short term I believe he’d rather look for a multi year deal going forward. I also believe that he got Jed’s message loud and clear and would rather be somewhere that he’s wanted and appreciated. We’ll soon know.
I don't want Soto. Yankees are about to go down 3-0 to the Dodgers. While Judge is much more to blame than Soto, Soto hasn't put the team on his back and, through tyranny of will, got them a single win. Taking on that monster contract will completely paralyze you financially when it comes to making any more moves. I'd rather spread that money around to a couple of bona-fide but not quite elite stars instead. The Cubs have too many roster holes to fill. They're not one superstar hitter away.
Hey guys, what are your thoughts on the Cubbies making a trade for Hader over at Houston? I saw a rumor that they may be open to moving him and we could be a target. It's 19 mil a year for I think 3 or 4 more years and he didn't have the season he is used to having. Maybe because of the contract it doesn't cost much in prospect capital? Thoughts?
You don't keep those two just to validate a trade from years ago. And secondly, Bryant has been a major bust & that includes a couple years w/ the Cub. The only bad thing about the Bryant deal is why it wasn't made two years earlier.
Bryant is toast what are you talking about he's a loser to take that contract and be on a team that never has a chance to be in the world series stealing over 200 million
@@craigbrindle108 you make zero sense. The alternative was to keep Bryant & that would have been even dumber than trading them for failed minor leaguers drawing low salaries.
If he doesn't spend on a reliever, then he needs to trade his prospect capital for one. Otherwise he needs to be looking under his car for the rest of the season. Cozzi knows.
Here is my opinion Most Arb cases will end up adding payroll to support players. Add to it they remove 40 man flex that Jed can utilize in getting a fresh arm or bat up So I have said Steele and Paredes. The rest are bench or pen arms. When you break down the projected cases those little pings add up to 22M. Which is the price of a tier 2 player in baseball. So giving Kilian a pen role to establish himself at pre Arb case prices makes more sense then paying a Arb case. That payroll is better suited to adding a starter. I see this market as weak in general. Soto and Burnes are A list players. At best the rest are at that 22M range that you would want to pay. Most will get over paid. So I would avoid the F/A unless Jed can pull in Burnes and defer a chunk after the deal ends. That kind of contract has become common and can get a A list players at 2nd tier tax. Other than that they do need a legit closer. I would target Miller from Oakland. They are moving to Sac for 2 years. Then to Las Vegas. Miller will be a super 2 and half of his control will be wasted at a temp location. I just don't see Oakland being too tight gripped on him if they can get back some prospects that will be MLB ready and full control in 2027. Cubs have depth going on and talent at many levels that could match up in a deal My though her has been target Miller (Arb 1-4) and Rooker (Arb 1-3). Send back Horton and Shaw plus some lower top 50 Cubs prospects that Oakland can develop. Horton and Shaw they can keep in AAA to keep their time clocks down. Rooker becomes the needed #4 hitter and projects at DH. If Cody opts in he goes to 1B. Busch can play 3 spots so there is flexibility going in plus Craig can move him to 1B late inning and push Cody to RF Miller has said on Justin Steele's pod that he would be open to starting as he came up as one. I find no reason to not do this in 2026 when Taillon comes off the books. 2025 you want Hodge to get a full year in vs going into a potential Alzolay scenario
If Bellinger comes back, the Cubs will use that as an excuse not to spend more money. If he opts out, there’s no guarantee they will spend the money to replace him. That is the level of confidence I have in that front office right now. I wish they would prove me wrong, but they rarely do.
projected at 189M with a tax cap of 141M. This includes projected Arb cases that most likely will not be all picked up. Soto is not happening. I am leaning towards Cody picking his opt. If he gambles then he is doing Jed a favor.
Juan Soto will solve the offense, but the Cubs will make no effort to sign him. We keep talking about needing superstars, but our franchise refuse to sign them.
Work on improving the pitching. Leave Hoerner alone as a "punch" hitter with good bat control; not a power hitter. Belli in right field makes the Cubs one of the best fielding outfields. The bats will come around this year if their isn't so much stress. Armstrong, Hoerner, Belli, Suzuki [DH], Happ, Paredes, Busch,, Swanson, Amaya. A backup catcher; maybe keep the one we have. Dump Wisdom, Matrobuoni, Madrigal. Add on Shaw Alcantera, Cassie. 90 wins
Haaaaave you met Juan Soto? 😂. I agree though. He's the #2 outfield free agent and stands to make a lot more long-term as a FA this off-season than he does if he takes the big payday for one season next year. He'll opt out.
Can we please cut it out with the Pete Alonso garbage? He's older, more expensive, much worse defensively and only marginally better at hitting homers than Michael Busch. It makes zero sense. Now, if they can swing a trade and sign for Guerrero, Jr, then we have something to talk about. Otherwise, I'm very happy to see what Busch can do with an extra hundred or so ABs next season. 🎉
I don't really care either way. Reason being is I don't have any faith in the front office to go out and sign someone like Soto or Burnes if he does opt out. Hoyer isn't going to spend in the top end of the market regardless of what Bellinger does. But if Bellinger doesn't opt out it'll give Hoyer an excuse as to why this team doesn't change much this off-season. An to answer your question about Ballesteros. He's 5'8" he is not a big league 1st baseman.
Again, Bellinger would be insane to opt out. Will not make that kind of cash with any other team! Unless the Cubs themselves have asked him to opt out.
Sam Olbur is making the same mistake as last offseason. He keeps assuming the Cubs will get Pete Alonso. Why? The Mets just had a terrific season and have MONEY. Highly unlikely Alonso will go the Cubs. Time to move on from these pipedreams of Soto/Alonso. Somebody like Max Fried would be a huge upgrade, and obviously, need an offensive trade. Max Fried has always been underrated by this show
Hope he opts out but no way he will. Bad year, injuries. Not getting that money elsewhere. Cubs need to start over again. Too many decent players of age and no great game changing players. Hope like hell PCA is that guy.
Didn’t we the fans learn about Mervis example? Before 23 season, almost everyone was hyped up by him, how many HR he was going to hit, blah blah blah. Now we are making the same predictions on Shaw, Cam, Owen, Ballesteros, etc . For me, until you prove yourself in the MLB , and gone through tough periods and come back to hit well, by then I will believe that player is for real and he has to stay healthy. Did any fans admit they were wrong on Mervis? No! of course, we are just fans, we can say whatever crap we want and with no consequences and remorses and regrets and still questioning your every move !!!
Sam, you don’t have any base to say Ballesteros is better than Busch! This is totally emotional thinking with small sample sizes. Ballesteros has not even saw one major league pitch !!! How the hell you can predict he is better? Do you know how good Busch hit in minor league?? He hit over 300 and OPS over 1000 for two years! And he proved himself this year as a good major league hitter at least. He is better hitting wise than PCA all year! Common! Sam, you are better than this!!
This is why we fans can’t QUALIFY to be a MLB GM. Cause the minute we don’t see results we try to get rid of people. What fans want to see is every move pay off, which is not possible, especially in MLB. Dodgers sign Glassnow and I screamed Cubs don’t touch him with that kind of money. Even Yamamoto was not a success, yet they have the means to withstand those bad moves with many all stars.
Belli will stay. He cannot leave 28 million on the table on the off chance another team gives him 5 years and 30 million per year. That is not happening. He's got 50 million left or so for the next two years. Yes, he had the same number of games played the last 2 years. But in 2023 he did not have fractured bones and broken ribs and all the rest. Then he comes back early as the team is struggling and playing in 50 games that saw the team score 2 runs or less. So if you are the main guy you are going to try too hard. He will have a great season next year as long as he doesn't break more fingers. Or ribs. The entire team under performed. Happ had a good year, but Suzuki has to do more too. Too many times did he strike out looking with runners on. I don't care if the pitch is an inch outside. You are getting 25 million a year, swing the damn bat. Yes, we must stay away from Pete. Let him make his 40 million a year in New York. He had 34 HRs and hit .240. Is THAT worth 40 million a year? Negative. I would trade Amaya and bring up that AAA dude, player of the year, etc. Between him and Christian, who has a bat, and who is a better defender, who has a cannon, who throws runners out? I'd keep those 2 catchers and get rid of Amaya. He had 2 months of decent hitting but still can't catch a cold. Yes, keep Tauchman and Merriweather and get rid of the other 12 dudes. Shaw will have to open the season at 2nd, and everyone wants to trade Nico because Shaw MIGHT be good at the Major league level. He might be. Matt Mervis might be a stud in the big leagues. Oh wait. Yes, Adames had 32 dingers last year but Isaac at 31 dingers the year before at SD. Do we want to pay Adames 250 million? I think not. Do we want to mess with a great up the middle defense and start moving Busch to 2nd who we ALL know will be nowhere NEAR as good on defense as Nico is. And Nico can play SS too. Vasquez can be the backup infielder and let's see how Owens and Alcantrara do. I'd have those 3 guys, plus the catcher Ballesteros, and Tauchman. Those are your 5 bench guys. I think we can add a bat at the deadline. I don't see any hitters out there. Literally no one. Schwarber maybe if the Cubs wanted to do a sign and extend thing because he is in the last year of his deal and the Phillies want to shed some payroll. I would try to get Fried or Bieber or Bauer. Maybe 2 of the 3. And we need a couple great arms to cover the 8th and 9th. Alzolay is not the answer and never has been. The team did not hit, blew 26 saves, had some injuries and still won 83 games as a semi crappy team. They are not far away. I'd like a young bench of studs and get them some PT and they all make what? A million a year? Not 40 million a year. PCA is young. That LF in Milwaukee is young. That LF in TX is young. Acuna in Atlanta is young. We gotta quit signing Mancini and Hosmer and the like. Hendricks and Smyly money off the books and there's a savings of 21 million or so right there. Madrigal made 2 million. Wisdom made 2.7 million. etc
Not to mention - PCA unproven Owen Hard telling dudes a toss up these other unproven names sorry don't see none of these so-called prospects doing anything..
People forget he was battling rib injury most of season. He will opt in. Jed put cubs in this situation. No lineup or financial flexibility due bad contracts. I.e. no trade clauses for happ and Suzuki
Want no part of Pete Alonso
Agree, slow as molasses, doesn't walk a lot at least 1 strikeout each game, yes a Homer every now and then but 240 average. And he's 30 he's gonna want a TON of money.
I think he’s going to opt in. He had a so-so season last year, but it was not as good as his first year with the Cubs. There’s no way any team is going to pay him the type of money he wants for the numbers he put up last year plus an almost guaranteed stint on the DL, which is becoming a yearly thing.
Yup, I think Jed was saying all that b.s about he’s gonna have a lot of options in hopes he does opt out thinking his value is higher than it actually is. At the same time his agent is crazy so might have him opt out lol
You know, when the cubs season ended, i really thought we would see the end of these heart throbbing losses for atleast a lil bit. Bears think otherwise
maybe it's NOT all about the money..Cody just doesn't see the Cubs serious about winning or any sort of high mark on the resume.
If Bellinger opts in, he is going to have a lot of pressure to perform if he wants to have that big contract.
Great show. I’m with Sam. I don’t think Cody’s gonna opt out, but I really hope the Cubs try to go out and get Guerrero.
I dont think he will opt out....I think they are hoping he does..... I thought his season was lackadaisical in typical fashion of a player who got the big dollars in the previous offseason.... His power and slug were huge question marks... if he had hit 28-35 with 90 -110 RBI's ~ the cubs season would have been much better ~ a completely different narrative, excitement and trajectory.... Bellinger was a LETDOWN vs. the hopes. I wish I really knew why ~ was it injury? Was he on the weed and video game diet??? You never know with him....Seasons like this ~ and there have been a few~ I question his drive and ability to handle success. If he picked it up and got into the HOF with a productive 10 years in front of him I wouldnt be surprised~ he is that gifted... but if he faded away into obscurity that wouldnt shock me in the least either... I had much bigger hopes for him as a fan honestly... I always root for Cody. I am always waiting for that offseason when he comes in stacked with 10-15 pounds of extra muscle to turn on those 97 mph pitches he has so much trouble turning on these days.
Bellinger was the best in their lineup vs velo in 2024
@@Gnar_Dogg his slug was putrid for him...
@@popsmoke99 absolutely. His power fell off big time. But like a lot of other players on the team his slash was much better on the road vs at home. His slug was only .399 at home but it was .451 at home. Not as good as the .525 he put up in 2023 but it's on par with his 2018 season where he hit 25 HR, 7 triples and 28 doubles.
You typed up a lot of exaggeration. He had one down season. You weren't saying any of this after his great 2023 season.
@@thechild7355Great? His 2023 stats are good, but 25 homers is not a lot in this day and time.
Look up Jimmy Herget- I didn’t even know the cubs claimed him- he actually has a really nasty curveball and sinker so as long as nothing “broke” him, he might be worth keeping. I watched him a lot last year (or maybe even 2022) on the angels (I was watching for ohtani) and he was one of the only relievers you could count on most of the time. Absolutely nasty.
I would rather Bellinger would opt out , the best that he's gonna do is repeat year 2023. That's not enough Cubs need a HAMMER to anchor this lineup.
I think he'll opt out. He'll be 30 next year and I think he wants to get a long-term contract done at this point in his career. Even if the AAV isn't above what he's making now. He wants years over a large AAV, IMO.
I agree. Long term security is more important than higher yearly amount. Boras will know what the market is
Daaaa Bears 🐻🐻🐻🐻 just broke my heart not because they lost but how they lost that my heart broke for all the Bears on the team as well as all my fellow fans as well...but before the play even happened i just knew it was going to be caught in the end zone...but i am a grumpy fan as it is because with all these new rules in football as it is Football doesn't feel like football very much as it is..but even more so now with all these new rules go...smh...as far as Bellie goes...he is due this season no matter where he plays at..🤷🤦🙇👉💯👈🚫🧢🫵😎
@@voidman6035 , it was just game 7 of 17. It wasn't a playoff game, and not even a late regular season game with playoff implications. And they weren't even favored. Plus, they were dominated most of the game and made inexplicably bad coaching decisions. It would have been stealing a win if they had won. Yeah, good teams do that. But people need to dial it back with their expectations for this team. It still not ready to compete at an elite level. Players still need seasoning and they still need to upgrade a few positions. As for Bellinger, it would be best if he opted out and was no longer blocking young players ready to contribute. I'm convinced he will opt out. But I could be wrong.
Let’s be rational about the 83 wins. Cubs offense regressed from 23 which mostly of two biggest reasons of 23 surprise 83 win : Cody & Gomes. Their bullpen was not near 23 with 5 major injuries. Their SP is almost the same with Steele injury, Hendricks regress & Imanaga emergent. So to me, getting the same win total with meaningless last 15 games(means Cubs did not go all for it to win) is a step forward even it is a very small step.
Don't have to spend major money to get top reliever. Trade a prospect or two for Mason Miller.What a bullpen with Mason Miller, Hodges, Brown, Merryweather, Lopez, Miller etc.
The decision to opt in or out may come down to personal decisions, where the family wants to live, and so forth. BTW, maybe a Mike Trout stays healthy in a right field/DH situation?
People forget he was battling rib injury most of season. He will opt in. Jed put cubs in this situation. No lineup or financial flexibility due bad contracts. I.e. no trade clauses for happ and Suzuki
Good Lord, were the ribs sore all year long?
@@dave-pm9buever break a rib? It’s no picnic
He’s opting in. Who’s dishing out that money for a B- player?
Cubs dished out for a C player in Dansby Heyward.
@Zen_17k hahaha. Let's hope he can deliver a world series speech too!
Moises Ballesteros would probably be the Chicago Cubs best hitter if they can find a spot for him. He’s definitely not MLB ready as a catcher. He’s too short to play 1B. DH is the only place for him from what I’ve seen.
I expect Cody to opt out and test the market again. I think he will figure that if not now, when? And although he may lose some money in the short term I believe he’d rather look for a multi year deal going forward. I also believe that he got Jed’s message loud and clear and would rather be somewhere that he’s wanted and appreciated. We’ll soon know.
Belli out Soto in?! 🤪
Works for me.
You guys have been drinking to much.
Never happen
@@Aetnaboy73 😂😂 I know you are prob right.
I don't want Soto. Yankees are about to go down 3-0 to the Dodgers. While Judge is much more to blame than Soto, Soto hasn't put the team on his back and, through tyranny of will, got them a single win. Taking on that monster contract will completely paralyze you financially when it comes to making any more moves. I'd rather spread that money around to a couple of bona-fide but not quite elite stars instead. The Cubs have too many roster holes to fill. They're not one superstar hitter away.
@@DionysusAlS Paralize? What do you mean? NY. and LA. are both in the WORLD SERIES! Who spends more than them!
Hey guys, what are your thoughts on the Cubbies making a trade for Hader over at Houston? I saw a rumor that they may be open to moving him and we could be a target. It's 19 mil a year for I think 3 or 4 more years and he didn't have the season he is used to having. Maybe because of the contract it doesn't cost much in prospect capital? Thoughts?
I’d rather see that money go towards a big bat that can score runs. No need for a closer when you can’t get more than 2 runs a game
I get what Sam is saying, Cody is not the issue and look forward for him having a bounce back year with the Cubs
Kilian and Canario should both go? So, the Kris Bryant trade was a total failure.
You don't keep those two just to validate a trade from years ago. And secondly, Bryant has been a major bust & that includes a couple years w/ the Cub. The only bad thing about the Bryant deal is why it wasn't made two years earlier.
Spot on
I didn’t say you should keep them. Just pointing out the job that Hoyer has done.
Bryant is toast what are you talking about he's a loser to take that contract and be on a team that never has a chance to be in the world series stealing over 200 million
@@craigbrindle108 you make zero sense. The alternative was to keep Bryant & that would have been even dumber than trading them for failed minor leaguers drawing low salaries.
After that mediocre season, it's not exactly like he'll be in as high a demand as his greedy agent might have hoped.
After Soto and maybe Santander, Cody would be the next outfielder a team would want. He will have teams looking to sign him.
If he doesn't spend on a reliever, then he needs to trade his prospect capital for one. Otherwise he needs to be looking under his car for the rest of the season. Cozzi knows.
Look under car , regardless
Here is my opinion
Most Arb cases will end up adding payroll to support players.
Add to it they remove 40 man flex that Jed can utilize in getting a fresh arm or bat up
So I have said Steele and Paredes. The rest are bench or pen arms.
When you break down the projected cases those little pings add up to 22M. Which is the price of a tier 2 player in baseball.
So giving Kilian a pen role to establish himself at pre Arb case prices makes more sense then paying a Arb case. That payroll is better suited to adding a starter.
I see this market as weak in general. Soto and Burnes are A list players. At best the rest are at that 22M range that you would want to pay. Most will get over paid.
So I would avoid the F/A unless Jed can pull in Burnes and defer a chunk after the deal ends. That kind of contract has become common and can get a A list players at 2nd tier tax.
Other than that they do need a legit closer. I would target Miller from Oakland. They are moving to Sac for 2 years. Then to Las Vegas. Miller will be a super 2 and half of his control will be wasted at a temp location. I just don't see Oakland being too tight gripped on him if they can get back some prospects that will be MLB ready and full control in 2027.
Cubs have depth going on and talent at many levels that could match up in a deal
My though her has been target Miller (Arb 1-4) and Rooker (Arb 1-3). Send back Horton and Shaw plus some lower top 50 Cubs prospects that Oakland can develop. Horton and Shaw they can keep in AAA to keep their time clocks down.
Rooker becomes the needed #4 hitter and projects at DH. If Cody opts in he goes to 1B. Busch can play 3 spots so there is flexibility going in plus Craig can move him to 1B late inning and push Cody to RF
Miller has said on Justin Steele's pod that he would be open to starting as he came up as one. I find no reason to not do this in 2026 when Taillon comes off the books. 2025 you want Hodge to get a full year in vs going into a potential Alzolay scenario
If Bellinger comes back, the Cubs will use that as an excuse not to spend more money. If he opts out, there’s no guarantee they will spend the money to replace him. That is the level of confidence I have in that front office right now. I wish they would prove me wrong, but they rarely do.
projected at 189M with a tax cap of 141M. This includes projected Arb cases that most likely will not be all picked up.
Soto is not happening.
I am leaning towards Cody picking his opt. If he gambles then he is doing Jed a favor.
I'm feeling another 83-79 season coming next year.
I don’t want a 83-79 Cubs season next year
Sorry guys, based on the last couple of off season, the free agent/trade market doesn't move fast any more 😥
Arb cases: Steele and Paredes. Rest cut or trade.
Even if he ops out do we believe ownership will go spend? I don't
Juan Soto will solve the offense, but the Cubs will make no effort to sign him. We keep talking about needing superstars, but our franchise refuse to sign them.
Work on improving the pitching. Leave Hoerner alone as a "punch" hitter with good bat control; not a power hitter. Belli in right field makes the Cubs one of the best fielding outfields. The bats will come around this year if their isn't so much stress. Armstrong, Hoerner, Belli, Suzuki [DH], Happ, Paredes, Busch,, Swanson, Amaya. A backup catcher; maybe keep the one we have. Dump Wisdom, Matrobuoni, Madrigal. Add on Shaw Alcantera, Cassie. 90 wins
What about Vlad? I would prefer him over Alonso. I think he will shine on a big stage like the Cubs.
I hear he is also up to playing 3rd.
I think he'll opt out. He's by far the best 2025 outfield FA and multiple teams are going to get into a bidding war over him.
Haaaaave you met Juan Soto? 😂. I agree though. He's the #2 outfield free agent and stands to make a lot more long-term as a FA this off-season than he does if he takes the big payday for one season next year. He'll opt out.
Can we please cut it out with the Pete Alonso garbage? He's older, more expensive, much worse defensively and only marginally better at hitting homers than Michael Busch. It makes zero sense.
Now, if they can swing a trade and sign for Guerrero, Jr, then we have something to talk about. Otherwise, I'm very happy to see what Busch can do with an extra hundred or so ABs next season. 🎉
I guess i wouldnt mind if they signed Pete back when he was 25 but not now no way.
Alonso sucks.
Better hope he opts in.
I don't really care either way. Reason being is I don't have any faith in the front office to go out and sign someone like Soto or Burnes if he does opt out.
Hoyer isn't going to spend in the top end of the market regardless of what Bellinger does. But if Bellinger doesn't opt out it'll give Hoyer an excuse as to why this team doesn't change much this off-season.
An to answer your question about Ballesteros. He's 5'8" he is not a big league 1st baseman.
That Bears game guys.. Did you see that?
Yes
Did you guys say Alzolay should stay??😮
If he can find a winning team that’ll give him a good 5-6 year. Jed screwed up big time on that one.
Anything below
Hover is too cautious. Afraid to make a big move
Bellinger opt out as agent Boras will make money rewriting the contract for the next offer so Boras telling him opt out Big 💰 awaits.
If Bellinger opts out, I do not trust Hoyer to do anything positive to improve the Cubs with that money.
Jed's not gonna do shit.
Believe that.
Doesn't matter what Bellinger does.
Cubs should go get a closer
Again, Bellinger would be insane to opt out. Will not make that kind of cash with any other team! Unless the Cubs themselves have asked him to opt out.
Sam Olbur is making the same mistake as last offseason. He keeps assuming the Cubs will get Pete Alonso. Why? The Mets just had a terrific season and have MONEY. Highly unlikely Alonso will go the Cubs. Time to move on from these pipedreams of Soto/Alonso. Somebody like Max Fried would be a huge upgrade, and obviously, need an offensive trade. Max Fried has always been underrated by this show
Not assuming anything. I used him as an example. Not even sure he helps a ton
Hope he opts out but no way he will. Bad year, injuries. Not getting that money elsewhere. Cubs need to start over again. Too many decent players of age and no great game changing players. Hope like hell PCA is that guy.
If Cody does opt out. Is Hoyer going to spend that money on a better player than Cody
Didn’t we the fans learn about Mervis example? Before 23 season, almost everyone was hyped up by him, how many HR he was going to hit, blah blah blah. Now we are making the same predictions on Shaw, Cam, Owen, Ballesteros, etc . For me, until you prove yourself in the MLB , and gone through tough periods and come back to hit well, by then I will believe that player is for real and he has to stay healthy. Did any fans admit they were wrong on Mervis? No! of course, we are just fans, we can say whatever crap we want and with no consequences and remorses and regrets and still questioning your every move !!!
Bring up Shaw.
Sam, you don’t have any base to say Ballesteros is better than Busch! This is totally emotional thinking with small sample sizes. Ballesteros has not even saw one major league pitch !!! How the hell you can predict he is better? Do you know how good Busch hit in minor league?? He hit over 300 and OPS over 1000 for two years! And he proved himself this year as a good major league hitter at least. He is better hitting wise than PCA all year! Common! Sam, you are better than this!!
This is why we fans can’t QUALIFY to be a MLB GM. Cause the minute we don’t see results we try to get rid of people. What fans want to see is every move pay off, which is not possible, especially in MLB. Dodgers sign Glassnow and I screamed Cubs don’t touch him with that kind of money. Even Yamamoto was not a success, yet they have the means to withstand those bad moves with many all stars.
Sign Bauer nowadays!
We need a serious plan if he does opt out! I think we need to go after Juan Soto and pay him what he wants, This will be a wise investment!
Long as it's not your money.
There is no shot at Soto. He won't leave the Bronx.
Belli will stay. He cannot leave 28 million on the table on the off chance another team gives him 5 years and 30 million per year. That is not happening. He's got 50 million left or so for the next two years. Yes, he had the same number of games played the last 2 years. But in 2023 he did not have fractured bones and broken ribs and all the rest. Then he comes back early as the team is struggling and playing in 50 games that saw the team score 2 runs or less. So if you are the main guy you are going to try too hard. He will have a great season next year as long as he doesn't break more fingers. Or ribs. The entire team under performed. Happ had a good year, but Suzuki has to do more too. Too many times did he strike out looking with runners on. I don't care if the pitch is an inch outside. You are getting 25 million a year, swing the damn bat. Yes, we must stay away from Pete. Let him make his 40 million a year in New York. He had 34 HRs and hit .240. Is THAT worth 40 million a year? Negative. I would trade Amaya and bring up that AAA dude, player of the year, etc. Between him and Christian, who has a bat, and who is a better defender, who has a cannon, who throws runners out? I'd keep those 2 catchers and get rid of Amaya. He had 2 months of decent hitting but still can't catch a cold. Yes, keep Tauchman and Merriweather and get rid of the other 12 dudes. Shaw will have to open the season at 2nd, and everyone wants to trade Nico because Shaw MIGHT be good at the Major league level. He might be. Matt Mervis might be a stud in the big leagues. Oh wait. Yes, Adames had 32 dingers last year but Isaac at 31 dingers the year before at SD. Do we want to pay Adames 250 million? I think not. Do we want to mess with a great up the middle defense and start moving Busch to 2nd who we ALL know will be nowhere NEAR as good on defense as Nico is. And Nico can play SS too. Vasquez can be the backup infielder and let's see how Owens and Alcantrara do. I'd have those 3 guys, plus the catcher Ballesteros, and Tauchman. Those are your 5 bench guys. I think we can add a bat at the deadline. I don't see any hitters out there. Literally no one. Schwarber maybe if the Cubs wanted to do a sign and extend thing because he is in the last year of his deal and the Phillies want to shed some payroll. I would try to get Fried or Bieber or Bauer. Maybe 2 of the 3. And we need a couple great arms to cover the 8th and 9th. Alzolay is not the answer and never has been. The team did not hit, blew 26 saves, had some injuries and still won 83 games as a semi crappy team. They are not far away. I'd like a young bench of studs and get them some PT and they all make what? A million a year? Not 40 million a year. PCA is young. That LF in Milwaukee is young. That LF in TX is young. Acuna in Atlanta is young. We gotta quit signing Mancini and Hosmer and the like. Hendricks and Smyly money off the books and there's a savings of 21 million or so right there. Madrigal made 2 million. Wisdom made 2.7 million. etc
He will stay. But 2025 will be an UP year for him, then in 2026 he will opt out. The Cardinals will then sign him and have a 62 and 100 record.
Not to mention - PCA unproven Owen Hard telling dudes a toss up these other unproven names sorry don't see none of these so-called prospects doing anything..
We all love PCA but hes got a hitch in his giddy up somewhere, a good hitting instructor can find out the flaw in his swing.
Judge isn't just slumping. He can barely touch the ball
He seems like such a nice guy but he makes a awful lot of money if he doesnt snap out of it that New York press is going to tear him to pieces.
Horner is gone for sure.
Jed is a failure
X 10
Yeah, becuase a rookie is going to produce as well as one of your better bats, sure guys. 🤣🤣 What a joke.
Trade him now for a handful of those mini wisk brooms the home plate umpires use.
Ungrateful lump.....
Wisdom and Smyly needs to go
For sure they need to go
BOXBURGER
He's opting in
People forget he was battling rib injury most of season. He will opt in. Jed put cubs in this situation. No lineup or financial flexibility due bad contracts. I.e. no trade clauses for happ and Suzuki
Hover is too cautious. Afraid to make a big move
Hover is too cautious. Afraid to make a big move
Hover is too cautious. Afraid to make a big move