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The impossible has happened. The Cubs won the World Series. Millions of Cubs fans are now contemplating something their parents and grandparents never could: a potential dynasty. While Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and the rest of the Cubs’ front office have a free pass for life in Chicago, they’re already plotting an encore. What’s next for the Cubs?
Guaranteed Contracts
- Jon Lester, SP: $90MM through 2020. Includes $25MM mutual option for 2021 with a $10MM buyout. 2021 option becomes guaranteed with 200 innings in 2020 or 400 innings in 2019-20.
- Jason Heyward, RF: $149MM through 2023. Heyward can opt out of contract after 2018 season or after 2019 season with 550 plate appearances in 2019.
- John Lackey, SP: $12.5MM through 2017.
- Miguel Montero, C: $14MM through 2017.
- Ben Zobrist, OF/2B: $44MM through 2019.
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B: $27MM through 2019. Includes $14.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout for 2020 and an identical club option for 2021. 2019 salaries can increase based on MVP finishes. Rizzo can void 2021 option with top two finish in 2017-19 MVP voting and subsequent trade.
- Jorge Soler, OF: $15MM through 2020. Can opt into arbitration after 2017 season.
Contract Options
- Jason Hammel, SP: Cubs chose $2MM buyout over $12MM club option.
- Dexter Fowler, CF: Fowler declined his part of $9MM mutual option, triggering $5MM buyout.
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; link to MLBTR projections)
- Pedro Strop (5.156) – $5.5MM
- Jake Arrieta (5.145) – $16.8MM
- Hector Rondon (4.000) – $5.7MM
- Justin Grimm (3.170) – $1.8MM
- Munenori Kawasaki (3.002) – $800K
- Non-tender candidate: Kawasaki
Free Agents
- Jason Hammel, Dexter Fowler, David Ross, Chris Coghlan, Trevor Cahill, Travis Wood, Aroldis Chapman, Joe Smith
The 2016 Cubs had the best starting rotation in baseball by a long shot, and they had the rare ability to bring back the exact same group for 2017: Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, and Jason Hammel. Instead, Epstein kicked off the offseason with a surprising move that won’t go unnoticed by future free agents. The Cubs declined their option on Hammel, who posted a 3.79 ERA over two seasons for the club. The 34-year-old might have profiled as the best fifth starter in baseball. The Cubs feel they can do better, and didn’t feel the need to exercise the option and trade Hammel, which could have brought a low-level prospect in return. Epstein said in a statement, “Our hope is that by giving a starting opportunity to some younger pitchers under multiple years of club control, we can unearth a starter who will help us not only in 2017 but also in 2018 and beyond.”
One internal possibility is Mike Montgomery, the 27-year-old lefty the Cubs acquired from the Mariners in a July trade. Montgomery pitched well in his five starts for the Cubs, though his control remains an issue. Montgomery also made the short list of Joe Maddon’s trusted relievers as the team continued through the playoffs. Moving him to the rotation is a viable option, though it would open up a hole in the bullpen. Southpaw Rob Zastryzny, the Cubs’ second round draft pick in 2013, is another rotation option. However, with a 4.31 ERA across 23 starts at Double and Triple-A this year, Zastryzny would seem a clear downgrade from Hammel.
The free agent market for starting pitching is historically weak. The only pitcher clearly better than Hammel is former Cub Rich Hill, a brittle lefty who turns 37 in March and would hardly fit Epstein’s search for a younger starter. That brings us to the trade market. Possible candidates include Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly, Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Sonny Gray, and Shelby Miller, all of whom are controllable for multiple years. The potential prizes of the market are Sale and Quintana, but the White Sox could be reluctant to send one of their aces across town. The Cubs have plenty of position players they might consider trading, including Jorge Soler on the Major League side and prospects such as Ian Happ, Eloy Jimenez, Jeimer Candelario, and Mark Zagunis. The Cubs already spent a few pieces from their stash this summer, trading Gleyber Torres to get Aroldis Chapman and Dan Vogelbach to get Montgomery.
The Chicago bullpen will require serious work this winter. Though Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop handled the late innings ably for much of the season for the Cubs, Joe Maddon seemed to lose faith in them as the playoffs wore on. With combined arbitration salaries over $11MM, I can see the Cubs trading one of them. Justin Grimm is more affordable, and despite some issues with free passes, he’s worth keeping around. Carl Edwards Jr. is locked in as one of the Cubs’ more trusted relievers. Montgomery will certainly have a spot if he doesn’t land in the rotation. Travis Wood may leave for greener pastures (and a rotation job) as a free agent, while Trevor Cahill and Joe Smith did not make the playoff roster and will likely be allowed to sign elsewhere.
It is difficult to picture a team as stacked with talent and flush with money as the Cubs, coming off a World Championship, not striving for a relief ace. The free agent market happens to offer two of them, Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen. However, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports pointed out recently, signing Chapman or Jansen to a five-year deal in the $80-90MM range doesn’t fit with Epstein’s history. And Cubs GM Jed Hoyer recently expounded on “trying to be creative in finding bullpen pieces,” perhaps discovering the next Andrew Miller or Wade Davis. Andrew Cashner, anyone?
While the Cubs could turn to the trade market for a dominant reliever, options are limited. The Orioles’ Zach Britton or the Royals’ Kelvin Herrera would be excellent two-year additions, but they are not known to be available. Davis, a potential one-year pickup from Kansas City, battled a flexor strain in his elbow this summer. Barring availability of the Indians’ Andrew Miller, I don’t see any other established top relievers the Cubs could pursue. Rather than bring in a lesser closer, they could just try to get Rondon back on track, as he had an excellent season before an August triceps injury. We also must consider Epstein’s ability to think outside the box, as he did in trading for Montgomery. If the Cubs’ front office is big on a Tyler Thornburg, Nate Jones, or Alex Colome, they could use their position player depth to pry one of them loose. Regardless of the closer situation, the Cubs may do well to add another lefty reliever to the mix, with free agent options such as Brett Cecil, Boone Logan, Jerry Blevins, and Mike Dunn.
On the position player side, the Cubs have an embarrassment of riches. Behind the plate, 24-year-old Willson Contreras will be the starter after a strong rookie debut. Given his salary, the Cubs will likely go with Miguel Montero as the backup catcher replacement for the retiring David Ross. However, Maddon and Montero will have to clear the air after the catcher expressed discontent with the manager’s communication about his usage in the playoffs. It’s also not clear whether Montero can fill Ross’ role, particularly in regard to countering the large leadoffs baserunners are able to take on Jon Lester due to the lefty’s inability to make pickoff throws. Since Contreras is only 24, it may be possible for the Cubs to lean on him for 130-140 games while reducing the role of the backup and ending the idea of Lester having a personal catcher.
The infield corners are locked down with one of the best duos in baseball, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. Bryant, a third baseman by trade, also logged innings at the outfield corners and first base this year. If the playoffs are any indication, Javier Baez has taken over the Cubs’ regular second base job from Ben Zobrist. Addison Russell is locked in at shortstop.
The Cubs’ outfield machinations will be interesting to watch. Fowler did an excellent job as the Cubs’ center fielder and sparkplug leadoff man over the last two seasons, and the team could easily afford to sign him long-term. But doing so would only exacerbate the outfield logjam, so they may have to let him go. In that case, the Cubs have two options to fill center field. One is Albert Almora, a 22-year-old who was the Cubs’ first-round draft pick in 2012. As a contact hitter who rarely walks and only has a touch of power, Almora would be an offensive downgrade compared to Fowler. On the other hand, he can make up some of that gap with superior glovework. The other center field option is Jason Heyward, who has seven years remaining on his contract. Heyward was slated for center field when the Cubs originally signed him, so it’s a possibility despite his limited exposure at the position. He did just win a Gold Glove as a right fielder. However, after a disastrous year at the plate, Heyward will spent the winter working on his swing, and the Cubs may not want to ask him to change positions as well.
Will Heyward’s massive contract lock him into a starting job for most of 2017, as it did this year? I expect the 27-year-old to break camp as a lineup regular, but Maddon did show a willingness to bench Heyward in the playoffs. Look for a shorter leash in Heyward’s second Cubs season. Zobrist, also signed as a free agent in the 2015-16 offseason, remains slated for regular playing time. He began 2016 as the Cubs’ regular second baseman, but the emergence of Baez has pushed him to left field.
So a Zobrist-Almora-Heyward alignment seems pretty good, right? The “problem” is that the Cubs also have one of the game’s best young hitters, Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber, 24 in March, made a surprisingly fast recovery from his early-season torn ACL and LCL, serving as the Cubs’ designated hitter in the World Series. Can Schwarber catch again, alleviating some of the outfield logjam? Even Hoyer doesn’t seem to have the answer yet, plus there’s just not a big need for him behind the dish. Save for 10 interleague games in American League parks, Schwarber will need to get most of his playing time as the Cubs’ left fielder. The need to get Schwarber into the lineup creates urgency for Heyward to bounce back offensively, as Zobrist could wind up in right field when Schwarber plays.
If the Cubs will have to do some juggling to get Schwarber, Heyward, and Zobrist enough at-bats, they’ll really have a problem finding room for Jorge Soler. Soler, 25 in February, is the Cubs’ most obvious piece of trade bait. The Cubs control Soler for the next four seasons. In 765 career plate-appearances, he’s hitting .258/.328/.434. In 86 games this year, Soler showed increased power and patience at the plate, but he’s still only a slightly above average hitter. He’s also pretty clearly a below-average defender and has been injury-prone in his career. Nonetheless, Soler’s ceiling may still tantalize some teams, as the former top prospect’s bat still has All-Star potential. In potential trades with the Rays, White Sox, Phillies, and others, the Cubs could attempt to acquire a controllable starting pitcher and/or reliever for a package centered around Soler.
Once free agency starts to die down in the new year, the Cubs may want to look into a few contract extension opportunities. Hendricks and Schwarber could be candidates. Bryant and Russell would certainly be of interest, though they’re represented by Scott Boras. There’s also the looming free agency of Arrieta, who turns 31 in March. The 2015 Cy Young winner picked up where he left off in 2016, posting a 1.74 ERA through his first 14 starts. Even in that period, however, his command had begun to falter, and in the 126 2/3 innings that followed (including the playoffs), Arrieta posted a 4.19 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, and 1.14 HR/9. That performance is more in line with a Matt Moore, Ian Kennedy, or Trevor Bauer. Good, but not $30MM per year good. With a potential $105MM owed to Lester through 2021, a mega-deal for Arrieta looks a lot less appealing than it did a year ago. After 2017, Arrieta may be joined in free agency by Yu Darvish, Johnny Cueto, Danny Duffy, Masahiro Tanaka, and others, so it’s quite possible the Cubs explore alternatives.
The Cubs had baseball’s best group of position players in 2016. Even if they subtract Fowler and Soler, full seasons from Schwarber, Baez, and Contreras, plus some level of bounceback from Heyward, might result in an even stronger group in 2017. Likewise, the Cubs are looking to improve upon an already-strong starting rotation. While the bullpen needs significant retooling, the Cubs project to have a good $25MM+ in the war chest to spend on new player salaries for 2017. The team is in an incredible position for years to come, suggesting 2016 was just the beginning.
Just remember here folks, in the trade that brought Carl Edwards Jr. and I think Justin Grimm to Chicago, Mikey Olt was the primary center piece of that trade.
You’re correct. CJ was a prize, though. They knew he was nasty and was a starter at the time. Imagine if Olt actually panned out. Best deal since Aj Pierzinksy for Liriano and Joe nathan. Thankfully, those are the trades we tend to be on the receiving end. (Aside from DJ Lemahieu for Ian Stewart, lol)
That was a great trade for the Cubs, but I definitely wouldn’t consider it the biggest steal since the Pierzynski trade.
In fact, I think Theo alone has at least three bigger steals with the Cubs than the Garza trade (Dempster for Hendricks, Cashner for Rizzo, and Clevenger/Feldman for Arrieta and Strop).
The Cubbies would have easily finished in first and won the World Series without Edwards or Grimm, IMHO. Without Rizzo? Without Strop and Arrieta? Without Hendricks? Well, not nearly as easily without the first two.
Not to mention Jeff Samardzija and Hammel for Russel, McKinney and Staily. Russell we know about, Staily was traded for Fowler and although he wasn’t the golden prize for the Yanks, McKinney was in for the Chapman trade. That worked out pretty well.
no he wasn’t. Olt’s stock had fallen at that point. They wanted cj edwards, who was putting up ridiculous numbers in the minors at that point.
Absolutely. Mike Olt was looked more upon as a stop gap at 3B until Kris Bryant was promoted to the varsity roster which was being delayed because of service time concerns. Olt was also viewed as a right-handed hitting backup for Anthony Rizzo at 1B.
Carl (C.J.) Edwards Jr. was the centerpiece for the Cubs in that trade. They were hoping that he might become a starting pitcher initially despite his slender frame, viewing him as a potential Pedro Martinez type with his electric stuff. Edwards had problems staying healthy in the minors and was shifted to the bullpen where most scouts had him pegged anyway.
Mike Olt was a mere throw in. Not close to being the centerpiece.
Really, David Robertson isn’t a feasible trade target Mr,Dierkes?
He’s not better than Rondon or Strop, so I don’t see why the Cubs would make a play for him. But sure, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
I’ll take Robertson for the Cubs. Just owed $25 million over two years. Depends on trade cost.
Saw he recently had surgery, not sure what for though. At a little over 10 million a year he wouldnt be a bad choice for a lower level prospect.
The cubs need to try to re-sign Fowler and Chapman. Re-sign wood. Restructure the contracts of Bryzzo. Both should be getting 180mil each at the very least. Extend Arrieta 5 years 180 with an option for a 6th year and if he wins the cy young award a 7th year kicks in. The contract would be worth up to 220mil over 7 years.
I know the Bryzzo contract won’t happen for a few years. But they are lifers for sure..
If they can’t keep Chapman then go after Jansen
$220 million for Arrieta?
$80+ million for Chapman?
$45+ million for Fowler?
$180+ million for Bryant?
$180+ million for Rizzo?
$20+ million for Wood?
You do realize the Cubs don’t have a bottomless wallet, right? You just added nearly a billion dollars to their books, and they still would have to pay Russell, Hendricks, Edwards, Contreras, Baez, and Schwarber.
And why would you restructure Rizzo’s deal? He’s owed a mere $25 million over the next three years, and then has two options worth $14.5/year after that. It’s one of the most valuable contracts in the game.
That would be obscene for the Dodgers let alone the cubs. Hopefully, they can offer some of these younger kids (Russell, Baez, Hendricks) extensions that keep the costs down. There’s no avoiding Arrieta or KB, as both are Boras clients (not sure who else on the cubs are as well).
Thankfully, we have 4-5 more full years on the cheap before they become arb eligible. Sign Jansen and get Rondon and Strop back on track. Are we confident Zaz can fill in for travis wood? Probably not and it wouldbt be fair to expect either. So a left hander in the bullpen will be a need.
Where do you see 20 mil for wood. At most Arrieta get 180mil but because Scott boras is greedy talentless old fart he’ll demand 220mil or more.. Bryzzo earned that money. Plain and simple. Chapman won’t get more than 90 mil from anyone unless its 4 years and 2 or 3 player and club options for 5th and 6th years.
How much money do you think the Cubs have? The Cubs have MAYBE $30MM coming off the books this season – your recommendation has them spending an upwards of $70MM extra in 2017….
5 years for 180 million is 36 million a year. Are you nuts?
Maybe but I’m looking ahead to a 7 year contract that will a disaster the end of year 5. No doubt Jake deserves top $ but boras a greedy .money hungry guy. Its not that bad considering Kershaw and grinike got 210$MIL+ 6 and 7 years.
Jake does NOT deserve top money. Period. Who cares what Boras demands? Let him walk then. Jesus is Wrek305 really advocating to pay Arrieta because he agent is going to demand it? Thank God Wrek is not in charge!
Jim Hendry? Is that you?
so much stupid
Wrek…sorry but are you insane? $36 million for Arrieta? Why? For one lucky career year? What about his 4.19 Era since the end if June. Rizzo already locked up through 2021 including option years to a team friendly deal so what are you restructuring? And you want to restructure Bryants contract? What contract? He is year to year for now and under team control thru 2021 also.
I would take a healthy Robertson over Stropie any day of the week. Cocky SOB (just my oppinion)
Sounds like you want Strop to wear his hat straight.
Why? Stropy has disgusting pitches. Just needs to work a bit on control.
David Robertson signed one of the most lucrative FA contracts for a closer when the White Sox inked him two off-season’s ago. Imo, Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop are at least his equal and hold more upside.
The Cubs will be better served pursuing an elite young controllable starting pitcher this offseason like Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Sonny Gray or Chris Archer than a closer. I believe they have excellent internal candidates to finish games. Rondon, who has already proven effective in the role, would be my first choice with Strop and Carl Edwards Jr. also in the mix. Mike Montgomery will be a fine late inning left-handed setup man, potentially their ‘Andrew Miller”.
Well Matthew maybe you would but Cubs already have Strop. And would have to trade good prospects to get Robertson so who do you want to have now
i was thinking along the lines of closers, that are potentially available on the trade-market, if they fail to resign chapman or sign jansen…a 7-8-9 of strop-rondon-robertson, sounds pretty darn good to me
I wouldnt be suprised, nor would i argue, if they go out and sign Jansen for big bucks.
Some are comparing the Cubs team now as a comp to the yankees of the 90s. Only thing missing would be our version of mariano rivera. Win exp added is real and he has less milage on the arm as he’s a recently converted catcher and is a TANK. Guessing he’d be a durable guy as Rivera was. Botg relying HEAVILY on the cutter.
would be a terrible idea. they need starters in 2018. don’t tie up payroll. they have pierce johnson, Corey black and Duane Underwood in triple a who all have closer stuff. high 90s with plus breaking pitches.
I still maintain that the Cubs and White Sox match up well in trade scenarios involving either Chris Sale or Jose Quintana, a deal that could benefit both teams immensely. It seems to me that either Kyle Schwarber or Javier Baez might be a centerpiece to such a deal.
Even if Dexter Fowler ultimately signs elsewhere in free agency the Cubs have an abundance of outfield options with Schwarber, Ben Zobrist and Jorge Soler as corner pieces along with Albert Almora and Jason Heyward who each can also man CF.
If Baez is dealt then Zobrist would move back to 2B until top prospect Ian Happ is ready for prime time, likely in 2018. It’s also possible that Happ might ultimately be moved to LF with questions still remaining about his defense at 2B, provided he isn’t also used as trade bait in a package to acquire a starting pitcher.
I have a hard time believing Baez gets traded anytime soon or ever for that matter. The Cubs proved they have very low interest in dealing Schwarber either, could have gotten Miller. Activating him for the WS proves how much faith they have in him, neither of these guys are going anywhere.
Big difference between the value of a young ace pitcher like Chris Sale versus Andrew Miller who was a failed starter before becoming an elite reliever. Jose Quintana also hold far more value than Miller. Sale and Quintana are each exceedingly more valuable than any pitcher in this offseason’s FA market, starters or relievers, including closers Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen.
I know they are looking for pitching, but if they can trade Baez Soler and a minor leaguer for Evan Longoria that would be a gigantic boost for the Cubs. Bryant could play right and heyward in center. I know it’ll never happen but I can wish.
You wish that trade would happen, and you’re a cubs fan!?!?!
You want to trade a 23 year old stud who can play just about anywhere on the field, posted a 3.4 WAR last season, still has room to improve, and is under team control for six more seasons for a 31 year old who is limited to third (with below-average defense), posted a 3.8 WAR last season, and is owed nearly $100 million over the next six years?
AND you want to throw in Jorge Soler and another minor leaguer?
Is this Dave Stewart in disguise?
Thats an awful trade. You want to trade to players under 24. Plus a minor league player or an aging longoria? No thanks. Bryant is fine at 3rd. Soler I can see getting traded. It would have be for a caliber player like Verlander. Which the cubs would also give he tigers Ian Happ and one other player not on the 40 man roster. Honestly Soler is just fine at plattooning in right. Maddon handled his players perfectly. I can see the cubs trying to go after edinson volquez. He’s still solid #3 and he’d mesh well with Lester and company. Its likely lackeys last year. So getting another starter now never hurts. They need to lock up Arrieta as soon possible. Don’t let hit the FA market. Unfortunately his agent is a greedy prick what sways his clients to go somewhere else.
Room to improve doesn’t always mean he will. And Soler will be traded if anyone takes him. It isn’t happening anyway so don’t worry. Will Baez get enough playing time next year? Who knows
I’m not even super high on Baez ever becoming that much more than what he is now, but if he improves 0, he’s still more valuable taking into consideration cost and the fact that longoria is going to decline as he moves through his 30s. It’s a dumb trade idea, period.
@simschifan … what are you smoking? That trade makes zero sense. That would be terrible for the Cubs!
Haha yes that would be a move for Stewart but not Theo
If you think Kyle or Javy are going anywhere you are delusional. Yeah, let’s trade to center pieces so Almora and Soler can play..
None of those guys will be dealt unless the cubs are blown away by an offer. As in Longoria and Archer for Schwarber and X. Which wont happen.
Also, living here in chicago i dont think the whitesox will be too excited at the opportunity of helping the cubs win the WS. With that said, i sure wouldnt mind it though!
why would the Cubs want Longoria?????????????????
Why wouldn’t they?
Why would they not? Well maybe because cubs have Bryant and Baez who are both better then an old aging Longoria. If they wanted to move Bryant to OF they could have Baez play gold glove defense at 3b and no question Baez plays better defense then Longoria and they keep younger more athletic and better players who are under control and who play for less money. Thats why! Oh but they should get rid of that for an aging player who cant play anywhere else and and cost millions more per year! Just plain stupid move. Thats why!
Agreed. Sox would never trade Sale to the Cubs. That would guarantee attendance would drop even more than it already has.
Kyle and someone else for Archer and Longoria.. My Lord, what is in the water. How about they just leave Kyle in left and let Bryant play third?
What do you think a Jake Odorizzi trade would look like? Soler + Candelario + mid range prospect enough?
No. If Soler was healthy all year and was 270/380/500 with 100+ rbi then maybe.
I think odorizzi has a few years before being arb eligible and Soler will hit that mark closer.
Happ would be at the start of the talks plus 2 or 3 others.
Soler is gone. Maddon and the front office are through with him.
And, he can’t stay healthy. Time to move on.
Odoriizzi will be arb eligible after the 2017 season. He is also a fly ball pitcher and may not be the best fit for Wrigley Field
Odorizzi is already arbitration eligible this offseason. Soler won’t be until next offseason.
And Odorizzi will be a free agent earlier (2019-20) than Soler (2020-21).
you just said if soler was a 4 war (.880 ops) player he would be worth a 2 war pitcher… I’m sorry, you actually said the cubs would have to include a top 100 prospect and another mid range…
the deal proposed is roughly correct imo.
No one has mentioned Brad Ziegler as an option. Am I missing something, or is he just too old for Theo’s taste? Why in the world would a team let Trevor Cahill go when he was an awesome swingman this past year? Does it have to do with peripherals? Groundball pitchers tend to outperform FIP pretty consistently.
not sure Ziegler makes sense since the Cubs have Rondon, Strop, Grimm and Edwards from the right side already. Cahill is in the same boat…too many righties in his way
I like Ziegler. Cahil was on a 1 year deal, i’m not sure if they’d be totally against bringing him back. I imagine their offseason plays out where they compete for one of the 3 top closers then wait for the market to stabilize and fill out their pen with some of the lower tier options that are available for cheap and on 1 year deals.
The Cubs need to sign one of the big closers, my pick is Jansen. That cutter of his plays well with age. Next I think they trade for another young controllable starter, and add another relief arm. I don’t see them resigning Arrietta next year or Fowler this winter. Theo knows he made a mistake with Heyward and he can’t make too many of those kind of mistakes to stay on top.
Lol at thinking heyward was a mistake. They won’t win the world series without his gold glove defense. I know he didn’t win because he was snubbed but so was Russell and Baez at ss and 2nd. No one in hell Joe Panik is better defensively than Baez. To be fair he played everywhere. If heyward doesn’t motivate them during the rain delay then who does. They were depressed. Heyward was an excellent signing.
They will keep Arrieta. They just need to compromise and meet in the middle with years. 4 years is the max a pitcher should get. Jake from state farm Arrieta earn a 6 year contract. Just give him more money. We all know Scott Boras is a talentless greedy money hungry guy. So he’s gonna ask for 280mil probably. I know for a fact Arrieta loves Chicago. So 6 years 210mil is perfect for him. That’s 35mil aav. He earned every penny.
Heyward didn’t even play is the WS
Are you blind? Heyward played game 1 and 2 and 6 and 7. He struck out in the 10th inning.
can’t make a mistake but you reccomend overspending on a closer when the cubs have in house options.
It has not been proven to be a mistake. You can’t make too many mistakes, but you don’t want FOwler or Jake back?
I’m all for Montgomery as a starter. He’s similar to Arrieta in that he was once one of the game’s top pitching prospects before scuffling as a big league starter and moving to the pen. And I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him.
Mune is a free agent now. I gave him a big hug before he went back to Japan. Don’t think I’ll see him again (sniffle).
One thing not being discussed which I think merits some consideration:
With Fowler likely gone and Baez looking solidified at 2B long term….what about Kris Bryant to CF with Zobrist playing 3B? That leaves Heyward in RF and leaves LF for Schwarber. Bryant is a tremendous athlete and has played some OF. Almora would be a great 4th OF. Maddon is still going to move guys around so Bryant, Baez and Zobrist are still going to get starts and play innings all over the place but a big game/”A” line up would look like:
zobrist-3B
schwarber-LF
Bryant-CF
Rizzo-1B
Russell-SS
Contreras-C
Heyward-RF
Baez-2B
Pitcher
zobrist doesn’t have the arm for 3rd.
The better option would be to just put Benny in RF and move Heyward to CF.
I do not like it. Zobrist is not a hitd baseman and Bryant is not an everday centerfielder. You kill your defense which hurts your pitching and you gain nothing
Their 2 biggest concerns as far as I’m concerned are who is leading off (assuming Fowler leaves) and how do you bring back at least an equally dominant bullpen?
The best current option of Cub players to lead off is switch-hitter Ben Zobrist. He would not be the prototypical #1 hitter with his base stealing ability but he does offer a high OBP bat who is also a smart base runner. Let’s face it, switch-hitting Dexter Fowler was not exactly a big SB guy either with only 13 last season. In addition, Zobrist’s (.272/.386/.446) and Fowler’s (.276/.393/.447) triple slash numbers were almost identical in 2016. Zobrist was also the superior contact hitter with a 96/82 BB/SO ratio compared to Fowler’s 79/124 metric. With Kyle Schwarber ready to resume his place in the 2017 batting order, Zobrist won’t be needed to protect the middle of the batting order like he did last season. An improved offensive season from Jayson Heyward would also help the lineup significantly.
The superior bullpen could be maintained by either re-signing Aroldis Chapman without losing their #1 draft pick or by inking Kenley Jansen to a similar mega-deal and forfeiting the selection. The Cubs would also have a pretty strong BP just by staying in house with Hector Rondon re-assuming the closer role, using Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards, Jr. as the late inning right-handed setup men while employing Mike Montgomery as the late lefty reliever. Rob Zastryzny and Zach Rosscup would be options for the additional southpaw bullpen roles. Of course, the Cubs will also have other free agent and trade opportunities in which to upgrade the pen.
Cubs want to repeat. Tigers want to get younger and shed payroll.
They should be having some serious discussions.
Problem being the Cubs are looking for talented young controllable starting pitching and not veteran position players. In other words, the Cubs would want Michael Fulmer and he’s the last pitcher the Tigers would be willing to part with to “get younger and shed payroll”.
What would the Cubs and Tigers have to discuss?
Before he was traded to the Phils, I would have liked to see Pat Neshek in a Cubs uniform. For bullpen depth purposes.
longest piece ever in mlb trade for outlook my team usually gets 2 paragraphs. Very well written. signed Ken Blauman.
Just a Suggestion, Jorge Soler and Christian Villanueva for Alex Colome of the TB Rays
Feedback?
rays say no. they have a crap bullpen as is.
Mark Melancon is an elite closer, as well.
If the Cubs need bullpen help, why would they trade Rondon or Strop? Their salaries are not that big.
Fowler was slightly above average on defense. Almora is better, but no so much better that he makes up the gap in offense.
The CUbs have stated they are likely to look outside for a CF and let ALmora grow. He will still get at bats, He can play all three OF spots.
Kyle, Jason, Ben and a true CF creates a big jam. You have 486 games to divided among four guys.
Unless you want each of those guys limited to about 121 game each, plus some DH duty, Kyle needs to catch.
If Jason rebounds there is just no way to keep them at that low number, especially when it would mean so much shuffling and changing of the lineup.
Montero can go. He is a liability defensively and barely hits his weight. He’s also, now, a whiner.
The Hammel move was only a surprise if you were not paying attention.
The agreement was, the CUbs would only exercise the option if they panned on keeping him. They would not do it just to trade him.
If I am a FA, that’s a plus.
If the Cubs are seriously looking “outside for a CF” then perhaps a mega trade with the White Sox makes even more sense, especially if the South Siders do plan to undertake a full rebuild this offseason. In that case, a trade involving Adam Eaton along with either Chris Sale or Jose Quintana would make a lot of sense for both clubs.
Eaton would give the Cubs the prototypical lead-off man they currently lack on their roster. “Spanky” could return to CF after spending most of last season in RF. OR remain in RF with perennial Gold Glove outfielder Jayson Heyward moving to CF. Eaton was a GG finalist last season in RF but was also one in his first year as the White Sox CF in 2014. His defense up the middle was bad in 2015 but he rebounded nicely this past season, including when needed back in CF when Austin Jackson went on the disabled list.
A 6.2 WAR player like Eaton who is controllable through 2021 along with an addition like Sale or Quintana to the Cubs rotation would solve two of the North Siders biggest needs this offseason, a lead-off hitter and stud starting pitcher. Of course, this would mean the Cubs would most certainly have to part with Kyle Schwarber AND Javier Baez just to commence trade talks with the White Sox. With Eaton on board for at least 5 seasons along with Sale for 3 or Quintana for 4, the Cubs will have solidified their club for both the short and long term. By acquiring Schwarber and Baez, along with other potential pieces from among P Carl Edwards Jr,, CF Albert Almora, OF Jorge Soler, 3B Jeimer Candelaria and/or 2B/OF Ian Happ, the White Sox could improve their lineup, MLB roster and organizational depth in the short and long term as well.
As a die-hard Cub and White Sox fan I have no bias except to see both teams succeed. I would gladly approve of a mega-deal such as this for the welfare of both franchises.
Baez and Schwarber aren’t going anywhere. They pull in trout period. They don’t need trout. Almora Jr. Will do just fine if they don’t keep Fowler. They only need bullpen help whether its Chapman or Jansen. One or other will be great..maybe volquez to replace hammel
You say you like both teams and that is great. But that does not make your silly arguments valid. Now the Cubs are trading both Schwarber and Baez because now they want Eaton because some idiot posts the Cubs are looking outside for a CF which no one else seems to have heard about? But its ok because you approve it and you like both teams so your approval is what counts?
I would try and get Adam Eaton from the White Sox to play right field and lead off.
Reportedly the White Sox wil be “all ears” with virtually every one of their players this offseason, including Adam Eaton who figures to be among their most valuable and coveted along with Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. Eaton won’t come cheap and any offer from the Cubs will likely start with Jorge Soler and Albert Almora. Soler would immediately fill Eaton’s spot in RF while Almora would be a nice platoon option to pair with left-handed hitting Charlie Tilson in CF.
The Cubs should also have great interest in Chris Sale or Jose Quintana to fill the open spot in their starting rotation. A mega-deal involving both Eaton and either pitcher is a possibility. The clubs match up extremely well and I would personally be excited to see my two favorite teams attempt to improve themselves by exploring such a deal.
Mike Montgomery is more likely to emerge as the Cubs primary late inning left-handed setup man than as an internal option for the starting rotation in 2017. The front office views him as their potential “Andrew Miller”. Rob Zastryzny and Zac Rosscup are the current roster options to compete for the other lefty bullpen spots.
The Cubs are likely to fill the open spot in their rotation through a trade this offseason. They will shoot high and be at the front of the line if and when controllable top starters like Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Sonny Gray or Chris Archer are made available. In addition to letting Jason Hammel depart via free agency they need insurance for a second potential opening in 2018 with ace Jake Arrieta a pending FA following the upcoming season.
Cubs also view Montgomery as a rotation piece more then a reliever. He is what they are looking for in rotation and he is why they let Hammels walk.
Most everything I’ve read or seen has the Cubs prioritizing young and controllable starting pitching this offseason not bullpen help. This sounds to me like Mike Montgomery remains in the pen as their potential “Andrew Miller” lefty with Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards Jr. competing for the roles of closer and late inning right-handed setup men.
Or….in case MM doesn’t work out. Or you know when they need to fill the Arrieta and Lackey holes that arise. They want young controllable starting because they have 1 hole now and will have 2 more shortly