***Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Thread***

While I follow BN I have a hard time getting too excited about anything Brett writes as he has the Cubs tied to just about everything in free agency and trades all the times.and rarely is he the only that has the real scoop on what is really going on. I do think the Cubs will be in on a lot of big names but the end result may not be as impressive as some are hoping for. The Counsell hiring came out of nowhere and I expect there to be at least 1 big trade or move that goes under the radar like that where the news breaks when there wasn't any smoke leading up to it.
Cubs Den was so much better back in the day, but BN is OK, Brett is an unapologetic homer, I can live with that. He does seem a little too eager to tow the company line at times, I wonder if his blog initiative is supported by the team to some degree. No biggie if true, but it would explain his POV at times.

As for moves, I'm almost thinking a big trade is more likely than a big FA signing, now is the time for the front office to put their young prospect capital to work and net a couple of cornerstone players. Soto seems like a bridge too far, but I like the Bichette and Glasnow chatter.
 
May be wrong but my guess is the Bieber leaks that came out today were our way of pushing the Rays and the Glasnow move.

I believe the Cubs will make a move by December 4
 
Depending on the asking price I'm skeptical if Glasnow is a good acquisition given his injury and durability history. Last season was his career high for innings with 120 in 21 starts. Before that he's never started more than 15 games in a season and only topped 100 innings once back in 2018 when he appeared in 45 games, 11 as a starter. Just 1 year of control at $25 mil this season then he's a free agent so I wouldn't go nuts on a deal with prospects. Like Soto he's a guy the Ray probably want to move to cut some costs so should show some caution with what farm pieces you'd send in a deal for either of them. I see the Yankees are apparently exchanging names on a Soto deal so that might be 1 less suitor for Bellinger if they land him.

Bieber is a different story as he's 2 years younger and has topped 200 innings twice. He too only has this year left on a last year of arbitration but lot less risk and lower salary cost too.
 
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Glasnow can probably be had for Wesneski straight up and I think you do that deal.
If that is all it would take I would be fine with that. Another development to follow is if the Astros put Alex Bregman on the trade block. He's on the last year of his deal but would be big upgrade at 3B. Comes at a steep price around $30 mil but if the Cubs were willing to eat all of that then the prospects going in the deal may not be as significant.

I do think the Cubs will be shoppers in the trade market but aren't going to deal top end prospects unless an impact guy with multiple years of control left becomes available and fits a need. These teams trying to shed salary with guys on the last year of their deal are either going to have to stand pat and eat the cost or get realistic that in order to do a salary dump you aren't going to get a top end guy for an expensive 1 year rental.
 
If that is all it would take I would be fine with that. Another development to follow is if the Astros put Alex Bregman on the trade block. He's on the last year of his deal but would be big upgrade at 3B. Comes at a steep price around $30 mil but if the Cubs were willing to eat all of that then the prospects going in the deal may not be as significant.

I do think the Cubs will be shoppers in the trade market but aren't going to deal top end prospects unless an impact guy with multiple years of control left becomes available and fits a need. These teams trying to shed salary with guys on the last year of their deal are either going to have to stand pat and eat the cost or get realistic that in order to do a salary dump you aren't going to get a top end guy for an expensive 1 year rental.
I'd think that PCA, Horton, Canario, Alcantra and Shaw are untouchable with Caissie right on that line.
 
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Listened to ESPN's National/Chicago Baseball Reporter Jesse Rogers yesterday and he doesn't think the Cubs will re-sign Bellinger unless current price comes down. Thinks Ohtani will probably end up on the Dodgers. Here is the interview, Cubs talk starts at the 10:20 mark:

 
Rogers usually knows his **** so it stinks to hear his thoughts the last week or two.

Sounds like we’re now in on Yamamoto. I wonder if we don’t get Ohtani if we go after both Yamamoto and Imanaga.
 
I knew Bellinger's peripherals were not great but they're actually downright alarming. Lots and lots of luck built into last year's numbers and not anywhere near the hard contact you'd be willing to throw $200M at. His defense doesn't move the needle when you've got PCA ready or very nearly ready. I'm good with passing.
 
I’ve seen that pointed out and I think it’s obviously going to drive his cost down, which may benefit the cubs, but I also have zero concerns with the “bad” data.

The data essentially shows he’s an above average hitter in all facets EXCEPT incredibly below average in AVG Exit Velo, Barrel %, and Hard Hit %, all of which are incredibly valuable.

However

He hit .279 with a SLG of just .411 with 2 strikes. His K% was a career low.

What this tells me, and felt like it was the case all season in games I watched, is that when he had 2 strikes, his philosophy was just get the ball in play by whatever means necessary to wherever the defense wasn’t, which meant lowering hard hit % and exit velocity %
 
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I don't know if the lack of news with anything solid about the Cubs being in advanced talks for players right now is a good or bad thing. Sounds like Ohtani wants to keep his free agency low key and we haven't heard much from anyone on what's been going on there. Feels like a lot more stuff about the Cubs interest or potential involvement in pitchers than position players than anything right now. If they don't land Ohtani my gut feeling is they make a trade for a corner infielder. If they were hot on Bellinger I think there would be a lot more movement there right now and sounds like the Yankees are more in on Soto than any team at the moment.

If this is what it would take to get Soto I might be OK with the Cubs passing on a deal like that Juan Soto trade proposals (mlb.com)
Alcantara isn't untouchable but he's rising fast and would be quite the haul if SD got him in a deal. I'm not keen on an expensive rental like Soto in the first place when the Cubs have several OF prospects that they could wait and see if 1 or more of them take a big step forward and makes an impact in Chicago within the next year or 2. Going the expensive rental route in trades would only make sense if they go all in on landing multiple big pieces in free agency and just need 1 or 2 guys to put the roster over the top. A lot of dominos need to fall before the Cubs are in that spot and I don't really want to see them make too big of a dent in the farm system for 1 year guys. It's going to be a very calculated and fine line for them to toe on who and how many they are willing to part with. Kind of want to see the benefits of the sell offs they did to stock up the farm system benefit the Cubs big league team hopefully.
 
I don't know if the lack of news with anything solid about the Cubs being in advanced talks for players right now is a good or bad thing. Sounds like Ohtani wants to keep his free agency low key and we haven't heard much from anyone on what's been going on there. Feels like a lot more stuff about the Cubs interest or potential involvement in pitchers than position players than anything right now. If they don't land Ohtani my gut feeling is they make a trade for a corner infielder. If they were hot on Bellinger I think there would be a lot more movement there right now and sounds like the Yankees are more in on Soto than any team at the moment.

If this is what it would take to get Soto I might be OK with the Cubs passing on a deal like that Juan Soto trade proposals (mlb.com)
Alcantara isn't untouchable but he's rising fast and would be quite the haul if SD got him in a deal. I'm not keen on an expensive rental like Soto in the first place when the Cubs have several OF prospects that they could wait and see if 1 or more of them take a big step forward and makes an impact in Chicago within the next year or 2. Going the expensive rental route in trades would only make sense if they go all in on landing multiple big pieces in free agency and just need 1 or 2 guys to put the roster over the top. A lot of dominos need to fall before the Cubs are in that spot and I don't really want to see them make too big of a dent in the farm system for 1 year guys. It's going to be a very calculated and fine line for them to toe on who and how many they are willing to part with. Kind of want to see the benefits of the sell offs they did to stock up the farm system benefit the Cubs big league team hopefully.

With the odds being that none of those prospects are Juan Soto, it's worth a look at getting his level of production.
 
I think the top trade target is Bichette, if they will do it for Caissie (Canadian) and a pitcher other then Horton you make the trade.
Agreed. Something like Caissie, Wesneski and Arias probably does it and it's well worth it for 2 years of Bichette for a ridiculously low $11M per.
 
Blue Jays are evidently in talks with the Padres for Soto. Seems like a fairly simple 3 way opportunity if the Blue Jays were interested.

Cubs get Bichette, give up Wicks and Morel to Padres, Caissie to Jays.

Jays get Soto, Caissie

Padres get Morel, Wicks, and their pick of a Jays prospect
 
Blue Jays are evidently in talks with the Padres for Soto. Seems like a fairly simple 3 way opportunity if the Blue Jays were interested.

Cubs get Bichette, give up Wicks and Morel to Padres, Caissie to Jays.

Jays get Soto, Caissie

Padres get Morel, Wicks, and their pick of a Jays prospect
When was the last time there was a 3 team trade in MLB? It happens all the time in the NBA due to the salary cap and need for a team with cap room to absorb a contract but that's not a factor in the MLB
 

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