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***Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Thread***

It will be interesting to see what the actual financial deals of the Shota deal are. Ideally having some team options and/or incentive based bonuses tied to it. Have a reasonable baseline and if he performs well he gets paid more and leave some wiggle room for both player and team to opt out if needed too.

Brett tried to write about it this morning, the numbers on the deal are all over the place it seems like.

Shota Imanaga's Cubs Contract Will Be "Complicated" - Bleacher Nation
 
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Being reported another team had a deal for Shota that doubled the guarantees the Cubs offered, but he’d had his eyes set on the Cubs

Wonder if it’s the farm, Seiya, or his relationship with Escobar that helped lure him. Either way, you have to love that other teams liked him that much and be still wanted to be in Chicago.

Way I look at it, would you prefer Stroman and his bi-polar performances or Shota and $6 MM per year to spend fixing another area of need
 
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ISUCubswin said:
Being reported another team had a deal for Shota that doubled the guarantees the Cubs offered, but he’d had his eyes set on the Cubs

Wonder if it’s the farm, Seiya, or his relationship with Escobar that helped lure him. Either way, you have to love that other teams liked him that much and be still wanted to be in Chicago.

Way I look at it, would you prefer Stroman and his bi-polar performances or Shota and $6 MM per year to spend fixing another area of need
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Would be interesting to know what team(s) had offers to him to have some perspective why he chose the Cubs over them. I mean if it was a team that was a lot further off from competing or not a major market with the resources that would make sense. I'm sure the Seiya connection helped too but he fits a need the Cubs have and they are not far off from competing with the farm system and resources available so that surely had to factor in.
 
I feel like the Cubs can go two ways with pitching FA adds:
  1. Sign an elite starter like Snell or Montgomery. I am big on adding Snell. The Cubs are lacking a high velocity SP and Snell fits the need. Fill out the 2nd late inning guy within- hopefully a high velo guy is ready.
  2. Add Hader and count on young guys like Assad, Wicks, Wesneski or Killian fill out the rotation. And hope Thompson and a couple from above can be reliable inning eaters out of the bullpen. A late inning group of Hader, Alzolay, Merryweather, Leiter, Smyly and Palencia should be solid. And hope Caus and Luke Little can make a roster push as well.
I feel like the Cubs have a lot of arms, but they need high velo guys to step up.
 
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Cubs end up getting Imanaga for 4 years, $53 MM, or $13.5 MM AAV. Can go up to $80 MM over 5 years after 2 years with a club option.

I can't state enough how big of a W this is.
 
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With the move, the Cubs are projected to still have $62 MM in space before hitting the first tier.

Bellinger ($25 MM) and Chapman ($20) would still give you about $17 MM in space for relief.

And I still wouldn't be shocked if they go over the first tier of the luxury tax knowing Hendricks, Smyly, and Bote will take $30 MM off the books and alone would reset the luxury tax.
 
ISUCubswin said:
With the move, the Cubs are projected to still have $62 MM in space before hitting the first tier.

Bellinger ($25 MM) and Chapman ($20) would still give you about $17 MM in space for relief.

And I still wouldn't be shocked if they go over the first tier of the luxury tax knowing Hendricks, Smyly, and Bote will take $30 MM off the books and alone would reset the luxury tax.
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How many years you willing to go on Belli and Chapman? I'd probably go more years on Belli than Chapman, both concern me if they can sustain the productivity at the play especially Chapman didn't have a spectacular year offensively last season. No denying both are gold glove caliber defenders but there is more to a signing than defense.
 
CYdTracked said:
How many years you willing to go on Belli and Chapman? I'd probably go more years on Belli than Chapman, both concern me if they can sustain the productivity at the play especially Chapman didn't have a spectacular year offensively last season. No denying both are gold glove caliber defenders but there is more to a signing than defense.
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6 or 7 on Belly but no more than 3 on Chapman.
 
CYdTracked said:
How many years you willing to go on Belli and Chapman? I'd probably go more years on Belli than Chapman, both concern me if they can sustain the productivity at the play especially Chapman didn't have a spectacular year offensively last season. No denying both are gold glove caliber defenders but there is more to a signing than defense.
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If I had to bet everything on one prospect being an everyday starter in 2025, I'd go with Shaw over Mervis or PCA. That said I'm living with the in-house guys in 2024 at 3rd rather then pumping money into a past your prime option. We desperately need Bellinger. Boras knows we do eventually they'll settle on something like 7yrs. 175 mil.
 
I'm not a fan of signing Chapman but if they did 3 years is the max I'd go. I'm not comfortable with 7 for Bellinger as I want to see more than 1 good year given the analytics on him. My guess is no one has come close to 7 else he would be signed by now. 5 years max on him and ideally I would rather do a deal with some opt outs or mutual options. Ideally would like to bring him back on another prove it contract or a 3 year deal with opt outs after every season. Gives Bellinger the opportunity to cash in on a long deal again next season if he has another big year and some protection for the Cubs if he were to regress. I just can't put the seasons between his MVP year and last season out of mind as they still happened so don't want another possible Heyward situation on our hands.
 
What's the deal with David Bote? He didn't sniff Chicago at all last season and the Cubs are on the hook for $5.5M in 2024 salary.

Not expecting him to ever be a Cubs starter. But feel like he has always been a solid bench piece (2B, 3B, 1B & DH) and pinch hitter.
  • Maybe not the average hitter that Madrigal is, but definitely more power.
  • Compared to Mastrobuoni, about same batting average. But Bote's got a lot more power. Bote will be 31 in April and is about 30 months older than Mastrobuoni(28). Mastrobuoni is a lefty and more stolen base potential, but personally the L/R thing isn't a big deal when Mastrobuoni hit 1 HR in 150 AB's in 2023.
 
isucy86 said:
What's the deal with David Bote? He didn't sniff Chicago at all last season and the Cubs are on the hook for $5.5M in 2024 salary.

Not expecting him to ever be a Cubs starter. But feel like he has always been a solid bench piece (2B, 3B, 1B & DH) and pinch hitter.
  • Maybe not the average hitter that Madrigal is, but definitely more power.
  • Compared to Mastrobuoni, about same batting average. But Bote's got a lot more power. Bote will be 31 in April and is about 30 months older than Mastrobuoni(28). Mastrobuoni is a lefty and more stolen base potential, but personally the L/R thing isn't a big deal when Mastrobuoni hit 1 HR in 150 AB's in 2023.
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He wasn't on the 40 man roster so a call up would mean to DFA someone to bring him up then have to DFA him again if they needed to send him back down. He did ok in Iowa but nothing that merited a call up. I would rather have added Vasquez to the 40 (hes on it now) for a call up over Bote based on what I saw when I went to some I Cubs games. Vasquez has a great glove and arm at SS and his hitting improved so I wonder if he could even slide over to 3B as defensively he sure looked like he has tools to do it.
 
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FWIW my prediction is the Cubs end up with Hoskins over Chapman. I think a lot of posters have similar sentiments as Jed and are high on Shaw and would rather make sure he has an open opportunity when he’s ready as opposed to being possibly blocked at a position.

Chapman for 3 or less years would be ideal, but I don’t see a world where he would accept that unless it came with some player options.

Hoskins at 1 year allows you to decide in 2025 if you want to “fix” 1B or 3B.

Also, potential 1B name that I am more confident in than Shaw at 3B - there are whispers that Owen Cassie may be beginning a position change in 2024.
 
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CYdTracked said:
He wasn't on the 40 man roster so a call up would mean to DFA someone to bring him up then have to DFA him again if they needed to send him back down. He did ok in Iowa but nothing that merited a call up. I would rather have added Vasquez to the 40 (hes on it now) for a call up over Bote based on what I saw when I went to some I Cubs games. Vasquez has a great glove and arm at SS and his hitting improved so I wonder if he could even slide over to 3B as defensively he sure looked like he has tools to do it.
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Nice to hear about Vasquez. I feel like Counsell needs to give Swanson some days off or play him at DH. It would be great to keep Hoerner's elite glove at 2nd.

The Cubs are paying Bote $5M. That doesn't mean guys that make the most money deserve a roster spot. But if I look at Mastrobuoni, why him over Bote on the 40 man roster? If the the Cubs DFA'd Mastrobuoni would he get picked up? And if the Cubs have soured on Bote, why not DFA him?

I come back to the pitch clock, 2023 saw an increase in stolen bases and that was something Mastrobuoni brought and Bote does not. Will be curious with a switch from Ross to Counsell if there is a change in player skills that Counsell will value. The Cubs infield bench was Morel, Madrigal, Wisdom and Mastrobuoni last season, with all those guys starting at 3B at some point. Could we see a shakeup this season in the Cubs infield depth, especially if an everday 3B is signed? Morel and Madrigal are probably roster givens, but do the other spots look different? Vasquez could make a lot of sense if he is an elite defensive SS and can play 3B or even 2B.

Or with position flexibility by Madrigal (2B, 3B), Hoerner (2B, SS), Morel (DH, 1B, 2B, 3B, OF). Do the Cubs go with an additional OF bat on the roster?

Getting excited for the start of spring training and see what Counsell's nuances will be to building the Cubs 2024 roster.
 
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isucy86 said:
Nice to hear about Vasquez. I feel like Counsell needs to give Swanson some days off or play him at DH. It would be great to keep Hoerner's elite glove at 2nd.

The Cubs are paying Bote $5M. That doesn't mean guys that make the most money deserve a roster spot. But if I look at Mastrobuoni, why him over Bote on the 40 man roster? If the the Cubs DFA'd Mastrobuoni would he get picked up? And if the Cubs have soured on Bote, why not DFA him?

I come back to the pitch clock, 2023 saw an increase in stolen bases and that was something Mastrobuoni brought and Bote does not. Will be curious with a switch from Ross to Counsell if there is a change in player skills that Counsell will value. The Cubs infield bench was Morel, Madrigal, Wisdom and Mastrobuoni last season, with all those guys starting at 3B at some point. Could we see a shakeup this season in the Cubs infield depth, especially if an everday 3B is signed? Morel and Madrigal are probably roster givens, but do the other spots look different? Vasquez could make a lot of sense if he is an elite defensive SS and can play 3B or even 2B.

Or with position flexibility by Madrigal (2B, 3B), Hoerner (2B, SS), Morel (DH, 1B, 2B, 3B, OF). Do the Cubs go with an additional OF bat on the roster?

Getting excited for the start of spring training and see what Counsell's nuances will be to building the Cubs 2024 roster.
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Bote is not on the 40 man roster. He was removed from the 40 man when he was sent outright to Iowa on 11/10/22. In order to call him up to Chicago they have to add him back to the 40 man and he no longer has any minor league options so he'd have to be DFA if they were to send him back down. This is why he was never called back up to Chicago last season because he just wasn't good enough to merit a roster spot and was more of a depth piece at Iowa. Tommy Birch did a niece piece on him in the DMR last season and he seems happy with where he is at. As for Mastrobouni he still had minor league options last year so he was an easy guy to send up and down as needed where you couldn't do that with Bote.

Vazquez probably is going to be mostly a utility infielder if/when he is called up. He's listed #21 for Cubs prospects and is 24 so he's probably not going to be an everyday player in the big leagues but from what I saw of him in person he has a great glove with some nice range and arm. If you look at his minor league stats he took a nice step forward with his hitting last season so now that he is on the 40 man we could see him make his debut in 2024 if there is an injury to an infielder. He played 4 games at 3B in Iowa last season and just 12 games and 102.2 innings worth overall there, mostly been a SS but he sure looks good defensively to think he could play 2B SS and 3B as a utility player.

I think the position players comes down to what they wind up signing before opening day and which of the prospects does well in spring training. My guess is PCA probably starts the year in Iowa and depending on what they do with 1B probably Mervis and Canario could be battling it out for the last Right now looks like this:

C: Gomes/Amaya
1B: ?
2B: Nico
SS: Swanson
3B: Madrigal/Wisdom
OF: Happ/Tauchman/Suzuki
DH: Morel unless they try to make him the everyday 3B or 1B

Let's just assume they sign Hoskins to play 1B that is 11 guys so far locked in with spots. I'm not confident they sign Bellinger but if they got both him and Hoskins then Mervis starts in Iowa for sure. My guess is unless Mastrobouni has a brutal spring training he makes the opening day roster too. So again depending on what happens with 1B and free agency there is a chance Canario makes the opening day roster as a 4th OF or would not even rule out a surprise 1 year deal with some veteran we haven't discussed yet that takes a spot.
 
Busch would be a nice get. A real nice get. Power bat that will be complimentary to whichever you get between Hoskins and Chapman
 
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