The Price is Right?

In Commentary And Analysis by Rice Cube22 Comments

We are in like month three of the great Jed Hoyer game of chicken with regard to the big name free agents, though I am still quite confident that this isn’t *it* for the Cubs, they’re just waiting out Scott Boras and other assorted agents in bidding for the remaining free agents, if they’re even interested. Chances are they’re for sure interested in Cody Bellinger and may even be the high bidder, even if Boras won’t be able to set a record with this contract. Unfortunately the Cubs are so ironclad with their security that it seems like the agents can’t even make up a rumor, but since they won’t fix that in time for this offseason, we will just have to wait for the Passan bomb when it drops.

The Cubs have at least signed one of the better free agents on the list in Shota Imanaga, with one of the more fun flowchart-style contracts I’ve seen in ever. Of that top ten, we still have Bellinger, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Matt Chapman still searching for their next contract. I still think, like most of the so-called “experts” out there, that Bellinger will eventually reunite with the Cubs, and my guess is that they avoid the other guys attached to the qualifying offer, which leaves Montgomery as a viable option to bolster the rotation. Of course, the Cubs are now about $30MM under the first luxury tax threshold per Cots, so they might not want to spend too much more, unless they are at the point where they don’t care whether they cross that threshold or not. Then again, even if they did pass that threshold, the Cubs can rapidly get under again due to the way their current deals are structured. Regardless, there are plenty of ways to work up the roster through trade and free agency, even outside that top 50.

Per the MLBTR free agent list, I’m going to suggest that the Cubs will not sign another catcher as they seem content with Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya plus whichever random catchers they can pass through waivers and outright to Iowa. Since they also just traded for Michael Busch and he needs a position, plus the fact that it’s a spot that Bellinger can play assuming he comes back, probably not going to dive into the first base pool either, barring a spring invite for Joey Votto. I’m going to say that there’s enough depth to cover second base and shortstop, but third base is a bit more of a mystery since we aren’t sure how well Busch, Patrick Wisdom, or Christopher Morel can handle it in-house, or if the Cubs are willing to cough up the draft pick for a short-term type deal for Matt Chapman, like they did when they signed John Lackey.

I think at this time I’m just kind of rationalizing how “fine” the Cubs are currently without even diving into the free agent pool for position players beyond Bellinger and maybe Matt Chapman. The more important investment should likely be in the pitching staff, where the Cubs could drop some coin on Montgomery. I did read that Hyun-Jin Ryu is working out in Korea, and Brandon Woodruff is still out there, which work as stop gaps with some pedigree for this year (Ryu) and next (Woodruff) should they accept a Cubs invite.

As for relievers, it’s interesting to note that both of the Cubs’ oft-injured bullpen guys of interest, Codi Heuer and Brandon Hughes, are listed as free agents, but those are likely the non-roster invitee type signings if any and not the Hector Neris deal (agreed upon but not official yet). The Cubs do have plenty of good right-handed pitchers but may want to throw some dollars at guys like Brad Hand or Amir Garrett.

What this says to me is that, even two weeks before pitchers and catchers report, there are still plenty of avenues for the Cubs to take if they choose to. As always, we are forced to take the wait-and-see approach because nobody is saying anything. But it’s nice to know options are there!

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  2. Perkins

    Rumor is Blake Snell countered the Yankees 5/150 offer with 9/270. Their reaction was basically mine when I saw some shitlord asking $500 for a bottle of Weller Full Proof: “good luck with that.”

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  20. berselius

    Rice Cube,

    I remember the name because the world series bar glasses that I have include him on the Cubs roster from that year, and I always had to struggle to remember who the heck he is (dying laughing).

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  21. berselius

    RIP The Messenger. Their news dept was shit but they hired some crackerjack sports writers. I hope Mike Tanier got paid before finding his second site in a year being sunk by private equity morons. They’ve already nukes the entire archive.

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