*****Official Cubs 2023 thread*****
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Cards will probably want another catcher in a year or two. Great stick for the position. Defense trending down. The HBP brawls should be fun.
Why the Happ slander? Happ was an All Star.
Set your Bellinger expectations here: He plays a Gold Glove caliber CF, is a smart base runner and has some lefty pop. His average is likely to pop up a bit because of the shift going away. That’s the floor - a defensive CF with some power. That’s all I’m expecting.
There is some potential upside if the Cubs can work with him to fix some things and that’s upside that nobody else on the market as a defensive CF has. That he also plays 1B is a bonus, too. It’s a great hedge. $12M against the 2023 payroll and then a $5.5M mutual option for 2024 that nobody is going to take. If Bellinger is great, he won’t take it and if he’s not the Cubs certainly won’t. So they get him for $17.5M total and offset some of the pay to 2024. There’s literally no downside to this deal unless his D sucks and that’s basically never happened.
I like his defense, but that's about it. One of the podcasts I listen to mentioned that players with similar injuries as his had not typically bounced back with as much power. Plus, with no allegiance to the Cubs, he's on a prove-it deal and there are no ties, other than money, that would keep him here long-term. Let's play this out...he has a good year, the Cubs don't make the playoffs and he leaves, what was the point? So basically, he's this year's Simmons or Villar or Frazier just with a higher price tag. Like I said, I hope I am wrong and that he returns to MVP form and signs a long-term deal with the Cubs, but I'm not optimistic.
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it's not a Happ slander, it's that I don't think Bellinger is worth $17M for a guy that hit .210 last year
he's basically a Happ-clone without the batting average
now that Contreras is a stupid Cardinal he's a cocky POS and I hope he breaks his leg celebrating around the bases
As a NYY fan, Taillon isn't a #2/#3 SP, even in the NL Central.
Sorry, just isn't for an entire season. You get 4/5 innings before he walks guys.
I haven’t watched him pitch much but his stats say he walks about 2 guys per 9 innings.
The point is that he’s an upgrade over what the Cubs put out in CF last year and he’s a bridge to the young OFs. Brennan Davis may push for playing time this year and take the job from Bellinger if he doesn’t hit. PCA might be ready in 2024. Canario should be healthy at some point this summer. They just need a guy to get us through this year with the youth and injury questions.
You must have just tuned in for his walks. He walked 32 guys in 177 innings. He slumped a little in the middle of the season, but he was strong after August. When you do his first half/second half splits, he’s pretty consistent. He had a hot start and a strong finish and struggled a little in the middle. He did not struggle mightily through the 2nd half.
Jameson Taillon - 2022 Pitching Splits | FanGraphs Baseball
Jameson Taillon 2022 pitching splits for Major League, Minor League, and postseason baseball
He was the #4, at best, starter at year's end.You must have just tuned in for his walks. He walked 32 guys in 177 innings. He slumped a little in the middle of the season, but he was strong after August. When you do his first half/second half splits, he’s pretty consistent. He had a hot start and a strong finish and struggled a little in the middle. He did not struggle mightily through the 2nd half.
Jameson Taillon - 2022 Pitching Splits | FanGraphs Baseball
Jameson Taillon 2022 pitching splits for Major League, Minor League, and postseason baseballwww.fangraphs.com
He could pitch hitless ball for 4 innings and not get an out in the 5th.
The beat writers for the team said there was absolutely no interest in resigning him.
But he may very well win 8-10 games next season.
We’ll see how it goes. Cubs saw something they liked and they’ve done a really good job in the the pitching department in recent years. He probably lines up as the 3/4, depending on whether the Cubs get Senga and where Wesneski slots. I could see Stroman, Steele, Taillon, Wesneski and Hendricks, if he’s healthy.
Not for a guy who Google says is playing his pro ball in Australia right now.
I understand the thinking behind signing him but I don’t necessarily agree with signing him personally. I would just be really happy if they could flip him at the deadline.
I’m have full expectations that this team will be in the race at the deadline and not be flipping guys anymore.
I hope the Cubs push for the playoffs but if they don’t, I hope he’s playing well enough so they can get something for him.
DAMMIT JED!!! Sign a SS so I can stop obsessively checking for news
I’m curious about Bogaerts. When the Red Sox jumped back in all signs pointed to them re-signing him and things went silent like they often do before a deal is announced. Then, several hours later as everyone was leaving San Diego, reports were out that several teams were still in play for Xander. I have to wonder if the Red Sox didn’t get him today, are they out?
I think all 3 SS are still in play. I also heard from a friend who follows the Braves obsessively that Dansby turned down 6/$140M, so that probably gives an idea where he wants to be. I think 6/$160-ish might get the deal done. $27M AAV gets to $162M and matches Trea’s AAV for half the length. That might get it done. Also still seeing that Cubs are in deep with Correa, but the Giants are also trying to get in.
I think all 3 SS are still in play. I also heard from a friend who follows the Braves obsessively that Dansby turned down 6/$140M, so that probably gives an idea where he wants to be. I think 6/$160-ish might get the deal done. $27M AAV gets to $162M and matches Trea’s AAV for half the length. That might get it done. Also still seeing that Cubs are in deep with Correa, but the Giants are also trying to get in.
My optimism is 100% based on what I think the Cubs will do with the roster. If the Cubs literally do not make another move, I’ll still have to line everything up and look at the rest of the league, but they’ll be out of the playoffs unless you get huge organic growth from Seiya, Hoerner, Mervis and Morel plus amazing pitching. When the offseason is done, if there’s reason for hate, I’ll be jumping in with 2 feet. I’m just not there yet because I think they’ll get things done.
Probably why his agent pumped the Cubs and Red Sox rumors.
To a point. But now I realize I should have been paying more attention. The Padres tried to jump the Turner and Judge deals at the last minute with huge offers, but Trea wanted East Coast and Judge stayed in NY. Bogaerts is the guy they flipped.
Whale Vagina is playing a different game right now. We’ll see if it pays off.
I’ve been thinking about this and there’s definitely a counter move here. Teams have been looking at shorter, high AAV deals, but some of those deals this week are playing up years at the expense of AAV. Trea Turner got 11 years, but $27M AAV. I figure’d he’d be a little lower overall, but flipped - higher AAV, but fewer years. Bogaerts AAV is $25.4 AAV.
Is this just a crazy year or are teams thinking that it’s beneficial to pay a star now a lower AAV and extend him a long time vs. burning the next 2-3 budget cycles with high AAV that reduces short-term flexibility? That Bogaerts deal looks bad in year 7, but at that point, how big a deal is a $25.4 AAV? Might not be a big deal to move on from.
Teams have different motivations. I heard Buster Olney say no more than six hours ago that the Padres were getting one of the three SS no matter what. He didn’t know which one, but the owner wasn’t going to be outbid. The Padres want to win right now. The Red Sox aren’t in that win-at-all-costs mode. Their deals with Jansen and the OF from Japan gives them organizational flexibility while the Padres are taking a much different approach.
So, this will be fun to watch the Cubs, Giants, Twins, Red Sox and Braves go after Correa and Swanson.
So, this will be fun to watch the Cubs, Giants, Twins, Red Sox and Braves go after Correa and Swanson.
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Crazy contracts.
We'll soon find out just how much the Cubs are willing to spend.
It's not looking good at this point, because all these FAs are going to teams that want to win right now. Cubs can offer the $$$, but not the competitiveness. Outside of DeGrom, and that's a short deal.
We'll soon find out just how much the Cubs are willing to spend.
It's not looking good at this point, because all these FAs are going to teams that want to win right now. Cubs can offer the $$$, but not the competitiveness. Outside of DeGrom, and that's a short deal.
