The Guardians are shopping a few players, and I'm a little worried about his arm. There were some troubling signs last year. They want to unload him for max value before something in his arm/elbow explodes.
*****Official Cubs 2024 Thread 🪦*****
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I really wanted to see Bellinger come back. All stats aside, I really loved the chemistry he seemed to have with the team and brings that veteran presence. Stats matter, but I think something that is not paid enough attention to is just team chemistry. I think Bellinger brings a lot of confidence to the team.
Most ‘insiders’ think Bellinger will be back. I hope so, and I hope they don’t stop there. This division is there for the taking.
2 things, because you can never over analyze these things, but the woman in the picture is wearing a wedding band. I didn't know he had gotten married, unless that's a sister or someone else they cropped out. He had a GF who he has had kids with, the last I recall. A wife can have an impact on where a FA goes, and the fact that the Cubs hold their ST in Arizona, and Chicago is a fine destination makes me hope Mrs. Bellinger is rooting for the Cubs over Toronto.
2nd point, he's a West Coast pansy if he's that bundled up in Arizona today. 60 and rainy beats 5 degrees. It's just simple math, folks.
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100%. I’ll be shocked if they trade him for anything less than a deal like Horton or some other gross overpay, which I absolutely would not do if I’m the Cubs.
It’ll be really interesting to see where the big Boras clients come out this year. He has 5 of the top guys left (Belli, Hoskins, Montgomery, Snell, JD Martinez) and none have signed. I know some fans yell “just pay the price, Jed!”, but we’re 2 months into this thing and nobody has paid the price. His guys will wind up doing ok, but not sure the money projected is going to come around.
There has been chatter about that from a few places this offseason. Hard to know for sure and hard to prove, but the owners have done it before.
I think what’s most likely is that the bulk of the teams are working from roughly the same valuation playbook and there are fewer “rogue” owners than there used to be. That wouldn’t necessarily be collusion, but it could look like it…..especially when it’s not a particularly deep FA class.
The one time there was true collusion was nothing like this. There isn’t a total freeze out, far from it. Honestly, it really is laughable that they think there is collusion.
They bring it up every few years...going to be hard to have much of a case with the offers that have been given.
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Agreed. I think it’s way, way more that all the analytical work have left most of the teams with very similar risk models.
One other factor is that in any given season, there are WAY too many teams going in without any real intention of competing. Every year there are a couple teams spending on payroll about what they bring in in revenue sharing. The bottom end is really what’s holding things back. The A’s are the obvious example, and the Royals sometimes (though not so much lately), but the team that stands out to me right now is the Orioles. They tanked for years and built up an elite minor league system. Now those young guys are the cost-controlled core of a really good team - and THEY’RE not spending on the starting pitcher or two they need to be the dominant team in that division for the next 3 years? I’d be mega-pissed if I was an Orioles fan. NOW is the time to go win.
Or, the Reds. They've added a few pieces, but where is there Jon Lester? Getting Suter for $3 million was a steal. But, my point is that's a team primed to jump up with some amazing young players.
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Yep, the same way Ferentz did it in 1999. It worked then, so of course it will work now.
I'm a Cubs fan, but it feels like they are manged like the Athletics or Royals.
I guess the franchise is poor.
Not even close, really. Last year the Cubs:
- Ate $23M For Jason Heyward to not play for them
- Spent $177M on a SS and another $68M on a starting pitcher
- Chose to cut bait in-season on a few players, including a couple that will make a combined $10M in 2024 while not playing with the Cubs
- When they make trades, the Cubs will almost always eat salary to increase prospect return or give the other team cash in order to drop the prospect return.
- Came in just under the CBT at $230M (CBT threshold $233M), which was 10th in MLB in spending for 2023
- Spent $100M more in 2023 than 5 MLB teams
Can certainly argue the Cubs spend like a mid-market team and sacrifice some advantage, but they don’t spend like the A’s or Royals.
Well - this sucks to hear. Hopefully caught early.
www.yahoo.com
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says he has metastatic prostate cancer
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. The 64-year-old Sandberg said Monday in a release put out by the Baseball Hall of Fame that he has started treatment. “I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the...
More prospect evaluations are rolling out. James Triantos is a luxury at this point. The Cubs an park him at AA for the entire year at age 21 and push making any decisions on his future down the road.
https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs...makes-a-top-10-list-lets-talk-james-triantos/
https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs...makes-a-top-10-list-lets-talk-james-triantos/
This hurts. Hurts for Ryno, and hurts for every fan who lived along with him as he rose to stardom.Well - this sucks to hear. Hopefully caught early.
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says he has metastatic prostate cancer
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. The 64-year-old Sandberg said Monday in a release put out by the Baseball Hall of Fame that he has started treatment. “I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the...
Well - this sucks to hear. Hopefully caught early.
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says he has metastatic prostate cancer
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. The 64-year-old Sandberg said Monday in a release put out by the Baseball Hall of Fame that he has started treatment. “I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the...
Unfortunately, metastatic is well beyond "caught early."Well - this sucks to hear. Hopefully caught early.
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says he has metastatic prostate cancer
Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. The 64-year-old Sandberg said Monday in a release put out by the Baseball Hall of Fame that he has started treatment. “I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the...
Hoping for the best.
And get yourselves checked.
Agreed - get tested for all the appropriate things at all the appropriate times. Hopefully it’s at least early in the metastatic process so maybe they can beat it back. He looks pretty normal in the IG pic
That's how this post should go. My wife is recovering from breast cancer and we aren't out going "pray for us!" We're out promoting breast cancer awareness. Sandeberg should do the same.
Bummer but prostate cancer is the men's version of women's breast cancer. Not as deadly but cancer is cancer. Get yourself checked.
Hope the best for your wife and family. Very challenging time all the way around.
Bellinger back to Cubs makes sense. The question I have will they go after Matt Chapman and Hoskins as well.
I really think Hoskins is sliding out of range, or value to the Cubs.
Interesting nugget in BN this morning, Owen Caissie is getting some work at 1B in Arizona right now. The Cubs have stressed versatility in getting guys to the majors, and that might be one way to get a guy who projects to hit prodigious homers. His swing/miss rate dropped quite nicely last season. If he keeps that up he will surely press to play at some position earlier than projected.
Anything is possible, but unless they trade Morel (I don’t think they will at this point), I don’t think they go after either Hoskins or Chapman if they sign Belli. I think the Busch trade ended that.
Well David Ross is gone. Now you’re going have to play for a real baseball manager. Suzuki will be DFA after this season.
Then he should be working at The Second City in Chicago instead of Wrigley Field. The Cubs need ball players not comedians.
Rhys Hoskins to the Brewers 2/$34M with an opt-out after 1 and Matt Moore to the Angels for 1/$9M.
I always assumed the idea of Hoskins was dead after the Busch trade and Moore would have been an interesting add, but he’s not the only reliever out there.
I always assumed the idea of Hoskins was dead after the Busch trade and Moore would have been an interesting add, but he’s not the only reliever out there.
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