*******Official Cubs 2025 Thread*******

[tumorboy]

Dodgers become more and more of an interesting trade partner. They have a lot of young, blocked talent eating up valuable 40-man roster spots.

Pitchers and Lux

 

[lucas80]

Speaking of the Dodgers and their 40 man, they just had to part ways with Diego Cartaya, a former top level catching prospect who didn't adapt to AAA pitching after mashing at the lower levels. He might be a guy to grab and put in Des Moines to see if you can fix something. He's had injuries for 2 seasons, but he's got an option left, so you could use him as a break glass in case of emergency catcher. All he'd cost is a minor prospect.

 

[lucas80]

Yoan Moncada's agent is pushing a Cubs angle.
Hard pass. He hasn't been terribly productive for 3-4 years, and last year was a bust.
I also see Boras is whispering the Cubs and Bregman. He might have overplayed his hand 2 years in a row with some of his top level clients.

 

[hawkifann]

Yoan Moncada's agent is pushing a Cubs angle.
Hard pass. He hasn't been terribly productive for 3-4 years, and last year was a bust.
I also see Boras is whispering the Cubs and Bregman. He might have overplayed his hand 2 years in a row with some of his top level clients.

I actually like Moncada as a bounce-back bench piece as Matt Shaw insurance, depending on what else they do. Health is obviously a question and he has to be cheap and you’re not putting him directly into a starting role, but he has more real, actual upside than anyone else in that bench/IF/utility market.

 

[lucas80]

I actually like Moncada as a bounce-back bench piece as Matt Shaw insurance, depending on what else they do. Health is obviously a question and he has to be cheap and you’re not putting him directly into a starting role, but he has more real, actual upside than anyone else in that bench/IF/utility market.

Well, he was #2 in bWar for the White Sox last season. So, there is that.
2021 is that last time he was healthy, good, or both. He's a bag of magic beans.

 

[hawkifann]

Well, he was #2 in bWar for the White Sox last season. So, there is that.
2021 is that last time he was healthy, good, or both. He's a bag of magic beans.

It really depends on what you do with that spot. If they go for a Bregman to start at 3B, keep Nico and then use Shaw as utility until he forces his way in, then there’s certainly no room for Moncada - but if they don’t both sign a starting 3B AND keep Nico, then Shaw is likely starting and someone is coming in as depth/insurance in case Shaw has lengthy struggles. Of those kinds of guys, you can go high floor or high ceiling. Moncada would easily be the highest ceiling you could find for that sort of role, and certainly he could be completely unable to stay on the field or completely flame out.

 

[hawkifann]

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

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Thanks.
Can you confirm the option status of Canario? Spotrac still shows him having 1 left. It seems like he's been given more option years than Cam McCormick had college eligibility years....

 

[hawkifann]

Thanks.
Can you confirm the option status of Canario? Spotrac still shows him having 1 left. It seems like he's been given more option years than Cam McCormick had college eligibility years....

This one is confusing. My understanding is that he’s out of options. I went back and looked through his MLB transactions (you can find his profile page and do this yourself if you wish). Since it’s through MLB.com, I take it as the “official” source.

Giants added him to their 40-man roster in Nov. 2020. Once added to the 40-man, anytime you’re assigned to the minors, you’re “optioned”, so he was optioned in 2021, 2022 and 2023 for his 3 standard option years, but last year he was given an extra option year like Kilian is this year. (Kilian wasn’t on the 40-man when the KB deal happened, he wasn’t added until June 2022, meaning his 3 standard option years were 2022, 2023 and 2024, leaving him a year behind Canario).

I don’t think Canario is getting an extra year, but I’ll look into it. You’re right that Spotrac shows him with 1 left, but FanGraphs (Roster Resource) does not. If I hear anything, I’ll report back.