Every year. Yet they declined their $5 million option on Rea but kept $8 on the books for Aaron Civale. If they don't sign or trade for a legit player to replace Adames, this should be the year the Cubs catch them in the Central.
*******Official Cubs 2025 Thread*******
- Thread starter hawkifann
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Is it possible that signing Rea you could bundle him with a prospect and trade him?
Not him, but someone. Guys you sign to MLB FA deals come with a built-in no-trade clause through June 15, so it’s unlikely that they’d work on anything for Rea or Boyd, but the presence of those guys (plus others) probably makes it easier to justify trading Assad, Wicks, Thompson, Kilian.
I think this makes it more likely a guy like Assad gets dealt.
This is a really bad look for the Cubs IMO. Getting Tucker extended for 5+ years is essential to the team's future and making the trade look worth it. Trying to low-ball him for his final arbitration year doesn't seem like the best way to go about this. It would be a frickin' disaster if the Cubs win the arbitration case (which I think they would). Is that $2.5M really going to make a difference in the remainder of the Cubs' offseason plans? Seems like it would be worth it to agree to $16.5-17M and have no ill-will between the two parties as a long term contract is discussed over the next 12 months....
Agree that it’s a bad look in this moment, but it’ll only be a big deal ultimately if the Cubs make it one. Happ has talked about this on The Compound podcast. The players get the business side. This stuff happens sometimes. I’ll still be surprised if they actually go to hearing, but it’s possible. The “deadline” was just the deadline to come to terms without filing numbers with the arbitrator. They can continue to negotiate right up to the point where they have the hearing.
I do find this interesting, particularly because the Cubs actually rarely go to hearings with guys, though the last guy to go to hearing was Ian Happ, the year before he signed his extension (Happ and Tucker are represented by the same agency, so relationships there are likely fine). The Yankees took Aaron Judge to hearing the season before he was a free agent. Hopefully they’ll come to terms with Tucker soon and ultimately deliver the bag, but we’ll see what they do.
I wonder if something is in the works already. As soon as the Rea deal is official, someone needs to be DFA'd. I'd rather it be someone who has a trade pending (like one of those pitchers you mentioned) and not just dumping someone for nothing (like the recently acquired Festa, whom I assume could decline an outright assignment if he clears waivers).
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May well be. The Cubs have a number of guys who are certainly at risk of coming off the 40-man, but a trade almost seems too obvious right now. From the 40, I think Brujan, Workman, Hollowell, Festa, Zastryzny are all at risk of DFA (though Workman just barely and probably only if they sign a couple bench guys to force him out). Once in spring training, if he’s not healthy or not effective, Merryweather could be a surprise cut.
Rea is good for about 4 to 5 inngs. Brewers simply have better options/depth. Still think they’ll add a 3B of the cheap variety. Hoskins sucking up 18 million hurts any acquisition though. Plus Yelich not willing to move to 1B/DH full time.
Brewers are currently around 108 million. They could stretch to 120 if the right deal comes along. But that puts them out of trying to land even Kim from San Diego imo. Unless Civale is packaged out.
But the Brewers’ Devil Magic can’t be measured.
They stole the Devil Magic book from the Cardinals. Can't wait for the Rangers pitcher w the 8 career ERA they traded for to become a high leverage piece of the bullpen.
If Woodruff looks good this spring, I fully expect Civale to be dealt. $8 million for a backend rotation piece that's had success in the past is pretty reasonable.
Well also they probably will bring Miley back at a minors deal. Lots of interesting arms. Freddy, Civile, Hall, Ashby, Cortes, Woodruff, Miley, Henderson, Myers, and even Gasser eventually.
But the guy on the FA market I really look at is Kim. Lacks power , but checks every other brewers box. Glove, speed, gets on base.
Good pull, thanks for sharing it. I’ve heard a lot of national baseball people and players talk about this both in general and sometimes with regard to Tucker specifically. It’s a weird look to not come to terms with a guy you just traded a big package for, but right now, that’s all it is - a weird look right now. Going all the way to a hearing would be really weird. “Yes, I know we traded 2 major leaguers and a top prospect for Tucker, but here’s why we don’t think he’s very good.” 😂
Tucker has gone to arb before, so I don’t think he will have hurt feelings. Bruce Levine is convinced they’ll announce something at the convention. Probably not a long term deal, but he thinks the Cubs jump the $16.25 mark and they are all happy faces when Tucker meets the press.
Makes sense. That’s another weird factor here. Being at impasse with the new big get at CubsCon is prime Jed awkward.
Rea signing official and Arias DFA'd. I sure hope a trade is in the works, because there are a heck of a lot of more qualified "jump dump him" candidates on the 40-man.....
Mets, Yankees, Rangers, Giants have been told Sasaki will not be signing with them.
My first thought was that doing it right before Sasaki’s announcement might allow the Cubs to sneak him through waivers and give him a minor league assignment, but then I saw speculation that the Cubs may be looking to trade him for additional international bonus pool money, obviously for Sasaki, but if they don’t get him, to potentially poach a kid or two from the team that does. We’ll see.
A lot of upside there. Hopefully it’s from a position of strength or signals a deal.
He’s young and guys are volatile, but his AAA numbers are something that will have to be addressed to some extent in trade. There’s still a ton to like, but he walked 8.92 guys per 9 innings and had a 1.8 WHIP. I do hope this is specifically about a trade or that the Cubs really believe he’ll clear waivers.
Sasaki is down to the Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Padres (the favorite). Would have been fun having him with the Cubs.
If he signs with the Padres the pressure on them to move payroll gets pretty high. Cease is already believed to be available, as is Suarez.
I see so much talk that the Cubs are done. I’m not seeing it. They ALWAYS talk about spending at/near CBT levels. I know they’re not blowing past and will probably reset after going barely over this year, but I just can’t see them trading for Tucker and then cutting payroll by $40M. So I think a trade and a couple more signings are probably in the cards.
Don’t say the “C” word.😀
Fair. If this requires banishment, I accept my fate for this horrendous oversight.
FWIW, Brett Taylor wrote this morning that he thinks the Cubs won’t add another starter. He gave himself a little wiggle room, but I can see that.
They will clearly add more BP help, but unless Scott comes off of the 4 year demand it won’t be him. I still think they add a veteran bat who can stand at 3B and 1B competently.
They will clearly add more BP help, but unless Scott comes off of the 4 year demand it won’t be him. I still think they add a veteran bat who can stand at 3B and 1B competently.
