I wouldn’t hate Moncada as a bench play. Cannot count on him for anything, but a salvage deal to have that raw talent available on the bench could be a sneaky add.
*******Official Cubs 2025 Thread*******
- Thread starter hawkifann
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I don’t think he’s going to get very much. Spotrac has his market value around 1 yr/$1.5M (could probably get an incentive-heavy deal) and FanGraph’s FA tracker doesn’t even rate him highly enough to put an estimate on. Good chance he’s going to be dirt cheap on a 1-yr deal.
Will see. Not much out there for Corner infield. Seems some owner or GM always overpays based on what someone was.
It’s true that it only takes 1 team to shove the price up, but I’ll be surprised if he gets more than $5-6M plus incentives. I think he’s going to need to sign a cheap deal, show he can stay healthy and still play and then try for more next offseason.
Other idea from my childhood:
1) 6 run rule per inning
2) Every player in the lineup has to play the field for 2 innings and bat once
3) 2 hour game time limit
4) any controversial plays should be a "do-over"
Depending on who gets Soto...Mets or Yankees, I expect the other to overpay for Option B.
Soto on Monday clears a logjam of other players, and it apparently allows the Cubs to target teams to maybe deal Bellinger too.
Multiple rumors the last few days about a Cubs / Mariners swap in which the Cubs get a young starter in return. Those rumors go back to last season. The Mariners have a bevy of young starters and can deal one.
Multiple rumors the last few days about a Cubs / Mariners swap in which the Cubs get a young starter in return. Those rumors go back to last season. The Mariners have a bevy of young starters and can deal one.
Cubs-Mariners has made sense for a long time. They could really use Nico’s glove and contact bat. The guy I seem to hear the most is Bryan Woo. Depending upon what else might get thrown in, that’s a deal I’d be interested in making. Woo looks good, he made some big gains last year upping his changeup use at the expense of his slider a bit. He had a 41.7% whiff rate on his sweeper last year and his fastball plays well. He’s 24 and doesn’t hit his first arbitration year until 2027. He’d cost more than just Nico, but the Cubs have the player resources to hopefully make something happen.
If you are following along, Adames and O'Neill went off the FA market today. Both are Boras clients, so, expect Soto to go soon, and Boras seems to have learned his lesson from the last two off-seasons.
If the goal is to deal Bellinger, Adames to the Giants probably helps the Cubs, especially if the Yankees do not sign Soto.
If the goal is to deal Bellinger, Adames to the Giants probably helps the Cubs, especially if the Yankees do not sign Soto.
Agreed. Cubs twitter losing its crap tonight a little over Gary Sanchez signing a 1 yr deal with Baltimore. I don’t like Sanchez’s game, so I’m good with it.
I've mentioned this before, but Al Yellon over at BCB posts these little exercises regularly during the Winter. He takes a picture and challenges you to guess the date. Yellon can be a little acidic, but his Cubs knowledge is encyclopedic. I always make it a point to stop and say hi when I'm in the bleachers, or at a ST game.
Today's example is a simple picture, with very little to go on, but he whittles it down to a very, very good guess. It's amazing what he, and the other readers, can do with a picture that may only show a few details. But, again, he knows his stuff. In today's post there are mentions of what year the baskets on the OF walls were installed, and when were the equipment gates painted blue versus red. What patches were the players wearing, and were they wearing pants with a belt... Can you guess what year this Fergie Jenkins picture was taken?
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/202...orical-sleuthing-fergie-jenkins-1970s-edition
Today's example is a simple picture, with very little to go on, but he whittles it down to a very, very good guess. It's amazing what he, and the other readers, can do with a picture that may only show a few details. But, again, he knows his stuff. In today's post there are mentions of what year the baskets on the OF walls were installed, and when were the equipment gates painted blue versus red. What patches were the players wearing, and were they wearing pants with a belt... Can you guess what year this Fergie Jenkins picture was taken?
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/202...orical-sleuthing-fergie-jenkins-1970s-edition
He was never connected to the Cubs, and I wasn't really interested.
Crazy deal IMO - could mean The Yanks turn to the Cubs for Bellinger. From rotoworld
Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Mets have agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with free agent outfielder Juan Soto.
Passan adds that there is no deferred money in the contract and there are escalators included that could take the deal over the $800 million threshold.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Mets have agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with free agent outfielder Juan Soto.
Passan adds that there is no deferred money in the contract and there are escalators included that could take the deal over the $800 million threshold.
CSB, I won a Cubs auction tonight, the official scorecard from Imanaga's 8th win of the season.
Don’t think Bellinger moves until Bergman is gone. Then the contender/pretender needing a stick will call.
Bellinger's 2 years for $50 million is looking pretty good for a lot of teams right now.
Depending on prospect cost. Some teams are incredibly stingy. The O’s for instance. The Yanks don’t trade much of value if they can help it either.
Sasaki has officially been posted, let’s see if the Cubs can create an overall environment that keeps him away from the Dodgers.
That Soto contract with the Mets is going to look really, really bad in a few years. I am fine with the Cubs not doing things like that. Call them cheap, I don't care. The key to long term, sustained success is to have a great farm system producing young talent to come in and fill the holes for old talent when it is time to pay them big contracts. Sure, there are some big contracts worth paying on every roster, but this Soto contract is a desperate reach. When you have young talent, when you have a stacked farm, you don't have to be desperate and reach.
Insert Bellinger's name for Rizzo.
NYY needs a LH hitting 1B. If the Yanks wiff on Alonzo, Cubs might get lucky.
In all honesty, I kinda admire Cub fans for supporting such a tight ass organization...shopping at the dollar store and hoping to hit on the occasional "diamond in the rough".
NYY needs a LH hitting 1B. If the Yanks wiff on Alonzo, Cubs might get lucky.
In all honesty, I kinda admire Cub fans for supporting such a tight ass organization...shopping at the dollar store and hoping to hit on the occasional "diamond in the rough".
Sounds like Carson Kelly will be the other catcher along with Amaya, although the deal isn't officially official quite yet...
If it's for a year and a cheap buyout on a second year I'm okay with this. Ballesteros gets 400+ ABs in AAA this season, catches 4 games a week, and we go from there in 2026
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Thing is, there’s a little bit of mid and a lot worse out there in FA at C and to get a C that’s not mid, requires a trade that would be really costly. I’ll take this move. Get C shored up and get back to the rest of it.
If it's for a year and a cheap buyout on a second year I'm okay with this. Ballesteros gets 400+ ABs in AAA this season, catch 4 games a week, and we go from there in 2026
Just as long as Jed gets to the rest of it, and this shoring up isn't the full remodel.
Sounds like the Yankees first choice is Christian Walker. But I’m fine with dealing Bellinger to the Yankees, just won’t get much in return.
Yeah I’d take Walker over Bellinger. Honestly if Bellinger is hot at the break. He should get a really good return for contenders. Lots of competition for his services. Because he is cheap.
Explain to me why everybody is in a rush to deal Beli? Especially if the Cubs get very little in return.
He will get a lot of playing time and probably have a very solid season for the South Siders. They could use his leadership as they rebuild from rock-bottom. Gonna miss Tauch.
With the roster at 39, I assume the Cubs are sitting out tomorrow's R5D? Haven't taken anyone for a few years, anyway. I think our last pick that stuck was Hector Rondon about 12 years ago?
