MLB: Official Chicago Cubs Offseason Thread

[istater7]

MLB holding firm on their blackout rules when stadiums only have 5% capacity is astoundingly dumb. I would hand them a fist full of cash for MLBTV if the Cubs weren’t blacked out in Iowa. Alas, Marquee and every FSN station are gone from streaming services and baseball will continue to be more and more irrelevant. Guess I’ll have to settle for Pat Hughes every night.

 

[CloneinWDSM]

We really offered Rizzo pretty much 1/2 of what Goldschmidt from STL? That’s embarrassing.

 

[Rabbuk]

We really offered Rizzo pretty much 1/2 of what Goldschmidt from STL? That’s embarrassing.

A lot of rizzos value is definitely sentimental value. I really like rizzo regardless

 

[Hoggins]

So is Marquee gonna be on any streaming service or do I have to get a VPN again for MLB.TV?

 

[CycloneErik]

We really offered Rizzo pretty much 1/2 of what Goldschmidt from STL? That’s embarrassing.

God bless those Ricketts. They're phenomenal.

 

[CloneJD]

Goldschmidt didn’t hit 0.222 before the Cardinals signed him either. I’m ok paying players based on future production rather than nostalgia anyway.

 

[BigJCy]

So is Marquee gonna be on any streaming service or do I have to get a VPN again for MLB.TV?

I would plan on the VPN again. Guess they still got a couple of days yet to get something done but wouldn't plan on it.

 

[BigJCy]

I like Rizzo but I wouldn't extend him for more than 3 years. That back of his worries me.

 

[Clonefan32]

I think someone would pay Rizzo a bit more than what the Cubs offered, but I doubt it's too much more. He is so hit-and-miss at the plate, and a bit injury prone. I'd love to keep him around if, for nothing more, his leadership and his glove at 1st, but I can also see not overpaying.

 

[CYdTracked]

Heard Jesse Rogers from ESPN on XM radio tonight while in the car and his thoughts on Rizzo was 2 weeks ago he was 90% certain he would remain a Cub now he is just over 50% after it came out how far apart they are. He also thinks that this is just part of the process too and there is no sense continuing talks right now with how far apart they are but give it a month or so into the season and 1 side may budge some. Rizzo is usually a slow starter to the season and gets better as the season goes on which does not play well for him in a contract year so either he is going to start off slow again and come down on his end to where they can find some middle ground or he starts off hot and the Ricketts tells Hoyer to up their offer and either way he thinks somewhere around the 5 year/100 mil is where they should wind up.

Didn't catch much on what he said about Javy but he said it will be telling who is the face of the franchise him or Rizzo based on who they can get to sign first. Also said its pretty clear they have no intent to sign Bryant and its obvious he needs a change of scenery to get back on track but for the Cubs to get anything of value in return and for KB to get the kind of money he wants he will have to stay healthy and start out hot at the plate and so far in spring training he hasn't hit great so that is not very promising going into a contract year where both he and the Cubs need him to do well.

I think he mentioned something about 14 guys on this roster are in a contract year for next offseason so its obvious the Cubs are ready to do some kind of roster reset and the Cubs would have to be firmly atop the NL Central standings in July not to be sellers knowing they have plenty of guys that will walk at the end of the season. They probably cannot compete with the Dodgers Padres Braves and Mets so just making the playoffs only to get taken out in the 1st round is not going to be enough for the front office to change plans and stay put or be buyers in July.

 

[CycloneErik]

Heard Jesse Rogers from ESPN on XM radio tonight while in the car and his thoughts on Rizzo was 2 weeks ago he was 90% certain he would remain a Cub now he is just over 50% after it came out how far apart they are. He also thinks that this is just part of the process too and there is no sense continuing talks right now with how far apart they are but give it a month or so into the season and 1 side may budge some. Rizzo is usually a slow starter to the season and gets better as the season goes on which does not play well for him in a contract year so either he is going to start off slow again and come down on his end to where they can find some middle ground or he starts off hot and the Ricketts tells Hoyer to up their offer and either way he thinks somewhere around the 5 year/100 mil is where they should wind up.

Didn't catch much on what he said about Javy but he said it will be telling who is the face of the franchise him or Rizzo based on who they can get to sign first. Also said its pretty clear they have no intent to sign Bryant and its obvious he needs a change of scenery to get back on track but for the Cubs to get anything of value in return and for KB to get the kind of money he wants he will have to stay healthy and start out hot at the plate and so far in spring training he hasn't hit great so that is not very promising going into a contract year where both he and the Cubs need him to do well.

I think he mentioned something about 14 guys on this roster are in a contract year for next offseason so its obvious the Cubs are ready to do some kind of roster reset and the Cubs would have to be firmly atop the NL Central standings in July not to be sellers knowing they have plenty of guys that will walk at the end of the season. They probably cannot compete with the Dodgers Padres Braves and Mets so just making the playoffs only to get taken out in the 1st round is not going to be enough for the front office to change plans and stay put or be buyers in July.

Oh, they can compete (overall---not with the cheap pitching staff they were willing to assemble). They just won't.

 

[CYdTracked]

Oh, they can compete (overall---not with the cheap pitching staff they were willing to assemble). They just won't.

I am not sold that this current group of pitchers will hold up over the long haul or be of the caliber to win a playoff series. Hendricks is a great pitcher but he is not an Ace on a contender. Arietta in his prime is a top of the rotation pitcher but on this staff as a #2 where at this point in his career he is a 4 or 5 guy in a good rotation is not a good thing. Davies is a soft tossing pitcher like Hendricks, Williams is a reclamation project they hope to catch lightning in a bottle, Alzolay has not stayed healthy and is young and somehow he beat out a guy in Mills who threw a no hitter last year who I also think has a lot to prove to make it through a full season. If anyone in the rotation gets hurt who after Mills can you name in the system could come up and pitch meaningful innings every 5 days?

The pitching is going to be a sore spot. I would have rather signed Lester on a 1 year deal than go with Alzolay as the 5th starter

 

[CycloneErik]

I am not sold that this current group of pitchers will hold up over the long haul or be of the caliber to win a playoff series. Hendricks is a great pitcher but he is not an Ace on a contender. Arietta in his prime is a top of the rotation pitcher but on this staff as a #2 where at this point in his career he is a 4 or 5 guy in a good rotation is not a good thing. Davies is a soft tossing pitcher like Hendricks, Williams is a reclamation project they hope to catch lightning in a bottle, Alzolay has not stayed healthy and is young and somehow he beat out a guy in Mills who threw a no hitter last year who I also think has a lot to prove to make it through a full season. If anyone in the rotation gets hurt who after Mills can you name in the system could come up and pitch meaningful innings every 5 days?

The pitching is going to be a sore spot. I would have rather signed Lester on a 1 year deal than go with Alzolay as the 5th starter

They can't.

I mean that the franchise could compete with those teams and has chosen not to. I'm just regurgitating old complaints here, including the pitching one. Those guys are gonna break down, and it will wreck any effectiveness the bullpen might have had (if any).

 

[BigJCy]

Some streaming news:

 

[Rabbuk]

Some streaming news:

Wtf is a fubotv