It might matter. This team isn't great but they could be a playoff team anyway being the NL Central is awful this year. I think Cubs/Cards/Milwaukee all project out as near 0.500 teams.
MLB: Official Chicago Cubs Offseason Thread
- Thread starter chuckd4735
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It might matter. This team isn't great but they could be a playoff team anyway being the NL Central is awful this year. I think Cubs/Cards/Milwaukee all project out as near 0.500 teams.
What is the point of competing for an NL Central title when they will just get their butt kicked by whoever they play in the divisional series? This team is not building to compete this year and likely will subtract more talent like KB and possibly Contreras at some point. Maybe even Rizzo or Javy too if they can't come to some kind of extension with them as they aren't going to let all these guys walk without any kind of compensation to show for it when there is little for MLB ready talent in the minors right now. There is no point to go for broke this year with the group they have when they had too many holes to fill and they are a far cry from competing with the Dodgers or Padres in the NL so what is the point of even feigning the look like they are trying to compete when it is obvious they need to close the window on competing and start stocking up on talent to compete in a few years.
Well I would say competing for a divisional title while doing a "small reset" is preferable to the 90+ loss seasons of 2010-14.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Besides the tired "You play the game to win" takes that would normally be coming (with a more enthused fanbase), I'd say the "point" will be for the Ricketts to claim they gave us a fighting chance, because anything can happen in the playoffs.
Of course, the "anything" is more likely for a team with the players to compete in those playoff series, but what do we know? We're just here with keyboards.
Maybe we have difference of perspective with this upcoming season. As soon as they non-tendered Schwarber and traded Darvish that was the white flag that they were in sell off mode and I think they will be between now and the deadline. The core of this roster has underachieved for multiple years now that either you go all in and add some expensive pieces to compete or you start the rebuild process and I have accepted that they are in rebuild mode now and have little to no attachment to any players left except maybe Rizzo, Javy, and Hendricks and even then I am starting to wonder what their futures are if the right deal comes along.
The NL Central is garbage this year so I find no joy in winning the division with 85-90 wins then getting pounded by the Dodgers or Padres in the first round. Holding onto KB is stupid at this point, he is not going to re-sign with the Cubs unless it is a ridiculous deal and the Cubs have made it pretty clear by now they aren't going to do that. They missed the boat on trading him and Schwarber before last season when they had some value, now they are hoping KB starts off hot and stays healthy that they can get a decent prospect back I guess. I am OK with trading Contreras for a good return if they can get it because by the time this team is any good again he probably will be too expensive to keep around. I love his arm and bat when he is at his best but he has been terribly inconsistent so why waste his best years on a losing team when he probably can get them the best return on a trade.
The window is closed, even best case scenario with this current roster all the cheap reclamation signings they made have good years and they are in the hunt for the division at the deadline but history usually proves those hot starts fizzle out and they return to earth or get hurt and this team limps into the playoffs and gets swept by a superior team. I would rather trade off whatever valuable assets they have for best returns and suck for 2 or 3 years while the talent they get back develops in the minors than to let this core walk for nothing and suck for over 5 years until they rebuild through the draft which they don't have a good track record of doing.
The NL Central is garbage this year so I find no joy in winning the division with 85-90 wins then getting pounded by the Dodgers or Padres in the first round. Holding onto KB is stupid at this point, he is not going to re-sign with the Cubs unless it is a ridiculous deal and the Cubs have made it pretty clear by now they aren't going to do that. They missed the boat on trading him and Schwarber before last season when they had some value, now they are hoping KB starts off hot and stays healthy that they can get a decent prospect back I guess. I am OK with trading Contreras for a good return if they can get it because by the time this team is any good again he probably will be too expensive to keep around. I love his arm and bat when he is at his best but he has been terribly inconsistent so why waste his best years on a losing team when he probably can get them the best return on a trade.
The window is closed, even best case scenario with this current roster all the cheap reclamation signings they made have good years and they are in the hunt for the division at the deadline but history usually proves those hot starts fizzle out and they return to earth or get hurt and this team limps into the playoffs and gets swept by a superior team. I would rather trade off whatever valuable assets they have for best returns and suck for 2 or 3 years while the talent they get back develops in the minors than to let this core walk for nothing and suck for over 5 years until they rebuild through the draft which they don't have a good track record of doing.
I am a Cubs fan and dont see them as a playoff team this year.
Jayson Stark did a survey with 32 MLB "execs" and thought this was interesting:
HOW’D THAT GUY NOT GET TRADED?
Kris Bryant: 20
Trevor Story: 10
Sonny Gray: 4
Josh Hader: 2
Kevin Kiermaier: 2
SURVEY SAID: There was a time, early on in the polling, when we thought Bryant might be unanimous. He didn’t get there — but any more questions about how available he was for most of this winter? So on one hand, it’s amusing that the whole sport seems surprised that he hasn’t gone anywhere (yet) — but nobody traded for him. On the other hand, said one rival exec, there will come a point in 2021 when the Cubs are “going to trade Bryant and probably (Javy) Baez. (They) need to nail it.”
$$$: https://theathletic.com/2394462/202...survey-has-padres-blue-jays-front-and-center/
HOW’D THAT GUY NOT GET TRADED?
Kris Bryant: 20
Trevor Story: 10
Sonny Gray: 4
Josh Hader: 2
Kevin Kiermaier: 2
SURVEY SAID: There was a time, early on in the polling, when we thought Bryant might be unanimous. He didn’t get there — but any more questions about how available he was for most of this winter? So on one hand, it’s amusing that the whole sport seems surprised that he hasn’t gone anywhere (yet) — but nobody traded for him. On the other hand, said one rival exec, there will come a point in 2021 when the Cubs are “going to trade Bryant and probably (Javy) Baez. (They) need to nail it.”
$$$: https://theathletic.com/2394462/202...survey-has-padres-blue-jays-front-and-center/
I see the Cubs brought Maybin back on a minor league deal. In regards to KB I am assuming they are holding onto him for now and hope he has a hot start to the season that gives him more trade value than he has right now. I just don't see a scenario that he is a Cub after this season so at some point they need to trade him for whatever they can get or let him walk for nothing.
Has Javy ever walked in his life?
I would hope Javy is in the long term plans but the Cubs do have some SS prospects in the pipeline and Hoerner also played some SS in the minors so it's not out of the question if they don't think they can sign him he could get dealt too. He's only 28 and before 2020 he had some very solid years. His glove and defense alone is worth something as he makes some play no one else can but I would gladly pay $25 mil a year for the 2017-2019 versions of Javy.
The Cubs are flat out stupid if they don't either come to some kind of extension or trade KB, Javy, and Rizzo before end of the season because letting them walk for nothing is wasted value and opportunity when all 3 of these guys could have brought them a haul of prospects just a year or 2 ago in a trade. I used to think of Contreras as nearly untouchable in a trade but have come to reality that it is probably in their best interest to trade him at some point too because not only has he been inconsistent he turns 29 in May and plays a position that wears a lot on a guy physically so by the time the Cubs are good again he's going to be entering his mid 30's and be an expensive player that likely will be starting the decline of his most productive years. I've pretty much detached myself emotionally with all the Cubs players at this point. Rizzo and Javy are still my favorites and I hope they are in the Cubs future but I also don't want to seem them waste their prime years on a losing team so if they Cubs do commit to them they better be very active on the trade market this year with the rest of the roster and commit some dollars to rebuilding this thing over the next 2 years if they do dish out 5 years to Javy.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Javy is the one player the Cubs should keep. Sure it would be nice if he were more selective at the plate. But he plays with passion and reckless abandon. IMO his greatest value is his defense. I think Hoyer needs to build around Javy rather than trade him.
Also as he ages, he has arm to play 2nd or 3rd if his range diminishes.
Also as he ages, he has arm to play 2nd or 3rd if his range diminishes.
Has anyone heard any rumblings if Marquee will be available on streaming services for 2021? I have Hulu Live and got Marquee last year but was dropped after the season, same with the regional Fox sports networks.
I learned this recently as well, and it's kind of pissing me off. We have YouTube tv, which we really like. But I still paid for Hulu during the season last year just to have Marquee. Now that's not even an option. Is AT&T the only provider that has Marquee now? Do they have a streaming service?
Regardless, this is all beyond stupid. In just a few short years, the Cubs have gone from having availability across the country with nearly every provider, to now being nearly impossible to access. They've clearly forgotten how the brand was built... or don't care.
Actually, just heard today from sports radio in Chicago who had Crane Kenney on, that they are still working with streaming services for this year. So I took that as more positive than anything, since it’s been crickets since Oct when they dropped Marquee from most of the streaming platforms. I love Hulu live, lots of sports, except Marquee...for now.
I heard their Business guy (Crane Kenny) on the radio yesterday and he said Marquee Network is doing all they can to try and get on the various streaming services. Take that for what it's worth. He said stuff usually doesn't get done until right before Opening Day.
