Yeah I don't think the Brewers are in for the long haul this year. They are just hot right now.
*** Official 2025 Chicago Cubs Thread***
- Thread starter Cyforce
- Start date
Their advanced metrics for hitting are awful. I highly doubt it holds up the whole season
Suarez is such an obvious choice because he's a righty, who plays 3B and elite HR power. But I agree. I just don't see the Cubs competing with some other teams in giving up a couple high end prospects for a rental.
I struggle to identify other great fits at 3B. So maybe finding a righty who can platoon with Busch and DH is enough to upgrade our everyday lineup. One guy I like would be Paul Goldschmidt. The Yankees might make that move depending on their other deadline moves. And then the Cubs live with Shaw at 3rd from a long-term development standpoint.
And then use prospect capital on a starting pitcher or proven bullpen arm. I'm not 100% convinced our bullpen can standup in the playoffs. We've seen some lapses lately. If the Orioles are in full sell mode, maybe they look to move Bautista.
I read that AZ may be interested in Wicks. Plus we are showcasing Brown. If Wicks and a middle prospect can get us Suarez then Brown to Pittsburgh for Keller we’d be looking good. Deal Taillon in the off season We could go into 26 with Imanaga Keller Steele Boyd area plus depth of Horton and Assad we’d be in a really good Shop to make a serious run at Tucker.
If we don’t get Tucker try to resign Suarez then get Schwarber as your DH. Caissie would be our 4th OF and Shaw super utility. That’s probably a better offense than this year for basically the same money
I'd be very surprised if that is all it took. I think the Yankees and a few other teams will go in pretty heavy to get Suarez.
I get you have to have a willing trade partner, and I get that many of them are waiting for the market to sort out. But my god, to be in the position we are in and having to patchwork together a rotation like we have to is ridiculous. Jed needs to get a deal done.
Willi Castro and Maikel Garcia are a couple 3B that I like if we don't get Suarez. Don't see us trading for a platoon guy at 1B/DH/OF but would like a decent bench bat.
And the playoff rules screw you for not winning your division. I want no part of a 3 game wildcard series. For as good as this team is in every other aspect it's wild to me we keep doing this "opener" thing. Go get a starting pitcher.
Why on Earth would the Yankees trade one of their best OBP guys at the deadline and why would either the Cubs or Goldschmit camp be interested in playing sparsely against lefties?
Whatever it takes but if we can off load Wicks in the deal that’s an added benefit
7 of the last 20 champions have been wild card teams. Baseball is a crapshoot. Just make the playoffs on a regular basis and hope for the best.
I'm as annoyed with the Brewers as anyone but they've played .740 ball over the last two months. Sometimes you tip your cap and move forward.
The Cubs are in a fine position, especially having been without their top 3 starting pitchers for extended periods of time. Has it required some creativity? Sure. But they'll make some moves in the next week and then the pennant race is on.
Edit: 3 of the top 4 SP. Thank goodness for Matthew Boyd.
I'm in the mindset that you have a roster right now that are missing maybe 3 pieces to go from a good team to a team that could make a serious run in the playoffs. And for what they gave up to get Tucker on what could potentially be a 1 year rental you can't go cheap at this deadline when there is a window to compete right now. Yes it may hurt to lose a top 10 prospect or 2 in the process but that may be the price to pay if you want to go all in this season and Cubs have some depth in the minors at some positions. Like I mentioned before, we gave up our #1 prospect in 2016 to get Chapman then the next year we did the same to get Quintana (although that one seemed like an overpay and did not turn out the way we wanted it to.) Sometimes you have to pay a premium if you want to go all in and I don't regret the Chapman trade 1 bit, I would have done that even had we not won it all in 2016 because that was the biggest need that team had going into the deadline.
Right now a quality SP is the biggest need. You and I are in agreement that it is ridiculous that we don't even have enough arms capable of filling the 5th rotation spot right now for a team that is suddenly in a tight pennant race. Would not be against them getting a 2nd SP either as insurance even if it is someone with some minor league options left that can eat some innings if needed otherwise can be used out of the pen or sent to Iowa and not cost a lot in a trade. Second biggest needs is 3B production and if they can address that it helps another need which is bench production as then it turns Shaw into either super utility player or platoon at 3B. Wouldn't be surprised if they are looking at a veteran bench guy to upgrade as well, Berti and Brujan are expendable if you can find an upgrade. Brujan is likely gone when Amaya is back as I think they might keep 3 catchers and have McGuire available off the bench too. Then the 3rd need is 1 more lock down late inning reliever. I've seen enough of Pressly, he's toast and they can cut that bum if they need to clear a roster spot for another reliever.
Really feels like we are playing with fire right now with the pitching staff. They've over-performed up to this point which has been a pleasant surprise but going to need quality and healthy pitching down the stretch if they want to maximize the potential this roster has right now. Have to remember even as good as Boyd has been he's already thrown more innings than he has any season since 2019 so have to hope he continues to stay healthy and not get fatigued late in the season as losing him would be a big blow to an already thin rotation. Rea was supposed to be a spot starter/long reliever guy coming in and he's had a nice stretch here lately but historically his ceiling has basically been as a 5th starter most years. Horton is a rookie that has a history with injury so have to wonder how he holds up as the innings start to pile up too. To win in the playoffs you need to have 3 guys at the top of the rotation that can win you series. Right now we have 2 in Shota and Boyd as long as they are healthy and throwing well like they have been, after that there are a lot of question marks.
I also feel like needing a platoon option for Busch is a bit of a reach. He's been trending in the right direction against lefties lately when Counsell actually lets him face them. His splits against lefties are somewhat skewed because they just don't let him have much of a chance to face lefties in general so he doesn't get many opportunities to improve there. That's been my biggest frustration how they have handled his usage as it does him no favors in his development. They let PCA face lefties and he only hits them at a .205 clip vs .300 against righties. He has a big difference in his R/L splits yet plays every day. I have never been a fan of using "kid gloves" on young guys when you think you are doing them a favor not letting them face certain pitching. That's something you maybe deal with after they've had a good chunk of AB against certain pitching to have a good enough sample size to know they will probably not get better as time goes on.
I agree and disagree with this. Definitely agree you don't need a platoon option.
PCA is a different bc he's arguably the best defender in all of baseball. Busch is a good defender but he's a 1B.
I'm all for giving Busch more opportunities against lefties, which they have been recently, but I don't think its always best to just throw guys to the wolves. I don't think it's that you are doing them a favor as much as our scouts and coaches think we have a better chance to win with the platoon.
Just kind of dreaming out loud here....
Playoff Roster:
Lineup-
Happ LF
Suzuki DH
Tucker RF
Suarez 3B
PCA CF
Kelly C
Busch 1B
Swanson SS
Hoener 2B
Bench-
Amaya
Shaw
Ballesteros
Turner
Berti
Rotation-
Imanaga
Boyd
M Keller
Taillon
Bullpen-
Rea
Horton
Brown
Brasier
B Keller
Pomeranz
Thielbar
Palencia
Playoff Roster:
Lineup-
Happ LF
Suzuki DH
Tucker RF
Suarez 3B
PCA CF
Kelly C
Busch 1B
Swanson SS
Hoener 2B
Bench-
Amaya
Shaw
Ballesteros
Turner
Berti
Rotation-
Imanaga
Boyd
M Keller
Taillon
Bullpen-
Rea
Horton
Brown
Brasier
B Keller
Pomeranz
Thielbar
Palencia
