This is almost exactly where ZiPS pegged the value of that contract, which is interesting.

I wonder how the relative lack of spring training reps that he'll get will impair his transition to MLB?

Sounds great. Already very likely the Cubs' best hitter.

otoh... robothal has it at 5/85 - pre-posting fee.

Also, full no trade.

Cubs have the money, so I don't care if it's a slight overpay or not. If he struggles out of the gate - which is quite possible, what with the adjusting and whatnot - it could be an uphill battle with the fans. Fukudome hit a game tying home run in his first home game, and that always bought him extra rope. Darvish was bad/hurt his first year, and it took a lot longer for the fans to warm up to him when he got good again.

Cubs still need multiple bats (and Correa would be a perfect fit) and multiple arms, but the dream of .500 is slightly less distant today.

Please not another Fukudome as that guy killed the Crew. Almost 1/5th of his career homers against Milwaukee and a career OPS of .999 off Brewer pitchers.

This division is kind of sad. Pittsburgh gave up years ago. Reds decided to go out and drown themselves in Ohio River for no apparent reason. Cubs kind of trying kind of not. And Cards and Brewers just bringing the old bands back together. I think the Brewers are wishcasting to think Yelich 2018 will show up and Cards same thinking September last season was the 'real' team. Sometimes a slump is who you are now and a hot streak is just a hot streak.

Cubs have 2 more years of Heyward. Does he go to CF or the 4th OF role?

Probably 4th OF. Heyward should never hit against a lefty again, and if it were up to me he'd have been released a while ago (I can't bear watching him hit). Until Davis comes up - which might be this year, but not until the 2nd half - CF is going to be some sort of mix/match of Heyward, Hermosillo, and Ortega - none of whom have proven they are capable of being every day bats in the bigs. Happ is most likely the every day LF, but he's supposedly going to start the year on the IL, but he also is a guy with big platoon splits. Clint Frazier is also on the roster, but probably will get most of the DH ABs.

The other OF option if Nico Hoerner, who's seen some time in CF, but who also will get time at SS and 2b (and maybe some at 3rd, the Cubs really don't have anyone on the roster besides Wisdom that can play 3b with Bote still recovering from shoulder surgery).

This is all a long winded way of saying the Cubs have like 2.5-3 guys on the roster that are clearly every day position players, one of whom is their catcher who won't play everyday.

Oh, and the rotation and bullpen still suck.

I know a guy who might be available…

BTW, I see little reason why the Cubs shouldn't also be trying their hardest to sign Correa. I mean, I know they won't, and maybe you can make a rational argument why you shouldn't sign him to a long, huge deal, but that wouldn't be the reason why the Cubs aren't going to sign him. They have the money, the need, and there's no immediate prospect he'd be blocking. But the Ricketts are too busy crying poor out of one side of their mouth while bidding to buy Chelsea out of the other.

While I don't disagree with Moses' #7, I am going to use this as an opportunity to shout out maybe my favorite scrap heap could be unexpectedly useful and is still under 30 outfielder in baseball: Michael Hermosillo. He's probably adequate!

I know a guy who might be available…

Alfonso Soriano?

I am going to use this as an opportunity to shout out maybe my favorite scrap heap could be unexpectedly useful and is still under 30 outfielder in baseball: Michael Hermosillo. He's probably adequate!

Definitely. He was really good in AAA last year, and I was kinda disappointed the Cubs didn't give him more extended PT once they finally called him up. Then he got hurt. But they had to give him a major league deal to bring him back, so no reason he won't get more regular time this year.

I'm not sure what the Cubs are up to with the Stroman and Suzuki signings but I'm happy they aren't going full tank mode. I suppose with 12-team playoffs, they've got at least an outside shot at it if most things break right. (It's a lot of unlikely things that need to break right.)

Minor point on 3B: if Alcantara can handle SS defensively, he can likely handle 3B. Of course he can't hit but he's an option if Wisdom flops. Do we have a DH yet? If not then maybe that's Wisdom -- any FA 3B left out there?

Things breaking right

Standard this guy is expected to be a good player, we just hope nothing goes wrong: Contreras, Suzuki, Stroman, Hendricks
If healthy, there is some reasonable hope these guys will be good: Miley, Madrigal
If 2nd half 2021 wasn't a fluke: Schwindel, Wisdom, Ortega
Maybe they'll suddenly reach potential: Hoerner, Happ, Frazier
It works for the Rays: maybe we've accumulated 20 AAA arms that will give us 600 innings of good relief

As somebody noted, it's the last 2 rotation slots and the entire bullpen that looks like a legit disaster so we really need Hendricks, Stroman and Miley to do well. There are position players that you'd certainly be happy were in your organization but for position players you'd actually WANT on your team, it's Contreras and Suzuki. Contreras is still scheduled to be FA at year's end so he'll proably only be around for half the season.

For my money, Suzuki is the most exciting players in NPB. Translating Japanese performance to American performance is always dicey, but I'm very excited to see him here, whoever he plays for.