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Tuesday, December 06, 2022

Cubs need to go big at Winter Meetings or go home

Bad enough the Rickettses’ iconic, mega-revenue team has undergone a multiyear, tanking rebuild for the second time in a decade — jettisoning All-Star, World-Series-winning, fan favorites Anthony Rizzo, Javy Báez, Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras in the last 18 months alone.

But they’ve squandered so much credibility in the process they have a sales pitch on their hands just trying to convince free agent targets they plan to win.

Whether that means they might have to “overpay” to land the kinds of players they need, there’s already strong enough demand in the market this winter to suggest the top free agents might get more than some people projected at the outset.

Jacob deGrom, for instance, got an additional two years of guaranteed commitment from the Rangers than others reportedly offered to land the best pitcher in the game — when healthy — for five and $185 million. Despite a combined 38 starts (224.1 innings) the last three years combined. And then came Turner’s deal.

The time is now, this week, for the Cubs. To get one of the big shortstops left. And a significant starting pitcher. And more.

Because if the Cubs don’t use that slashed payroll money they’ve banked since the 2020 pandemic season now that they’ve stripped the roster down to Marcus Stroman and a half-dozen other proven big-leaguers, then what was the point? Or, more aptly, how do they justify it? Because we know what the point wa$.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 06, 2022 at 01:43 PM | 5 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. Walt Davis Posted: December 06, 2022 at 04:48 PM (#6108320)

Because we know what the point wa$.

I see what he did there!

I hope the Cubs do walk away with some long-term talent but it needs to be talent focused on 2024 and beyond and our top guy (Brennen Davis due 2022) missed most of last year. MLB.com isn't the gospel but they show nearly all of the Cubs' top prospects with arrival times of 2024-25. While Bryant and Russell (and Baez, Schwarber and Happ in their ways) were ready from their first day in the majors, you can't usually count on that.

So Correa seems like the guy they can get now who has the best chance of still being a star in 2025-27 (best laid plans). Signing X would be more a "keep butts in the seats" signing and Swanson is maybe only a bit better than Hoerner so what's the point? (Granted, maybe Swanson took a big step up offensively.) On the pitching side, I'd love a well-timed Lester/Lackey combo but the guy out there who seems like he might be at Lester's level in 2025 is Rodon. But sure, it never hurts to have too much pitching even though SP is the spot where the Cubs have some hope in the short term (somewhat to our surprise I'd say).

I'm a bit disappointed if the Cubs didn't match that Josh Bell offer. Voit or Wil Myers remain solid stopgaps for 2023 (and maybe 2024). Anyway, add one of those, a SS, sort out the C situation, add Bassitt maybe and, if Davis is solid, this starts to look like a possible 85-win team so it's not hopeless. But it's still assuming that most of what went right last year keeps going right.

2. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 06, 2022 at 05:19 PM (#6108326)

But Matt Mervis dominated the AFL!

3. Gold Star - just Gold Star Posted: December 06, 2022 at 06:33 PM (#6108342)

Welp, they got one year of Bellinger for $17.5MM.

4. salvomania Posted: December 06, 2022 at 07:03 PM (#6108357)

BELLINGER!!!!!!

5. Walt Davis Posted: December 07, 2022 at 05:08 PM (#6108595)

And now Taillon. I assume they won't go into the year with just Gomes & Higgins back there -- I don't expect a Murphy trade and there's not much out there but I assume they'll find some "steady" 60-game C unless, by some miracle, Amaya is actually ready (or is he out of options?)

Still plenty of playing time for Matt "the Miracle" Mervis even if they get Voit or Myers. Voit, Myers and Reyes are all RHB so Mervis would still start against pretty much every RHP which is probably all he'd be doing anyway. (So two positions, 324 starts, about equally split among the 3. If it's Myers, he'd probably also grab some LF/RF time.)

I see there was a David Mervis in indy ball in 2020-21 but b-r doesn't list a birthplace or high school for him but surely they're brothers or cousins or something. Or are there more Mervii in the world than I suspect?

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Tuesday, December 06, 2022

Cubs need to go big at Winter Meetings or go home

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