Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein addressed the Chicago media today, one day after his team’s season came to an end at the hands of the National League Champion Mets. Some highlights from Epstein’s media session, courtesy of Carrie Muskat of MLB.com and Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune…
- Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the press conference was Epstein definitively stating, “We would like to add more quality pitching. … We need more pitching, that’s obvious.” He would go on (as can be seen in this video link from Gonzales) to point out that the team’s rotation and pitching staff as a whole ranked third in ERA, first in FIP and first in wins above replacement. Epstein called the free agent market for pitching a “necessary evil” but stopped short of definitively stating that would be the route the club goes this winter. “…whether it’s through trade or free agency, we would like to add at least one quality starting pitcher this winter.” Not only will the team focus on adding to the pitching staff, though, they’ll also focus on improving their pitchers’ abilities to hold runners on base. The Mets exposed that flaw significantly in the NLCS, as Gonzales points out in the second of his two above-linked columns.
- Epstein said that the Cubs “certainly” have interest in re-signing Dexter Fowler as a free agent, as the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan tweets. “[Fowler] made a big impact on the field and off,” Epstein said of Dexter (MLB.com video link), “and we love having him around.” Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com has more of Epstein’s comments on Fowler and notes that the Cubs are expected to make a qualifying offer to Fowler, though he’ll assuredly reject that and test the open market.
- The Cubs would be “foolish” not to pursue a long-term deal with Jake Arrieta this offseason, Epstein said. “I’m sure there will come a time where we approach Jake and his agent, Scott Boras, about seeing if we can extend that window. … More than anything, we’re just appreciative of the person he is and the year that he had, and what, at the very least, the next two seasons in a Cub uniform look like for him.” Arrieta is controllable through arbitration for two more seasons, and while extensions for Boras clients that are so close to free agency are rare, but the Cubs do have a new TV deal coming in the near future, which can’t hurt their cause in trying to lock up one of the game’s best pitchers.
- Epstein briefly acknowledged that the TV deal will give the team some additional flexibility down the line, though he didn’t get into specifics. “The 2016 payroll is not going to be as big as the 2020 payroll because of the TV deal, but what we accomplished this year should help,” he said in reference to the added revenue from the team’s NLCS run. “We’ll have an aggressive mindset.” Epstein did also acknowledge, however, that the arbitration salaries facing the team will limit some of the resources. MLBTR projects the Cubs’ nine arb-eligible players to combine for $33.4MM in salaries (Arrieta’s $10.6MM projection accounts for nearly one-third of that sum), though obviously some of those players could be non-tendered or traded.
- The Cubs won’t yet forecast how Kyle Schwarber’s defensive career will play out, Epstein said (via Gonzales). Schwarber will continue to work out as a catcher next spring, putting in extra time with catching coach Mike Borzello. Chicago will continue to allow Schwarber to work out behind the plate and in the outfield “until we reach a point where we think it’s not the right path,” Epstein said.
- Epstein also noted that despite a rocky second half and postseason, Jason Hammel will return as an important piece of the 2016 rotation. The organization is confident that he can be the pitcher he was in the first half of the 2015 season once again.
- Gonzales tweets that Epstein also offered praise for Starlin Castro and the manner in which he handled his initial benching and eventual shift to second base as well as the way in which he rebounded at the plate late in the regular season and into the playoffs.
- The entire coaching staff has been invited back for the 2016 season, as ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers tweets.
- Asked about a new contract for himself — Epstein’s current deal runs through 2016 — Epstein downplayed that as a priority (via Muskat’s second piece above), saying it’s “not anywhere near” a top priority this winter. He also emphasized that the same conversation must be had with a good deal of the front office: “I’m sure this winter, at some point, we’ll talk not just about me but about a lot of the guys in the front office who contribute behind the scenes and make sure this group can stay together for a while and finish what we started.”
I want to see the same team, minus guys like denorfia, or ross. I want to see schwarber behind the plate, and almora or mckinney in the outfield
I would rather them resign fowler or another guy to bridge the gap between now and when those kids are ready. This team can be very good, we no longer have the ability to let guys develop at the ML level.
Kyle Schwarber will continue to get work in at the catcher position but is not ready to assume a starting role as a MLB backstop. He will either be the Cubs #2 or #3 catcher and their primary left fielder in 2016.
38 year old David Ross is signed through 2016 (2yr/$5M) and will likely return as the a backup catcher, Jon Lester’s primary receiver and the Cubs main late game defensive backstop. He will rotate as a backup with Schwarber behind 32 year old starter Miguel Montero, who is signed through 2017 with $14M left on his contract for each of the next 2 seasons.
35 year old Chris Denorfia is likely gone as an impending free agent who is primarily a corner outfielder, something the Cubs have an abundance of options with among their young core of players and prospects. Two of those prospects, 21 year old Albert Almora and Billy McKinney, have yet to graduate to AAA and are more likely late season call-ups or potential 2017 starters. Almora is already a MLB caliber defensive CF and would be the better bet for an earlier promotion with the Cubs if impending FA Dexter Fowler signs elsewhere, as expected. McKinney is basically a LF with his below average throwing arm and likely future trade bait for the organization.
If Schwarber is going to stick with the Cubs, he’s going to have to be a kind of utility guy: Primarily starting in the outfield, maybe taking some reps at first base so he can give Rizzo an occasional breather (Rizzo started 160 games this year and would benefit from days off) and being that third catcher that Joe likes to have for flexibility purposes. I don’t see it working any other way. They’re not going to leave that bat in the minors for a year or two more in hopes that he develops as a catcher even if they think he could, and they obviously put a premium on pitch framing when they acquired Montero and Ross this past offseason.
I’m not so sure about the 3rd catcher part. Its highly unlikely he becomes the primary backstop, but given their continued insistence they believe he can stick at catcher, its likely he can be the backup. Then, like you said, sub him in LF, 1B on some other days and you can hopefully get 100+ games a year out of him.
I guess we are agreeing on sort of the some thing, but the Cubs keep insisting he will stick at catcher, so I assume they see something we do not.
Technically that works, but there’s a danger in it. Teams don’t tend to start their backup catchers at other positions, even if they’re capable of playing them.
My calling Schwarber the “third catcher” in this scenario might be misleading: He may well make more starts at catcher than the “#2” guy. I simply believe that the club would continue to want to carry a third guy capable of catching. Next year that’s obviously Ross. Beyond that, who knows.
Schwarber for Gray- who says no?
Prolly the cubs, there is no way the cubs would trade Schwarber for gray straight up.
I don’t think either team would seriously consider it, but on the surface it does look about as close to even as a straight up trade could ever hope to be.
The As hang up. And say you’re delusional. The only people who think Schwarber can catch are the Cubs. He has no position, if you watched the playoffs at all you saw how bad he is at the OF. Cubs fans will be the new red soxs fan and think they can get whatever they want. Would take him and someone who can actually play a position such as McKinney or almora.
I said nothing about him catching. He fits one very important position for the A’s that the Cubs don’t have- DH. Consider Schwarber is cost-controlled longer and the general frailty of pitching, and this looks like a pretty fair trade. I don’t think either side would make such a gutsy move, but it’s far from ‘delusional’.
That’s what they have Billy Butler for.
It’s been three seasons since Butler even hit 20 homers in a single season. In Schwarber’s first three months in the big leagues, he has hit 21 in 300 plate appearances. I’m saying nothing of the Schwarber/Gray proposal here – but if you think Billy Butler’s power is even remotely comparable to Schwarber’s, then you’re insane.
I believe Bravesfan is trying to point out that the A’s already have their position-less hitter. Just like Seattle has Nelson Cruz, Detroit has V-Mart, and the Red Sox have David Ortiz.
At 22 years old, Kyle Schwarber can hardly be considered as a “position-less hitter” at this stage of his MLB career, unlike the 3 veteran hitters you mentioned as comparisons.
Having Billy Butler at DH would hardly be an impediment for the A’s to acquire a hitting talent like Kyle Schwarber, who also profiles as corner OF and a potential catcher at the MLB level.
So the A’s are going to trade one of the best young pitchers in baseball for a DH? Sorry, but that is delusional.
In a vacuum, it would be a remote possibility, but if the A’s were intent on trading Gray, they could get more than Schwarber from any number of other teams.
They may get a better player or players than Schwarber in exchange for Gray, but would be hard pressed to find a better hitting talent at his age and with his future potential.
testing
Any chance the Cubs push the chips all in and sign Jason Heyward to play Center and deal Almora? His career .311 batting average and .376 OBP at wrigley field would be nice in the lead off spot.
Cubs need pitching, and the addition of Heyward would prevent them from having much – if any – cash left over to sign a legitimate starting pitcher. That’s not to say they won’t go after Heyward, or that they won’t land him – it’s just to say that landing Heyward would mean the Cubs need to acquire a big-time pitcher through trade…
And Almora isn’t even close to being enough to land that. Hell, you’d be unlikely to get a top-flight pitcher even if you packaged Almora with McKinney and Torres… So my first thought to any potential Heyward acquisition is that they’d play him in RF and look to offer Soler as the center piece of a trade that brings back a stud pitcher.
You are telling me if the Cubs offered Almora, McKinney and Torres to the A’s for Gray they wouldn’t make that deal? The Cubs have more assets than places to put them so I’m pretty sure something is getting moved in a trade and I would assume for pitching.
arrietta could have just had a career year. id wait until after next year to sign a long term deal.
And his 2.53 ERA last year? Two consecutive career years doesn’t smell like a fluke to me.
look at travis wood. seemed like a formidable pitcher a few years ago. now can barely pitch out of the bullpen.
As I said to a friend when we discussed this, if Arrietta would take something like 5/$80-100MM for arb-certainty + 3 FA years, I’d do that. Otherwise it might be best to just hang on for two more years and let him go. Not because I don’t think he’s a top-end pitcher, but because even five years takes him to 35 years old. I don’t want to commit longer than that to any pitcher.
The Cubs will be certainly be amicable in discussing such a long term contract proposal but his agent, Scott Boras is more likely to steer his client away from a deal of that nature this close to Arrieta’s one big opportunity for free agency in 2018. Any extension would likely have to be in line with the current deals already given to Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw, the free agent deals handed out last year to Jon Lester and Max Scherzer, in addition to the impending contracts of FA’s David Price and Zack Greinke.
What would be a fair trade for the Cubs and White Sox involving Chris Sale?
Chris Sale will turn 27 by opening day and is controllable through 2019 at $47.15M that includes both the 2018 and 2019 team options being picked up. These dollars are a fraction of the value that both impending free agent aces David Price (30) and Zack Greinke (32) will receive this off-season. Neither pitcher will require forfeiture of a compensatory draft pick from their signing team as prospective FA’s.
The White Sox would be looking for MLB ready core players at 3B, C and/or corner OF.
I have been a life-long fan of both Chicago teams since the early 1960’s. I proposed a trade of Chris Sale for Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber about 3 months ago to my son-in law who grew up a Cubs fan but also roots for and attends White Sox games regularly. He accepted the proposal as the prospective Cubs GM without further discussion. I accepted the deal on behalf of the White Sox but doubted the Cubs would be willing to give up both young core players even for a proven young ace pitcher with a team friendly contract.
Any thoughts, or amendments, to my proposal that might constitute a fair trade for both teams?