The latest on the 2016 World Series champions:
- The Cubs have an enviable long-term core of position players that includes Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, Jason Heyward and Kyle Schwarber. However, future rotation issues could prevent the team from becoming a dynasty, writes ESPN’s Buster Olney (Insider required and recommended), who points out that Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and swingman/World Series Game 7 closer Mike Montgomery are their only starters signed beyond next season. Jake Arrieta, John Lackey and Jason Hammel will be free agents a year from now, and rival talent evaluators feel that Chicago’s top pitching prospects are still far from potentially cracking the majors, per Olney. Thus, in order to fill out their rotation, the Cubs could turn to next year’s open market – Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka and Danny Duffy are among starters who could hit free agency then – and/or deal from their excellent group of position players to acquire pitching.
- With Heyward, Schwarber, Ben Zobrist and Albert Almora Jr. in the fold as outfield options, the Cubs could shop Jorge Soler this offseason. But FOX Sports’ CJ Nitkowski opines that Chicago missed its chance to trade Soler (Twitter link via MLB Network Radio). It wasn’t long ago that Soler looked like a surefire core piece, but the Cuba native has underwhelmed since bursting on the scene late in the 2014 campaign. He’s still just 24, though, and didn’t perform badly at the plate in 2016 (.238/.333/.436 with 12 home runs in 264 plate appearances). Soler is also controllable through the 2020 season. He’ll make a relative pittance ($3MM) in 2017 and will then have the opportunity to opt into arbitration.
- President of baseball operations Theo Epstein’s shrewd trading is one obvious reason the Cubs are in their current position, as Andrew Simon of MLB.com observes. Epstein has picked up several integral players that way, having landed Rizzo, Arrieta, Hendricks and Russell, to name a few. Nabbing Rizzo from the Padres in 2012 is the best deal Epstein has made since taking the helm of the franchise five years ago, posits Simon. The Cubs got the now-superstar first baseman for right-hander Andrew Cashner, who currently resembles more of a back-end starter than a major difference-maker.
Could and should Seattle make a trade for Soler?
Im not a GM but I wonder if the cubs will ask for Walker or Paxton in return.
I think it’s Paxton should be included in a trade, think the mariners shouldn’t trade away walker if it just brings in solver.
I was talking with a White Sox friend of mine the other day about the Sox possibly shopping Sale this off season. With 3 years of control and a cheap yearly rate over those 3 years, the Sox should be able to demand a lot from him. I was thinking that the Cubs might be able to match up there, but it would take a hit to the minor league system. Maybe center the deal around Soler and Candelario + some arms and prospects from AA and lower. Long shot at best, but maybe the best option for the White Sox to infuse their farm system with talent while also getting a couple of major league ready bats.
Walker is the sort of arm that I would move Kyle Schwarber for. In the AL, Schwarber would have a chance to be an absolute monster as a DH/catcher, but he’s much more limited in the NL. Schwarbs is also going to eventually be blocked in the outfield in Chicago, too. I like the young arm Philly has, Vincent Velasquez, and supposedly Philly would be open to a move…possibly even make a run at Archie Bradley from AZ.
I do not see the Cubs even listening on talk of Schwarber right now. He has become very popular with the fans and his teammates. If the Cubs want a young controllable arm, they have the pieces available to make that move without Schwarber. I also think that Schwarber has the mentality and grit to make himself a very good position player. He will be the one blocking in the outfield.
You’re insane if you think Schwarber is gonna be traded. Schwarbs and Baez are untouchable. Unless you get trout or Giancarlo for one or other they won’t go anywhere. Soler could get back walker from Seattle. Soler and Happ for walker and Edwin Diaz.
Who are you responding to? My comment was about Schwarber not being traded.
I think the Cubs will wait and see how Montgomery does next year before they move on another starter. I think they look to bolster their relief pitching this winter, they have a lot of pieces to get a good starter when they need one. On Soler, CJ should remember everyone was talking about Baez and his K rate a short time ago, look at him now.
If the roster goes to 26, the Cubs will go with a six-man rotation.
No, I have no source. I don’t think I’m wrong.
They’ll add any SP option that fits.
That makes no sense.
Rizzo was called up too early by Hoyer, who himself even admits that. Then Hoyer bails on San Diego for Chicago and acquires Rizzo for Cashner who had never appeared on a top 100 prospect list all because Josh Byrnes felt Yonder Alonso was the future at 1B. Gave up on Rizzo way way way too soon. Padres could’ve had guys like Rizzo and Kluber on the same team. Coulda shoulda woulda.
The Padres have been making these kind of deals since the beginning of time. Sandy Alomar Jr., Ozzie Smith come to mind, most notably.
yeah it’s ridiculous. Finally though they are involved in the international market which should help tremendously.
Exactly. This is The Padre Way.
I believe I saw somewhere where the Padres had a former homegrown player making a significant contribution on every playoff team besides the Giants or something like that. And of course, the Giants got Bochy from them.
I do wish them well. As a Dodger fan, I liked the little rivalry they had in 2006.
Fred: I fully believe they are on the right track and hope the young prospects come thru over the next few years.
Not even talking about all the many, many top 10 draft picks they made who failed. Not many teams have a draft pick fail rate worse than SD.
Just Another Fan: Their drafts have been horrendous. Obviously you can’t connect on every draft, but at least one of them over the years should’ve panned out. I know he wasn’t a top draft pick, but them drafting Manziel was such an embarrassing move and such a pr stunt. I feel that if you can’t genuinely draft an actual baseball player then you shouldn’t continue the draft past the 20th round or so. Even Trey Griffey being drafted by Mariners had me disgusted cuz of how many deserving other people would have done anything for that opportunity.
I don’t care about who gets drafted in later rounds, they’re all real longshots, but you can’t whiff on top 10 picks as often as they have and not try and fix the method of who they select. If I remember rightly, a lot of times they do not pick the best/highest ranked potential draftee, so it is a flawed front office methodology.
Lots of times it was about picking someone who would save them money, which clearly didn’t work
Padres always did that. Picking Bush over Stephen Drew to save a few bucks is the most egregious example. Donovan Tate wasn’t considered a third overall pick by anybody but they picked him. Too bad they didn’t pick 25th in that draft class.
Stephen Drew was demanding gobs of money and still had a year of eligibility left at Florida, that’s why 14 teams passed on him, with 2 of them even drafting SS (Colorado and San Diego). Bush was still viewed as a top 5 prospect and expected to sign plus he was a local kid. Any team makes that same move 9/10 times. Just look at this years draft, no one had Moniak/Senzel going 1-2.
Tate was actually listed as the 2nd or 3rd best prospect in that draft (1st or 2nd best hitter) after Strasburg and Ackley.
I think they call that a lack in judgement..,.typical SD
The Rizzo trade was horrible but the Kluber trade was fair at the time. They needed an outfielder with some power and got one for a struggling 24 year old AA repeater. That trade could not have worked out worse than it did for the Padres but it only really looks bad in hindsight.
Hoyer did not bail on San Diego. He was shoved out the door by his idiot boss (Moorad) and inept toady (Byrnes).
The O’s need to try to get Soler. I’m not sure what it’ll take to get him but I think they could match up.
That could potentially work. Baltimore has guys like Harvey, Bundy, etc.
I don’t think the O’s will give up Bundy for Soler. Harvery just had tommy john surgery.
I don’t think there is any chance the O’s trade Bundy after what they saw this year. He will definitely be a top of the rotation starter in a year or 2.
I am an O’s fan and we are not trading any pitchers not named Gallardo, Jimenez, or Miley. Pitching is a bigger need than outfield.
Our outfield can consist of Adam Jones, Hyun-Soo Kim, Joey Rickard, Nolan Reimold, and Jon Jay.
Bumpy was bad at the end of the year though, they’ll need to see him be a lot more consistent before they can for sure say he’s a top of the rotation pitcher
the cubs will want pitching in return in my opinion
Arrieta, Lackey, and Hammel becoming free agents after next season isn’t really the big issue. Lackey and Hammel will be fairly easily replaceable (like with themselves, for instance.) Arrieta will also be replaceable, if not with himself then with Darvish, Tanaka, Cueto, Tillman, Ross, etc. The only issue would be whether the Cubs will shell out for a big time pitcher and there’s really no reason they wouldn’t.
The bigger issue is with Lester getting old and Hendricks coming back down to earth. They can afford to give out one more big contract to Arrieta or a replacement but they can’t really do it for 2-3 three rotation spots so easily.
If I was the cubs, I wouldn’t extend Arrieta unless he takes a home town discount, If he’s asking for over 200 million, i would let him walk.
Yeah you gotta think he has seen his better days… still a good pitcher.. just not as dominate as last year
Not sure why folks think Hendricks is “coming back down to earth”. This is the third year in a row he has been solid or better. His career lines over those three seasons are: 450 IP, 31-17, 2.92 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 7.07 SO9 and 2.00 BB9. Go off and compare that line to say Corey Kluber’s career stats. They are pretty similar – in fact Hendricks has arguably been slightly better. At some point in time folks simply need to give him his due and his proper stature.
Soler’s time in Chicago is definitely done. One of the biggest disappointments in awhile for the Cubs. But then again they hit on Bryant, Russell, Hendricks, Schwarber etc. So it’s only assumed that atleast one of their top prospects wont pan out .
Also, they should definitely pick up Hammel’s option. He’s not great but very solid as a #5 starter. Keeps necessary depth as well, that way if a starter gets hurt you can just slide Montgomery there from the bullpen
It isn’t that he hasn’t panned out, he just can’t stay healthy enough to warrant real playing time. He gets hurt playing hard, comes back pressing because he’s losing at bats, and ends up getting hurt/losing more at bats for poor play and he seemingly can’t get out of that cycle.
I guess you can say he doesnt have enough opportunities to say definitively that he hasn’t panned out….but he’s underwhelmed big time except for the first 2 weeks in the show in 2014 & that incredible NLDS. Other than that he looks like big time talent who cant stay healthy or put it all together.
Jorge Soler is the exact kind of player the A’s should be targeting as their long-term RF, I wonder if Doolittle and Holmes could get him?
I think long term DH might be the better description. He’s got a lot potential with the bat, but he’s brutal out in the OF. Does have a good arm tho
Metrics had him at just below average last season, but playing alongside line-to-line gold glovers everywhere he probably did look bad due to that skewed perspective. Regardless, he’s better than Brett Eibner, the current A’s RF.
I wouldn’t trade that much for Soler.
Montegomery will surely be in the rotation soon. I read something somewhere saying Hammel had an option for 2017, not sure it’s true or not. I think we could possibly see Zastryzny join the rotation for 2018.
The Cubs just announced they declined his option, which is surprising, but Maddon said numerous times that Montgomery would have a shot/be in the rotation in 2017.
Hammel option declined.
Correction… Jason Hammel IS a free agent as of now…
I knew they would decline option on Hammel. Good move. Montgomery is under team control through 2021. He and Kyle Hendricks will both be affordable pieces in that rotation, alongside Jon Lester, for years to come, Coupling this savings along with Dexter Fowler’s declined option, I really don’t expect the Cubs to lose out on bidding to keep Aroldis Chapman. He experienced something incredible here, so I can’t imagine him wanting to leave if they can pay.
Unless they get a shot at Shohei Otani, whose skills in a Joe Maddon managed roster would create unbelievable possibilities, I don’t think they’ll shell out $200M for another starting pitcher. Given that Jake Arrieta has no interest in taking a discount in negotiations with the Cubs, unlike Heyward, Zobrist and Lackey who did just that, I just don’t see him getting the average annual value and years of Zack Greinke or David Price, given how bad those investments already look to be. I think Theo and Jed are in the driver’s seat to go one of three different avenues:
1) Let Arrieta contribute to the Cubs in 2017. Take 1st round draft compensation when he leaves, or
2) Let Arrieta contribute for the 1st half of the season and field offers for him as a rental, therefore losing 1st round draft compensation or using it for bargaining now, or
3) Field offers now for Arrieta. If they are unable to sign him, they’ll at least get a full year of contribution and the benefit of the compensatory 1st rounder.
Had we not won the World Series, I would think #1 is a no-brainer. However, I don’t think #3 here is out of the question. One year of Arrieta with draft compensation if you cannot resign him, should net us an amazing return on investment! (Note: That investment is still Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger)
Obviously the buyer in scenario #3 would need to give us controllable arms and/or top pitching prospects in return. If they’re aggressive enough to make this move, then we should also be able to move the last $12M owed to Montero in the deal. Further strengthening our financial position this year and for the next 5 or so.
Soler I’m your biggest fan but go and be professional have a great Year Soler. 2017 your year you need to go to a warmer place then Chicago. Like Milwaukee but they don’t have no starter we need maybe a bullpen and minor league player