The Cubs are in agreement with free-agent outfielder Jon Jay on a one-year, $8MM contract, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). The team has now announced the signing as well. Jay, 32 next March, is a client of CAA Sports.
[Related: Updated Chicago Cubs Depth Chart]
Jay missed nearly two months of the 2016 season with a broken forearm that was sustained when he was hit by a pitch, but he was productive when he was healthy enough to take the field. The longtime Cardinals center fielder batted .291/.339/.389 with a pair of homers and 26 doubles in 374 trips to the plate. Jay was leading the National League with 24 doubles at the time he sustained his injury, batting .296/.345/.407 to that point in the season, but he tallied just three extra-base hits over his final 84 plate appearances upon returning from the disabled list.
With Jay in the fold, it now seems likelier than ever that Dexter Fowler‘s time with the Cubs has drawn to a close. Jay joins an outfield contingent that also includes Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist, Jorge Soler, Jason Heyward, Albert Almora Jr. and Matt Szczur. He’ll bring a left-handed bat that doesn’t have a significant platoon split to manager Joe Maddon’s roster and will pair well with the highly touted but inexperienced Almora, a right-handed hitter, in center field. Both Gonzales and CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney suggest that Jay will be paired with Almora in center field (Twitter links). Alternatively, Almora, who has just 80 games at the Triple-A level in his career, could get some additional seasoning in Iowa if it’s deemed necessary in Spring Training.
The addition of Jay gives manager Joe Maddon even more matchup options with his day-to-day lineup, and it also gives the Chicago front office more options to pursue on the trade market this winter. Addison Russell and Javier Baez look to have cemented themselves as the Cubs’ regular middle-infield duo, which should push Zobrist to the outfield more often than not. It’s also conceivable that Schwarber will do some catching for the Cubs again in 2017, freeing up some corner outfield at-bats on those days. Nonetheless, it certainly seems plausible that the Cubs could look to deal from their outfield surplus this winter. Soler has long stood out as a possible trade candidate, and the addition of yet another outfield bat to the mix further frees up president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer to explore trade scenarios involving the former top prospect.
The exact machinations of the Cubs’ 2017 lineup can’t yet be determined, but as the 2016 team illustrated, cultivating this level of depth at the Major League level can prove vital in the event of a significant injury to a key player, as was the case when Schwarber suffered a pair of torn knee ligaments.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cool
Bye Dexter?
That was my immediate reaction too
Unless the Cubs trade at least 2 OF, that would be my guess. With Jay on board, the Cubs have Schwarber, Jay, Heyward, Almorra, and Soler in the OF with Zobrist needing playing time in the OF as well. No room for Fowler and no real need for Fowler since Jay will hit leadoff.
Jay is a mediocre lead off hitter at best.
Jay is a mediocre lead off hitter at best.
Career numbers:
3,043 PA, .287 BA, .352 OBP, .737 OPS
Leading off
809 PA (26.6% of PAs), .282 BA, .344 OBP, .721 OPS
I’d say a .282 BA and .344 OBP is good enough….. especially seeing as the likes of Schwarber, Bryant, Rizzo, and Contreras will all be hitting behind him.
That said, this isn’t going to be their lead off hitter. Heyward will be. 2016 was a dismal year to say the least. Quite possibly his worst in his career. To think what Heyward did in 2016 will be his new normal offensively is pretty short sighted thinking. The 4 years prior to 2016 he averaged a .273 BA and a .348 OBP. I fully expect a .270 hitting Heyward with a .350 OBP in 2017. It has been said he will be working on adjusting his swing this offseason. I am hoping that he not only returns to his .270/.350 self but also see some of that power return as well. A 6.5 foot 240 lb dude should be hitting 30+ HRs with ease. I’d be happy with 20. But all that the team NEEDs from him is to get on base in front of Schwarber, Bryant, Rizzo, Contreras…… Russell, Baez…. the list of awesomeness just keeps going.
2017 Cubs
Lineup
RF Heyward
LF Schwarber
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
C Contreras
SS Russell
2B Baez
CF Almora
Bench
multi-position platoon-like player: Zobrist (400+ ABs, pretty much like Baez in 2016)
OF: Jay
OF: Szczur
IF: La Stella
C: Montero
Rotation
Lester
Arrieta
Hendricks
Lackey
Montgomery
Bullpen (as of now….. incomplete….. lots of in-house options though at the triple A level)
CL Rondon (would like to see them sign Melancon – best PITCHER of the 3 big closers on the market, IMO. They probably won’t but if they do, slide everyone down a nothch)
SU Strop
RP Edwards
RP Grimm
RP Zastryzny???? (he earned a spot IMO…. at least a chance to LOSE a spot)
RP
RP
That’s pretty much the 2017 Cubs…… plus whoever they add to the bullpen.
ZoRilla will leadoff
Heyward leads off. Good one. It’s Comedy Central reading some comments. it’s the new funny pages
As things stand now, Jon Jay figures to get the bulk of AB’s at the leadoff spot because he is as qualified as anybody else on the roster and will get the most starts in CF as a left-handed hitting platoon partner with Albert Almora.
The second option best option to leadoff would be switch-hitting Ben Zobrist. Where he spends most of his time defensively is anybody’s guess right now with Kyle Schwarber penciled in as the primary left fielder, Jason Heyward the main right fielder and Javier Baez their best defensive second baseman.
My guess is that the Cubs will be doing their best to try and acquire one of the controllable ace pitchers who reportedly are being shopped this offseason, namely Chris Sale, Chris Archer and Sonny Gray. The acquisition of one of those pitchers would likely necessitate the trading of either Schwarber or Baez as part of any return package. Such a trade would help alleviate the log jam and allow Zobrist to become the regular in LF or 2B.
My gut tells me that the Cubs would prefer keeping Baez over Schwarber if such a trade scenario presented itself…because of his defensive superiority and ability to play key positions like 2B and SS, in addition to 3B and the OF if needed. Schwarber can be more easily replaced in LF. On the other hand, if anything happened to Addison Russell, who better to fill his spot than Baez? In that case, Zobrist slides back to second with the Cubs OF depth filling in the LF hole, which may include Jorge Soler if he’s still around.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Schwarber’s left-handed bat. But if the Cubs are able to swing a deal for an impacting and controllable ace, especially Sale, parting with Schwarber would be an easier pill to swallow. It not only free’s up the current glut in the OF but more importantly gives the Cubs an opportunity to have an historically great starting rotation in 2017…to say nothing of an insurance policy for 2018 and beyond should Jake Arrieta and John Lackey depart as free agents following the upcoming season.
I don’t think Schwarber is going anywhere other than Clark
Clark
I think you’re right. To pull off a Sale, Gray, or Archer trade it will take more than a few minor league players that Cub fans over value. I think it’s highly unlikely that the South Siders even consider swinging a deal with the Cubs though. It’s their loss. Schwarber could easily hit 40-50 homers a year on the southside.
Schwarber is the perfect DH. If NL went to the DH the Cubs would never deal him. I think they prefer to keep him, but would deal him for someone of caliber of Sale or Archer. He really is a man without a position for the Cubs.
Heyward leading off? I needed a good laugh.
Don’t forget Szczur who was a very capable 4th/5th OFer in 2016.
How have you been KB? I haven’t seen you since Vogelbomb switched jerseys.
yup
I live in Cardinal area near St, Louis I love my Cubs maybe finally we trade from are strength bye Soler Montero Strop for Chris Archer
lol good luck with that.
Why would the Rays want 33-year old Miguel Montero and his $14M contract in 2017, especially in a clear rebuild mode if trading Chris Archer?
Solid move for the Cubs, but I guess that means Fowler will move on. I see him signing with the Cardinals, but who knows.
I agree with you, the Cardinals need him.
I won’t be shocked if he does sign with the cardinals, I would like it if the angels made a move for him
If the Angels signed Fowler, who would you sit? Maybin or Calhoun? Trout obviously is not moving out of CF.
You can’t win a World Series with the Cubs then go to our arch rivals.
johny damon did it in the 2004 season. He moved from the red sox to yankees
Ha! This guy Angelsfan4life…. His post…. I really believe he thinks that 18 player take the field, not 9. This clown thinks the Angels are signing anyone and everyone. Do you ever put thought into your post? Comical.
Damon went to the Yankees in 06.
If Fowler was to join the Cardinals he would be my least favorite player on the team due to his cockiness and the fact he’s just in it for the money basically.
He just won a World Series, I’d be looking for the most money at that point too.
Explain how taking less money from the Cubs over the white Sox and Orioles last year to win is all about the money. He had a very good season and this will be his only big payday. It’s a business as well as a game and he should getting everything he can now. Also he is a great clubhouse guy and is anything but cocky.
“All about the money” is a weird thing to say about a guy who backed out of a $35MM commitment to return to the Cubs on a one-year deal.
Do you hate Brett Cecil for spurning the Blue Jays’ three-year offer to take four from the Cardinals? Or Matt Holliday for taking seven years when he had shorter offers elsewhere?
Free agents are going to take the most money nearly every time. Fowler’s one of the few who actually didn’t in recent years.
Not exactly. Free agents want the longest guaranteed contract they can get, at the most money. So Fowler is likely to sign for less than the $17.3 million he Cubs offered but over 3-5 years. My guess is he wants a $60 million four year deal.
All about the money? This business man. If he can hit it, catch it, and throw it better than what we have.. I will take him. I haven’t heard/seen anything about him being a bad clubhouse guy, actually just the opposite. You’re making the STL look like dum Dums!
The big difference with Fowler this time last year was that the Cubs hadn’t won a WS in over 100 years and he had a chance to be part of history which you can’t put a price on. He had some unfinished business in Chicago and made the right choice to stay another year. Now is the time to get the most money he can which the market dictates.
I never understand this thinking, do you often forgo raises at your job, cause you’re not “all about the money” Clown comments.
You may think that now but once on your team you will see how classy he is and enjoy him. I’m still holding out Cubs sign him
Imagine that you have worked for 20 years of your life for hours a day everyday to become the best player you can be. And now you have had your best season and your work has paid of. Now look you have a choice between a 4 years 70 million $ contract offer from the cards and a 4 years 56 million dollar contract from the cubbies. Which one do you take?
I remember Ken Griffey jr saying If the Yankees were the only team who would sign me I would rather retire
He’s in it for the money? That’s why he walked away from Baltimore and big money to sign one year with the Cubs. Most major leaguers are in it for the love of the game, the money and championships.
Ummmm….really dood? Fowler is a pretty solid teammate and well liked around the game.
Always expect the moronic comments from Stl and CWS fans. Get a clue. Fowler is a gentleman and a great player
Great signing. Low risk, high reward. At the very least a solid defensive outfielder, with the potential to be a nice contributor if he follows up his performance from last year with something similar.
Solid defender with a poor arm
Oxymoron.
Not really. Though throwing is a part of defense, a subpar arm doesn’t make you a bad defender. It’s entirely possible to be a “solid defender” when you add in range, glove skills, routes, speed, and instincts to the equation. There’s more to defense than just a throwing arm. If we just looked at arm strength, Soler would be a gold glover
High reward?
I agree. I think this is a great sign by the Cubs, especially in a one-year deal.
“Low risk”.. he got a one year 8 million deal. You got that backwards bud.
$8M a year is not a lot relative to what other pieces (like Fowler) would cost to fill the hole in CF. I’d say it’s extremely low risk actually.
You just demonstrated that you don’t quite grasp the economics of baseball
$8M is nothing in today’s game……. I mean our BACKUP catcher in 2017 will be making $14M in Montero, haha. Seriously though. $8M is nothing in today’s game where $20+M/yr contracts are handed out like candy.
Cespedes…… CESPEDES just inked a 4 year deal paying him $27.5M/season on average……. TWENTY SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION!!!!!………. CESPEDES!!!!!!! A 31 year old who in his 5 year career has eclipsed 150 games in a season only twice. Cespedes, who in an era where baseball execs have allowed sabermetrics to rule the market is only on average a 3 WAR player. People poke fun at the Heyward deal but at least before 2016 Heyward on average was like a 5.5 WAR player each year and his deal pays him on average $23M in base pay ($25.5M including the signing bonus)…… AND HE’S 4 YEARS YOUNGER!
Jason Castro, a poor hitting catcher with mediocre defensive catching stats, signed a 3 year deal paying him on average $8.167M/season. Castro is a PRIME example of sabermetrics taking over the game and dictating what players are paid. He’s a mediocre defensive catcher, he sucks at throwing out runners (only 26% on his career), he BLOWS offensively, BUT he is considered one of the best “pitch framers” in the game. Because he can catch and hold the ball for a second before throwing it back it is deemed he is worth $8+M/year regardless of the rest of his unimpressive resume.
Here are two players and their career stats. Tell me which one is Jon Jay and the 1 year/$8M he received and the other belongs to a player who got a 4 year deal paying him $13M/season
7 years, 847 games, 2,703 ABs, 139 2Bs, 15 3Bs, 31 HRs, 45 SBs, .287 BA, .352 OBP, .737 OPS
8 years, 786 games, 2,658 ABs, 131 2Bs, 23 3Bs, 96 HRs, 41 SBs, .255 BA, .316 OBP, .747 OPS
As of the last 3 years I’d say both are about equals on defense. Both play the OF. Main difference is the Jay will be 32 in 2017 whereas this other guy will be 30.
Give up….. those incredibly similar stat lines, if not Jay’s is better, belong to Jon Jay on top and Josh Reddick on the bottom. Offensively I’d say Jay crushes Reddick. Apparently he stays way healthier too, 60 more games in one less year. Yet Reddick got the 4 year $52M deal and Jay got a 1 year/$8M deal. I’d say it is a hell of a deal. Only thing Reddick does that Jay doesn’t is hit HRs. But what Jay lacks in HRs he crushes Reddick in OBP….. and BA for that matter. Defensively Reddick has gone from being a solid OF, actually won a GG one year, to being an average fielder. Jon Jay has been steadily average his whole career. IMO they’re the same player…… one just cost $44M more than the other. In actuality, Jon Jay’s career stats to this point look almost identical to those that Fowler put up before coming to Chicago. Maybe Jay will have the same fate as Fowler and see his value skyrocket with the Cubs. I doubt it since he’ll be their 4th OFer, but still. SOLID 4th OFer.
I digress. Back to money being spent like crazy. Jeremy Hellickson will get paid $17.2M this year……. that. is. hilarious. Career 3.90 ERA, 4.30 FIP, 1.25 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9……… $17.2M. Yeah.
Brett Cecil who over the last 5 years has averaged only pitching 53 innings per year to the tune of a 3.55 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and 1.25 WHIP over that span is getting paid on average $7.63M/season for the next 4 years. Talk about overpay, look no further than the Cardinals right there and the major reach they did with Cecil. Cecil is coming off a pretty crappy year too. Pretty sure he gets injured pretty frequently too. STILL gave him almost $8M/yr for 4 years.
Crazy
Heyward bad contract too.
Yes, I completely agree.
Me too!!!
I completely agree James_07. Solid comment
Really? Personally I prefer the latter.
Bummer for Almora, who is now at best a short-side platoon.
He’s still young, it could serve him well.
Because Jon Jay is the type of player who blocks top prospects?
I would have to disagree. I think they wanted Jay so theyd have a solid otion if Almora struggles.
Almora is 22 years old and this is a 1 year deal
Maddon mix and matches constantly, if Almora shows he belongs in the line up he’ll be be in there.
As a Cardinals fan I absolutely hate this signing. Time for them to get Dexter Fowler
Go Cardinals!
You’re kidding me, right? With him and Heyward, we will have the lightest hitting OF in the bigs. Even with Schwarber’s contribution.
You forgot the Yankees, Royals, Phillies, Braves, and maybe the Rays and Padres.
Jay is a good hitter. A lot better than Heyward. Contact hitter
Well Heyward and Jay are great on the defense unlike Schwarber for the most part so I would say it’s a good trade off.
Jay’s not a particularly good outfielder. Pretty meh, and he’s 32 now. You’re definitely buying the bat not the glove.
Depending on what Heyward does with his swing this offseason (is adjusting it) I think it is safe to count on him for about 10 HRs. If you think Heyward all of a sudden went from being a .270 hitter with a .350 OBP and 10-15 HR power to being a regular .230 hitter with a .310 OBP and 5-10 HRs I think you are pretty short sighted. I think it is very reasonable to expect Heyward to bounce back to at LEAST a .265 BA and .350 OBP with 10 HRs. Almora has about 10 HR power as well. Then there’s Schwarber. He put up 21 HRs in 2015 across the regular and postseason in only 259 ABs. That’s a pace of 47 HRs in 580 ABs. I think it is safe to assume a full season of Schwarber getting every day/regular ABs is a 35-40 HR threat…. maybe more. That’s 55-60 HRs from your OF alone. Then you have Bryant, Russell, Baez, and Rizzo on the IF. Bryant flirted with 40 this year, Rizzo got his patented 32, Russell hit 20+, and Baez with full time ABs at 2B in 2017 should have at least as much power as Russell….. if not considerably more. I won’t be shocked if Baez hits 25 next year if given a full season’s worth of ABs (550+) at the very least he should hit 20. So let’s be conservative here. Let’s say Bryant and Rizzo are locks for about 35 each. Russell and Baez 20 each. Then there is Contreras. If he is legit he should hit 20-25 himself as well. He hit 12 in only 252 ABs this year. I’d say at that pace he should get 20, at the very least high teens pending how many ABs he is given. So let’s say at least 17 from Contreras. That gives the IF starters a total of 127 HRs…… yeah. Add the 55 in the OF and that is 182 HRs from just the starters. Then you have the super utility in Zobrist, Montero, Jay, Szczur, and La Stella on the bench. Zobrist should be good for about 13, Montero maybe 10, Jay0Szczur-La Stella should combine for 10 together. That’s another 33 HRs. So CONSERVATIVELY speaking this team as of right now should hit at least 215 HRs. That would be good for a tie for 7th most in MLB this year. BUT, if Heyward’s revamped swing transforms him back into a 20 HR hitter, Schwarber pops 40, Almora hits 10, Bryant hits….. 38, Rizzo hits 35, Russell hits 22, Baez hits 25, and Contreras hits 24 that is very possible as well with only Heyward being the real stretch. That’s 214 HRs from just the starters.
Point is….. I don’t think the Cubs have to worry about power on this team. They hit 199 HRs this year and that was without Schwarber. Add a net overall gain of at least 30 to that total with Schwarber. It isn’t insane to think that the Schwarber-Bryant-Rizzo connection can combine for 115 HRs between just the 3 of them.
Wow I have to say did not see this coming. Jay is a former Cardinal too so this is interesting. I wonder where he fits. Platoon with Almora in Center maybe?
Yes, and most likely their new leadoff hitter when a right-handed pitcher starts a game. Ben Zobrist will probably lead-off when a southpaw starts.
It’s also possible that manager Joe Maddon could revert to his 2015 philosophy of batting the pitcher in the #8 hole. Jon Jay might be a solid candidate to hit #9, followed by Zobrist at #1. It would give the Cubs a de facto second lead-off man at the bottom of the order and also be a more natural spot for Albert Almora to hit as he gains experience. Jay and Almora could also platoon as the #8 hitters if Maddon decides to go with the conventional lineup he employed last season.
I don’t think I care much for this move.
If it were a choice between this or Dex to a multi-year deal, I’d take Fowler any day.
Agreed. I’m not too familiar with Jay’s defense, but offensively, he doesn’t really offer anything except the occasional good batting average.
Well, so much for the Cubs’ top defense.
Late ingames with a lead you’ll see LF- Jay CF- Almora RF- Heyward. Which is pretty great. Only weakness would be Jay’s noodle arm.
Jay isn’t a bad CF. He’s a downgrade in about every way from Fowler, but nothing terribly steep. If Fowler is a 7 out of 10, Jay is a 5 or a 6. It’s also a one-year deal, meaning he’s not the permanent CF. The Cubs have to find playing time for Zobrist, Schwarber, Soler, Heyward, and maybe Almora in 2017, so Jay cheaply fills a key role of CF/leadoff with ability to move around the OF.
That said, it is a clear downgrade for a rich team that just won the WS.
…for the first 8 innings of those games it will be spaghetti city.
As a Cardinal fan I can’t stop laughing.
I suppose you need something to cheer you up. Lol.
I suppose you need something to cheer you up.
Not a bad deal. They’re being smart and not going to make any long-term commitments with Almora and Jimenez coming. If he’s no good, it’s a small contract that’s easy to dump.
Yep. 1 year deal
I don’t think its a question of him being no good, it’s a question of whether Almora steps up. If he does, Jay is traded mid-season. If he doesn’t, Jay is a decent leadoff guy who hits for good average and walks slightly above average and won’t embarrass you in CF. He is obviously a step down from Fowler, but not that much.
Agree
Jay has actually been an excellent fielder in years past, which is what has kept teams interested. Though he won’t wow you, he has always had a good average and will probably get you 5 homers and 50 RBIs. For defensive reference, Fowler has a career defensive war of -49.4 and Jay has a +0.8 (although in 1,800 less at-bats). It’s really not a bad move with the already incredible offense. Don’t look at it as poor offensive CF and RF, but stellar defense. This is one heck of a defense with Rizzo, Addison, and even Bryant.
I’ll start at the end of your post. The best part of the Cubs infield defense is Baez. Bryant, Addison, Baez, and Rizzo make that infield one of the best. Zobrist will obviously be getting playing time in the infield as well and he is no slouch at 2B or 3B either.
Jay has been an inconsistent CF on defense with some seasons being above average and some being below average, but as a whole in CF he has graded out as a 1.9 UZR/150 and a -5 on DRS (which is cumulative so averaged under -1 per season). As an OF he has a UZR/150 of exactly 0.0 and a DRS of -1. If you just kept him in CF and didn’t have him play RF or LF his defense would grade out a little higher.
What has kept teams interested in Jay as a leadoff hitter is his .287/.352 slash line. Throw out 2015 when he was injured and it’s even a little higher than that.
You essentially picked apart my reply for the heck of it. I never mentioned Baez, but that wasn’t what my post was about. As well, I said the defense in its entirety is great. Again, I’m only speaking of Jon Jay, the centerfielder- not as an outfielder on the whole as most outfielders do grade worse in another position. I said he will hit for average. I’ll admit he has been inconsistent defensively, but even at his worst he has been a better fielder than Fowler. I suppose “excellent” was excessive, but I did also say “past seasons” which indicates a bit of inconsistency. When at his best, he is one of the better fielding CF capable of at least being recognized. If he was a bad fielder, even with a good average and OBP, he doesn’t offer enough production to be a starting center fielder
This must mean they have not confidence in Almora as an everyday player.
Great, now we have to look at Jay’s batting tick all season.
There was an article a few weeks ago where the gm or manager said he didn’t want throw Almora into the starting spot next year and would rather he seque into it. Hence this signing.
Not really. He’s what, 22?
There. Now people can shut up about the Padres re-signing him.
And at this point the Cubs need to just trade Almora. It’s obvious that he’s not welcome in the Cubs outfield.
Or maybe he’s 22 years old and still has plenty of time to develop slowly on a stacked team. What a goofball comment.
He’s not gonna develop by sitting on the bench behind Jon Jay.
You’re right. Almora will be developing at AAA, which is actually a pretty good place for 22 yr olds to be.
TWCR is unwelcome anywhere.
I hope the chocolate chips in your cookies always turn out to be raisins.
Dude, your inner California Raisin is ashamed.
May a yak chip enhance your martini.
Oatmeal raisin > chocolate chip, unless we’re talking fresh out the oven.
Seriously, I’m glad Preller didn’t try to get cute and QO Jay like some people were suggesting. Some figured he could get a 3 yr/22-24MM dollar deal somewhere & reject the offer but I just never saw a team that would be willing to part with a draft pick + pay 8 Million a year for him.
Now that he is out of the picture, SD needs to figure out who they want to keep between Dickerson & Jankowski, my guess is Jankowski stays. Flip Dickerson for starting pitching.
Then we can go into 17′ with RF Renfroe, CF Margot, LF Jankowski/Blash against LHP.
Jankowski has no value in LF. He either plays CF for the Padres or gets traded.
Both Jankowski and Dickerson will stay in SD and Margot will probably start the season in AAA. Margot had a .243/.243/.405 slash line with 7 SO and 0 BB in 37 PA with us last year. He could probably use some seasoning and regular at bats.
Both Jank and Dickerson will stay in SD and Margot will probably start the season in AAA. Margot had a .243/.243/.405 slash line with 7 SO and 0 BB in 37 PA with us last year. He could probably use some seasoning and regular at bats.
They’re probably going to use Jay in the same manner the Padres used him: as a serviceable veteran on a short term deal who can be used while the pinger guys develop more.
*younger
Why? Almora is Margot’s age and 2 years younger than Renfroe. He had a good year for a rookie hitting .277/.308/.455 in 47 games and 117 PA. That is a nice slash line for anyone. Jay being there is insurance in case Almora doesn’t step it up, NOT an indication that he is on the way out the door. Once again you have said something that makes absolutely no sense.
It’s sure not a vote of confidence in Almora’s favor. I mean I didn’t see them sign a 3rd baseman to a 1 year deal 2 years ago when Kris Bryant was coming up.
And as for that last part. Most of the stuff you say makes no sense, but that’s a story for another day.
WTF are you talking about? Bryant was rookie of the year in 2015 after spending ZERO time in the majors in 2014. Almora spent part of the season in Chicago and did good, but not great. Jay is a good insurance policy. If Almora plays well in the 1st half then Jay gets traded mid-season. If he struggles, the Cubs have a .290/.350 lead off hitter that is relatively cheap. You like to argue, but, as usual, you are just talking out your behind.
Albert Almora is not Kris Bryant. That’s pretty simple to understand. A team that is competing like the cubs are chose to add insurance to cf in case almora struggles because they are trying to win now and can’t just have a black hole out there is almora bombs. Especially if Heyward continues to be lost at the plate.
That may be true but no one knew how good Bryant would actually be 2 years ago. There have been higher rated prospects in the past who bombed. They did not have any kind of insurance policy on him. They just handed him the keys to the 3rd base job and let him run with it. They clearly don’t have that kind of confidence in Almora. With the amount of money Jay is getting I don’t see him being used as a bench guy. Almora will develop by sitting on the bench as much as Hedges did with the Padres.
And once again I’m not arguing with you, I’m scolding you.
Never said Almora was Kris Bryant but he has done more at the Major League level now than Bryant had when they handed him the starting 3rd base job on a gold platter. The Cubs would have had an equally large black hole at 3rd base in 2015 if Bryant had struggled.
There were low expectations for the team when they gave Bryant the job. If he had struggled, it wouldn’t have mattered. ( The fact that he didn’t just sped up the rebuilding process). That’s no longer the case. The Cubs will be trying to repeat. They are not in rebuilding mode any longer.
Who had low expectations for the 2015 Cubs? Maybe some, but not me.
the cubs were not in the same position starting 2015 as they are starting 2017 as far as expectations to win go.
If Jay is riding the bench next year for $8 million, I can’t see any team trading for him unless they have deep pockets and a deep farm.
In 15, the Cubs were coming off a 73 win season! 73! The expectations were somewhere at or just over .500 with getting a lot of AB for the kids in 15. The “plan” was to start to CONTEND in 16 and then be ready in 17. WCR, you are amazing that you saw all this happening a year ahead of schedule.
Or what?
Not really. There were others who thought the Cubs would contend in 2015.
Always liked this guy, he’s a good ballplayer and great clubhouse presence Good acquisition Cubs
Yep. I will just trust in Theo and crew.
I vaguely recall Jon Jay killing the cubs late in games consistently, 3-4 years ago. Anyone else? Also, there was no way the cubs were going to throw 50 mil+ at Fowler with Almora and Sczcsur there.
Dex will get a nice 3-4 year deal and the cubs are hopefully going to start extending guys like russel, baez, bryant, and POSSIBLY Arrieta. Bryant will come close to Trouts extension.
I agree. Jay is not just a guy that’s going to hit around .300, he’ll play adequate defense too. But probably, his best asset will be in the clubhouse as a leader, and he loves helping younger players.
Fowler is gonna be gone, Almora is gonna be platooning with Jay I guess
I still hope the Angels bring in Fowler to play left field and lead off. Put Maybin in right and Calhoun at first base. That would drastically improve the Angels defense. And allow them to move Cron for a second baseman, or a better hitting third baseman.
The Angels could snag Cesar a Hernandez from the Phillies for…..Tyler Skaggs or maybe Calhoun if the Phils add a prospect
If Almore can’t appear to raise his awful OBP in spring training, he’ll start the year in Iowa.
I’m guessing against righties:
2B Zobrist
LF Schwarber
CF Jay
RF Heyward
Against Lefties
2B Baez
LF Schwarber?
CF Almora
RF Zobrist
Where’s Soler playing?
In Tampa
For who? A one for one with a pitcher who has struggled with upside (please don’t say Archer). Archer should arguably command more than about the same if not more than Sale despite the down year. Would be stupid for Tampa to sell low on him now considering he’s signed for 5 more years.
Sale is a top 5 pitcher… Archer is not even close.
Maybe the Cubs take Hector Neris and Edubray Ramos from the Phillies for him
Schwarber will get the occasional off day against kershaw, sale, r. Hill, etc but will start 90% of the time and be lifted for sczcur in left. Maybe at the all star break or into FA next year
Baez is better than a platoon option.
But that is what he is on this team. Unless of course he goes in a deal for a young cost controlled starting pitcher.
The Cubs appear to be saving up for re-signing/extending Arrieta and/or acquiring Otani.
I think Arrieta will be somewhere else after this year
I believe Arrieta will be somewhere else after this season.
Saw an article earlier mentioning that Verlander is a backup plan to whoever they are trying to acquire now (Archer I think. I base that off nothing). Tigers and Cubs have had talks. Could be Verlander and cash for Arrieta and prospects. Then Cubs don’t need to give out a 6-7 year deal to a 32 year old (on Opening Day 2018) Arrieta and would have Verlander for 4 years including 2017. Also, Tigers would be able to flip Arrieta this off-season or at deadline.
Otani isn’t coming for a few years and the Cubs have no say in it.
Actually it’s ‘more likely that Otani is available winter 2017.
After Fukudome I don’t want to role the dice on another overpriced, supposedly stellar Japanese import. Just saying.
That said, Arrieta is gone after this year. Unless he has a stellar season of 20+ wins and an ERA around 2.50 he won’t be worth re-signing because he already made it clear this year he is looking to get as much money as possible. And to that I say….. Next. Arrieta was disappointing this year despite what his numbers may say. His ERA from June 1st to the end of the year was 3.99 I believe. That’s Jeff Samardzija quality…… not “Ace” quality. A 3.99 ERA for 2/3 of the season is most definitely not worth a deal paying him $25+M/season which is what he wants……. years are up in the air.
As for this talk about dealing him and prospects to Detroit for Verlander…….. No. Why trade a pitcher with 1 year of control for an older pitcher with 4 years of control…….. in addition coughing up another top prospect? No. With Arrieta and Lackey hitting free agency after 2017 and there being other interesting free agent options available in the 2017-2018 offseason, I say just sign a free agent pitcher…… assuming they aren’t re-signed by their current teams. Masahiro Tanaka will likely opt out of his deal after this year. Yu Darvish will be a free agent. Johnny Cueto can and likely will opt out of his deal especially if he repeats his 2016 performance in 2017.
It’s not like Verlander is a cheaper alternative to re-signing Arrieta. The next 4 years he averages a salary of $26.5M/season. How much do you think Arrieta will cost? I’m guessing about that, no more. I think he’ll actually get a deal similar to what Lester got. Verlander is also 3 years OLDER than Arrieta….. so you’re saying you’d rather essentially have Arrieta for the last 3-4 years of the deal he will sign next offseason. That’s pretty much what this trade would mean. If anything I’d say Arrieta for Verlander straight up. That’s the only way I’d consider it.
Now, this talk (rumor) that they are supposedly interested in and wanting to get Chris Archer…… that would be worth it. He’s dirt cheap and young. And counting the 2017 season he is under control for 5 more years through the 2021 season. I just don’t see TB being interested in Arrieta+prospects. If they were to even entertain a deal with the Cubs it would have to be Arrieta, Happ or Jimenez (if not both), and Soler or Almora. To that I say….. no. To me that is a fair deal, I just wouldn’t do it. Also, trading for a player they used to have by coughing up more prospects to that team is just stomach turning. Granted it was under Hendry’s watch when they gave up Archer and a plethora of other prospects that all essentially busted for Matt friggin Garza, still. No backsies, haha.
I’d say trade Arrieta and Soler to a team looking to compete NOW in 2017 for a top tier pitching prospect about to make his double A debut this upcoming season. Arrieta and Soler to Houston for their top pitching prospect Francis Martes. Not only do they bolster their weak rotation with Arrieta but also add much needed OF help in Soler who can also and would likely be better suited to DH. Toss in, say, Jeimer Candelario to make the deal insanely to sweet for them to pass up. Candelario is not going to get a shot in Chicago by being blocked at pretty much every position even if he were versatile to play anything other than 3B. Arrieta, Soler, AND Candelario for Martes and, say, Franklin Perez. Arrieta, Keuchel, McHough, McCullers, and a competition for their 5th spot in the rotation is pretty solid. Then Soler is pretty much better than anything in their OF not named Springer. Candelario could compete for their 3B job. Move Bregman to the OF then their OF tentatively looks like Soler, Springer, and Bregman left to right with Candelario, Correa, Altuve, and Gurriel left to right on the IF. If the Astros sign Encarnacion then he and Gurrieal would take turns at 1B and DH…… with Soler getting spot starts at DH as well. As for Martes and Perez. Martes is looking pretty legit for just turning 21. He was the 2oth ranked prospect in baseball according to Baseball America heading into 2016. What did he do this year then? In double A he pitched in 25 games and started 22 of them. Threw 125.1 IP, 131 Ks, 47 BB, for a 9.4 K/9 rate, and a 3.4BB/9 rate and did all that with a solid 3.30 ERA and a good 1.20 WHIP. Not bad for a 20 year old in double A if you ask me. Franklin Perez is just a throw in player. Sure he’s high ranked among Astros prospects, but that is because they don’t have much. He’s only 18 years old so he’s a ways off. He finally made it to A ball this year but only pitched in 15 games and started 10. Makes me think he might have been injured – will have to look that up. But in that limited playing time in A ball he had a 2.84 ERA with a great 10.1 K/9 rate and a solid 2.6 BB/9 rate. Granted it is just A ball, but that is encouraging.
Just a thought. I think Houston would be willing to do it because 1) they want to compete, 2) they desperately need OFers, and 3) whether they want to admit it or not their rotation is pretty weak if they want to be contenders. Arrieta and Soler are ML players. Arrieta may only be a rental but Houston will have first crack at giving him a deal. Soler has his injury concerns but he is controllable and cheap. When healthy he is an above average offensive player. At least as good as the likes of Colby friggin Rasmus at a fraction the price. Candelario is a potential solid ML player. Not necessarily AS potential, but a solid player nonetheless. For a team that hit .247 with a .319 OBP and a pitching staff that had a 4.09 ERA Arrieta, Soler, and Candelario all help NOW for Houston. Just a thought.
Makes no sense. Unlike most Cub fans I not only realized the Cubs wouldn’t keep Fowler, but I didn’t want them too. Makes no sense when you already have Schwarber, Almora, Szczur, Heyward, as of right now Soler, and I am assuming Zobrist who will likely spend most of his time in the OF in 2017 with Baez seemingly taking hold of that every day 2B gig after his postseason performance. That’s SIX outfielders on this team without Fowler. At least 5 if you don’t want to count Zobrist. So again, retaining Fowler would’ve made 0 sense.
THAT SAID……. why the f*** did they sign Jon Jay?!?!?!?! I’ll repeat that roster of OFers they have….. Schwarber, Soler, Szczur, Heyward, Almora, and Zobrist. While others are on here saying this means no more Fowler, I say welcome to reality – that was known when the season ended. What this move to me says (and is likely the actual case) is that this means that Soler is likely starting to pack his bags and will be dealt before the calendar rolls over to 2017. I think it is pretty much a given that the opening day OF will be Schwarber, Almora, and Heyward from left to right. With this move and assuming they now trade Soler that leaves Jay and Szczur as your backup OFers and Zobrist as pretty much your super utility and multi-position platoon player. I think Zobrist in 2017 and for the remainder of his contract will essentially be what Baez was in 2016. A guy who doesn’t play every day but manages to get 400-420 ABs a year. Difference between Zobrist and Baez is that Zobrist not only is capable of playing the IF like Baez, but also the OF so he can spell any one of the OFers as well as the IFers. Jon Jay to me is just insurance if Almora struggles out the gate, but this tells me that it his job to lose….. which is awesome. He more than deserves the shot to be their every day CFer.
NOW, the real question is……. where do they send Soler and what do they get for him? Package him up in a deal? With who? Oakland’s oft-injured Sean Doolittle as a possible target? Would make sense.
Jay’s addition has no bearing on Soler, unless Jay can suddenly switch hit. In fact, Jay might just be a stopgap move just in case they can’t re-sign Fowler. Jay can always be traded after a better acquisition.
Jay isn’t going to be traded.
Thanks, Mr Know-It-All.
I definitely don’t know it all, just using common sense. No other team was willing to offer more than $8MM for him, now they’re going to trade for him?
Also any player signed in the off-season can’t be traded until mid-June without their permission.
So you would need a team willing to trade for him after deciding he wasn’t worth more than $8MM AND for Jay to okay the trade to a team he chose not to sign with. Not to mention, it would look very bad on the front-office and they wouldn’t do it.
Good call from the cards fan!
Yeah he’ll be released. They will use him off the bench flip him or release him. He wasn’t needed. They need bullpen help.
CBA won’t allow Jay to be traded until June 15th, after being signed as a FA. Traded players can be flipped, but FA’s can’t.
I believe he can be traded prior to June 15th if he approves it, and if he were in the position to be traded one would assume he probably wouldn’t be getting much playing time with the Cubs and would approve such a trade. However,I don’t think he’ll be traded anyways.
This is what I am talking about. Completely clueless Cub fans I have to deal with still wanting and thinking Fowler will re-sign…. EVEN after a move like this. Give it up already. It makes 0 sense unless Fowler signs another 1 year deal…… which he won’t.
This move has no impact on Soler…… because he’s a RH hitter? What? Yeah, you know because all those ML teams are short on RH hitters. Shaking my head in amazement here.
Schwarber LH
Jay LH
Heyward SH
Zobrist SH
Szczur RH
Almora RH
Try again Mr. “Soler’s right handed bat is too precious.” hahaha
This move is the end of Soler in Chicago. Also…… that’s SIX outfielders without including soler. Why the f*** would they keep 7? Six is overkill. I’d think about shopping Zobrist in addition to Soler but that is just me. Zobrist will likely be what Baez was this year…… and they’ll pay him $16.5M to be said multi-position platoon player.
Sobriety has a no trade
Zobrist
I’m with you on the Fowler comments (including in your other post as well.) He’s a likeable guy, but I never really got why most Cubs fans I’ve come across were just so certain that he’d be returning. I wouldn’t mind seeing Almora start off in AAA this year to work on that OBP and Soler taking some starts from Schwarber against LHP, but you almost have to assume a deal is going to be made involving him or maybe a guy like Szczur (who admittedly I’m not very high on). Unless of course this is just some insurance move in the event that Heyward doesn’t figure it out again. Either way, at least we can be happy that Coghlan is surely gone this time!
Completely clueless.
Heyward is LH not SH.
Let’s not get lost in the details—-maybe he was insinuating that Heyward was just as effective from the left side of the plate as he was the right side this past season.
I’m assuming Jay is a hopeful bridge to Almora
What are the Orioles doing????
Jay would have been a great fit.
This signing not only indicates Dexter Fowler will not be back with the Cubs but more importantly means the Cubs will be trading an outfielder this offseason. Jorge Soler is the obvious candidate but it’s now more possible than ever that Kyle Schwarber and/or Albert Almora might be used to acquire a controllable ace pitcher in a package deal, perhaps one involving Chris Sale, Chris Archer or Sonny Gray.
Laughable BS.
Uhhhh, which part?
Schwarber is untouchable. No matter what. You don’t trade him for Archer sale and king Felix.
Chris Sale >>>>>>>> Chris Archer > Sonny Gray… those two guys aren’t even in the same conversation as Chris Sale.
Not sure Cubs have the players to grab Sale unless they’re willing to trade at least one of Schwarber, Bryant, Baez, plus Happ and Jimenez, plus 2-3 of their other top 10 prospects. So not likely.
Chris Scissorhands can ruin some other team’s clubhouse morale. No player is worth losing for him.
If I were as good as Sale, and was stuck in the dumpster fire that is the White Sox organization, I would go fricking nuts. I’m sure they’ve been promising him for years to build a contender around him and they’re just getting farther away.
“No player is worth losing for [the top 5 pitcher in baseball]” is probably not super accurate
Lol trading any of those 3 or any combo of the 3 would make them go from champions to chumps. Bryant Baez Rizzo Schwarber Heyward and Zobrist are untouchable. They don’t need sale. Acquiring Sonny Gray or Chris Archer wouldn’t cost them anyone off the 25 man roster. Hoyer and Theo would hang up the second any other gm asks about Baez or Schwarber. There isn’t a pitcher in the league that breaks up that core of players. With the exception of Fowler there will be no changes to the roster. The only way they get Gray or archer is trading happ and maybe Jimenez. They have zero reasons to trade anyone of their guys on the 25 man roster. I don’t care if they can get verlander king Felix and James Paxton in the same or multiple trades. You just don’t see teams like they put together. Jon Jay won’t even be on the team in June. They’ll flip him and happ for Bradley jr or blackmon. Might take two more prospects to get Bradley.
I hope you mean Heyward is untouchable because of his Contract and not because of how good/bad a ballplayer he is.
I don’t think Epstein and Hoyer hang up on any GM (even figuratively) when they call about anyone. Why would they? That is just eliminating opportunities and harming relationships. No player is untouchable. If there are two players untouchable on the Cubs it’s definitely not Schwarber and Baez, it’s clearly Rizzo and Bryant. They’ve built their whole marketing around those two, and they are the two best players on the team.
Baez is a good defensive player but is still just average with the bat (96 OPS+ last year, 97 OPS+ 2015-2016). That combo does not make him one of the best players on the team, or even close. He’s fun to watch and is very good at the little things but he’s not in the same conversation as Rizzo or Bryant. His BR comps do not predict that a big offensive player is going to emerge either. Top 3 similar batters through age 23 are Jonathan Schoop, Pedro Garcia, and Jesus Montero.
His contract isn’t that bad. He has two opt outs. I don’t see him opting out at all. People that compare his contract to Soriano are flat out dumb. Soriano refused to be traded and Hendry was the moron that multi year deals to players that never had them. Soriano went down hill after 3 years of that deal. He should have been traded then. Along with DLee and Ramirez. All refused to play for contenders.
My point is Heyward will earn every dollar he signed for. As far as I’m concerned. He earned with his motivation speech during the rain delay.
“Not that bad.” Yah, ok.
No. Just….. no. Sox already publicly came out and sad they won’t trade with the Cubs “just because.” That’s how rock solid that management is over on the south side. Then there is the fact that Schwarber isn’t going anywhere. I really don’t understand my fellow Cub fans’ logic. A large portion for some dumb reason wanted the team to re-sign fowler so that not only RF be blocked for the foreseeable future but also CF. Leaving LF the only spot for like 5 other OFers to compete for time at. It makes no sense whatsoever to re-sign Fowler. I was hoping this move would kill that delusion but after reading some of these comments here I guess that isn’t the case for some.
So not only do they make 0 sense on that issue, but there seems to be a decent sized portion of them open to the idea of trading Schwarber. To me that’s like being open to the idea of trading Bryant. Schwarber’s bat is looking to be AT LEAST as good as Bryant’s. He has better plate discipline than Bryant so he could potentially be better. In 259 or so ABs between the regular season and postseason last year he hit 21 HRs…… TWENTY ONE!!!!! The dude is a potential 40 HR candidate who will hit for average and get on base at a .400 clip. Yeah…. let’s trade that because his defense might cost them 5 runs over the course of the year. With GGer in Heyward in RF and potential GGer in Almora likely being their starting CFer who cares about Schwarber’s defense. But they’ll still dwell on it despite the team having potentially 5 gold glove caliber players at 5 different positions (GGer Rizzo 1B, GGer RF Heyward, potential GGer SS Russell, potential GGer 2B Baez, potential GGer Almora). Then if Contreras polishes up his game behind the dish he already has the arm of a gold glove caliber catcher. Oh yeah, and if Bryant plays regularly at 3B and doesn’t get bounced around from the OF to 3B he might develop into a GG caliber 3Bman. But let’s all dwell on Schwarber’s defense…. and ignore his monster bat. SMH
That said, as I said, Sale is an impossibility because WS management are re***ds. Gray cam crashing down to earth in 2016. With his slight frame that could be cause for concern. I know for da** sure I wouldn’t cough up ML talent for him now. That leaves Archer. I think TB will ask for the moon to cough him up. His contract is more favorable than Sale’s. He doesn’t have the stats of Sale’s caliber though. Still, I don’t see them moving him for another year or two because no one will give up what they want for him. Also, he is coming off a pretty rough year. Why trade a player like that when his stock just took a hit. IMO he also has too MANY years of control for him to be a viable target for any team, not just the Cubs. Again, because the Rays will use that as their leverage and will want to clean out someone’s farm system if they give him up. Although I will say I’d have to seriously think about it if the Rays said “Schwarber for Archer……. straight up.” But that won’t happen.
I didn’t say the Cubs were in the market for Sale. I doubt they have the players to make it happen even if the White Sox were a rational organization.
I’d trade Schwarber for Sale in a millisecond. I’d trade Schwarber and a bunch of prospects for Sale. I’d trade anyone on the Cubs for Sale other than Rizzo and Bryant, although Sale is in the same league as those guys.
I think some participants in this thread don’t appreciate how good Sale is. With his contract, he may be the most valuable player in the MLB. He’s produced over 27bWAR since becoming a starter in 2012, which is ~$0.72m/WAR. Mike Trout = $0.49m/WAR since becoming a full-time starter. Obviously he’ll make more (just under $13m/yr) in the next three years but that’s still incredible value for a guy capable of producing 5+ WAR.
Rf isn’t blocked heyward will there likely at least 4 years. He had a down year. Its funny seeing so many people saying he should be traded. That would only hurt them.
CF will be manned by Almora Jr.. Left field will be zo Contreras and Schwarber. Period. Jon Jay is basically an off the bench guy with an occasional start. Soler will play some left and right. Heyward will be in center maybe a few times a month.
Schwarber is untouchable period. Unless it’s odorozzi and archer for Schwarber. Then you flip odorozzi for Gray.. Theo is smart. He’s not trading Schwarbs. There’s no reason to even allow a discussion for it. The cubs need Jansen or Chapman period. They didn’t need Jay at all. Guarantee he’ll be DFA in June.
The White Sox have not and would not make such a statement. Refusing “publicly” to trade with any team, whether a division foe or a city rival would be foolhardy and serve no purpose other than to restrict their market for available assets.
Wow, people sure are passionate about this career 4th OF.
Rest of baseball: “Oh, ok, whatever.”
Cardinals fans: “WE MUST LET EVERYONE KNOW WE HATE THIS DESPITE NO ONE CARING”
Cubs fans: 8 million takes about a guy who is there to stand in LF in the 9th inning for Schwarber/whos a career 4th OF who’s been largely not-good his whole career.
pshhh NEXT TRADE PLEASE
I would argue that Jay is pretty good. He’s not just a defensive replacement. Well, granted he does have the occasional crater year (2015).
This Cardinals fan said it was a good signing. You got something you want to get off your chest there, buddy?
Same, I said it was a good signing. Don’t know why you’re tryin to start something
That awkward moment when “Just Another Fan” realizes that in 2 fewer years of ML experience than Fowler, Jay has just as good numbers just less power. .287 Career hitter with a .352 OBP in 847 games over 7 years (121 games/yr on average) compared to Fowler’s .268 BA with a .366 OBP in 1,064 games in 9 seasons (118 games/year on average). If Jay is a career 4th OFer then what is Fowler….. who’s about to sign a deal that will likely pay him at least $17M/season?
Figured I’d feed the trolls…… I’m bored.
Didn’t see that coming
I bet Jay is stoked. Not only did he just get 8 mil richer, but now he went from a terrible club to the best.
I honestly wanted him to stay with San Diego, but considering an imminent rise to the majors by Margot and Renfroe, the outfield has already been dealt with.
He was inexpensive and provides even more depth.
That’s their solution to replace Fowler? Trade for Charlie Blackmon. It wouldn’t take much. 2 minor leaguers.
Gonna cost more than that unless they are very good minor leaguers
Soler and 2 mid level prospects. Won’t cost that much. I’d take Fowler over everyone. Jon Jay won’t be on the cubs past june 1st they him dfa
Charlie Blackmon had one of the best lines in baseball last season – .324/.381/.552 with 111 runs, 29 HR, 82 RBI, 17 SB. Last year, he stole 43 bases. He plays centerfield with solid defense and is relatively inexpensive with two years left, and he hits just as well outside of Coors.
There’s more than a few teams looking for an outfielder – Toronto, Washington, Seattle, Houston, St. Louis, San Francisco, Texas, Baltimore, NYY.
And you think Soler + two-mid level prospects is going to be the best package a team can offer for Blackmon?
And why would they trade an outfielder for a package headlined by another outfielder (who’s not nearly as good)?
Beside the fact that it would take much more to get Blackmon, I don’t think the Cubs match up well with Colorado anyway. The Rockies need pitching more than anything, and the Cubs don’t have much they can trade besides Cease. .
I don’t know about this. I have been a lifelong Cubs fan that grew up near St. Louis, I’ve seen Jay play. He isn’t that spectacular….I would have gone all in on Dex, Blackmon, or even Colby Rasmus before going for Jon Jay
If everyone can remember how “good” Fowler was when he came to the Cubs. Sounds a lot like what we are talking about with Jay. Give Jay a chance to play with this group of Cubs. Besides he will have the best defensive right fielder next to him. All he has to do is ” Try not to suck “
Like I’ve said before. Jay will come off the bench period. Can’t see him making the team out of spring training.
You talk about your one-dimensional player, Jon Jay screams it. He hits singles. Period. Can’t throw. Can’t run. Can’t play CF. His speed does not play out there. Has no power. How this guy got $8M from the Cubs tells me one thing. Epstein is still drunk from the WS party. Jay will probably be trade bait by July when they need a middle reliever.
Darned Cubs signing all the expensive free agents, again.
Jay hitting leadoff? What happens after he reaches first base? He will stand there. He can’t run. Jay needs to bat 8th where he belongs.
As opposed to Fowler, who stole a whopping 13 bags?
And Fowler hit 7 triples and 13 HR. Had 6 OF assists. He’s a switch hitter and covers more ground in the OF. At least his speed keeps pitchers honest and Fowler can go from 1st to 3rd or 2nd to home more often than Jay. Jay’s doubles in 2016 was an anomaly. PETCO is a big ball park. Jay won’t be hitting many doubles at Wrigley.
Jonny “Stop Gap” Jay.
Jay is part time player always hurt but good enough, he fills leadership role with David Ross retiring
We need Al Wyatt to chime in with his expert view on Jon Jay.