Though Spring Training is underway, this offseason business is ongoing. The Cubs just reached an agreement to bring back Cody Bellinger over the weekend, a three-year, $80MM pact with a couple of opt-outs.
Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic took a look at what could be next for the Cubs and suggested they may be done making notable additions, including in the bullpen. The club had been connected to right-hander Ryne Stanek last month and Sharma reports that the interest was mutual. However, Stanek’s asking price didn’t drop to the point that the Cubs felt it was worth it to bring him aboard and sacrifice some roster flexibility.
The club’s current bullpen projection doesn’t feature a lot of optionable guys. Adbert Alzolay still has one option but he emerged as the club’s closer last year and will certainly be up with the big league club. Then there’s Héctor Neris, Mark Leiter Jr., Julian Merryweather, Drew Smyly and Yency Almonte, all of whom are either out of options or can’t be optioned by virtue of having more than five years of big league service time.
As Sharma points out, clubs generally like to have a couple of optionable guys in the bullpen so that fresh arms can be summoned during the season when the staff is taxed. The Cubs already have five spots taken by guys who can’t be sent down and Alzolay makes six. Stanek is a veteran with over six years of service time, meaning he wouldn’t be able to be optioned either. If they were to add him into the mix, they would have seven of their eight bullpen slots locked up.
Stanek, 32, is coming off a decent three-year run with the Astros. He made 186 appearances over that time with a 2.90 ERA and strong 27% strikeout rate, though a high walk rate of 12.2%. He got that walk rate down to 9.9% last year but his strikeout rate also fell to 23.9%. He’s arguably the best reliever still on the open market but it seems no club has been willing to meet his asking price, including the Cubs. He’s also received interest from the Mets and Red Sox this offseason.
What also might be an issue for the Cubs is the competitive balance tax. Roster Resource lists their CBT number just over $234MM, meaning they are less than $3MM from the base threshold of $237MM. Sharma reports that “there is an understanding that they’re essentially over it” due to inevitable moves that will come over the course of the season. A club’s CBT status isn’t calculated until the end of the season, so the Cubs could always change the calculus throughout the year if they want to. But perhaps they would rather stay where they are so that they have some wiggle room to assess things as the season progresses.
Quit making excuses and sign Stanek, and one of the top 2 remaining starters. It’s only money, and believe me, the Cubs are printing money @ Wrigley.
“It’s only money”….You must live pretty high on the hog to say, “it’s only money”. It must be nice to have enough money to view it this way. By the way I’m a little short this month can you loan me $5000 for a couple months “it’s only money”, right?
Which one of the Rickettses are you?
@mlbfan
remember coop has the same line on just about every Cub story. That, and trying to sell his ‘knowledge’, because he also likes to remind people that he was a writer somewhere. Likely in Peotone.
He basically wants the Cubs to bring in every free agent out there. I guess he doesn’t understand that, at some point you have to give your best prospects an opportunity. And trust the process. Maybe that’s why coop is a ‘former writer’.
Ask the Rickettes family, they own the Cubs and the entire surrounding neighborhood. They are basically printing money. Your take is clown bro….
OK “bro”.
There’s only one owner of the Cubs and other than providing money he has nothing to do with the team he owns.
They may be printing money but it’s good to see Laura Ricketrs with her hand out for taxpayer money for a new stadium of her Red Stars if they give money to the Bears and or White Sox. Always the common man paying for those with it’s just money
They don’t make as much money as you think, and they certainly aren’t printing money.
Elaborate, please
“Elaborate please”…I can handle this one. Printing your own money is highly illegal in all states and I’m sure the Ricketts are not doing this as it would risk their ownership of the Cubs. You’re Welcome.
They make enough money to give millions of dollars to politicians who don’t believe in proportionally representative democracy.
Monty would be a nice fit for the Cubs.
Made the investment in Bellinger, but no bullpen upgrades? Cubs need a couple quality arms.
Neris, Almonte – “bullpen upgrades”
Agreed, but I still think they could use another reliable arm.
If Happ wasn’t given a 3/60 extension they could of played Morel or Brennen Davis there and fixed the pen. Overreacting to Happs good April in 2023
It could be worse. It could be a Heyward albatross that stopped the Cubs from adding free agents during their last window of contention.
Happ was a 3.5 fwar player in 2023.
I get the 3.5 war number but my eyes told me over 162 games he isn’t worth 20 million a year
hes the heart and soul of the club, only hendricks been with cubs longer, Happ provides okay speed and power. Good defense. And a great eye at the plate.
I think Happ will be traded when Canario, Armstrong or Alcantara is ready to take on a bigger role. Happ should bring back a solid bullpen guy or a good starter if packaged with a prospect.
That’s why it was a mistake to give him a NTC.
No trade clause, he isn’t going anywhere.
Brennan Davis who hasn’t played at the MLB level, often injured. Morel who is a terrible defensive OF over Happ 2 gold gloves and one of the best LH hitters on team. The takes on here are incredibly bad.
Happ is a decent player. Think his numbers in last four years are superior to Bellinger as well. He’s not a problem. Brennan Davis is not a sure thing. Morel is a terrible defender. BTW Happ has won a gold glove too. I wrote this before I saw Franco’s reply.
Agree, Happ definitely is a decent player. But giving him a NTC along with $20M/yr – was not necessary IMO. And I like Happ.
But there are a lot of highly valued OFers in double and triple A, that are going to be needing opportunities.
I don’t agree with spending 20 million on a “nice” player but to suggest Happ isn’t worth 20 million is pretty ridiculous. Gold glove defender, one of the highest walk rates in baseball, 21 home runs, 35 doubles, 4 triples, 14 stolen bases while swiping 14 bags.
I expect Counsell to be even more aggressive on the bases than Happ so we could see Happ, Bellinger, Morel and Swanson all push it to 20+. Ross was very anti-thievery (even though Nico robbed the bases blind)
They could always trade him.
The Cubs do not need to “fix the pen”. The bullpen is fine. The biggest issue with the pen was Ross not allowing guys like Little to establish themselves more last season.
Also, don’t blame Happ’s 20 million AAV when Bote, Mancini and Barnhart are getting paid to not play at all for the Cubs. That is right around 15 million dollars of dead spending where Happ actually provides production that supports his salary.
Easy now drascoo – I thought Barnhart was ‘your guy’. Along with ‘your guy’ Hosmer too.
I’m so confused.
Me liking Barnhart has nothing to do with the fact he doesn’t play for the Cubs anymore or the fact they are still paying him does it?
But. . . if you were all in, on Barnharts supposed ‘value’, then your argument should be that they’re wasting money by not keeping a guy as ‘valuable’ as him.
Paying a guy who is not in the organization is a waste of money. I don’t know if you’re making some lame attempt to insult me or if you just enjoy making irrelevant and point comments.
“We plan to have a bullpen. Thank you.”
The Reds are going to need a deep bullpen
I have said that for two offseasons now and was proven right last season when it got burned out. No reason to believe it will not happen again with this group.
Also Wicks, Assad, Wesneski and Thompson if one is in rotation others available for bullpen. Rather than spending on Stanek, prefer more flexibility at trade deadline for a upgraded in whatever area is most needed.
Stanek’s 2023 was pretty middling to say the least. His FIP and ERA were much higher than 2022, so there’s probably more regression coming. Besides, Hoyer has shown he will not spend big on relievers, they are too volatile. The Hector Nerris one-year deal was the most he was going to spend on a reliever, so yes I agree save the money on a trade deadline acquisition.
Alzolay, Neris, Merryweather, Leiter Jr. will be there. The rest will come from Little, Palencia, Assad, and others. I really don’t think Cuas, Almonte or Smyly will be part of the final bullpen. Cubs have plenty of arms to run back and forth. There won’t be a lot of guys with no options in the end. Drascoo is right, The Cubs don’t want Smyly around in the pen. If he doesn’t make 5th starter, He’s gotta go.
Drascoo and I agree on one thing. If Smyly isn’t the 5th starter he has to be gone. However they do it doesn’t matter.
Why? He was lights out as a reliever last year. Smyly will likely do both this season like last year.
If he’s still around then you have an 11 million dollar reliever and zero money for deadline moves. The Cubs have way better relievers than him. They could afford to send a low A player with promise with him to get somebody to take his salary. You don’t want Smyly around making more than your closer and setup guy.
His money is guaranteed. He ain’t going nowhere. They ain’t eating eleven million. That money is a sunk cost.
That is a big IF. I just don’t see it. If that happens I am all for it if someone will take his salary with him.
wow we got 10 good options
No mention of Daniel Palencia?? I think he has the highest ceiling out of all the Cubbies’ relievers.
will start year in AAA
Is Rod Beck available?
Is that his picture? I don’t remember him being an Astro.
Believe Rod is maggot meal.
He is deceased.
The Cubs have arms in the minors and the team looks more solid this year than last year.
Only true weakness is third base but even then they have options.
People will be surprised by this team.
They have arms.
Agreed. They have enough players that can play third to get by. It will be interesting to see if Busch or Mervis can stick at first. They can always move Bellinger there and play Tauchman in center too.
Just sign him. They’ll make his money back easily with a good team.
Is he the difference between being a good team or not?
No matter how hard they try to cry poor mouth the Cubs have money for anything they want.
Al Lieter jr won’t last the season
Probably won’t have to. They have at least ten candidates for his spot. I would rather see them get another starter. Rarely do teams go without major injuries to the rotation.
You don’t need to add anything. Benedict Counsell will lead the Cubs to the promised land. He could lead a team of little league kids to the World Series, just look at how many world titles he won in Milwaukee.
Buckle up Cub fans and enjoy the high priced mismanagement. It’s going to be a long 5 years of doing things strictly by the numbers and metrics.
Lol Brewers fan?
I think this year will be a wait and see type of thing…if they are contenders for a playoff spot come the trade deadline then maybe they will be willing to pass the cbt..the thought process might be why pay that tax and start the cbt timeline when they arent totally conifident this team are legit contenders yet..last year was the first year they broke out of the rebuild mode.
I like the arms in our bull pen. Keep 2 of the tall tree’s that are starters in AAA. We have options. I would like to trade Happ, Wisdom. Madrigal,and throw in a arm ranked 5 to 10 in our system. For Cease or Beiber. Free up a left field for one of our youngmen and maybe 3rd base for Morel and Shaw. They need to.play every day. Finally, sign JD Martinez to be our DH. Lineup becomes pretty Strong! Happ time is up, I do love him but he is on downward trajectory.