The Cubs are planning to add an established starting pitcher to their rotation this winter, reports Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. The club has Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad in four spots. Per Mooney’s report, adding one more name into that mix would push guys like Ben Brown, Cade Horton, Jordan Wicks and Hayden Wesneski down the depth chart.
“In one sense, you feel like you’re in a solid position because we have a number of young pitchers (who) have had success in the big leagues,” Manager Craig Counsell is quoted as saying in the piece. “Now with all of them, there’s been injuries. And it’s not a big sample as of yet. But that’s also kind of the nature of pitching. It’s the nature of young pitching. So we’re in a good spot in terms of that area of depth. But as we saw this year, it disappeared quickly.”
The quartet of Imanaga, Steele, Taillon and Assad have been the club’s best starters this year, both in terms of quality and quantity. Each of that group has an ERA of 3.41 or lower at the moment and all of them have tossed between 130 and 175 innings on the season thus far.
But as Counsell alluded to, there were also some challenges. Steele made a couple of trips to the injured list, one for a left hamstring strain and another for left elbow tendinitis. The Cubs had picked up a $16.5MM club option to bring back Kyle Hendricks but that ultimately proved to be a misstep. Hendricks struggled badly enough to get moved to the bullpen. He eventually retook a rotation spot but has a 6.28 ERA for the year overall. Wicks is currently on the IL for the third time this year, having gone on the shelf for a left forearm strain and then two separate stints for right oblique strains. Brown hasn’t pitched since June due to a stress reaction in his neck. Horton last pitched in May, getting shut down with a subscapularis strain and suffering a setback while trying to return the mound.
An argument could be made for rolling into 2025 with the same front four, letting the group of Wicks, Brown, Horton and Wesneski fight for the fifth spot. But with so many issues in 2024, adding some more security makes plenty of sense. None of those four are fully established. Wesneski is the only one with more than 81 big league innings pitched, and his 186 frames have been split between the bullpen and rotation. Wicks, Brown and Wesneski all still have options, meaning they could be stretched out in Triple-A if not needed on the big league staff. Horton isn’t yet on the 40-man and doesn’t need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft until December of 2025.
The Cubs also might not have much else on their winter to-do list. Even if Cody Bellinger eventually opts out, the outfield will still have Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Mike Tauchman, with Alexander Canario, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcántara and Brennen Davis at Triple-A. The infield has Isaac Paredes, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch, with Matt Shaw knocking on the door. Miguel Amaya has shown some progress at the plate and Christian Bethancourt can be retained for next year if the Cubs believe in his recent performance. Moises Ballesteros will also be pushing for a job soon.
The bullpen arguably should be a focus but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer had made it clear he would prefer to not to make free agent splashes there. As shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, since Hoyer was hired in November of 2020, the club hasn’t given a multi-year deal to any reliever. And of the one-year deals they have given out, the only guy to get more than $5MM was Héctor Neris, who got $9MM.
Unless a change is coming in terms of the approach to bullpen construction, starting pitching is a logical target with the position player group in strong shape. And there should be some powder dry for reinforcements. The club went narrowly over the $237MM competitive balance tax this year, with RosterResource currently pegging their number a bit over $238MM. Next year’s tally is only at $126MM right now. Arbitration raises for guys like Paredes and Steele will certainly add to that number and it will grow significantly if Bellinger decides to stay, but there will still be room for a notable contract.
Hoyer hasn’t played at the top of the market in terms of starting pitching but has given out some mid-market deals. As shown in the MLBTR Contract Tracker again, Imanaga, Taillon and Marcus Stroman have each received guaranteed between $53MM and $71MM, the largest guarantees the Cubs have given to starting pitchers in the Hoyer era.
This winter’s starting pitching class will be topped by guys like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Jack Flaherty and Blake Snell, assuming Snell stays healthy and opts out of his deal. Signing any of those guys would likely require the Cubs to go to a new level of spending, getting into nine-figure territory. If they want to stay in that Stroman/Taillon/Imanaga tier, they’d probably be debating names like Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Nick Pivetta and others. Hall-of-Fame-bound veterans Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will be limited to short-term deals since they are both in their 40s and coming off injury-plagued years in 2024.
The trade market will be another option for the Cubs. The White Sox didn’t end up flipping Garrett Crochet at the deadline but could perhaps make him available again in the winter. The Marlins lost almost all their rotation options to injury this year but it’s possible to see them considering deals as the group gets healthier for 2025. Somewhat similarly, the Rays seem to have an abundance of rotation options with Jeffrey Springs, Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen returned from long absences, with Shane McClanahan to join them next year. Other possibilities will surely emerge as the winter goes on.
It will be an interesting offseason for the Cubs. Their signing of Swanson heading into 2023 seemed to signal a wish to return to contention after a couple of rebuilding years. They had a solid but unspectacular year in 2023, winning 83 games. They may top that here in 2024, currently at 80-76, but will miss the postseason again. Pressure figures to be high for a club that hasn’t made the postseason in a full campaign since 2018, but a lot of good elements are in place and a few finishing touches could perhaps get them over the hump in 2025.
Would be nice if Crochet went to the Cubs.
I highly doubt that happens.
I disagree. The talent it will take to land him won’t be worth it, and he’s an injury risk. Let somebody else suffer that buyer’s remorse.
Max Fried payday to team up with Dansby again?? My guess is Fried to the Dodgers and reunite with me again.
We can basically say “All teams planning to add starting pitching.”
Not the Seattle Mariners
Yeah the article says they’re adding a starting pitcher. If anybody has watched the Cubs on a regular basis, they know the Cubs need to add at least 2 starters. I don’t know if one can really trust Assad with all the walks. Burnes would definitely make the Cubs rotation more respectable.
The arrogance of Hoyer to not want a closer continues to infuriate me. If you look at how many save opportunities were blown this year, you’d know that this is a roster that screams for the need to have one. The Cubs blew 17 chances before the AS break alone. Hoyer kept saying that the lack of offense was simply putting too much pressure on the bullpen. That sounds great, except all it does is deflect blame away from Hoyer because he can say that underperformance from players as opposed to not having the right players or admitting a need for high leverage help in the bullpen was the cause of their troubles. $230M+ spent and not one star on the roster. Most good leaders take accountability. Not Jed.
Alzolay was supposed to be the closer coming off a successful stint there in 2023.
Hodge has been very good as the closer in the 2nd half of 2024.
with the volatility of relievers, i understand the philosophy of trusting that youll make it work and be able to add, and true relief aces are increasingly rare. i think the discrepancy is hoyer mandating that scouts spend more time figuring out how to fix what they find off the scrap heap, rather than helping average or better relievers become great.
Putting all of your faith in Hodge going into next year would be equally as stupid as putting all of your faith in Alzolay this year. Now I like Hodge a lot more than Alzolay because Alzolay was and still is a walking injury like Brennen Davis has turned out to be and if anybody thought Neris was decent option 2 they were just fooling themselves. The Cubs have a lot of maybes that could also be a Closer after watching how the blown saves early in the year sunk the Playoff hopes you’d think the light bulb would go on. But Kudos to the Tigers who launched a bunch of Vets at the deadline and brought up kids and look like they’re going to the Playoffs. Shows you what a team can do with a real GM who has a plan and a brain. Much like AZ last year I hope the Tigers go to the Series and prove me right yet again.
Idiot
Yes because you predicted the Tigers would be in the WS….haha
Anyone can say that now about a team making the playoffs. It’s a crap shoot in the playoffs. The best team doesn’t always win and usually doesn’t.
But the only people that had the Tigers making it to the WS this year are Tigers homers because they aren’t all that good.
Decent season in a weak division but come on the odds of them making it to the WS at the start of the season were slim to none.
Hence my comment about Tigers homers picking them to go to the WS. Not one baseball expert had them making the playoffs let alone the WS.
“Prove me right yet again” gtfo with that BS.
Do I think they have a bright future? Yes but this season isn’t it.
Everybody said that about AZ last year except me and 5 guys from Phoenix. Everybody thinks going young but those 2 teams went young at the deadline and will make the Playoffs. While the Cubs plod on with Wisdom, Mastobuoni, Madrigal, Tauchmann and Hendricks. I rest my case and yeah I said it last year. I didn’t say it about the Tigers until now. Because it really wasn’t feasible til now. The one thing about young baseball teams is sometimes they are too stupid to know they’re supposed to lose, So they don’t. So GFY.
I knew the Dbacks were heading in the right direction before last year too. I didn’t expect them to make it to the WS nor did anyone else probably but I could see them making the playoffs as they are ran the way a team should be ran.
The Dbacks are better than the Tigers in my opinion but the Tigers do have a bright future.
I just don’t see them going deep this season if they indeed make the playoffs. People said the same thing about the Dbacks last season I know but the Dbacks have a legit ace and a star OF.
The Tigers don’t have a legit star to carry them is all I’m saying. Maybe next year.
tigers dont have a star SAVE FOR tarik skubal. they have found enough playoff-caliber pitching, and torkelson, carpenter, greene, keith can make about as much noise as the yound dbacks core with the way theyve been playing, but the true missing factor seems to be a bat like lourdes gurriel jr. they obviously sold at the deadline and should not at all be blamed for that, but this offseason a corner bat like bregman, santander, alonso, even soto should be strongly considered because the playoff lineup seems light.
Skubil is one of the best pitchers in the game but they have no pitching depth beyond him and no solid bat to lead them deep into the playoffs is what I meant.
They aren’t built like the Dbacks is what I was getting at. Skubil and Gallen may be a wash as both are legit aces but after that the Dbacks have more pitching depth and a better lineup.
I can see the Tigers doing something in 2025 and beyond if they get a couple of bats and Max Clark progresses according to plan.
They just aren’t built to go deep in the post season facing other teams top 3 starters who are much better than the Tigers top 3.
Now of Skubil wins game 1 and some how they can win game 3 in a series that would give them some confidence and they can ride it out and possibly get past the 1st round but I don’t see them repeating this every round as the series gets longer.
Bingo. Relief pitching was the biggest reason why they’re not in the post season. If even half of the blown saves were converted they’d be in.
The best teams have about three high leverage guys you can count on in the bullpen, usually two set up guys, preferably one from each hand, and a closer. The Phillies seem to have a whole bullpen in recent years.
Remember, the majority of bullpen guys were failed starters that found their career there.
It’s not a matter of who but why as you well know but still refuse to accept. The real problem is you have a GM who got burned once or who has a phobia for some reason about signing big ticket relievers but regularly tosses money away on bad overspends like Swanson Mancini, Hendricks. Look I like Swanson but the Cubs already had Nico who was getting the Job done not to mention the Cubs have like 8 SS’s who now have no future at all with the Cubs. It’s horrible use of funds and bad management. Basically it’s bad use of personnel as I mentioned above plus a phobia of using young players unlike Detroit and AZ who brought up kids and got the job done. And 7 years? That was just dumb.
I absolutely agree with you on free agency. Hoyer has some work to do but he’s built a team that leaves him relatively handcuffed this winter. The first order of business is Cody Bellinger, who I believe is currently 50/50 to opt in. If he stays, Hoyer will have to make several hard decisions this winter to improve this team for 2025.
I’ve been hard on Hoyer for 4 years now. I still don’t believe he’s the right man to take the Cubs further. Primary because of the current makeup of his roster. Bellinger has some questionable value while Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki have no-trade clauses. Not saying it’s impossible to trade these players, it just gets complicated with their contract structure.
Because you foresaw the Eugenio Suarez rebound and knew Isaac Parades would continue to struggle? Cmon…
robert- I was the guy who said Jeremiah Estrada had closer stuff and as soon as the Cubs launched him he’s proving it now with Seattle. He and Hodge might look nice at the end of the bullpen. You just can’t make a decision based on a few bad MLB innings. Sometimes a guy just needs to fail to learn how to succeed. PCA, Ryne Sandberg, etc.. By all means trade them for something or package them for something else. Like I keep saying, It takes a GM with a plan. We don’t have one Hoyer just sees a shiny bauble and he must have it. Without any plan about how it fits into the long term solution. I’ll just get them and let the Manager figure it out. I think we know that plan doesn’t work.
drascoo- You can win with a line up of ” NIce” players if they all play good defense and if you have a stud pitching staff and bullpen. And especially a stud BACK of the bullpen. I thought that was the way the Cubs were going to go when they signed Counsell. The one thing Counsell always had was a stud closer. Kind of made him a better manager huh? Then instead of getting a Hader or somebody like him because he was overpriced he went out and re signed Bellinger and gave him all the power for 3 years. Like you said Bellinger is a ” Nice” player but a waste of money at that price. The Cubs had all the power in that negotiation and it should have been a one year deal or nothing. Now once again we have a problem of kids being blocked, Wasted Money, and a problem for the manager to figure out. When are people going to realize that, If you’re going to be a ” Tax” team you can’t make those mistakes?
Like it or not Ricketts has money he can throw around, Everybody agrees on that. What those people don’t realize is how much money Ricketts has dropped on the TV station, Wrigley, The Neighborhood, The Minor Leagues and salary every year. It’s a staggering sum. It’s not wrong for him to want value for his money. Whatever it’s worth, Ricketts has decided he wants his MLB team to be Tax compliant and that’s fine with me. Most Billionaires didn’t become billionaires by spending more money than they take in. Maybe the day comes when Ricketts has paid for all the money he’s spent already they become the Dodgers or Yankees. The day is quite away off though. The money they lost on the pandemic plus the other things I mentioned has put everything farther behind. Maybe they never become that. Ricketts has decided what he wants his team to be for now. The problem is he doesn’t have the right baseball man for the job. Kick Jed upstairs and hire somebody who i. Jed hasn’t been horrible but he’s not the baseball GM for the job. Sorry.
Unc- Estrada is with the Padres, but I agree it seemed obvious he has talent. I did not agree with letting him walk. At a time when the Cubs bullpen was sorely lacking power arms, Estrada had a lot of potential, but barely got an audition.
Hoyer and the Cubs have missed on several of these players. Most notably, Schwarber. How much could we use that LH power bat and OBP in our lineup?!
Hindsight is 20/20 but some of these were obvious to even us fans. Oh well, nothing we can do about it, and we certainly don’t always have all the information and considerations an MLB front office has, but I think it’s time to move on from the Hoyer/Hawkins leadership.
Drascoo, have to agree. If you have a playoff team like the Phillies, the kids need to kick down the door to get a look. Struggling, rebuilding teams look for young guys who “could” be ready and call them up.
Shaw, surprisingly for his experience, looks closest to being ready. Nico Hoerner should be looking over his shoulder this spring. He’s starting to look more and more like a utility INF, which is a shame. If they didn’t sign Swanson, Nico would be a solid glove-first SS.
I’m thinking Hoyer is actually speaking about adding veteran starting pitching. The rotation is still young. I think they’ll make offers on Michael Wacha or Anthony DeSclafani, maybe Nathan Eovaldi. Any of those pitchers would be an addition to this staff. As for relievers go, maybe Lucas SIms or Jose Leclerc?
I’m thinking Eovaldi as well. Everyone knows his injury history and that’s a valid concern. But if a couple of those kids step up, that could alleviate some of that worry. They could trade for one as well… They still need a stud with power in that lineup- and no, not Patrick Wisdom.
I don’t think they need to spend $$$$ to get a quality starter or two. Maybe Eovaldi and possibly trade for Gausman? Pipedream I know, but Gausman is exactly the type of starter they probably would love to acquire.
Forget adding the starting pitching. Nothing is going to happen in the right direction until we replace the front office
Actually, they need to build up the bullpen (and elsewhere).
But you are correct. Hoyer has been going around in circles for years.
As we speak, Hoyer is busy drawing up a no trade clause for himself.
They should sign one or two among Tanner Scott, Kenley Jansen, Andrew Kittredge, AJ Minter, Blake Treinan and Carlos Estevez.
Otherwise, Ben Brown for closer? I still like Alzolay, but I doubt he will be ready by Opening Day.
I don’t see them signing Burnes or Snell. More like Wacha, Quintana, or Cobb.
I think you gotta stick w Porter Hodge for now. He’s showing a lot of moxie for his age. I don’t know that he’s got what it takes to close in October, but he’s looked sharp and has earned the role until he proves he can’t handle it.
Robert – agree with you here. To add some context. Since July 22, over 24 IP, Hodge has only allowed 2 runs at Colorado ( it happens) and 2 v St Louis (the PCA calling off Hoerner runs).
That’s a pretty strong sample which includes him taking over the 8th inning role from Neris, and then becoming the closer. I’d still like them to add another experienced closer type like Jansen, Robertson or Treinen.
Bartolo Colon
Go ahead sign Burnes your not going to get your money’s worth. He dies at end of season and doesn’t do anything in the playoffs. Very prone to the homerun. Yes I’m a Brewers fan and no im not bitter because we still kept the right one in Woodruff.
He’s 3-1 in 25 IP, 1.08 ERA so far this Sept.
Burnes also has 2.84 ERA in 19 postseason IP with 22 Ks. The only klunker was his start last season.
stubby66
The Brewers and O’s are 2 of 7-8 teams I’ve watched and followed closely the past 3 or so years.
I have a lot of questions about Burnes. Old-time baseball people would call it his heart, or maybe his ability to be clutch. His kvetching over his arbitration hearing a few years ago and his subsequent bashing of the Brewers FO (saying the relationship between he and the Brewers was damaged) when they were only doing their job, is something that was uncalled for. Said a lot about him. Fact is that Brewers team should have made the playoffs in 2022. The guys on that team out and out quit. And he was one of them.
To the Brewers credit, they’ve gotten rid of just about all of the veteran players from that team…as they should have. The youngsters on this years Brewers team are not quitters and don’t think they’re owed anything.
Okay I didn’t read the article, but to the headline I say, So is every other team.
Yes, but it’s the Cubs. Worth the read because they do have the cash to make a splash. Just like it’s worth the read if team name was Dodgers, Yankees or Mets. Guys like Burnes and Snell are definitely in play here.
I don’t buy that Burnes is in play here. The connection to Counsel has me intrigued, but the Cubs don’t seem interested in signing top FAs to giant contracts. And as much as I may want to argue, you can’t hardly blame them.
Burnes is really talented, but do you want to pay him $30-35M/yr when he’s pushing 40yrs old? Bc that’s probably what it will take to have him at 30yrs old.
With all that said, Cubs could desperately use a front-of-the-rotation RH starter to slot in w Imanaga and Steele. This would push Taillon and Assad to 4 and 5 where they are better-suited and allow Wesneski, Brown, Horton, Wicks, etc. to serve as backups and relievers.
Not the Seattle Mariners
LMAO…show me a team…any team that isn’t looking to add starting pitchers to their roster.
Unless you have a team that is going to put up 8 runs a game and the Cubs aren’t that team then yes…every team in MLB is looking for starting pitching
Seattle Mariners won’t be looking for starting pitching.
They have a lack of elite level talent. There is average to above average players at every position other than catcher. The rotation looks better suited as a 2-3-4-5 than a 1-2-3-4.
They should win the bidding on Corbin Burnes, even if it has to get goofy. They should trade for Shae Langeliers. And they should trade for an elite level bullpen arm or two. Trade from the position player prospects they have. They need to go into next season with a 90+ win projection. Stop settling for rolling out a 82 win projected team with this core. This is the offseason to push in while they have Steele, Imanaga & the position player core locked in for the next few years.
Where are the other 29 articles with this headline?
28, Seattle doesn’t need any.
Get belli off the books, if he doesn’t opt out trade him for low level prospects and focus on front of the rotation and a closer
He has slashed .296/.369/.429 OPS of .796 wRC+ of 127 in 111 PA batting lead off this year. He certainly has not cost the Cubs “several games”.
Overall he has been a pleasant surprise in both seasons with the Cubs, a wRC+ of 110, 2.7 fWAR in 739 PA combined.
I agree that next season, his age 34 season, where he will earn a pay raise to roughly $3.5 million is getting more into questionable range, and you don’t want him as your fourth outfielder. Bellinger probably won’t opt out. I agree he’s a good fit and hope for a more productive season next year.
“He has slashed .296/.369/.429 OPS of .796 wRC+ of 127 in 111 PA batting lead off this year. He certainly has not cost the Cubs “several games”.
Overall he has been a pleasant surprise in both seasons with the Cubs, a wRC+ of 110, 2.7 fWAR in 739 PA combined.”
Correct. He didn’t hit leadoff in July. 111 PAs is approximately 24 games. Producing a wRC+ of 127. Hard to find fault, let alone that sinking the Cubs season.
Lance Lynn will probably be available
Hoyer needs to add a closer, probably via trade this offseason. Tired of hearing about all these great prospects and not doing anything with them. Cubs need to start using these prospects as trade chips for areas of need…
Bednar would be easily attainable, even interdivisionally. Doval?
Doesn’t “easily attainable” generally mean not worth attaining? At this point, Hodge is a much better option.
Bednar collapsed this season but if the Pirates are willing to listen to some offers, I wouldn’t mind him. But watch, Hoyer will bring back Kimbrel and call it a day.
Acoss, hold on, your recommendation is acquiring Bednar to be the closer for the Cubs next year?
It’s an option, not the number one choice, he’s had success before, 2024 might just be an outlier. My choice would be going after Kenley Jansen, but Hoyer doesn’t believe in paying top dollar for relief pitching.
I’d be fine adding him to the bullpen somewhere, but I think ask for Bednar would way too high for a guy coming off that season. His velocity hasn’t changed, but most of the other peripherals went in the wrong direction.
Not a huge Jansen fan. But if you want to see “the great prospects” do something. I’m on board with Hodge as the closer. 41 IP is a solid sample size.
Podge has been getting it done, but I wouldn’t mind having someone like Jansen come in for one year, and sort of mentor Podge the whole year so that he can be the guy once Jansen is gone. That’s just my thinking since having a veteran closer would help the bullpen overall.
I’m with you on that. I think this year was evidence why they need a Jasen or similar type “closer”. Going into the season, the Cubs bullpen was in good position, then immediately hit with injuries. Alzolay, Merryweather & Almonte, then Little.
I’m fine with Hodge being the closer, but there needs to be redundancy/insurance at the backend of the pen. I suppose Neris was supposed to be that guy in ’24.
Corbin would be a good fit for them
Pat Corbin?
Maybe they should add a good manager.
Cubs offseason plan
1-Pray Bellinger opts out
1A-Continue to do so until Bellinger does opt out
This article makes it sound as though Jed Hoyer wants to hang all of this season’s failures on Kyle Hendricks. Just replace Hendricks with a better starting pitcher and then run everyone else back out there and hope for better results. That seems to be the plan.
Forget the bullpen struggles, the stalled out offense, the stubborn insistence on playing Morel everyday at 3rd. It was just that bum Hendricks. He let down the whole franchise and it’s fans. Replace Hendricks and the good ole days will be back again.
That is some serious John Mozeliak-esque logic. Cubs fans beware. The stupidity is apparently contagious.
Hendriks was terrible but my god he’s nowhere near the top of the problems with this team. God forbid Hoyer addressed the closer situation, what’s worse is there’s a serious chance he doesn’t address the real needs and just dumpster dives his way again.
At least you guys have had some seriously good runs, but Hoyer is all about fielding the most mid team he possibly can.
None of the cubs hit this year. If Bellinger opts out, don’t resign him. Bellinger couldn’t repeat 23 magic. A free agent or trade for offense is what the cubs need.
Couldn’t agree more. We see that bringing back Bellinger made little difference in how their season played out. Not entirely his fault, but definitely not worth the price tag.
Hoyer needs to be fired. Period. His lack of spending on the bullpen finally caught up with him, and bit him. But that’s all Rossy’s fault, right? Or is it now Counsell’s? Oh, so now it’s Hendricks fault… God this guy needs to be SO FIRED! How do you spend nearly $240M on a team, plus Counsell’s & Rossy’s salaries outside the payroll and you have no stars and middling results to show for it. I wish Dombrowski was out President!
No one knows exactly what hoyers role is because he isn’t the gm. They’ll give hoyer another year. I think the expectations were high considering they brought in Craig counsel. Counsel should be evaluating the team in the offseason. If there are no improvements next year, then hoyer goes.
If Hoyer wants a relatively low cost workhorse for the 4 or 5 slot who produces mostly solid results, he should slightly overpay Ben Lively. The guy has been a godsend in CLE this year.
Knowing the Cubs’s luck, Ben will have a horrible year right as soon as he joins the club in this hypothetical situation.
SP is the least of their worries.
“Insert team name here” planning to add starting pitching in the offseason.
Little late
This sentence: “And there should be some powder dry for reinforcements.” I thought “to keep one’s powder dry” is a euphemism for remaining calm, or not to take drastic action, etc. Unfamiliar with it being used in this context, I guess something to do with spending money?
They fleeced the Yankees trading Leiter for Jack Neely and Ben Cowles. Neely might become your closer in ’25.