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#Post#: 481082--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: Reb Date: October 9, 2023, 9:51 pm
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Bote is in a kind of minor league purgatory softened by the fact
that he’s still guaranteed another $6.5M thru 2024 (including a
2025 buyout).
Even though he could have taken free agency when outrighted, he
didn’t do that because would have to forfeit that contract and
nobody would claim him on waivers because of the contract.
Bote is probably a fringy major leaguer otherwise in another
organization. At some point—not sure when—if called up by Cubs
and put on 40-man, and then outrighted, would have enough
service time to get the money and decline the outright. Cubs
perhaps preferred having him around in 2023 as an emergency
call-up that never happened. Ditto in 2024. Or, maybe they’ll do
him a favor, pay him the guaranteed money, and let him try to
earn a big league job elsewhere—though he still has some Cubs
value in that emergency status and he’s not taking up a 40-man
spot.
#Post#: 481096--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: Dave23 Date: October 10, 2023, 7:28 am
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Has Bote ever played any OF?
What keeps him from being a Zobrist-type super sub?
#Post#: 481097--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: Playtwo Date: October 10, 2023, 7:39 am
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Skill level?
#Post#: 481106--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: davep Date: October 10, 2023, 2:12 pm
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[quote author=Reb link=topic=628.msg481062#msg481062
date=1696876416]
That is not accurate.
I urge you to go to Milb.com and look up the Iowa box scores at
the very beginning of the 2023 season.
What you will find is that Morel opened the Iowa season at 3B.
He stayed there for about two weeks of games and then was moved
off of 3B and played mostly CF and RF thereafter. That would
indicate that Cubs were hopeful this season that Morel would be
a factor at 3B. Perhaps he even worked during the pre-2023
off-season at 3B in preparation for opening the 2023 season at
3B.
The evidence indicates that Cubs tried and wanted Morel to play
3B in 2023 and gave up on the notion in mid-April. It was not
revisited thereafter.
If you feel Morel will or should be at 3B going forward, seems
like have to come to terms about what happened early this Iowa
season at 3B, no?
[/quote]
I don't think that the Cubs would be foolish enough to allow 2
weeks of minor league play cause them to make a permanent
decision like that. But that is besides the point. When we
express opinions on this board, it is usually to explain what
they should do, not predict what they will do. I am sure that
BlueJay realizes that the Cubs are not very likely to blow
through the salary cap (yes, it is a salary cap, although a soft
one) this year, but feels strongly that they should.
The Cubs seem to have long held views that a supersub is more
valuable than a full time one-position player. I think they are
wrong, especially with Morel.
#Post#: 481116--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: Reb Date: October 10, 2023, 5:18 pm
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[quote author=davep link=topic=628.msg481106#msg481106
date=1696965162]
I don't think that the Cubs would be foolish enough to allow 2
weeks of minor league play cause them to make a permanent
decision like that….The Cubs seem to have long held views that a
supersub is more valuable than a full time one-position player.
I think they are wrong, especially with Morel.
[/quote]
“Permanent” is a long time. Rarely a very good or helpful term
in baseball.
Think that the usage of Morel in 2023 (both at Iowa and Cubs) is
strongly indicative that Cubs (1) don’t see him as a 3B and (2)
are past the stage of using him as a supersub.
If Cubs saw Morel as a 3B, 2023 would have been a good season to
play him a lot at 3B in the majors. They didn't do that.
If Cubs still saw Morel as a supersub, we would have seen that
in 2023. Instead, Cubs found a primary “position” for him at DH.
Maybe Cubs will change their tune about Morel in 2024. As noted
above, definitive is not a hallmark of baseball. But, that would
be an abrupt departure from recent practice.
#Post#: 481122--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: craig Date: October 10, 2023, 6:27 pm
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I wish it were otherwise, but I have to agree with reb. The
last two seasons, 3B has been the most there-for-the-taking
position... and the Cubs didn't see Morel as a serious
possibility. If they didn't want to play Morel at 3B two years
ago, and didn't want to play him at 3B this season, I don't see
why they'd change their minds now.
There is maybe one alternative rationalization I've considered,
reb. Maybe they started him at Iowa at 3b, because they saw 3B
as his best longterm fit. But figured he'd need a lot of work,
and figured he'd have months at Iowa to practice. A
development scenario. But, when he burst out hitting HR every
day and OPS'ing 1.400 at Iowa, they changed from long-range
Buildican to Nowacrat: what can he play in Chicago now? Backup
OF.
I don't find that rationalization very convincing, though. *IF*
after all these years in the minors they view his 3B as
unplayable, it seems unlikely that they'd think a couple of
months of winter and spring-training work would resolve that.
#Post#: 481127--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: CUBluejays Date: October 10, 2023, 7:38 pm
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If Morel can play second, why not just move Horner to 3B? If
Madrigal can play there, Nico can easily or you just leave Morel
at DH.
#Post#: 481129--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: CurtOne Date: October 10, 2023, 7:46 pm
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Or trade Nico or Morel. Do I want that? No. But if I guy is
more valuable in a trade...
#Post#: 481132--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: Reb Date: October 10, 2023, 8:18 pm
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[quote author=CUBluejays link=topic=628.msg481127#msg481127
date=1696984735]
If Morel can play second, why not just move Horner to 3B? If
Madrigal can play there, Nico can easily or you just leave Morel
at DH.
[/quote]
Hoerner is a SS who's playing 2B and his MIF defense is so good
that's he was a 5 WAR player in 2023 and a 4.4 bWAR player in
2022 as a SS.
Think his defensive value is so high at MIF that would be a poor
use of him in a corner spot. Yes, really good up-the-middle
guys can usually play a less demanding spot on the defensive
spectrum, but not a really good use of resource value to do
that.
As to Morel, think Morel is a DH going forward as a Cub. But,
may have more trade value as a corner OFer for a club who has a
need for that. Morel is not much of a CFer but think he might
be pretty good in RF. Don't think he has a future as a 2B.
Cubs didn't try to develop him in minors at 2B---hardly played
2B at all in minors. Played more 2B in majors but never really
impressed. No evidence he's actually good there. Maybe "can get
by" at 2B but his skill set is basically as a bat, so put him
where most likely to thrive with the bat, which is DH or RF. He
can do that.
#Post#: 481134--------------------------------------------------
Re: Cubs in ‘24
By: CUBluejays Date: October 10, 2023, 8:37 pm
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Baez was better at 2B than Nico, and he’d still play 3rd.
Keeping Morel at DH is fine as well. The Cubs have a hole at
third and they might have to get creative to fill it.
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