URI:
   DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Bleacher Bums Forum
  HTML https://bbf.createaforum.com
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       *****************************************************
   DIR Return to: Bleacher Bums Forum
       *****************************************************
       #Post#: 504087--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: craig Date: December 12, 2024, 2:05 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       It's been accurately noted that the Cubs have not signed any of
       the big, long, mega-total contracts.  I think that reflects a
       couple of things.
       1.  Cubs D+D under Theo was awful, and didn't produce players
       worthy.  Yes, some posters wanted Cubs to give mega-deals to
       Baez, Bryant, and maybe Arrieta or Contreras or Rizzo or
       Schwarber.  But in hindsight, it appears Cubs were not wrong in
       hesitating to give those guys true superstar megadeals.
       -Some of the big-deal extensions, particularly with smaller
       markets, involve stars that they drafted.  Keeping a guy that
       you've got, can be different from winning a guy that you don't
       have on the open market.
       -Bobby Witt was drafted by KC, and got big bargain deal way
       before he hit the market.  Plus, his agent is not Scott Boras.
       -It might be nice if the Cubs D+D's a guy who became a big
       enough star to be worthy of a megadeal before he hit the open
       market!  Or perhaps acquired one in trade pre-market.
       2.  For several winters, Hoyer didn't think the situation was
       right for chasing a mega-stud on the open market.  I don't
       disagree, for any of December 2020, 21, or 22.  But that
       situation is changing.
       3.  Open-market FA's are free.  They don't often prefer a team
       that hasn't won a playoff game since 2017, and hasn't won 84
       games since 2019.  If the Cubs start winning, that might change?
       
       #Post#: 504089--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: guest424 Date: December 12, 2024, 2:07 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Damn I don't like trading off 3 or 4 pieces for 1 year of Kyle
       Tucker just to win the 2nd Wild Card.
       #Post#: 504090--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: Fanzone Date: December 12, 2024, 2:16 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Craig:  I think there's third, middle scenario: find out what
       financial terms would be acceptable to Tucker and leave it for a
       couple of months (including a starring role at the Convention to
       be fawned over by adoring fans) to finalize the deal after he is
       satisfied with the intangible things you mention.  If the
       numbers are acceptable, it's doubtful that something else would
       override it, given the Cubs' reputation for treating their
       players very well. .
       #Post#: 504091--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: craig Date: December 12, 2024, 2:22 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I agree on that, Fanzone.  Having something kinda sorta shaken
       out, but giving him time to check out the intangibles, that
       could make sense.
       #Post#: 504092--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: craig Date: December 12, 2024, 2:29 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=DUSTY link=topic=647.msg504089#msg504089
       date=1734034072]
       Damn I don't like trading off 3 or 4 pieces for 1 year of Kyle
       Tucker just to win the 2nd Wild Card.[/quote]
       Agree on that, too, Dusty.  Unless they think an extension is
       realistic, it makes no sense.
       But there are also pieces and there are pieces.  Kinda depends a
       lot on how much we care about the pieces, if anything was to
       happen.
       #Post#: 504093--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: Fanzone Date: December 12, 2024, 2:53 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Craig:
       Regarding age 35.  The Cubs' approach values shorter duration
       over annual salary; they are willing to pay a higher annual
       price to avoid longer commitments.  So let's say they offered
       close to Seager's total ($325 million) over a shorter
       period--$40 million a year.  Would Tucker turn that down and
       take the chance that he could get a larger and much longer
       contract next winter--maybe. Or maybe the Cubs would go to age
       36-37?
       There is another possible consideration here.  The NHL used to
       have these types of seemingly endless contracts that allowed
       teams--most notably the Black Hawks--to circumvent the hard
       salary caps.  They eventually got rid of these contracts in a
       collective bargaining agreement.  That agreement not only
       limited contracts to a maximum of 8 years, but provided for
       retroactive recapture penalties on existing contracts in certain
       situations.  (I think Duncan Keith was one recapture case.)  It
       wouldn't surprise me if this was a big subject for MLB (along
       with deferrals) after 2026.
       #Post#: 504094--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: JR Date: December 12, 2024, 3:00 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I don't hold Hoyer in the highest esteem, but I have to figure
       we wouldn't be discussing trading long term assets for one year
       of Tucker without some commitment that we're going to make a
       full effort to re-sign him.  He's thankfully not a Boras guy, so
       there's a non-zero chance he would sign if we made him a fair
       offer during the season.  The advantage of trading for him early
       is that we have a full year to try to hammer something out, and
       hopefully ties would go to us even if he reaches free agency.
       #Post#: 504095--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: craig Date: December 12, 2024, 3:43 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=JR link=topic=647.msg504094#msg504094
       date=1734037212]I don't hold Hoyer in the highest esteem, but I
       have to figure we wouldn't be discussing trading long term
       assets for one year of Tucker without some commitment that we're
       going to make a full effort to re-sign him.  He's thankfully not
       a Boras guy, so there's a non-zero chance he would sign if we
       made him a fair offer during the season.  The advantage of
       trading for him early is that we have a full year to try to
       hammer something out, and hopefully ties would go to us even if
       he reaches free agency.  [/quote]
       Exactly.  Makes no sense to pay the trade price unless you're
       going to make a serious attempt to extend.
       #Post#: 504096--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: Deeg Date: December 12, 2024, 3:53 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=craig link=topic=647.msg504095#msg504095
       date=1734039819]
       Exactly.  Makes no sense to pay the trade price unless you're
       going to make a serious attempt to extend.
       [/quote]
       And everything Hoyer does makes sense?
       I think we need to be realistic. This would be a contract that
       far exceeds anything the Cubs have ever given out, and certainly
       anything that Hoyer has even contemplated. He's expressed his
       belief in the idea of winning without stars. I don't disagree
       that we'd "try" but in practical terms it's extremely unlikely
       we'd be serious players to get a deal done. Any trade for Tucker
       should be evaluated in that context.
       #Post#: 504097--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs in ‘25
       By: Ron Date: December 12, 2024, 4:11 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Deeg link=topic=647.msg504096#msg504096
       date=1734040384]
       He's expressed his belief in the idea of winning without stars.
       [/quote]
       I don't recall this. I don't suppose you can provide an example?
       It's an honest question - not saying it isn't true. There are
       lots of things I don't recall or missed entirely. Maybe this is
       one of those.
       *****************************************************
   DIR Previous Page
   DIR Next Page