Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Season Thread Vol: (17-17)

So we will have the 9th pick in the draft next June. I will start to post as many prospects as I can find that might fit our needs. As you know, their seasons don't start for another couple months, so a lot of prospects will rise and fall, like Schwarber did, who is obviously killing it for us in his first year as a minor leaguer.

We avoided losing 90 games which is kind of nice, and we did what we wanted. Rizzo and Starlin both looked great this year. Arrieta proved to be an Ace. We shored up our bullpen with young power arms. We got time and experience for Alcantara, Baez, and Soler, and soon we will see a few more of our shining young stars come up thru May/June of next year.

And we have cleared basically every bad contract off the books, outside of Edwin Jackson who only has 2 years and that's not terrible at all. We can now start to add pieces via free agency, and start to try and win. 2015 should be another step forward, somewhere in the 81-85 win range, with 2016 the year we really believe should be a 90+ win type team.

As examples, look to the Nationals, Pirates, and Royals as teams that have taken a few years but eventually got there thru youth/drafting of solid pieces. We're following that same path, only we have the money/city to bring in free agents as well, the Royals and Pirates don't have that same luxury, hence it took them longer than it should take us.

Theo is in year 4 of his 5 year contract, he has done EXACTLY what he wanted, and has rebuilt us from the ground up. Now, he gets to just pile up assets, and sign some new proven toys with all the money we have saved. He will absolutely be getting an extension soon, and I will celebrate the **** out of that day. :pimp:
 
Major League Baseball teams have two rosters with which to work: the 40-man roster, and the 25-man roster. The rules surrounding the latter are pretty simple: those are the 25 guys who can play for the team on a given day, and each of the 25 must also be on the 40-man roster (thus, the 25-man roster is a subset of the 40-man roster). The rules for the 40-man, however, are pretty complicated.

The best way to describe that roster is something like “these are the guys you want to have available to the big league team, even if they aren’t all currently playing on the big league team.” They are all on “Major League” contracts, as opposed to minor league contracts. The guys not on the 25-man, but on the 40-man, are said to be on optional assignment – they’re usually in the minors somewhere – using one of their “option years”, of which players typically have three (unless they were added to the 40-man with very little pro experience, in which case they might qualify for a fourth option year (I don’t want to go too far down this rabbit hole for the purposes of this post)).

Heading into the offseason, much of that is superfluous. Because, as you can figure, there is no 25-man roster in the offseason – there are no games. There is just the 40-man roster. The guys on big league contracts. And you’ve got to have space on the 40-man roster if you want to sign (or trade for) a big league player, or if you want to be able to add a prospect to the big league roster over the offseason. The reason you’d do that second one is to protect certain prospects from the Rule 5 Draft in December.*

*(Short version: in December, there’s a draft where teams get to take prospects from other teams if those prospects have been in the minors a really long time, but have never been placed on the big league roster. It’s a way to prevent hoarding, and keeping guys down who deserve to be in the bigs.)

The Cubs’ 40-man roster currently looks like this:

Pitchers

Jake Arrieta
Dallas Beeler
Felix Doubront
Kyuji Fujikawa
Justin Grimm
Kyle Hendricks
Edwin Jackson
Eric Jokisch
James McDonald – 60-day DL
Blake Parker
Neil Ramirez
Hector Rondon
Zac Rosscup
Brian Schlitter
Dan Straily
Pedro Strop
Jacob Turner
Carlos Villanueva
Arodys Vizcaino
Tsuyoshi Wada
Travis Wood
Wesley Wright

Catchers

John Baker
Welington Castillo
Rafael Lopez

Infielders

Arismendy Alcantara
Javier Baez
Starlin Castro
Mike Olt
Anthony Rizzo
Chris Valaika
Luis Valbuena
Christian Villanueva
Logan Watkins

Outfielders

Chris Coghlan
Ryan Kalish
Junior Lake
Justin Ruggiano – 60-day DL
Jorge Soler
Ryan Sweeney – 60-day DL
Matt Szczur
Josh Vitters

Total: 39, plus 3 on 60-day DL (who have to be activated before the offseason maneuvering gets going). So, effectively, the 40-man roster stands at 42.

Heading into the offseason, the Cubs will almost certainly want to pare that figure down into the low-30s to accommodate free agent signings and prospect additions for Rule 5 purposes. (On the latter, you can see the list of eligible prospects here at TCR. We could debate a few names – C.J. Edwards is the only completely obvious, no-doubt-about-it name.)

Now, let’s create some broad buckets into which to put each player. (This assumes, by the way, that there are no trades on the way – that is to say, when I call a guy “obviously retained,” I’m not saying he couldn’t possibly be traded. I’m merely saying he’s at no risk to be booted off of the 40-man roster.) From there, we can estimate how many spots will be easily opened up, and how many tough decisions there might be.

These are based on nothing more than my own best, educated guesses, and where I would put each player.

Obviously Retained

Jake Arrieta
Justin Grimm
Kyle Hendricks
Neil Ramirez
Hector Rondon
Pedro Strop
Jacob Turner
Arodys Vizcaino
Welington Castillo
Arismendy Alcantara
Javier Baez
Starlin Castro
Anthony Rizzo
Luis Valbuena
Chris Coghlan
Jorge Soler

No real discussion necessary here. Some of these guys could wind up traded or something crazy like that, but they certainly aren’t going to be waived/outrighted/non-tendered/etc.

Almost Certainly Retained

Felix Doubront
Eric Jokisch
Dan Straily
Travis Wood
Wesley Wright
Rafael Lopez
Mike Olt
Justin Ruggiano
Ryan Sweeney

I really don’t see any of these guys de-rostered or non-tendered, but I don’t think you could argue that their roster security is slightly less than that of the first group. Most of the guys are right there on the border of “Obviously Retained,” but the Cubs have an exceptionally crowded roster and a busy offseason ahead. Even if you peg the guys in this group at 90% likely to be retained, there’s still that small chance that one of them is cut loose to open up a spot.

At Risk, But Retained Unless There’s a Serious Crunch

Dallas Beeler
Blake Parker
Zac Rosscup
Brian Schlitter
Christian Villanueva
Junior Lake

Each of these guys is relatively young and offers upside. But each may not represent a significant threat to crack the 25-man roster out of Spring Training, and you can carry only so many guys like that. There’s no one in that group that I’d be happy to see the Cubs lose for nothing, but there are tough choices on the way.

If Space is Needed, Likely Bumped

Matt Szczur
Logan Watkins

I almost had Watkins in a higher category given that he showed some nice things late in the year. But it was a down year at AAA Iowa, and it took multiple injuries for him to even get a look in the bigs. It seemed like Chris Valaika was higher on the pecking order for much of the year. As for Szczur, I did have him in the higher category, because there’s a lot that he does well. But the questions about whether he’ll hit enough in the bigs to be a serviceable bench guy remain, and it’s possible that the Cubs will be overloaded with 4th/5th outfielders this offseason. I think the Cubs would like to keep each of these guys if they can, but, like I said, tough choices are on the way. (This is where I would have had Chris Rusin, by the way, who was already waived and claimed by the Rockies this weekend.)

Likely Bumped

James McDonald
Chris Valaika
Ryan Kalish
Josh Vitters

McDonald hurt his shoulder in Spring Training – a recurring injury – and never pitched again. Hopefully he gets a chance somewhere to try again next year. Kalish was already de-rostered once this year, and it’s likely coming again. The Cubs will probably try to retain him on a minor league deal. Valaika was a tough one in his category, because there are some things to like. He’s a guy that you try and get on a minor league deal, though, not necessarily a guy you carry all offseason on the 40-man roster.

As for Vitters, I could be wrong on this one. But another unproductive year, and I think it’s going to be time to move on. He still has potential, but I don’t think it’s going to happen with the Cubs. Right now, the 40-man spot is probably more valuable than the chance he finally puts it together next year.

Free Agents and Tricky Options Decisions

Kyuji Fujikawa
Carlos Villanueva
Tsuyoshi Wada

If you wanted to know why the Cubs have such a roster crunch, here’s a big part of the reason: they have only one free agent! Carlos Villanueva is it. As much as I like what he brings, both in the clubhouse and out of the bullpen (2.99 FIP as a reliever this year), I presume he’ll be allowed to walk in free agency. Even if the Cubs eventually bring him back, he will – for the purposes of the bulk of the offseason – open up a 40-man spot by reaching free agency.

Wada’s $5 million option is a tough decision, though, as I’ve said, it should probably be picked up. Fujikawa, on the other hand, has a $5.5 million option that will be declined. At that point, he’ll be a free agent. It’s possible the Cubs bring him back eventually, but, again, for our purposes here, it’s a 40-man spot opened up.

John Baker

John Baker

Baker, who gets his own category, is technically eligible for arbitration, although it’s likely he’ll be non-tendered, and become a free agent. I’m not sure he’s going to be brought back, but here’s hoping he can stick in the organization somehow if/when his playing days are over. He’s awesome.

Traded if Possible

Edwin Jackson

Another category of one, there’s the unique case of Edwin Jackson. I’m not sure the Cubs will out-and-out release him this offseason for nothing. But if they can find a deal that saves a few million or returns a bad contract on a guy they might be able to use, Jackson will be gone. Until then, it remains possible that he sticks around and compete for a bullpen job in the Spring.

***

So, with 42 names, we’ve bumped seven, with the possibility of Wada and Jackson also being bumped. Given the turnover we’re likely to see in the offseason, I doubt that’ll be enough to accommodate everything the Cubs want to do, so some of those tougher decisions will arise.

That’s just the nature of the beast, and why the Cubs have been protective of the 40-man roster heading into the offseason.
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^
WoW :wow:

Good read CP! I knew the roster was full but didn't think we were at max capacity just yet.....gonna have to let some guys walk.
Looks like Theo and Co. Have their work cut out for them.
 
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Jon Lester's home in Massachusetts is up for sale. :smokin

And, because he was traded midseason, he is not tied to a draft pick, so if we signed him, we don't have to give up our second round pick. If we were to sign Scherzer, it would cost us our 2nd rounder.


Wouldn't say no to either one, but Lester bein a lefty to pair with the righty Arrieta, and keep our 2nd round pick as well, makes him very intriguing.
 
We have an advantage there too, Theo is the one that brought Lester to Boston in the first place. He knows him well. (and Lester knows Theo well too)

And with the ton of hitting we have on the horizon, pitchers should feel safe enough run support wise to want to sign on. (for the right amount, of course :lol: )



Like I said, not a lock we get Lester, but we have a real good shot at least.
 
Buddy of mine got this a couple days ago. Pretty dope. At some point I'm getting something to do with Chicago but not sure I'd wanna go this bold. I always thought a tattoo of like the wall with some ivy hanging off it with the distance in it would be dope. Something a little more subtle. 
 
What do you make of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora's development this year and last? It's odd to have watched him go from prized prospect to an almost forgotten man in a deep system. Where do you see his floor and ceiling now relative to Draft Day 2012? How do you feel Arismendy Alcantara's emergence in center field and Billy McKinney's acquisition affect Almora's future?
-- Rian W., Wilmette, Ill.


Almora struggled this season, batting .270/.291/.392 in 125 games between High Class A and Double-A. He seemed to turn a corner in July, when he posted an .892 OPS with five of the nine homers he would hit this year, but he slumped again in August. The biggest concern was his lack of patience at the plate, as he walked just 14 times in 529 plate appearances.

When Almora signed for $3.9 million as the sixth-overall pick in the 2012 Draft, he was an extremely advanced high school player with impressive instincts in all facets of the game. His ceiling was a Gold Glove Award-caliber center fielder who could bat third in the order, and his floor was as a plus defender who would hit for average with fringy power.

While Almora needs to work deeper counts and walk more often, he doesn't swing and miss excessively, and he's still just 20 years old -- so it should be safe to project him as a .275/.320/.425 hitter. He still draws raves for his defensive prowess and still looks like the Cubs' center fielder of the future. As long as Almora hits, Alcantara likely will settle in at second base or into a super-utility role, and McKinney is destined for an outfield corner.
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We have so many talented prospects. I suspect some of these prospects get traded. Its no room to put these players on the field.
 
SLP Product said:
@Meyer23 Nice tat up there...very creative.
Although I would've liked to see a Bull somewhere there
nthat.gif
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I thought the same thing since it has the Cubs "twice" in there. 
 
Theo still workin.

Claims LHP Joe Ortiz off the Rangers. He's a reliever that suffered a foot injury in a motorcycle accident last year.

He never walks anyone, and does K a few, so he could be a guy they make a lefty specialist.

And he still has Minor League options, so they don't need to have him right away, they can stash him and work with him in the Minors til he looks ready to come up.

24 year old Lefties are untapped diamonds tho, so picking one up on the cheap is always good business.
 
Anthony Rizzo’s huge year, and contextualizes it with that 2011/2012 offseason, when the Cubs passed on big money for Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder in favor of swapping Andrew Cashner for Rizzo. As Mooney points out, Rizzo had a better 2014 season than either of Pujols or Fielder. Indeed, even if you subtract Cashner’s 1.9 WAR from Rizzo’s 5.6 WAR, the total is still better than either of Pujols (3.3 WAR) or Fielder (-0.3 WAR). So, yeah, that decision is looking pretty good. Even going ahead, wouldn’t you rather have Rizzo, 25, on his team-friendly deal than Pujols, 34, or Fielder, 30, on their ugly deals plus Cashner, 28, for two more arbitration years? Yeah, I’m taking Rizzo.
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I can contribute to C CP1708 's offseason preparation with international scouting. Nobody watches Japanese pitchers more than I do. Kenta Maeda is a middle of the rotation guy, a #3 at absolute best. Smaller frame than Darvish and Tanaka, less electric FB. Throws it easily, but only touches low-90's maxed on the radar gun. His strongest attribute is command, does not provide many free passes. Reliable for 175-200 IP. Boston is heavily interested and signing "Maeken" potentially allows the Sox to keep from trading Betts. Maeda's largest problem will be a secondary out-pitch. Doesn't have Tanaka's splitter or Darvish's plethora of off-speed weaponry. He throws a slider, but it rates only slightly above-average.
 
TOOTBLAN Tracker @TOOTBLANTime · 2h 2 hours ago
#Cubs owe Anthony Rizzo $37 million over next 5 years - or just $7 million more than #LAAngels will pay Albert Pujols.................in 2021
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:wow: :rofl: :pimp:

Theo :pimp:
 
Rizzo :nthat:

:smh: @ that Albert deal.
Angels are paying for all the good things he did for the Cards :lol:
 
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A new offseason storyline emerged Tuesday when Chicago Cubs hitting coach Bill Mueller resigned from the team. This leaves the Cubs with two openings -- Mueller’s position and an assistant.

There’s no doubt these are important hires, but within reason. It’s more important that the Cubs avoid hiring the wrong guy than to believe there’s a magician out there who can transform their offense.

Remember, the Cubs offered Mueller his job back. Maybe they made it uncomfortable for him by dismissing assistant – and his good friend -- Mike Brumley, but they could have fired Mueller as well. As a player, Mueller had one of the highest career on-base percentages of any third baseman to play the game. He connected with players even if Brumley did not. But connecting, and doing things as a player, are a far cry from getting others to change who they are.

So where does that leave the Cubs? In search of their fourth hitting coach in the Theo Epstein regime. Getting an experienced one with a track record is probably the best way to go, given that they need to check this off their list for the next few years. If the coach can help reduce the strikeout totals while – more importantly – increasing the Cubs on-base percentage, all the better. Most important is setting the right atmosphere and tone for a fostering environment. And, of course, being a good listener is a key for any coach.

According to more than one veteran hitting coach, the job has gotten tougher over the years. Players aren’t learning the fundamentals of hitting as they move up the ranks, while strikeout totals have skyrocketed. It’s tough for some of the older coaches and ex-players to accept those mammoth strikeout numbers, and many believe organizations are making it easier on players by not demanding better approaches. Teams will tell you they would love to see more contact, but you can only work with what you have.

Manny Ramirez would seem a perfect candidate for the No. 2 job. He has to want it and commit to it, both of which he did at Triple-A Iowa. Ramirez might be a cross between a coach who can help fix mechanical issues and a coach who is “one of the guys.” Don’t give him the spotlight of being the lead man, let him work under the radar – if that’s possible with Ramirez. But first, he has to retire as a player.

The wrong hire for the No. 1 role is a guy who can’t be the right combination of task master and encouraging nurturer. Although it’s not the worst thing that a new coach has to learn tendencies all over again, having some consistency can only help.

The Cubs are starting to get serious about winning. Their next hire should reflect that.
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Carrie Muskat @CarrieMuskat · 53m 53 minutes ago
#Cubs name John Mallee new hitting coach and move Eric Hinske to assistant hitting coach. Hire Doug Dascenzo as outfield coach
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Mallee is a Chicago native, and was the hitting coach in Houston last year. (Altuve had that major breakout year, and let the majors in hitting)
 
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