Chicago Cubs 2025

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#1,276      
jsmoke2215
33 walks and 106 strikeouts.

Jesus. Guy has the plate discipline of a little leaguer who couldn't convince his dad to sign him up for ballet instead.
 
#1,280      
bdutts
EyeoftheIllini said:
Certainly would be cheap. Not sure how much he has left in the tank, but maybe a better option than Shaw at this point.

Speaking of cheap (at least money wise), one interesting possible trade partner could be the White Sox — Adrian Houser and Lenyn Sosa. Houser having a great year, but I’d hope he would be the lesser of two SP pickups. And Sosa played a fair bit of 3B last year. Sosa is controllable and would make for a pretty good utility guy next year.
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I was half kidding on the DJL pickup, but he has played 3rd base and it's hitting better in the last month or so. If they're not going to go after Suarez or someone else like that, why not take a chance?

I'm not giving up much to get Sosa and/or Houser but I wouldn't be opposed to these two.
 
#1,281      
EyeoftheIllini
KBLEE said:
A 41 year old pitcher with a nearly 5.5 ERA? No thanks...
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Not a fan of picking up Morton — doesn’t go deep into games and don’t really trust his improvement to be maintained as season gone on, but to reduce him down to “nearly 5.5 ERA” isn’t telling the whole story. He added a kick-change in mid-May and was moved back into rotation in late May. Since then he’s made 7 starts and while only averaging 5..2 IP per start, he’s had a 2.97 ERA (2.91 FIP) with 27.5% K vs 6.9% BB. Again, not advocating for Morton, but I do have a sneaking suspicion that someone like him will be the second SP the Cubs pick up at trade deadline — especially if Cubs go after another bullpen guy too and a 3B like Saurez.
 
#1,282      
EyeoftheIllini
bdutts said:
I was half kidding on the DJL pickup, but he has played 3rd base and it's hitting better in the last month or so. If they're not going to go after Suarez or someone else like that, why not take a chance?

I'm not giving up much to get Sosa and/or Houser but I wouldn't be opposed to these two.
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I’ve mentioned it before, but I have no idea what exactly someone means by “not giving up much.” Does that mean wouldn’t trade any top 30 prospects? Not someone in top 15? Top 5?

To get any SP having any semblance of being worth a pickup at deadline isn’t likely going to cost nothing. Last year, Houston gave up approximately its 6, 11, and 15 prospects for Kikuchi. Now Houston’s farm system isn’t good, so that’s not as bad as it might seem. Cubs system is much better, but that still likely equates to at least a top 15 or so prospect and a top 30. Not sure I’d call that “not much,” but it is the cost of doing business at this time.

What is appealing about getting Houser and Sosa in one deal is they are really cheap (I think their combined 2025 salaries might be under $2M) and you spread the cost of prospects over two players. So if you can get the both of them for say Pedro Ramirez, Christian Franklin and an unranked prospect, I think that’s worth it to get an upgrade at 3B and SP for this season. I’m actually not sure that would be enough as with the season Houser is having and his minuscule salary, I think someone will pay up for him.
 
#1,283      
KBLEE
EyeoftheIllini said:
Not a fan of picking up Morton — doesn’t go deep into games and don’t really trust his improvement to be maintained as season gone on, but to reduce him down to “nearly 5.5 ERA” isn’t telling the whole story. He added a kick-change in mid-May and was moved back into rotation in late May. Since then he’s made 7 starts and while only averaging 5..2 IP per start, he’s had a 2.97 ERA (2.91 FIP) with 27.5% K vs 6.9% BB. Again, not advocating for Morton, but I do have a sneaking suspicion that someone like him will be the second SP the Cubs pick up at trade deadline — especially if Cubs go after another bullpen guy too and a 3B like Saurez.
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Well his recent success has brought his ERA down to ~5.5 because it was pushing 11 in April. He didn't get below 7 until June. But, the bigger issue is that he is 41 and, as you mentioned, he doesn't go far into games. This is exactly the type of starter we don't need.
 
#1,284      
EyeoftheIllini
KBLEE said:
Well his recent success has brought his ERA down to ~5.5 because it was pushing 11 in April. He didn't get below 7 until June. But, the bigger issue is that he is 41 and, as you mentioned, he doesn't go far into games. This is exactly the type of starter we don't need.
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Again, not advocating for Morton, but Boyd is the only SP who has been as good or better than Morton since start of June. And no one is particularly close.

If the Cubs pick up two SPs at trade deadline, which I absolutely think they should (Horton is already only 3 innings shy of career high in IP), the second one is more than likely going to be a guy like Morton. I just don’t see Cubs trading for two SPs of the quality of Lugo and Pablo Lopez as one poster put on his wish list Hopefully I’m wrong.
 
#1,285      
EyeoftheIllini
Just saw ESPN’s new trade deadline article and they’re still pushing Alcantara to Cubs. And the mock trades I’ve seen for him (not from ESPN) are still crazy. I don’t think Alcantara gets traded this month. Marlins won’t be dropping the price much if at all (doesn’t make sense to), and too big of question mark for this season to pay up. Cabrera is the more likely SP to be traded.
 
#1,286      
Warren Carter Fanclub
EyeoftheIllini said:
Just saw ESPN’s new trade deadline article and they’re still pushing Alcantara to Cubs. And the mock trades I’ve seen for him (not from ESPN) are still crazy. I don’t think Alcantara gets traded this month. Marlins won’t be dropping the price much if at all (doesn’t make sense to), and too big of question mark for this season to pay up. Cabrera is the more likely SP to be traded.
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Miami would want a haul for Cabrera.
 
#1,287      
jsmoke2215
About to get swept by the worst 3 pitchers on a truly abysmal baseball team. Attaboy Jed, top 5 in payroll and revenue and this will be 8 straight years without an NLCS appearance!
 
#1,288      
bdutts
EyeoftheIllini said:
I’ve mentioned it before, but I have no idea what exactly someone means by “not giving up much.” Does that mean wouldn’t trade any top 30 prospects? Not someone in top 15? Top 5?

To get any SP having any semblance of being worth a pickup at deadline isn’t likely going to cost nothing. Last year, Houston gave up approximately its 6, 11, and 15 prospects for Kikuchi. Now Houston’s farm system isn’t good, so that’s not as bad as it might seem. Cubs system is much better, but that still likely equates to at least a top 15 or so prospect and a top 30. Not sure I’d call that “not much,” but it is the cost of doing business at this time.

What is appealing about getting Houser and Sosa in one deal is they are really cheap (I think their combined 2025 salaries might be under $2M) and you spread the cost of prospects over two players. So if you can get the both of them for say Pedro Ramirez, Christian Franklin and an unranked prospect, I think that’s worth it to get an upgrade at 3B and SP for this season. I’m actually not sure that would be enough as with the season Houser is having and his minuscule salary, I think someone will pay up for him.
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Yeah, I know that "not giving up much" is ambiguous so I'll have a look at the two White Sox guys and think about it.

In looking at the stats from the two White Sox guys, Sosa has a better BA than Shaw but he can't walk to save his life. He's played 3B below average. I agree with you he's a good bench guy so I'm not giving up anyone higher the #30 in the prospect pool (I don't know who that is for the Cubs).

Regarding Houser, he's had a career year in an otherwise pedestrian career. He doesn't strike out guys. His FIP is double what his real ERA is but still good. I'd give up #15 for him. Ok, so there it is: I'd give up #15 and #30 prospect for both of those guys. They can have Brujan, too.
 
#1,290      
EyeoftheIllini
bdutts said:
Yeah, I know that "not giving up much" is ambiguous so I'll have a look at the two White Sox guys and think about it.

In looking at the stats from the two White Sox guys, Sosa has a better BA than Shaw but he can't walk to save his life. He's played 3B below average. I agree with you he's a good bench guy so I'm not giving up anyone higher the #30 in the prospect pool (I don't know who that is for the Cubs).

Regarding Houser, he's had a career year in an otherwise pedestrian career. He doesn't strike out guys. His FIP is double what his real ERA is but still good. I'd give up #15 for him. Ok, so there it is: I'd give up #15 and #30 prospect for both of those guys. They can have Brujan, too.
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We’re on the same page then. The two guys I mentioned are #16 and #25 in Cubs system if I remember correctly. We’ll have to see what the SP market is, but I think might have to throw in an unranked prospect or two to sweeten the deal. Houser has been pretty meh in his career, but he’ll still be very much in demand at deadline with the season he’s having and the paltry salary.

On Sosa, he definitely isn’t a long-term solution at 3B. I think he projects as a utility guy on a good team who can start for awhile because of an injury and not kill you. And that is essentially what he’d be for Cubs this year. Over last 28 days he’s had 71 ABs and is 9-3-12, .267/.297/.479. Over same time Shaw has had 67 ABs and is 6-0-6, .194/.210/.164. So definitely an upgrade offensively for this year.
 
#1,292      
Mr. Tibbs
EyeoftheIllini said:
Cubs and PCA broke out the bats.
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PCA doing everything he can to be MVP. I loved Baez when on our roster , but PCA is at another level. like 3 levels higher . that trade was awesome in retrospect

but Baez with the swipe tags at 2nd fielding throws from the catcher , and his maneuvers while on the base paths were pure genius . I miss that
 
#1,295      
bdutts
IlliniFanTX said:
Random Friday thought. Do we make a run at getting ol' Kyle Hendricks back at the deadline? Would likely come pretty cheap.
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Why? He’s no better than what they already have.
 
#1,296      
IlliniFanTX
bdutts said:
Why? He’s no better than what they already have.
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more of a "the devil you know" kind of thing for me. We're short on starters, obviously, and like I was saying, he'd be relatively cheap in what is somewhat of a down market for starting pitching help.
 
#1,297      
Gary J
The Shaw situation- love his defense, love his speed… the hitting is a big problem. At this point he is lost and almost an automatic out.

I’ve never seen a hitter at the major leagues level as lost. Mario Mendoza might give him a run for his money. It’s time to get him more seasoning in the minors. I have faith that he will be a good ball player. Just not this year.
 
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