Pablo Ozuna!!

_________________
Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I like Alcantara. I think he will be a good pro. He is only 22. His numbers do not look good, but he has demonstrated an ability at all levels to adjust and improve which is why he made it here at this age in the first place.

He will be the starting CF next year, and possibly for a while since Almora has shown to be worse than Alcantara in the minors.

Cubs lineup next season (by May 1st):

Coughlan LF
Castro SS
Bryant 3B
Rizzo 1B
Soler RF
Baez 2B
Alcantara CF
Castillo C

I would bet at least two guys in that lineup aren't Cubs at all by May 1 next year.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Bryant for sure.

Baez or Castro is the other for you, probably?

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Which two? I don't think the Cubs would trade anyone this offseason.

Coghlan and either Baez or Castro. Maybe Castillo or Alcantara.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Wait - what? Coghlan? How do you figure?

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

From what Ive read lately, Bryant has a real good chance to be here before May 1st.

He has a shot to make the team out of spring, but if he doesnt, he'll come up in the last week of April

Then bring him up now? Super two doesn't matter if that is the case.

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Coughlan is cheap and left handed. I think they keep him. I think they give Addison Russell the Bryant treatment next year and not call him up, so they cannot afford to trade Baez or Castro this offseason.

Castillo is still under team control for a while, so he isn't going anywhere. They may sign someone better to be the starter, but I expect Castillo to still be on the team.

I do not expect any trades this off season from the Cubs unless they can trade Wood, Wada, Jackson, Ruggiano, Sweeney, and Lake. I do expect that they sign Lester and possibly a catcher.

My 25-man would look something like:

OF:
Alcantara
Coughlan
Soler

IF:
Bryant
Castro
Baez
Rizzo
Castillo

SP:
Lester
Arrietta
Hendricks
Wood/Wada/Dubront
Turner

RP:
Rondon
Ramirez
Strop
Grimm
Vizcaino
Wright
Jackson

Bench:
Olt
Valbuena
Ruggiano
Sweeney
Baker

They aren't avoiding Super 2. They are just avoiding starting his clock, period. Will push back his free agency one year if they wait until mid April to bring him up.

Castillo has been very good defensively and offensively lately. I'd like to see them kick the tires on Russell Martin.

Though if they fall out of the bottom 10 I think they'll focus strictly on Lester, Tomas and other non-QO guys.

I don't think Coghlan is a big part of their plans going forward. I would guess they like him enough, but he's a guy you could probably move for prospects to a team looking for a lefthanded extra outfielder. He's not much different than Ryan Sweeney, but he's had an okay year and there's probably a little shine on him right now. And they'll soon be overloaded with corner outfielders who have, you know, actual power.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Service time still matters

And they've said they think it would be putting too much on him and the plan was always for a full year of minor leagues before majors

Cubs will need someone next season who doesn't strike out 200 times and can draw a walk.

And can lead off. I trade no one that is currently producing on the 2014 Cubs (except Valbuena as he will soon be out of a starting role) for prospects at this point until the Cubs have a better idea of the success of their current crop. The Cubs are no longer in rebuild mode...they are now in tweak and build upon core mode.

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

ON Buster Olney's Baseball Today Podcast yesterday he mentioned that general manager's of other teams in baseball that 3 teams may be in on a possible trade for Giancarlo Stanton at the end of the season. The three teams other GMs mentioned were Yankees, Dodgers and Cubs. If the Cubs are IN on this two of the prospects could move (Castro or Baez.... Russel... Almora).

Coughlan is nothing more than a place holder like Barney, Scheirholtz and even Valbuena. I can see him being flipped for a young pitcher.

_________________

Except that Coghlan is under control until 2017, and the Cubs have no one else to play LF. So that would mean they would need to get a more expensive placeholder in the offseason, with a high likelihood of less production.

Also.. .788 OPS.

Also...this board meme of misspelling baseball players' names is getting sort of dumb? About the day it started.

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Russell looks like the real deal. You can't trade that guy. If the Cubs wanted to trade Castro, Baez, and Almora for Stanton, I think they would do that. They would need to bring up Russell immediately, though. Might as well, he could handle it.

Lineup of:

Russell SS
Soler RF
Bryant 3B
Rizzo 1B
Stanton LF
Valbuena 2B
Castillo C

Ive been burned way too many times by that shit


They always just mention the big markets. (I know in this case there may be more to it, but im just worn out on that stuff in general)

Let me know when they're talking to the Marlins

I don't think anyone believes Bryant can be a big league third baseman. Except maybe Bryant himself.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

If they trade for Stanton, he won't have a choice but to play 3B.

Not if he's part of the trade.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

No reason to trade Bryant. I'll admit, I am drunk on the Bryant Kool-Aid, but I see not reason to trade someone for what could end up being and older/more expensive version of that same player.

But that's speculation on Bryant. Stanton is a known quantity. If you could get him for say, Bryant and McKinney, you have to make that deal. If you're a real big market club that really wants to win, that is. If "The Plan" means being the Royals, then no, you don't make that move.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

If the trade is Bryant and McKinney for Stanton, you do that trade a thousand times a week if you're the Cubs.

But I think the Marlins would be looking for "more", even if Bryant isn't included.

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Totally disagree. No way the Cubs do that deal. Besides, the Marlins, IMO, have no leverage in any of these deals. Everyone knows they can't afford to pay Stanton $280M. They HAVE to trade him to get anything for him, because he is out the door when his contract is up. Cubs, as of right now, are not competing for a WS title next year. They have no reason to overpay for Stanton.

What do you mean?

You're trading a guy that you hope has a ceiling of Stanton and "a guy" for a proven Stanton. The Cubs, with their current roster, are over .500 since mid May. Add Stanton to the current offense, and a top-tier free agent pitcher...how are you going to tell me that team isn't competing?

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I don't get excited for a trade anymore until I am told it is imminent

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Nice play out there shit fuck. Cost a run with your nitwittery.
LEARN TO FIELD!

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014