Both pairs making 34 million together in '23.

Rizzo & Contreras
Bellinger & Taillon

Cubs desperately need a bat and will have to overpay on Correa or Swanson or risk striking out. Man I hate that fucking Cade Horton pick even more, you had a major league SS ready to go in Brooks Lee and passed on him for a meh pitching. And all the bargains now in FA are on the pitching side.

If I can take any two of the four, it'd be Contreras and Taillon.

The Cubs need to rebuild their minor league system. THEY AREN'T READY!!!

The Cubs and White Sox are being humiliated by the "win at all costs" Yankees, Phillies, Astros, Dodgers, and Padres. Just not the spending but the drafting, talent evaluation, people chosen in charge, and what's demanded of the people put in charge always on the hot seat. The Padres are accumulating all-star talent like no tomorrow. Even if they over pay, over extend, or occasionally misfire they'll be highly competitive for many years. But Cubs fans get 600 ops Bellinger and Marquee / Score Shangri-La in lui of exciting high quality competitive baseball.

Yeah I mean , look how the coaching staff straightened Heyward out . He went from hitting two hoppers to second base 3 times a game instead of two. Bellinger now gets to try and figure it out with 8 weeks of cold shitty weather to start the year too. Im sure thatll help. This team once again will be unwatchable.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Bernstein did a hatchet job on Willson Contreras' defensive shortcomings. Pretty much saying pitchers hated when he caught, and claiming Jim Deshaies bad mouthed Contreras defensively on the air. When he read this tweet he said he'd read it and keep quiet. But, instead piled on more saying the Astros weren't interested in him as a catcher only a DH. Gomes may be better calling a game and framing. But, who signed for 13 million guaranteed and who 87.5 million?

Bernsie used to blow his load all over Contreras’ framing in the good old days.

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If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Those numbers are eye-popping. Contreras is essentially worthless as a catcher. I don’t know how you could read that any other way.

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Has been for a long time. Just always had a good arm so people thought that made him a good catcher . Good riddance.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

lots of contreras stuff.

1) i can't believe him and his agent accepted a measly $17.5 mil per year. considering the other FA catchers and what the 22-23 FA market has given others, including the cubs giving taillon $17 million per year or the mets apparently resigning nimmo for $20 million per. how many all-star appearances does contreras have and how many do taillon and nimmo have? contreras and his agent accepted a deal that pays contreras less than grandal.

2) i felt contreras mailed it in defensively. this past season, i remember 2 instances where he likely caused the cubs to lose. once, he couldn't shift on an expected breaking ball (0-2 count) in the dirt and the cards' runner got a base on a wild pitch. later scored the winning run on a sac fly. another time against the brewers, a throw to the plate had the brewer runner by 5 feet, but contreras kept his mitt high and the runner slid under the 'tag'. no real tag at all. cubs lost that game in extra innings. framing? will it matter in 2 years?

3) i wonder what lester/quintana/arrieta's stats were with contreras in 2016-2019? compared to montero and caratini?? it was obvious hendriks never cared for contreras, i believe caratini was hendriks' personal catcher and said the same things about caratini what he now says about gomes. if contreras was so bad, why didn't ex catcher ross call the game for hendriks or steele or thompson?? sounds like some easy scapegoating.

cubs didn't get bogaerts, they'll prob bid against themselves for swanson.

Rest of staff significant innings '22

Brandon Hughes
2.97 era 679 ops 30.1 ip w/Contreras
3.32 era 686 ops 19 ip w/ Gomes

Javier Assad
0.00era 518 ops 15.1.ip w/Contreras
6.57era 890 ops 12.1 ip w/Gomes


Mark Leiter Jr
5.40 era 729 ops 25 ip w/Contreras
2.97 era 697.ops 30.1 ip w/Gomes

Michael Rucker
4.24 era 661 ops 17 ip w/Contreras
3.38 era 655 ops 29.1.ip w/Gomes

Erich Uelmen
3.97 era 682 ops. 11.1 ip w/Contreras
4.50 era 698 ops 12 ip w/Gomes

Hayden Wesneski
1.29 era 320 ops. 7 ip w/PJ Higgins (no Contreras)
2.42 era 644 ops 26 ip w/Gomes

Rowan Wick
3.98 era 854 ops. 31.2 ip w/Contreras
5.84 era 947 ops 24.2 ip w/Gomes

Scott Effross
1.82 era 541 ops 24.2 ip w/Contreras
3.21 era 553 ops 14 ip w/Gomes

Chris Martin
5.82 era 919 ops 17 ip w/Contreras
2.38 era 738 ops 11.1 ip w/Gomes

David Robertson
2.08.era 5.06 ops 21.2 ip w/Contreras
2.35 era 5.68 ops 15.1 ip w/Gomes

Michael Givens
4.50 era 805 ops 20 ip w/Contreras
0.00 era 327 ops 15 ip w/Gomes

Who gives a shit what hendricks thinks? He sucks, I wanted to trade him 3 years ago..when he had value.

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Crane Kenney talked with handpicked Score/Cubs shills Haugh & ZZ.

CK - Certainly no reason to think we wouldn't be a playoff team this year. (Possibly lack of talent?)

Haugh - Why aren't the Cubs spending and being aggressive like the Padres, Mets and others?

CK- (Totally blew off the question). It's a good thing we're all anxious after a 2-year drought. (Used Hoyers ploy of bringing up past playoff run). Tom has set very few mandates just like when Theo was here. (Oh sure he hasn't.)

Haugh - Will you allow Jed to pursue 10 year/$300+ million contracts like Correa?

CK - The first year after a labor agreement teams are very aggressive spending. Last year the Texas Rangers won the offseason with their free agent signings.

ZZ - (Even shill ZZ was embarrassed by CK's blatant dodge. ZZ came back with his signature damage control) I think what Crane is saying is ...

P & S discussing the interview.

The Cubs are one player away from being a world series contender.
-Danny Parkins

I actually do think Hoyer is under some pressure. A 70 win year could get him fired. There's been enough breadcrumbs sprinkled around by Kenney and Ricketts putting some heat on the front office. Spent a significant amount on Suzuki and Stroman for minimal production. The question by Haugh about the Mets and Padres was dumb. They have ownership who don't care what they're spending. Even teams like the Dodgers don't spend like them.

Lol, Cy Young or Babe Ruth wouldn't make them a WS contender.

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We don't even know if being a yearly contender each year is an essential component to the Cubs financial master plan. Even with Marquee's decreased tank ratings it's still apparently a cash cow. Also national TV and gambling revenues are skyrocketing.

Though I've never heard Crane Kenney more George like awkwardly unsure of himself spewing out his bs. He pretty much assured the Cubs roster would look improved around the Cubs convention (mid Jan) which is unlike circular talking Cubs brass no speak. When ZZ has to jump in the conversation and "I think what Crane means is" something is off.

Funny P & S played a clip of Spiegel's unbridled fake hysteria hearing of the Bellinger signing. The station is now mocking its own Cubs fakeness.

Well they’re both dead.

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Yes the interview with Crane was very awkward and odd. Especially the video version on YouTube which showed Haugh and ZZ both laughing and shaking their head at his rambling.

Crane was definitely openly questioning Jed’s signings and lack thereof the last two years. First time I’ve heard it that blatantly.

Also, him saying he sees “no reason why they wouldn’t be a playoff team” is fucking wild

The first two minutes at least is worth a view

https://youtu.be/s-I66NxMcoQ

Parkins and Spiegel struggle mightily talking anything Cubs. Parkins "The Cubs are one player away from being a world series contender" (Crane Kenny interview discussion) comment must of been a panic blurt as a makeup for being too Cubs talk honest previous statements to cover his ass.

Espn 1000 hosts Sox talk is certainly more honest and not scripted than Score fake upbeat Cubs talk. Spiegel's hysterical joy over Bellinger's (Heyward like slashline '21 & '22) signing has to be another of many humiliating instances for Spiegel making a fool of himself talking Cubs.

Why the hell is Crane doing interviews anyways? He has nothing to do with baseball operations.

Well that’s the most obvious question. He went from virtually giving no comments on player acquisition and off season spending when Theo was in town to now openly saying “well Jed didn’t spend all the money we gave him last year because he didn’t see fit to but this year I hope he does spend it all and there’s no reason we shouldn’t be contending for a playoff spot.”

Quite the difference

Did you happen to hear Friedell blasting the cubs when he joined Kap and Jesse? It was very good radio and is a perfect example of what would never happen on 670 anymore

It is hard to be optimistic about the Cubs. The team lacks a super star period. They have an okay starting staff. But they are devoid of significant minor league talent. Their lineup may beat the Pirates and Reds, while it is miles from the Dodgers and Padres.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Whatever more the Cubs do in free agency Bellinger will be pushed as the 2nd rebuild's first superstar. New joyful hysteria Saturday Haugh & Levine (both of course agreed) if they get Swanson he's strictly a bottom of the order hitter. But Bellinger, he can dominate anywhere 1-5

Nick Friedell is a Cubs talk truth machine. He steamrolled deer in the headlights Jesse Rogers who didn't know what hit him. JR is humorous like here when he goes on damage control. JR counterpunching with bs jabs was no match for Nick Friedell's Ricketts Cubs timeline truth haymakers. Also, when Silvy & NF talk Cubs it's a must listen with both one-time Cubs season ticket holders venting out their angry Cubs truthfulness.



https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1 ... 0589614564

I don't see how the Bellinger deal makes sense. The Cubs are going nowhere next year and if Bellinger suddenly figures out what his problem is, he'll sign a FA contract with someone else. The lack of a team option for 2024 is just negligence on the Cubs' part.

I agree with Parkins that Correa is not the player the Cubs should be backing up the truck for. He's not that much of an upgrade over Hoerner (1 more WAR last year) and apparently has back issues. But the fact the Cubs will point to Bellinger and Taillon as a good offseason is just infuriating when compared to the big boy teams.

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If they don't sign Swanson, I'd like to see them sign Jean Segura to play 2B and leave Hoerner at short (preferably with an extension). Segura has been a solid offensive player all but one of the last seven years, and hasn't embarrassed himself at 2B. He's 33, he is coming off of a 4/59 contract, so 3/55 should be realistic. And that would give them time for their myriad of SS prospects in the low minors to sort themselves out and see who becomes a legitimate major leaguer.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Because he came up so early people forget how young Correa is. He’s only two years older than Hoerner.

This is easy, sign Correa and move him to third. You’ve got your SS and 3b set for the next 5+ years.