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Post by chubbs63 on Jul 23, 2023 11:30:45 GMT -5
I’m for keeping both
Give stro 4 at 25-27 a year
Belli 5 at 25 a year
He does not stop pca from coming up he can play first DH when he needs a rest. Outfield if someone is hurt or needs a day off. Cubs need a lefty hitter like Belli you can’t just “find one”
Whether you think stro is an ace or a number 2 he is valuable to this team. The cubs need both to succeed this year and the coming years.
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Post by kfidd on Jul 23, 2023 11:55:17 GMT -5
I’m for keeping both Give stro 4 at 25-27 a year Belli 5 at 25 a year He does not stop pca from coming up he can play first DH when he needs a rest. Outfield if someone is hurt or needs a day off. Cubs need a lefty hitter like Belli you can’t just “find one” Whether you think stro is an ace or a number 2 he is valuable to this team. The cubs need both to succeed this year and the coming years. I would be open to Stroman at 4/100, but I don’t think I would offer that now. The free agent pitching market ahead is deep and Stroman will be available then as well as other ace caliber pitchers like Ohtani, Urias, Nola, and Yamamoto. Heck, even Snell is set to be a free agent and has been on an absolutely torrid run after a rough start to the season (sort of the opposite of Stroman in July). Stroman can not receive the qualify offer so I’m trading him now to get whatever value I can from him and then he becomes an off-season consideration. Bellinger is tougher for me. I agree that he is someone that absolutely should be on this team for 2024+. He’s a great fit in a variety of ways. He can receive the QO so there is some value retention there incase the Cubs keep him and he still opts out. Speaking of opting out, I would say that’s all but a guarantee he will. It’s worth keeping in mind why he signed the 1 year deal and who his agent is. (Boras). Everything is lining up for him to receive a massive payday in free agency, and the 5/125 you suggest likely isn’t close to getting it done. He will be the best bat available not named Ohtani while being just 28 years young and playing excellent defense at a premium position. He is getting paid. I’m not sure the Cubs can offer a contract right now that will get him to forego his free agency bid, but they absolutely should pursue him in free agency where other big players like the Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, and Mets could also all be in on him (which makes sense to try and avoid him getting to that point but his incentive is also to be a free agent and create that bidding war for himself). So me? I’m trading both Stroman and Bellinger now while I can to help fill holes on this team that don’t have solutions ahead in free agency. We’ve all said it plenty of times but the primary target should be third base. Find a guy to cement that position for the next 5+ years and be a key component of our offense and we’ll all be happy. Then, grab one of the many upper tier arms available in free agency ahead and pursue Bellinger for OF/1B but be prepared for him to cost big bucks and years. The biggest advantage to not trading either right now is to try and be more competitive in the final two months, but I don’t think the risk of losing on their trade returns is worth it for an off shot at the playoffs when the team has been as bad as it has been all season as it is. If you keep them both and neither stays, you could well lose out on the playoffs and your only compensation is a QO compensation draft pick. For a team that doesn’t feel ready to compete yet that is a huge price to pay and unlikely to pay off with a playoff bid. |
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Post by chubbs63 on Jul 23, 2023 12:40:37 GMT -5
Everything you say makes 100% sense.
Hope the cubs do the opposite sign both of them.
Maybe 28 for 5 years. I think they need both and hope they don’t take the risk of waiting to see.
Sign them!!
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Post by icewatkins on Jul 23, 2023 13:09:46 GMT -5
I agree, but Bellinger would be stupid to not put himself on the free agent market this winter. And he won't. He's not signing now, so unfortunately the only intelligent option is to trade him and try to re-sign him over the winter.
If the Cubs are factoring PCA into any decisions with Bellinger, they are stupid. Whether you want to hear it or not, the chances that PCA becomes anywhere near the hitter Bellinger has been this season are very, very slim. He's a highly ranked prospect. That's great. But I'm done betting on these prospects to be game changers. Very few are even if they are solid MLB caliber players.
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Post by threeandone on Jul 23, 2023 16:56:11 GMT -5
I’m for keeping both Give stro 4 at 25-27 a year Belli 5 at 25 a year He does not stop pca from coming up he can play first DH when he needs a rest. Outfield if someone is hurt or needs a day off. Cubs need a lefty hitter like Belli you can’t just “find one” Whether you think stro is an ace or a number 2 he is valuable to this team. The cubs need both to succeed this year and the coming years. I am good with keeping both, although I understand the reasoning behind trading Stroman. But this team should be thinking about who will help this team now AND the immediate future. No more trading everyone away just to get more prospects. Prospects are never a sure thing. I am adament about keeping Bellinger. Trading him goes against everything a team that wants to win for the foreseeable future should be doing. Of course you might lose him in free agency. That is certainly a risk, but trade him and you do lose him. Teams (and players) generally do not go back and do it again with each other. There are exceptions, but they are just that. But Bellinger checks all of the boxes. Offense, defense, speed, versatility, still in his 20's, established major leaguer, middle of the order power hitter, left handed power hitter, proven winner. Sure they have prospects, but Bellinger already IS what they want those prospects to be. Keep him and prepare to pay big for him. It is a risk, but every player is a risk. Build around this guy, Swanson, and Hoerner. |
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Post by batman66 on Jul 23, 2023 17:38:12 GMT -5
I’m for keeping both Give stro 4 at 25-27 a year Belli 5 at 25 a year He does not stop pca from coming up he can play first DH when he needs a rest. Outfield if someone is hurt or needs a day off. Cubs need a lefty hitter like Belli you can’t just “find one” Whether you think stro is an ace or a number 2 he is valuable to this team. The cubs need both to succeed this year and the coming years. I am good with keeping both, although I understand the reasoning behind trading Stroman. But this team should be thinking about who will help this team now AND the immediate future. No more trading everyone away just to get more prospects. Prospects are never a sure thing. I am adament about keeping Bellinger. Trading him goes against everything a team that wants to win for the foreseeable future should be doing. Of course you might lose him in free agency. That is certainly a risk, but trade him and you do lose him. Teams (and players) generally do not go back and do it again with each other. There are exceptions, but they are just that. But Bellinger checks all of the boxes. Offense, defense, speed, versatility, still in his 20's, established major leaguer, middle of the order power hitter, left handed power hitter, proven winner. Sure they have prospects, but Bellinger already IS what they want those prospects to be. Keep him and prepare to pay big for him. It is a risk, but every player is a risk. Build around this guy, Swanson, and Hoerner. <<I am adament about keeping Bellinger. Trading him goes against everything a team that wants to win for the foreseeable future should be doing>> I agree 100% Bellinger I'm at 100% keep and try to work out an extension to the point just pretty much ask him what it would take and give it to him because he's exactly what they need moving forward. I think it's pretty clear he's not the guy he was the last 2-3 seasons anymore and he's back to being a legit force in a batting order who also happens to play GG caliber D wherever they put him and he's an excellent base runner and a perfect got for this line up. I realize you can't force a guy to sign and stay , but they need to keep him and get to work on trying to make that happen. The trade and then re-sign thing , not worth the risk in my opinion. If they can't get him to bite on an extension then they can offer the QO so there is a little safety net there. Stroman I'd still prefer to keep , either by extension or trade and re -sign which he says he's open to. They can't just let him walk away in free agency with no compensation. I'm going to be very pissed if they trade Bellinger , but I understand it if they trade Stroman. |
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Post by holycow23 on Jul 23, 2023 19:07:37 GMT -5
Trade.
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