The offseason so far for the Cubs has been ok to say the least. The biggest move made so far was probably the signing of relief pitcher Brad Brach however, I feel like the potential for a huge offseason is much more. With the future of this team likely being determined by these next few offseasons, I think now is the best time to make some big moves. In this offseason, I will be breaking down what I think the Cubs should do this offseason, no matter how unlikely these moves are. So sit back, relax, and get ready to have your minds blown.
Trades
Cubs receive: OF Shin-Soo Choo, LHP Mike Minor
Rangers receive: OF Jason Heyward, RHP Alex Lange, LHP Brendon Little, OF Brennan Davis, RHP Cory Abbott, cash considerations
Dumping contracts should be a very large part of what the Cubs do this offseason in my opinion. It wouldn’t be impossible to dump Heyward, a .270 BA with a 12.3 K% and 23 2B isn’t horrible, but the $106M for 5 years is. This trade has the Cubs take on $42M for 2 years in Choo at a $21M AAV and Minor for around $20M for 2 years at a $9.83M AAV. In total the Cubs would take on a larger amount of salary than keeping Heyward from 2019-2020, but release all salary afterwards to re-sign the main core. With this trade, the Cubs would eat 15% of Heyward’s remaining contract, so the Rangers would gain approximately $28.1M, but gaining 4 prospects would more than make up for that in my opinion.
Choo is 36 and is a defensive liability in the outfield, but his hitting is still strong for a player like him. In 2018 he put up a .264/.377/.434 line, 21 HR, 148 H, 92 BB, and 156 SO in 665 PA. Good enough stats to have a starting job on the team, regardless of defense. Minor was decent in his starting job on Texas last year, posting a 4.18 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 132 SO, 38 BB, and a .235 BAA in 157 IP. If they got him, ideally I’d like to flip him to Philly or the Mets for some minor league assets with 2020 or 2021 ETAs, which I will get into later.
Cubs receive: UTL Alex Gordon
Royals receive: RHP Tyler Chatwood, RHP Thomas Hatch
This trade should be considered very minor in the scale of this offseason. As the goal is to save money for the near future, this trade is a no-brainer for the Cubs. Gordon, who recieved a 4 year, $72M contract befre the 2016 season, is now 34 and well past his prime. For the remainder of his contract, he is getting paid a guaranteed $24M, $20M in 2019 with a $4M buyout in 2020. Chatwood on the other hand is getting paid a guaranteed $25.5M the next 2 years, so a decent pitching prospect like Hatch with him should compensate for the extra $1.5M the Royals take. In the offseason, Gordon is waived immediately after the trade, so the Cubs pay the remaining $24M with the buyout in 2020.
Cubs receive: OF Juan Lagares, OF Adrian Hernandez
Mets receive: RHP Brandon Morrow, LHP Mike Minor
At close glance, this may seem like a massive loss for the Cubs, but for what else in store I believe it could be the opposite. Minor and Morrow are good relievers when healthy, but that healthy is a big if. Morrow is coming off a season where he pitched 30.2 IP, which isn’t very reliable for $9M. Lagares is getting paid the same amount however, he can be waived and pay the $500K 2020 buyout by the Cubs. This deal also frees up Minor’s total salary, which likely won’t be a huge burden, stick around to find out why. The Mets have also expressed interest in Minor which is a plus, and a backend of Morrow-Familia-Díaz is certainly one to fear. It also gives us a decent outfield prospect in Hernandez, who has been compared to José Guillén.
Cubs receive: UTL Jonathan Villar, RHP Mychal Givens
Orioles receive: SS Addison Russell, LHP Justin Steele, OF Brennen Davis, SS Zack Short
This is the first trade out of the ones I listed that’s intention wasn’t to clear salary or roster room. Villar, 27, is a 6-year MLB veteran with 2 years of team control left. Last season, Villar’s numbers weren’t too good, boasting a .260/.325/.384 line with 14 HR, 121 H, 41 BB, and 138 SO in 515 PA. Not great, but provides a decent switch bat to platoon with Ben Zobrist at second base, or play anywhere on the field needed barring right, first, and catcher. He has decent leadoff stats, boasting a .286/.344/.357 line, and is a speed demon, posting 35 SB last season with an 87.5% success rate.
Givens would fill in the closer role that trading Morrow would have. While having a down season last year, he posted solid numbers including a 3.99 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 79 SO, 30 BB, and a .218 BAA in 76.2 IP. While not his usual numbers, they’re still solid and manageable for a closer. Not to mention his 3.41 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in the 29 IP he had save situations. Returning to his form would merely be an upgrade this trade would bring to the team. Not to mention the 3 years of control he has left is something that could be handy for the team’s future.
Cubs receive: OF David Peralta, RHP Archie Bradley
Diamondbacks receive: UTL Ian Happ, LHP Mike Montgomery, SS Aramis Ademan, RHP Oscar de la Cruz
Like the saying goes, you always save the best for last. This trade would be the biggest for the Cubs on this list in my opinion for the team around right now. Peralta, 31, is a 5-year MLB veteran with 2 more years of control left on his contract. Last season, he posted some incredible stats, highlighted by a .293/.352/.516 stat line, 30 HR, 164 H, 48 BB, and 124 SO in 614 PA. He did have much worse road splits, such as a .246/.312/.438 stat line however, they’ve been better in his career, with a .267/.328/.426 stat line. He is also very clutch, as with RISP his stat line is .356/.410/.606, RISP with 2 outs .362/.423/.574, and late and close .288/.367/.563.
Bradley, 26, is entering his 5th season, with 3 more years of contract control left on him. While he did have a down season, posting a 3.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 75 SO, 20 BB, and a .229 BAA, I have reason to believe he can do better when handled well. Now, those are good stats which are a definite upgrade over Montgomery, but that’s not where the positives end. Last season in non-save situations he was tremendous, posting a 2.35 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 27 SO, 9 BB, and a .171 BAA in 30.2 IP. Seeing as here they get Givens to fill the closer role, Bradley would consistently get non-save situations, hopefully boosting his numbers.
While losing Happ could definitely hurt in the long run, I believe we should try and do whatever we can to win in the next few years, as that is our best window. Seeing as we can get a very clutch versatile outfielder and a solid righty to give the bullpen depth for him, I believe that is worth it. Happ flows with potential, although his stats took a dip last year fans have seen that he has a lot of pop, and if utilized it could be deadly. That’s why I believe this trade helps both teams equally, it helps the Cubs in the short-term and the D-Backs in the long-term.
Free Agent Signings
Cubs sign RHP Shawn Kelley to a 2-year, $10M contract with a $2M buyout after the 2019 season
Kelley, 34, was a dominant reliever last season. For the Nats and A’s, he posted a 2.94 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 50 SO, 11 BB, and a .188 BAA. Those stats alone are enough to peak interest however, that’s not where his pros end. Not only is he a monster away, posting a 1.25 ERA and 0.65 WHIP on the road in 21.2 IP, but he also posts opposite splits. He is able to shut down opposing batters from both sides of the plate very well, posting a 2.53 ERA vs lefties and 3.74 ERA vs righties. Finally, he is great for preserving a lead or in a non-save situation, posting a 2.25 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 44 IP of non-save situations. There is no doubt he could add some good depth to this bullpen.
Cubs sign LHP Oliver Pérez to a 1-year, $2M contract, with a $3M player option for the 2020 season
Pérez is a no-brainer to solidify the bullpen with a cheap and viable lefty. Last season he was dominant for Cleveland, and despite being 37 he still has some stuff left in the tank. Last year, he posted a 1.39 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 43 SO, 7 BB, and a .155 BAA in 32.1 IP. While this may be a career year, he is certainly the most cost-effective lefty if the Cubs want to go cheap. There is not much to say beyond those stats, he was good in any situation and on the road. Again, for cheap, Pérez is a no-brainer to this bullpen.
Cubs sign C Martín Maldonado to a 1-year, $4M contract with a $4M player option for the 2020 season
Maldonado is a great option for the backup catcher spot. While his hitting is pretty unsatisfactory, his defense is the exact opposite, which is what the Cubs need in a backup catcher. I’ll start with his CS%, which is very impressive at a total 49%, almost double the league average which was 28%. That isn’t all though, as his veteran experience catching some great pitchers could come in handy for the guys who struggled somewhat last season. Also, his Called Strikes Above Average (CSAA), wasn’t great, at about a .005, but that’s still decent for framing and he has proven to have reached the .020 range in the past. All-around, would be a significant backup catcher improvement.
Extra Moves
- UTL David Bote is sent down to Triple-A Iowa
- LHP Brian Duensing and RHP Brandon Kintzler are designated for assignment
2019 Roster
Starters:
- LHP Jon Lester
- RHP Kyle Hendricks
- RHP Yu Darvish
- LHP José Quintana
- LHP Cole Hamels
Relievers:
- RHP Brad Brach
- RHP Archie Bradley
- RHP Steve Cishek
- RHP Carl Edwards Jr.
- RHP Mychal Givens
- RHP Shawn Kelley
- LHP Oliver Pérez
- RHP Pedro Strop
Catchers
- C Willson Contreras
- C Martín Maldonado
Infielders
- 1B Anthony Rizzo
- 2B/SS Javier Báez
- UTL Ben Zobrist
- UTL Jonathan Villar
- 3B Kris Bryant
- 2B Daniel Descalso
Outfielders
- OF Albert Almora Jr.
- OF Shin-Soo Choo
- OF David Peralta
- OF Kyle Schwarber
You can never dream too big am I right?
The MLB Enthusiast 