2017 Cubs: Who stays? Who goes?

[ElTexan]

Cubs roster breakdown: Players expected to return, depart for 2017 season

Who stays?
Who goes?

 

[ElTexan]

Chapman gone.
Coghlan, Soler, La Stella all go.
Do not be surprised if we actually shell out big bucks to try to keep Fowler.
Wood gone, although I'd love him to stay.
I really hope we keep Rondon as closer.

Sorry to say, but I think Schwarber will be in the AL next year.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Hammel, Chapman, Wood and Fowler will be gone. Schwarber will depend on the new CBA. If the DH comes to the NL, as expected, then Schwarber stays if not then Schwarber is traded for a young big time pitcher. Soler will be back as the 4th OF. Ross will be with the organization in some capacity, probably catcher coordinator or some other title that lets him go between the minors and majors working with all the catchers in the system. La Stella will be back as a backup 2B/3B. Smith, Cahill and Coghlan are irrelevant so probably gone.

The interesting thing will be who they sign for the rotation in FA. I'm assuming, as Theo is, that the DH comes the NL this off-season in the new CBA. With Hammel gone they will have a rotation spot open. They could sign someone to push Lackey as the #4 or they could try Montgomery and if he crashes then give some prospects a try. None of the prospects project to be more than back end of the rotation types, but that is all they need.

 

[anotheridiot]

Joe has already pretty much said Monty will be in the rotation next year. three out of top ten prospects are pitchers. The current competition for fifth starter is Montgomery, Zas, and Buchannon, who was 12-7 in AAA. No doubt Theo brings in one more.

Theo kind of screwed Fowler again by making the qualifying offer. Most of the talk last off season were teams were interested in Fowler, but not enough to give up a draft pick. I thought they had an understanding that he would not do that this year. Maybe Fowler announcing his free agency on Thursday before the parade changed Theo's mind. Either way, this is the perfect scenario for Fowler, he will go back to being a minus defender if he is signed in a big park, or he will end up in left field.

Schwarber will be here. There will be no DH for the foreseeable future and there is really no way that the other NL teams are going to vote for something that gives the cubs a clear and dangerous advantage. Theo still wants Schwarber to catch someone in the rotation and we all know that Schwarber is at least better than montero and schwarber will continue to work. The outfield is stacked and covered, but I still see Theo bringing in a center fielder. Since we baby Jon Lester with not throwing to bases, not fielding his position, they will baby Heyward by not making him think more in the field and we know Zobrist and Bryant will be playing more outfield. I am sure Theo can decide to put Javy in center, but all the talk of Baez and Russell being the future infield and Baez knack for tagging pretty much shows he should be in the infield. The bigger question is will they actually try to use Zobrist at third or First this year.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Fowler was always getting a QO if he opted out. There was nothing in the contract to say he wouldn't and agreements like that are put in the contract not done on a handshake. This is nothing like last year. Last year was a very deep and talented FA class. This year there are no FAs to chase. Fowler is the only CF on the market that a team would chase. Fowler will continue to be a much improved defensive CF because he made legitimate adjustments to make the change. He changed his whole approach to the position by changing where he positioned himself. He moved out which allows him to cover significantly more ground because you can run in much faster than you can run backwards. That isn't going to change. Cespedes is the only other OF worth mentioning as an FA. There isn't another lead-off hitter on the open market.

Zobrist is not a 3B and has never been. Maddon wouldn't even play Zobrist at 3B when Longoria was hurt. Zobrist doesn't have the arm for 3B. The best alignment, for defensive purposes, would be Zobrist at 2B, Baez at 3B and Bryant in LF. That gives you an above average to elite player at 3 positions. With Baez at 2B, Bryant at 3B and Zobrist in LF you are elite at one position and average at the other two.

The only person on the planet who thinks Schwarber is even close to the catcher that Montero is would be you. Even Schwarber isn't that delusional. Schwarber isn't a catcher. Schwarber isn't a LF. Schwarber is a DH. Unlike you thinking that every other team is worried about the Cubs, instead of their own team, GMs in the NL want the DH. The owners are the hold up because AL owners view it as an advantage over the NL and some NL owners do not want to pay for another full time hitter. However, the union is going to push hard for it and with a vast majority of GMs and over half the owners wanting it there is no reason the union shouldn't win that fight.

Heyward will not be the CF next year. He will stay in RF. Almora is a better defensive CF and is ready for the job. Hopefully they will sign Melancon for a bullpen arm. Jensen and Chapman will get overpaid and Melancon could fly under the radar and sign a reasonable deal. Melancon can not get a QO because he was traded during the season. I could also see Theo taking a flyer on Papelbon either with an incentive laden deal or a minor league contract where Papelbon gets a good salary if he makes the team. This is a very weak FA class which means some players could get overpaid for on the trade market.

 

[ElTexan]

This dirty sooner is correct. I have been calling for this for months:
3B Baez
2B Zo
LF Bryant

I love Schwarby, but that guy has DH written all over him. And no, you do not make a guy who can bat like that (and has double violent knee ligament damage) squat down 150x per day.

Although, I do think Heyward should be at CF if Fowler's gone.

 

[jwolt92]

This dirty sooner is correct. I have been calling for this for months:
3B Baez
2B Zo
LF Bryant

I love Schwarby, but that guy has DH written all over him. And no, you do not make a guy who can bat like that (and has double violent knee ligament damage) squat down 150x per day.

Although, I do think Heyward should be at CF if Fowler's gone.

I think if you put Heyward in center, you're limiting his value. His bat was down this year, and while I don't think he'll continue to be that hopeless (only 15.7% K rate) but he's at his best in right. Almora can play center if Fowler doesn't return. Any way you put it, the Cubs are still scary next year and I don't like it

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

We need to bring in another bullpen arm. We aren't being back chapman or signing Jansen or Melancin. However, I could see a trade for an average closer somewhere. I could see this going down during the season though. It's going to be a quiet offseason on the north side this year.

I'm hearing buzz about this Japanese phenom pitcher/fielder (I think his name is Otemi). He can throw 100+ MPH, but usually sits just below the century mark. He also looks like a great hitter. He could be great, but they are projecting a $200-300 million deal over 10 years. I kind of doubt we are even in the running for him. He's an intriguing prospect though.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Schwarber isn't going anywhere, DH or not.

 

[anotheridiot]

Lester and Hendricks split the vote in Cy young, so Scherzer wins it. MVP will be announced starting in about 15 minutes.

 

[ElTexan]

Lester and Hendricks split the vote in Cy young, so Scherzer wins it. MVP will be announced starting in about 15 minutes.

They only split three first place votes between them, dunce.

 

[NCChiFan]

Huh, no one mentioned Soler going anywhere.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

I was surprised to see them shopping Soler so aggressively. I thought he'd be the 4th OF, but I guess they didn't feel he could stay healthy over a season. It is still a crowded OF and I really hope Theo doesn't hold on to Schwarber too long like he did Castro. Schwarber needs to be moved now while his value is peaked. When he has another significant injury trying to play a position he isn't capable of playing it could kill his value depending on the injury.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Huh, no one mentioned Soler going anywhere.

ElTexan, the shorthorn, in the 2nd post said he was going to be gone along with Coghlan and La Stella.

 

[NCChiFan]

ElTexan, the shorthorn, in the 2nd post said he was going to be gone along with Coghlan and La Stella.

Son of a ... How did I miss that. I stand corrected.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Fowler to the cardinals. I think we all had him going, but it will be interesting to see how he plays for them after having a career year. I think the last two years of that contract are going to be bad as he declines, but the cards will get 2-3 solid years out of him.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I was surprised to see them shopping Soler so aggressively. I thought he'd be the 4th OF, but I guess they didn't feel he could stay healthy over a season. It is still a crowded OF and I really hope Theo doesn't hold on to Schwarber too long like he did Castro. Schwarber needs to be moved now while his value is peaked. When he has another significant injury trying to play a position he isn't capable of playing it could kill his value depending on the injury.

Not a chance in hell the Cubs move schwarber.

 

[anotheridiot]

Fowler to the cardinals. I think we all had him going, but it will be interesting to see how he plays for them after having a career year. I think the last two years of that contract are going to be bad as he declines, but the cards will get 2-3 solid years out of him.

Fowler always was less than expected until he got into a contract year. Now a signing bonus and mad money, I have a pretty good idea his first year is full of pressure and the bad first year of Heyward and Lester come to mind. I just think its funny some cardinal fans are comparing taking fowler from us to taking Heyward from them because everyone is pretty confident Heyward will bounce back. I just hope heyward is in Arizona swinging at live pitching.

For me, I dont see much of a different outcome last year if Fowler did not come back, other than Schwarber would have probably played the entire season.

 

[ElTexan]

For me, I dont see much of a different outcome last year if Fowler did not come back, other than Schwarber would have probably played the entire season.

126 OPS+, one of the best center fielders in the game, and home run to start game 7 of the WS.
What color is the sky in your world?

 

[anotheridiot]

126 OPS+, one of the best center fielders in the game, and home run to start game 7 of the WS.
What color is the sky in your world?

Best in the game? he was terrible in Colorado, bad in Houston, found a nice little park where he can make it to left or right field. Fowler was always a liability his entire career.