2021 MLB Thread

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

Seems like a decent return for the Cubs. Yankees #12 and 14 prospects. Cubs twitter is melting down, forgetting that he refused a generous extension and was leaving as a free agent anyways.

IMO you probably shoulda gotten more. Rangers got 6 prospects for a years and a half of Gallo who isn’t as good as Rizzo IMO.

"Boik14 wrote:

IMO you probably shoulda gotten more. Rangers got 6 prospects for a years and a half of Gallo who isn’t as good as Rizzo IMO.

Possibly so, but it is what it is. Rizzo had six straight years with nearly identical batting stats, played gold glove defense, and was never hurt, but the last two have been a shadow of that. He was the captain and the heart of the team, so its sad to see him go, but the production just isn't there any more. I hope that he bounces back in the future, where ever he goes next season.

Dodgers just pulled Trea Turner and Max (who would only waive NTC to go west or Midwest, not NY) for Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray and 2 minor leaguers.

Sandy better get to work and offer like Mauricio, Dom Smith and Baty to the Cubs for Kimbrel Bryant and Baez. Then send Davis and something for Berrios. Lol. Got some heavy lifting to do.

"Boik14 wrote:

Dodgers just pulled Trea Turner and Max (who would only waive NTC to go west or Midwest, not NY) for Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray and 2 minor leaguers.

Sandy better get to work and offer like Mauricio, Dom Smith and Baty to the Cubs for Kimbrel Bryant and Baez. Then send Davis and something for Berrios. Lol. Got some heavy lifting to do.

Padres looked to have had the upper hand on Max until the Dodgers struck and added Turner to boot. Gotta think the Pads will go hard after Berrios now.

"Boik14 wrote:

IMO you probably shoulda gotten more. Rangers got 6 prospects for a years and a half of Gallo who isn’t as good as Rizzo IMO.

Gallo has been the far superior player the last two years and has way more control. It also looks to be a 4 player deal, not 6.

I'm just surprised that Kimbrel hasn't been traded yet, and neither has Bryant. Those are probably the Cubbies most valuable chips, so could be they are holding out for a good package, but I'd have expected them to be moved earlier.

"texanphinatic wrote:

Padres looked to have had the upper hand on Max until the Dodgers struck and added Turner to boot. Gotta think the Pads will go hard after Berrios now.

The Pads could easily pivot that way. The Mets could put a kabash on that by taking Donaldsons gross contract if it came to it.

"texanphinatic wrote:

Gallo has been the far superior player the last two years and has way more control. It also looks to be a 4 player deal, not 6.

I'm just surprised that Kimbrel hasn't been traded yet, and neither has Bryant. Those are probably the Cubbies most valuable chips, so could be they are holding out for a good package, but I'd have expected them to be moved earlier.

Well as it gets closer to the deadline the Cubs lose leverage. IMO Aldersons trying to wait them out.

The original report on Gallo was 6 prospects…either way he’s very overrated IMO. He’s got an extra year of control but Rizzo plays a good 1b and Gallo can’t make contact with a beach ball on a consistent basis.

Berrios to the Jays. Good move for them. Twins get Simeon Woods Richardson who the Mets dealt to Toronto in the Stroman deal

"Boik14 wrote:

Well as it gets closer to the deadline the Cubs lose leverage. IMO Aldersons trying to wait them out.

The original report on Gallo was 6 prospects…either way he’s very overrated IMO. He’s got an extra year of control but Rizzo plays a good 1b and Gallo can’t make contact with a beach ball on a consistent basis.

Hey now, we need a big return if you guys get Baez and Bryant. I know its a rental, but those guys could turn it on and give you 20 homers each and great defense the rest of the way.

Kimbrel going to the White Sox, per everyone. No word on the return.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

Kimbrel going to the White Sox, per everyone. No word on the return.

Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The #Cubs will receive second baseman Nick Madrigal and pitcher Codi Heuer from the #WhiteSox for Craig Kimbrel.
2:26 PM · Jul 30, 2021

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

3380493, member: 5492"]Hey now, we need a big return if you guys get Baez and Bryant. I know its a rental, but those guys could turn it on and give you 20 homers each and great defense the rest of the way.

You didn’t get a big return on Rizzo. Or on Schwarber. I don’t think you’re getting the haul you want with 90 minutes til the deadline. But we will see.

I just know who I don’t want and that’s Byron Buxton. On another team he might a beast. On the Mets, he’s a permanent DL candidate.

"Boik14 wrote:

Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The #Cubs will receive second baseman Nick Madrigal and pitcher Codi Heuer from the #WhiteSox for Craig Kimbrel.
2:26 PM · Jul 30, 2021

Well, that's interesting. Madrigal was the 4th overall pick in 2018, and is still fairly young. But he's been hurt a TON since last year. Hopefully he can recover. Like the profile, hitting .317 at the MLB level. Hopefully he and Nico Horner can develop into a solid middle infield who hits for average and doubles starting in 2022.

The Dodgers are just a powerhouse. Almost the Yankees of the 90s now. If all of their guys can come back healthy next month, they're going to have people on the bench who are better than starters on other contenders.

"Boik14 wrote:

You didn’t get a big return on Rizzo. Or on Schwarber. I don’t think you’re getting the haul you want with 90 minutes til the deadline. But we will see.

I just know who I don’t want and that’s Byron Buxton. On another team he might a beast. On the Mets, he’s a permanent DL candidate.

No, Rizzo didn't bring back much, but that was expected. At this point, something is better than nothing, which is what we were getting if we waited until the offseason and let him walk. Schwarbs actually left as a free agent, so we got zilch from him last year.

At this point, the team is being torn apart, and we'll get what we get. They needed to start trading guys a year ago, and now they're stuck with the situation. Its what happens when you try and drag things a year further than they should. At the end of the day, Theo and Hoyer are failures for not getting an extension done with a single one of the big six bats. It'll be something that Cubs fans remember for a long time almost as much as the 2016 title.

Everyone seems to be saying that the Mets are more likely to trade for Javy than Bryant now.

EDIT, looks like its close to done.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

Everyone seems to be saying that the Mets are more likely to trade for Javy than Bryant now.

EDIT, looks like its close to done.

BREAKING: The New York Mets are finalizing a trade to acquire shortstop Javier Baez from the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN. Deal is pending medicals.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2021

Yup looks like Trevor Williams is in the deal too. Hearing it could be McNeil. I think lindor hates mcneil lol.

"Boik14 wrote:

Yup looks like Trevor Williams is in the deal too. Hearing it could be McNeil. I think lindor hates mcneil lol.

Ummm, we better be getting something more than a 29 year old second baseman....

19-year old OF Pete Crow-Armstrong looks to be headed to the Cubs for Baez. MLB rates him as the Mets #5 prospect, playing at low A right now.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

Ummm, we better be getting something more than a 29 year old second baseman....

So far that’s just a rumor.

nightengale saying Pete Crow-Armstrong is heading to Chicago in the deal. No word on anything else. Sandy trading Van Waganens 1st round picks after Brodie traded Kelenic is hysterical

"Boik14 wrote:

So far that’s just a rumor.

nightengale saying Pete Crow-Armstrong is heading to Chicago in the deal. No word on anything else. Sandy trading Van Waganens 1st round picks after Brodie traded Kelenic is hysterical

New regime, different priorities. Baez himself was the last first rounder taken before Theo took over in Chicago. Cubs fans used to worry that he'd be dealt away because of that.

Bryant still not going anywhere.

I love the Kimbrel trade for the Cubs, Madrigal can be a plus player and is ready for MLB action once he recovers (likely to start next season). Nice table setter in the more classic contact hitter mold. Also young.

Will be interesting to see what all the plan for the Cubs actually is. I feel like a total teardown and multi-year rebuild (ala what they did last time) is going to turn off a LOT of fans. But they have lost a lot of talent. I guess we will see what they do in the offseason.

"texanphinatic wrote:

Bryant still not going anywhere.

I love the Kimbrel trade for the Cubs, Madrigal can be a plus player and is ready for MLB action once he recovers (likely to start next season). Nice table setter in the more classic contact hitter mold. Also young.

Will be interesting to see what all the plan for the Cubs actually is. I feel like a total teardown and multi-year rebuild (ala what they did last time) is going to turn off a LOT of fans. But they have lost a lot of talent. I guess we will see what they do in the offseason.

15 minutes left for them to move Bryant. Deep breaths. We've spent years getting to this point, knowing that he was always going to leave the Cubs when his control was up because of his agent. If they fail to deal him, it will be such a sledgehammer to the groin.

Big picture, this all needed to happen. The team was horribly flawed with the bats, and they can't develop pitching. They needed a hard reset, and I don't expect them to be any good until at least 2024. I know that a large part of Cubs fandom is melting down today, but I'm not. A lot of people can't see past tomorrow.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

New regime, different priorities. Baez himself was the last first rounder taken before Theo took over in Chicago. Cubs fans used to worry that he'd be dealt away because of that.

Yeah it’s just the weirdness of the situation. Sort of tit for tat. Lindor was thrilled about Baez I can tell ya that.

"Boik14 wrote:

Yeah it’s just the weirdness of the situation. Sort of tit for tat. Lindor was thrilled about Baez I can tell ya that.

I hope that they're both happy and that Baez plays well. It became clear that he was never going to accept an extension from the Cubs, so it was time to go.