How much would SANDY ALCANTARA improve Chicago Cubs rotation?

How much would SANDY ALCANTARA improve Chicago Cubs rotation?

We tell you why Sandy El Contra is a Cubs trade target. You are Locked on Cubs. Your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked On Network. Your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Network. Now the number one sports podcast network. We are your team every day. Alongside Sam Olber, I’m Matt Cozy. Sam and I are lifelong fans taking our passion into a discussion with you and all things Cubs. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, we’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app today. Later on, we are going to do home run related trivia. Uh, and we’re also going to discuss the Cubs maybe not going the trade route. Uh, because of their reliance on on a couple of guys, they may need to depending on the uh the position they decide to go in. And we start though with maybe the main target right now if they do make a trade and that’s Sandy Alcantra who in 31 starts for the Marlins last year posted a 536 erra. Now his first 11 starts I I remember tracking this actually a little bit in real time because he was always a trade candidate really the whole season definitely when rolled around. 847 erra in his first 11 starts. 847, but it’s not a not an area code. Uh it’s an erra. It’s my area code. And uh ton of walks, 29 of them to 40ks in 51 innings. Next 12 starts, 514, but his last eight starts a 268 erra. Only 10 walks to 52 strikeouts in 53 innings. He’s a two-time all-star. He won the NL Sai Young in 22. He did miss the entire 24 campaign due to Tommy John’s surgery. Sam Sandy Alcantra would significantly raise the ceiling of the Cubs rotation in 26. Well, in 2022, I was doing a show from a completely different location and so were you. It’s a long time ago. Um I know a lot of lot of life changes on this show. Yeah. I um first of all, let me say this. Hope everyone’s having a good Monday. It’s pitch black 4:00 snowing. Uh, snowing again. Again. I know some people might be like, “Hey guys, like, you know, first you go to to this guy and this guy and this guy.” Look, these guys are all connected to the Cubs. Um, and and and there’s really a case to be made or not to be made to trade for or acquire any of them. And that’s what the off season’s about. And that’s what we’re doing. Yeah. And sometimes I get it. You know what I mean? It’s like, “All right, well, let’s just see what happens.” I think this one is the most interesting. And and I really do believe that there are two massive sides to this. Um the first side is I don’t want a guy that that hasn’t been good in a while, that just had an erra, you know, in in Ben Brown’s territory. And then the other side of it is exactly how you presented it, which is if he can get right, it raises the ceiling of this rotation, it makes it very, very dangerous because if Sandy Alcantra were to return to form and you pair that with Cade Horton and you pair that with Justin Steel, it’s really special. But I got to tell you, Matt, it’s too many ifs for me. It’s too many ifs. And I think this team needs to nail down like even Kate Horton is a massive if. Like let’s let’s be honest going into next season the Cubs are filled with ifs. PCA is a huge if. You know who do they really feel great about going into next year. Steel because of his injury. There’s uncertainty there. Boyd because of his age. Uncertainty. J because of his injury history. Uncertainty. Shoda because the way he finished the year. Cade, like there’s uncertainty all over this team and all over the diamond, which doesn’t necessarily mean bad. It could be really good, but I think adding Sandy Alcantra would be really fun, but it would also add to the uncertainty. I would love to get someone in here that you just feel great about. And and I know there is no outside of Aaron Judge, Juan Sodto, and Show Otani, there isn’t a ton of certainty in baseball anymore. you know, you look around the league, but I would just like to get a little bit more after you lose a guy like Kyle Tucker. So, I’m more in the Joe Ryan camp. I’m more in the in the guys that have been better recently, but you could convince me and say, Sam, but if this were to go well, the ceiling of this team would be raised, and I’m here for that. I’m just a little concerned over all the uncertainty surrounding this team. It’s not all going to go right. Yeah, I think that’s well said. And I I’d like to hear from you as well how you think he would diversify the rotation whether that’s you know Savant info or just the eye test or both. Yeah. Well, the Savon info is really bad. Okay. Because I mean so even to the point where he didn’t he didn’t have you know red and VO outside of VO. So outside of VO you’re saying it was just a lot of blue. He did poorly. The numbers don’t back it up. The peripherals don’t back it up. It’s a lot of blue, Matthew. Okay. Okay. Um, lot of blue. What is he like? What do we know him to have done well when it was on when he was on? Yeah. Yeah. Um, he ironically with his velocity and electric stuff, he was never a huge strikeout guy. Um, the the big thing the big thing with him is the walks. Like I I have his Sai Young in front of me. 228 innings. He had a 0.98 whip. Like he doesn’t walk people. Um and he gets the ball on the ground a ton. And he still got the ball on the ground a decent amount this year, just not to the to his normal level. Um you know, and then the big thing with him is is is getting getting a lot of chase, you know, with his breaking stuff. He didn’t get a ton of chase this year. I mean, it was just it it it all went wrong across the board. Um but but the ceiling’s there. I I think the counter too is with Wrigley, which I think we’re going to talk about Wrigley’s conditions. Yeah, don’t necessarily need a huge ground ball guy at Wrigley. You know, it’s it’s you could go get fly ball guys. So, it’s a weird one. I think it’s absolutely in play. I wouldn’t hate it. I wouldn’t love it. And that’s pretty much where I’m at with every Cub Target that we’ve had outside of, you know, I thought the most meaningful part of our show yesterday was when you were talking about how if they were to get Goldmith, that would get you, you know, hey, maybe they’re serious about 26. I’m literally in the camp. The only thing that would make me think the Cubs are thinking championship in 2026 is to go get one of the big fish, whether that’s Schwarber, whether that’s pitcher or position player, right? like a big fish. Yeah. And I wouldn’t consider this that. I would consider this more a upside trade that a mid-market team would like to make because it gives him a shot. Yeah. They’d be making a trade with the fish. So maybe that What’s his contract situ? Yeah. So he’s due 17.3 million in 26. That’s his only guaranteed season because then they have a club option for 21 in 27. So they’d be they’d be getting Alcantra just for one guaranteed year. then they would decide on 27. Um, because of that, I think the return would be a lot lower than Joe Ryan. I even though I think the Twins are going to hold out on him as long as they can. Man, are the Twins a boring team. Yeah, I think the Marlins with Cabrera will be a high price. Gore will be a high price with the Nats. So then you’re looking at these guys who do make a little money. Alcantra Lopez maybe a Mitch Keller Sanga um Chris Bouic would be going into his walk year even though he’s in arbitration. So again this is just another guy okay he’s got one more year and they’re willing to go the 17 million and maybe you and I are in the rotation if there’s a season in 27. Well, let’s go over what the rotation would look like, how this would impact it, maybe a possible return and uh and and and all that because I I’m I’m starting to get a little confused like why if they’re going to rely internally on offense would they trade Owen Casey? Makes no sense. Uh so we start to to dig into that next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. NFL Sundays move fast. one big play and suddenly everything feels different. That’s what makes live betting with FanDuel so exciting. You’re not just watching the game, you’re reacting to it in real time. With FanDuel, you can place bets as the action unfolds. Every jive, every momentum swing, every highlight moment. Folks, if you believe in this Cubs off season, you could go get the Cubs right now for 2026 at 12 to1 to win the National League. That’s seventh in the league behind the Milwaukee Brewers at six. It doesn’t look like Vegas thinks it’s going to be a big off season for the boys in blue. So, if you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit fanuel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long. FanDuel, the game moves fast and so can you. Thank you for making Locked On Cubs your first listen of the day. Thank you for making Locked On the number one sports podcast network. All right, if everyone Well, before we get to if everyone is healthy, then what happens? We could do the Justin Steel um the the version without Steel who would be on track to return, you know, May 1stish. So, it’ll be Alcantra, Boyd, Horton, Tyion, Immanaga, uh Ray, and Assad as depth options. If everyone is healthy, that’s when it gets really interesting. But it’s a good problem to have. It’d be a six-man. Yeah. Do And do you use the six-man? Yes. Full time? Yes. Do you use it just when the schedule is tougher? Do you use it when there’s less off days? You’re saying fulltime, huh? Well, here’s the thing. I especially with Hord and Horton and Boyd’s delicacies. I could see that. Well, this all go this all centers around Steel. It’s all it does, right? Like Steel, right? This conversation centers around when is Justin Steel going to be ready to throw full games cuz I mean he said on our show, right, that that he’s going to have some sort of pitch count limit. Yeah, he’s got he’s Yeah, there’s a mileage marker with him. Yeah. So my guess is, let’s hypothetically say he comes back in May, but the first couple months he comes back, he’s throwing 65 70 pitches a game. So whatever you would almost attach somebody to him and then that would be that would cover that, right? So in that case you you got Cade Boyd in this case we’re saying Alcantra J Mo and then maybe Imanaga and Tyion or or excuse me Imanaga and Steel or whoever it is almost share a day. Yeah, I was thinking that there would be piggyback like full-time piggyback duos. Yeah, but I think with the delicacies as you mentioned I like that word a lot. For some reason, when I think delicacy, I think of like a pastry or like a food. But, uh, with the delicacies of, uh, you know, like or like a roast beef sandwich, like a classic place, it’s like a delicacy. Anyway, uh, I think a six-man rotation, you keep Tyion. Every single guy in this rotation helpful has injury history or or pitch count stuff. Yeah, I know. I know. So, so adding that Ray Ray could follow Steel, too. And don’t forget, how much better is Shota when he has an extra day or two? I I Yeah, I’m with you. And I think Shoda would be the guy that you’d actually want to pair someone with. Yeah. Maybe you don’t go to the regular pen right away. Maybe go Shoda. You imagine like Shoda to Horton. I So I We’re about two, three months away from our bold predictions of the year. But let’s just say I got one brewing about three months away. Yeah, I got I got one brewing about Shota. Okay. I think he’s I think he’s getting a little tired. Good. I I think he’s getting a little tired of everybody thinking that he’s he’s a liability and I think he’s going to be ready to rock and roll. Let’s just put it like that. That’d be great. Yeah. I think he’s getting a little tire everybody up. I think he’s getting a little tired of Matt Cozy. Well, hey, you know, uh, so projected by by projected war rather, uh, Fan Graph says Gideon Alcantra would take the Cubs rotation from 19th best, which it currently is now, to the 12th best. So, all right. Why are they 19th best right now? Are they Is Steel in that projection? Yeah, he’s in there. Doesn’t make any sense. So, you’re telling me right now if they’re had a computer? Yeah, I know. So, you’re telling me right now with Boyd who was an all-star last year, Steel who’s who’s been an allstar, Kade Horton who should have won rookie of the year, Tyion and Immanaga, those five are the 19th best rotation in baseball. There h they have to be assuming Steel’s not pitching the first couple months. There’s something that doesn’t make sense. Well, the computers don’t view the Cubs, current Cubs highly at all. They the current roster is only projected for 82 wins. I get that. I just think the rotation I think right now their rotation because of all the injury concerns I would say is about 14th 15th. I think it’s 19th is strong. I I don’t think they’re below I don’t think this is a below average starting rotation. And I think if they think if they add a guy like Kade Horton or or Joe Ryan or or um uh uh Michael Michael King Yeah. I think they’re a top five rotation in baseball. Top five. Wow. If they even if they had Michael King, see, I I think he should be the target. I don’t know why, but I like like I hope they get him next. What am I missing? I don’t understand. Tyion was brilliant in the playoffs last year. Bo was terrific. Shoda has been terrific almost his whole career besides the last two months. Kate Horton is a guy that I’m going to be paying my hardearned money to go to Wrigley Field and watch pitch. You know, unless unless people think that that he’s just not that good, I I it just doesn’t make sense. That’s not a 19th best rotation to me right now. It’s midlevel because of injury. Basically, it’s mid-level because you don’t know when Steel’s coming back. Once he comes back and he’s if he’s good, I think it’s like a top 12ish and then you add a stud, I think it’s a top five rotation. That’s my opinion. Yeah, I’m not too far off. I think it’s maybe 14th or 15th right now. They need to make that addition to get in the top 10. And I think they they will. Listen, I’m not saying it because he’s on our show, came on our show a couple times. I think I think Justin Seal’s a stud. I think he’s one of the I think he’s one of the best players on the Cubs and they didn’t have him all year last year and I think when he comes back he’s going to be you know it might take him some time but once he’s himself that elevates this group and they were pretty good last year without him for basically two and a half years from June of 22 through the end of 24. Justin Steel was one of the top 10 starters. Yeah. Top 10. Top 10, top 15. I and I just I think it’s a little bit crazy to to overlook that. Or maybe they’re overlooking Horton. Maybe they don’t think that’s sustainable. Maybe I think Well, Boyd and Horton, I think, are the the the uh the marks. Yeah. You know, that they’re aging and they’re not going to repeat their success again. Yeah. Well, I think Matthew Boyd is a stud. Yeah. Well, and and you said that J Mo is one of your heroes. And I think J Mo’s I think J Mo will be J Mo. He’s gonna have some starts that are just like, oh boy. But I I just I really don’t think the starting rotation once they add one more guy is a problem at all unless unless there’s some major injuries that But don’t you want to wait and see who that guy is though? Yeah, but I feel like to me King, Elcontra, it can’t be Zack Allen. No, no, no. The guys that we’ve discussed, Gore, Elcantra, King, and Ryan, I think Cabrera and Cabrera, I think for me, Ryan would elevate them the most. And then the rest of the guys, I think it all elevates them about the about the sameish. Okay. All right. Well, keep that. Who do you trade for? I’ll follow up with you on that. Wait, what are the five names again? Ryan, Gore, Cabrera, King, and Amay. Oh, I didn’t mention him. Who was the fifth name you mentioned? Gore, Ryan, Elcantra, uh, King, and um, Elc. Did you say Elcantra? Oh, yeah. Alcantra. Yeah. I don’t know if I’m I’m Cabrera blanking. Yeah, sorry. Um, who do you trade? Yeah. Who do you trade for Alcantra? Yeah. So, I I would trade Well, I don’t I don’t know. It has to be Casey. He has to go. Well, and that’s the part I don’t understand. Yeah. If the Cubs are committed to their internal options to replace Tucker. Yeah. Then they can’t make a trade like this. Right. So, or at least not one that is sizable. And then if they don’t spend money and then keep these guys, they’ll just go 82 and 80, right? Because Shaw’s not going anywhere. He can’t. Why? Why? Because again, if the Cubs aren’t going to bring in an external addition, they can’t. Who plays third? Bobette. Trade Shaw. Bobette. No, but if they’re not going to bring someone in. Got it. Yeah. No, it’ be really Yeah. and and the Casey Bayister thing to me Sam I don’t get if they’re committed to internal only I don’t understand why they would trade one of them I think you have where do they play at that point you go for the volume play you go for the volume argument and you try to replace Tucker’s production in the aggregate with Casey Bisteros maybe a TBD player I don’t believe in that I don’t think you could have a whole season like that I think you got to give these guys a runway learn how to struggle with Haps playing he’s saying right and buy a steros at DH for for 150 plus not 150 but I just don’t think I’m not keeping Owen Casey and not putting him in a trade for a starter because I want Owen Casey to be a nice bench piece for 85 games I I that doesn’t make sense to me I yeah I 85 games sounds low I just think you need the flexibility well it’d be great if they could move on from half but they gave him a no trade clause just like uh uh Reese’s on Halloween also with Seiya being right for that many games if you trade Casey that becomes a reality when you trade Casey say is a whole a whole another we have to do a whole sea episode I think before the winter meetings just because a lot of this maybe depends on him because he’s a guy that I think would accept a no a would wave a no trade he’s also a guy that I think currently is probably your best hitter on the team um with Tucker being gone um he’s Yeah, but if we again we get if if it’s like last year are they if they trade him so are they getting in one guy or two it makes no sense but I’m just saying right this is let all I’m saying is this we can move on if they don’t add a major major impact bat this is the most important thing I’ll say all episode okay if they don’t add a major impact bat they are which they’re not going to then say a Suzuki has to be a top 10 hitter in baseball for this thing to work. That’s high high expectations. Is that right? And we have no evidence of him being really good. Yeah, I would say like the first page of on the sheets. So, top 30. We have evidence of him of being amazing, but he’s never been amazing consistently, he’s at those dips and and when when he has that major dip, what happens? Unless Pete Unless Pete, you know, you’re just relying on a lot of whatifs, man. Yeah, I mean Pete does I think Pete does have the ability to to carry, you know, to carry a team for sure. So does So does Bush to change a game. Yeah. I don’t think there’s really many guys like that in the sport. Um I I mean Casey 12 months ago almost got traded to the Marlins. So I would think he’s in that deal. He’s in that deal. And and and uh maybe Assad or Brown or Wix. I agree. And that that would be the and throw in Triantos or something. No, I don’t think you need to do that much. No, no, I’m exaggerating. Not with one year. Or you could just pay Michael King. That’d be great. All right. Or or or a buy. Yes. Those would be the two names in free agency to go for my Yeah, they don’t have the money to do that. Okay. They’re coming up next. Yes, they do. Uhhuh. Cap told us they did. So, yeah. All right. Well, no, they got the money to sign one, get to 228. 228. That would be really low. 230 by opening day, maybe. All right. Coming up next, we wrap up with a trivia question. Stay tuned. Shout out to the Everydayers. You can become a Lockdown Cubs Everydayer by joining us for every episode throughout the week. All right, Sam. I don’t know the exact point of origin of this. I think it was because we did the top 25 list last week and if you haven’t listened to that, please go check that out. Yeah, it’s great at some point. But last year the Cubs had three players with 30 plus home runs. Bush, Sea, and P. Yeah, you can either do this by player or by year. By year might be a little more organized. There’s been 24 other instances of a Cub since 2000 hitting 30 plus homers. Can you name the 24 times? Or you could or you could do it by player, but we could do it by year. I I really don’t know. I’ll just go by player. All right. Well, that ts that could tack off, you know, multiple seasons. Yeah. Okay. So, since 2000. Mhm. Okay. So Sosa did it in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. That’s right. Um, so does that count as five name five times? Nice. That’s a great job by you. And uh does that count as five? It does. And I think I’d like to stay there just to help you out. Yeah, sure. There’s one more in O2 and three more in 04 if you want to start there. Did Did Mcgriff ever hit 30 with the Cubbies? He did in 02. Nice job. Thank you. You don’t have to tell me that. Let’s just get the whole thing done. Um, that takes care of O2. Okay, so 04 Aloo. Yeah, he hit 39. 39 and 106 and he batted 290 something or 288, whatever it was. Uh, all right. Um 04. I like how you told me to wait to tell you nice job till the end. Eric Lee. Yeah, he had 32 uh long balls. There’s one more uh did a Ramis in ’04. He had 36. Cool. Yeah. Why don’t you just keep giving me Do you want to just do that or Yeah. Would you like to go up the calendar at this point? All right. Well, Lee did it obviously in ’05. Yes, he did. 46. Um and one more guy. Yeah. Okay. Uh ‘ 05. Boy, what a bad year that was. Uh, did a Ramis do it again? Yeah. 31. Okay. One person in ‘ 06. Lee Ramirez. Ramirez. Okay. 38. Now we go to 07. Soraniano at 33. Yes, he did. Um, uh, to help you out, there was none in ‘ 08. Soraniano had 29. There was none in ‘ 08. Yeah. Soraniano went short. Fascinating. Yes. Uh, one of the names you already mentioned did hit 35 in09 though. Yeah. I mean, it’s Le Ramirez, obviously. I need you to pick. Oh, um, I’ll say a Ramis Le. Okay. Uh, 2011 and 2010, the Cubs didn’t have a 30 home run guy. How about 2012? There was one. Did Rizzo do it? Uh, not yet. Not yet. It’s a couple more years. Oh, Soriano. Soraniano. Soraniano. 13. There was none. 14 was Rizzo with 32. Oh, well. Jeez. What’s that? Well, you just guessed him. I know. I would have guessed him again. Oh, okay. Uh, how about 15, Sam? That That was it in 14, huh? Yeah. All right. Uh, 15 Rizzo for sure. Yep. 31. How many in 15? Uh, that was it. Cuz Bryant hit 26. Yeah, Brian. I was going to say Bryant didn’t get the 30. Um, all right. 16’s obvious. How many in 16 is a biggie? Two. That’s it. So, just Rizzo and Bryant. Just Rizzo and Bryant. That’s right. Uh, 17. There was three. Schwarber. Yep. Rizzo. Oh, I’m sorry. There was only two. Schwarber and Rizzo. Bryant hit 29. That’s inexcusable. Uh, 2018 there was one. Who was it? You got a couple options. Few options. No, this one should be easy. Jav Bayz. Yes. 34. Yeah. 199 goes with juiced. Yeah. 2019. There was two. Schwarber. Two guy. One guy at 29, one at 27. Who were the two that had 30 plus? Schwarber. Schwarber. Uh, is right. Bryant didn’t get there. Uh, Rizzo. Bryant did 31. Oh, 31. Maya’s 29. Rizzo 27. And that wraps it up. That’s it. Yeah. This was the first time the Cubs had a 30 home run player since 2019. Are you serious? Yeah. They haven’t even been close. Wisdom never got there. He had 28. He got like 25 or something. I thought he had 28 maybe. That’s That’s I will say this. I will say this. When we did that that trivia question was I think a lot I think you would have got that one easy. I think a lot of folks would have, but yeah, there there was no sneaky ones. I was thinking that, you know, I was thinking of like I remember one year Jake Fox came in and hit like 10 homers in a month or something like that. Yes. You know, maybe a Rond Del White or a Henry Rodriguez or Well, maybe I’ll look up more like monthly trivia like that. No, but it was good. It was good. They’re always good questions. They’re always fascinating. I’m just trying to Wait, Henry Rodriguez, did he have a crazy month one time? No. Well, let’s pull up Henry Rodri. I’m just curious if he ever got close, but I think he was late 90s. But I just want to say one thing. When we were doing that exercise and we actually uh uh Henry Rodriguez, he did it, but in 1998, he had 31. He had 31. Wow. Good for you. And in 2000, he hit 21, but he played for the Cubs and the uh Marlins. Anyway, um when we did that list, Matt, that was a pretty good list of players. like that. But you know, he’ll be in the alcantra trade. No, I just want to say this before we go. Seriously, that’s funny. Whatever you want to say. The Cubs since 2000. Yeah. Fair to say pretty successful first 26 technically years. I mean, just think about it. All those players that we listed, they won a world championship. They won division titles in 03, 07, 08, 16, 17, and 20. Uh um they Wow, great. They won 90 plus games in 25. They beat the Cardinals in a in a in a playoff series in 15. Really, the only down parts of of it were the like were was bad for a while was, you know, 10 through 14. Um, you know, it’s been pretty good. It’s It’s been one It’s so far it’s shaping up to be a a pretty good. Now, granted, obviously, in the early 1900s, 506 was rough. Yeah. And obviously in the early 1900s they stacked championships so you can’t really compare but just compared to the ‘9s compared to the quarter century. It’s been a good quarter century. Just go go for it now. Just go win a world like go for it man. This is the year to do it. Is it not? Well clearly to them it isn’t. And clearly to Vegas. Well then that’s then that’s going to do it for me. Vegas might not go all in then. Well if the Cubs over under is it at least 87 88 89 and a half? I might take a couple shows off. Well which one? Pick one. It has to be at least in the high 80s. 88 and a half, I think I would say. Yeah. If it’s not at least that, I’m gonna take some I’m gonna take some shows off. Okay. All right. Uh, tomorrow pending news or rumblings, we are going to go over Wrigley Field being a hitter’s nightmare. So, that’s fun. Hopefully Bettz doesn’t watch. Thank you for making Exactly. Locked on Cubs your first listen of the day. Yeah, I was thinking Wrigley Sam. No way Bellinger would want to come back here. Giovanni Sodto never hit 30 homers, huh? No. For your second listen, check out Lock numbers were really humbling there. Sully keeps you up to date on the latest rumors, news, and everything else. Find Lockdown MLB on YouTube and everywhere. Locked on Cubs. I really enjoy that.

Matt and Sam explain why Sandy Alcantara could be a good trade target for the Cubs. Plus: If the Cubs go only internal offensively, then does it make sense to trade Owen Caissie in a deal for a pitcher?

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