I\u2019ve been out of the loop for a few days, which tends to happen when dealing with a life-threatening family emergency. The good news is that everyone is back home and doing well; the bad news will come when we get the bills. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so great to have this printing press of a blog keeping me flush with cash, even though the recent setback means skipping the lease on our private jet to cover the medical claims. Alas, we must all make sacrifices from time to time.<\/p>\n
In all seriousness, it\u2019s been a really stressful period and I haven\u2019t kept up on baseball developments as well as I\u2019d have liked. As such, this column will touch on a few things you may have already heard about. I suppose that\u2019s pretty selfish when you get down to it, since I\u2019m writing this as much for my own edification as yours. Just like the Cubs themselves, we\u2019re going to focus on the pitching side of things today.<\/p>\n
Search for Big-Time Starters<\/p>\n
Even if Justin Steele<\/a> is ready for Opening Day and Sh\u014dta Imanaga<\/a> returns via the qualifying offer or a reworked two-year deal, the Cubs need to bolster the rotation. They have proven time and again that they just want guys who can get outs, but that only goes so far when you\u2019re talking about making a meaningful postseason run. When you have a staff that ranks in the lower third in terms of strikeout rate (21.4%, 21st) and whiffs (10.4%, 24th), you\u2019re going to run into trouble against stronger lineups.<\/p>\n Whether the front office is willing to pay a premium to add velocity and strikeouts remains an open question, and it\u2019s possible they\u2019ll repeat the same practice of being in on guys to a certain point. Dylan Cease<\/a> is the most obvious target due to his previous time in the organization and the fact that he\u2019s got the best swing-and-miss stuff on the market.<\/p>\n But are the Cubs really going to give him a nine-figure deal in addition to incurring penalties for signing a player who turned down a QO? Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney reported that the team is comfortable with those costs<\/a>, especially since they could recoup some of the penalties when Kyle Tucker<\/a> and possibly Imanaga sign elsewhere. We looked at some potential red flags<\/a> with Cease a little while back, and I think his price tag will eventually push the Cubs out of the race.<\/p>\n Michael King<\/a>, Cease\u2019s former Padres teammate, has been connected to the Cubs in the past and will certainly be of interest to them again this winter. He checks a lot of boxes for the front office \u2014 former reliever, sub-94 mph fastball, injury issues \u2014 and could experience a deflated market due to his abbreviated season and some much bigger available arms. If the Cubs believe they can find an unlock, King makes sense.<\/p>\n They could also revisit some of the potential trades they\u2019d been mulling at the deadline, specifically Joe Ryan<\/a> of the Twins or Edward Cabrera<\/a> of the Marlins. Miami\u2019s new front office, led by former Giants manager Gabe Kapler<\/a>, might look to leverage Cabrera for several young assets who can help revamp the organization.<\/p>\n Asian Market<\/p>\n The Cubs have long been actively scouting NPB, and they\u2019ve found success in signing and developing some of those players. That isn\u2019t something every other team can claim, as most don\u2019t have the same infrastructure as the Cubs and a few others. Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins both spoke to that during the GM Meetings last week, so it\u2019s fair to assume we\u2019ll see some mildly aggressive pursuits with players coming over from Japan and Korea.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of good players,\u201d Hoyer told Jordan Bastian<\/a> and other reporters. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of good Japanese players coming over. [There\u2019s] some good Korean players coming over. There\u2019s a number of good American players coming back over. So yeah, I expect to be engaged in those markets, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n So it\u2019s not just about 27-year-old Tatsuya Imai<\/a>, the \u201cperfect fit\u201d who will be posted on Wednesday. Recent concerns about his flat fastball and questionable secondaries feel more like teams trying to tamp down his market, but the Scott Boras client still figures to land the kind of contract that could scare most suitors away. The same won\u2019t be true for those American players coming back over.<\/p>\n Bastian specifically noted 31-year-old righty Cody Ponce<\/a> and 30-year-old southpaw Foster Griffin<\/a> as potential pickups. Neither moves the needle much based on name recognition, but we know the Cubs like guys who\u2019ve reinvented themselves. They love it when those guys come at a bargain.<\/p>\n Bullpen Help<\/p>\n The bullpen is a very obvious area of need, just like it is every year. That\u2019s by design, as Hoyer tends to avoid multiyear reliever deals as a rule. They almost broke from that with lefty Tanner Scott<\/a>, who initially preferred to play in Chicago, but their reluctance to match the Dodgers\u2019 offer with a fourth year led him to sign with LA. Sharma and Mooney report that \u201cIt\u2019s possible that they will invest multiple years in the right late-inning arms,\u201d but we\u2019ve heard that before<\/a>.<\/p>\n Seriously, this is almost exactly the same thing that the duo reported two years ago. At the time, there was \u201ca sense that Hoyer will be a little more flexible with his preferred philosophy of not giving out multiyear contracts to relievers.\u201d That\u2019s not a knock on either reporter, both of whom I consider friends and exceptional journalists. It\u2019s more a matter of Hoyer being like Eddie Murphy<\/a>\u2018s portrayal of James Brown<\/a> getting in the hot tub.<\/p>\n That may be a little too esoteric for a lot of you, so here\u2019s the necessary context.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Even if Hoyer eventually gets comfortable enough to get in the water, we\u2019re not looking at a big deal for Edwin Diaz<\/a> or Devin Williams<\/a>. A reunion with Brad Keller<\/a>, on the other hand, could work. Then again, there are reports that some teams are eyeing the former starter as a candidate to rejoin a rotation, which would drive his prices well beyond what the Cubs would consider. The Athletic also named Pete Fairbanks<\/a>, who has been mentioned as a fit with the Cubs in the past.<\/p>\n Kyle Finnegan<\/a>, Luke Weaver<\/a>, Tyler Rogers<\/a> (which would be funny since the Cubs picked up his twin brother, Taylor, at the deadline), Seranthony Dominguez<\/a>, Gregory Soto<\/a>, and Emilio Pagan<\/a> are all in a similar range as well. MLB Trade Rumors gave predictions of two years and $16-20 million for all of them, which seems rich for Hoyer\u2019s blood. But with Keller at three years and $36 million, all could be value signings by comparison.<\/p>\n Minors Deal for Hard-Throwing Tread Pitcher<\/p>\n The Cubs would have been interested in Tread Athletics pitchers even without Tyler Zombro in the fold, but having him around seems to have heightened their appetite. Their latest addition is Sam Mettert<\/a>, an Indianapolis native who spent a year at Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, IL, before moving on to St. John\u2019s. The 6-foot-5 righty topped out at 92 mph for Franklin Central High School just southeast of Indy, but has been up to 99.5 mph after working with Tread.<\/p>\n Bringing that kind of heat from a very low slot makes for a very interesting prospect, especially when it\u2019s on a minors deal that costs very little and doesn\u2019t require a roster spot.<\/p>\n \u2705 Throws 99+ at Tread \u2060HQ Coach: @bnussperform<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kZ3bMWeM2i<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2705 Signs with the @Cubs<\/a> just days later\u2060
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Congrats to @MettertSam<\/a> on signing with the Chicago Cubs! \u270d\ufe0f\u2060
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Check out his electric bullpen from last Friday. \u26a1\ufe0f<\/p>\n