OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

JAF373 · 04-24-2021, 01:15 PM

Some news and notes from around the Cubs organization.

-Unsurprisingly, Wilson Contreras was our lone All-Star selection. Because, well, who else would it be?

-A few of the new arrivals have injected life into our moribund squad. Luis Barrera is on a heater over the last few week, flashing the tools that made him such an appealing trade target in the Baez deal. He's hit safely in ten straight games and hasn't made an error yet.

-Fellow Baez acquisition Sean Manaea needed no time to settle in to the National League, spinning a 1.06 ERA (3.67 FIP) in his first four starts. He's been somewhat lucky, but the contact management and efficiency are exactly what we desired. With 65 stamina, I'm hopeful that he'll age "gracefully" over the next few seasons.

-Mitch Haniger ingratiated himself with the Wrigley faithful in his first game, singling home the winning run in the bottom of the 12th to beat the NL East-leading Phillies. Super small sample (six games), but he's an excellent fit in the lineup.

-Miguel Amaya is among the hottest commodities in baseball after ripping up Double A South as a 22-year old full-time catcher. He's currently third in OPS+ (144) and second in WAR while drawing nearly as many walks (28) as strikeouts (30). Our scouts think he's currently a 45 (50 ceiling) and this is clearly a dude who could handle regular big league at-bats right now. There's little doubt about the defense, where he grades out as a 60.

Austin Romine was nicked by a foul tip and suffered a mild concussion in the final game of the Cardinals series. With three games remaining prior to the All-Star Break, we weren't sure how long he would be out. Amaya was the only other catcher on the 40-man and I didn't want to make a roster move to add another catcher, so we brought Amaya up to the bigs for a brief tryout. He certainly didn't disappoint, cracking a homer in game one and driving in the go-ahead run in a pinch-hit appearance in game two. Romine will likely be ready in time to back up Contreras in the first game out of the break, and we sent Amaya back to Double A to continue getting reps during the ASB. Of course, we're fielding plenty of calls for his services...

Trade Rumors
-One likely playoff team is interested in a package deal for Anthony Rizzo AND Joc Pederson. We're discussing a few different scenarios, but the likeliest return would include a guy who we view as an every day player right now. We're certainly not far apart and the deal could be consummated as soon as next weekend when the league returns from the ASB.

-I'm determined to flip Eric Sogard for something, most likely a 35+ FV prospect with 40ish upside.

-Very tepid interest in the Ian Happ market. I'd rather hang onto him into the off-season and hope for a late-season bounceback rather than selling him at his floor.

-Ditto for our relievers. Dan Winkler, Collin McHugh, Jason Adam, and Rex Brothers could help a contender down the stretch, but there's very little interest with three weeks remaining. McHugh in particular has value as a multi-inning arm and a history of pitching in high-pressure spots late in the season. Andrew Chafin would have been a trade piece, but he went out a few weeks ago with a 7-8 week shoulder injury that will keep him out until after the Deadline. He's pitched to a 3.32 FIP and struck out more than a batter per inning over 31 appearances. We have a team option next year, but at $5.2M, it's probably too steep.

-The Miguel Amaya proposals are all over the place, but unlike the soon-to-be FA veterans, the Amaya suitors include some smaller market teams with no playoff aspirations. My asking price is pretty high right now and I'm inclined to ask for one big league regular (SP or position player) as part of the return.

-Kris Bryant is on track to return approximately a week prior to the Deadline, but there likely won't be enough time for him to re-establish his trade value. Looks like he's stuck with us until the end of September.

04-24-2021, 01:15 PM	#8
JAF373 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 256	All-Star Star Break Update Some news and notes from around the Cubs organization. -Unsurprisingly, Wilson Contreras was our lone All-Star selection. Because, well, who else would it be? -A few of the new arrivals have injected life into our moribund squad. Luis Barrera is on a heater over the last few week, flashing the tools that made him such an appealing trade target in the Baez deal. He's hit safely in ten straight games and hasn't made an error yet. -Fellow Baez acquisition Sean Manaea needed no time to settle in to the National League, spinning a 1.06 ERA (3.67 FIP) in his first four starts. He's been somewhat lucky, but the contact management and efficiency are exactly what we desired. With 65 stamina, I'm hopeful that he'll age "gracefully" over the next few seasons. -Mitch Haniger ingratiated himself with the Wrigley faithful in his first game, singling home the winning run in the bottom of the 12th to beat the NL East-leading Phillies. Super small sample (six games), but he's an excellent fit in the lineup. -Miguel Amaya is among the hottest commodities in baseball after ripping up Double A South as a 22-year old full-time catcher. He's currently third in OPS+ (144) and second in WAR while drawing nearly as many walks (28) as strikeouts (30). Our scouts think he's currently a 45 (50 ceiling) and this is clearly a dude who could handle regular big league at-bats right now. There's little doubt about the defense, where he grades out as a 60. Austin Romine was nicked by a foul tip and suffered a mild concussion in the final game of the Cardinals series. With three games remaining prior to the All-Star Break, we weren't sure how long he would be out. Amaya was the only other catcher on the 40-man and I didn't want to make a roster move to add another catcher, so we brought Amaya up to the bigs for a brief tryout. He certainly didn't disappoint, cracking a homer in game one and driving in the go-ahead run in a pinch-hit appearance in game two. Romine will likely be ready in time to back up Contreras in the first game out of the break, and we sent Amaya back to Double A to continue getting reps during the ASB. Of course, we're fielding plenty of calls for his services... Trade Rumors -One likely playoff team is interested in a package deal for Anthony Rizzo AND Joc Pederson. We're discussing a few different scenarios, but the likeliest return would include a guy who we view as an every day player right now. We're certainly not far apart and the deal could be consummated as soon as next weekend when the league returns from the ASB. -I'm determined to flip Eric Sogard for something, most likely a 35+ FV prospect with 40ish upside. -Very tepid interest in the Ian Happ market. I'd rather hang onto him into the off-season and hope for a late-season bounceback rather than selling him at his floor. -Ditto for our relievers. Dan Winkler, Collin McHugh, Jason Adam, and Rex Brothers could help a contender down the stretch, but there's very little interest with three weeks remaining. McHugh in particular has value as a multi-inning arm and a history of pitching in high-pressure spots late in the season. Andrew Chafin would have been a trade piece, but he went out a few weeks ago with a 7-8 week shoulder injury that will keep him out until after the Deadline. He's pitched to a 3.32 FIP and struck out more than a batter per inning over 31 appearances. We have a team option next year, but at $5.2M, it's probably too steep. -The Miguel Amaya proposals are all over the place, but unlike the soon-to-be FA veterans, the Amaya suitors include some smaller market teams with no playoff aspirations. My asking price is pretty high right now and I'm inclined to ask for one big league regular (SP or position player) as part of the return. -Kris Bryant is on track to return approximately a week prior to the Deadline, but there likely won't be enough time for him to re-establish his trade value. Looks like he's stuck with us until the end of September. Last edited by JAF373; 04-24-2021 at 01:22 PM.