Cubs Tender Contracts to Five Players, Agree to Terms With Three More, Sign Red Sox Arm

Today was/is a whirlwind, but it is coming to a close. While the next few days will likely be a bit quieter, the Hot Stove will be warming up to temps that we haven’t felt around here for a long time. But, before we learn about all the guys we’re about to trade, let’s celebrate the moves they made today.

The #Cubs today announced the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/eIPMLYDWnL

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) December 3, 2020

Pour one for a fallen homie Cubs fans. Regardless if you’re a *realist* and have been calling for a shakeup “sInCe tHe 2o17 SeAsOn” or if you feel a bit blindsided by this news today – it all sucks. It sucks that the Cubs just showed the door to two former first-round picks.

#Cubs have agreed to terms with RHPs Colin Rea and Dan Winkler and LHP Kyle Ryan.

Five arb-eligible players have been tendered 2021 contracts: INFs Javier Baez and Kris Bryant, OF Ian Happ and Cs Victor Caratini and Willson Contreras.

— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) December 3, 2020

The Cubs have agreed to terms with Colin Rea, Kyle Ryan, and Dan Winkler.

This is a bit of a surprise as I thought they would move on from them. With the Cubs “agreeing to terms” they are avoiding salary arbitration with those three. I do assume the club cannot afford to lose arms, especially if they plan on revamping the offense some more through subtraction by subtraction.

Non-tendering SUCKS!

The subtraction by subtraction is clearly a shot towards Kyle Schwarber. This one hurts as the dude was a likeable guy. I mean, who doesn’t love a fat dude that hits moonshots!?

The thing is, he was the poster boy for not producing in big moments. After a season where he batted .188, a lot of the fans that still backed the man jumped off the bandwagon. I’ve never gotten off that train, and I will continue to toot the “cUbS sHoUld sIgN sChWaRbEr” bandwagon this offseason.

Jed Hoyer on Schwarber: "It was a hard conversation. I called Kyle. We'll definitely keep the door open. We'll continue to talk about ways to bring him back….We had a good conversation. He's a legend. No question about that."

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 3, 2020

Chances are, due to the weirdness that this year has brought, he will earn less on a free agent contract than he would have via arbitration (between $8 and $9.5m). So my idea (or Jed’s) can make a lot of sense if they can do it. I would still rather attempt to just keep the dude around since you don’t pay less money on the open market for a player that hits 30+ homers, has a 115 wRC+ and a WAR around 3 less than $8-9.5 million, but that’s just me.

So obvious but we needed something to write about

There were a ton of dumb ideas that the Cubs could non-tender one of Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, or not pick up the option on Anthony Rizzo. They did pick up that option weeks ago in Rizzo, and that left Bryant and Baez to wait for today’s deadline.

Welp, it came and both were tendered, along with Ian Happ, Willson Contreras, and Victor Caratini.

Now the general thought is the Cubs will look to move one of Bryant or Baez, with most believing it will be Bryant. Whichever they don’t trade, I would expect the Cubs to ramp up extension talks with. Oh, and that player should be Bryant.

I don’t believe in Baez’s future

There, I said it. I love Baez. I say it over and over and over again. I would pay money to watch Javier Baez play before paying to see Mike Trout. In the past 40 years, the only player I would pay to watch pay over Baez is Ken Griffey Jr.

So I don’t hate on Baez, I just see the curve ahead in the road. While a lot of you have proclaimed that the Cubs should trade Bryant because he would never sign a deal here or because his agent and will want a $500 million contract.

Fact is, every season he (Bryant) has told anyone and everyone that would listen that he wants to remain a Cub for the rest of his career. I mean, I saw him stopping and talking to that guy that stands outside Big G’s Pizza trying to get you to come in for a slice to tell him he wants to stay here.

I know, Baez and Rizzo have said the same thing and probably because their agent isn’t Scott Boras you believe them. Fact is, the Cubs have actually had extension talks with both Rizzo and Baez and they have not accepted any offer. Bryant, outside a rumor which has been proven false by almost everyone not named David Kaplan, has NEVER BEEN OFFERED A DEAL. SO how in the world do you know that he wouldn’t accept a deal here? You don’t. No one does. But right now you know Baez and Rizzo haven’t accepted offers after actually having those conversations.

Now, my fear here is that Baez is overvaluing himself. That is why he hasn’t accepted anything in Chicago. I have spoken many times about what a Baez extension would look like – and it is almost impossible to pinpoint. There isn’t a real comp to Baez out there and the closest thing to him is Francisco Lindor and he is getting traded this offseason.

It makes me think Baez believes he is a $20-25 million a year type of player. Thing is… he isn’t. There are three players on this Cubs roster that are $20-25 million a season type players – Bryant, Rizzo, and Yu Darvish. That’s it.

If that is what Baez believes he is, and if the Cubs fold at some point and give him that money, he becomes the second $25 million a year defense only player on the roster (Jason Heyward) and you cannot win with that roster makeup in baseball.

Here are the facts, offensively Baez id about league average to slightly above (in his best seasons). Defensively he is one of the best. Bryant on the other hand is one of baseball’s best offensive players and about league average defensively. This game rewards you for the offense, not for defense.

Both players are versatile, and Baez plays more positions better than Bryant does. This isn’t a knock on KB as he is a perfectly fine defensive player at third, left, right, center, first, and center, short, or even second. But he is consistently better than every other player on the Cubs offensively and it isn’t really close. Even with a season that he played poorly, he was still able to help contribute to wins. If I give any player new paper, it is Bryant. Rizzo’s back isn’t going to age well and you can find 30 hr 90 RBI first basemen all over the game. Baez has a *good* ceiling but such a horrible floor it makes him dangerous to bet on long-term.

Even if you get Bryant’s floor (so… his 2016 or 2019 season) he is still an All-Star with 135 wRC+ like production. You cannot say that about any of the other players on this Cubs roster, you just can’t do that.