Here’s how I see an Opening Day projection for the Cubs top 3 levels after this week’s roster deadlines. Optimistic some of our injured dudes will actually make it back in time, adding extra depth to the mix. Still quite a bit of work for JedHawk to make the MLB team playoff caliber. - ThreadSky

cubsmith.bsky.social • 100 days ago

Here’s how I see an Opening Day projection for the Cubs top 3 levels after this week’s roster deadlines. Optimistic some of our injured dudes will actually make it back in time, adding extra depth to the mix. Still quite a bit of work for JedHawk to make the MLB team playoff caliber.

Comments

eddieblitsch.bsky.social•100 days ago

Me seeing Mastrobuoni on this list

bridgerf.bsky.social•100 days ago

I really hope Palencia makes the leap this year. Saw him blow away the Tun Caps in Fort Wayne a few years ago and it was some of the nastiest stuff I’ve ever seen in person.

goodone77.bsky.social•100 days ago

I love a good baseball spreadsheet.

danielab87.bsky.social•100 days ago

Do you think the cubs will try to work Shaw into the opening day lineup regardless of Hoerner’s status? Either via Hoerner trade or maybe doing some type of 2B/3B timeshare?

pjuddie.bsky.social•100 days ago

What do you think the return for Nico will be since he’s not on the projection?

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

He’s on there! I have him loosely projected on the IL, tho I kinda think he’ll make it back … if not for Japan, right after.

pjuddie.bsky.social•100 days ago

Oh got it. Thanks man.

ilandres.bsky.social•100 days ago

I hope a hope that Ben Brown comes back from his injury to have a role because he proved he belongs on the major league roster.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

Totally. Kinda think if they move him to relief he ends the year as closer

bellringerwins.bsky.social•100 days ago

Thought Jordan Wicks would be a rotation piece after 2023 but he really struggled.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

Some really encouraging signs early last year with the fastball playing up a grade, didn’t look as good after the injury. A big winter of work gets him back on track imo

mharbinson.bsky.social•100 days ago

They'll be a mediocre team. No great pitching!!

wbdickerson3.bsky.social•100 days ago

I love our prospect depth but it’s like we just don’t spend like we should as a big market club.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

Last year’s total was a fair number for our market size, imo. Certainly need to be able to build a winner for 230+M

wbdickerson3.bsky.social•100 days ago

Why do you think they won’t go for a Soto or Burnes?

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

Mostly Jed’s philosophy about deals over 8 years. Some budget issues there, but not so much for Burnes.

(Also I think the industry knows that Soto wants NYC)

wbdickerson3.bsky.social•100 days ago

and that doesn’t leave me feeling confident in anything.

sharkjohnson.bsky.social•100 days ago

And where they do spend turns into wasted, redundant money for diminishing returns. Examples like the huge Swanson contract when Nico is as good and blocking Shaw atm; Belli blocking tons of top prospects, etc.

khmules.bsky.social•100 days ago

I have this feeling that Cubs will sign a FA SP shortly (or trade if they can find one) and of course go all in on Roki. If they pull that off move Assad to RP and sign another proven RP. tough moves to do of course. Then still have $ for catcher and util infielder

khmules.bsky.social•100 days ago

if you sign the SP for $27.5 mil (of course number of years matters) and RP for around $7mil -- still have about $8 Mil left for catcher and util infielder. And leave $ for mid season.

brett-taylor.bsky.social•100 days ago

Do we know anything about Luke Little's timeline yet? Hoping he'll be full-go for Spring Training, but I don't know if I'm basing that on anything.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

I was under the impression we were getting an update about he and Brown together so I figured keep them in the same spot.

brett-taylor.bsky.social•100 days ago

Fingers crossed on both ...

waybackgen.bsky.social•100 days ago

Just realized that this whole time, we could have been calling Jed and Carter "Hoykins."

bleedcubbieblue.bsky.social•100 days ago

Can't see Mervis still on this team... he's superfluous. They should trade him, or he should go play in Korea or Japan. And the Cubs should use Kilian as a reliever.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

I would say I don’t think either of those 2 make it thru the winter on the 40-man still, however the mechanics work out

jaswinderbolina.bsky.social•100 days ago

I know it’s the annual lesson on prospects, but it’s so hard to resist daydreaming on some of these guys; two years later, they’re better off in Japan or off the radar completely. Someone should teach a class on prospect evaluation and devote a week to Bryan LaHair, Frank Schwindel, and Mash Mervis.

bakuntz.bsky.social•100 days ago

I get what you’re saying but Schwindel & LaHair were never really prospects with Cubs. However, Karl Pagel, Carl Hamilton, Ty Griffin, David Kelton, Brian Dopirak, Brett Jackson, etc. List goes on & on & on….

jaswinderbolina.bsky.social•100 days ago

Absolutely, those guys were not prospects, but they still elicited the same pesky hope for a diamond in the coal. Actual prospects, including the guys you mention, are whole other world of hurt. Felix Pie, anyone? 😂🤦🏾

bakuntz.bsky.social•100 days ago

Brooks Kieschnick says hi. Deep Cut is Vee Hightower. One of the most graceful CF I’ve ever seen in Cubs system, tools galore from Vandy. Poor guy was injured almost as much as Brennen Davis.

gjohncubstalk.bsky.social•100 days ago

I can’t imagine Long needs much more time in AA. Figure he would be in Iowa already if the position wasn’t blocked.

gjohncubstalk.bsky.social•100 days ago

Give me two acquisitions for the rotation. Nate Evoldi and Walker Buehler, move Assad to the bullpen as long relief.

ryanbrock.org•100 days ago

Sorry to say but Thaiss is the Cubs' opening day catcher. Thompson is in the pen while they pull their usual thing of building the pen on waivers and MiLB breakouts (Apr-May pen will suck). Another down year while they wait for the Swanson, Taillon, Belly contracts to go away.

bakuntz.bsky.social•100 days ago

Nice work on this. Not sure Kalmer can handle AA pitching yet, he looked so overmatched in SB most of 24. I’m torn on whether Rojas should start the year in AA.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

Torn on both of those. They made my A ball rosters fit cleaner so I went with it haha.

bakuntz.bsky.social•100 days ago

This has nothing to do with anything, but Kalmer is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Based on that alone, I hope he mashes & gets to AA this season.

archietex.bsky.social•100 days ago

Dansby Swanson’s contract is the worse contract in Chicago Sports currently. To suggest the Cubs lose Hoerner just hurts. It was financial mismanagement. DWar is never equivalent to OWar.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

I promise Vucevic and Lavine are way worse!

archietex.bsky.social•100 days ago

Vuc is 20 & 10 for $20mil. That’s hardly bad

Zach is Max which is tuff but when healthy he is the best player on the team.

Swanson’s deal is as bad as Heyward Deal was. $26 mil for a couple of hot streaks a year & a IL stint

danielab87.bsky.social•100 days ago

Dansby had a long stretch the second half where he was a very productive hitter and was dealing with injuries for much of the year. I was as frustrated as anyone watching the whiffs but I feel like we need to see what he does in 2025 before labeling him as a FA bust. And the defense is elite elite.

archietex.bsky.social•100 days ago

He is not even the best SS on the team. That is Vazquez.

cubsmith.bsky.social•100 days ago

Oh man I think that’s way overstated

cnjrunner.bsky.social•100 days ago

Not as much as you think. You guys probably should have been a playoff team this past season. A few tweaks and you can get there in 2025.

jblasco913.bsky.social•100 days ago

I wonder what their plan for Mervis is if they have one at all. He crushes in AAA but they don't seem to want to even give him much of a long look in the majors.

jackjimandjagr.bsky.social•100 days ago

crushed*
he was below league average last year after reportedly making the adjustments believed to be necessary to succeed in the majors

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