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Cubs news and notes ahead of the GM meetings · North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: HM.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Welcome into north Side Territory follow Territory Network's.
• 0:08
  Speaker 3: Cubs podcast time.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: Soada Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney, we are your
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic. Patrick, we're going
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: to talk a little pitching yet again after after the
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: show to episode and we're still kind of in limbo
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: on on what what happens there as we record today
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Thursday morning.
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: Uh, Colin Ray is back and.
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: It sounds like it's a I don't know, they save
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: a half a million dollars with the way they structured this.
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: I don't know. Sounds like I think you talk said
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: it was accounting tricks.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: I don't I don't understand what, what why the Cubs
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: need to adjust money so much, but they do. They
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: do these things. And it's five point five million for
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: this year, potentially seven point five million next year with
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: an option with some buyouts.
• 1:06
  Speaker 4: That's what from our buddy Jordan Bastion of MLB dot Com.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Jordan had the details on the contract. Well, our
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: focus in this segment is I really liked what he
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: did at the end of last season compared to how
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: he ended twenty twenty four, which was basically struggled in September,
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: he didn't make the Brewers playoff roster.
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: He was one of the Cub's better pitchers down the stretch.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: The way he performed, you know, I think some were
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: arguing for him to get a start there in the playoffs.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: It pitched really well and I think he earned this
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: this extra year.
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: But something we haven't talked about.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: This team had six Gold Glove nominees, three winners, and
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: pictures like Colin Ray who don't pure. Although we did
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: have a decent amount of strikeouts at the end there,
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: He's not a strikeout pitcher. The Cubs don't strike guys
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: out in general. They're starting staff in this past season. Now,
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: J jed Hoyer said that maybe a focus, but you
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: have to pay a lot of money to get strikeouts.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: That's just how this business works.
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: They rely on this defense and it is an elite
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: group that you know has the hardware to back that up.
• 2:31
  Speaker 5: Yeah, and that group you mentioned at the top there
• 2:33
  Speaker 5: side did not even include Dansby Swanson, a goal Glove
• 2:37
  Speaker 5: shortstop who was not for whatever reason, on the list
• 2:41
  Speaker 5: of finalists.
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: But if you watch those playoffs, you saw what.
• 2:47
  Speaker 5: He can still do at a really high level and
• 2:50
  Speaker 5: It was interesting hearing the three goal glove winners on
• 2:55
  Speaker 5: a conference call the other night video conference, just explaining
• 3:01
  Speaker 5: how I think it it takes some time for that
• 3:07
  Speaker 5: group to gel as well.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: I mean, it's.
• 3:11
  Speaker 5: Baseball is kind of a hard game when you talk
• 3:15
  Speaker 5: about that type of chemistry. But I think playing around
• 3:19
  Speaker 5: Pete crow Armstrom took the little developed a really nice
• 3:24
  Speaker 5: chemistry over the last few seasons. I know left field
• 3:28
  Speaker 5: is not a premium defensive position at all at all,
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: but credit to Ian hat for finding a position after
• 3:37
  Speaker 5: being bounced around earlier in his career, and also for
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: sharing a lot of knowledge with Pete. That is something
• 3:45
  Speaker 5: that Pete has said multiple times over the course of
• 3:49
  Speaker 5: this year about Wrigley Field, as anyone who's been there,
• 3:55
  Speaker 5: Ian has understands a lot of those nuances, as willing
• 4:00
  Speaker 5: to share that knowledge with Pete. And you know, defense
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: I don't think really gets fans going during the offseason,
• 4:12
  Speaker 5: but you certainly noticed its impact in October.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: I mean, it's undeniable how important it is to the
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: Cubs being a good team. And I think it was
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: at the forefront of Jed Hoyer's mind when when he
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: signed Dansby Stutson. He the idea of I think at
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: that point, Miko Horner was coming off a season where
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: he played shortstop and he looked good. He looked like
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: a really good shortstop, and then they knew how good
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: he could be at second base. Pushing him back to
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: second base and kind of building that backbone of their defense.
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: That was what that's kind of.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: That's what inspired Jed Hord to do what he did
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: when he signed Dance Past wanted. He was thinking about
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: that defense. This is how we'd become a great team again.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Defense up the middle is what will we'll make the
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: Cubs great?
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: Uh, you know, I don't know how much. In the
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: back of his mind he was also like.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: Peek Armstrong is going to be my center fielder in
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: a few years.
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: That probably was you know that they do.
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: The future, yes, yeah, many when they're making decisions. So
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: Pek Armstrong was probably on his mind as well, and
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: he had to be excited about that. And you're right,
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: like these guys have all like improved in different ways.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: I think winning four in a row like that's something
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: that imagine us talking about Ian Halp as a gold Glover,
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: you know, half a decade ago, I think, you know,
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: we would have chuckled at that, and he's won four
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: in a row. Props to him, and he Go is
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: just one of the like he's the heartbeat of this team.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: I think that the more I've been around this team,
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: especially in the playoffs, it really did feel that way.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: He's just the defense that I know he had the
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: critical error in the NLDS, but outside of that, I mean,
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: they don't pass and diego without their defense. They're pitching
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: all season long doesn't look as good as it did.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: I've had this conversation with people that don't kind of
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: follow the Cubs. They'll they'll say, I'm worried about their pitching,
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: or I look at their pitching. I don't think their
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: pitching is good enough. But for years I've heard people
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: say this, and for years now, the Cubs pitching out
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: performs expectations. You know, credit to Tommy Hotteby and the
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: pitching infrastructure. I'm sure there's some things that they emphasize
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: and do to maximize that pitching, but I think most
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: people would point to a look who they're pitching in
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: front of, you know, look who's behind them. He grow Armstrong,
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: Dancy Swanson and Nico Horner are special defenders and they
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: just make everything easier. And when we talk about this,
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: we said it last episode. The theme of this offseason
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: is going to be how do you like? Who are
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: the pitchers? Who are they going after? How do they
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: rebuild this pitching staff, particularly the bullpen. Everything feels a
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: little bit easier, and I'm sure that the front office
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: feels a little bit more comfortable when they go after
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: pitching because of that defense.
• 7:39
  Speaker 5: A few straight thoughts off of that Sunday night conference call,
• 7:48
  Speaker 5: It was interesting that Nico acknowledge how and Ian have
• 7:54
  Speaker 5: acknowledge as well. He kind of described it of how
• 7:57
  Speaker 5: really how limited he was in twenty twenty four is
• 8:00
  Speaker 5: to let loose.
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: I know Jed Hoyer.
• 8:01
  Speaker 5: Had described that that the GM meetings last year, but
• 8:06
  Speaker 5: for you know, kind of a teammate or the player
• 8:10
  Speaker 5: himself to be like, yeah, I couldn't really let it
• 8:14
  Speaker 5: rip and still played very productive major league season. That
• 8:18
  Speaker 5: his pregame work, his ability to like work on his
• 8:21
  Speaker 5: defense was hampered for another chunk of this season, and
• 8:24
  Speaker 5: the amount of games he put up this year after
• 8:27
  Speaker 5: missing the seasonal opening trip to Japan was kind of staggering.
• 8:34
  Speaker 5: I still think, you know, we can't forget that part
• 8:38
  Speaker 5: of the reason Nico did this surgery was to get
• 8:40
  Speaker 5: back to being able to play shortstop, and that is
• 8:42
  Speaker 5: an interesting thought as we come into the last year
• 8:45
  Speaker 5: of his contract extension, his ability to market himself as
• 8:50
  Speaker 5: a shortstop, I think will be very lucrative, either in
• 8:54
  Speaker 5: going back to the Cubs for another extension or testing
• 8:57
  Speaker 5: the market next offseason whenever that is after inevitable owner's lockout.
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: And then just kind of the development of Crol Armstrong.
• 9:06
  Speaker 5: He credited Quintin Berry, a new coach this year, on
• 9:12
  Speaker 5: just kind of his his bursts, his jumps, his kind
• 9:16
  Speaker 5: of pre pitch.
• 9:19
  Speaker 4: Routine.
• 9:20
  Speaker 5: And I think we both in our interactions with Quinton
• 9:25
  Speaker 5: Berry and what we've heard about him behind the scenes,
• 9:28
  Speaker 5: that is someone who's going to be groomed for bigger roles.
• 9:32
  Speaker 5: I believe, you know, there is someone who could maybe
• 9:36
  Speaker 5: be a manager someday. Not saying in Chicago or like
• 9:39
  Speaker 5: these out for Craig Council's job, but if Craig Council
• 9:44
  Speaker 5: kind of works with you in Milwaukee and he brings
• 9:47
  Speaker 5: you into Chicago and the base running Pete's team based
• 9:51
  Speaker 5: running and Pete's defense shows up in big ways. He
• 9:55
  Speaker 5: has some charisma, He definitely has a presence. I think
• 10:00
  Speaker 5: he's someone you know who should probably be on that
• 10:03
  Speaker 5: managerial circuit, interview circuit and in your future. And then just
• 10:08
  Speaker 5: Pete talking about the end of the season. He was
• 10:11
  Speaker 5: obviously very emotional in Milwaukee. He said he's not really
• 10:15
  Speaker 5: fixated on the playoff law, so it was just he's
• 10:18
  Speaker 5: still taking that entire second half pretty hard. He feels like,
• 10:26
  Speaker 5: what if I had done more? And he understands he
• 10:30
  Speaker 5: had a great first half to put the team in
• 10:32
  Speaker 5: a great position for the second half, but that's and uh,
• 10:39
  Speaker 5: I thought it was interesting how he phrased it, like
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: the did you have dwelling on stuff? Contemplating stuff? For him,
• 10:47
  Speaker 5: it never stops. That will be kind of an all
• 10:49
  Speaker 5: off season thing, and I think that bodes well for
• 10:53
  Speaker 5: what we're all going to be writing next year about,
• 10:55
  Speaker 5: you know, what's.
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: Next for he? Can he top that? Can he do
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: it again? And like that that kind of thought is
• 11:02
  Speaker 4: certainly out there.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's going to be You're right, it will be
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: a big topic entering spring training. And I you know,
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: his mindset I think is one of those things like
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: is he.
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: Going to put too much pressure out of himself.
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: Or is this like the type of drive and the
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: goals he needs to set for himself to reach, you know,
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: these heights that he kind of set in the first half.
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: Uh, it can go, you know, either way.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: It all depends how does he handle that pressure, how
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: does he handle the pressure he puts on himself, and
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: does he kind of focus that energy in the proper way.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: It'll be fascinating to see. All right, let's come back,
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: Let's take a break and come back and talk about it.
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: We told you.
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: About Hewles new Daily Green's ready to drink can, but
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: also we do not want to forget about the og
• 11:50
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• 11:51
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• 11:55
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• 11:56
  Speaker 4: That's a better one.
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Mm hmm, it's so break down.
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: The vanilla also good. But when they send me a
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  Speaker 3: chocolate peanut butter, it's like a dessert.
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• 12:39
  Speaker 6: After It FT.
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: Patrick Kaydor Kittridge is no longer a cup. He was
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: traded to the Orioles. Believe it was a nine million
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: dollar option, one million dollar buyout. We didn't think that
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: there was a high chance that they were going to
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: pick that option up. So this basically saves two cubs
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: a millillion bucks.
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: Uh so along with him.
• 13:08
  Speaker 5: Like I mean, was there gonna be uh, you know,
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: a moment to mark this. Maybe we put a statue
• 13:15
  Speaker 5: outside or a flag to mark the yet another moment
• 13:20
  Speaker 5: of financial flex Andrew Characters is probably not the decision
• 13:24
  Speaker 5: to kind of have that conversation about or yeah, we
• 13:27
  Speaker 5: can't pound a table line. But we'll see how this
• 13:31
  Speaker 5: obason plays. It's been a lot. Yeah, let's I'd like
• 13:34
  Speaker 5: to let's just like we I think we were.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: You and I were both kind of not to go
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: too far off into a different hand. You and I
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: both kind of expected that Cody Bellinger money to be
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: spent last year and it never was. And now we're
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: seeing this like that essentially saved a million and a
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: half by no buy up Kittridge and kind of restruct
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: Colin Ray in twenty twenty six. And you know, is
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: that a reliever that they're going to spend money on?
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Then?
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: Like why, Like, look, every dollar counts.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: I guess and and and they are they do work
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: under a budget, but it's it's kind of ridiculous to
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: see some of this stuff. But obviously they need money
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: for relievers because Kiddridge is gone. And then you have
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: Brad Keller coming off a brilliant season. He's going to
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: get paid h And the Cubs don't do that unless
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: they suddenly decide, hey, Brad Keller, you're you're competing for
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: a rotation spot. They want to pay for that type
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: of deal. I haven't heard any rumblings of that. That's
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: that's that would be news to me. I think Brad
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: Keller's going to go out there and get paid and
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: get paid well by some other team.
• 15:00
  Speaker 6: Uh.
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: Then there's Drew Pomerance and Caleb Telbar, both free agents,
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: both in their late thirties, both exactly the type of
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: guy that the Cubs are thrilled to have found and
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: they're not so thrilled to pay the year after they
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: have that season.
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: You know, Look, fielbar makes sense to me. I like,
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: that's that'd be a risk.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: He's like thirty nine or something like, he's gonna be
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: thirty eight to thirty nine.
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: Like, I don't know if you bet on that.
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: Drew pomarants, like did you catch lightning in a bottle?
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: I get that. I get all these decisions. All of
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: these decisions makes sense in a vacuum. It's just what
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: you're talking about now is is a bullpen stripped to
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: the studs with one guy that's proven it, and that's
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: Daniel Plentza, and he did it for one year.
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: Remember Porter Hodge a year ago was.
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: I'm not saying Daniel Pincio can't repeat what he did.
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: I'm saying there are no guarantees when it comes to
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: the bullpen. So right now you have a I have
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: a bullpen. We've got like, there's not many arms that
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: you've even relied on there. It's him and Hodge are
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: the only ones that have have thrown a decent amount
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: of innings in the recent past.
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: It's a it's a huge hole right now.
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: And and the way the Cubs go about business, don't
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: don't expect them to, you know, go out and get
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: Edwin Diaz, and then we're backwards from there.
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: I want to I want to get to that in
• 16:33
  Speaker 4: one second.
• 16:33
  Speaker 5: I think Kittridge, I get like roughly whatever, nine million dollars.
• 16:39
  Speaker 5: Maybe you get two like decent relievers.
• 16:44
  Speaker 4: Maybe you get like four non roster guys.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: I want to say Kellerbert was like two and a
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: half or two point seven.
• 16:55
  Speaker 4: I think keller might have been one point five million.
• 16:58
  Speaker 4: When you're talking about if he's.
• 17:00
  Speaker 5: Save a little on Rey and you save a little
• 17:02
  Speaker 5: on this buy out, I thought Keller was about one
• 17:05
  Speaker 5: point five. I'd have to go back and check my notes,
• 17:08
  Speaker 5: but I get it when Diaz like if he's looking
• 17:11
  Speaker 5: for another sure, you know, record setter or some sort
• 17:14
  Speaker 5: of contract that's you know, like four years or whatever,
• 17:19
  Speaker 5: and you have Steve Cohen on speed dial.
• 17:22
  Speaker 4: Of course I was more surprised.
• 17:23
  Speaker 5: We talked about this on our slack channel and you
• 17:27
  Speaker 5: went out and got it. Of in reading your store
• 17:31
  Speaker 5: in the Athletic, you know, oh, Devin Williams seemed like
• 17:35
  Speaker 5: really interesting name to.
• 17:35
  Speaker 4: Me, and you you're reporting indicates not so fast.
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's not and all of this can change.
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Like I hope, I believe I wrote that in
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: a way, and I hope people don't focus on the
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: they can't get those guys. Look, they're not going to
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: set the market for any of those big names.
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: They're not going to go out there and be aggressive.
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: If Devin Williams can't find find the five year deal
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: that he probably is looking for, whatever it is that
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: he's looking for, it would make a lot of sense
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: to come to the Cups. There's a spot where he'll
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: be guaranteed the closer's role. He's going to be working
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: under a manager that he trusts and knows and has
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: experienced with, who trusts him, who knows what he can do,
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: the right type of deal, whatever that money may be.
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: That's why you have to leave the door open for
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: these ideas. Edwin Diaz just like he's going to get paid,
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: Suarez is going to get paid. Like these are two
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: closers that have pitched, you know, at a high level
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: for multiple seasons. Devin Williams I think falls into that category.
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: But he had a rough season. But like baseball isn't
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: baseball isn't, this isn't two thousand and one. I guess
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: where they just look at the er and say, this
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: guy's broken. They can see that his strikeouts and walks
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: are very similar. They can look at they have all
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: the information on the pitch data, like they know what
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: type of pitcher this guy is. So he's The thought
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: behind that is someone's going to pay him, and the
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: Cubs just aren't that team now bounce back candidates. If
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: Devin Williams was a true bounce back candidate, I think
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: he'd be firmly on their radar, and I think he'll stay.
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: He'll be on their radar until he gets the type
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: of contract he's looking for.
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: Uh. But I agree with you like Devin.
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: Like Devin Williams may not be in that exact tier
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: because of the season he had.
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: But.
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: It would be nice if the Cubs could find I
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: think the Cubs need to find someone.
• 19:44
  Speaker 3: If it's not in that mold, then it's you know.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: I hesitate to use his name just because of the
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: season he had, But Ryan Presley mold in the sense
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: like a veteran, someone who's done it before, someone who
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: knows how to get the final three outs and isn't
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: and and and has something left in the tank. Is
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: there someone that may be traded, or is there someone
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: on the list of free agents that's coming off a
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: bad season, coming off One guy that's coming off in
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: injuries jose Le Clerk.
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: His his health status right now. How quickly is he.
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: I think he had lat surgery. But like, those are
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: the types of names we're gonna have to look at.
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: I think, you know, like guys coming off injuries, guys
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: coming off six e rs, guys who for some reason
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: something was off. And Tommy Howdeby says, I think if
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: we use this bitch more, he'll be right back to
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: who he was.
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: Or look look at his delivery.
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: We can see like if he does this and this,
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: he's gonna be fine as long as he's healthy. So
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: those are those are the things that I think we're
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: we focus on, especially early on, uh, you know, the
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: first month or two of free agency.
• 20:55
  Speaker 5: Yeah, you're right, they're definitely going to bring in someone
• 20:58
  Speaker 5: who has that know how, that experience, someone who can
• 21:03
  Speaker 5: show other pictures how to prepare and how to anticipate
• 21:10
  Speaker 5: when and how they will be used. I think that
• 21:12
  Speaker 5: was something that Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz and Caleb thielbar
• 21:15
  Speaker 5: All appreciated about this year's group that they were really
• 21:22
  Speaker 5: locked into the games. They're meeting for breakfast, going out
• 21:25
  Speaker 5: for coffee and just kind of constantly talking about the
• 21:29
  Speaker 5: game and having that mindset of always being prepared so
• 21:34
  Speaker 5: that that type of presence is a must. And I
• 21:39
  Speaker 5: think they know that they've gone out and done that
• 21:42
  Speaker 5: year after year. That's kind of a rare area where
• 21:44
  Speaker 5: they'll acknowledge intangible value. I think I feel a little
• 21:52
  Speaker 5: better about the strategy if the Cups kind of had
• 21:55
  Speaker 5: more sort of like young pictures coming right, Yeah, Like,
• 22:00
  Speaker 5: but they've obviously found a way to make it work
• 22:03
  Speaker 5: without having some gushing pipeline of young pitching talent. So yeah, look,
• 22:09
  Speaker 5: they'll bring in whatever ten guys. One guy might wind
• 22:15
  Speaker 5: up being really good for most of the year, another
• 22:17
  Speaker 5: guy might have a couple of spurts, a bunch of
• 22:19
  Speaker 5: guys will get sent to Iowa, some more will get released. Like,
• 22:25
  Speaker 5: and that's where I think you're right about the not
• 22:28
  Speaker 5: setting the market. That's seems to be the Cubs strategy overall,
• 22:34
  Speaker 5: of letting some of this play out. The teams with
• 22:38
  Speaker 5: aggressive owners that like to do winter meetings press conferences
• 22:42
  Speaker 5: and paraded around new free agents and you know, do
• 22:46
  Speaker 5: the press conference, the shot with the jersey and putting
• 22:48
  Speaker 5: the new hat on big time star just not really
• 22:52
  Speaker 5: how the Cubs roll. And so you know, when we're
• 22:57
  Speaker 5: in Cubs convention and the Cubs have signed like one
• 22:59
  Speaker 5: player and there's like twenty interesting names out there, then
• 23:03
  Speaker 5: maybe some of these thoughts will evolve. Then maybe putting
• 23:06
  Speaker 5: more money into the bullpen might make sense, particularly if
• 23:08
  Speaker 5: it's on kind of one year commitments, or maybe we
• 23:13
  Speaker 5: got to spring training and there's two or three really
• 23:15
  Speaker 5: good players still unsigned and it's like, you know, there
• 23:20
  Speaker 5: there's only a certain handful of teams that are gonna
• 23:22
  Speaker 5: be spending big money this offseason.
• 23:23
  Speaker 4: Then you have a.
• 23:26
  Speaker 5: Potential lockout on almost certain lockout looming after this season.
• 23:33
  Speaker 5: They're just the Cubs are always this nice sort of
• 23:36
  Speaker 5: consolation landing prize landing spot, like ap plausible team for
• 23:42
  Speaker 5: lots of free agents.
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: So I think.
• 23:46
  Speaker 5: Fans just get get kind of like used to that
• 23:48
  Speaker 5: of kind of expectation setting of like, yeah, they're not
• 23:52
  Speaker 5: going to go out and really like blow anyone away.
• 23:54
  Speaker 5: But the more that all this stuff lingers, they could
• 23:57
  Speaker 5: be in play for different things that maybe weren't obvious
• 24:00
  Speaker 5: at the beginning of November.
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there the youth part that you mentioned. You know,
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: it's not like they have this pipeline of young players
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: Palencia was.
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: You know, we probably would have said that.
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: About Palencia and during the season, you know, and and
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: and look, it's it's horribly risky to just rely on
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: a bunch of unproven kids that have struggled.
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: For Luke Little has struggled every time he's come up
• 24:26
  Speaker 3: to the big leagues. Uh uh.
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: There's a there's a kid named Riley Martin who has
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: nasty stuff and sometimes the walks explode with him. But
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: he's a lefty that you know has he's but he's
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: like twenty six, twenty seven.
• 24:42
  Speaker 3: You know, at some point he needs.
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: To get up to the big leagues at be added
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: to the forty man roster. Jack Neely acquired in the
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: Mark Lighter trade. That that trade looks bad right now.
• 24:52
  Speaker 3: Uh.
• 24:53
  Speaker 2: Lighter has been solid as a reliever, was solid once again,
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: great great to talk for us through.
• 25:02
  Speaker 3: Red ass exactly.
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: And and the infielder they got, Ben Cowells, I believe
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: was dfade or taking off the forty man and then
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: and Jack Neely has struggled.
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: He struggled to triple A last year.
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: I don't he didn't even get a cup of coffee
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: again last this past season, he never came up. Those
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: are the types of names that you're looking at. You
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: need Porter Hodge to bounce back. Like there's a lot
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: there's young guys with stuff, but no, like you need
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: to like this this coaching staff, especially Counsel, how to
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: be those guys.
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: You better throw strikes.
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: Luke Little doesn't throw enough strikes to earn the trust
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: of this group. Riley Martin walks a lot of guys.
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: I think Neely has a similar issue, Like if you're
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: not throwing strikes, you're not gonna get more.
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: You'll you may get a cup of coffee.
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: And that's why Hodge stuck in twenty four he had
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: issues throwing strikes, came up, threw strikes and earned Craig
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: Counsel's trust. Struggled with it this year. When he did
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: throw strikes this year, it got hit hard too, So
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: there's something. There was something off with him this year.
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: So you just never know, Like I'm not ruling any
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: of those young guys out until they're off the roster, but.
• 26:23
  Speaker 3: Certainly don't trust.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: Like there's no like like I don't feel great about
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: any of them in saying like, yeah, I know what
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: this guy's gonna give.
• 26:32
  Speaker 3: And I can't even say that about Valencia.
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: As much as I respect the season that he had
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: and the work that he put in and everything that
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: he did to get to the point that he that
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: he was like such a good reliever, it's just year
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: to year.
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: You have to.
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: Reevaluate these things and see how that first month, month
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: and a half goes, and then you can say, Okay,
• 26:50
  Speaker 2: looks like he can repeat that season or have a
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: similar type season.
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: So it's a crapshoot every year.
• 26:56
  Speaker 2: The Cubs know that part of the reason why Jed
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: Hoyer doesn't.
• 26:59
  Speaker 3: Like to spend.
• 27:00
  Speaker 2: And while I can respect that, I also think you
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: need some sort of certainty and you're the Cubs, So
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: whether it's trading for someone that has a year left
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: that maybe not wanted by their team as much anymore,
• 27:15
  Speaker 2: whatever it may be, some certainty needs to be found
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: in some way, at least to start the season. And
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: then you know how it is, at every trade deadline,
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: you're always looking for pitching. So yet again, rebuilding the bullpen.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: We'll be following it all all winter long. There will
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: be names added that you and I barely pay attention to,
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: and then by June we'll be talking about how important
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: this guy is, because that's just how it works. Yeah,
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: all right, thanks so much for listening everyone, This is
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: Northside Territory. Make sure to rate, review, subscribe, subscribe to
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: the YouTube channel, and subscribe to The Athletic where Patrick
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: and Iron top of all things cubs. Thanks for listening.
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: Thanks for listening everyone. Take care you don't.
• 28:03
  Speaker 6: Let agree anyone want to do they lea