There are good reasons to have this conversation, but I’m not at all convinced that chopping teams is the answer.

Yo. That’s a huge contract, and the catching market is MOVING.

Shogo Akiyama looks like a good fit for the Cubs, but how much production can you actually project?

There seems to be a lot less flexibility to talk about financial issues than we thought. Also: so the Cubs didn’t make a trade last night.

Two expected, one 50/50, and one pleasant surprise.

If catchers are already going to start signing, then the pressure is going to be on the Cubs to explore the trade market.

Kind of an odd rumor/suggestion. I don’t think there’s a team out there in a better spot to need Kimbrel (at his rate) than the Cubs.

Every team needs to be looked at. And also, the Astros need to be hammered.

Loaded set of Cubs Bullets this morning. Big day around the game, bizarre expansion idea, and much more.

The Braves have done more than twice as much (literally) than the rest of the league combined. Also: the relief market is thin.

Tomorrow is a big day on the roster side of things, and it will spur some activity around the league.

This Houston sign-stealing scandal remains extremely wild.

We know about Shogo Akiyama, but are the Cubs also looking at a Japanese slugger? Sounds like yes, though the fit is tough.

Don’t you disparage Soriano!

It’s a price tag that is a bit too high for a bench guy, which means Akiyama is definitely pricing himself as a starter.

Andujar has tons of upside in his bat and is still pre-arb, but he also had shoulder surgery last year. Oh, and also, Schwarber might be a monster.

Jeter is a lock, but beyond that, it’s going to be debatin’ season.

How much of an upgrade for the Cubs would Shogo Akiyama actually be? Also, there are even more starting pitchers coming to the market.

That’s often how this works. There is a lot of interest in Gray, a guy we really would love to see the Cubs go after.

I sure still don’t like it one bit.

If you’re that brazen, it just leads people to wonder what else you were doing.

It was just a firm part of the Astros’ culture. This was all normal to them.

Don’t expect the Cubs to dump Almora just yet.

Pitchers will get longer breaks. Still have to talk the Cubs into using the IL for position players, though.

Well that certainly escalated.

I don’t think the Astros are getting off light on this. And the rest of the league is on high alert.

Darvish not only offers very useful thoughts on the substance of the matter, but also has such a positive attitude about the experience.

GET IT DONE WITH EL MAGO, PLEASE AND THANKS.

The Blue Jays were the only org to do it last year, and their players had their lives changed.

The guy might come cheap and could be a perfect fit. This is pretty obvious, and I like it.

The future of the two players is clearly related. Let’s use that as an opportunity to compliment Schwarber, though.

Let’s go, free agency.

Smith gets PAID, and Braves get an impact reliever.

Napoli was on the 2013 World Series team with David Ross.

The Cubs have needs. Big needs. Many needs.