Winter Meetings, Monday Evening: Judge Arriving, DBaX, Cardinals and Catchers, Dusty Wants Willson, Heaney Market, More

I could be wrong, but with Justin Verlander and Trea Turner having signed today – two of the few remaining big-time free agents whose markets AREN’T really having to wait on anything else – I feel like Aaron Judge has to be coming soon. He’s in the same boat as those two, and like I said earlier, you’d think the pressure from the Giants and Yankees is going to come soon.

  • Is this a sign that a deal is expected tonight or tomorrow:
  • I don’t know that Judge would need to be there personally for the final negotiations, but he might want to be there personally for final signing and media pomp. As he should be. Judge is one of the biggest stars in the game and he’s about to sign one of the biggest contracts in baseball history, if not the biggest. So I hope shows up in time for the deal to be announced, and there’s some attention for baseball.
  • I like to keep the shortstop stuff in its own lane (the last shortstop post is right here), but this can’t wait:
  • It would be deeply, deeply annoying if a surprise team swooped in and landed Bogaerts (or Correa or Swanson, frankly). The Diamondbacks would absolutely have to give the Cubs a young center fielder for nothing as compensation.
  • Robert Murray has the Cardinals still in on catcher Sean Murphy of the A’s (James McCann from the Mets as a backup plan), which is interesting to me in relation to the recent Cardinals shortstop rumors:
  • The reason I connect the two things in my head is that if the Cardinals were to sign one of the top shortstops, they could VERY easily part with shortstop prospect Masyn Winn in a deal for a catcher like Sean Murphy.
  • The Cardinals have been attached to Willson Contreras, also, of course. But so have the Astros. This sounds to me like the kind of thing you say publicly if you really do want a guy, but you want him to not hate you for the stuff that came before:
  • Waiting for the terms on this one, because he was a vogue name out there and I bet he got a strong contract:
  • UPDATE: It’s always the second after I click publish:
  • That tier of relievers – old friend Chris Martin among them – is still doing very well. Have been for the last few years. I remember when spending $7 million annually on a non-closer, non-elite setup man was considered nuts.
  • Ben Nicholson-Smith reports that Andrew Heaney’s market could be coming to a head, with more than 10 teams interested, and offers coming in (including from the Blue Jays). The 31-year-old lefty saw a dramatic uptick in his strikeout rate last year with the Dodgers, though he also saw a huge spike in his barrel rate and managed only 72.2 innings due to shoulder issues.
  • A whole lotta teams would love to see if they can just keep Heaney healthy next year, and I expect the Cubs are among them. When you talk about going out of your “comfort zone” to get a guy, this is a perfect example. Heaney offers a tiny track record of recent very high-upside success, but has also struggled badly at times and dealt with multiple arm problems. Are you prepared to make him a three or four-year offer and take the chance that you might get nothing at all from him over those years? Well, if you don’t say yes, you probably don’t get him.
  • Random report that although the Red Sox did offer Jose Abreu three years, like the Astros did, their offer was for $15 to $20 million less! So they offered, what, like three years and $40 million? It’s kinda unfair to do that and then later leak out that you were totally right there with the Astros making a three-year offer. We never heard exactly what the Cubs offered Abreu, but I can take a pretty good guess that it was close to $40 million over just two years – which is better than the “three-year offer” mentioned there. In any case, the point here might be that the Astros blew away the other offers?
  • If you were wondering why there haven’t been any Cubs minor league deals yet – or many around baseball at all – Bryan has heard a bit:
  • In a typical year, the Cubs – and similarly aggressive teams on the minor league market – would have targeted a few preferred minor league free agents almost as soon as the offseason started and gotten them signed to above-market minor league deals. That didn’t happen this year. It was odd. Sounds like deals are coming soon, though.
  • WHICH REMINDS ME: when it comes to the deals we hear about this week, the chronology doesn’t matter. Just because we hear first about – for example – some minor league signing, that doesn’t mean it is the most important or biggest signing coming. It’s just the one that happened to come across the wire first. So relax. Save your freakout for when all the preferred big league targets go off the board …
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Rays vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) go on the road at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.The Rays will look to Aaron Civale against the Blue Jays and Chris Bassitt.Rays vs. Blue Jays...

    Marlins vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) play on Friday at LoanDepot park against the Miami Marlins (0-1). The contest begins at 7:10 PM ET.The Marlins will look to Andrew Jacob Puk against the Pirates and Martin Perez.Marlins vs. Pirates Pitcher Matchup and...

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed a successful 2023 season, capturing their third straight NFC South title and pushing the Detroit Lions in a thrilling Divisional Round matchup. This strong showing translates to a relatively stable roster with few glaring weaknesses...

    NC State vs Marquette Predictions and Odds: March Madness Best Bets

    March Madness matchups bring us a great battle tonight as 11-seed NC State battles 2-seed Marquette. Check out the odds, stats, and more for NC State vs Marquette which tips off at 7:09 pm ET tonight. NC State vs Marquette...

    Best NBA Prop Bets Today – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Today's NBA schedule has 12 quality competitions in store. Among those games is the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Denver Nuggets.NBA prop bets for today's games are available, so if you're interested in placing a bet or building a parlay, you'll...

    Updated Elite 8 Odds: UConn Betting Favorite To Win March Madness

    There were some great performances last night including a 30-point win by the UConn Huskies sending them to the Elite Eight. Are they the betting favorite to win March Madness? What team is sitting on top of the odds to...

    UConn vs. Illinois Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) are 8.5-point favorites to advance to the Final Four when they play the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on...

    Alabama vs. Clemson Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) and No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will both be vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Final Four when they meet on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, tipping off at 8:49...

    How to Watch UConn Huskies vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Live Stream or on TV

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) will take on the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on TBS starting at 6:09 PM ET.UConn won its previous...

    Alabama vs. Clemson: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will take the court for an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup with the No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, airing on TBS beginning at 8:49 PM ET,...

    more cubs news