Previewing The Cubs Potential Winter Meetings Moves

Disappointment has a name, and for the Chicago Cubs it’s Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese superstar two-way player concluded his courtship Friday afternoon, choosing the Los Angeles Angels and Mike Trout as his new MLB team.

Ohtani is going to the #Angels

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 8, 2017

Today, the #Angels released the following statement regarding Shohei Ohtani: pic.twitter.com/IpDTJnfIie

— Angels (@Angels) December 8, 2017

And while Cubs fans have every right to be disappointed with Ohtani’s decision, it’s important to know that Theo Epstein and the front office put together a truly impressive presentation to Ohtani’s group. One that even included a VR aspect, which honestly doesn’t surprise me one bit.

#Cubs fans, know that Theo Epstein and his staff did all they could to impress Shohei Ohtani: Their presentation included a Virtual Reality experience of his possible life as a Cub. @MLB @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 8, 2017

But what’s done is done, and the Cubs are already moving past the Ohtani decision and have switch gears back to addressing their areas of need. According to a source, the Cubs ‘checked in’ with the Rays, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Athletics yesterday.

From what the scout was able to tell me, the Cubs were talking to the Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton, but more so as a courtesy to the Marlins as Stanton had listed the Cubs as one of the four teams he would waive his no trade clause for. Clearly, that is now a moot point, with him agreeing to a trade with the Yankees.

But the rest of the teams the Cubs were probing for starting pitching, with the two keys names being Chris Archer and Marcus Stroman – two names that are no strangers to Cubs rumors at this point. Other names I heard were SP Sean Maneae from the Athletics and of course the Cubs did check in on OF Christian Yelich – who the Cubs have also had a long standing interest in.

So What’s Next?

With the Cubs just putting out feelers at this point, the sense I am getting from people in the know is that the Cubs are going into the Winter Meetings looking to find another starter.

#Cubs Theo expects to touch base with both Arrieta's and Wade Davis' agents at Winter Meetings

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) December 7, 2017

As Carrie Muskat reported earlier this week, the Cubs plan on speaking with Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis, but the thought behind both is that they’re gone. Davis is reportedly looking for something close to $16 mil over four years, and Arrieta wants a deal in the seven-years range, and both will likely get that from other teams.

Expect the Cubs to re-engage Alex Cobb, as the team still has a high interest in bringing on the veteran right-hander. The Cubs also plan on speaking with Yu Darvish and his representatives. No word on how serious the intrigue is with Darvish but the Cubs have liked the talented righty for sometime now.

The Cubs also plan on exploring trade options, with the two Florida teams both looking like a match on paper for the Cubs. Specifically, the Marlins, who after the Stanton deal have shown a willingness to accept lesser value in players for teams to absorb more cash off their books.

Depending on the initial market, it’s fair to assume that the asking price for Yelich has come down some since the last time the Cubs seriously checked on him during the regular season.

Do The Cubs Make A Move During The Meetings?

The North Siders need to add at least one more starter, after signing Tyler Chatwood to a three-year-deal Thursday. But a source has told me that the Cubs would like to add a few more starters, likely in a depth role, but possibly for a six-man rotation.

While Jon Lester has made it known how he feels waiting another day to take the ball, the Cubs rotation as a whole could benefit from the extra rest. Outside of Jose Quintana, all projected starters in their rotation spend some time on the DL during the 2017 season.

I would also expect the Cubs to at least make strides at addressing the bullpen, whether that means they attempt to re-sign Wade Davis or sign a Brandon Morrow or Brandon Kintzler – who have both been in contact with the Cubs this free agency.

And of course, the Cubs could always swing a deal to solve both positions, as Phil Rogers points here.

#Cubs seem likely to pursue #Rays closer Alex Colome and ace Chris Archer. Getting both would take a monster return, however. It's going to be a fun week at Winter Meetings.

— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) December 9, 2017

The Winter Meetings are when the majority of free agents strike a deal with teams, and the Cubs will not be distracted by missing on Ohtani. Expect Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to make their usual waves at the Winter Meetings, but don’t be surprised if the Cubs end up linked to teams like the Marlins and Rays or if they come up in talks surrounding Yu Darvish.