Follow our new Twitter account for real-time updates and in-depth analysis of all things Chicago Cubs.
The last thing I wrote about the Cubs was Buster Olney making a complete dumbass out of himself last Friday, when he reported that the Cubs were open to trading Kris Bryant. That night I went to California for a wedding, drank wine and ate food that I can’t afford the entire weekend and when I came back we were still talking about the same shit.
Buster is 100% accurate. It doesn’t mean he’s getting traded but it doesn’t mean they haven’t ever spoken to anyone about him. #Fact https://t.co/i9Y4akkMxV
— David Kaplan (@thekapman) November 13, 2018
🙄🙄🙄
Yeah, it’s been a slow week for offseason news, but here’s something positive for Cubs fans to talk about or whatever.
Follow our new Twitter account for real-time updates and in-depth analysis of all things Chicago Cubs.
Let’s get back on the Bryce Harper to the Cubs train.
So, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Tayler wrote an article the other day, trying to make a case for every team in MLB to sign Bryce Harper. He broke down the chances of each team accomplishing that into seven categories.
TIER 7: NO CHANCE, NO CHOICE
TIER 6: NO ROOM AT THE INN
TIER 5: MONEY’S TOO TIGHT FOR STEAK
TIER 4: DO IT, YOU REBUILDING COWARDS
TIER 3: DARK HORSES
TIER 2: YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE
TIER 1: THE FAVORITES
Tayler lists four teams as the favorites he considers to sign Harper and the Cubs are included! Tayler doesn’t believe in the narrative so far this offseason that’s been presented by the media that the Cubs won’t be going over $246 million threshold that would bring the biggest luxury tax penalties. And if the Cubs want to sign Harper they’d definitely be going over that payroll in 2019 if they don’t trade away another player who’s making a good chunk of money.
Anyway, Tayler still believes the Cubs are going after Harper. Money issues? He’s not buying it.
I can’t believe—no, I won’t believe—that the Cubs, who have perhaps the best young collection of talent this side of Houston, won’t spend to make that team better. It’s unconscionable; it’s crazy; it should be a felony. That’s especially the case with Harper available to plug gaps in the outfield. Put him in right field, move Jason Heyward to center and consign Albert Almora to reserve outfielder status, which is where he belongs anyway. This isn’t rocket science; it’s barely basic math.
We saw what happened when everything goes right for the Cubs in 2016; we’ve also seen what happens when you throw a wrench into the machine. Few if any teams can match Chicago’s ceiling, but even super-teams can stumble. Harper would help create distance from surging Milwaukee and give them another stud under-30 player to extend their window of title contention. It makes too much sense not to happen.
(Jon Tayler)
And that’s essentially where I still stand today.
Despite all the speculation pointing to the Cubs not going all out for Harper, signing him just makes too much sense. It makes zero sense to pass up on him or Manny Machado because of money and not significantly improving a hole on your team.
It’s still only the middle of November, so we still have plenty of time to agonize over every little report about the Cubs in free agency. But hey, at least one MLB writer still thinks Harper to the Cubs makes sense, so hell yeah!
Here’s the rest Tayler’s SI article.
