Chicago Cubs make big moves in Fansided Faux Winter Offseason

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CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 18: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs acknowledges the crowd after being relieved in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field on October 18, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Each year, the 30 editors around the FanSided MLB Division get together for a Mock Offseason. Make no mistake, the Chicago Cubs made some noise.

If the Chicago Cubs mirror this week’s FanSided Mock Offseason exercise in their moves this winter, I’ll close up shop and call it a day. But, given some of the moves made, I think I’ll be here for awhile.

After three days of living on an Excel spreadsheet used to track free agent and trade offers, I finally came up for air. And, although I’m sure some of you will chastise these deals as foolish and short-sighted, hopefully there are more positive than negative reactions.

And, well, if there’s not – oh well. The Cubs entered the offseason needing to shore up the pitching staff in big ways. Jake Arrieta and John Lackey left 40 percent of the rotation open. With Wade Davis‘ departure, the ninth inning sat open.

We looked to shore up these areas – and, if you read my work regularly, you’ll know this. I’d rather get beaten by what I know than what I don’t. With that in mind, let’s begin.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 16: Dellin Betances #68 of the New York Yankees reacts as he is pulled from the game after walking the first two batters of the ninth inning against the Houston Astros in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 16, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs make blockbuster deal with New York Yankees

This one hurt. It marked my first move as general manager and it’ll no doubt be the one most of you have a problem with.

In a straight swap, the Cubs dealt Kyle Schwarber to the Yankees for reliever Dellin Betances. The former, coming off a 30-homer season, is a prime candidate for Comeback Player of the Year in 2018. He struggled offensively, earning a demotion to Triple-A Iowa last year. He bounced back in the second half, though.

Schwarber put up a second-half OPS 200 points higher than prior to the break. He also hit 17 of his 30 long-balls down the stretch – showing his value. But, as we’ve come to know in recent years, acquiring top talent comes at a steep cost.

Similar to the Cubs slugger, Dellin Betances struggled at times in 2017. But the big, hard-throwing right-hander still represents one of the biggest bullpen arms in baseball. He put up a 2.87 ERA last year, averaging north of 15 strikeouts per nine. In short, he’s exactly the type of arm the Cubs lacked this year.

At this point in the offseason, we weren’t sure what role he’d play. He might be a setup guy. But he may very well take the ball in the ninth, as well. One of our biggest free agent signings clarified his role moving forward.

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 11: Wade Davis #71 of the Chicago Cubs jogs onto the field in the eighth inning during game four of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on October 11, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs re-sign Wade Davis to four-year, $60 million deal

I knew when the offseason kicked off that I wanted Davis back in the ninth. The goal was to pair an elite reliever with him for a seamless back of the bullpen. And, when the dust settled and the bids came in, that’s just what happened.

The Texas Rangers opened the bidding on the right-hander with a three-year, $37 million offer. I went into the offseason thinking he’d get four years at around $15 million annually – so I knew there was plenty of room to work with here.

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We countered with a three-year, $45 million bid. This still seemed low on the length after Davis blew just one save over the course of the season. Factor in his outstanding postseason performance and there’s no way he only gets three years – despite his age.

Texas countered with the expected fourth year at $58 million. And, right on cue, Davis’ “representatives” noted he preferred the longevity over AAV.

So what were the Cubs to do? Put the nail in the casket, of course. We tacked on an additional $2 million and locked him up. And what do you know? It came in at exactly four years and $60 million.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 13: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates in the clubhouse with teammates after defeating the Washington Nationals 9-8 in game five of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs re-sign Jake Arrieta for four years, $85 million

This is where the real world throws everything off. Well, maybe.

I can’t imagine a world where Jake Arrieta only gets $85 million this offseason. And he definitely won’t get a combination of four years with an AAV this low. That being said, with just one day left in the three-day simulation, the right-hander had yet to receive an offer.

Which is when the Cubs threw their hat in the ring with the four-year, $85 million deal. I waited. I waited some more. And yet, somehow, no one countered. That marked the lone offer Arrieta received. In case you’re wondering, here’s how the pitching market broke down:

Big money on the table for Yu

Yu Darvish – Signs with the Seattle Mariners – Five years, $133 million; deal includes annual opt-outs, full no-trade protection
Shohei Ohtani – Signs with the Seattle Mariners – Due largely in-part to the team’s history with Japanese greats including Kazuhiro Sasaki, Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Jojhima. Part of team’s pitch included efforts to bring Darvish aboard.
Alex Cobb – Signs with the Philadelphia Phillies – Four years, $60 million
C.C. Sabathia – Re-signs with the New York Yankees – One year, $8 million
Jhoulys Chacin – Signs with the San Francisco Giants – Four years, $28 million
Lance Lynn – Signs with the Miami Marlins – Three years, $33 million

Personally, I’ve always like Arrieta a lot. The Cubs had a bid in on Alex Cobb, but switched gears to ensure the return of Wade Davis. In the fifth spot in the rotation, we turned to Mike Montgomery, who will get a shot at the rotation heading into 2018.

PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 24: Relief pitcher Justin Nicolino #20 of the Miami Marlins pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 24, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Marlins 3-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs acquire Justin Nicolino, Brad Ziegler from Miami Marlins for prospects Wladimir Gallindo and Jose Paulino

The main piece for the Cubs in this deal is Nicolino. The southpaw comes with four years of team control at a low cost. If all goes well, new pitching coach Jim Hickey can help turn things around for the southpaw.

Last year, Nicolino again played swing-man for the Marlins. He struggled, posting a 5.55 FIP and 1.792 WHIP across 48 innings. At home, he pitched well with an earned run average in the mid-3.00 range. I went into this deal hoping for a sub-4.00 ERA in year one and, hopefully, a downward trend in years to come.

Ziegler came as a salary relief piece for Miami. He’s due $9 million in 2018 (keep in mind, Davis is making $15 million annually). After an impressive 2016 split between Arizona and Boston, the right-hander wasn’t the same in his first season in South Beach. He allowed nearly 11 hits per nine – his most since 2009 with Oakland. But his 3.73 FIP is cause for hope. His unique arm angle could be a key piece for a matchup guy like Joe Maddon come October.

Chicago Cubs sign Jon Jay, Rene Rivera, Howie Kendrick to free-agent deals

It’s sometimes easy to forget just how young this Chicago Cubs core is. Most of them are yet to hit the quarter-century mark. With that in mind, I focused on a veteran presence off the bench – picking up two familiar names and one who could be the missing piece to the puzzle.

Jon Jay performed better than any of us expected last season. A good friend of mine and I always called him ‘The Professional Hitter.’ Because that’s exactly what he did. Jay battled on every pitch of every at-bat, making opposing pitchers work. And, after dealing Schwarber, we decided to bring him back as a potential platoon outfielder.

In addition to Jay, veteran Rene Rivera returned on a one-year deal, bridging the gap to Victor Caratini‘s ascent into the backup role in 2019. We felt that with one more year under his belt, the youngster would be better prepared for his future.

The newest acquisition? Veteran utilityman Howie Kendrick comes to the North Side after a .315/.368/.475 slash-line between the Phillies and Nationals. He’s a career .291 hitter and is capable of playing in both the infield and outfield. In short, he’s a Joe Maddon dream addition.

Next: Cubs would be smart in bringing back veteran Avila

This was a lot of work – and a lot of fun. Essentially, we see the window at-hand and chose to do what it takes – and spend what it spends – to capitalize on it. This is the golden era of Chicago Cubs baseball and we feel we made the moves to make the most of it.

Chicago Cubs make big moves in FanSided Faux Winter Offseason