Thinking more about the idea that guys getting paid early makes them lazy, there is always guys like Corbin Carroll and Bobby Witt Jr to counter that. I think it might bring that out of guys who already had this in them, but for guys who are players, this is a HUGE bargain for the teams who get these done. Witt would have been a free agent in 2028 at age 28. What does a FA contract look like for him by then? We are talking Ohtani money, maybe more. Meanwhile KC has him locked up for about half that number annually until 2037.

On 4/1/2026 at 12:08 PM, nrockway said:

Pretty good in wbc, but 2-22 in spring training, good for .292 ops.

Just don’t think he’s a very good hitter. Has some power for sure. Defensive stud. But I think this and the Hoerner contract are going to bite the Cubs. Not committing that money and re-signing Tucker should’ve been their priority imo.

Tucker was never happening

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Thinking more about the idea that guys getting paid early makes them lazy, there is always guys like Corbin Carroll and Bobby Witt Jr to counter that. I think it might bring that out of guys who already had this in them, but for guys who are players, this is a HUGE bargain for the teams who get these done. Witt would have been a free agent in 2028 at age 28. What does a FA contract look like for him by then? We are talking Ohtani money, maybe more. Meanwhile KC has him locked up for about half that number annually until 2037.

I don’t feel like PCA is lazy after his deal, but last year even when he was hot in the first half of the season someone here (I think Almagest) pointed out that his bat on ball numbers were declining and Ks were coming up. Then the league adjusted and August and September were a huge slog for him. Right now everything is up to him, he needs to stop swinging head high and getting himself into bad counts.

4 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

I don’t feel like PCA is lazy after his deal, but last year even when he was hot in the first half of the season someone here (I think Almagest) pointed out that his bat on ball numbers were declining and Ks were coming up. Then the league adjusted and August and September were a huge slog for him. Right now everything is up to him, he needs to stop swinging head high and getting himself into bad counts.

There were multiple posts that paying someone too early makes them lazy. I do agree with the idea that PCA could still just not be that good with the bat.

Horton and Boyd now both out

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7176370/2026/04/06/chicago-cubs-matthew-boyd-injured-list/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwin2dulh9qTAxUzkK8BHVWHKucQFnoECAMQAw&usg=AOvVaw0BqMQc9EyOHZGjtr2OaxPN

Assad up for Cubs...depth is going to be seriously challenged.

Imanaga Taillon Cabrera Assad

Justin Steele return?

Cade Horton out for 1 1/2 years TJS

Cade Horton out for 1 1/2 years TJS

26 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Cade Horton out for 1 1/2 years TJS

Brutal.

Maybe he is heating up?

“Pete Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-5 with a solo homer on Tuesday, leading the Cubs to a 9-2 blowout win over the Rays.

Crow-Armstrong took Rays reliever Yoendrys Gómez deep in the seventh inning for his first round-tripper of the season. He also recorded a pair of singles, stole his fourth base of the year, and scored three times in the one-sided affair at Tropicana Field.”

18 minutes ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

Now I'm not even sure if his defense will carry him to 2+ WAR. That's brutal output over 300+ plate appearances for a guy who only has a couple good months at the plate in his career. He's only 24 so he could still improve, but "last in pretty much every hitting category in MLB" is not where you want to have to improve from.