How many games will the Cubs win?

[fanforever]

[tacoman]

Hendricks is currently 16th among all SP in fWAR, keeping company with the likes of Bumgarner, Zimmermann, and Stroman and in fewer starts. He's almost certainly not a 5 win pitcher, but he's also the only Cubs SP under 30, and Lester is the only other starter under contract after next year(and he'll be 34). If the rotation has a problem, Hendricks is a part of the solution.

Part of the upshot of using free agency for filling their needs last year is that it kept their trade assets available for future use, they probably don't need to trade Hendricks when you have MLB pieces like Soler, Baez, or even Schwarber who don't have a permanent home yet, and a fairly deep farm system that hasn't seen its depth hurt by other win-now trades.

If the Cubs have the chance to get Gray or Teheran, and the other team is asking for Hendricks as a piece of the trade, Cubs would be stupid not to make that trade.

Cubs very likely trade Arrieta in 2017 as well for a king's ransom.

[davhern]

Hendricks is currently 16th among all SP in fWAR, keeping company with the likes of Bumgarner, Zimmermann, and Stroman and in fewer starts. He's almost certainly not a 5 win pitcher, but he's also the only Cubs SP under 30, and Lester is the only other starter under contract after next year(and he'll be 34). If the rotation has a problem, Hendricks is a part of the solution.

Part of the upshot of using free agency for filling their needs last year is that it kept their trade assets available for future use, they probably don't need to trade Hendricks when you have MLB pieces like Soler, Baez, or even Schwarber who don't have a permanent home yet, and a fairly deep farm system that hasn't seen its depth hurt by other win-now trades.

If the Cubs have the chance to get Gray or Teheran, and the other team is asking for Hendricks as a piece of the trade, Cubs would be stupid not to make that trade.

Cubs very likely trade Arrieta in 2017 as well for a king's ransom.

No, thank you on Teheran. No, no, no. Hendricks is only a year older and is a better pitcher.

And they aren't trading Arrieta. What in the world? When is the last time you saw the best team in baseball do something like that?

[tacoman]

Hendricks is currently 16th among all SP in fWAR, keeping company with the likes of Bumgarner, Zimmermann, and Stroman and in fewer starts. He's almost certainly not a 5 win pitcher, but he's also the only Cubs SP under 30, and Lester is the only other starter under contract after next year(and he'll be 34). If the rotation has a problem, Hendricks is a part of the solution.

Part of the upshot of using free agency for filling their needs last year is that it kept their trade assets available for future use, they probably don't need to trade Hendricks when you have MLB pieces like Soler, Baez, or even Schwarber who don't have a permanent home yet, and a fairly deep farm system that hasn't seen its depth hurt by other win-now trades.

If the Cubs have the chance to get Gray or Teheran, and the other team is asking for Hendricks as a piece of the trade, Cubs would be stupid not to make that trade.

Cubs very likely trade Arrieta in 2017 as well for a king's ransom.

No, thank you on Teheran. No, no, no. Hendricks is only a year older and is a better pitcher.

And they aren't trading Arrieta. What in the world? When is the last time you saw the best team in baseball do something like that?

Hendricks isn't better. Guy can barely get through 6 innings most of the time.

As far as Arrieta, I said in 2017 a trade is likely by the deadline if they can't come to a long term deal. No point in keeping him if he will walk after the 2017 season. They could get a massive haul of prospects if they trade him. If he walks, all they get is a draft pick.

[heyzeus]

That's kind like saying the Cardinals would've traded Pujols in 2011 because of looming free agency. If you're at the front of the division, you don't do that.

[tacoman]

That's kind like saying the Cardinals would've traded Pujols in 2011 because of looming free agency. If you're at the front of the division, you don't do that.

Again this is 2017, not 2016. We don't know what the Cubs staff will look like next year. They may have another TOR that means Arrieta is expendable.

[ndistops]

That's kind like saying the Cardinals would've traded Pujols in 2011 because of looming free agency. If you're at the front of the division, you don't do that.

Again this is 2017, not 2016. We don't know what the Cubs staff will look like next year. They may have another TOR that means Arrieta is expendable.

A starting pitcher with an ERA of about 1 for the last calendar year is never expendable. Never, ever, ever, ever.

[tacoman]

That's kind like saying the Cardinals would've traded Pujols in 2011 because of looming free agency. If you're at the front of the division, you don't do that.

Again this is 2017, not 2016. We don't know what the Cubs staff will look like next year. They may have another TOR that means Arrieta is expendable.

A starting pitcher with an ERA of about 1 for the last calendar year is never expendable. Never, ever, ever, ever.

He absolutely is expendable when he's going to ask for 8 years @ $33-$35M per year. That's insane money to pay a guy who's entering the last contract of his career. You do that type of contract for someone like a Bryce Harper or Mike Trout.

[Radbird]

The odds of the Cubs not being competitive in 2017 are laughably small. They aren't going to trade a guy pitching at historical levels. They aren't going to match whatever crazy offer he gets ("Hi, this is Scott. Is Arte available?").

Wacha and Piscotty are examples of why letting a superstar walk is not necessarily a bad idea.

[davhern]

Hendricks is currently 16th among all SP in fWAR, keeping company with the likes of Bumgarner, Zimmermann, and Stroman and in fewer starts. He's almost certainly not a 5 win pitcher, but he's also the only Cubs SP under 30, and Lester is the only other starter under contract after next year(and he'll be 34). If the rotation has a problem, Hendricks is a part of the solution.

Part of the upshot of using free agency for filling their needs last year is that it kept their trade assets available for future use, they probably don't need to trade Hendricks when you have MLB pieces like Soler, Baez, or even Schwarber who don't have a permanent home yet, and a fairly deep farm system that hasn't seen its depth hurt by other win-now trades.

If the Cubs have the chance to get Gray or Teheran, and the other team is asking for Hendricks as a piece of the trade, Cubs would be stupid not to make that trade.

Cubs very likely trade Arrieta in 2017 as well for a king's ransom.

No, thank you on Teheran. No, no, no. Hendricks is only a year older and is a better pitcher.

And they aren't trading Arrieta. What in the world? When is the last time you saw the best team in baseball do something like that?

Hendricks isn't better. Guy can barely get through 6 innings most of the time.

As far as Arrieta, I said in 2017 a trade is likely by the deadline if they can't come to a long term deal. No point in keeping him if he will walk after the 2017 season. They could get a massive haul of prospects if they trade him. If he walks, all they get is a draft pick.

Hendricks is a better pitcher than Teheran. When the stat you have to get to to base your argument on is average innings per start (6.2 for Teheran, 5.8 for Hendricks), that says something. He's also cheaper and under team control for longer.

And you're insane on the rest. Contending teams NEVER EVER do this. For good reason.