Opinion: Cubs 2024 Team is Taking Shape

But there will be changes between now and September.

Pete Crow-ArmstrongPhoto byCreative Commons: Minda Haas Kuhlmann

The Cubs cut 12 guys from their major league roster Friday. Included were some notable names. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ben Brown were assigned to AAA Iowa. Matt Shaw and Owen Caissie were reassigned to the minor league camp. All four of those guys will probably make their way back to Chicago before the year is out.

So far, the Pete Crow-Armstrong Special has been more sizzle than steak

Pete has amazing speed and is considered one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. Unfortunately, Pete hasn’t hit in spring training, lost a couple of balls in the sun, and been picked off base. Maybe Pete needs to relax. Perhaps the pressure of having blue hair is too much for him,

Meanwhile, Owen Caissie absolutely tore it up this spring, hitting .500. Cassie seems to be the total package as an outfielder. Cassie seems to have bat to ball skills, control over the strike zone and power. Defensively, his range is considered okay and his arm is considered good. And he’s 21 years ago. He’s now considered a top three prospect in the organization.

Matt Shaw may be the best pure hitter in the Cubs organization. While his defense isn’t special, at this point, he seems to have the potential to play third base for the Cubs before the season is over.

If I was going to pick a guy who reminds me of, it would be Paul Molitor. -If he even achieves Paul Molitor-lite status, he will have had a great career.

Understanding the Cubs’ approach to free agency

The Cubs did a great job in their negotiations with Cody Bellinger. There has been some question of whether Bellinger would play center or first. Well, at least for now, it looks like Bellinger will be the Cubs’ everyday center fielder. It seems like signing Bellinger was the most important signing for the Cubs. And maybe in baseball.

While signing Matt Chapman would have been nice, it seems like Christopher Morel and maybe later Matt Shaw should be able to man the position at a much lower price.

What I don’t get

There are some questions about the front end of the Cubs rotation. Why not sign Jordan Montgomery to a “reasonable” contract. It seems like Montgomery is there for the taking. While the signing would put the Cubs over the luxury tax, it seems like a relatively small price to pay.

Generally speaking, the Cubs don’t have a lot of bad contracts, but they do have a few. The Cubs are on the hook to Trey Mancini for $ 7 million, Drew Smiley for $ 9.5 million, Kyle Hendricks for $14.5 million and Tucker Barnhart for $3.25. All those contracts come off the books after 2024. Those contracts total $34.25 million. I doubt there will be a pitcher like Montgomery available at a similar price next season.

Come on Tom and Jed, dig a little deeper.