Expect Epstein to be active, but Cubs face budget crunch at winter meetings
The winter meetings brim with anticipation every year but so often end up being a letdown.
Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein fueled the hopes of hot-stove-league fans this past week when he was asked how active the meetings would be, both with trades and free-agent signings.
"Really active," Epstein said before getting ready to leave for Las Vegas, where the winter meetings officially begin Monday and run through Thursday. "It seems like there is plenty of trade talk and still a lot of big free agents out there. Some moves have already occurred that will only set the stage for increased activity for the next week or so."
Of course, the winter meetings are just one milepost in the baseball off-season, whose activity with player movement can go right up to and even into spring training.
Nevertheless, Cubs fans seem to be getting restless after a "failed" 95-win season that saw the Cubs bow out meekly in Game 163 to the Milwaukee Brewers and in the wild-card game to the Colorado Rockies.
Epstein seems to understand the fans' sense of urgency, but just how far he's willing able to go financially to reel in a big free agent is a function of what looks like a tight budget for player payroll.
"We underperformed last year and won 95 games," he said. "We have a roster full of players who were really impactful in winning a World Series (two) years ago and are now further along into their prime. We have limitations like every team does. So you can't just keep shopping without making things fit for your roster and your payroll and for the situation you're in.
"I understand the desire for a big name every winter. There will be winters when we do acquire a big name, and there are going to be winters when we don't acquire a big name. I don't know what category this winter will fall into yet, but there's a chance it's going to be a winter where we don't acquire a big name from outside the organization. That does not represent a failure."
Of course, the big name fans seem fixated on is Bryce Harper, the free-agent prize from the Washington Nationals. Landing Harper would take some major creativity, given that the Cubs have the mega-contracts of Jon Lester, Yu Darvish and Jason Heyward already on the books and with their young stars due for raises.
Realistically, the Cubs need to shore up their bullpen in light of closer Brandon Morrow being questionable for the start of the 2019 season after undergoing an elbow cleanup last month. Even with a healthy Morrow, the Cubs needed bullpen help.
Andrew Miller, who had injury problems of his own this year with the Cleveland Indians, might be a free-agent gamble worth taking by the Cubs.
With shortstop Addison Russell suspended to start next season, the Cubs will be looking to add middle-infield depth.
The Cubs do have depth from which to trade. Outfielders Albert Almora Jr. and Kyle Schwarber, along with outfielder-infielder Ian Happ, could be attractive to several teams.
"Our rotation, we feel really good about," Epstein said. "With our position-player group, we're certainly open and active in trade talks. A lot of deals don't come to fruition. We may make some trades. We can make big ones that transform the roster. We may make smaller, complementary, ones.
"There are certain things we'd like to accomplish short of a series of trades that transforms the roster, adding the right bench piece who has some real leadership qualities, hopefully a complementary skill set to our everyday guys but with some true leadership qualities to help nudge us in the right direction, playing with purpose and playing on a mission as a team with a real sense of urgency in 2019 because we'll need it. That's a real priority for us."