Mulling the Berti Signing, Pitching Additions and Finances, NL Central, and Other Cubs Bullets ...Middle East

I was always told not to over-mix your batter, and I knew it was a real thing. But until this past week, I didn’t realize just how much of an ENORMOUS difference it can make in the taste, texture, and fluffiness of your baked goods. So, yeah, if you’re into baking stuff, and if you aren’t intentionally going for a denser, chewier product, truly make sure you’re baaaaarely mixing that dry into the wet.

Slept on the Jon Berti signing and I’m still working my way through it. Don’t hate the player and like the possibility of additional speed, but if he’s the main additional piece for the bench, then it feels like the Cubs went too light with the group overall. In that way, this signing reminds me a lot of the Vidal Brujan trade: I get that you want versatile players, and I get that these guys could be solid contributors that raise the floor, but where is the urgency? I also kinda wish the Cubs had found a lefty or switch-hitting option for the infield back-up spot (Brujan just doesn’t do it for me, and I’m not sure Gage Workman makes the team), given that they’ve got a righty at 3B/2B/SS. At least Berti is split-neutral, I guess, and the primary outfielders can all bat from the left-handed side of the plate. There’s reasonably good balance there. OK, maybe that part is not as much of an issue as I’d been thinking. So far, together my previously-offered concern that the baseball budget is simply smaller than we were led to believe, this is a pretty good explanation for the build out of the bench:

One thing that’s starting to feel deliberate to me about how the Cubs F.O. is approaching the margins of this 2025 team is that they *want* to leave Ballesteros, Caissie, Triantos and Alcántara as the when-injury-occurs back-ups (called up from AAA). The bench players seem for bench-only roles.

— Bryan Smith (@cubsmith.bsky.social) 2025-01-23T02:27:55.084Z In other words, the bench guys will be the in-game, short-term, fill-in types. But if there are longer-term injuries at spots where one of the prospects could come up and get lots of starts, that may well be the plan. I don’t hate it, because there’s upside there. But I can’t help thinking the Cubs still need at least one more higher-quality bench option. Maybe they’ll be able to get someone good on a minor league deal as Spring Training approaches, and give themselves a little more time to make a decision. In fairness to the Cubs, that usually does happen. The Cubs’ 40-man roster is full, by the way, so making the Berti deal official will require a roster move. An additional note on yesterday’s conversation about possible Cubs reliever targets: Michael Schwab reports on X that Astros reliever Ryan Pressly has a no-trade clause (he’s got 10/5 rights anyway) that he’d be willing to waive to come to the Cubs. If he’s going to be picky, though, then the question is how much do the Astros want to get money off their books. At $14 million for 2025, I don’t think Pressly is worth it at full freight anyway, so they’re going to have to eat salary AND accept a very modest return. Bringing these things together, one thing to point out about the Jon Berti bench signing: if that’s the final external bench move, at just $2 million, then the Cubs should have PLENTY to put into the pitching group from here, even if they are slashing payroll dramatically. Maybe even still $20+ million available. That’d be enough to land two more high-quality relievers if the Cubs wanted, or maybe even to hold out for a little while longer to see if, for example, Jack Flaherty’s market craters. Remember, adding a mid-rotation arm like Flaherty does also help the bullpen by extension, even if not necessarily directly in the late innings. The Blue Jays signed Christian Bethancourt to a minor league deal (news came out around the same time as word of the Cubs signing Reese McGuire to a minor league deal, so I wonder if one spurred the other), as well as Richard Lovelady. Both are old friends. One more late-inning reliever is off the board, with Paul Sewald going to the Guardians for one year and $7 million. We haven’t discussed him much, both because he hadn’t been connected to the Cubs and also because he just wasn’t a preferred target for me, but now that the Guardians wanted him on a deal for real money, I wonder if the Cubs missed the boat! They know pitching … The Reds are reportedly still talking to closer Carlos Estevez, whose name was notably absent from that list of remaining possible Cubs targets, by the way. Kinda feels like one of those reports that precedes a deal, so keep an eye on it. Sadly, the Cubs’ ability to compete this year will be as much about what the other NL Central teams do as what they do, themselves. Speaking of which, the Pirates ZiPS projections are up. Although they do have a lot of potential for positive variance thanks to the youth, there are a lot of really soft spots:

2025 ZiPS Projections: Pittsburgh Pirates

— FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs.com) 2025-01-22T15:10:40.968Z That is to say, the Pirates could’ve been a whole lot better on paper with just a few strong moves this offseason. Thank goodness they don’t operate that way. Nice to see Dansby Swanson being appropriately valued:

Here are the Top 10 shortstops in the Big Leagues, according to The Shredder! @MLBNow | #Top10RightNow pic.twitter.com/MpruEBO4Wo

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 23, 2025 Yeah, I’m not sure there are any first-ballot guys in this group:

Carlos Beltran, you are a 2026 Hall of Famer

— Razzball (@razzball.bsky.social) 2025-01-23T02:10:57.591Z Happy birthday to an old friend with a unique career:

Jeff Samardzija turns 40 today. In 2005 he had more receiving yards (1,249) than Brandon Marshall (1,195) or Calvin Johnson (888).

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka.bsky.social) 2025-01-23T12:16:16.164Z

MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter

It’s Just a Press Conference, But Ben Johnson Was Wildly Impressive Today

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@bn-bears.bsky.social) 2025-01-22T18:56:22.521Z

Potential trades of this magnitude typically have a domino effect …

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@bn-bulls.bsky.social) 2025-01-23T00:20:47.240Z

#Blackhawks Trade Market Thoughts: Lots of Buyers, When/Who to Sell (or Not?)www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2…

— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@bn-blackhawks.bsky.social) 2025-01-21T16:47:27.767Z

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