00:00But I think also you look at this Cubs team we talked about at the bench is not very good.
00:03So the idea of having Shaw in this like super utility role, I think is a great idea.
00:09But at the same time, I think if the goal was to say, hey, we're going to push all the chips forward on 2026.
00:16We want to win the World Series.
00:17Like, yeah, you hold on to Nico Horner.
00:19But less and less teams are operating that way.
00:22And I can guarantee you that the Cubs are not going to be thinking just one year.
00:28They're one of the most model driven teams we have.
00:30I've talked about that a lot.
00:31You're one of the most model driven teams.
00:32We have Major League Baseball.
00:33And by that, it's more of the Brewers way of operating than I think some of the other teams that we see, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
00:41Obviously, they spend more than the Brewers.
00:43But in terms of, you know, trading assets, sometimes when you would love to have them for another year because you would eventually lose them in free agency or the offer ends up becoming so impressive that you can't walk away.
00:57Like the Rays, for example, they didn't want to trade Shane Boz.
01:00They weren't actively shopping Shane Boz.
01:02And as Eric Neander said in his own words, it got to a point where we just couldn't say no because the value was too much.
01:08And it was probably their model screaming at them and saying, you have to take this.
01:11So I think for the Cubs, man, like I think there's a push.
01:15And sometimes you have those moments where you defy the model.
01:18But I think they kind of showed at the deadline that unless they really, really think this is a World Series team,
01:23I don't think they're going to defy what their parameters kind of are.
01:27I don't think that – I think they're in a great position, though, where you have somebody behind Horner so you can listen.
01:33And if nobody meets your steep asking price, you keep Horner and you potentially try to re-sign him.
01:39But I just – I do think that they're going to listen.
01:42And I do think they may even pick up the phone themselves because that's just the way that they operate.
01:46And I know Cubs fans are going to hate to hear that because they love Nico Horner and I love him too.
01:50I think he's one of the more aesthetically pleasing baseball players and just fills the stat sheet and so solid all around.
01:57But if you get a Carlos Legrande and another piece, I mean, that alters your pitching depth almost immediately in your organization.
02:05It might be hard to pass on that.
02:07I just don't think that they're going to hang up immediately now.
02:10And let's make this clear.
02:12The Cubs farm system is not that good right now.
02:14It was good about a year or two ago.
02:17But as you look at it right now, on the pitching side, you're looking at Jackson Wiggins being the clear-cut number one pitching prospect in their organization.
02:26And after that, is there much?
02:28You look at the top end of their hitting prospects and you say, okay, you know, we've got some guys here.
02:33But they just traded their top-hitting prospect in Owen Casey, who was probably slated to get pretty much bulk platoon reps in right field.
02:40So you look at that farm system, and I guarantee you Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins are doing that, and they're saying, could we bolster this while also winning?
02:47The question just becomes, like, what do you deem Nico Horner movable for?
02:54Is it to bolster the farm system?
02:56I have no idea if that's the way that they're thinking right now.
02:58Could it be upgrading the DH spot?
03:00Could it be finding a corner outfielder and moving Seiya Suzuki to the DH spot?
03:04There are a couple of different ways to go about this.
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