PT TOMORROW: NL Central—Patience due with Hoerner?

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have a well publicized offseason objective of getting below the $208 million luxury tax threshold. They’ve made plenty of progress towards that goal, freeing up about $51 million due to the departure of a number of free agents.

Even so, more moves may be on the horizon. Star pieces such as Kris Bryant (3B/OF, CHC), Willson Contreras (C, CHC), and Javier Báez (SS, CHC) are all projected for pay raises through arbitration. If the results of those decisions match the projections of MLB Trade Rumors, the team is still on pace to check in about $2.5 million over the luxury tax. As a result, Bryant has been moved in hypothetical trades all offseason, with Willson Contreras’ name also appearing in plenty of imagined...

Almost!

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