Moar Awardz
Cubs bring home the hardware
- Cy Young – Jake Arrieta (169); Zack Greinke (147); Clayton Kershaw (101)
- Rookie of the Year – Kris Bryant (150, unanimous); Matt Duffy (70); Jung Ho Kang (28)
- Manager of the Year – Joe Maddon (124); Mike Matheny (87); Terry Collins (49)
-
Esurance MLB Awards
- Best Starting Pitcher: Jake Arrieta
- Best Rookie: Kris Bryant
- Best Breakout Player: Jake Arrieta
- Best Fan Catch
- Players Choice Awards – Oustanding Rookie: Kris Bryant
Relief Pitchers, Relief Pitchers, and More Relief Pitchers
The Cubs have added 4 relief pitchers to their 40 man roster through waivers, signings, and a trade. They are:
- Ryan Cook (11/6/15) claimed off waivers from Red Sox
- Andury Acevedo (11/18/15) signed
- Jack Leathersich (11/19/15) claimed off waivers from Mets
- Rex Brothers (11/25/15) acquired for LHP Wander Cabrera
The Cubs have 14 relief pitchers on the 40 man roster.
Rule 5 Eligible Players
The Cubs protected 4 players from the Rule 5 draft: Jeimer Candelario, Dan Vogelbach, Willson Contreras, and Pierce Johnson. For the full list, visit AZ Phil. I also wrote a piece on some of the players left unprotected here.
Rumors & Signings Around the League
- The Tigers signed Jordan Zimmerman for 5 years $110 million pending a physical. That's an AAV of $22 million. Zimmerman is considered the 3rd or 4th best starting pitcher available on the Free Agent market. The Tigers will forfeit their 2nd round pick as their first round pick is top 9 protected.
- Johnny Cueto reportedly turned down an offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks of 6 years $120 million.
- J.A. Happ signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for 3 years $36 million.
- Colby Rasmus & Matt Wieters surprisingly accepted a 1 year Qualifying Offer for $15.8 million.
- The heaviest speculation so far is that the Cubs are in on Alex Gordon and John Lackey, write Peter Gammons.
- Paul Sullivan, noted hobbit, says the Cubs are interested in an F7 reunion. Phil Rogers reported that the two met on 11/18/15.
- There's also been unnamed sources so far linking the Cubs to Jackie Bradley Jr, Denard Span, Tyson Ross, Ben Zobrist, Mike Leake, and Jason Heyward.
Important Dates
- Winter Meetings: 12/7 through 12/10
- Rule 5 Draft: 12/10
Comments
Thanks for publishing this, JKV. We’ve been a lot lazy around here.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/katohs-top-100-prospect-list-for-2016/
dmick89Quote Reply
Obvious limitations of KATOH are that it only considers one year of stats and does not consider scouting at all. Still, it’s interesting. Thanks to GW for the heads up the other day.
dmick89Quote Reply
KATOH has Almora as a top 10 prospect just looking at statistics from his 2015 campaign. I mean, I can see a few indicators of future performance – premium defense, great contact skills, premium position.
I’ve voiced my indifference about him before. He’s just “ok” to me. Not someone really worth paying attention to. However, he can be one of those break out prospects if he figures out how to identify and drive a driveable pitch.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
I still think he’s probably a 4th outfielder, but he showed some real improvement this year and there’s reason to be optimistic too. But you’re right, he’s going to have to drive the ball more. Either that or he’s really going to have to be some wizard with the glove. I know the scouts rave about his defense, but I’ll believe it’s really that good when I see it.
dmick89Quote Reply
My problem with Almora is that most of the time the arguments for him being a top prospect usually start with “Assuming elite defense”, which I think is a pretty big assumption. I’m fine projecting him at above average defense, but I think defense is so difficult to judge that it’s tough to project a prospect in the minors to play elite defense at the MLB level. Mostly with defense, I prefer to project conservatively, and take a wait and see approach at the MLB level.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Millertime,
I also think there’s incentive for teams to inflate a player’s defensive skill when his offensive skills aren’t all that impressive. I think a great example is Javier Baez. Prior to his 2014 debut, he wasn’t known as a great defender. There was a lot of talk about him possibly being moved to a different position and certainly not because of Castro’s defensive abilities. Then, after his horrible half season with the Cubs, he becomes a great defender. Maybe even the best defensive shortstop in the organization, one report said.
dmick89Quote Reply
You’re forgetting his +5 makeup WAR (mWAR)
berseliusQuote Reply
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/jordan-zimmermann-signs-with-detroit-tigers-hot-stove-rumors-free-agency-cubs-cardinals-112915
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
If true, then we’re looking at mid-tier FA SP, trade, and maybe Alex Gordon. Disappointing, though not unexpected.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
If true, there’s no chance they could afford Gordon without backloading the contract. The mid-tier SP market is going to cost them $12-15 million annually. If it’s $130 million payroll, they can’t even afford that without a trade or two.
I’m not sure I buy that report. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to (reminds me too much of the Tribune ownership limiting payroll), but I don’t see how they competently achieve what they seem to be aiming for without a payroll of at least $150 million next year. Just sign Jason Heyward and backload the contract if that’s the case. Then go collect the 2016 WS Championship Trophy. I’m fine with that.
dmick89Quote Reply
If the Cubs payroll is $130 million next year, JA Happ would have put them over budget.
dmick89Quote Reply
(laughing) that’s sad
GWQuote Reply
dmick89,
The thing I found interesting was the relative weights in that prior post. Things like age and k’s and bb’s that I have trouble contextualizing.
GWQuote Reply
What’s interesting is that KATOH doesn’t even know he’s a center fielder, let alone how good he is at it.
GWQuote Reply
Basically he’s young, tall, and doesn’t strikeout, it seems.
GWQuote Reply
Also, I don’t think it park/league adjusts. And the way I read it, the training set was strictly pre-2000.
GWQuote Reply
Yeah, that it is. When signing JA Happ puts you over budget, you’ve either spent way too much money or you’re the Florida Marlins.
dmick89Quote Reply
If recent history is any judge, the Marlins can sign anyone for the quick PR boost. Then they’ll just dump the salaries 18 months or so later for some A-ball relievers. Maybe Thoyer is just trying to work out a trade sending the rights to Hayden Simpson in exchange for Giancarlo Stanton.
berseliusQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/MacEngelProf/status/671657867905130499
How do these people have jobs?
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
The prospect of recognizing a diamond-in-the-rough or at least under-appreciated talent *first* reminds me of the survey where some 90% or 95% of Swedes believe that they are better drivers than the average Swede. Such overconfidence is a pretty decent predictor of being hired for one’s expertise.
ceruleanQuote Reply
(Or so I tell myself to make me feel better.)
ceruleanQuote Reply
There’s also a condition where when you’re labled an expert in your field, or think of yourself as an expert in your field, you’re much more likely to be dogmatic with your arguements. So says some expert on NPR, and he sure seemed to think he was right.
MillertimeQuote Reply
cerulean,
If the Patriots knew what they had in Tom Brady, he wouldn’t have lasted until the 6th. Same with DAL and Romo. Same with SF and Montana. Hell, same with SEA and Russell Wilson.
If a team views a player as a franchise QB, they take them in the first round. And there’s no way in hell they last past the second round.
Even if a team has a reputation for developing a certain type of player, they know the guys they’re taking late are developmental,.
RynoQuote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, I wonder if Robothal’s report represents the low end, what the Cubs would prefer to spend, and not the limit. Levine has the Cubs pegged at around 30MM, which seems more in line with how the FO has been talking and the rumors we’ve been hearing.
I guess I’m just conditioned to never be surprised when the Cubs cry poor.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
MylesQuote Reply
I thought Alvin established years ago that all drafts are meaningless since Pujols was a 27th or whatever round pick.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Probability has it that the greatest possible baseball player didn’t just go undrafted, he never even played the game. Therefore, teams should only draft from the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
I think it’s strategically optimal to say you have less to spend than you do. We fans sometimes forget that it is a market—while there is a symbiosis between FOs and FAs, if either gives too much in favor of one over the other—too cheap or too expensive—it hurts both sides in aggregate. However, the individual FAs are incentivized to maximize their earnings even at the expense of their cohorts who have yet to get paid, so the onus of restraint falls on the FOs to keep the money train going.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Pretty sure Hendry tried that.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I remember the Cubs sending groups of scouts to work with players in Sweden or Finland or something like that. Some place nobody plays baseball. Ever. Of all the things he did, that’s probably what irritated me the most. The talent pool is pretty well established at this point. Scout those areas until you’re actually good at baseball.
dmick89Quote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Yeah, I don’t see how the Cubs can accomplish what they want to with a payroll of $130 million. Also, it would be a slap in the face to the fans to limit the payroll to just barely above what it was last year. I’ll be surprised if it’s under $140 million on Opening Day and probably closer to $150 million.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I am pretty sure that my prior comment was sarcastic. We should obviously invest in the Aboriginals. Those guys are tough as nails. Tough as nails wins ballgames. Prove me wrong.
But seriously, I am all for spreading the game around the globe, but that should be separate from traditional development in cooperation with MLB proper.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yeah, my complaint at the time was that they weren’t really signing the top DR or Venezuelan players, but were expanding their scouting to lands that never even placed baseball. It was fucking weird. They thought South Korea was the new Dominican.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Marlins are apparently close to signing Barry Bonds as a coach. I hope he turns out to be the best hitting coach ever.
dmick89Quote Reply
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
The Cubs need to invest in a time machine to take the league by storm with an all Neanderthal squadron.
berseliusQuote Reply
I hear there are robust australopithecines that dined chiefly on plants that would really appeal to the vegetarian hipster youth. Baseball is dying, so bringing back extinct hominids to cultivate interest in the game would be a wise strategy.
While they are bothering to resurrect extinct species, dinosaur mascots would surely be better than what most clubs have now.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Apparently the Barves are enamored with Soler. Willing to part with Julio Teheran or Shelby Miller.
I says “eh” to this. Would rather give Samardzija or Lackey a reasonable rowboat-ful of small bills and hang onto George.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Not if this includes signing Heyward. He can play center for at least two years until one of the prospects is ready and he should be an asset in right for many years to come.
ceruleanQuote Reply
It would be amusing to have Shark too. Then if McKinney gets the call, the Cubs could have three sets of trade partners: Shark, Russell; Hammel, McKinney; Heyward, Miller.
ceruleanQuote Reply
+1 . Shelby Miller’s peripherals were more like a 4.00 ERA pitcher (Steamer 2016 projection is 4.09). This can be purchased with junk change ($50,000,000) on the open market. There is an argument to be made to move Soler, so the outfield defense isn’t completely atrocious with Schwarber and Soler out there but I wouldn’t make this deal.
Also: Dwight Smith Jr was not protected for the Rule V draft…
Jerome WaltonQuote Reply
I wouldn’t trade Soler straight up for Miller, but I’d definitely consider trading Soler for pitching.
dmick89Quote Reply
David Price —–> Red Sox
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Absolutely. Soler for pitching makes sense, but Shelby Miller (and Teheran) is not that pitching. At least not for him.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning —————-> Jack’s complete lack of surprise
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Agreed, but if the Cubs get another player or two, or a good prospect in return, that’s a pretty good deal. Just not straight up for one another. That would be a bad deal for the Cubs.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
So much for Price being a lock to the Cubs
berseliusQuote Reply
Looks like it’s 7/213. It’s still hard wrapping my head around any player being worth $30m a year, but here we are. Can’t wait for the economics of cable TV to crater as soon as the Cubs to deal is up.
berseliusQuote Reply
Robothal says there’s an opt out after three seasons.
berseliusQuote Reply
dmick89,
Now I really want Heyward with Soler traded for young pitching.
For the record, I think Soler for Miller straight up is pretty equitable, with the longer and better (though not necessarily arb-free contract) contract of Soler offset by the more established Miller (with the downside of fewer years to FA).I like that Miller has already reinvented himself and is only 25. That’s young enough to buy out his arb years plus two and he could still get that big age 29 payday. 4 WAR every year is not an unlikely scenario. I like Soler, but he has to rely on offense to be a productive player, and I doubt that he has the consistency or the health to be a perennial 4 WAR player.
ceruleanQuote Reply
And it appears Greinke is set to choose between the the Giants and Dodgers shortly.
All very anticlimactic compared to the drama around Lester last year. But then, that market was not this one.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
cerulean,
I agree on the Heyward part, but I’d rather go for more in any potential Soler deal, maybe include other pieces to potentially land an arm with ace-y upside.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Carrasco would be interesting, though he is 3 years older and has a history of injury (Tommy John) and ineffectiveness, though the latter not since his return from TJ. His contract is great though.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Except that no one is trading the likes of Syndergaard for Soler. I think a solid #3/good chance at #2 who has gone on streaks of brilliance is a good haul.
ceruleanQuote Reply
If that’s what we’re looking for, all Samardzija would cost is money 😀
berseliusQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
I forgot to say that adding other good pieces to Soler for somebody like Sale (hah) is something I am all for.
ceruleanQuote Reply
berselius,
Except that I am assuming that any comparable FA would kill a potential Heyward signing.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
True, but I’ve pretty much given up on that happening. Though given how good this FO is at keeping things from the media any tea leaf reading is pretty much moot.
berseliusQuote Reply
Signing F7 also costs a draft pick.
dmick89Quote Reply
The winter meetings will be boring now.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Signing anyone worthwhile costs a draft pick this year. They’ll get one back for Fowler. And it’s not like they’re picking near the top of the first round this year.
berseliusQuote Reply
Wasn’t there a search for Indian pitchers on? A nation of over a billion people that’s pretty ok at throwing stuff in cricket, surely there’s a few people between the ages of 18-35 who can physically throw a baseball 100 MPH?
I thought they tried this a few years ago and the answer was “I guess not”.
umbraQuote Reply
berselius,
I’m not complaining. It’s a factor though. If I’m giving up a draft pick on someone that’s going to cost 5/85, I’d much prefer to give it up on someone like Zimmerman.
I’m guessing at this point the Cubs trade for a starter or two and I think Heyward is more likely than I used to. Still unlikely though.
dmick89Quote Reply
umbra,
Yeah, there was even a movie about it, I think. Was it the Pirates who signed them?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I think it was Sterling Cooper
berseliusQuote Reply
Speaking of cricketers, when was the last time somebody died in baseball?
ceruleanQuote Reply
ceruleanQuote Reply
Answered myself. Alfredo Edmead in 1974 (on-field collision).
That was in the minors. In the majors, only Ray Chapman in 1920 (hit by pitch).
ceruleanQuote Reply
Jeff Sullivan has something to say on Shelby Miller. Similarities between him and Arrieta—especially the addition of the cutter. Even I might be selling him short.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Also of note, an interview with former pro pitcher Tommy Hottovy, Cubs’ Run Prevention Coordinator. What a title.
ceruleanQuote Reply
If the Cubs pull that off I’ll dance a jig.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I know Jose Fernandez was talked about on here a couple of days ago but what’s a realistic package for him? Soler, Baez, Almora? Or is that just a starting point?
MuckerQuote Reply
If Loria is involved in the negotiations, a dump truck full of money could probably get it done.
berseliusQuote Reply
Mucker,
I’d think Fernandez would start with Schwarber. I’m sure if the Marlins move an impact MLB player, they’d like at least one impact prospect back.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Millertime,
You’re probably right. It would also clean the system out. Schwarber, Baez, Almora/McKinney, Johnson and probably a couple others. The Cubs would probably get back a couple pitchers, more likely relief pitchers also, but it’s not going to happen.
dmick89Quote Reply
I could have sworn a minor league coach was killed by a foul ball within the last 8 years or so. Although you might not have been including coaches.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Suburban kid,
Yeah, you’re right. Can’t remember the name, but it sparked talk about better protecting base coaches.
dmick89Quote Reply
Since we’re talking about deaths, Ty Cobb said he killed a man, but probably did not. Marty Bergen killed his wife and kids with an axe and then killed himself. He played only a few seasons in the big leagues and somehow managed to get one vote for the Hall of Fame.
dmick89Quote Reply
SK was right: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Coolbaugh
dmick89Quote Reply
Apparently Jeff Samardzija has an offer for $100 million. Whoever signs him for that amount is going to look like an idiot compared to the Zimmerman contract. I hope it’s not the Cubs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Actually, they’re going to look like idiots even if you don’t compare it to the Zimmerman contract. That’s just a terrible contract if it’s true.
dmick89Quote Reply
Maybe it’s for 15 years like hockey teams used to do. That’d be pretty “creative”. (dying laughing on the inside)
ceruleanQuote Reply
I put that down as a joke, but I do wonder why teams don’t give out huge nominal contracts with for more years than players might play. Imagine Heyward signs for 15 years $240M. That’s $16M a year that by the end of the term would be about $12M a year present day value (at just 2% inflation, even less is likely). Buy insurance against a catastrophic injury for a few million a year and avoid the huge downside risk and possibly some luxury tax—which makes me think that this might not be allowed. But at the same time, 15 years for Heyward isn’t completely crazy.
Also, albatrosses are quite remarkable avians.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Another day, another mass shooting. No gun reform needed. We just need to destroy ISIS and everything will be ok.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
cerulean,
I think the Nationals did something like that for Max Scherzer. He’s on a 7 year contract, but then they’re also deferring some of the money and paying him from 2022-2028.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Millertime,
Does anyone know how deferred payments are handled under the luxury tax rules? If those payments aren’t included in the current luxury tax, you’d think that teams would trip over themselves to try and push deferrals on players (even moreso than they already would).
uncle daveQuote Reply
uncle dave,
For luxury tax purposes, they use the average annual value of the contract.
dmick89Quote Reply
JonKneeV,
It’s only the 355th of the year. Your sarcasm is unnecessary, sir.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Thank sweet Jesus for the BoSox landing Price. Imagine the Cards getting him. Ugh.
ceruleanQuote Reply
If you really wanted to get creative, instead of giving Price 7/$217, they could have given him a perpetuity with an annual payment of $4 million. That’s roughly the same value.
MylesQuote Reply
So Henderson Alvarez got non-tendered. Obvious injury concerns, but he could be an interesting acquisition.
PerkinsQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yeah, that would have sucked, but now it probably just makes it more likely they re-sign Heyward so they probably win by losing.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
If they do get him, it will be at a discount, so that would really suck.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
They don’t have to price in the draft pick, so they’ve still got that advantage.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Actually, they still lose a draft pick over someone else signing him, so to me, that’s a wash.
I am more concerned about them getting him for the $180M they offered Price—a significant discount to his value. Like when they extended Pujols. A quick calculation in my head says that they paid $100M for 64WAR, which at a conservative $5M per marginal win means a surplus value of $220M. He was the biggest reason they were so good, and this windfall gave them the flexibility to absorb just about any injury and ineffectiveness.
I saw a link where somebody projected Heyward to be worth $300M over 10 years. Lets hope there is no Pujols redux for the Cards.
ceruleanQuote Reply
The Cardinals will end up signing Jason Heyward for 4 years and $60 million with a club option for 3 years and $12 million. Then they’ll sign Zack Greinke for 3 years and $45 million.
They’ll both get injured, along with others, and they’ll still win 98 games.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
You forgot that Oscar Tavares rises from the dead and they trade him straight up for Trout. (dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
Do you think David Ross is on Sean Rodriguez’s Christmas card list?
.
.
.
.
.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Suburban kid,
It could go either way.
berseliusQuote Reply
cerulean,
Why wait for him to rise from the dead?
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
(dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
This can’t possibly be the reason stopping the Cubs from signing Heyward.
dmick89Quote Reply
Go Bears.
RynoQuote Reply
Kenta Maeda has been posted. That can only mean good things for the Cubs, whether they’re interested in him or not.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
If Jason Heyward signs for $200 million or less, is he the bargain of the offseason? That’s crazy to consider, but he just might be.
dmick89Quote Reply
Fixed.
ceruleanQuote Reply
dmick89,
Maybe. $200M for 5 years—not a bargain.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I get a little worried when I think of the number of teams that have needs, and seem to have money to spend, and how conservative the Cubs FO has been over the past few seasons. The Giants and Dodgers both seem willing to spend big on pitcher, I never know with teams like Detroit, Texas, or the Yankees, and the Cardinals have to have money to throw around if they choose. If Mike Leake and Denard Span are your offseason moves, is that really too exciting? I guess there’s always the trade route.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Busy day as ever, on OV. This place never stops, I tell you what.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Millertime,
The Cubs did pick up another reliever so that’s something we could talk about.
dmick89Quote Reply
Millertime,
Everyone is holding their collective breath for something big to happen.
But all we get is this.
ceruleanQuote Reply
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/coming-to-terms-with-carlos-carrascos-trade-value/
dmick89Quote Reply
cerulean,
There’s also this: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/12/cubs-john-lackey-strong-interest.html
dmick89Quote Reply
They could at least have messed up the press release and made it Edward Olmos.
berseliusQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Oh. You’re all still here. I kinda thought I might have a Home Alone thing going on and I’d be able to order pizza and learn life lessons about the scary blog that lives across the street.
MillertimeQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Millertime,
Have been in meetings most of the day, generally avoiding the internets due to outrage fatigue this week.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I wonder why. At the rate F7 looks to get, Zimmerman’s contract is much better. I doubt the Cubs end up getting F7 if the price is as high as being speculated.
Lackey is probably the best they’ll do as far as a starter goes at this point.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs —> Lackey. BFFs.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Cardinals —————–> 2016’s Cub pick that will eventually turn into the next Albert Pujols.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Lackey is a heaping pile of meh, but if it’s the first step of a Lackey-Heyward-trade for awesome sauce young pitcher than I’m happy with it.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Baez to play some CF this winter. I’m guessing he’s the opening day CF.
dmick89Quote Reply
Yeah, makes me wish the Cubs were in a large market and could spend some money.
dmick89Quote Reply
2/32 for Lackey. That’s a pretty good deal for him considering Happ got $36 million over 3 years. I was guessing 3/50 for Lackey at this point.
dmick89Quote Reply
Arrieta, Lester, Lackey, Hammel, Hendricks
That’s a pretty good rotation
dmick89Quote Reply
Now that John Lackey can curse Matheny as God intended, I have two questions:
Are they out of the Heyward sweepstakes? Because that would suck.
Will they use surplus MLB-ready talent to bolster the rotation? That would leave Hammel or Hendricks the odd man out.
While I was reading that fangraphs post on Carrasco, I was reminded that the Cubs have two players that may be better than average at their positions but are blocked: Vogelbach (as DH) and Villanueva. Combine those two with Soler or Baez and a few years away guy like Dewees, would that be near enough?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Oh for fucks sake.
ALso, someone please look out for Aisley. I’m worried about him.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Random commenter on MLBTR has my favorite write-up of the signing:
Rando89:
What A TERRIBLE DEAL!!!! LACKEY IS A BUM!!! The cubs already have a former red Sox pitcher who’s not worth the money!!! Now to sign a 37yr old pitcher with TOO MANY INNINGS on his arm is CRAZY & the team loses a draft pic!!! The cubs needed a TOP OF THE ROTATION STARTER, not an “innings eater”!!! Who cares if you pitch 180 innings, if you SUCK for the majority of them!!!
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
(Note: I say near enough to mean lopsided enough that Cleveland would bite, per the fangraghs post.)
ceruleanQuote Reply
Given the cost of starting pitching in this market, I’m not sure trading for one is something we’ll see happen at this point. At leas not a top of the rotation starter. The Cubs had issues giving up so much talent to acquire Tyson Ross at the all-star break. That’s probably the best they can hope for and his cost may have gone up. Maybe down the road a month or two, but I don’t see it happening any time soon.
Now that I say this, in about 8 minutes we’ll learn the Cubs acquired Madison Bumgarner for cash considerations.
dmick89Quote Reply
This deal helps the Cubs get older in the rotation, which, if I understand baseball, is a really good thing. The key to any rebuild is to get older, and since most players only age 1 year at a time, that means signing old players, or trading for them if you can.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
(dying laughing) I don’t think this deal helps the Cubs all that much, but Lackey is far from terrible. Dan Haren was terrible and the Cubs went to the NLDS with him.
dmick89Quote Reply
Millertime,
So the real secret is to find players who age less than one year at a time.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
That’s why Jim Hendry kept scouting other countries to try and find the fountain of youth.
MillertimeQuote Reply
Millertime,
He was a pioneer.
dmick89Quote Reply
I seem to remember Hendry scouting Finland. Here’s the kind of baseball they play there.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
No wonder Cubs prospects sucked at baserunning.
MillertimeQuote Reply
dmick89,
The only thing that graphic is missing is strategically placed trees. There *should* be more trees in baseball.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Hendry was targeting the wrong Nordic country. He should have been scouting the Dutch, as their baseball leagues have much better names:
Honkbal Hoofdklasse – majors
Honkbal Overgangsklasse – high-minors
Honkbal Rookie League – sorry, but my Dutch isn’t good enough to translate this one
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
Your Dutch is so bad that you called them Nordic.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
I’m still holding out hope that more trees are part of the next CBA.
dmick89Quote Reply
General question: Does a prospect that gets a burnt-diner-awful cup of coffee and then goes down to the minors and similarly sucks ever recover to be a decent MLB player?
Specific question: Is Alcantara done?
ceruleanQuote Reply
http://obstructedview.net/cubs-sign-37-year-old-pitcher-coming-off-best-season-since-2007/
berseliusQuote Reply
Benelux honkbal > Nordic zigzag rules
Suburban kidQuote Reply
(dying laughing) oh yeah, guess I was thinking of Denmark instead of the Netherlands. There’s only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures and the Dutch.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Suburban kid,
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
(dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply