The Cubs let John Mallee go and hired Chili Davis to take over. Theo said that Joe Maddon could have any coach back that he wanted and it turns out that there were a lot that he did not want back. The Angels hired assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske away from the team a few days ago and they let Chris Bosio walk too. Davis had been the hitting coach with the A's for three years and with the Red Sox the past three seasons. The team also hired Brian Butterfield away from the Red Sox to replace 3rd base coach Gary Jones and they promoted Andy Haines from minor league hitting coordinator to assistant hitting coach.
Since hanging up the spikes, Davis has also emerged as a well-regarded hitting coach, first taking the position with the Athletics (2012-14) before joining the Red Sox (2015-17). He drew interest from the Padres in the same role and has also been listed as a speculative managerial candidate at times. While there are many in the Boston organization that deserve some degree of credit, Davis was the primary voice guiding Boston’s rising crop of young bats, including Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendiand Xander Bogaerts.
The 59-year-old Butterfield will bring more than two decades of coaching experience to the Cubs. He’s previously held various positions with the Yankees, Blue Jays and D-backs, serving as a first base coach, third base coach and bench coach at the Major League level.
If there aren't any additional changes to the coaching staff, that still leaves the vacant pitching coach position to be filled. The Cubs have interviewed Jim Hickey who became available at the end of the season. He and Joe worked together for a long time in Tampa Bay.
Comments
I’ve been around too long to get all that excited about coaching changes, but fwiw, Chili sounds like a good one, and perhaps a new voice will help the Cubs hit Dodgers pitching next NLCS.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
The hitting coach has one job – make Jason Heyward hit well enough to opt out.
JKVQuote Reply
P.S. – Chili Davis is a sweet name.
Off topic – I played for John Mallee’s traveling AAU team in Northwest Indiana. He was never there because he was in the Marlins org at the time, still kinda cool. We were called the “Pro-Style Power”. Creativity wasn’t his thing.
JKVQuote Reply
JKV,
That’s one, but I want some more power from Bryant. Considering that home runs were flying out at a record pace, Bryant should have been in the 40s. I’d also like to see Addy take a step forward offensively. I think there’s more to fix than just Heyward. Schwarber, Addy, Baez (stop fucking swinging at pitches forty feet outside) and Heyward.
dmick89Quote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Yeah, for the most part it’s just rearranging deck chairs. Davis seems like a good one though.
dmick89Quote Reply
Mike Maddux —— —> Cardinals
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Oh I definitely agree. I think the great variance in quality of teams in the MLB right now is very great, which allowed the Cubs hitters’ weaknesses to be hidden during the regular season. They hit a lot of home runs. Crushed bad pitching. For me, it’s easy to see why they struggled so mightily in the playoffs against good pitching.
You look at the Astros and Dodgers. Hitters going to all fields. Disciplined strike zones. You need that against good pitching. Schwarber, Rizzo, Heyward, and Bryant are all players who hit against a shift because of their inability to use the entire field.
JKVQuote Reply
dmick89,
Anyone who can get Baez to stop swinging at pitches forty feet outside should get 100MM.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
JKV,
It’s not like those players were only shifted on in the postseason. I agree they could probably use some more guys who use the entire field, but Rizzo and Bryant were successful against the shift all year. Schwarber was a lot better in the 2nd half, but his biggest issue in my opinion is strikeouts. That’s partly because he works deep counts. This offense isn’t that much different than last year’s team. They were streaky offensively in the postseason last year, but just weren’t as good overall this year. I’m not too worried about the offense. I am quite worried about the pitching.
I think the guys most likely to improve are Schwarber, Addy, Baez and Heyward. I think we might see more power from Bryant or at least I hope so, but we’ll probably also see some regression from guys like Willson and Happ.
dmick89Quote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Yeah, it won’t happen. Baez is a hitter who just guesses what’s coming and where it’s at. If you take that away you’re going to take away a lot of his power and he’s probably more like Almora than any of us really want at that point.
dmick89Quote Reply
When was the last time that both the Red Sox and the Yankees changed managers in the same offseason?
dmick89Quote Reply
Have to assume this means Hickey is going to the Cubs.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Did they even interview anyone else?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I don’t think they have, and I think Hickey only interviewed with STL in addition to the Cubs.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
So how about Gold Glove finalist Ben Zobrist?
RiceQuote Reply
Rice,
He’s no Rafael Palmeiro.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Perkins,
I think he interviewed with the Twins or maybe I’m thinking of someone else.
dmick89Quote Reply
Yeah, the Twins interviewed him already, but apparently they thought his ties with Maddon were pretty strong so they moved on.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I hope he knows how to have his pitchers throw strikes.
RiceQuote Reply
dmick89,
Ah, I’d missed that.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Obviously the first priority for Davis will be to spend all winter with the pitchers since letting the pitchers bat is Joe’s favorite thing.
North Side PatQuote Reply
North Side Pat,
With Quintana, Hendricks and Lester as the returning starting pitchers, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Lester looked decent with the bat this year, I thought. He’ll never be Carlos Zambrano, but he made some hard contact.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I actually think Lester is the best hitter of the three. Possibly by a lot. Which is pretty sad.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Now I really want them to hire Greg. Sibling rivalry meets best NL rivalry.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Let’s just hope there’s some correlation between coaching ability and (past) pitching ability.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I figured as much. I must say, I think it’s a shame that a botched call happened on a crucial play in a winner-take-all game, though I’d much rather such a call go in the Cubs’ favor than their opponents’.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I think the rule should be changed to take into account the fact the ball had already clearly gotten past the catcher. The interference had no impact on the play.
dmick89Quote Reply
Don’t know if this was posted (for I refuse to read every word), but a Jim Hickey retrospective from Draysbay:
https://www.draysbay.com/2017/10/5/16417124/tampa-bay-rays-jim-hickey-pitching-coach-retrospective
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Apparently the deal with Hickey is finalized.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
The Cubs wisely decided that Greg Maddux and chili is a bad combination.
berseliusQuote Reply
Bosio —–> Tigers
berseliusQuote Reply
dmick89,
I don’t have a problem with it. The catcher has enough to deal with already without getting hit by a moving bat. It is not really possible to say how it affected his response. In any case, baseball is full of “zero tolerance” rules like that. e.g., it’s catcher’s interference of the bat just barely touches the catcher’s mitt, even if it doesn’t affect anything.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
If the Cubs new hitting coach married the new pitching coach, he’d be Chili Hickey.
RynoQuote Reply
That’s Jerry, Dan and Bob, BTW.
RynoQuote Reply
Here’s a solid write up of Jim Hickey, and maybe a decent glimpse into his pitching philosphy. Not sure how much pull or impact he’ll have, but I found it interesting:
https://www.draysbay.com/2017/10/5/16417124/tampa-bay-rays-jim-hickey-pitching-coach-retrospective
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
i just did a ctrl+f and that article had literally ZERO references to “towel drill” so i’m not even gonna bother reading
another theo failure smh
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
That picture of Chili Davis looks like he just saw Baez swing at a pitch 40 feet off the plate.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
We’ll see that look at least 120 times next season.
dmick89Quote Reply
Tony ——–> Roberto Clemente Award
berseliusQuote Reply
I can’t believe the Dodgers don’t have a better LF option than Hernandez.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Apparently the Dodgers pitching isn’t unhittable. Who knew?
North Side PatQuote Reply
Not the Cubs.
PerkinsQuote Reply
A lot of people are hating on Ken Giles now. People have ridiculously little patience with relievers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
He’s been pretty bad all postseason, unfortunately.
RiceQuote Reply
Rice,
A whole 7 2/3 innings.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Mistakes are magnified in short series and so manager doesn’t have time to hope he fixes whatever is ailing him.
RiceQuote Reply
More reports that Dave Martinez will be next Nats manager, probably announce after the World Series ends.
RiceQuote Reply
The baseball may explain some of Giles’ struggles to a degree…
https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/10/29/world-series-baseballs-leather-justin-verlander-yu-darvish-ken-giles-kenley-jansen?utm_campaign=si-mlb&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&xid=socialflow_twitter_si
RiceQuote Reply
Rice,
Or: managers panic over tiny sample sizes that lack predictive value.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rice,
So does this mean Grandpa Rossy for bench coach?
SKQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
The postseason is also where scouting takes at least some precedence over analytics. Scouting is analysis. And scouting tells you that Giles has sucked, which is real and detrimental to the club in a short series.
RiceQuote Reply
SK,
Some of the dinosaurs keep suggesting John Farrell.
RiceQuote Reply
Rice,
Whose scouting? The Astros clearly thought he was able to pitch in a big spot.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rice,
I’d be fine with Farrell.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I think we will just have to disagree. While there is some recency bias you have to see objectively that Giles had not done well and it would have been defensible to use Devo for another inning.
RiceQuote Reply
Rice,
Also, it is entirely possible for the Astros to have collected data (long and short term) and interpreted it incorrectly.
RiceQuote Reply
I don’t agree with that.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
You and I don’t always agree.
RiceQuote Reply
If the Cubs really wanted to be ahead of the curve, they’d hire a sabermetrician to be the bench coach. GW was suggesting this several years ago and I think it’s the ideal way to bring some more of the advanced statistical knowledge into the dugout. Considering there are more coaching positions these days, it’s a shame that some organization hasn’t taken advantage of this yet. My money is on the Astros being the first to do it.
dmick89Quote Reply
For the record, MGL ran the numbers on relievers who got hammered in their last few appearances and found they pitched normally in their next outing. https://mglbaseball.com/2017/10/29/the-2017-world-series-ken-giles-reliever-hot-and-cold-streaks-and-bullshit/amp/
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/mlb-might-have-another-new-ball-and-controversy/
berseliusQuote Reply
The Astros aren’t good at defense.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Forsythe should have probably gotten in a rundown to let the run score.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Actually, I think he could have gotten back to first easily after the bad throw. He made a bad decision and got lucky.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
He was lucky Altuve wasn’t a few inches taller.
RiceQuote Reply
Astros already into bullpen with 2 outs in 4th. Here’s hoping for 7 games.
RiceQuote Reply
Wow.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Racists 1, MLB 0
dmick89Quote Reply
Bill Miller has a huge strike zone.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
X2
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
How is it only the fifth inning?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
x50
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I hate the Astros.
dmick89Quote Reply
Crazy
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m starting to think Dave Roberts pulling Dick Mound so early in Game 2 might be one of the biggest keys to the Asstros winning the World Series.
RynoQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
took me a minute to figure this one out.
dmick89Quote Reply
I just want the series to end so free agency can start sooner.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Isn’t that what he was known as at ACB?
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Now that I think about it, I think so. That’s been a long time. I was trying to think about some of the Alvinisms recently, but I only could come up with a few.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It’s been like a decade. I didn’t realize. That’s crazy…
RynoQuote Reply
Whoa…
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
He’d probably end up winning 8 world series titles in a row or something.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ryno,
Longer than that. Adam, you and I began talking about the Cubs after the 2003 season and we started ACB in January 2005. It’s kind of crazy how fast time has gone by. It does not seem like it’s been nearly 15 years since we had our first conversation about baseball.
dmick89Quote Reply
Apparently Ross all but ruled himself out as bench coach so maybe now the journalists can actually do their job on report on the more likely candidates to fill the job. Ross was always a fan choice and never the logical choice anyway.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I think he ends up as a coach/manager in 10 years or so, but I thought it was pretty clear that he wanted some time away from the daily grind for the time being.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Berselius,
Yeah, I agree. I’ll admit that the fan in me briefly thought it would be fun to see him as the bench coach, but there has to be a lot of guys better suited for that job right now and that’s what the Cubs need. I don’t think it takes much coaching experience. I think Martinez only had been a spring training coach for a year or two before he was named the bench coach.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
He’s probably going to be a good coach but like many of the casual fans, I just don’t know who else would be available to fill the bench role either in house or from outside.
RiceQuote Reply
Rice,
I only know the names that I’ve recently read about it since it was known Martinez would be interviewing for that job. Seems to me that Borzello and Hyde would be the leading candidates, but I’m guessing they talk to Farrell to see if he’s interested. If he is and if Maddon is okay with it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he moved to the top of the list. I’m just not sure why Farrell would take a bench coach job right now.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I feel like Boston not retaining Farrell could be a red flag against him being an ideal candidate for the Cubs. Maybe it shouldn’t matter but that just sticks in my mind.
RiceQuote Reply
It’s not like his predecessor has had any success since Boston pushed him out the door.
berseliusQuote Reply
@Ryno
Handsome Jimmy G, huh
berseliusQuote Reply
Kirk Cousins probably lost like $50m today (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
That and I don’t want the Cubs making any decision based on what some other organization has chosen to do.
dmick89Quote Reply
My vote for Bench Coach is Sammy Sosa.
EdwinQuote Reply
As long as he isn’t in charge of the clubhouse music.
MylesQuote Reply
Wonder whatever happened to GW.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
He was around last year during the playoffs and I think he stopped by here a month or two ago.
Looks like he came around the comments in July and was around a lot on some post Myles wrote in February. I miss having him around.
dmick89Quote Reply
here’s that earlier post I mentioned: http://obstructedview.net/happy-23rd-birthday-addison-russell/
dmick89Quote Reply
Edwin,
You joke, but I’d take that. I don’t really care who they pick. May as well be someone I’m a fan of. I wonder if Roger Waters is available. He’s not welcome in parts of the US because of his Israeli boycott so he may have to miss some road trips if they hired him for the job.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I’m more a fan of Gilmour myself.
EdwinQuote Reply
I haven’t talked with him much since we both left Austin, but last time I did he had just got a new job in the boonies somewhere and was asking me advice about getting decent internet access in the middle of nowhere, since I had very recent experience. He and his wife were also about to have a baby, so I’m guessing all of those probably contributed.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
GW wasn’t the commenter asking about the best way to avoid an FBI manhunt, was he?
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
I’m not sure, but if anyone has tips I’m all ears.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Edwin,
he may have been asking for a friend named bobson dugnutt
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Edwin,
Wrong answer.
dmick89Quote Reply
Surprised to see Verlander pitching to Seager.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
Evidently. The move was a surprise, but only that the move was made. I’ve thought an established QB makes more sense for this team than drafting one. JG isn’t as established as Cousins, but he could end up being better. I like the move.
RynoQuote Reply
Astros are all over Darvish.
berseliusQuote Reply
You gotta pinch-run for McCann and pinch-hit for McCullers. Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow. OK.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Can’t believe the infield didn’t play in more.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I guess all the Dodger fans who haven’t arrived yet can just turn around and head home.
berseliusQuote Reply
I don’t get pulling Darvish with two outs and the pitcher’s spot coming up in the bottom of the inning, but whatever.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing) at that DP. Feels like the Dodgers are going to hit into a triple play before this game is over.
berseliusQuote Reply
If the Astros hang on, who wins WS MVP? Altuve would probably get my vote.
berseliusQuote Reply
McCullers is pitching like crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I thought Puig got all of that one.
berseliusQuote Reply
“Relief” pitcher hitting alert.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bregman reminds us that the Astros are a below-average defensive team.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Two straight intentional walks? What the hell?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The IBBs worked but that was a risky strategy at best. Also got Devenski out of the game.
RiceQuote Reply
Another “relief” pitcher hitting.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Obligatory reminder that Ken Giles is a great pitcher, and great pitchers tend to pitch great even after seven terrible innings.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Charlie Morton closes out the season, just like we all expected.
berseliusQuote Reply
Is Jim Hendry the Yankees’ GM?
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
He’s an assistant, isn’t he? I think he’s also doing what he’s best at: scouting.
dmick89Quote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
I thought of that earlier today after you mentioned Hendry and then I got a call from my mom telling me my cousin (51 years old) had died yesterday of a heart attack. I hope you have better luck.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Stop thinking bad thoughts.
RynoQuote Reply
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/2017-18-top-50-mlb-free-agents-with-predictions.html
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
I’d rather have numbers 11 and 4 or 5 than 1 at those salaries.
RynoQuote Reply
If Cobb only takes 4/$48, and the Cubs don’t sign him, I’ll be extremely angry.
MylesQuote Reply
Ryno,
Some of those contracts seem quite low to me. I’ll be surprised if the highest contract doesn’t exceed $180 million.
dmick89Quote Reply
If Arrieta only costs $100 million, I’m okay if the Cubs bring him back. I think he’ll get $120 million or more. I wonder what the Cubs largest extension offer was. For some reason i think I remember something about $150-175 million that he turned down. I’m glad he did.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles,
Yeah, if Cobb only gets $48 million I think the MLBPA should look into whether or not the teams are colluding again.
dmick89Quote Reply
I think the Cubs should seriously consider trading Schwarber and something else for Archer while signing JD Martinez. They need some offense from their outfield on a more consistent basis.
dmick89Quote Reply
Would you trade Schwarber and Happ for Archer? I think I probably would.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
Yes.
dmick89Quote Reply
What about Schwarber and Baez for Archer and a prospect? Schwarber and Russell for Archer and a prospect? How highly would the prospect have to be thought of to make you pull the trigger? I know I wouldn’t do either of those straight up for Archer, but I’d probably do either of them for Archer plus a good prospect.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles,
It’d be painful but that seems reasonable to me.
RiceQuote Reply
It’d have to be an awfully good prospect for me. Both Baez and Russell are significantly more important to me than Happ is. We are talking like a Top 50-75 prospect, probably.
MylesQuote Reply
It would actually probably have to be better than that, now that I think about it. It’s entirely possible I’m being a homer.
MylesQuote Reply
I think it’s very fair.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
I was thinking top 30. I’d also take two top 75s. If the Cubs could get a top 25 I think it would be a really good deal for the Cubs.
In the perfect world for the Cubs, the Rays would gladly take Schwarber and Almora for Archer. The Cubs could then sign Martinez for LF and Cain for CF. May as well sign Cobb and then start counting down the days until they win the 2018 World Series.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles,
Me too, though I did just look at Happ’s overall stats this season again and they are impressive. He hit 33 home runs between AAA and MLB in 529 plate appearances. It was his age 22 season. His walk rate was over 9% and his strikeout rate was too high, but if he can get it down to what it was in AAA, he could be a very good player. I’m curious what his defense would be like if he played exclusively 2nd base. He looked like he could never get comfortable in the field this year, which isn’t too surprising since he was 22/23 years old and it was his first year.
I still pull the trigger on Schwarber and Happ for Archer, but only if the Cubs acquire someone like Martinez. If they don’t plan to acquire a good outfielder, I’m not sure they have the offense to spare.
dmick89Quote Reply
I had a really good plan for the Cubs this off-season, but it was contingent on the Red Sox declining their option on Chris Sale. Back to the drawing board.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I’m waiting for them to DFA him so the Cubs just have to pay the league minimum.
dmick89Quote Reply
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/top-20-mlb-free-agent-projections-big-names-article-1.3606782
These contract predictions would probably be wrong ten years ago.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
This sentence is Yellonian.
RynoQuote Reply
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endowment_effect
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
Hasn’t the community projections on Fangraphs shown a significant bias in favor of the person’s favorite team? It’s been awhile since I’ve read anything about it, but I seem to recall tango calculating it to be somewhere around half a win better than the player actually is. Russell and Baez certainly have value to other teams, but I don’t think it’s nearly as high as Cubs fans think it is. Both players are probably around league average at best going forward.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Didn’t he also mention a higher expected ZORP and value over mythical unicorns?
RynoQuote Reply
dmick89,
Sounds about right. Fans almost always over value their own players and under value others. This proves itself every trade season on credited blog discussion boards.
EdwinQuote Reply
Are you saying I own the Cubs? We need to let Alvin know immediately.
MylesQuote Reply
You mean Kershaw for La Stella wasn’t a fair trade idea?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Not according to Dodgers fans, I assume.
EdwinQuote Reply
I told you guys he was the best CB prospect I’ve ever seen.
RynoQuote Reply
Edwin,
All the analysis I can find says it is. La Stella is a line drive hitter who can play multiple positions. How many positions can Kershaw play?
dmick89Quote Reply
https://deadspin.com/report-ooh-shit-the-nfl-wants-the-owners-phones-1820119521
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
If I remember correctly, failure to turn over a phone or comply with turning over a phone is a big deal to the NFL, and is highly punishable.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
The NFL does not like anyone not doing what the NFL says.
It’s crazy what’s happening to that league right now. The NFL was a money-making machine and the owners are ruining it. People are losing interest because the sport sucks right now. There are no exciting storylines to follow (no charismatic personas, intense rivalries, upper echelon of teams) and the games are boring.
Meanwhile, MLB has had two of the most engaging World Series in recent memory within the last 12 months…
RynoQuote Reply
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2017/11/02/iowa-wave-through-childs-eyes/826378001/
dmick89Quote Reply
I didn’t really think of it until i saw that MLBTR is guessing the cubs sign him, but signing Darvish early in the winter would mean Ohtani has a fellow japanese player on the roster. I imagine he’s leaning towards the AL so he can DH, but I wouldn’t mind spending the money if the FO thinks it will even remotely increase the chances of getting Ohtani.
sharpchicityQuote Reply
sharpchicity,
I doubt it would have any impact on Otani’s decision. This is something that has come up with every big Japanese free agent in the past and I haven’t seen any evidence they care about having a teammate from the same country. It’s difficult to compare to the past since it was more about money, but Otani will have a translator with him and I’m sure he speaks or will speak enough English for it to not matter much. I also imagine there are is a decent Japanese population in Chicago if that really matters to him.
I have no idea what Otani will do. If I had to guess I’d bet on the Yankees or Dodgers, but it’s just a guess.
I think signing Darvish is a pretty good idea regardless, though if the projected salaries I’ve seen over the last couple days are anywhere near close, I might prefer the Cubs go with Arrieta and Cobb over Darvish.
dmick89Quote Reply
Sign Arrieta, Cobb, and Darvish. And Otani.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
And Davis and Reed and Shaw
ceruleanQuote Reply
Guys, what we need are more catchers.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
If they could throw a few million my way that would be great too.
berseliusQuote Reply
Tanaka didn’t opt out.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
No worries. We already figured out the offseason plan. Sign Arrieta, Cobb, Darvish, Otani, Davis, Reed, Shaw, some more catchers and throw a few million at berselius.
dmick89Quote Reply
I think the bullpen could use more walks so maybe the Cubs could get Carlos Marmol to come out of retirement.
dmick89Quote Reply
I don’t know, I could walk a lot of hitters for a few million dollars all on my own.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
That’s a pretty good idea, but can you hit? You know you’re going to be getting 15 plate appearances in high leverage situations since it’s a Joe Maddon team.
dmick89Quote Reply
Do the thing, Iowa.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
The thing where an Iowa team scores 31 in a half? Against Ohio State?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Another 31 points would be good.
berseliusQuote Reply
dmick89,
(dying laughing), that touchdown was ridiculous.
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in,
Yeah, but not half as ridiculous as the play before. i was getting ready to scream at the tv because Ferentz was trying to get cute.
dmick89Quote Reply
The touchdown pass was crazy because the OSU player had Stanley’s leg for three minutes and couldn’t get him down. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
If Iowa can hang 50 on aOSU, they’re going to score 75 against Wisconsin (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Crazy.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
They’ll forget they can pass next week. If Iowa only remembered that Stanley was pretty good, they’d have a legitimate chance of being unbeaten at this point. They couldn’t do shit offensively in two of their three losses because they refused to pass the ball. This was after Stanley had been awesome for two or three weeks and having all the skills of someone is at least a well above average college quarterback. I think he has the chance to be a really good NFL quarterback.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cueto ——> not opting out either
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Five years ago most players who could opt out did. This is kind of weird.
dmick89Quote Reply
Man, CJ Beathard is a pretty good QB for a sacrificial lamb…
RynoQuote Reply
Who could’ve seen that coming? I bet he stood like a MFer for the national anthem, though.
RynoQuote Reply
Anyone on here know anything about contract law? Specifically Non-Compete clauses? I figured OV was the best place to go to for discredited legal advice.
EdwinQuote Reply
If you can’t compete, you can at least be a QB in the NFL before Kaepernick. That’s the extent of my legal knowledge.
MylesQuote Reply
But TJ Yates has thrown nearly 100 passes since 2011, so we went with him…
RynoQuote Reply
Yeah, a bit. Generally non-compete clauses are enforceable if they’re reasonable. Some states (California) don’t really allow them except in limited circumstances.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Edwin,
I know they should be illegal without a large bag of fuck-you money. John Random Job should never ever be prevented from going elsewhere without some serious remuneration—like a year’s salary kind of serious.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
My sister-in-law had a no compete at her last job and once she had risen so far and worked there for so long, they no longer wanted to pay her as much as she was earning when they could promote or hire someone else making 50% of what she made so they let her go. She was given six months of severance pay equal to her salary and she was able to keep her insurance for one year. The no compete didn’t allow her to do almost anything for 12 months after termination, but at least they gave her a considerable amount and the insurance alone for the family was also quite a lot. I think no competes are pretty stupid, but yeah, if they exist then you should get compensated quite well. She didn’t feel that she wasn’t and she did find a job making about 75% of what she was earning so it worked out for her in the end. I agree though, unless you’re going to pay them exceptionally well after termination, they shouldn’t be enforceable.
dmick89Quote Reply
I think non competes make sense depending on the profession. Jobs where reatining clients on an annual basis is key, I get that. Places like law firms, accounting firms, financial planning services, or jobs where the position entails a lot of proprietary information, it makes sense to protect owner’s from IP theft.
In this case my wife was working for a tiny firm, providing services for a client. The client decided, on their own, to terminate the contract at some point with the firm and bring in someone to perform the services in house. My wife applied for the position and got it. My thinking is that since my wife isn’t going into competition with her old firm, and didn’t solicit the client to terminate the contract, she’s fine, and did not act unethically. I liken it to an IT specialist working for an IT firm who provides services to a client, the client decides to develope their own in-house IT department, and the IT specialist goes to work for the former client.
Apparently the owner of the firm is being kind of a jerk about things.
EdwinQuote Reply
Life without Rodgers seems tough for Green Bay fans.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
What’s interesting to me is GB’s cavalier approach to the backup spot. Everyone knows how dependent that team is on Rodgers, but their only other QB is a guy they have invested nearly three years in developing yet don’t trust with the keys to the offense.
RynoQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/CFCubsRelated/status/927722292678860800
This was a tweet I recently enjoyed.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
You know, I think this could be a turning point for Pat Hughes jokes on Twitter.
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
Ryno,
I don’t know what they’re thinking – Matt Flynn is eminently available smh
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/11/05/mlb-best-free-agents-martinez-darvish-arrieta
RynoQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in,
Not sure if sarcastic, but he is the franchise record holder for TD passes and passing yards in a game…
RynoQuote Reply
You know, partner? I’d have to agree with that statement. See you on the plane, partner.
MylesQuote Reply
Did they replace Bosio yet?
uncle daveQuote Reply
yes
uncle daveQuote Reply
uncle dave,
They haven’t replaced Martinez yet.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I’m clearly not reading every word.
uncle daveQuote Reply
uncle dave,
what i really want to know is whether or not they have a new hitting coach
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Lawdie…
https://twitter.com/OLineWorld65/status/927977613070438400
RynoQuote Reply
RIP Roy Halladay
dmick89Quote Reply
Roy’s NLDS no-hitter was the first one I ever saw from beginning to end. RIP.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I saw David Cone’s perfect game (that had to have been almost 20 years ago) along with no hitters by Zambrano, Hamels and both of Arrieta’s from beginning to end.
dmick89Quote Reply
Darn. Halladay is easily one of my favorite pitchers ever.
EdwinQuote Reply
dmick89,
I saw Hamels’ and both of Arrieta’s, too. But those were later.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That sucks about Halladay.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Yeah, I only saw the last inning or two of Halladay’s. The only no hitters I’ve seen from beginning to end were the ones I mentioned. It’s not many. Almost all of the baseball I watch is the Cubs and they didn’t have many no hitters thrown for them or against them until recently. They were becoming a regular thing for awhile.
dmick89Quote Reply
Apparently John Lackey is going to pitch in 2018. I wouldn’t mind signing him to another short-term deal. One year preferably. He had a below average season, but I think he’s a good candidate to bounce back some. He’s also fairly durable so as a 5th starter, he’s about as good as you could hope for in my opinion. If the Cubs want to trade for Archer and sign Darvish or something like that, then that’s even better, but that probably won’t happen.
dmick89Quote Reply
I don’t Lackey on this team just due to personal aversion, but I concede that he can be a useful innings-eater in 2018.
MylesQuote Reply
Depending on how things go, I wouldn’t mind the Cubs taking another flier on Clayton Richard as a 6th starter. He gets a ton of groundballs, and he throws strikes.
EdwinQuote Reply
The big thing that gives me pause with Lackey is that he’s lost velocity that’s almost certainly not returning, and he’s been a guy who pounds the zone for some time. It looks like increasing his slider usage may have helped him in the second half, but if he loses another tick on his fastball, he’s going to have a lot of trouble setting it up. Especially since both of his fastballs graded out as below average this year.
I’d probably bring back Lackey on a one year deal if the Cubs think they’ll have a higher likelihood of landing an impact starter next offseason, but I don’t love the idea of going into 2018 with him in a rotation that may already include a diminished Lester.
PerkinsQuote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
Wait, people really thought CHC was going to trade Heyward to SFG for Melancon and JefF7?
RynoQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/IsiahWhitlockJr/status/928312886459535366
RynoQuote Reply
Yeah, that’s kind of what I’m talking about. There’s no reason the Cubs couldn’t just sign Cobb and Lynn. There’s really no reason they couldn’t sign Darvish or Cobb. That may even be preferable since there wouldn’t be a draft pick surrendered for signing Darvish. I don’t think that’s going to happen though. I think it’s more likely they sign Darvish and someone like Lackey.
dmick89Quote Reply
I also wouldn’t mind bringing Duensing back.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I think it’s even more likely they sign Cobb and someone like Lackey, as much as I don’t love that idea. I’d hope they land one of Darvish or Arrieta though.
PerkinsQuote Reply
McGee and Hellickson seem like obvious connections as well. I wouldn’t mind Pineda either.
RynoQuote Reply
That wouldn’t surprise me and it is a terrible idea. Their top of the rotation wouldn’t compare to almost any playoff team if that was the case.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ryno,
McGee makes a lot of sense, but no thanks to Hellickson even though I agree it does make sense given the connections.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It’s definitely a terrible idea, and I hope they prove me wrong. Mostly I’m basing it on the FO’s apparent reluctance to give multiple pitchers over 30 a huge deal and its willingness to go into a title defense season with the Brett Anderson Experiment in the rotation.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I want the Cubs to sign the 20 top pitchers in free agency, and then sort it out later.
MylesQuote Reply
That never made sense to me. A championship team shouldn’t have Brett Anderson as Plan A without a really good Plan B and C.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
IoI
RynoQuote Reply
I would rather the Cubs send a parade of minor leaguers to the mound than re-sign Lackey, who at this point is just dead weight.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Myles,
I think it comes down to payroll. I’ve yet to see evidence that the Ricketts family is willing to spend as much money as the Chicago Cubs probably should be spending.
dmick89Quote Reply
cerulean,
A parade of minor leaguers from just about any other organization would maybe be okay, but that parade for the Cubs includes a bunch of guys who probably aren’t good enough to pitch in Little League.
dmick89Quote Reply
I think it’s very unlikely that Lackey would give up as many home runs as he did in 2017. He’s below average, but the best pitching prospect they have is far worse than he is. I’d rather Lackey not be a part of the 2018 team, but I’d much rather he be in the rotation than Tseng. That’s not even a difficult decision in my opinion.
dmick89Quote Reply
They had Montgomery, and traded for Eddie Bulter and Alec Mills. What could go wrong?
EdwinQuote Reply
So how has the Cubs IFA spending strategy aged over time? On the one hand they came away with some really solid prospects in Torres and Jimenez, and were able to turn both into high quality MLB pieces. On the other hand, it kept them out of the bidding on players like Yoan Moncada and now likely Otani.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
You’d much rather have had a chance to get Moncado and Otani. I’m not super impressed with how the Cubs have spent their money on international free agents. Actually, I’m not even a little bit impressed. It’s almost seems like a veteran front office has had more of a learning curve with something like this than they should have had. It sucks that they have almost no chance to get Otani.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
On the other hand, the rules around IFAs have been pretty unstable, with rumors of a draft or other changes that would have been intended to curtail spending. In a situation like that, I can see the argument to be made for spending as much as you can this year and worrying about the rest later, because you might not even have to worry about the rest later.
The changes haven’t been as sweeping as they were rumored to be which leaves us where we are today, but I can’t fault the logic of spending as much as possible when you can spend it.
uncle daveQuote Reply
uncle dave,
Good point. You’re probably right.
dmick89Quote Reply
Sounds like Marcell Ozuna might be available. I think the Cubs should trade Schwarber for Ozuna and then flip him for Stanton.
RynoQuote Reply
Brandon Hyde——> bench coach
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Dylan Jeckyll –> head coach
RynoQuote Reply
I think the correct Yellonism would be to flip Schwarber for Stanton then send Stanton and Baez to Miami for Ozuna.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
Survey says…
RynoQuote Reply
I had to see what old Alvin was up to…
Thanks, Alvin, for painting such a detailed picture for those of us who didn’t know what the word ‘luxury’ meant…
RynoQuote Reply
Fixed
JKVQuote Reply
Why the hell does he care about how much the Cubs spend? What advantage is it to him if they don’t flex their financial resources as much as they’re able to do? Does he think they won’t raise ticket prices if they cheap out on starting pitching?
I realize this is Yellon we’re talking about, but I’m amazed someone can make it past 50 and still be as clueless as he is.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Shohei Otani has officially been posted. Really not looking forward to next year’s NLCS against the Dodgers.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Small market teams like the Cubs can’t waste money on luxury contracts.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
What does ‘luxury’ mean?
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
luxury is that stripper you see in the showroom that looks slick and fancy and you’d feel great driving it, but you know you’d be better off saving some money and getting the model one level down from there.
EdwinQuote Reply
Bologna sandwiches are one model down from processed ham sandwiches.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’ve always assumed the worst about famous people, but even I’m a little amazed at this stuff in Hollywood. I’m not totally surprised, but the number of women (and men) who have been harmed is astonishing. We’ve got men who don’t realize that it’s wrong to pull out their junk in front of women (I knew this as far back as I can remember), men trying to or forcing themselves on men and women regardless of their age and we’ve got Mrs. Green Arrow running a fucking sex cult. Leave it to Hollywood to make male professional athletes look less awful.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
It’s been awhile since I’ve read up on the posting rules. MLBTR says the team will set the max posting fee at $20 million. I assume that figure can be and probably would be sent in by most teams (Cubs included). At that point the team only has the amount left that they have available in their IFA, right? Let’s say 10 teams submit bids of $20 million, do those 10 teams then get to bid for his services? I read recently the Cubs only have about $300,000 so that pretty much eliminates them. I assume they go ahead and bid anyway on the off chance that Otani doesn’t care at all about money, but what are the odds of that? I miss the old posting system, which obviously favored an organization like the Cubs. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
I think it’s easy to forget how much power corrupts.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
I don’t know what you mean. Donald Trump is the least corrupt person in the world. Everyone knows it’s true.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
One thought about Otani: he could instantly get a nine figure contract if he waited a couple years and is choosing to come to MLB now, so he’s already betting on himself. The immediate payday seems secondary.
Still, I’d be surprised if he ends up anywhere other than NYY or LAD.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Wait, what?
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in,
http://comicbook.com/dc/2017/11/09/smallville-allison-mack-nxivm-cult-sex-report/
dmick89Quote Reply
Allison Mack played Chloe Sullivan who was one of Clark Kent’s childhood friends in Smallville (the tv show). Sullivan went on to marry Oliver Queen near the end of the show.
dmick89Quote Reply
I would too. I hope the Cubs submit a bid just for fun, but I doubt it does any good.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Oh, I thought we were talking some kind of Felicity Smoak scandal here.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Berselius,
I also was worried that there was something awry with the CW superhero shows.
*looks up Andrew Kreisberg*
Crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
It’s safe to say at this point it’s pretty much every single powerful male.
dmick89Quote Reply
That’s 6 interceptions for Iowa the last two games. Those games were against Ohio State and they’re not even to halftime against Wisconsin.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Just got home and checked the box score. Looks like quite the rock fight.
berseliusQuote Reply
(dying laughing) @ this game.
berseliusQuote Reply
Jesus Christ. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
time stamp updated
dmick89Quote Reply
So Otani signs with a team for that’s teams max IFA budget and Otani goes through the normal MLB minimum salary and arbitration process. What precludes a team from immediately signing him to a big extension that buys out his minimum salary years, arbitration years, and an extra free agent year? I feel like that’s the only realistic chance the Cubs could get him to take less money.
JKVQuote Reply
JKV,
I’m pretty sure MLB would investigate the matter. If it turned out the Cubs had agreed to do this in order to sign Otani, I’m guessing the contract would be voided. I think they said they’d be watching this closely to make sure such things do not happen. I still think something like that is going to happen. Maybe it’s the team that signs him. Maybe not.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m guessing if Otani has a strong 2018 that whoever ends up with him could sign him long-term at that point. What’s the going rate for a star talent (let’s say he’s very good next year) who has so much club control left? It’s probably not much. I think anything over $75 million would get MLB involved and that may even be high.
How much was Kris Bryant worth after the 2015 season? If Bryant goes year to year he gets paid around league minimum in 2016 and 2017. You’d probably have estimated $8 million, $12 million, $16 million, $20 million in his arbitration years. That’s $58 million and that’s being hopeful that he continued to produce and didn’t get injured. So yeah, I think anything over $75 million is going to get MLB involved. I don’t think Otani is going to be getting a $100+ contract after one year. Maybe two, but not one.
I think Otani the odds of signing him are probably something like this:
Yankees: 60%
Dodgers: 30%
Mets, Giants, Angels and Cardinals: 9.5% combined
dmick89Quote Reply
This posting system sucks for the Cubs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Has Hickey actually signed a contract, or is it merely seen as inevitable?
berseliusQuote Reply
I think it’s way more likely than you do that Otani signs with the Angels.
MylesQuote Reply
I don’t understand why Otani isn’t linked to the Angels way more. West Coast team with an unlimited amount of money and a huge Asia-Pacific presence. I guess Pujols is unmovable at DH, but a) that’s not actually true and b) the Angels are just the type of team who would put him at RF anyway.
MylesQuote Reply
Of the 9.5% I listed there that included them, maybe they’re at 7% or something. I could see that.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles,
If you’ve got two LA teams to choose from and we know the Dodgers will be in it, who do you choose? The team that almost nobody outside of LA has heard of or the team that almost everyone in the world has? It’s the same reason why the Yankees are the favored team. Everyone knows who the Yankees and Dodgers are. I’m pretty sure the average fetus knows who those teams are. You’re born with that knowledge. It’s coded in our DNA.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
He’s signed from what I’ve read.
dmick89Quote Reply
Alex Cobb said it would be fun to be with Hickey and Maddon in Chicago. I think it would be fun to have Alex Cobb, though I hope he’s not the best starting pitcher the team signs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
https://deadspin.com/marquise-goodwin-scored-a-td-hours-after-his-wife-lost-1820391296
RynoQuote Reply
BREAKING the poscast will host special guest star brandon mccarthy to do a draft of “we are the world” singers
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Here’s the Video of the Day for today: https://twitter.com/Stun_Empire/status/930108708721487873
RynoQuote Reply
I think Otani will sign with an AL team, which is why I don’t think he’ll sign with the Dodgers. I would be mildly stunned if Otani doesn’t sign with a West Coast AL team, or the Yankees.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
I guess I don’t think any team he’s probably interested in is willing to let him be a two way player. I think the only teams that would consider it are the small market teams who would have no interest in signing a long-term deal, which I think is something Otani definitely wants after a year or two. I could see him getting some at bats early on, but I think he’s going to begin to lose one skill as he focuses more on one over the other. That’s what happens to all players eventually and I think the same thing will happen with him. If he’s a pitcher, my guess is he’s a well below average hitter by the time he would be eligible for free agency. He’d probably be an above average hitting pitcher, but not much more than that.
So I think the only way he’s a legitimate two way player is if he plays almost every game. That’s doubtful. He’s already injured himself at least a couple times running the bases and was restricted from running very fast and had to run without hitting the base with his right foot. He barely pitched this past season as a result.
It’s a lovely idea to have a guy who can do both and Otani certainly has the skill set, but so does just about every high school pitcher worth drafting early.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
yeah i think what people are missing is that you need to practice like a million hours per day to be an mlb-caliber hitter OR pitcher. i don’t think there’s enough hours in the day to practice BOTH skills enough to be league average in either category. any team that signs him is gonna force him to focus on one or the other (presumably pitching) and as you say, after a few years, he just won’t be anything better than a good-hitting pitcher. obviously that adds value but not a whole lot.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Chip Kelly to Florida?
RynoQuote Reply
The 49ers added OL Cam Hunt to their practice squad. Say his name 10 times quickly…and loudly.
RynoQuote Reply
I asked the MLBTR guy a great question in the chat and he didn’t answer it. What a bunch of bullsh.
RynoQuote Reply
For what it’s worth, Otani threw significantly fewer innings than Tanaka and Darvish through age 22. Darvish threw 300 more innings (834 to 534) and Tanaka threw nearly 400 more innings. Both Tanaka and Darvish had three seasons of more than 180 innings pitched by the time they were 22 and Otani has yet to reach 180 in a single season.
This could be a good thing, but I only mention this because it seems that Otani has had trouble staying on the field most of his career and that’s another reason why I think it’s unlikely he’ll get much or any playing time other than pitcher. His career OPS is also only .859 though he was quite a bit better than that the last two seasons.
dmick89Quote Reply
I also just read that Otani idolizes Yu Darvish. I’ve thought for awhile the Cubs should sign Darvish, but I wonder if it might give them a bit of an advantage in signing Otani too. Regardless, they should sign Darvish and it couldn’t hurt in negotiating with Otani.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ryno,
Age/Sex/Location is not an appropriate question.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Well, that fits with my plan of signing every available free agent and sorting it out during spring training.
MylesQuote Reply
I’d like to update this.
Yankees: 60%
Rangers: 15%
Dodgers: 15%
Cubs: 3%
All others: 7%
The Cubs and Dodgers have the same amount of money that they could spend on Otani so I could even see the Cubs and Dodgers splitting close to 20%. The only team who can spend more than the Yankees is the Rangers. Yeah, I know this isn’t entirely about money right now, but it’s probably a bigger factor than we realize.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles,
If the Cubs did that they could stock up on prospects by trading about 100 guys during spring training.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I’ll call Theo and tell him.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
I already sent him a fax.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
He still should’ve answered…
RynoQuote Reply
MLB offseason is way slower than the NFL’s…
RynoQuote Reply
If JD Martinez gets a deal worth more than $200 million, Bryce Harper is easily going to get one next year for more than $400 million. I wouldn’t be surprised at $500 million. He’s more than twice as valuable as Martinez is.
dmick89Quote Reply
Ryno,
I think they need to figure out a way to speed it up some. It’s basically all rumors until early December.
dmick89Quote Reply
After the Dodgers shore up their pitching staff and trade for Stanton, maybe we can look toward the 2019 season…
RynoQuote Reply
dmick89,
I like how the NFL does it. Everyone negotiates during the illegal negotiation period and then we get a flurry of signings.
RynoQuote Reply
Tyrod Taylor –> bench
Buffalo’s about to find out how hard it is to find a decent QB…
Incidentally, if your team needs a QB, this is the off-season to find one. Kirk Cousins and Tyrod will likely be FAs. Garoppolo could be available via trade. Rosen, Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, possibly Darnold and others via draft.
RynoQuote Reply
The answer is “your mom”
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
That Jake Utler guy on Miami is available, too.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
Now I’m even more confused…
RynoQuote Reply
It’s admirable that SEA is going to try a blind musician at first base, but I don’t think it will translate to on-field performance like they hope.
RynoQuote Reply
What happened to the Chicago Bulls? They seem terrible.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
This is not a basketball site.
RynoQuote Reply
The Mariners sure are acquiring a lot of international slot money…
RynoQuote Reply
Found this from MLBTR: http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/why-zach-britton-no-longer-makes-sense-cubs-team-going-different-direction-bullpen
The Cubs should sign both Morrow and Reed. A 7th/8th/9th of Edwards, Morrow, Reed would be pretty good and if Wilson figures his shit out that could be suddenly be a good bullpen.
dmick89Quote Reply
Maybe the Cubs just need to tell Wilson he’s still pitching for the Tigers.
dmick89Quote Reply
If Streamer projections are anywhere close to accurate, that’s a terrible idea.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I haven’t looked at their projections, but it’s 50 times better than what they had last year.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It’s not even better than what they have now (again, according to projections).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
They fired Thibs because he got the best out of a medicore team due to injuries. Fuck GarPax, if they are even still a thing.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Imagine Ohtani as Andrew Miller, except he starts the game in left field, and can come in for relief at any moment before going back to left field. Would that be more valuable than him as a traditional full-time starter? I think it would if he can really bring it for one or two batters in high-leverage situations. He is basically a free arm out of the pen. Warm-up might be a problem, but it might not be either, since he would be keeping loose with the long toss, as long as he can find the zone in a few pitches. Basically, I want to see Ohtani break baseball.
And if he does not go to the Cubs, please let it be the Mariners that get him.
ceruleanQuote Reply
As a Cubs fan living in Seattle, I’m OK with this.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
I am pleasantly surprised to see Votto get so much MVP love. And KB got a first place vote!
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
These prolonged championship droughts are excruciating.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
MLBTR has Lorenzo Cain going for four years, $70M. He is two years the wrong side of thirty. But the pitching market is also not great. I would take Cain for that and trade two of Schwarber, Almora, or Happ (plus) for the likes of Archer.
And then flip he and Cain for Nolasco.
ceruleanQuote Reply
It has been an entire decade since the Cubs one the World Series. Such is a year under the Trump administration. Only a lifetime to go…
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
I’m surprised we haven’t read more about the Cubs interest in Cain. He seems like an obvious guy for the Cubs to sign.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
You and I had discussed it in the comments a couple times. I mean, it makes sense from the aspect that the pitching market kinda sucks outside of Darvish, Otani, and Arrieta. Certainly doesn’t help that Cueto and Tanaka didn’t opt out.
Signing Cain allows you to trade OF depth for pitching. I might be wrong, but I don’t think Cain’s offensive value it going to go down. He’s a high average, low strike out guy that would be nice to have in a Cubs line up that doesn’t have that stability. We saw how volatile this offense was all year. His CF days are likely coming to an end, but he’d be an above average LFer in the mold of Alex Gordon.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
How about that Nathan Peterman guy? No one could have seen that coming.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
The Cubs need to make a move so we can write a new post (dying laughing).
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
They did just re-sign Andre Dawson.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Are they going to platoon him with Heyward?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
So you’re saying TheHawk is back?
RynoQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Yes. Maybe.
Ryno,
Yes.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
For some reason I thought you were talking about Matt Cain.
EdwinQuote Reply
Ryno,
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Edwin,
I thought the same thing with the comment from JKV, which was directly after mine. Matt Cain will somehow never be forgotten by me.
dmick89Quote Reply
JonKneeV,
Cain still looks to be above average in CF to me. I think you could put him there for at least a couple more years. Dexter Fowler played there for two years.
dmick89Quote Reply
Anyone know if the Cubs ever hired a new hitting coach?
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
They have not, but may or may not sign one soon according to my sources. It sounds like it could go either way.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
No surprises there, really. Cubs will probably lose someone in the Rule 5 (Trevor Clifton) but that’s not the end of the world.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
They must think he will slip through because no one will want to keep him on the roster all season
Rice CubeQuote Reply
i’d be kinda pissed if they lost clifton so that they could hang onto david bote.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Mark Appel DFA’d. I remember actually prefering him to Bryant at the time of the draft. Mid 90’s fastball, great college track record, supposedly plus slider and plus change, some of the best secondary stuff in the draft. Seemed like an easy #3 MLB pitcher, with a shot of being an Ace. I figured Bryant would be too much of a swing and miss guy.
I’m going to leave the above comment off of my resume when I start applying for GM jobs.
EdwinQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/Brett_A_Taylor/status/932968483968704512
RynoQuote Reply
For the record—I edited my comment to put Lorenzo in there because I thought people would think I was talking about Matt Cain. (dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
I mean, looking at Matt Cain’s K%, he’s totally a fit for the Cubs on a Minor Leauge deal.
EdwinQuote Reply
I would like to see the Cubs pick up Appel—not only would that give them the #1 pick of the 2013 draft, but they would have another high-BB, low-K pitcher in their arsenal (emphasis on the arse).
ceruleanQuote Reply
He could easily be a reliever on a bad team, unfortunately.
MylesQuote Reply
https://www.npr.org/2017/11/21/565760674/trump-defends-roy-moore-amid-sexual-assault-allegations-he-totally-denies-it
How many more years of this shit is left?
EdwinQuote Reply
Looks like the Hickey hire is finally officially official.
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
Edwin,
According to the Constitution there are just over three years left. According to Rachel Maddow we can expect impeachment any minute.
dmick89Quote Reply
So…
1. Braves lost like 13 prospects and there’s a loophole for Cubs and others to sign them despite IFA restrictions.
2. MLB and NPB agreed to new posting system but Ohtani will get the $20MM post for one more off-season.
Happy Thanksgiving, jabronis.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
And the St Louis Cardinals got a slap on the wrist and retained their small-market competitive balance picks despite jail time for the offender.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Just so I have this right, every team can bid $20 million on O(h)tani, right? The difference is in the bonus, which ranges from nothing to about $3.5 million?
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
Si.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
While annoying, I believe the difference is that the Barves was an organizational fuckup whereas the Cards were able to narrow it down to one fall guy.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
And what about his contract? Are the length and dollars set in stone?
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
That’s the part I don’t understand. What’s the point of limiting the bonus amount if a team can sign him for $150 million? I keep hearing how the Rangers have the financial advantage over the Yankees, but if a team can sign him for whatever they want, bonus pool doesn’t matter. I don’t really understand.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
If we are still talking about Ohtani then his bonus will be limited by IFA rules. He just doesn’t seem to care for now, which is why every team technically has a shot regardless of what piddling amount they can offer.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I think it has to matter a little. From what I can find, it looks like Otani has made about $6 million in Japan in his career. I have no idea what taxes are in Japan or what he pays his agent, but it’s probably safe to say he took home less than $3 million. I understand he wants to turn his initial contract in the US into a huge contract, but there’s also a very real possibility that never happens. He could get injured or just not be good enough to warrant that kind of deal. So I think money matters a little. He’d probably be making about $3 million in Japan next year if the salary figures I found for past years is accurate. I don’t see Otani signing for less than $1 million. Since the Yankees and Rangers can pay almost the max allowed and have the financial ability to sign him long-term at some point, I’d be kind of surprised if he signs with any team other than those two.
So I think Myles was right earlier in this thread (he goes to the AL), but I think it’s a financial decision and doesn’t have much to do with his desire to play both ways.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
They’d have to do some very creative accounting and that’s not likely or feasible given what just happened to the Barves. I think money may be the tiebreaker but I’d like to think there’s a chance for every team to recruit him like a college recruits a prep athlete.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
From what I have read, Ohtani is not a big spender. He doesn’t seem to care about money. He seems to care more about being the best and betting on himself. However, there will be people around him pushing for the biggest payout he can get right now. The question is whether they have any sway over not-quite-fully-developed-23-year-old brains. I mean, he probably still feels immortal despite the injuries.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Related to Ohtani, maybe the Cubs should sign Darvish.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yes, they should sign Darvish whether or not they think they can sign Otani. I don’t think it will help a bit with regards to signing Otani, but whatever. It can’t hurt.
dmick89Quote Reply
The bonus pool money is the key for Otani to sign with a MLB club.
Under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, the 23-year-old Otani can only agree to a minor league contract that is subject to signing bonus pools. If added to a big league roster, he would have a salary for about the minimum $545,000 next season and not be eligible for salary arbitration until 2020 at the earliest.
If he waits until he is 25 to enter MLB, there would be no restrictions and he likely would get a deal for more than $100 million. MLB has warned of severe penalties if a team attempts to sign Otani to a secret long-term contract, then announce it in future years.
thestealthgmQuote Reply
Anyone hear any rumors about how much of the Otani questionnaire had to do with knowing where to eat?
BottleasmokeQuote Reply
Re: the O(h)tani homework assignment…
RynoQuote Reply
So the Rangers just signed Doug Fister. There goes plan Z.
Hurry up Theo before everyone who resembles a person on the dance floor has a partner and you’re left dancing with yourself.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I was just wondering if anyone knows who the Cubs hired as their hitting coach
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Not yet.
dmick89Quote Reply
Can we get a new thread for Christmas?
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
This is obstructedview.net, not SantaClaus.com. If you want something for Christmas, go to the mall, wait in line and ask like everyone else.
RynoQuote Reply
There’s something wrong with this hot stove. It’s probably the heating element or the thermostat.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
The Yankees don’t even have a manager yet.
dmick89Quote Reply
Zambrano’d
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
@Edwin thought you said they don’t have a manger and is in line at the mall to ask for one right now.
RynoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
MikeJohn Karlo Stanton –> Giants?RynoQuote Reply
Re: O(h)tani – Assuming he pans out as expected, in which scenario would he have more value?
A. Starting pitcher once per week and outfielder each other day
B. Outfielder every day with the ability to spread about 100 pitches throughout the week
C. Minor league fodder
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
It’s looking like it’s getting pretty close. I’m just happy it’s not the Cardinals. I’m also disappointed it’s not the Cardinals. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Ryno,
Starting pitcher every fifth day, plays occasionally on offense (no more than once a week to start).
dmick89Quote Reply
I think Otani looks to be a legitimate ace right now. I’m not as high on his offense as some seem to be. His last couple years have been much better, but playing offense has put him on the shelf a lot throughout his career and cost him a lot of playing time. Also, his numbers overall on offense aren’t all that great. They’re well above average for Japan, but probably nothing better than a .750ish OPS here in the US. If I signed Otani, my first and only goal would be to get him the ball every fifth day. If it also works out that he can play maybe once a week or once every two weeks in the field that would be a bonus.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs top prospects per fangraphs
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/top-22-prospects-chicago-cubs/
TLDR:
2 FV50 (Ademan-SS in A-ball and Alzolay-P in AA)
4 FV45 in some level of A ball
1 Vicor Caratini
+ 14 other nobodies
1 Dillon Maples
sharpchicityQuote Reply
dmick89,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtqp-RUw87M
RynoQuote Reply
If you had to promise him time in the outfield in order to get him to sign, the approach I’d take would be to give him two starts out of every five but limit him to three innings or so each time. That gets you to 150-180 innings for the year, most of which will be high leverage, and helps you manage workload if he can’t stay with a normal throwing program for starters on days when he’s outfield-only. It also gives you flexibility on using the guys who will piggyback on his starts, since you can double-switch and keep them from coming to the plate if needed.
I’m not sold on him as an offensive player, but I think the upside is good enough that you have to entertain it even if it’s just to get him in the door.
uncle daveQuote Reply
sharpchicity,
Interesting note toward the bottom.
RynoQuote Reply
Freak: https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/936320710137356288
RynoQuote Reply
i am not convinced that ohtani can reach more than, say, 80% of his potential as either a pitcher or a hitter if he tries to do both. there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to reach 100% of potential for both. assuming i am correct (which i’m not becasue 80% is a totally bullshit number), what is his value if he’s playing outfield and pitching and reaching 80% of his max potential at both? i feel like he basically reaches league average, maybe a bit better, at both positions. i’m not sure i really give a shit about signing a player like that. obviously there’s value in what essentially boils down to an extra roster spot but i don’t know…i’m just not seeing that the hype is justified.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Just guessing here, but I’m still betting that 80% of his value as a pitcher is still above average. If all he did was reach 80% of his expectation as a hitter, he might not be good enough to even consider it at that point.
I do agree that there’s probably not any way for him to reach 100% of his potential at both. This seems like an easy decision for me. He’s an elite pitcher right now. He’s probably above average with the bat with some defensive issues and a history of getting hurt.
I think the only reason this is even a consideration is that there’s such a small amount that teams can sign him for.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m not a big fan of Rondon, but this team needs any useful reliever it can find. I know why they’re not tendering him a contract, but their bullpen is a mess.
dmick89Quote Reply