The Cubs big moves during the winter meetings were to sign two players that were non-tendered by their teams a week ago. This is a year!
The Cubs signed former Giants OF Nate Schierholtz to a one year, $2.25m deal plus incentives. He's an above-average defender, but has posted a .270/.319/.409 line over the past six seasons. Granted, a lot of that was in SF but that's pretty not good. He's penciled in as the starting RF, but he's not going to block the Cubs from acquiring someone if something better comes along. The funniest thing about the Schierholtz signing was Yankees fans/media saying that they "missed out" on him to be Nick Swisher's replacement. I don't even. Schierholtz is barely a starter on this sorry squad.
Given the complete lack of non-Youkilis options out there, the Cubs re-signed Ian Stewart to a one-year, $2m non-guaranteed deal with $500k in incentives. At least Stewart is the youngest of all the free agent 3b out there. Given how long I stuck with thinking Randy Wells was worth a damn, I'm okay with this deal. Aside from Youkilis, look at the other "top" FA third basemen who were out there
- Eric Chavez – signed by the DBacks, has seemingly been on the DL for the past ten seasons
- Chone Figgins – posted wOBA of .220 and .242 the past two seasons
- Jose Lopez – Lost his job to Chone Figgins
- Brandon Inge – as great at fielding as he is terrible at hitting
- Mark Reynolds – as great at hitting as he is terrible at fielding
- Casey McGehee – is who we thought he was when the Cubs released him
- Scott Rolen – 38, batting numbers fell off a cliff in 2011
- Jeff Keppinger – broke his leg this offseason
Youkilis is the only credible option out there, and has recieved several offers from other teams. Still, despite the bidding war one of the relatively credible offers was for 1/12. So not much.
Stewart's offer is guaranteed, so there's still a chance the Cubs could get someone else via trade. Or maybe Josh Vitters will be Transformed or something. You never know.
Comments
(dying laughing)
GBTSQuote Reply
I can’t even remember what that’s from, but (dying laughing)
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
I just took it as standard beat writer lingo, but maybe there’s a story there.
So the Cubs are looking to suck at approximately the same level as last year, if I’m reading these signings correctly.
joshQuote Reply
josh wrote:
I’m telling you, it’s going to be worse. They won’t be as good as they were to start the season last year and they’ll deal away anybody who is any good not named Rizzo or Castro.
Aisle424Quote Reply
105 losses.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
FALSE! The team and season has been saved:
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
I keep waiting for the new OV article headlined “How Much Ass Will the Cubs Suck in 2013?”
When is that one going to be posted?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
josh wrote:
I don’t think so. The Yellon vibe is strong with this one, but I could be wrong. It just seems like every stupid saying on OV can be traced back there.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/07/dale-sveum-says-starlin-castro-only-focuses-about-80-to-85-percent-of-the-time/
MishQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
How much ass could this Cubs team suck if this Cubs team could suck ass?
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ Mish:
I read some of that article and then started kicking dirt around in the infield.
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ mikeakaleroy:
I had my back turned. Was there an article?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Soriano would like to have a word with you.
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
What if they resign Ginger Funnyman Harry-Carray Impressions? Then they’ll be right on track for 102 losses.
Seriously, there is zilch going on with this team. Draft day will be the only time it’ll be worth tuning in.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
There are 14 other teams in the National League, some of which have exciting players that one may wish to watch, including on days when they are slaying the Cubs.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Interleague is all next year too! So there are 14 teams better than the Cubs that you can watch.
WaLiQuote Reply
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ josh:
Maybe that’s why we hired an announcer who has experiencing commentating on a 100+ loss team.
WaLiQuote Reply
Suburban kid wrote:
THIS MUCH ASS
JonKneeVQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
That’s probably what I’ll end up doing when I get bored. I couldn’t really get into any other teams last season. I tried, but I kept losing interest.
joshQuote Reply
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I may tune into the Jays until the make their inevitable decline, but even that’s no guarantee. I find baseball to be kind of boring when I don’t care about the team.
joshQuote Reply
If anyone is interested in watching the Kyuji Fujikawa presser, it’s here:
http://www.csnchicago.com/live_cubs
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
I can’t remember either (dying laughing). I do feel pretty sure that it’s a Yellonism.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Having met him once in person and seen him again just now before the feed stopped, I have to say that Paul Sullivan is very very small.
/Ent
Rice CubeQuote Reply
josh wrote:
Eat cocaine out of your brother’s butt?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Berselius wrote:
It could go either way.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
(dying laughing) that is how I read it too.
WaLiQuote Reply
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Had it been purposeful porn, I think everyone would have stopped.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Cubs lose.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Any news on terms?
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
2 years/ $15.5 million is what I’ve seen. Pending physical, of course.
Aisle424Quote Reply
Is he a relief pitcher?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Would you ask Tom Petty that question?
BerseliusQuote Reply
That seems to be a great deal if healthy.
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
testing
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
test quote
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
testing
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
test reply
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
test quote
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
test quote
dmick89Quote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
test
dmick89Quote Reply
candelario
dmick89Quote Reply