Sorry I'm late. No dinner for me.
Almora Jr. CF
Baez 2B
Rizzo 1B
Russell SS
J-Hey RF
Gimenez C
Navarro DH
"Gorgeous" Peter Bourjos CF
Bote 3B
Starting Pitcher: Kyle Hendricks
Semien SS
Joyce RF
Lowrie 2B
Davis LF
Olson 1B
Piscotty DH
No, not that Fowler CF
Pinder 3B
Maxwell C
Starting Pitcher: Paul Blackburn (who I've always liked and always thought would be a #5 starter with a plus fastball when it was all said and done)
I'll be looking for health. Don't care about anything else.
Comments
Paul Blackburn sure looked great (dying laughing)
mylesQuote Reply
I just realized that the rotation is set up so Lester misses the four-game series against the Brewers. I’ve mentioned before how Maddon often shuffles the rotation so Lester doesn’t have to face them. I’m sure there were other factors, but still…
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Sure feels like there are maybe 2 spots on the roster that are up for grabs, and I could see as many as 4. La Stella, Gimenez, Grimm, and Wilson all seem like they could feasibly not break camp with the team, but I’d lean towards all of them making it. If I had to guess, I’d guess Grimm doesn’t make it, and all the others do.
mylesQuote Reply
It’s as good a reason as any.
mylesQuote Reply
I wonder what Tommy La Stella or Ben Zobrist could nab in a trade. Bet you could get something worthwhile for La Stella, and maybe someone would eat Zobrist’s salary if you included another mid-level prospect.
mylesQuote Reply
myles,
True. I just think it’s funny how he hasn’t faced a division rival since 2016. Last year, Joe reshuffled the rotation every time Lester was due to face them. And, as far as I can tell, nobody ever commented on it (except me).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
He faced the Cardinals last year. I think the Brewers’ running game is the big reason Joe has kept Lester from starting against them.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I meant that paticular rival. i.e., the odds of making 32 starts in a season without one start against one of his division rivals by chance are very slim. He faced the Reds, Cardinals and Pirates 4-5times each. And, yes, I do believe that this is a result of the time the Brewers embarrassed him in 2016 by stealing 5 bases against him.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Ah, that makes sense. I guess I don’t mind it much since the rest of the rotation is pretty good. If that’s what Joe has to do to maximize the talent on the roster, so be it.
Though any time Lester wants to pick off Tommy Pham is okay by me.
PerkinsQuote Reply
myles,
Ricky Nolasco
JKVQuote Reply
Darvish is out today. Sounds like there’s a cold or something going around the clubhouse.
berseliusQuote Reply
It’s Harry Caray’s birthday today. Fuck Harry, tho.
mobile daveQuote Reply
Pathetic. You’re 350 pounds, Orlando. Do better.
TyroneQuote Reply
Don’t tell me what to do.
berseliusQuote Reply
Fuck to the yes, my work firewall no longer blocks mlb.tv/radio
berseliusQuote Reply
Also, I have a feeling that Ian Happ might make the team.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I thought I read something about him probably being the leadoff hitter, which makes sense. I assume he and Almora platoon in CF and that he gets some playing time at 2nd base and LF as well. I’m kind of assuming that only Bryant and Rizzo will end up with more plate appearances than Happ.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
So you aren’t a Zagunite, I guess.
mylesQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/969417872375246848
TyroneQuote Reply
I’d say, “Fine, but only if you make Josh Allen work out as TE. jk your old af tbh hahah.”
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
In the essence of fairness (because I know you all appreciate the nuances of NFL Draft scouting), Josh Allen has amazing potential as a QB. But if you think Lamar Jackson might need to be a WR to play in the NFL based on his college tape, you should just go ahead and rule Allen out as a QB now.
TyroneQuote Reply
Today’s the day, dmick…
TyroneQuote Reply
Sometimes I wonder if there’s any bias in NFL scouting based on the color of the player’s skin.
EdwinQuote Reply
Because a guy who runs for 5 yards after catching a 4-yard pass is going to be the key to their offense?
TyroneQuote Reply
Edwin,
Why? Just because they want Lamar to work out as a WR but they don’t ask the same of white QBs who aren’t/weren’t as good as Lamar (including one who actually played WR for two years in college)?
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvN4mOkZ3fo
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
It’s Gruden for OAK and John Lynch for SF at today’s coin toss, so that could actually be fun.
TyroneQuote Reply
He’s 19 years old?!
TyroneQuote Reply
Travis Wood——–>ACL surgery
Also I think there’s a real possibility that Jake Arrieta has to settle for a one year pillow contract and ends up not being very good this season.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’d give Jake 1/$30,000,000 with a handshake agreement not to give him a QO.
mylesQuote Reply
Well, actually, if that messes with luxury tax purposes maybe I wouldn’t.
mylesQuote Reply
Actually, I don’t have 30 million dollars.
mylesQuote Reply
10 more minutes until I concede Roquan Smith/Tremaine Edmunds to OAK at No. 9 and start thinking about the No. 10 pick…
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
Or not…
TyroneQuote Reply
So what makes everyone love Nelson so much?
mylesQuote Reply
myles,
Intelligence: https://twitter.com/MichaelKistNFL/status/967804175869513728
Awareness: https://twitter.com/JReidDraftScout/status/957834233204105217
Athleticism: https://twitter.com/BigDuke50/status/947937034789847041
Mean MFer: https://twitter.com/dpbrugler/status/954366247587799040
And he’s killing it at the combine.
He’s really good at everything he needs to be good at and bad at nothing (he’s not even really less than pretty good at anything). Put him at G and don’t worry about the position again for a decade. Plus he’ll make the T and C next to him better.
TyroneQuote Reply
Saquon Barkley with a 4.4 40 and 41″ vertical at 233 pounds.
TyroneQuote Reply
myles,
Are we still talking football? Nelson is a common name.
dmick89Quote Reply
(dying laughing)
TyroneQuote Reply
dmick89,
I thought he meant the 90s pop duo.
TyroneQuote Reply
I was talking about Craig T. Nelson.
MylesQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
This may be the best scene in any movie in history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khXgPOLefGc
TyroneQuote Reply
Drew Pomeranz just left a start with left forearm tightness. Maybe Arrieta will get a decent contract after all.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Good question.
/FearandLoathinginLasVegas
TyroneQuote Reply
Isn’t this the situation that Fowler found himself in a couple years ago? It paid off for him. I’ve seen different reports suggest otherwise, but I thought you couldn’t offer arbitration if the player signs a pillow contract these days. If the Cubs could offer arbitration to Jake after a pillow contract, I’m sure they would so he’d be in the same position, but so was Fowler. I just wish the Cubs hadn’t signed Chatwood. The money wouldn’t be an issue and they could offer Jake $30 million for one year.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Arbitration? Do you mean qualifying offers?
berseliusQuote Reply
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/juiced-baseballs/
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
Yes. Thanks.
dmick89Quote Reply
It used to be that you’d offer a player arbitration and then the team and player would either agree on a contract value or the arbitrator would. I always forget that MLB streamlined that process with qualifying offers.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
To me, the big difference between Fowler in 2016 and Arrieta in 2018 is that Arrieta has already shown signs of decline over the past couple years, whereas Fowler had improved in 2015 and was probably in a better position to bet on himself. Arrieta’s velocity is down a couple ticks and he hasn’t been able to command his slider reliably since June of 2016.
Not sure what the rules are about offering arbitration after a pillow contract, though I think Arrieta would try to work out some handshake agreement not to extend a QO.
I’m not super optimistic about Chatwood, but this front office has generally been pretty good at identifying diamonds in the rough. The only pitcher I can remember their committing much money to who flamed out was Edwin Jackson. I’ll at least give them the benefit of the doubt that he could provide more value than his contract is worth.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I think position player/pitcher is the biggest difference. Fowler was pretty safe to bet on himself staying healthy for a year, but I don’t think any pitcher should ever bet on staying healthy. I still think Arrieta is a safe bet to be pretty good in 2018 and a reasonable bet to be pretty good in 2019.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Cubs will never lose again
berseliusQuote Reply
dmick89,
I think he’ll be above average, but I’m concerned about his declining velocity, decreased outside zone swing %, and the disappearance of his slider.
If he can limit hard contact, he should be okay, but there are a lot of warning bells. If I were him, I’d probably take the best 3 or 4 year offer I could get.
PerkinsQuote Reply
FYI current CBA makes it so that a free agent can only ever be offered QO just once in his career. So Cubs have to hope he signs before June to bag the pick.
I’m not absolutely sure of the details but trying a Fowler contract with Jake wouldn’t work regarding the tax. For example, if Cubs were to offer a 2-year, $35 MM contract with a $10MM 2018 salary, then $25MM with a $15MM buyout for 2019, the buyout is probably going to still be calculated as part of 2018 and thus $25MM against the cap to trigger the tax penalties. If they did it though, they almost certainly would do so knowing they’re punting next year’s draft due to the new penalties. It’s super convoluted and stupid.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I’m fine with that. If there’s a time to go for it, it’s the immediate future. Things will get very questionable for the Cubs chances when Darvish, Lester and Heyward begin to decline. It’s not like they have the prospects to replace their value so it would have to come through free agency. I hate talking about a team’s window, but the Cubs should be all in right now.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m not saying all in means they have to sign Arrieta. The difference between he and Chatwood may not be large enough. I don’t know, but the cubs window will probably be closing sooner than we’d hoped.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
That depends on how bullish you are on the pitching in the minors. If they figure it out, then they can start throwing money at position guys or extending Bryant etc. Baseball is weird but I would argue the window has at least 3 years left which aligns with the current contracts pretty well.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Math is Math
ceruleanQuote Reply
My working theory is that they will make sure they maintain their picks this draft season, being that their IFA penalties have also reset this year (Those are also affected by luxury tax) and reload the farm some before they blow their wad on Harper et al. next winter. So use 2018 for the next wave of impact talent, damn the torpedoes from 2019 on.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
That may be, but so far I’ve not seen much from this team in terms of developing many players that weren’t top draft picks. I’d feel a lot better about the Cubs chances in the future if I had much reason to believe they could develop pitchers and/or develop MLB players that weren’t among the elite talent at the time of the draft. I don’t think one draft is going to move the needle much when their top pick is outside the top 10 or 15.
Yeah, the window I was talking about was probably about three years, but the odds of winning the WS probably decline each year after this one. I think the Cubs are probably favorites to win the Central for at least the next two to three seasons. If going all in this year won’t allow the Cubs to go after Harper then I’d much rather have Harper. I’m not the biggest fan of waiting around a year to see if someone reaches free agency, but he’s the kind of player that it may be worth it to do just that.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I would argue that the team as is reflects them going as all-in as possible without losing out on a realistic shot at Harper next season. The rotation is about as good as you can get on paper, injury history/inconsistency notwithstanding, and the offensive core should be good. I’d take my chances with this group and then throw all the armored trucks at Harper et al.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
***IMPORTANT CAST IRON PAN ALERT***
I got what amounts to a chainmail dishcloth for Xmas and it has been life/pan changing. Cleaning my skillets is so easy now that even my wife will bother to do it right. I cooked eggs in it this morning. Eggs!
***THIS HAS BEEN A CAST IRON PAN ALERT***
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
Chainmail will kill your dexterity. Ringmail might be a better compromise.
mobile daveQuote Reply
mobile dave,
I wonder how banded mail does on cast iron.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Everything is sabermetrics
MylesQuote Reply
Not to mention the penalties to spellcasting.
MylesQuote Reply
Really talented CB, but some off-field baggage. Definitely worth a Day-3 flyer.
TyroneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
What’s wrong with salt and a brush?
TyroneQuote Reply
While cramping…
TyroneQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
Your boy’s trying to be the first CB off the board, dmick.
TyroneQuote Reply
Waiting for Denzel Ward’s time. I expect him to be my favorite CB in this class.
TyroneQuote Reply
DeJong ————> 6/26 extension
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
This is waaaay faster
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
4.32.
TyroneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
But how tasty is your cloth?
TyroneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
I got one about 6 months ago. Very nice and not nearing as harsh on the skillet’s seasoning as steel wool or a steel brush. I got mine on Amazon. The only downside is that we have to keep an eye on it to make sure it’s not down in the garbage disposal (dying laughing).
JKVQuote Reply
Somebody’s trying to go the Jalen Ramsey route…
TyroneQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
TyroneQuote Reply
Cyle ——> new curveball?
https://theathletic.com/261590/2018/03/05/with-a-new-grip-on-his-curve-even-kyle-hendricks-cant-contain-his-excitement/
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Can’t read it.
dmick89Quote Reply
Why? Are the cardinals really that high on him?
dmick89Quote Reply
https://twitter.com/camdasilva/status/970710344162258944
Must be a DB.
TyroneQuote Reply
berselius,
I’d be more excited if he rediscovered his old fastball.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Kyle’s fastball is so slow, they just call it a “ball!”
Tip your waitresses
MylesQuote Reply
Don’t tell me what to do.
berseliusQuote Reply
Ichiro ——> Mariners
berseliusQuote Reply
Happ –> hitting a fuckload of XBH this spring training
MylesQuote Reply
berselius,
Ichiro gets a Major League contract, but Neil Walker doesn’t?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
My sources have informed me of this discussion on topics relevant to my interests. I also received a chain mail dishcloth this Xmas but haven’t had a chance to use it yet (dying laughing)
fang2415 out mothafuckaz
fang2415Quote Reply
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/970737747076902912
Minkah’s been working on his pedal, Mucker. His feet are still really inefficient and I wouldn’t draft him with the intention of playing him outside. He could grow into that role, though.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
Been away this weekend so couldn’t comment. Who do you think is going #1?
Minkah looks like a S. Surprised how big these DBs are.
Orlando Brown sliding?
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
Man, I don’t know. It’s a really interesting draft at the top with all the elite prospects pushed down by positional value.
If my team is picking No. 1 and doesn’t need a QB, I’d pick Chubb or trade down. If my team does need a QB… I think I might lean toward Rosen at the moment, but Mayfield is right there with him for me. And Darnold is growing on me. Lamar is a tier behind those three.
And GTFO with the Barkley at 1.1 talk. He’s the best RB prospect, but I’m not sure he’s the best RB in this draft. Even if he were, why take him at 1.1 when you could have Guice, Michel, Jones, Penny, Chubb, Kerryon, Royce Freeman…? I mean, its a stacked draft at the position.
Orlando was never a Day 1 guy for me, but that Combine performance would stick in my brain. Anyone can have a bad day and I could give him a pass for it, but he’d have to explain that shit to me. Most important even of your career and you act like you don’t give af?
TyroneQuote Reply
Watkins and Allen Robinson on the open market? Yes, please.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
Agree with pretty much everything. My brother thinks Barkley goes 1 but I don’t see it. Like you said, it’s a deep draft for that top tier RB class.
That’s what I don’t get. These guys know the whole world is watching them and they have months to prepare for the combine. How do you come out and suck it up like that? 14 reps as an O lineman? That’s pathetic.
Would really like Allen Robinson
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
CLE would be crazy to take Barkley at 1.1 and risk missing on their QB. If someone jumps you for Barkley at 4, trade back and get Guice or Michel.
Again, anyone can have a bad day. We don’t know what’s going on with him, but I’d need a good explanation. Even if he has a good pro day.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
My first thought was “Is he injured?” If so, why even do it? I think a lot of these guys get by on natural talent in college and don’t have the drive it takes to succeed at the NFL level. That would be my concern with these players. How bad do they want it?
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
You know these guys make sure to tell everyone if they’re injured beforehand. Or they don’t participate due to injury. Unless Orlando had like a whole body injury that he didn’t know about.
It’s weird, though. Why go to do that? You know these guys prep like crazy for the combine. Did Orlando do 14 reps three days before the combine and think he could do 10 more if needed?
TyroneQuote Reply
Mucker,
https://twitter.com/UReady4Football/status/970853681871622144
TyroneQuote Reply
Well maybe you shouldn’t have said players “can’t have to not stand or not be required to not kneel during the anthem,” Steve.
TyroneQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
Dear 49ers,
Please sign Allen Robinson, Trumaine Johnson and an interior OL in free agency. Then draft Harold Landry, make Reuben Foster get his shit together and start printing playoff tickets.
Thanks
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
p.s. I’m OK if you want to draft Roquan Smith at No. 9 as long as you get Josh Sweat in the second round.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
Yeah it’s mind boggling. I have to assume these guys know exactly what’s at stake at this point of their lives so anything less than their absolute best effort would be disappointing to them. I wonder how he felt about his performance. Could’ve been the pressure of the situation getting to him but 14 reps for someone who weighs almost 350 lbs and in a college lifting program is pretty alarming in my opinion.
MuckerQuote Reply
Tyrone,
That’s pretty much what I figured. Kind of sad to see really regarding Brown’s possible fall.
MuckerQuote Reply
You think Top 10 too early for an ILB?
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
I kind of wonder if he wasn’t medicated for anxiety. Some of that stuff can really affect you physically (especially the adrenaline inhibitors).
TyroneQuote Reply
Mucker,
I used to, but I’ve also seen how much of an impact an elite one can have on a defense. Reuben Foster was an elite prospect at the position and I would have been fine taking him in the top 10. In fact, John Lynch said they would have taken him at 3 if CHI had taken Solomon Thomas (though I wanted Lattimore at that spot).
I haven’t watched for myself, but Roquan seems to be every bit the prospect Foster was…maybe even better. This year’s EDGE class isn’t great, but there is value beyond the Day 1 guys (pretty much Chubb, Landry and MAYBE Davenport) in Sweat, Turay and a couple of others.
TyroneQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
Fire sale.
TyroneQuote Reply
This first inning is going OKAY.
MylesQuote Reply
Hasn’t Darvish struggled in the first inning for his entire MLB career?
PerkinsQuote Reply
Myles,
The Cubs just need to score six in the first in every Darvish outing.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
I’m not greedy. I’ll settle for four.
MylesQuote Reply
The Cubs are going to need to clear up some flagpole space for their Cactus League Champions banner.
berseliusQuote Reply
I don’t know what you guys are talking about – this thread clearly states that the Cubs are still playing the As in a game that started a week ago.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
MLB still has work to do when it comes to pace of play.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
(dying laughing)
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
I’ve been meaning to do some posts on the off seasons from the rest of the NL central, but I’m afraid that it will mean the Brewers or Cardinals pick up Arrieta minutes after I post it.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
I went to the Clippers-Pelicans game since I am at a boring conference next door this week. It was an off night for Anthony Davis, who missed time to injury and only put up 41 and 13. I should ask for a partial refund.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/MattLeinartQB/status/971261695988584450
#owned
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
(dying laughing)
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Eight years ago today:
TyroneQuote Reply
…
TyroneQuote Reply
It’s always good to have a fuel-efficient breaking ball.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
Whoa…
TyroneQuote Reply
Come to SF, Richard.
TyroneQuote Reply
Wow!
TyroneQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
Eli Manning is going to try to substitute a broom with a picture of his head pasted on it for himself next year and see if anyone notices.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Ricky Nolasco——->Royals
Cubs should convince Matt Cain to come out of retirement so they can flip him to KC.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Ugh. Bad send.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
It was horrible.
Nice throw by Lindor, though, and then excellent play after that.
MylesQuote Reply
Nice wheels from War Bear.
berseliusQuote Reply
Schwarber with the bad chase.
MylesQuote Reply
Nice PA there.
MylesQuote Reply
Holy shit Albert Almora!
MylesQuote Reply
Almora!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Al-Al!
berseliusQuote Reply
You don’t hear contact like that very often.
MylesQuote Reply
Shae Simmons has a nice delivery but that looked pretty bad.
MylesQuote Reply
Solid outing from Maples
berseliusQuote Reply
Schwarber got his homer.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
“Don’t you guys want to see what Davis Webb can do out there?”
TyroneQuote Reply
So “some team” asked LSU RB Derrius Guice if he liked men and if his mother was a prostitute during the combine interviews. I think they asked the same ho-mom question to Dez Bryant several years ago. I assume there’s a psychological reason to ask such questions, but these are the same people who will employ murderers and wife beaters over people who kneel during the national anthem…
Anyway, this tweet on the topic of the Guice news made me laugh:
TyroneQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/971766173607047168
This should result in a fine and some kind of required educational program.
TyroneQuote Reply
Since you statfags seem intent on ONLY discussing baseball on this NFL Draft website, let’s talk attendance. For which MLB teams have you attended home games?
Mine:
A’s, Giants, Padres, Rockies, Braves, Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, Yankees and Rangers.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
i got all of ’em except toronto, houston, and texas.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Cubs, Brewers, Mets, White Sox, Nationals (RFK and Nationals Park), Yankees (old and new Yankee Stadiums), Pirates, Dodgers, Angels, Blue Jays, Giants, Mariners, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians
PerkinsQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
my desire to get all 30 under my belt clashes with my desire to never again set foot in dallas or houston.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
am i the only one that kind of wants arrieta to sign a long-term deal with an NL central team? sure, it would make the brewers (or whoever) a better team this year, but i’m not sure they’d really pose a huge threat to the cubs even with arreita. and then they’d be significantly handcuffed by a bad contract maybe not next year but likely in years 3/4/5 of a 5 year deal. maybe i’m just overly pessimistic about arrieta’s true talent level.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Which team? Reds? Great. Pirates? Fine. I don’t want him to sign with the Cardinals or Brewers.
dmick89Quote Reply
Brewers, White Sox, Cubs, Rangers, Astros, Reds, Cardinals
MylesQuote Reply
i for sure don’t want him with the cards or brewers if he’s gonna do a pillow contract. but if he signed a six-year deal with the brewers, they could really be handicapped by that contract in 2020-2023. they don’t have the budget to just absorb $25m. again, maybe i am just overly pessimistic about arrieta. i just don’t think he’s gonna be all that great after this season (and maybe not even this season).
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
totally forgot they played at RFK for three seasons. i would have bet against that.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
yeah, it would probably end up putting the Brewers in a tough situation in a few years, but I’m more worried about the immediate future since that’s what is most important to the Cubs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
I’m kind of surprised that the Os aren’t on your list, Perkins
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
It was kind of a dump, but I was in school in DC at the time, and the tickets were cheap. Got to see the Cubs visit there in 2005, and saw Aramis Ramirez hit a monster HR that just barely cleared the wall in left center. The fences were pretty deep, and the written distances were not accurate.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I apparently deleted my list so here it is again
Cubs, Jays, Brewers (old and new), Orioles (old and new), Nats (old and new), Phillies (saw two fights in the next section for the true Philly experience), Pirates, Giants, Rockies, Dbacks, Astros
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
You’re in luck, because the Rangers play in Arlington.
TyroneQuote Reply
Perkins,
I weirdly loved RFK as a venue. They had by far the best hot dogs that I’ve had at a stadium (grilled from some vendor, not that steam tray crap)
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
Oh and also Barves
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
I am too. Never got up there when I was in DC, for one reason or another. I’m kind of hoping for a project in Baltimore to rectify that situation. I’ll also probably try to get down to Philly to see the Cubs play there at the end of August, after I’ve moved back to New York.
PerkinsQuote Reply
On the plus side, at AT&T Park, I saw a guy one section over who was dressed as a luchador and waving a Giants flag. So that was pretty awesome. That and the view of the Bay and the great food and beer.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’m in LA and super bored this week so Dodgers would have been on my list if this conference were a month later.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
I did love how easily accessible it was. In 2007, my wife and I went there to see the Nats play the Marlins, and we got tickets about 15 rows back from the field on the first base side for $20 each (bought from a couple outside the park). Nationals Park is nice, but expensive. And they have since removed the Five Guys that was there when they opened the park.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
Man, just go the beach.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
Let’s not apply foolish things like logic to my whining here (dying laughing)
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
It’s a lot easier to apply it to others than myself, though.
TyroneQuote Reply
I plan on getting to Anaheim for a game in April of this year. Should be fun. Might go to a game in Petco instead.
mylesQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
The Original Pantry is worth checking out. Went there after seeing a game at Dodger Stadium. Pretty no-frills diner food, but good and apparently iconic for LA.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Apparently Javy Baez left today’s game and was holding his hamstring. Came up lame rounding first on a hit.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
My hotel is a block away…I may have been there three times already this week for breakfast.
berseliusQuote Reply
Perkins,
Fire sale time
berseliusQuote Reply
Sign Arrieta so we can deal him at the trade deadline.
mylesQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
this is a bold fucking statement
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
I was not trying to imply that I was having sex with said hot dogs, sorry you took it that way.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Sounds like it might just be a cramp. In any case, the Cubs are pretty deep at 2B.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Moustakas ———> Royals
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
Wonder if the Cubs can get Arrieta on a contract that small.
PerkinsQuote Reply
That’s a great deal for the Royals.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Holy crap, what a steal.
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Perkins,
If they do he’ll have to get in line behind Chatwood (dying laughing).
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phone,
I wouldn’t want to give him what he was projected to get (around $85 million or so according to MLBTR), but the Royals basically paid next to nothing for the chance to trade him to a contender for a ton of talent. I wouldn’t have minded the Cubs getting involved at that price. Move Bryant to CF for half a season. It’s not ideal, but considering the price and potential to get a lot in return, I’d have done it. He probably doesn’t go to Chicago for that price though.
dmick89Quote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
Houston apparently wants to be villains this year.
mylesQuote Reply
myles,
It sounds like he was asked a question about the Cubs. His answer is going to be about the Cubs and how the Astros hope to do better. Not much else he can really say with a question like that.
dmick89Quote Reply
I find it hard to believe that someone would start with some dig at the Cubs when the Cubs have won a WS in the last three years and reached the LCS in each of those seasons. They’ve clearly been the best team in baseball over the last three years.
dmick89Quote Reply
Yeah, but what about MY feelings?
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
That’s what therapy is for.
dmick89Quote Reply
Kind of curious what Keuchel will say when one or more of their SP gets injured or some of the guys who’ve had less time to prepare or partied more than usual have lost a step. I mean, the Astros are still likely to be really good, but I’m not sure talking shit about the team that made three straight LCS appearances and won the prior World Series is a bright idea.
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
If I had been asked that question, I would have said something like, “I don’t think making it to the NLCS is considered a ‘hangover.’ A hangover is waking up next to your mother.”
TyroneQuote Reply
(dying laughing) @ La Stella
berseliusQuote Reply
TyroneQuote Reply
Must-watch vid if you haven’t seen it yet and have 45 minutes to kill: https://youtu.be/pd7jZoJjKWs
Brett Favre is a football treasure.
TyroneQuote Reply
Pats?
TyroneQuote Reply
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/03/09/mike-moustakas-deal-shows-just-how-broken-free-agency-is/
berseliusQuote Reply
Rams? (dying laughing) they are collecting CBs
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
Man, stop trying to help them get better.
TyroneQuote Reply
I think I’d bet field just so I could argue that I thought they meant football field.
TyroneQuote Reply
https://deadspin.com/let-s-revisit-richard-sherman-s-best-and-loudest-moment-1823649892
#goat
TyroneQuote Reply
They are building a pretty damn good team. You think Jeff Fisher ever gets a HC gig again?
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
It wouldn’t surprise me, but I think a college gig is more likely.
But he’s trash. I’ve thought so ever since he was given Vince Young and tried to turn him into a “pro-style” QB.
TyroneQuote Reply
I don’t know how he lasted as long as he did. What the hell do teams see in him?
MuckerQuote Reply
Mucker,
The NFL is a scared league. Better to extend a game than to lose a game. Better to give up a 7-yard gain than risk a deep ball. Better to fail with a known coach than an unknown.
TyroneQuote Reply
Tyrone,
That’s why the NFL is the last to adopt anything. Vince ran the zone read to a national championship basically by himself in the ’05 season. It didn’t really hit the NFL for seven more years.
TyroneQuote Reply
So true.
MuckerQuote Reply
Tyrod Taylor ———> Browns
Berselius is too lazy to log in on his phoneQuote Reply
If Arrieta ends up signing a team friendly deal, the Cubs are going to end up looking pretty stupid having signed Darvish and Chatwood for almost $200 million combined. If Arrieta gets that team friendly deal (still a big if I think), they could have had Arrieta and Lynn for dirt cheap. Lynn just signed with the Twins for $12 million. I’m kind of pissed the Cubs didn’t sign him and move Chatwood to the bullpen.
dmick89Quote Reply
I don’t imagine you were thinking the 49ers would give an older, recovering from injury Richard Sherman $13m/yr.
JKVQuote Reply
dmick89,
If the Cubs end up paying 200MM for Darvish and Chatwood, I think we’ll all be pretty happy regardless of what sort of deal Arrieta takes (at least with the Darvish side of things).
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
I don’t know. the Cubs misread the market. They jumped way too early and that Chatwood deal looks even worse now than it did at the time and it’s not like they signed him all that long ago. Depending on what kind of deal Arrieta ends up getting, it’s also entirely possible the Cubs jumped too early in signing Darvish. I think a strong argument could be made that Lance Lynn for one season and $12 million is a better investment than $126 million over 6 years for Yu Darvish.
It’s okay to criticize the Cubs.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I was actually making a joke, as if the Cubs pay out close to 200MM it means Darvish hit all his incentives, which means multiple Cy Youngs.
It’s okay to make jokes.
Or maybe not. It could go either way, I suppose.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
dmick89,
I think it’s possible (or likely) they misread the market, though it doesn’t seem like any of their moves will hamper their ability to pursue Bryce Harper, and I’m feeling a lot better about the rotation and bullpen than I was going into 2017.
Inasmuch as their mistakes are putting more of the club’s revenue in players’ hands and they didn’t hike ticket prices this year, I’m okay with this type of error.
PerkinsQuote Reply
New shit
http://obstructedview.net/nl-central-offseason-whip-around-pittsburgh-pirates/
berseliusQuote Reply
Although I will add that while you seem to think Arrieta and Darvish are more or less interchangeable, it’s probable the market did not, and that teams thought Yu >>>>>>>> Arrieta, which means if the Cubs hadn’t signed Darvish when they did, he would have gotten 6/126 or similar from someone else (possibly even more, if the reports about him taking less to sign with the Cubs are to be believed).
I happen to share this view, as Arrieta has some serious red flags and worries me short-term and long, while short-term I have no such worries about Yu. If Jake gives in and takes some sort of shit deal here in the next couple of weeks, he might be a better value, but he’s not likely to make the Cubs as good in 2018-2020 as they are with Yu. And there’s a non-zero chance he makes them worse. The Darvish deal was about winning the most baseball games over the next three years, and he gives the Cubs the much better chance to do that, imo.
It doesn’t make ecstatic about the Darvish deal, as I tend to hate hate hate long-term deals to pitchers over 30, but I learned to accept it as the cost of staying on top in this contention window since the Cubs org has failed miserably to develop impact starting pitching (<———— criticism).
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Perkins,
Unless we expect the Cubs (or anyone else) to be omniscient, I think it’s difficult to criticize them for not seeing just how much this offseason was going to crater (Mike Moustakas for 1/6? Gtfo.)
I also don’t think the market was the same for the players they had shortlisted. I still believe the Cubs really really like Chatwood and that his market was livelier at the time than most of the other free agents. They may be wrong about that spin rate shit and no Coors and velocity and all the rest, but I think they’re looking for an edge that hasn’t yet found its way onto the back of Chatwood’s Topps card, and they, and other teams, were willing to pay (what in hindsight seems like a little too much) for it. The good news is if they’re right, he’ll annihilate that contract. If not, he still has a chance of being a decent value at that price, and he doesn’t preclude the Cubs from replacing him from someone else.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Sorry. I didn’t pick up the humor.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Given how we’ve gone at it from time to time this offseason, given how I’m not very good at joke-making, I can see how the humor could have been missed.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply