Cub prospects in the news

[jersey cubs fan]

I still view 2015 as the opening of their window for competing for/in the playoffs.

 

It might be, but that would have to only be by choice. Because it could open next year if they wanted to try and open it.

 

How do you think they should do that?

 

Actually try this year and stop crying poor. Do stuff along the lines of what was said above.

[Sammy Sofa]

That stuff, plus trades. Seems pretty ridiculous to be throwing out the "but what could they do?!?!" attitude already.

[Guest]

I still view 2015 as the opening of their window for competing for/in the playoffs.

 

It might be, but that would have to only be by choice. Because it could open next year if they wanted to try and open it.

 

How do you think they should do that?

 

Actually try this year and stop crying poor. Do stuff along the lines of what was said above.

 

No, I mean specifics. It's easy to pound your fist with "they aren't even trying!" rhetoric, that doesn't make it true.

[sneakypower]

I still view 2015 as the opening of their window for competing for/in the playoffs.

 

It might be, but that would have to only be by choice. Because it could open next year if they wanted to try and open it.

 

How do you think they should do that?

 

Sign Ellsbury and Tanaka. Put together a solid bullpen out of the guys we have and maybe one additional piece if there's one out there.

 

Could easily compete in 2014. Reinforcements start coming in the form of Baez and maybe Alcantara or Bryant late next season and they go from there.

so what is that, $175M in commitments?

Edited August 15, 2013 by sneakypower

[jersey cubs fan]

No, I mean specifics. It's easy to pound your fist with "they aren't even trying!" rhetoric, that doesn't make it true.

 

Screw that. The specifics have been thrown out thousands of times. Don't come with this nonsensical "there is nothing they can do about their situation" rhetoric. It's their job to make it happen. They are the highly compensated super group already 2 years into their tenure. If they can't figure out a way to make the team competitive 3 seasons in they really did a poor job.

[Guest]

I still view 2015 as the opening of their window for competing for/in the playoffs.

 

It might be, but that would have to only be by choice. Because it could open next year if they wanted to try and open it.

 

How do you think they should do that?

 

Sign Ellsbury and Tanaka. Put together a solid bullpen out of the guys we have and maybe one additional piece if there's one out there.

 

Could easily compete in 2014. Reinforcements start coming in the form of Baez and maybe Alcantara or Bryant late next season and they go from there.

so what is that, $150M in commitments?

 

I suppose that depends on how you're figuring the posting fee.

 

Not that $150M SHOULD be a problem for this team but I understand why that's a reality at this point.

[ctcf]

I still view 2015 as the opening of their window for competing for/in the playoffs.

 

It might be, but that would have to only be by choice. Because it could open next year if they wanted to try and open it.

 

How do you think they should do that?

 

Actually try this year and stop crying poor. Do stuff along the lines of what was said above.

 

No, I mean specifics. It's easy to pound your fist with "they aren't even trying!" rhetoric, that doesn't make it true.

 

Exactly. I think they could be competitive next year, especially if they can swing another solid short term pitcher like they have the last two years and a Choo/Elsbury type, but there's also just not going to be that much out there worth signing. I could even see them taking a shot at Cruz if he could be had for an affordable price. That said, it also wouldn't really make any sense to try and sign an infielder this year either as they have such ridiculous amounts of premium talent about to come up for those positions. It's not unreasonable to think that, assuming they're still Cubs, Baez, Bryant, Alcantara, and one of Almora/Soler could be up in 2015, not to mention a Johnson/Edwards/Vizcaino

Edited August 15, 2013 by ctcf

[Guest]

No, I mean specifics. It's easy to pound your fist with "they aren't even trying!" rhetoric, that doesn't make it true.

 

Screw that. The specifics have been thrown out thousands of times. Don't come with this nonsensical "there is nothing they can do about their situation" rhetoric. It's their job to make it happen. They are the highly compensated super group already 2 years into their tenure. If they can't figure out a way to make the team competitive 3 seasons in they really did a poor job.

 

I have to agree. Kyle's rhetoric rings pretty true. They're going to be on year 4 of Theo's 5 year deal (not that I'm assuming he bolts after 5 or anything) by the time they compete?

 

I understand the restrictions causing that to be a reality, but it still sucks.

[ctcf]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

[wekim81]

I still view 2015 as the opening of their window for competing for/in the playoffs.

 

It might be, but that would have to only be by choice. Because it could open next year if they wanted to try and open it.

 

How do you think they should do that?

 

Actually try this year and stop crying poor. Do stuff along the lines of what was said above.

thank you, this.

[jersey cubs fan]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

 

If you pour all your efforts into that farm system while most other teams are actually trying to keep fans interested in their big league team it is not at all hard to make that system good.

[Guest]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

 

The stuff I just said that sneaky probably correctly suggested was "too much money."

 

 

Kyle is right. They have focused on nothing but the farm system and have sucked enough to add 3 really high draft picks to the farm system, and bought another prospect for $30M. It had BETTER be really [expletive] good.

[ctcf]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

 

If you pour all your efforts into that farm system while most other teams are actually trying to keep fans interested in their big league team it is not at all hard to make that system good.

 

Again, what would you have done differently?

[ctcf]

Seriously I'd love to hear the list of free agents the last two years that would have radically improved this team.

[wekim81]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

They've done that with the system, and its awesome, but now its time to get the wheels in motion. Ticket prices are up, attendance is down, it's time to compete. I'm tired of the excuses. This needs to be a much more competitive team next year. It should be, but we as fans need to see it.

 

And also, it's not our job to present detailed plans. It's theirs. As others have said, add a piece like Ellsbury/Choo, add another pitcher, overhaul the bullpen (as kyle has mentioned, this might not be that hard, especially with the internal options we have that haven't even hit the bigs yet), and go from there. But they need to do it.

[jersey cubs fan]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

 

If you pour all your efforts into that farm system while most other teams are actually trying to keep fans interested in their big league team it is not at all hard to make that system good.

 

Again, what would you have done differently?

 

again, go back and look at the thousands of pages on this site devoted to the different things they could have done to get better since they took control.

 

it's not on me to make them better, it's on the supergroup of highly compensated geniuses. Their job isn't to vault to the top of baseball america rankings, their job is to make the big league team win lots of baseball games.

[Guest]

Seriously I'd love to hear the list of free agents the last two years that would have radically improved this team.

 

Even if there weren't any (which isn't the case), the fact remains that the team likely can't and won't for a while still that really [expletive] sucks.

[jersey cubs fan]

Seriously I'd love to hear the list of free agents the last two years that would have radically improved this team.

 

We're talking about it being inexcusable to not compete for a playoff spot until 2015, not what their record was last year.

[sneakypower]

No, I mean specifics. It's easy to pound your fist with "they aren't even trying!" rhetoric, that doesn't make it true.

 

Screw that. The specifics have been thrown out thousands of times. Don't come with this nonsensical "there is nothing they can do about their situation" rhetoric. It's their job to make it happen. They are the highly compensated super group already 2 years into their tenure. If they can't figure out a way to make the team competitive 3 seasons in they really did a poor job.

but, if they had spent a significant sum of money enough to allow contention, they'd be considered a success at their jobs; that's a hilariously simple way of casting judgment

 

i guess Ned Colletti is finally great at his job, now

[ctcf]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

They've done that with the system, and its awesome, but now its time to get the wheels in motion. Ticket prices are up, attendance is down, it's time to compete. I'm tired of the excuses. This needs to be a much more competitive team next year. It should be, but we as fans need to see it.

 

And also, it's not our job to present detailed plans. It's theirs. As others have said, add a piece like Ellsbury/Choo, add another pitcher, overhaul the bullpen (as kyle has mentioned, this might not be that hard, especially with the internal options we have that haven't even hit the bigs yet), and go from there. But they need to do it.

 

Not even asking for a detailed plan. There's also only so much they could do. They didn't have a lot of valuable assets to work with at the time, so it's not like they could have gone out and pulled a Blue Jays/Marlins type deal. The free agent market has been, to put it mildly, shitty the last few seasons. I don't really see how they could have drastically improved the team these last few years through throwing money around.

 

I'll absolutely be upset if they cry poor this off-season and don't go out and sign anyone, but as of right now, through this season, I don't see how they could have produced a winner given the resources and restrictions they inherited.

[Guest]

I don't think anyone here actually thinks Theo and the FO is CHOOSING not to spend money. I'm pretty sure that if they had a $200M budget, they'd be using it...not "saving it for later" because they want to build the right way first or something.

[wekim81]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

They've done that with the system, and its awesome, but now its time to get the wheels in motion. Ticket prices are up, attendance is down, it's time to compete. I'm tired of the excuses. This needs to be a much more competitive team next year. It should be, but we as fans need to see it.

 

And also, it's not our job to present detailed plans. It's theirs. As others have said, add a piece like Ellsbury/Choo, add another pitcher, overhaul the bullpen (as kyle has mentioned, this might not be that hard, especially with the internal options we have that haven't even hit the bigs yet), and go from there. But they need to do it.

 

Not even asking for a detailed plan. There's also only so much they could do. They didn't have a lot of valuable assets to work with at the time, so it's not like they could have gone out and pulled a Blue Jays/Marlins type deal. The free agent market has been, to put it mildly, [expletive] the last few seasons. I don't really see how they could have drastically improved the team these last few years through throwing money around.

 

I'll absolutely be upset if they cry poor this off-season and don't go out and sign anyone, but as of right now, through this season, I don't see how they could have produced a winner given the resources and restrictions they inherited.

OK. I think we're after different things here. I dont have a problem with the process up to now. I will have a problem if they punt on 2014 and turn their gaze to contending in 2015.

[davell]

Pound your fists all you want, but Theo doesn't have the ability to spend. If he did, we would be. Theo has taken the ONLY route he's been able to. Go read the payroll thread in Discussions. If Papa Joe won't give the kids extra allowance money, Theo and us get fucked in the ass until we have additional revenue.

[ctcf]

You guys keep pounding sand about how they're restricted or being cheap and essentially not doing a very good job, and yet when you continually fail to present a plan for how they could have done a better job (seeing as they have, in less than two full seasons, brought a bottom third farm system into one of the top 3 in the majors), it's really kinda hard to take your complaints that seriously.

They've done that with the system, and its awesome, but now its time to get the wheels in motion. Ticket prices are up, attendance is down, it's time to compete. I'm tired of the excuses. This needs to be a much more competitive team next year. It should be, but we as fans need to see it.

 

And also, it's not our job to present detailed plans. It's theirs. As others have said, add a piece like Ellsbury/Choo, add another pitcher, overhaul the bullpen (as kyle has mentioned, this might not be that hard, especially with the internal options we have that haven't even hit the bigs yet), and go from there. But they need to do it.

 

Not even asking for a detailed plan. There's also only so much they could do. They didn't have a lot of valuable assets to work with at the time, so it's not like they could have gone out and pulled a Blue Jays/Marlins type deal. The free agent market has been, to put it mildly, [expletive] the last few seasons. I don't really see how they could have drastically improved the team these last few years through throwing money around.

 

I'll absolutely be upset if they cry poor this off-season and don't go out and sign anyone, but as of right now, through this season, I don't see how they could have produced a winner given the resources and restrictions they inherited.

 

OK. I think we're after different things here. I dont have a problem with the process up to now. I will have a problem if they punt on 2014 and turn their gaze to contending in 2015.

 

Ah, OK. That I think is pretty fair. Granted I'd still note that even though this year's FA crop is a bit better, there's also only going to be so much they can do. It's [expletive] like when Jersey sits there saying they did a poor job because they didn't make the wasteland that was the team they inherited more competitive in three years that just strikes me as short-sided and stupid.

Edited August 15, 2013 by ctcf

[Guest]

Pound your fists all you want, but Theo doesn't have the ability to spend. If he did, we would be. Theo has taken the ONLY route he's been able to. Go read the payroll thread in Discussions. If Papa Joe won't give the kids extra allowance money, Theo and us get [expletive] in the ass until we have additional revenue.

 

Here's where you and I diverge. I don't expect my team's owner to spend money out of his own pocket on the team or something. That said, the team should be profitable enough and produce more than enough revenue on its own to sustain a really high payroll.