Pujols signs with Angels pg 151

[davell]

I think Ricketts said the overall baseball budget would be about the same as last year just yesterday. Now, we spent 20 mill on the draft and IFA last year while that's probably not happening again. So, I figure that money heads directly back into major league payroll. But, the bottom line for me is Ricketts has said in the past that our payroll would be dictated by how much we make, with profits being put back into the team. We have had some lean years since he took over, so my guess is when we have a contender again and full attendance into the latter parts of the year, our payroll can move upwards fairly quickly. Ricketts has done nothing to make me think otherwise.

[Guest]

For the very reasons David and I just explained. You have a fairly new owner who has yet to sign anyone of any significance (including a partitioned contract for a late signing 1b, which gives the impression you couldn't afford the entire contract for the year it was signed) and payroll is going down. Someone outside of the organization might even think that payroll might have gone down even more if there weren't so many locked in no trade clause contracts on the roster. Add in that the sound of crickets is about all we have heard this offseason in regards to 2 players that are ideal fits to the Cubs offseason needs, and all that they can discern is that the owner isn't going to commit big money. Add in that they just brought in baseball minds that are creative in finding talent on the cheap and I could reasonably see how Vasgersian would think that the new ownership is more about developing from within and spending less.

 

How in the world does Theo have a reputation as a guy who gets players on the cheap?

 

And the Ricketts are not new. They've spent $140m on payroll in back to back years. It's very clear they have a lot of money to spend on payroll and will spend a lot of money on payroll.

 

Jed Hoyer just came from San Diego, which was where Vasgersian spent most of his major league service. Ricketts basically inherited those payrolls. He's not the one who gave Soriano, Ramirez, Zambrano, Fukudome and Dempster their contracts. What's the biggest contract Ricketts has handed out so far? I believe it's Pena and his "we'll give you half now and half later" 1 year deal. And that's while the Cubs were 20m under the previous year's payroll. They traded Fukudome away, which can look like a salary relief move. Wood getting a 1.5m deal from the Cubs after getting about 10m the previous year.

 

Really not worth arguing. I guess we'll just have to disagree that every single media guy working in MLB should know every little in and out of every major league baseball team and know for a fact how much Ricketts will be spending this offseason when most of us don't even know because he's never worked with his own budget, but rather the leftovers of a previous owners budget.

 

With what Ricketts has done this offseason, I'm very comfortable now that Ricketts is willing to spend money. But, I wasn't sure before Theo.

[Guest]

What's worse is that our local guys are that stupid.

 

It's worse, but it doesn't excuse nonsensical statements about "this not being the Tribune money Cubs". Like they were bastions of lavish spending.

 

Again, I wasn't excusing or defending anyone.

[jersey cubs fan]

Really not worth arguing. I guess we'll just have to disagree that every single media guy working in MLB should know every little in and out of every major league baseball team and know for a fact how much Ricketts will be spending this offseason when most of us don't even know because he's never worked with his own budget, but rather the leftovers of a previous owners budget.

 

With what Ricketts has done this offseason, I'm very comfortable now that Ricketts is willing to spend money. But, I wasn't sure before Theo.

 

Nonsense. I specifically said you don't need to know every in and out, but a very general knowledge of the fact that the Cubs are very clearly willing to spend money is the least you can expect out of these people.

[jersey cubs fan]

What's worse is that our local guys are that stupid.

 

It's worse, but it doesn't excuse nonsensical statements about "this not being the Tribune money Cubs". Like they were bastions of lavish spending.

 

Again, I wasn't excusing or defending anyone.

 

Okay then, justifying? I'm not sure what word you want to use but Vasgersian's comment displayed a lot of ignorance that a paid baseball follower should not have. It's not even something Mitch Williams would throw out there, and he's an idiot who adds nothing to any conversation he's in instead of some fake football player mentality or something.

[Guest]

What's worse is that our local guys are that stupid.

 

It's worse, but it doesn't excuse nonsensical statements about "this not being the Tribune money Cubs". Like they were bastions of lavish spending.

 

Again, I wasn't excusing or defending anyone.

 

Okay then, justifying? I'm not sure what word you want to use but Vasgersian's comment displayed a lot of ignorance that a paid baseball follower should not have. It's not even something Mitch Williams would throw out there, and he's an idiot who adds nothing to any conversation he's in instead of some fake football player mentality or something.

 

Explaining. I agree with you. I simply gave what I thought were the reasons it's the case.

 

If you give a reason for somebody doing something stupid, it doesn't necessarily mean you're justifying it or excusing it.

[jersey cubs fan]

Explaining. I agree with you. I simply gave what I thought were the reasons it's the case.

 

If you give a reason for somebody doing something stupid, it doesn't necessarily mean you're justifying it or excusing it.

 

touche

[Guest]

Explaining. I agree with you. I simply gave what I thought were the reasons it's the case.

 

If you give a reason for somebody doing something stupid, it doesn't necessarily mean you're justifying it or excusing it.

 

touche

 

Just saying.

[CubColtPacer]

I watched a couple minutes of the hot stove show last night while they talked Pujols/Fielder. The focus was on Seattle probably not being a realistic destination for Fielder and Washington being a legit spender this offseason. But they also talked about the Cubs and for one of the few times this offseason media people talked about how much sense it makes for the Cubs to sign one of these guys. But it was all the analyst types making those statements (plus Peter Gammons actually), while Matt Vasgersian went with a new one, saying "this isn't the Tribune money Cubs, we still have no idea how this new ownership group of the Ricketts family will spend money." The Ricketts family was chosen as the buyers nearly three years ago now. They've been in control for more than 2 years. They have made it clear at every opportunity that they are willing to spend and spend big. Why are people who get paid to talk about this sport so freaking clueless?

 

Probably just comes down to the fact that (for obvious reasons, of course) the Cubs haven't made any big splashes (up until Theo, at all) player wise under Ricketts.

 

Because the payroll was already $140+ million. Anybody who is paying attention knows the Cubs have a hell of a lot more freed up money today than they have in the first two years of Ricketts ownership. They've already allowed their GM to eat money on Bradley, and then Silva, and appeared very open to the possibility of eating money on Soriano and Zambrano. They've spent big on international/draft, and went big with management. How in the hell does somebody have doubts about whether this ownership group will be willing to spend money?

 

I agree with you on the overall point, but this part is not right. The Cubs never ate any money on Bradley. They saved money by trading him for Silva, and then they did eat part of Silva's contract.

[abuck1220]

They traded Fukudome away, which can look like a salary relief move. Wood getting a 1.5m deal from the Cubs after getting about 10m the previous year.

 

 

they saved like eleven dollars by trading fukudome. and what did you want him to do with wood...give him $10 mil even though he only wanted $1.5 mil to prove he was a big spender?

[Guest]

They traded Fukudome away, which can look like a salary relief move. Wood getting a 1.5m deal from the Cubs after getting about 10m the previous year.

 

 

they saved like eleven dollars by trading fukudome. and what did you want him to do with wood...give him $10 mil even though he only wanted $1.5 mil to prove he was a big spender?

 

I'm not attempting to argue against anyone here. I just happen to disagree that Goony's opinion that media guys who cover every team in the league should be completely convinced that Ricketts is a big time spender when the evidence hasn't fully supported it at this point.

 

But it was all the analyst types making those statements (plus Peter Gammons actually), while Matt Vasgersian went with a new one, saying "this isn't the Tribune money Cubs, we still have no idea how this new ownership group of the Ricketts family will spend money." The Ricketts family was chosen as the buyers nearly three years ago now. They've been in control for more than 2 years. They have made it clear at every opportunity that they are willing to spend and spend big. Why are people who get paid to talk about this sport so freaking clueless?

 

Either way, it probably wasn't worth this much discussion. I just think he's right in a sense that we don't know how this family will spend money. Maybe they match the Tribune Co. dollar for dollar. Maybe they go higher. Maybe they go lower. What we do know now is Ricketts has more of his own people in place and he has a few years under his belt, so whatever moves he does make he should feel a lot more comfortable going forward.

 

As far as my own opinions on Ricketts, I'm totally on board that he'll spend what's necessary to put a winning team on the field. I'm thrilled with his front office moves and those moves convinced me he wants a winning team on the field.

[Guest]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/9164137-419/cubs-should-ignore-stop-sign-go-for-albert-pujols.html

 

Rick Morrisey saying something somewhat smart? Blind squirrel finds nut?

[Guest]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/9164137-419/cubs-should-ignore-stop-sign-go-for-albert-pujols.html

 

Rick Morrisey saying something somewhat smart? Blind squirrel finds nut?

I think he's a bit overly dismissive of the concerns of a decline, but I'm still in favor of pursuing Pujols with both guns-a-blazing.

[MWV]

But why is it ridiculous to expect chairman Tom Ricketts to run the Cubs like the big-market franchise they are? Why can’t the Ricketts family spend money on Pujols and other players, while also building the farm system?

Eventually, some writer was bound to express such sentiments in a newspaper column. Who knew it would be Rick Morrissey?

[MSG T]

But why is it ridiculous to expect chairman Tom Ricketts to run the Cubs like the big-market franchise they are? Why can’t the Ricketts family spend money on Pujols and other players, while also building the farm system?

Eventually, some writer was bound to express such sentiments in a newspaper column. Who knew it would be Rick Morrissey?

 

 

Did Bruce (Miles) hack Morrisey's account and ghost write for him?

[Guest]

But why is it ridiculous to expect chairman Tom Ricketts to run the Cubs like the big-market franchise they are? Why can’t the Ricketts family spend money on Pujols and other players, while also building the farm system?

Eventually, some writer was bound to express such sentiments in a newspaper column. Who knew it would be Rick Morrissey?

 

Makes me want to re-think my position on this whole thing.

[doschi]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bytes-taking-the-bait-on-pujols/article_87c45b18-1b6a-11e1-968d-001a4bcf6878.html

 

Bernie Miklasz from STLToday thinks Theo is just trolling the Cardinals. I hope he's dead wrong.

[javy knows my name]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bytes-taking-the-bait-on-pujols/article_87c45b18-1b6a-11e1-968d-001a4bcf6878.html

 

Bernie Miklasz from STLToday thinks Theo is just trolling the Cardinals. I hope he's dead wrong.

 

He almost always is. Not worried.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-bytes-taking-the-bait-on-pujols/article_87c45b18-1b6a-11e1-968d-001a4bcf6878.html

 

Bernie Miklasz from STLToday thinks Theo is just trolling the Cardinals. I hope he's dead wrong.

I think he is too.

[Guest]

Bernie: Don't believe the media reports about the Cubs wanting Pujols, they aren't true! How can I tell? Well...look at these other media reports!

 

 

 

Journalism is the absolute worst.

[Clem Fandango]

Bernie: Don't believe the media reports about the Cubs wanting Pujols, they aren't true! How can I tell? Well...look at these other media reports!

 

 

 

Journalism is the absolute worst.

 

1) Wait for another journalist to quote a source on a rumor

2) Repeat and rewrite rumor in your own words

3) Include personal opinion on the issue

4) ??????

5) Profit

[shnsajax]

I would love to tell him he is wrong but people with 5 chins scare me.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Columns aren't journalism.

[Hollandsworths mug]

Theo addresses the rumors. I love what I am hearing!

 

"If there is a move that makes us that much better in the short term, but it's at the expense of doing things the right way, through a corps of young players, we're not going to make that move. Any rumor you hear or any potential player move, it's probably worth your while to assess it through that lense.

 

"I'm not going to say we aren't going to make a move that's unanticipated, or catch people by surprise, or not perfectly fit into that little box that's generally our philosophy. That's how we are evaluating moves as we look to build this thing."

 

 

Love this quote and the emphasis on 2012, taking advantage of every opportunity (Prince or Albert?) and young players.

 

"No. 1 is to build this thing the right way," Epstein said. "That's for the long haul, mainly through scouting and player development through the acquisition of young players.

 

"The second thing is to take advantage of every opportunity that you have. That's short-term for us. That means building the 2012 club, hopefully the smart way, maximize our chances of winning. So we are not going to do anything to serve the second priority that disrupts the first."

 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/7329/epstein-not-tipping-free-agent-hand

[davell]

Brewers offered 6 years and 120 mill. More than I thought they'd do anyway. I think the Nats are going to wind up being our main competitors for him.