New GM/Cubs Future News Articles

[Guest]

Is anybody else listening to Boers and Bernstein and hearing this talk about the money and Emmanuel and the politics being played...and how Epstein is the type of hire that could sway the public opinion on something like this, etc....?

 

Is there any sort of logic behind what they're saying? Or just standard B&B-ery

 

I'm not sure. He seems to think that Emmanuel will be more willing to deal with them, but that if they want to take another swing at it, they have to do it "right." That includes adding a ton of legitimacy to the organization by hiring the biggest name and one of the best GMs out there.

[jersey cubs fan]

Is anybody else listening to Boers and Bernstein and hearing this talk about the money and Emmanuel and the politics being played...and how Epstein is the type of hire that could sway the public opinion on something like this, etc....?

 

Is there any sort of logic behind what they're saying? Or just standard B&B-ery

 

They aren't the first to bring it up. There's some logic behind it. They've been saying all along they want to emulate Boston and part of what Boston did was negotiations with politicians to eventually create new revenue streams with Fenway.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

B&B are entertaining, but they don't know crap about sports and every opinion they have is wrong.

[Guest]

I remember that one time I listened to them.

 

 

It's not that bad. Bernstein is definitely the most sabr-educated member of the sports media here this side of Len Kasper. And he's actually a very smart guy in general. He just sometimes has dumbass opinions.

[jersey cubs fan]

Even if they pay Zambrano to play elsewhere, and pay Soriano to be replacement level (which he certainly isn't right now, but you claimed he was in 2010 too, so who knows) that puts us about equal payroll wise with the rest of the division.

 

With 25 games to make-up against those other teams in the divisions. It's going to take a hell of a lot of work, and a good deal of luck, to turn this around in one year. Not impossible, very far from easy and/or a sure thing.

[Guest]

We need to add YouTube embedding to this site.

 

 

This was fairly awesome.

[Guest]

Even if they pay Zambrano to play elsewhere, and pay Soriano to be replacement level (which he certainly isn't right now, but you claimed he was in 2010 too, so who knows) that puts us about equal payroll wise with the rest of the division.

 

With 25 games to make-up against those other teams in the divisions. It's going to take a hell of a lot of work, and a good deal of luck, to turn this around in one year. Not impossible, very far from easy and/or a sure thing.

 

 

Them losing Pujols and Fielder will go a long way toward that. Just saying.

[Elrhino]

Gammons, per SoSH:

 

..... One thing that's happened here, that I'm told by a number of people, one thing that's evolved in the last couple of months is that the relationship between Theo and Larry Lucchino has gotten much better. That leads me to believe that it can get worked out better."

 

That is one confusing quote.

 

 

Another thing that happened in the last couple of months is that Rickets fired the Cubs GM and began sending out feelers around the league for his replacement. Maybe the reason Theo became more amicable towards Lucchino is because he knew he was a short timer?

[Guest]

B&B are entertaining, but they don't know crap about sports and every opinion they have is wrong.

 

 

That's not really true.

 

 

It was also awesome when they had Whitlock on right after he had lambasted Cutler after the NFCCG.

 

They also are the only ones who really make fun of the old school "run the football and play defense" mentality about football in this town.

[Clem Fandango]

We need to add YouTube embedding to this site.

 

 

This was fairly awesome.

 

That was unbelievably awesome... although now Adam Dunn's performance this year makes him look like a complete jackass, but that's Adam Dunn's fault. I bet that caller though sits at home each night with a smug grin on his face and tells his friends about how he was right in this situation.

[Guest]

We need to add YouTube embedding to this site.

 

 

This was fairly awesome.

 

That was unbelievably awesome... although now Adam Dunn's performance this year makes him look like a complete jackass, but that's Adam Dunn's fault. I bet that caller though sits at home each night with a smug grin on his face and tells his friends about how he was right in this situation.

 

 

haha yup

[Vinestal]

Ricketts/Kaplan/Fletia/Wilken boarded a private jet headed to Boston earlier today according to @Cubsden (twitter). he's just mentioning a "rumor" so I have no idea what the source of that is. if it's true though sounds like a granted interview.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kaplan?

[Guest]

Guessing he meant Kenney?

[SouthSideRyan]

Ari Kaplan.

[Vinestal]

Guessing he meant Kenney?

Ari Kaplan isn't that the Cubs statistics guru? I'm guess that's the Kaplan.

[Guest]

Ari Kaplan.

 

herp derp

 

 

 

That makes a lot more sense than bringing the guy Theo might be replacing as "President."

[Guest]

Guessing he meant Kenney?

Ari Kaplan isn't that the Cubs statistics guru? I'm guess that's the Kaplan.

 

Yea. Brain fart on my end.

[dew1679666265]

This is assuming that there will be significant difference making options out there to spend the money on, especially when it comes to starting pitching. There's more money to go around in baseball than good starting pitchers. The Yankees have as much money as anyone, and they can barely field a 4 man rotation and have to take fliers on Bartolo Colon. A lot of people act like we might as well just pencil in CJ Wilson into the Cubbie rotation next year. I would be very surprised if he doesn't resign with the Rangers. He and the organization have a deep mutual respect, he's a huge fan favorite and the Rangers new ownership has very deep pockets and are still smarting after Cliff Lee left them. Just because you have the means to make it happen doesn't mean it's going to happen. It just means the Cubs can put in their bid with the other 5 or 6 big money teams who also desperately need starting pitching.

 

The mods may cut off this conversation (in this thread at least), so I'll keep this fairly short.

 

First off, nobody is assuming anything in terms of CJ Wilson. Everybody I've seen on here who wants Wilson is arguing that we have as much money as anybody coming off the books this offseason and should pursue him very heavily. If he hits the open market (likely considering the kind of money he'll be looking at), the Cubs have as good a chance as anybody to get him. Doesn't guarantee anything, but they absolutely should pursue him.

 

As for significant difference making options being available, there's always doubt as to who will actually become free agents but guys set to hit the market the next two years include:

2011 offseason: Pujols, Fielder, Wilson, CC, Reyes, Beltran, Sizemore, Wainwright (maybe)

2012 offseason: Ethier, Kemp, Phillips, McCann, Kinsler, Wright, Haren, Shields, BJ Upton, Cain, Greinke, Hamels, Liriano, Hamilton

 

Will all those guys be available in their respective offseason? No, but some will and we'll have options and the means by which to acquire more than one of them. This also doesn't include potential trade targets, and at least a couple will pop up over time. We'll have our chances to improve the team enough to have a chance to contend.

 

To try to keep this marginally on topic, bringing in a high profile GM like Epstein with a track record of success and WS titles plus the whole history and tradition of the Cubs organization would make us a very attractive place to free agents and might give us an edge.

[Guest]

CubsDen John Arguello

@

@BleacherNation Planes tail number was said to be checked on Flight Aware, and a flight plan had been filed for Boston. We'll see, I guess

1 minute ago

[Brett]

CubsDen John Arguello

@

@BleacherNation Planes tail number was said to be checked on Flight Aware, and a flight plan had been filed for Boston. We'll see, I guess

1 minute ago

 

Yeah, that was me asking the guy who originated the rumor how anyone knew where a "private jet" was headed. The rumor appears to have originated with a comment on the CubsDen site. I'm not saying it's bogus, but it seems strange to me that no one would actually write down that tail number and blow this thing up. It's a pretty huge story if Cubs' brass is headed to Boston.

 

...but instead, someone saw them, went to the trouble of looking up the flight plan, but then just started spreading quiet "buzz" about it? Again, seems odd.

[Vinestal]

LOL @ Ricketts thinking he could keep his search on the downlow I'm this day and age.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The next time one of these plane/apartment shopping/singing in a bar/whatever rumors comes true, it will be the first time. It's bound to happen eventually, I guess.

[Guest]

Any idea who the guy (John Arguello) who runs that site is?

[Vinestal]

CubsDen John Arguello

@

@BleacherNation Planes tail number was said to be checked on Flight Aware, and a flight plan had been filed for Boston. We'll see, I guess

1 minute ago

 

Yeah, that was me asking the guy who originated the rumor how anyone knew where a "private jet" was headed. The rumor appears to have originated with a comment on the CubsDen site. I'm not saying it's bogus, but it seems strange to me that no one would actually write down that tail number and blow this thing up. It's a pretty huge story if Cubs' brass is headed to Boston.

 

...but instead, someone saw them, went to the trouble of looking up the flight plan, but then just started spreading quiet "buzz" about it? Again, seems odd.

 

Yeah it does seem strange he wouldn't just post the flight number.