Yooooooooooooennis Cespedes: To Oakland pg 44

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

[Guest]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

Depends on how ready you feel Brett Jackson is for mlb.

[sweetpeteman]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

Depends on how ready you feel Brett Jackson is for mlb.

 

 

Whether or not Jackson is ready shouldn't stop them from looking out outfielders. If they do go after Cespedes, then you could easily see an outfield of Soriano-Jackson-Cespedes with Byrd being traded.

[Little Slide Rooter]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

Depends on how ready you feel Brett Jackson is for mlb.

 

He's definitely ready to be given the chance to earn the job in the spring. Personally, I think we do need an outfielder, but a corner outfielder with power. If this guy can be that, I'm all for him.

[Guest]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

Depends on how ready you feel Brett Jackson is for mlb.

 

 

Whether or not Jackson is ready shouldn't stop them from looking out outfielders. If they do go after Cespedes, then you could easily see an outfield of Soriano-Jackson-Cespedes with Byrd being traded.

True...

 

What I meant was that if you don't think Jackson is ready, then we desperately need an OF because Colvin isn't the guy. I definitely agree that I'd like us to upgrade from Byrd, though.

[davell]

If the Cubs see Cespedes as a guy with star potential, they should go after him and figure everything else out if they can land him. If Brett is in their longterm plans, then you just move one or the other over. As far as this guy possibly being the biggest FA acquisition for us this year, trades are out there as well. Personally, I'd love to acquire a big bat and a frontline arm without doling out a hundred million dollar contract.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

Depends on how ready you feel Brett Jackson is for mlb.

 

More ready than our 1b prospects.

[Guest]

 

He's definitely ready to be given the chance to earn the job in the spring.

 

 

Jobs should never be "earned" in the spring.

[Guest]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

Depends on how ready you feel Brett Jackson is for mlb.

 

More ready than our 1b prospects.

This is teed up so well to set off TT...

 

There are three outfield spots. One is currently vacant, one is filled with an average guy on a tradeable contract who doesn't approach at bats as the team would like and one is filled with an anchor slowly on his way to the ocean floor. OF is a big priority.

[Guest]

If the Cubs see Cespedes as a guy with star potential, they should go after him and figure everything else out if they can land him. If Brett is in their longterm plans, then you just move one or the other over. As far as this guy possibly being the biggest FA acquisition for us this year, trades are out there as well. Personally, I'd love to acquire a big bat and a frontline arm without doling out a hundred million dollar contract.

If they see star potnetial, they should certainly be willing to pony up the cash.

 

Given the money involved, though, there shouldn't be anything that preculdes the Cubs from getting both Cespedes and a 1B.

[Little Slide Rooter]

 

He's definitely ready to be given the chance to earn the job in the spring.

 

 

Jobs should never be "earned" in the spring.

 

When it comes to your AAAA guys who happen to have a hot spring, I agree, and unless they fill an existing need send them to AAA until needed or if they really blow you away. However, when dealing with a top prospect who's the heir apparent to that particular position, he should either be given the opportunity to earn it or it should be his unless he really struggles through ST. He's 23, so he's definitely age appropriate.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Nothing that happens in ST, other than injuries, should change your opinion on a player. Either he's your best starter at the position in February or he isn't.

[Guest]

Nothing that happens in ST, other than injuries, should change your opinion on a player. Either he's your best starter at the position in February or he isn't.

 

Exactly.

 

I can see some fringe end of the bench job being decided (even then it's stupid, but at least then you're just deciding between who is the least bad)...but deciding a starting job based on spring is all kinds of stupid.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Nothing that happens in ST, other than injuries, should change your opinion on a player. Either he's your best starter at the position in February or he isn't.

 

It depends on the particular situtation, especially when there is a position without a clear front runner. I agree that the CF job should belong to Jackson. Marlon Byrd can either be shopped or shifted to right.

 

Hypothetical scenerio: You go into ST with Baker/DeWitt slated to platoon at 3B but Marquez Smith has a dynamite spring training. Would you rather give him the starting job out of ST or go with the planned Baker/DeWitt platoon. Now I used Smith as an example instead of Vitters because they are not equal. Vitters is still legit prospect, and no matter what, you'd want to put him in Iowa to start the season. However with Smith, you can afford to handle differently. He's not a true prospect and if you have to option him back, you don't have to worry about what happens with him.

[Guest]

I don't necessarily agree with this line of thinking about spring training.

 

Let's use WSR's example of the cubs going into next year with the idea of a platoon at 3B. If Vitters came into the spring and showed great strides on his defense and approach at the plate, I wouldn't have issues with the team if they decided that he's the best option at 3B at that point.

 

I'm not suggesting this is likely at all, just giving an example where I'm okay with a young player proving they had made the strides necessary to show they belong in the bigs.

 

An even more likely scenario would be that the cubs originally plan on a DeWitt/Baker platoon and Flaherty shows enough to win the lefty side of the platoon from DeWitt.

[Tyrant]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

 

It's Phil Rogers saying he "could" become their priority "if" the homework checks out. Calm down.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This is from a few days ago from Rogers:

ChiTribRogers Phil Rogers

Cubs are very intrigued by Cuban CF Cespedes. He could become their free-agent priority this time around, if homework checks out.

8 Nov

 

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be.

 

It's Phil Rogers saying he "could" become their priority "if" the homework checks out. Calm down.

 

I didn't exactly go on a rant there.

[RammyFanny]

If you haven’t heard of Yoenis Cespedes, you will soon. The Cubs will have a private workout with the 26-year-old outfielder, who is considered to be the best player in a generation to come out of Cuba. The Cubs will have plenty of competition if they decide to pursue the five-tool outfielder. The Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Blue Jays, Pirates, Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Athletics, Marlins and Yankees are reportedly interested in him as well, and he worked out for the Marlins front office on Thursday.

http://muskat.mlblogs.com/2011/11/13/1112-cubs-to-work-out-cuban-star-cespedes/

[Sammy Sofa]

Is Soriano for Crawford actually a thing being rumored or just the usual bullsheeting? That's like the 4th separate place I've seen it brought up in the past week.

[davell]

I want to say a Boston writer made a prediction that Crawford would get dealt to the Cubs during the season. In other words, pure speculation.

[dew1679666265]

Source: It could take Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes 2 months to be declared a free agent by MLB.

 

No idea why this is.

[JeffH]

Source: It could take Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes 2 months to be declared a free agent by MLB.

 

No idea why this is.

 

It has to do with visa issues.

[dew1679666265]

Source: It could take Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes 2 months to be declared a free agent by MLB.

 

No idea why this is.

 

It has to do with visa issues.

 

That makes sense.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes will have a private workout for the Cubs.

It's not clear when the workout will take place. Cespedes had a private workout for the Marlins on Thursday and is also drawing interest from the Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Blue Jays, Pirates, Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Athletics, and Yankees. It reportedly might take two months for the 26-year-old to officially be declared a free agent, but that won't hamper interest in him.

 

Sounds like one of those things to file in the take it for what it's worth bin, but still interesting news. Really can't base your offseason plans on a guy who possible won't even be posted for 2 months, but the good news for us is that there's really no rush, and worse case scenario, we open the season with an outfield of Soriano/Jackson/Byrd with Colvin or LaHair as the 5th. If we do sign this guy, then we can shop Byrd (or Soriano, but good luck with that) around or else give Jackson time in AAA and see if anyone bites on Byrd mid season.

[davell]

Cespedes won't need to be posted.