Yooooooooooooennis Cespedes: To Oakland pg 44

[questionmarkgrace]

Do you fail to see that this division will be won by a team that is just barely over .500? The point is we could still compete this year. Its funny though how you were spouting off how bad the A's are and yet they have 7 top 100 prospects in baseball and building a consistent winner again without completely blowing off the major league fans.

 

That's great. We have 3. And Starlin Castro. And Matt Garza. And a lot more money. And really smart people making decisions for us.

 

But yea, we need to aspire to be the A's so we can win 76 games instead of 72. My summer will be so much more enjoyable then.

 

No we need to aspire to win 78-80 instead of 65. I think you guys are greatly overestimating a team with a rather large loss in power, and a marginal defensive upgrade overall.

[Guest]

I'm glad we still aren't signing anyone who's any good. What would the fun in that be?

 

a Cuban defector who's workout video was only missing Yao Ming's folding chair

 

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=58762&p=2718769&hilit=+folding+chair+#p2718769

[Guest]

Do you fail to see that this division will be won by a team that is just barely over .500? The point is we could still compete this year. Its funny though how you were spouting off how bad the A's are and yet they have 7 top 100 prospects in baseball and building a consistent winner again without completely blowing off the major league fans.

 

That's great. We have 3. And Starlin Castro. And Matt Garza. And a lot more money. And really smart people making decisions for us.

 

But yea, we need to aspire to be the A's so we can win 76 games instead of 72. My summer will be so much more enjoyable then.

 

No we need to aspire to win 78-80 instead of 65. I think you guys are greatly overestimating a team with a rather large loss in power, and a marginal defensive upgrade overall.

 

Keep harping on your arbitrary win totals and ignoring the points being made.

[questionmarkgrace]

 

Do you fail to see that this division will be won by a team that is just barely over .500? The point is we could still compete this year. Its funny though how you were spouting off how bad the A's are and yet they have 7 top 100 prospects in baseball and building a consistent winner again without completely blowing off the major league fans.

 

I wonder if they'll do as well as they did last time they had 7 top 100 prospects.

 

In 2008, they had the 22, 26, 46, 50, 56, 98, and 99th ranked prospects on BPro. What followed was truly the golden age of A's baseball.

 

We shall see. The werent signing guys to 12 mil a year contracts in the last few years either. This tells me they are serious about actually contenting again.

[mookie]

withdrawn Edited February 13, 2012 by mookie

[SouthSideRyan]

 

Do you fail to see that this division will be won by a team that is just barely over .500? The point is we could still compete this year. Its funny though how you were spouting off how bad the A's are and yet they have 7 top 100 prospects in baseball and building a consistent winner again without completely blowing off the major league fans.

 

I wonder if they'll do as well as they did last time they had 7 top 100 prospects.

 

In 2008, they had the 22, 26, 46, 50, 56, 98, and 99th ranked prospects on BPro. What followed was truly the golden age of A's baseball.

 

We shall see. The werent signing guys to 12 mil a year contracts in the last few years either. This tells me they are serious about actually contenting again.

 

Yeah, it's not like they signed the #1 Latin American prospect that year.

 

ETA: And traded for Matt Holliday the next offseason.

Edited February 13, 2012 by SouthSideRyan

[Guest]

Who'd they sign to a 12 mil a year contract?

[questionmarkgrace]

Do you fail to see that this division will be won by a team that is just barely over .500? The point is we could still compete this year. Its funny though how you were spouting off how bad the A's are and yet they have 7 top 100 prospects in baseball and building a consistent winner again without completely blowing off the major league fans.

 

That's great. We have 3. And Starlin Castro. And Matt Garza. And a lot more money. And really smart people making decisions for us.

 

But yea, we need to aspire to be the A's so we can win 76 games instead of 72. My summer will be so much more enjoyable then.

 

No we need to aspire to win 78-80 instead of 65. I think you guys are greatly overestimating a team with a rather large loss in power, and a marginal defensive upgrade overall.

 

Keep harping on your arbitrary win totals and ignoring the points being made.

 

 

What point was being made again? that the A's have been mediocre? Fine its better than losing 90 games. And they have less of a budget, and have kept rebuilding all the while. The cubs have a much larger budget. All Im saying is that if they can rebuild and somehow field a decent team so can we. And now I believe you are the one who needs to acknowledge points being made.

[SouthSideRyan]

Who'd they sign to a 12 mil a year contract?

 

I bet its an OF.

[questionmarkgrace]

Who'd they sign to a 12 mil a year contract?

 

Excuse me Cespedes signed for 9 million a year.

[Bote McBoteface]

Do you fail to see that this division will be won by a team that is just barely over .500? The point is we could still compete this year. Its funny though how you were spouting off how bad the A's are and yet they have 7 top 100 prospects in baseball and building a consistent winner again without completely blowing off the major league fans.

 

That's great. We have 3. And Starlin Castro. And Matt Garza. And a lot more money. And really smart people making decisions for us.

 

But yea, we need to aspire to be the A's so we can win 76 games instead of 72. My summer will be so much more enjoyable then.

 

No we need to aspire to win 78-80 instead of 65. I think you guys are greatly overestimating a team with a rather large loss in power, and a marginal defensive upgrade overall.

 

Keep harping on your arbitrary win totals and ignoring the points being made.

 

 

What point was being made again? that the A's have been mediocre? Fine its better than losing 90 games. And they have less of a budget, and have kept rebuilding all the while. The cubs have a much larger budget. All Im saying is that if they can rebuild and somehow field a decent team so can we. And now I believe you are the one who needs to acknowledge points being made.

 

WTF Theo's been our GM for 4 months and we still haven't won anything :O!!!

[BeerHere]

Do you fail to see that this division will be won by a team that is just barely over .500? The point is we could still compete this year. Its funny though how you were spouting off how bad the A's are and yet they have 7 top 100 prospects in baseball and building a consistent winner again without completely blowing off the major league fans.

I do see your point and you may very well be right. I also understand that anything can happen in the playoffs. However, I think the team should be focused on building a long term WS contender rather than division titles. If you build a juggernaut, the division title will handle itself (at least in theory) and you don't bow out in the first round of the playoffs.

[Exile on Waveland]

I didn't know copy and paste had an objective maturity level evaluation.

 

That was incredibly immature.

[mookie]

Yes, and spazzing out about not signing Cespedes and how the A's are somehow fielding a better squad than the Cubs is really right up there. I know my truth.

[Exile on Waveland]

Sure, he's spazzing out. Two spazzes don't make a non-spazz though. Or something.

[mookie]

I liked my colour maaan.

[questionmarkgrace]

Sure, he's spazzing out. Two spazzes don't make a non-spazz though. Or something.

 

I dont believe Ive said anything to be considered a spaz like the other guy. Good article by Danny Knobler talks about how the A's have been trying to spend money but players wont sign with them.

 

http://danny-knobler.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/8590096/34822327

 

 

All I'm saying is that we can make long term moves and short term moves at the same time. in no way does one preclude the other. There is no reason to ever field a team like the one we presently have. We pay some of the highest ticket prices at least make it entertaining to watch.

[davell]

Total baseball payroll is around 200 mill. 50 mill of that has gone towards paying salaries of non players and all minor league expenditures. Leaving 150 mill to spend on the draft/IFA and major league payroll. However, right now, we're paying Hendry and Quade, so there's an extra 2 mill. We're paying Theo 3.5 and we've probably added another 1.5 mill in other FO people, not counting Hoyer, who's making a round what Hendry did. So, this adds 7 mill somewhere, with 2 of it falling off after this season. The draft/IFA budget is 11 mill for 2012. If you take that and these extra expenditures off the 150, we're at 132. Then, take off the 8 mill we're spending on the Dominican Academy and it puts us at 124. We're at 115 right now. It leaves us room to sign Soler and about 2 or 3 mill worth of other IFA before the July 2nd cutoff. Botto line is that we've got 10 mill or so counting towards Hendry, Quade, and the Dominican facility, which will go back towards major league payroll only, especially since IFA money will also be capped. The Cubs think the Dominican Facility is more important than spending that cash towards a single player. Can't say I blame them either. I wanted more done to the major league team this offseason, but totally understand where their priorities are. Getting Soler fits into everything they've talked of and my guess is they do.

[USSoccer]

I'm glad we still aren't signing anyone who's any good. What would the fun in that be?

 

a Cuban defector who's workout video was only missing Yao Ming's folding chair

 

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=58762&p=2718769&hilit=+folding+chair+#p2718769

 

I wanted actually proven players over Cespedes and, to a lesser degree, Soler, but we've instead taken the bold move of neither signing established stars when they were available for only money, or signing longer term, potential guys like the two Cubans (who I didn't want).

 

The logic that's been tossed around about "oh god, that contract sucks I'm glad we didn't sign the best players available in FA the past 3 offseasons" is specious and terrible, and the "we're going to compete on parallel fronts" thing was bs as well, and the "we're not going to overpay Fielder and Pujols because we're going to go after the Cubans and reload for 2013 and beyond" thing looks like it's worked out splendidly to cap it all off.

 

I see us sucking for the next two years at least.

[Guest]

Hold on cowboy. I didn't know all of the teams in the central were so bad. So, both the Reds and the Cardinals are going to barely eclipse the .500 barrier? Do explain.

 

St. Louis won 90 games last year and lost the best player in baseball in the offseason. Their pythagorean W-L was 88-74. You don't think it's very realistic they drop 4-6 games off that pythag W-L? I don't know that I'd bank on it, but I think there's a pretty good chance of it.

 

The Cards also signed Beltran and will get Wainwright back which will help to make up for the loss of Pujols. Furcal for a full year instead of Theriot is also a plus.

Edited February 13, 2012 by soccer10k

[questionmarkgrace]

I'm glad we still aren't signing anyone who's any good. What would the fun in that be?

 

a Cuban defector who's workout video was only missing Yao Ming's folding chair

 

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=58762&p=2718769&hilit=+folding+chair+#p2718769

 

I wanted actually proven players over Cespedes and, to a lesser degree, Soler, but we've instead taken the bold move of neither signing established stars when they were available for only money, or signing longer term, potential guys like the two Cubans (who I didn't want).

 

The logic that's been tossed around about "oh god, that contract sucks I'm glad we didn't sign the best players available in FA the past 3 offseasons" is specious and terrible, and the "we're going to compete on parallel fronts" thing was bs as well, and the "we're not going to overpay Fielder and Pujols because we're going to go after the Cubans and reload for 2013 and beyond" thing looks like it's worked out splendidly to cap it all off.

 

I see us sucking for the next two years at least.

 

 

Exactly. Like I said earlier in the thread there hasnt been a world series winner in recent memory without a highly paid free agent acquisition on their team. Sure those contracts dont always look good if they are long term but its just something teams that have won have done. Its not like theo built that red sox team from scratch. Its much easier to do both, parallel fronts as it were. But yeah I havent seen it thus far.

[SouthSideRyan]

Sure, he's spazzing out. Two spazzes don't make a non-spazz though. Or something.

 

I dont believe Ive said anything to be considered a spaz like the other guy. Good article by Danny Knobler talks about how the A's have been trying to spend money but players wont sign with them.

 

http://danny-knobler.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/8590096/34822327

 

 

All I'm saying is that we can make long term moves and short term moves at the same time. in no way does one preclude the other. There is no reason to ever field a team like the one we presently have. We pay some of the highest ticket prices at least make it entertaining to watch.

 

http://sports.cbsimg.net/mcc/authors/logo/310738/200

[SouthSideRyan]

N/M Edited February 13, 2012 by SouthSideRyan

[KingCubsFan]

I'm glad we still aren't signing anyone who's any good. What would the fun in that be?

 

a Cuban defector who's workout video was only missing Yao Ming's folding chair

 

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=58762&p=2718769&hilit=+folding+chair+#p2718769

 

I wanted actually proven players over Cespedes and, to a lesser degree, Soler, but we've instead taken the bold move of neither signing established stars when they were available for only money, or signing longer term, potential guys like the two Cubans (who I didn't want).

 

The logic that's been tossed around about "oh god, that contract sucks I'm glad we didn't sign the best players available in FA the past 3 offseasons" is specious and terrible, and the "we're going to compete on parallel fronts" thing was bs as well, and the "we're not going to overpay Fielder and Pujols because we're going to go after the Cubans and reload for 2013 and beyond" thing looks like it's worked out splendidly to cap it all off.

 

I see us sucking for the next two years at least.

Why is that logic specious and terrible? People act like this was the only year the Cubs ever had money to spend on free agents, and now that we didn't give $25 million to a guy like Fielder we're forever doomed. Every single major free agent had at least one major flaw this offseason, and signing one or even two was not going to put us over the top regardless.

[Fro]

Good call to pass with the price getting that high... Cespedes is going to have to be an absolute superstar to be worth that contract.