Prediction Time

[Backtobanks]

After Theo hires a manager, what do you think will his first on-field move be? Sign a big-name FA, trade Zambrano, make a blockbuster trade, sign a lesser FA, make a smaller trade, etc.

[A New Era]

I don't think it will be "small" or inconsequential, or big. I think his first move will be something moderate. He'll trade something decent for something else decent where we have a hole. That's what I think his first move will be.

 

He'll either trade for or sign a middling near top tier free agent pitcher or something.

[rocket]

accept his part of ramirez's mutual option

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Acquire one of the following via trade:

Gio Gonzalez, Jurrjens, Wade Davis, Danks or some mid/top tier pitcher.

[dew1679666265]

Re-sign Wood.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Re-sign Koyie Hill at 3/25 and John Grabow at 4/37 and then rip off his mask to reveal that he was Jim Hendry all along. Or just sign Grady Sizemore to a 1/7.5 with incentives and an option.

[justin23iu]

accept his part of ramirez's mutual option

 

They already picked it up.

[Little Slide Rooter]

accept his part of ramirez's mutual option

 

They already picked it up.

 

yup. that was his point.

[BeerHere]

My guess....Zambrano is traded to the Marlins for Morrison.

[dew1679666265]

My guess....Zambrano is traded to the Marlins for Morrison.

 

This would make me happy, regardless of how much money the Marlins might pay of Zs contract (my guess is none).

[davell]

First move is bringing Wood back on a 2 mill contract that's got unlimited mutual options. 2nd move is trading Cashner, Ha, and Rusin to Minnesota for Liriano. 3rd move is the biggie, signing CJ Wilson to a 6 year 110 mill deal. First year is 10, other 5 are 20. Followed by signing Cespedes to a 6 year 42 mill deal, 1st year is 4. 1B is filled by a trade for James Loney, sending Steve Clevenger and Alberto Cabrera to the Dodgers. Last move is bringing back DeRosa for one year and one mill.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'd rather play LaHair every day than trade for James Loney.

[davell]

I'd rather play LaHair every day than trade for James Loney.

I may actually agree with that. But there is a possibility that he gains SOME power, by moving away from Dodger Stadium. My main thing though, was he's an excellent defensive 1B and I think that will entice us, in this case. It's his llast year of arb and he may wind up as a Type B and Theo could look ahead at the additional pick possibility.

[dew1679666265]

I may actually agree with that. But there is a possibility that he gains SOME power, by moving away from Dodger Stadium. My main thing though, was he's an excellent defensive 1B and I think that will entice us, in this case. It's his llast year of arb and he may wind up as a Type B and Theo could look ahead at the additional pick possibility.

 

I'd rather not give up even moderate minor league pieces for the tiny chance that he develops power, though. In 4 full seasons in the majors, he's posted SLG% of .434, .399, .395, and .416. His first two seasons, both partial seasons (48 and 96 games), he posted SLG% of .559 and .538. As he's played more, his power has dropped. It seems unlikely that he'd gain power outside Dodger Stadium as well, since his minor league slugging (.430) mirrors his major league slugging (.432).

 

I'd rather bring back Pena or, as SSR said, keep the prospects and give LaHair a shot than trade for Loney.

[justin23iu]

accept his part of ramirez's mutual option

 

They already picked it up.

 

yup. that was his point.

 

Well then it's a stupid point. The question was what his first move will be after he hires a manager.

[davearm2]

I'd rather play LaHair every day than trade for James Loney.

I may actually agree with that. But there is a possibility that he gains SOME power, by moving away from Dodger Stadium. My main thing though, was he's an excellent defensive 1B and I think that will entice us, in this case. It's his llast year of arb and he may wind up as a Type B and Theo could look ahead at the additional pick possibility.

The defense would really be the only argument for Loney.

 

And that could be enough to make him a target, who knows.

 

It's pretty much impossible to know what Team Theo thinks about anyone's defense, though, since their algorithm is confidential.

[Post Count Padder]

I'd rather play LaHair every day than trade for James Loney.

I think I'd agree with that. Sure, Loney has a decent glove. But that is almost negated by the fact he's a below aberage first basemen offensively. I don't think he's gonna post an OPS above .800 again.

[Tryptamine]

First move is bringing Wood back on a 2 mill contract that's got unlimited mutual options. 2nd move is trading Cashner, Ha, and Rusin to Minnesota for Liriano. 3rd move is the biggie, signing CJ Wilson to a 6 year 110 mill deal. First year is 10, other 5 are 20. Followed by signing Cespedes to a 6 year 42 mill deal, 1st year is 4. 1B is filled by a trade for James Loney, sending Steve Clevenger and Alberto Cabrera to the Dodgers. Last move is bringing back DeRosa for one year and one mill.

 

why give up Cashner for Liriano when Cashner will probably have the better career moving forward? Liriano is just as likely to get hurt and Cashner will be cheap for a while. I don't know that I do this straight up let alone including Ha and Rusin.

[apete6]

First move is bringing Wood back on a 2 mill contract that's got unlimited mutual options. 2nd move is trading Cashner, Ha, and Rusin to Minnesota for Liriano. 3rd move is the biggie, signing CJ Wilson to a 6 year 110 mill deal. First year is 10, other 5 are 20. Followed by signing Cespedes to a 6 year 42 mill deal, 1st year is 4. 1B is filled by a trade for James Loney, sending Steve Clevenger and Alberto Cabrera to the Dodgers. Last move is bringing back DeRosa for one year and one mill.

 

Besides Wood and possibly DeRosa, I can't say that any of those deals would make any sense. James Loney sucks, Cespedes is an unknown, and CJ Wilson is not worth 6/$110. Also, Liriano is good, but his career is 1 pitch from being over.

[dew1679666265]

Besides Wood and possibly DeRosa, I can't say that any of those deals would make any sense. James Loney sucks, Cespedes is an unknown, and CJ Wilson is not worth 6/$110. Also, Liriano is good, but his career is 1 pitch from being over.

 

I have no idea what we'd have DeRosa for. I still really like the guy after 2008, but the past two seasons he's posted a -.4 WAR and wOBAs of .241 and .297. He'll also be 37 next year and has played 73 games total the past 2 years. He'd probably come on a super cheap one year deal, but you'd have a hard time convincing me he'd be better than Flaherty/LeMaheieu/Marwin Gonzalez/just about anybody in our system at this point.

 

6/110 is a year too many for Wilson, but I'm fine with the AAV - $18 million. Cespedes is intriguing and I'd like to get him for a little less, but I wouldn't complain about that deal. Any offseason plan that doesn't include one of Pujols/Prince is disappointing, though.

[Little Slide Rooter]

First move is bringing Wood back on a 2 mill contract that's got unlimited mutual options. 2nd move is trading Cashner, Ha, and Rusin to Minnesota for Liriano. 3rd move is the biggie, signing CJ Wilson to a 6 year 110 mill deal. First year is 10, other 5 are 20. Followed by signing Cespedes to a 6 year 42 mill deal, 1st year is 4. 1B is filled by a trade for James Loney, sending Steve Clevenger and Alberto Cabrera to the Dodgers. Last move is bringing back DeRosa for one year and one mill.

 

why give up Cashner for Liriano when Cashner will probably have the better career moving forward? Liriano is just as likely to get hurt and Cashner will be cheap for a while. I don't know that I do this straight up let alone including Ha and Rusin.

 

Liriano is one of the more iffy pitchers in the game, and is just as likely to come to camp weighing in at 275 as he is to look anything like a front end starter. Don't get me wrong, I'd be interested in him, but Cashner wouldn't enter the conversation. Maybe 2 of J Jackson, Rusin, Coleman, Barney, Colvin, Russell, Cabrera, DeWitt, Baker and throw in a low level guy.

 

And a big pass on Loney. My 1B hierarchy is: 1. Pujols, 2. Fielder, 3. Morneau(if he became available), 4. LaHair, T5 Kotchman/Pena

[davell]

I could have went with an opposite type scenario, where we get one of Fielder or Pujols, but then I would have went with lesser pitching. I chose this way, because as far as upside goes, you'd be getting the best FA starter on the market, overpaying because I see us having to do so, if we are to land him. We'd also be getting a guy who also has "ace" possibilities in Liriano, although a guy with definite risk involved. Cespedes is an unknown, but could conceivably be a superstar. Yeah, 1B is still a hole, but I don't expect all of our holes to be addressed in one offseason to the point where they're filled longterm either. But, other than Wilson, no contract was given out here that could severely damage the team either. And there's enough upside here that this could conceivably be an extremely good team if things fall right.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I could have went with an opposite type scenario, where we get one of Fielder or Pujols, but then I would have went with lesser pitching. I chose this way, because as far as upside goes, you'd be getting the best FA starter on the market, overpaying because I see us having to do so, if we are to land him. We'd also be getting a guy who also has "ace" possibilities in Liriano, although a guy with definite risk involved. Cespedes is an unknown, but could conceivably be a superstar. Yeah, 1B is still a hole, but I don't expect all of our holes to be addressed in one offseason to the point where they're filled longterm either. But, other than Wilson, no contract was given out here that could severely damage the team either. And there's enough upside here that this could conceivably be an extremely good team if things fall right.

 

I'd go with Pujols or Fielder over Wilson. Not because hitting more important than hitting, because it isn't. However, with Fielder or Pujols, you get one of the elite hitters in the entire game, and fill a position we need to fill, whereas with Wilson, you'd get the best pitcher in this particular market and overpaying for him due to the market. I'd just as soon get one of the big bats, and get a lesser pitcher like Liriano or Maholm and then wait and see which of Cain, Lincecum, Hammels, Marcum, Greinke, and Danks make it to free agency next year.

[Clem Fandango]

Jim Bowden makes a bold prediction that Carl Crawford will get dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline next year.

 

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7213115&categoryid=2378529

 

Jim Bowden is an idiot.

[Bull]

First move is bringing Wood back on a 2 mill contract that's got unlimited mutual options. 2nd move is trading Cashner, Ha, and Rusin to Minnesota for Liriano. 3rd move is the biggie, signing CJ Wilson to a 6 year 110 mill deal. First year is 10, other 5 are 20. Followed by signing Cespedes to a 6 year 42 mill deal, 1st year is 4. 1B is filled by a trade for James Loney, sending Steve Clevenger and Alberto Cabrera to the Dodgers. Last move is bringing back DeRosa for one year and one mill.

 

why give up Cashner for Liriano when Cashner will probably have the better career moving forward? Liriano is just as likely to get hurt and Cashner will be cheap for a while. I don't know that I do this straight up let alone including Ha and Rusin.

 

Cashner isn't going to net you anything near his real value this offseason.