CONFIRMED: CUBS GET SOLER!!! 9yrs/30 mill

[Guest]

And no, it's not sarcasm. The Mets are paying Bonilla through 2035 (and Saberhagen through 2029). They structured their contracts that way so they could afford to sign Mike Hampton to his ridiculous contract in 1999 (and later pay him to play decently for other teams).

 

The Mets were able to trade for Hampton with some of the money that they saved from buying out Bonilla, but they didn't sign him to that ridiculous contract. Hampton signed that deal when he bolted for Colorado the next year.

 

I remember this well because Hampton picked the Rockies over us because he liked the schools better.

[bukie]

Translated, "Soler" means "to do frequently", and "Jorge" means "Earth-worker".

 

So...not near as fun as Charlie Marbles.

[Smack]

Translated, "Soler" means "to do frequently", and "Jorge" means "Earth-worker".

 

So...not near as fun as Charlie Marbles.

 

Somewhere in there is a joke about him hitting a lot of ground balls.

[Derwood]

Can we PLEASE stop projecting future lineups that are comprised entirely of current Cubs minor leaguers? We aren't the [expletive] Pirates or Royals. The FO damn well better be signing FA's to compliment the top prospects when they feel the window is open for a long postseason run (or trade some of the farm hands for other needs)

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Can we PLEASE stop projecting future lineups that are comprised entirely of current Cubs minor leaguers? We aren't the [expletive] Pirates or Royals. The FO damn well better be signing FA's to compliment the top prospects when they feel the window is open for a long postseason run (or trade some of the farm hands for other needs)

 

We have no idea how Hoyer will operate in this environment, of course, but the Epstein model in Boston was to never be afraid to send a boatload of top prospects in exchange for a premium MLB talent.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Can we PLEASE stop projecting future lineups that are comprised entirely of current Cubs minor leaguers? We aren't the [expletive] Pirates or Royals. The FO damn well better be signing FA's to compliment the top prospects when they feel the window is open for a long postseason run (or trade some of the farm hands for other needs)

 

True, but on the off chance that every one of our top prospects due pan out, we can spend our money on pitching, which our system is very much lacking, primarly of the front end variety.

[UMFan83]

Can we PLEASE stop projecting future lineups that are comprised entirely of current Cubs minor leaguers? We aren't the [expletive] Pirates or Royals. The FO damn well better be signing FA's to compliment the top prospects when they feel the window is open for a long postseason run (or trade some of the farm hands for other needs)

 

Who cares? Obviously it won't turn out even close to what we are projecting, but its fun to dream about it working out this way, as it takes our attention away from this crappy 2012 team. Anyways, its nice to see that we have somewhat high ceiling prospects at every position except 2B and C.

[Clem Fandango]

Step away for a couple hours and THIS happens?!?!? [expletive] yeah.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Dopirak/Pie/Nic Jackson

Kelton/Montanez/Hill/Choi

Goldbach

 

Cruz/Guzman/Brownlie/Sisco/Hagerty

Edited June 11, 2012 by Hairyducked Idiot

[El Duderino]

The only guy I don't recognize there is Goldberg. Who?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The only guy I don't recognize there is Goldberg. Who?

 

Oops, I meant Goldbach. Jeff Goldbach:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=goldba001jef

[UMFan83]

Dopirak/Pie/Nic Jackson

Kelton/Montanez/Hill/Choi

Goldberg

 

Cruz/Guzman/Brownlie/Sisco/Hagerty

 

Didn't you make that joke a couple hours ago? Or was that someone else.

 

Anyways..

 

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6773/murdersthrow.jpg

 

The funny part is the Apprentice Assassins part that you can barely read. I believe it reads:

Francis Beltran, Juan Cruz, Ryan Dempster, Angel Guzman, Jon Leicester, Sergio Mitre, Renyel Pinto, Felix Sanchez (?), Carlos ?, Todd Wellemeyer

Edited June 11, 2012 by UMFan83

[bukie]

Dopirak/Pie/Nic Jackson

Kelton/Montanez/Hill/Choi

Goldberg

 

Cruz/Guzman/Brownlie/Sisco/Hagerty

So, when none of that worked out, should the first response have been to question the organizational development strategy (of which there apparently was none)?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Didn't you make that joke a couple hours ago? Or was that someone else.

 

I'll keep making it until it stops being funny to me. It'll be awhile.

[jersey cubs fan]

Dopirak/Pie/Nic Jackson

Kelton/Montanez/Hill/Choi

Goldberg

 

Cruz/Guzman/Brownlie/Sisco/Hagerty

So, when none of that worked out, should the first response have been to question the organizational development strategy (of which there apparently was none)?

 

First thought should have been, "it's stupid for anybody to pencil in an entirely internally created roster a few years down the line", and then, "especially since Hendry's Cubs are terrible at developing prospects."

[PosterToBeNamedLater]

Since people got excited about prospects that didn't work out in the past, I really think we should decide as an organization to not go after good prospects anymore.

[ConstableRabbit]

Dopirak/Pie/Nic Jackson

Kelton/Montanez/Hill/Choi

Goldberg

 

Cruz/Guzman/Brownlie/Sisco/Hagerty

So, when none of that worked out, should the first response have been to question the organizational development strategy (of which there apparently was none)?

 

First thought should have been, "it's stupid for anybody to pencil in an entirely internally created roster a few years down the line", and then, "especially since Hendry's Cubs are terrible at developing prospects."

I'm actually a bit concerned about Hendry's legacy on the org. Certainly Theo/Hoyer did a lot to bring in their own guys and lay down their org. philosophy, but it's not like they've cleaned house. I worry that some old habits will die hard among the folks who are holdovers from the Hendry days. Careful monitoring/evaluation is going to be paramount, imo.

[UMFan83]

Since people got excited about prospects that didn't work out in the past, I really think we should decide as an organization to not go after good prospects anymore.

 

Right...we should only go after players that have a 100% success rate like.....FAs?

 

2016 Cubs:

Free Agent, CF

Free Agent, RF

Castro, SS

Free Agent, LF

Free Agent, 1B

Free Agent, 2B

Free Agent, C

 

Garza, SP

Samardzija, SP

Free Agent, SP

Free Agent, SP

Free Agent, SP

 

Yay that was fun.

[Clem Fandango]

Since people got excited about prospects that didn't work out in the past, I really think we should decide as an organization to not go after good prospects anymore.

 

Right...we should only go after players that have a 100% success rate like.....FAs?

 

2016 Cubs:

Free Agent, CF

Free Agent, RF

Castro, SS

Free Agent, LF

Free Agent, 1B

Free Agent, 2B

Free Agent, C

 

Garza, SP

Samardzija, SP

Free Agent, SP

Free Agent, SP

Free Agent, SP

 

Yay that was fun.

 

That's a sexy lineup

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Since people got excited about prospects that didn't work out in the past, I really think we should decide as an organization to not go after good prospects anymore.

 

We should get super excited. Just post top-XX lists and not stupid "Year+3 lineup" stuff.

[Derwood]

Hyperbole is literally the worst thing ever

[El Duderino]

Hyperbole is literally the worst thing ever

 

Awesome.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

For the other side of the coin, here's what an organization can do if it's actually good at developing players.

 

Pre-2004 BA Boston Red Sox top 10:

 

1. Hanley Ramirez, ss (25.7 career bWAR to date)

2. Brandon Moss, of (bust, but became key piece in Jason Bay/Manny Ramirez swap)

3. Jon Papelbon, rhp (16.3)

4. Jon Lester, lhp (22.7)

5. Anibal Sanchez, rhp (13.0)

6. Dustin Pedroia, ss (27.8)

7. Luis Soto, ss

8. Kelly Shoppach, c (6.9)

9. Abe Alvarez, lhp

10. Manny Delcarmen, rhp (3.5)

 

That's a pretty insane hit rate, and the guys who made that happen now run the Cubs.

[CoolHandLuke]

For the other side of the coin, here's what an organization can do if it's actually good at developing players.

 

Pre-2004 BA Boston Red Sox top 10:

 

1. Hanley Ramirez, ss (25.7 career bWAR to date)

2. Brandon Moss, of (bust, but became key piece in Jason Bay/Manny Ramirez swap)

3. Jon Papelbon, rhp (16.3)

4. Jon Lester, lhp (22.7)

5. Anibal Sanchez, rhp (13.0)

6. Dustin Pedroia, ss (27.8)

7. Luis Soto, ss

8. Kelly Shoppach, c (6.9)

9. Abe Alvarez, lhp

10. Manny Delcarmen, rhp (3.5)

 

That's a pretty insane hit rate, and the guys who made that happen now run the Cubs.

 

**disclaimer** very little research went into the following statement

 

I believe only two of those guys were acquired after Epstein was hired to be the GM (Papelbon and Pedroia).

[ChiCubsFan]

For the other side of the coin, here's what an organization can do if it's actually good at developing players.

 

Pre-2004 BA Boston Red Sox top 10:

 

1. Hanley Ramirez, ss (25.7 career bWAR to date)

2. Brandon Moss, of (bust, but became key piece in Jason Bay/Manny Ramirez swap)

3. Jon Papelbon, rhp (16.3)

4. Jon Lester, lhp (22.7)

5. Anibal Sanchez, rhp (13.0)

6. Dustin Pedroia, ss (27.8)

7. Luis Soto, ss

8. Kelly Shoppach, c (6.9)

9. Abe Alvarez, lhp

10. Manny Delcarmen, rhp (3.5)

 

That's a pretty insane hit rate, and the guys who made that happen now run the Cubs.

 

**disclaimer** very little research went into the following statement

 

I believe only two of those guys were acquired after Epstein was hired to be the GM (Papelbon and Pedroia).

 

Doesn't mean that Theo didn't indirectly have a part in their development.