Cubs Sign Andy Sonnanstine/Manny Corpas

[Guest]

I don't think Theo does things randomly/without consideration of future impacts. Maybe wait a bit, eh?

 

I think there's a whole lotta Theo koolaide being passed around.

 

Yea. He isn't deserving of the benefit of the doubt. At all.

 

Throw us some more terrible trade proposals.

[TruffleShuffle]

I don't think Theo does things randomly/without consideration of future impacts. Maybe wait a bit, eh?

 

No way let's all cry and [expletive] our pants because they're on the 40 man roster.

[Tracer Bullet]

I don't think Theo does things randomly/without consideration of future impacts. Maybe wait a bit, eh?

 

I think there's a whole lotta Theo koolaide being passed around.

 

Theo doesn't seem to get the same slack you gave Hendry.

[Guest]

Theo koolaide...give me a [expletive] break.

 

 

Yea, Theo isn't waving the big cash richard around like you (and many of us) wish because he is incompetent.

[apete6]

Theo koolaide...give me a [expletive] break.

 

 

Yea, Theo isn't waving the big cash richard around like you (and many of us) wish because he is incompetent.

 

In everyone's defense of being a bit tough on Theo, there are a few things that lead people to question him a bit more than originally thought:

 

1. The new CBA is really going to limit the impact the Cubs can have in the draft and international free agency, which were the biggest selling points on Theo. I think Theo and Co. are smart enough to find ways to game the system, but we won't know for a while.

 

2. Theo has never had a full rebuild job. He inherited a team with Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, etc. in their primes. We knew he had more work to do with the Cubs than he ever did with Boston, but didn't expect a full-on giving up for at least 1 or 2 years.

 

3. Not resigning Aramis, not signing Pujols/Fielder, trading Marshall, shopping Garza/Demp/Z/Soriano/Soto, etc... means at least 1 or 2 years of complete awfulness without any possibility of being good. Now, that is better overall for the long term future of the organization, but it is also a slap in the face to season ticket holders who have to pay no matter what or risk losing their tickets forever.

 

4. Signing awful veterans such as Corpas, Sonnanstine, Jaramillo, etc... is seemingly very Hendry-like and if there's going to be a full rebuild, why not trot some prospects out there? Hendry's biggest problem was drafting terribly, but close behind was overpaying basically everyone on the roster. Sure, the Bradley and Soriano signings were crippling, but the overpayment to guys like Grabow, Rusch, Neifi, etc... were just as indefensible. We think Theo should be a much better drafter, but the CBA could limit that, he has avoided the big contracts, but that is likely temporary, and the signing of awful veterans seemingly goes against the "build from within" mantra. I know guys like Jay Jackson, Beliveau, Castillo, Clevenger, etc.. aren't awesome, but why not find out at the major league level in a season in which you are going to suck anyway?

 

I think everyone still trusts in Theo and Co., but the grim reality is that the biggest offseason moves in a year with 2 of the 10 best offensive players in the league were out there for the taking, have been trading for an underachieving 3rd baseman and signing an outfielder whose best asset is his hot wife. These moves, or lack thereof, are kind of a cold wake-up call to fans that the Cubs really truly suck and probably will for a while. That leads to some condescending comments, lack of blind trust, etc... because, as Theo said, every year is a precious chance to win and, if his comments and actions are true, we are wasting at least 1 or 2 of his 10 years with the Cubs.

 

Is signing Andy Sonnanstine to the 40 man roster something to lose faith over? God no, but it is a reminder that your favorite team sucks donkey balls and will not even be worth tuning into outside of the 3-6 times per game Starlin Castro comes to the plate.

[Cubswin11]

CubsInsider Chicago Cubs

The #Cubs have agreed to terms with RHP Manny Corpas and LHP Andy Sonnanstine on non-guaranteed split contracts for the 2012 season.

Sonnanstine is a RHP isn't he? According to his BR page he bats left but throws right.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sonnaan01.shtml

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Yeah. He's a righty and calling his stuff "Fringey" might be overstating it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I think people are overstating how bad the 2012 Cubs are. More specifically, I think that the moves Epstein has made have been underappreciated in terms of how they impact the 2012 wins and losses (except for Ian Stewart. He sucks).

 

I've got this team at about 74 wins right while getting nothing from Go Away at 1b and Wells as the No. 5 starter.

 

Between the room for further pickups and variance/upside, I'd say we have a real chance to win 81 games in 2012.

[apete6]

I think people are overstating how bad the 2012 Cubs are. More specifically, I think that the moves Epstein has made have been underappreciated in terms of how they impact the 2012 wins and losses (except for Ian Stewart. He sucks).

 

I've got this team at about 74 wins right while getting nothing from Go Away at 1b and Wells as the No. 5 starter.

 

Between the room for further pickups and variance/upside, I'd say we have a real chance to win 81 games in 2012.

 

That's before trading Garza, Marmol, Soto, and possibly Soriano & Dempster without receiving anyone who will likely contribute anything to the major league roster in 2012.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I think people are overstating how bad the 2012 Cubs are. More specifically, I think that the moves Epstein has made have been underappreciated in terms of how they impact the 2012 wins and losses (except for Ian Stewart. He sucks).

 

I've got this team at about 74 wins right while getting nothing from Go Away at 1b and Wells as the No. 5 starter.

 

Between the room for further pickups and variance/upside, I'd say we have a real chance to win 81 games in 2012.

 

That's before trading Garza, Marmol, Soto, and possibly Soriano & Dempster without receiving anyone who will likely contribute anything to the major league roster in 2012.

 

Possibly. But we flipped Marshall for two players who could significantly contribute in 2012, so Epstein has earned a little faith from me in that regard.

[apete6]

I think people are overstating how bad the 2012 Cubs are. More specifically, I think that the moves Epstein has made have been underappreciated in terms of how they impact the 2012 wins and losses (except for Ian Stewart. He sucks).

 

I've got this team at about 74 wins right while getting nothing from Go Away at 1b and Wells as the No. 5 starter.

 

Between the room for further pickups and variance/upside, I'd say we have a real chance to win 81 games in 2012.

 

That's before trading Garza, Marmol, Soto, and possibly Soriano & Dempster without receiving anyone who will likely contribute anything to the major league roster in 2012.

 

Possibly. But we flipped Marshall for two players who could significantly contribute in 2012, so Epstein has earned a little faith from me in that regard.

 

Fair enough. If we can get the same relative haul that Marshall brought back for Garza (let's say a current 3 starter and starting OFer) and/or Marmol (say a current 4/5 starter and cheap utility guy), then they could be decent.

 

Either way, the best thing about the whole thing is that the slate is essentially clear for the future. No contracts past 2014 and only 1 or 2 significant ones for next year as of now. This team will be all Theo's soon, for better or worse.

[CUBZ99]

Any word on cost of the contracts? I thought I heard that Corpas signed for $1MM base with $700-900K in incentives. Maybe Theo is betting that he is a good candidate to rebound and that he will be tradeable at the deadline.

[Conky]

I think people are overstating how bad the 2012 Cubs are. More specifically, I think that the moves Epstein has made have been underappreciated in terms of how they impact the 2012 wins and losses (except for Ian Stewart. He sucks).

 

I've got this team at about 74 wins right while getting nothing from Go Away at 1b and Wells as the No. 5 starter.

 

Between the room for further pickups and variance/upside, I'd say we have a real chance to win 81 games in 2012.

 

That's before trading Garza, Marmol, Soto, and possibly Soriano & Dempster without receiving anyone who will likely contribute anything to the major league roster in 2012.

 

Possibly. But we flipped Marshall for two players who could significantly contribute in 2012, so Epstein has earned a little faith from me in that regard.

 

Fair enough. If we can get the same relative haul that Marshall brought back for Garza (let's say a current 3 starter and starting OFer) and/or Marmol (say a current 4/5 starter and cheap utility guy), then they could be decent.

 

Either way, the best thing about the whole thing is that the slate is essentially clear for the future. No contracts past 2014 and only 1 or 2 significant ones for next year as of now. This team will be all Theo's soon, for better or worse.

 

Why is it so hard for some people to understand that the team was never going to win by building around the pieces that were in place? A complete overhaul is EXACTLY what was called for here. You have a veritable dream-team of front office minds assembled on YOUR TEAM now. It is cliche, but at the time of the Theo/ Hoyer signings, many said that Cub fans would not know how to react to having the best and brightest running their team.

 

It was said that Cubs fans would not know how to react to actually being good. We're seeing that play out here already with doomsayers and ne're-do-wells popping up to criticize and over-analyze every trivial signing or move that isn't made. In two years no one is going to look at the state of the franchise and start bitching about how they got there. Pop a cold one and enjoy watching the process of building a baseball power to be reckoned with.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Any word on cost of the contracts? I thought I heard that Corpas signed for $1MM base with $700-900K in incentives. Maybe Theo is betting that he is a good candidate to rebound and that he will be tradeable at the deadline.

 

Manny Corpas had one lights out year in 2007. Other than that he was below average at best. We'd do just as well to give Joe Borowskie a call.

[Abe Frohman]

I'm actually pretty excited about the moves being made. I know something bigger is yet to come. There is no reason to think that Theo/Hoyer are going to tank this thing, and my faith in Swiss Family Ricketts is restored after an UGLY 2011 season. The only way to go is up, and I can see moves that are intelligent. Well, some of them - at least.

 

Something good is coming. I think Theo/Hoyer are positioning themselves for Fielder, with perhaps plan B being Rizzo. Either way, they are not seeming to be letting Boras play them. We shall see.

[Guest]

Any word on cost of the contracts? I thought I heard that Corpas signed for $1MM base with $700-900K in incentives. Maybe Theo is betting that he is a good candidate to rebound and that he will be tradeable at the deadline.

 

Manny Corpas had one lights out year in 2007. Other than that he was below average at best. We'd do just as well to give Joe Borowskie a call.

 

Knowing how to spell a player's name is pretty crucial if you're going to make a flippant reference to a reliever from long ago.

 

 

The only real difference in Corpas from 2007 and the rest of his career was his ground ball rate, which coincided with the highest usage and velocity of his fastball(his slider is his only other pitch). If his velocity can return to routinely hitting 92-93, it looks like there's little besides coaching keeping him from the effectiveness of 2007.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Any word on cost of the contracts? I thought I heard that Corpas signed for $1MM base with $700-900K in incentives. Maybe Theo is betting that he is a good candidate to rebound and that he will be tradeable at the deadline.

 

Manny Corpas had one lights out year in 2007. Other than that he was below average at best. We'd do just as well to give Joe Borowskie a call.

 

Knowing how to spell a player's name is pretty crucial if you're going to make a flippant reference to a reliever from long ago.

 

 

I think everyone had a pretty good idea who I was talking a out. It wasn't that long ago. It's not like I was referencing Frank DiPino.

[SouthSideRyan]

Dapeeno

[Abe Frohman]

Or Ryan Sandberg.

[KingCubsFan]

I think people are overstating how bad the 2012 Cubs are. More specifically, I think that the moves Epstein has made have been underappreciated in terms of how they impact the 2012 wins and losses (except for Ian Stewart. He sucks).

 

I've got this team at about 74 wins right while getting nothing from Go Away at 1b and Wells as the No. 5 starter.

 

Between the room for further pickups and variance/upside, I'd say we have a real chance to win 81 games in 2012.

If 81 games is the upside, I'd rather they just lose 100.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I think people are overstating how bad the 2012 Cubs are. More specifically, I think that the moves Epstein has made have been underappreciated in terms of how they impact the 2012 wins and losses (except for Ian Stewart. He sucks).

 

I've got this team at about 74 wins right while getting nothing from Go Away at 1b and Wells as the No. 5 starter.

 

Between the room for further pickups and variance/upside, I'd say we have a real chance to win 81 games in 2012.

If 81 games is the upside, I'd rather they just lose 100.

 

The slight increase in draft position <<<< the torched revenue from a 100-loss season.

[davell]

I think the key here to Theo is the state of the farm system. And I do think that, even though he'd never say it, having high draft picks in back to back drafts is very appealing to him. We've currently got the 6th, 43rd, 58th, and 65th picks this year, assuming we don't resign Pena. Another year of a top 5ish pick and a second rounder around 40 or so, coupled with a ton of IFA before the new CBA takes effect could easily give us a system that's consensus top 5, especially since the strength of ours currently is high upside guys in the lower levels. It'd give us tons of flexibility moving forward. Whether we'd be using guys as trade bait or them filling in holes we have and allowing the big FA signings.

[TruffleShuffle]

i think the idea of top 5 draft picks in consecutive years matters less to him than taking on big contracts that might hamper the team financially down the road. the cubs are pretty bereft of major league talent and the goal is to increase the talent throughout the organization without paying big contracts to numerous players.

[ScrubMD]

I think the key here to Theo is the state of the farm system. And I do think that, even though he'd never say it, having high draft picks in back to back drafts is very appealing to him. We've currently got the 6th, 43rd, 58th, and 65th picks this year, assuming we don't resign Pena. Another year of a top 5ish pick and a second rounder around 40 or so, coupled with a ton of IFA before the new CBA takes effect could easily give us a system that's consensus top 5, especially since the strength of ours currently is high upside guys in the lower levels. It'd give us tons of flexibility moving forward. Whether we'd be using guys as trade bait or them filling in holes we have and allowing the big FA signings.

 

Read the post above yours. With how unpredictable draft picks are in baseball, it would be insane to intentionally suck to move up a few spots.