Manny Ramirez agrees with Athletics

[CubColtPacer]

Back on topic.

[bukie]

A team full of mediocre corner OFs is the new Moneyball.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Billy has made some strange offseason moves considering the likely direction os his team,but they're really no stranger than some of ours.

[SouthSideRyan]

A team full of mediocre corner OFs is the new Moneyball.

 

I said this when they signed their last mediocre corner OF.

 

Billy has made some strange offseason moves considering the likely direction os his team,but they're really no stranger than some of ours.

 

No.

[KingCubsFan]

Billy has made some strange offseason moves considering the likely direction os his team,but they're really no stranger than some of ours.

What exactly has been strange about our moves (except Reed Johnson)?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Billy has made some strange offseason moves considering the likely direction os his team,but they're really no stranger than some of ours.

What exactly has been strange about our moves (except Reed Johnson)?

 

Strange doesn't really mean bad, just head scratchers. Don't act like we did make a lot of moves this offseason that made you go hmm. Same goes for Billy. Say what you will about his legion of outfielders, but he got some good values with the exception of CoCo Crisp. Jusging by the direction that the A's are likely going giving Michael Taylor and Reddick full time roles, but he got Smith for next to nothing and he'll likely be the A's 3 hitter.

[jersey cubs fan]

Billy has made some strange offseason moves considering the likely direction os his team,but they're really no stranger than some of ours.

What exactly has been strange about our moves (except Reed Johnson)?

 

Weren't there two guys they acquired and then released? They let a somewhat useful guy go in the rule 5 draft for seemingly no reason. They've completely abandoned any hope for 2012 without any need for doing so. And they brought back Reed Johnson. I'd say there's been some strangeness going on around here. And they've also had the overhang of Theo compensation the entire offseason.

[KingCubsFan]

Billy has made some strange offseason moves considering the likely direction os his team,but they're really no stranger than some of ours.

What exactly has been strange about our moves (except Reed Johnson)?

 

Weren't there two guys they acquired and then released? They let a somewhat useful guy go in the rule 5 draft for seemingly no reason. They've completely abandoned any hope for 2012 without any need for doing so. And they brought back Reed Johnson. I'd say there's been some strangeness going on around here. And they've also had the overhang of Theo compensation the entire offseason.

I don't believe they were outright released, they were just dropped from the 40 man. The other moves are just moves you disagreed with. Doesn't mean they were "strange," such as making your two big signings of the offseason guys who play the same position, or acquiring a surplus of outfielders for the fun of it.

[dew1679666265]

I don't believe they were outright released, they were just dropped from the 40 man. The other moves are just moves you disagreed with. Doesn't mean they were "strange," such as making your two big signings of the offseason guys who play the same position, or acquiring a surplus of outfielders for the fun of it.

 

Letting Flaherty go for nothing in the Rule 5 draft, then signing Jeff Bianchi, then letting Bianchi go was a pretty strange series of moves. The Reed signing was also completely befuddling since there's really almost nothing good about it and now we have a glut of OFs ourselves in DeJesus, Soriano, Byrd, Campana, Reed, and Sappelt.

 

I don't think anything else has really been strange this offseason. Heck, I like pretty much every other move we've made. It's the moves we've not made that I've not liked, but that's a different conversation.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I don't believe they were outright released, they were just dropped from the 40 man. The other moves are just moves you disagreed with. Doesn't mean they were "strange," such as making your two big signings of the offseason guys who play the same position, or acquiring a surplus of outfielders for the fun of it.

 

Letting Flaherty go for nothing in the Rule 5 draft, then signing Jeff Bianchi, then letting Bianchi go was a pretty strange series of moves. The Reed signing was also completely befuddling since there's really almost nothing good about it and now we have a glut of OFs ourselves in DeJesus, Soriano, Byrd, Campana, Reed, and Sappelt.

 

I don't think anything else has really been strange this offseason. Heck, I like pretty much every other move we've made. It's the moves we've not made that I've not liked, but that's a different conversation.

 

I'm thinking that at the beginning, when we signed DeJesus they had not ye decided on the direction of the team for 2012 and beyond, but DeJesus was a great value either way so they grabbed him up. Leaving Flaherty and Gonzalez was likely because they wanted as many 40 man spots open as possible,but it's still very puzzling to me. They had like 8 open spots at the time of the rule 5 protection deadline. My guess is that the decision on the offseason plans was made when they had that sit down meeting with Bryan LaHair and he came out of it very confident. They probably told him as of now, you're our 1st baseman, although if we can get Pujols or Fielder on our terms, then you'll still have an opportunity to earn a spot at ST.

[dew1679666265]

I'm thinking that at the beginning, when we signed DeJesus they had not ye decided on the direction of the team for 2012 and beyond, but DeJesus was a great value either way so they grabbed him up. Leaving Flaherty and Gonzalez was likely because they wanted as many 40 man spots open as possible,but it's still very puzzling to me. They had like 8 open spots at the time of the rule 5 protection deadline. My guess is that the decision on the offseason plans was made when they had that sit down meeting with Bryan LaHair and he came out of it very confident. They probably told him as of now, you're our 1st baseman, although if we can get Pujols or Fielder on our terms, then you'll still have an opportunity to earn a spot at ST.

 

You see, I think it's pretty clear now that they intended to do the full rebuild from day 1. Their offers to Pujols and Prince were token at best, according to the reports, and there was no sign of any interest in Wilson. The only players they've been real interested in this offseason have been cheap vets (Corpas, Sonnanstine, DeJesus, etc) and young reclamation types (Stewart, Volstad, Wood, etc).

 

Given that, the DeJesus signing isn't the slightest bit odd even before you consider the good value. And your explanation of the Flaherty/Marwin non-protects would make sense, except they immediately signed Bianchi and put him on the 40 man. If they were trying to free up a 40 man spot, why sign a similar player immediately afterwards?

 

And if Bryan LaHair played any part in their decision to rebuild, then I will begin to really question the judgment of our front office.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'm not at all saying that LaHair had anything to do with their decision, just after that meeting with him during the Winter meetings is around the time they made the decision.

[dew1679666265]

I'm not at all saying that LaHair had anything to do with their decision, just after that meeting with him during the Winter meetings is around the time they made the decision.

 

Oh ok, I see now. I still think the decision had been made long before, but that was the first time they articulated it to LaHair (or at least articulated the part about making him the starting first baseman this year).

[Guest]

It was probably a calculated interest that clearly got overblown with high dollar and year bids from other teams.

 

They didn't make moves early on that would remove them from the Pujols or Fielder sweepstakes if the money and years seemed like a match to what they were willing to spend. It's a head scratcher, and one we may never know what Theo really had in mind with this offseason.

 

I was hoping for one of Fielder or Pujols, but certainly trust Theo's decision not to go after them aggressively. The decision to not make immediate improvements will definitely cost them the playoffs this year, most likely. I'm definitely anxious to see what players he does target as the future of the organization.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'm not at all saying that LaHair had anything to do with their decision, just after that meeting with him during the Winter meetings is around the time they made the decision.

 

Oh ok, I see now. I still think the decision had been made long before, but that was the first time they articulated it to LaHair (or at least articulated the part about making him the starting first baseman this year).

 

Personally, I think it was a bad decision. Unlike most, I think that LaHair does in fact have a shot at a short but somewhat productive career. However, not as a 1st baseman, and hopefully not ours. However, suppose that he is a legit late bloomer, and not a AAAA bum. It might have been better to let him try his luck at a corner outfield spot, where he might have a future.

 

continued LaHair monologue.

If nothing else, I stick with my original stance that we could do worse for a 25th man. He's 29 years old and under team control for what, 4-5 years? He's never going to get a big contract, so he's basically playing for annual raises. He's never going to get 10 mil, or even 5 mil, but if all goes right for him he could end up with a few 1-2 mil pay days, and while that doesn't sound like much by big league standards, to a guy who's been making minor league money for 8 years it's quite a lot. If anyone out there believes that not having a big contract causes a player to play his heart out, here's the guy with a world of incentive to do so.

 

[Hairyducked Idiot]

LaHair achieved free agency in the minor leagues. There is no long-term team control.

[SouthSideRyan]

LaHair achieved free agency in the minor leagues. There is no long-term team control.

 

What? No. Minor league free agency has nothing to do with service time, and by extension team control. LaHair is under Cubs control for 6 seasons.

[dew1679666265]

It was probably a calculated interest that clearly got overblown with high dollar and year bids from other teams.

 

They didn't make moves early on that would remove them from the Pujols or Fielder sweepstakes if the money and years seemed like a match to what they were willing to spend. It's a head scratcher, and one we may never know what Theo really had in mind with this offseason.

 

I was hoping for one of Fielder or Pujols, but certainly trust Theo's decision not to go after them aggressively. The decision to not make immediate improvements will definitely cost them the playoffs this year, most likely. I'm definitely anxious to see what players he does target as the future of the organization.

 

Going by the reports out at the time (reliability is clearly a question here), the Cubs' top offer to Pujols was something like 5 years/25 mil AAV. If that's the case, Pujols' wife said he was insulted by a similar deal from the Cards. I think we were probably in a little more seriously for Prince, but given the other moves made during the offseason I don' think the chances of landing either ever approached realistic.

[Guest]

@BrettAnderson49 Manny just asked if I was the video coordinator...our relationship can only go up from here.

[Tracer Bullet]

He probably says that to all the pitchers.

[SouthSideRyan]

@BrettAnderson49 Manny just asked if I was the video coordinator...our relationship can only go up from here.

 

@CovelliCrisp Manny just told me he played with some cereal guy back in Boston too.

[javy knows my name]

@BrettAnderson49 Manny just asked if I was the video coordinator...our relationship can only go up from here.

 

@CovelliCrisp Manny just told me he played with some cereal guy back in Boston too.

 

Omg aloof takes its Platonic form in Manny Ramirez

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

@BrettAnderson49 Manny just asked if I was the video coordinator...our relationship can only go up from here.

 

Rotfl.

[CubInOK]

@BrettAnderson49 Manny just asked if I was the video coordinator...our relationship can only go up from here.

 

@CovelliCrisp Manny just told me he played with some cereal guy back in Boston too.

 

Omg aloof takes its Platonic form in Manny Ramirez

He took lessons on people skills from Rickey Henderson.

[javy knows my name]

@BrettAnderson49 Manny just asked if I was the video coordinator...our relationship can only go up from here.

 

@CovelliCrisp Manny just told me he played with some cereal guy back in Boston too.

 

Omg aloof takes its Platonic form in Manny Ramirez

He took lessons on people skills from Rickey Henderson.

 

Manny being Rickey