Theo is on W&S right now

[Backtobanks]

I'd love to have either of those guys, but I honestly doubt we make bigtime FA pickups until we KNOW we have lots more currently in place than what we do. I'm not saying it's even how I'd go about it, but with the extremely few "sure things" we have right now, I doubt our FO has a totally clear timetable on exactly when we will be close to contending. I guess we'll know more if Garza is dealt.

 

My problem with the FO is exactly that - what the expected timeline to be close to contending (or actually a contender) actually is. When Theo signed a 5-year contract, I expected a serious contending team within 3-4 years. Now it seems we're talking about waiting until 2016 to see whether our prospects actually can play at the ML level. Rizzo and Soler look like "sure things", but everybody else is a maybe. Hopefully some of these trades (Garza, Dempster, Soriano, etc.) will bring young players that have some ML experience and success so that we can plug them in this year. More 20-year old prospects strengthens the minor league system and increases the chances that some minor leaguers will eventually help the team, but we need to start filling holes in 2013 and not in 2017.

[Guest]

I'd love to have either of those guys, but I honestly doubt we make bigtime FA pickups until we KNOW we have lots more currently in place than what we do. I'm not saying it's even how I'd go about it, but with the extremely few "sure things" we have right now, I doubt our FO has a totally clear timetable on exactly when we will be close to contending. I guess we'll know more if Garza is dealt.

 

My problem with the FO is exactly that - what the expected timeline to be close to contending (or actually a contender) actually is. When Theo signed a 5-year contract, I expected a serious contending team within 3-4 years. Now it seems we're talking about waiting until 2016 to see whether our prospects actually can play at the ML level. Rizzo and Soler look like "sure things", but everybody else is a maybe. Hopefully some of these trades (Garza, Dempster, Soriano, etc.) will bring young players that have some ML experience and success so that we can plug them in this year. More 20-year old prospects strengthens the minor league system and increases the chances that some minor leaguers will eventually help the team, but we need to start filling holes in 2013 and not in 2017.

 

I can't imagine why you'd see Soler as any more of a sure thing than Baez or Almora. He's in the same general category as those guys.

[MSG T]

I'd love to have either of those guys, but I honestly doubt we make bigtime FA pickups until we KNOW we have lots more currently in place than what we do. I'm not saying it's even how I'd go about it, but with the extremely few "sure things" we have right now, I doubt our FO has a totally clear timetable on exactly when we will be close to contending. I guess we'll know more if Garza is dealt.

 

My problem with the FO is exactly that - what the expected timeline to be close to contending (or actually a contender) actually is. When Theo signed a 5-year contract, I expected a serious contending team within 3-4 years. Now it seems we're talking about waiting until 2016 to see whether our prospects actually can play at the ML level. Rizzo and Soler look like "sure things", but everybody else is a maybe. Hopefully some of these trades (Garza, Dempster, Soriano, etc.) will bring young players that have some ML experience and success so that we can plug them in this year. More 20-year old prospects strengthens the minor league system and increases the chances that some minor leaguers will eventually help the team, but we need to start filling holes in 2013 and not in 2017.

 

 

You really think they won't a single top pitcher/player for 4-5 more years? They won't wait until all of their current 20 year olds are proven in the majors before signing FAs, but they do need to acquire some more young talent. I'd bet they are improved next year and competitive by 2014.

[Backtobanks]

I'd love to have either of those guys, but I honestly doubt we make bigtime FA pickups until we KNOW we have lots more currently in place than what we do. I'm not saying it's even how I'd go about it, but with the extremely few "sure things" we have right now, I doubt our FO has a totally clear timetable on exactly when we will be close to contending. I guess we'll know more if Garza is dealt.

 

My problem with the FO is exactly that - what the expected timeline to be close to contending (or actually a contender) actually is. When Theo signed a 5-year contract, I expected a serious contending team within 3-4 years. Now it seems we're talking about waiting until 2016 to see whether our prospects actually can play at the ML level. Rizzo and Soler look like "sure things", but everybody else is a maybe. Hopefully some of these trades (Garza, Dempster, Soriano, etc.) will bring young players that have some ML experience and success so that we can plug them in this year. More 20-year old prospects strengthens the minor league system and increases the chances that some minor leaguers will eventually help the team, but we need to start filling holes in 2013 and not in 2017.

 

 

You really think they won't a single top pitcher/player for 4-5 more years? They won't wait until all of their current 20 year olds are proven in the majors before signing FAs, but they do need to acquire some more young talent. I'd bet they are improved next year and competitive by 2014.

 

Let's hope they're improved next year considering we're on course for 100+ losses this year. If you're really looking at their best prospects (Soler, Baez, Almora,etc.) to begin making the roster at ML level, you're looking at 2015. Giving them a year or two to adjust puts you into the 2016-2017 range. I'm not saying the FO won't sign a single top pitcher/player for 4-5 more years, but you won't know whether these guys can make an impact for 4-5 years.