Cubs sign Scott Baker to 1 year deal

[haubrich91]

‏@CSNMooney

 

#Cubs sign Scott Baker to one-year deal.

 

@CSNMooney

 

Source says Scott Baker gets a one-year, $5.5 million deal from #Cubs with incentives that could be worth up to additional $1.5 million.

Edited November 13, 2012 by haubrich91

[SouthSideRyan]

[expletive] you.

[Post Count Padder]

Interesting low-risk move. If he's fully healthy, it could be a great bargain. From 2007-2011 his fWAR was no lower than a 2.6.

[bcl412]

I kind of feel like I did when we signed Maholm last year. Not bad, I'm not excited about it, but not bad for attempting to get cheap talent.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The peripherals are really pretty except he's an extreme fly ball pitcher. Looks very good to me, but we need about 3 guys like him in order to feel reasonably confident of filling out two rotation spots.

[Guest]

Would be nice if he has an option year like Maholm did.

 

Nice signing, either way.

[haubrich91]

@CSNMooney

 

Source says Scott Baker gets a one-year, $5.5 million deal from #Cubs with incentives that could be worth up to additional $1.5 million.

[SouthSideRyan]

To elaborate on my "[expletive] you." That's an ok deal, but it's a troubling sign about how many seasons we're going to punt.

[ctcf]

I dig it.

[Thed Hoyerstein]

Is there a timetable for him to be ready to face ML hitters? If I recall correctly, he had TJS in April or May.

 

 

Also, this marks my first post on NSBB. Here's a :hello: for the standing ovation from all of you.

[rocket]

A good low risk gamble on getting decent production out of him and flipping him for a prospect at the deadline. I guess this is how we have to do things for a while.

[Guest]

Now hopefully we can get McCarthy and Liriano to accept and go with...

 

Samardzija, Garza, McCarthy, Baker, Liriano

 

That's not bad at all.

[tfarks]

Would be nice if he has an option year like Maholm did.

 

Nice signing, either way.

 

Pretty much this. Might not be ready by opening day and could easily struggle for quite a while. My hopes aren't very high on his trade value for the 2013 deadline. Of course we have to roll with the health concerns these days.

[sneakypower]

called it

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=61440&p=2853061#p2853061

 

pitching is going to be completely rebuilt; i can see Baker, Villanueva, Liriano, A. Sanchez, Floyd as targets

[Tryptamine]

I don't see this one as a flip at the deadline. I see this deal as an audition where if Baker pitches well the Cubs extend him. Given how unlikely it is that a guy coming off TJS is going to pitch well in the 1st half, that's the impression I get.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Like Liriano, if Baker is starting pitcher 2 of 2 for the offseason, I'm happy with it. If our 2 SP additions are Baker and Liriano, not so much.

[KingCubsFan]

I don't see this one as a flip at the deadline. I see this deal as an audition where if Baker pitches well the Cubs extend him. Given how unlikely it is that a guy coming off TJS is going to pitch well in the 1st half, that's the impression I get.

I highly doubt that. You think we'll give a 32 year-old with his injury history an extension?

[jersey cubs fan]

Ideally when signing one of these rehabbers you build yourself in a reward with a cheapish option in exchange for what is a pretty sizable guarantee to a guy who is going to be a major question on opening day.

[hankp101]

Paired with someone from the Marcum/McCarthy/Jackson tier and maybe a bargain bin flier (Stauffer?) for depth this'd be a solid add.

[toonsterwu]

Very nice gamble. Would've been nice if we could've gotten some sort of 2nd year option on this, but this is fine. If he struggles, then well, we had extra money to spare and needed guys to fill rotation spots. If he finds his form, he's a decent mid-rotation type arm that we can flip for something.

[toonsterwu]

To elaborate on my "[expletive] you." That's an ok deal, but it's a troubling sign about how many seasons we're going to punt.

 

I tend to think, as of now, that 2015 is probably the most realistic year to begin to make a push. The short of it is, barring some surprises, there just aren't many pieces that we are going to add to the core of Castro/Rizzo in the next year or two. At best, it feels like maybe an piece or two will develop into capable starters, but there just isn't much that we are adding to the core to build around. Thankfully, Castro/Rizzo are young enough that we can take that time. Most of our prime prospects are a few years away, and it's not like we have a ton of assets to bring in a lot of upper level, closer to ready quality talent.

 

I'm not enthused about it. I can understand it, and I'm okay "punting" 2013. I don't know if the general fan base can take 3 years of horrid play, though.

[Tryptamine]

I don't see this one as a flip at the deadline. I see this deal as an audition where if Baker pitches well the Cubs extend him. Given how unlikely it is that a guy coming off TJS is going to pitch well in the 1st half, that's the impression I get.

I highly doubt that. You think we'll give a 32 year-old with his injury history an extension?

 

I don't think giving him 2-3 years after this year would be all that unrealistic. I mean it's unrealistic to expect him to pitch particularly well before the trade deadline coming off his surgery, so banking on that to make him a worthwhile trade target doesn't make much sense.

[jersey cubs fan]

To elaborate on my "[expletive] you." That's an ok deal, but it's a troubling sign about how many seasons we're going to punt.

 

I tend to think, as of now, that 2015 is probably the most realistic year to begin to make a push. The short of it is, barring some surprises, there just aren't many pieces that we are going to add to the core of Castro/Rizzo in the next year or two. At best, it feels like maybe an piece or two will develop into capable starters, but there just isn't much that we are adding to the core to build around. Thankfully, Castro/Rizzo are young enough that we can take that time. Most of our prime prospects are a few years away, and it's not like we have a ton of assets to bring in a lot of upper level, closer to ready quality talent.

 

I'm not enthused about it. I can understand it, and I'm okay "punting" 2013. I don't know if the general fan base can take 3 years of horrid play, though.

 

we're at 3 years of pretty bad already.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

To elaborate on my "[expletive] you." That's an ok deal, but it's a troubling sign about how many seasons we're going to punt.

 

That's a little premature. I mean, it's probably true, but Baker's signing doesn't make that any more or less likely.

[XZero771679666304]

Here's a SP to flip, now we need one to keep.