Cubs after Anibal Sanchez? (Signs with Tiger 5/$80mil)

[nilodnayr]

I think it doesn't make sense to sign a guy you don't really want to a longer deal simply because he's all that's left. Jackson would be an upgrade but if it's more than a year or two, at big money there should be better options later. I guess it just depends on what they have to pay and how long for it to make sense. It's easy to say just pay when it's not your money.

 

I'm not saying I'm totally against it. I am saying that if he isn't in the long term plans (like Sanchez seemed to be) then it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend a lot and for a lot of years to get someone to help us be slightly better this and maybe next before we get who we really want.

When odds are we are going to cut loose Garza at some point, (and hopefully others) why sign a guy you don't want long term to a 4 year deal and overspend to get him here.

 

The long-term cannot be the only focus. If you want him here for 4 years, or think you can trade him in 2-3 years, then sign him to a 4-year contract if that is what it takes. You cannot only work in the ideal. Maybe you wanted other people more, but if you aren't willing to spend on them you have to settle for your third or fourth option. You have to field a team.

 

I think we can all agree that the primary focus of any transaction is the impact in 2015-2016, however, it can't/shouldn't be discounted that constructing a roughly .500 team in 2013-2014 could put a playoff appearance within our MOE in the next couple of years. Given that, while Sanchez has the talent and his peripherals are trending in the right direction (and hes a young FA), is he the right guy? His comments about his pain and scar tissue make me wonder if he has a greater chance of being injured by the time the cubs get to their prime competing years than Jackson or holding onto the money. Theres certainly a risk of holding onto your money if it ends up that theres no one to give it to, but you've eliminated the injury risk of investing in a pitcher now.

[abuck1220]

I think we can all agree that the primary focus of any transaction is the impact in 2015-2016,

 

i am not agreeing to that at all. my goodness, some people act like the entire franchise died in a plane crash and we literally have to start over with nothing. this is a baseball team with huge resources. it is not acceptable to just punt FIVE seasons of baseball.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think we can all agree that the primary focus of any transaction is the impact in 2015-2016,

 

i am not agreeing to that at all. my goodness, some people act like the entire franchise died in a plane crash and we literally have to start over with nothing. this is a baseball team with huge resources. it is not acceptable to just punt FIVE seasons of baseball.

 

I agree that I am not in agreement with that completely unnecessarily conservative focus.

[SouthSideRyan]

The 2003 Detroit Tigers went 43-119, had the 22nd ranked farm system heading into the next year, and won 95 games in 2006.

[illiniguy]

The 2003 Detroit Tigers went 43-119, had the 22nd ranked farm system heading into the next year, and won 95 games in 2006.

So you're saying we have to draft an ace next year with that top pick and then trade rape the marlins for a stud, in this case Stanton. Done.

[SABR Gamer]

The 2003 Detroit Tigers went 43-119, had the 22nd ranked farm system heading into the next year, and won 95 games in 2006.

So you're saying we have to draft an ace next year with that top pick and then trade rape the marlins for a stud, in this case Stanton. Done.

 

Cabrera wasn't on the Tigers in 06.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

2005 Tigers finished 71-91. They probably should have dismantled the team and hibernated for three or four years.

[SouthSideRyan]

On the other hand look at all that wasted money they spent in '04 and '05.

[illiniguy]

The 2003 Detroit Tigers went 43-119, had the 22nd ranked farm system heading into the next year, and won 95 games in 2006.

So you're saying we have to draft an ace next year with that top pick and then trade rape the marlins for a stud, in this case Stanton. Done.

 

Cabrera wasn't on the Tigers in 06.

True, but he was the big reason they sustained the success. Which I'd like to do. I don't want another one year run. I want a team built for a 5 to 8 year run.

[Backtobanks]

My biggest concern is that when it comes time to spend and make big trades, we may be disappointed again. When the discussion about hiring Theo happened, I posted that many posters were acting like all of the other teams were going roll over and let Theo sign or trade for whoever he wanted. With all of the TV money floating around, there's going to be a lot of teams overspending in 2014-2015 on FAs. Also, names like Stanton, Price, Felix, etc. as trade bit are going to have a lot of GMs lined up to acquire them.

Good point but I'd rather have them looking spend the money on who they really want instead of hendry spending money on whoever is there. It's also another reason that we have to build up our entire system. We have to have prospects to build, and prospects to deal for guys others that are not yet free agents.

If we go back to just trying to buy a team and spend like a drunken sailor, we can compete pretty quickly but for how long and a what cost. This is the most proven front office we have had since dallas green, they won't sign everyone the set out for but we have to believe they will put their best effort out there.

right now if you look at sanchez, Cubs or tigers..really? chance to win a lot vs being 2-3 years away.

 

I agree, but again our best prospects are under 21 and in the low minors. Hopefully (but not likely) they all reach the potential we see in them. As for "spending money on whoever is there", that's what GMs do if they don't get the FA they wanted. So if Theo loses 1-2 of the players he really wants to some other team in 2014 or 2015, he will be forced to buy whoever is there. He has a good plan, but it all goes down the tubes pretty quickly if some of these prospects don't make it.

[CUBZ99]

I think we can all agree that the primary focus of any transaction is the impact in 2015-2016,

 

i am not agreeing to that at all. my goodness, some people act like the entire franchise died in a plane crash and we literally have to start over with nothing. this is a baseball team with huge resources. it is not acceptable to just punt FIVE seasons of baseball.

 

I agree. With the Cubs resources there is absolutely no excuse for forfeiting several seasons.

[Elrhino]

Looking ahead at next year's FA market, there is no reason to believe the Cubs won't be utterly putrid in 2014 as well. Theo is setting the bar pretty high for himself. 2015 better be pretty damn special payoff for knowingly and actively putting complete and utter garbage on the field and pocketing huge profit margins for 3-4 seasons.

[bsucubsfan]

Looking ahead at next year's FA market, there is no reason to believe the Cubs won't be utterly putrid in 2014 as well. Theo is setting the bar pretty high for himself. 2015 better be pretty damn special payoff for knowingly and actively putting complete and utter garbage on the field and pocketing huge profit margins for 3-4 seasons.

 

Garza will get somewhere in between sanchez and greinke.. But he also cost the cubs prospects to receive him. My guess is the deal that was done the day he was hurt will be rekindled in some form and bring Mike Olt here to be our 3rd baseman of the future.

 

Trade Candidates: Garza, Dejesus, Soriano, Marmol, Fujikawa, Feldman, Baker, Barney, Clevenger, and any of our bullpen arms. keep in mind Paul Maholm brought back Arodys Vizcaino. A healthy Garza, Feldman, Baker could bring a small fortune back if they pitch well.

 

If Theo had gotten Sanchez without giving up prospects, then he would have had zero drop off while gaining tons of assets in the process by trading off movable parts in the process.

 

Theo plan: Gain assets (ammo) to move for core players. So he can make Rizzo type moves more often.

 

possible 2014 Free Agents targets : Ellsbury, Cano, Lincecum, Johnson, Granderson... not a bad group to find a core player from

[abuck1220]

yeah I can see a 90 loss cub team outbidding the yankees for cano. lets bank on that.

[huff]

yeah I can see a 90 loss cub team outbidding the yankees for cano. lets bank on that.

yea..for all the talk about the yankees and being "fiscally responsible" i would be shocked if they didnt back up the brinks truck and make him a very wealthy Yankee for life.

[Sammy Sofa]

One of the main things that bug me about what has been going on is that it potentially undercuts a lot of the desire to spend smarter. Maybe Sanchez never had any intention of playing for anyone else unless the offered deal blew everyone else out of the water, but you have to think that having a bad team impacts plans to be fiscally sound. Odds are you're not only going to have to really good/great FA more money to come here, but you'll have to do with the same with just good/useful players, too. You basically force yourself to have to spend even more money by being bad unless you luck out and have a bunch of prospects break through. Edited December 15, 2012 by Sammy Sofa

[SouthSideRyan]

Those guys will all reach free agency too and two months of Scott Feldman its worth more than a year and 2 months of maholm

[danonwaveland]

While this doesn't apply to 2013, I think Wainwright is a FA after next season. He'll command big bucks and may price himself out of St. Louis. Maybe save some bucks for next offseason.

[davell]

If we can get Jackson this offseason, we can compete in 2014. Would like to add a legit longterm CF, but I'm not opposed to giving Brett the second half to see if he can be it. At this point, I fully expect we'll be trading our asses off next offseason and if you add David Price and Justin Upton(doubt we'd have enough for Price and Stanton), we can contend without splashing bigtime in a weak 2014 class.

[Guest]

still don't understand how anyone can be mad at the front office for this. they made him an offer on the very high end of what he's worth, and then theo himseld flew to miami to meet him face to face. what more could they have done?

[Magnetic Curses]

[expletive] depressing. everything has to be a tease.

[Magnetic Curses]

still don't understand how anyone can be mad at the front office for this. they made him an offer on the very high end of what he's worth, and then theo himseld flew to miami to meet him face to face. what more could they have done?

 

i'm not mad at the front office, just disappointed that both haren and sanchez were supposed to be cubs and now we have neither. i'm pretty bummed about the whole thing.

[Guest]

it's kind of disappointing, but it's hard for me to be too upset over those 2 guys. haren is pointless to even talk about since the cubs are the ones who decided he wasn't worth trading a reliever for, and anibal sanchez is kind of scary also.

[Sammy Sofa]

still don't understand how anyone can be mad at the front office for this. they made him an offer on the very high end of what he's worth, and then theo himseld flew to miami to meet him face to face. what more could they have done?

 

I'm not mad; I'm just disappointed with things. In no way do I think the FO is a bust or that things are hopeless, but I'm not happy that they've put themselves in a position that I think will cost them both in who can they sign and how much they'll need to spend.

[Magnetic Curses]

the cubs may have to overspend to get players like sanchez