2013-14 International Free Agency Thread

[imb]

So Jose Abreu, he of the nearly 2.000 OPS cuban baseball season, has defected according to Jonah Keri. I haven't seen any numbers on him since that bizarre 2010 or 2011 season or whatever it was. Is he still megahyped?

[Guest]

So Jose Abreu, he of the nearly 2.000 OPS cuban baseball season, has defected according to Jonah Keri. I haven't seen any numbers on him since that bizarre 2010 or 2011 season or whatever it was. Is he still megahyped?

 

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2013/1/17/3884810/jose-abreu-cuba-baseball-stats

 

He also had 3 HR and a 1.145 OPS in 25 ABs in the WBC this year.

[imb]

So Jose Abreu, he of the nearly 2.000 OPS cuban baseball season, has defected according to Jonah Keri. I haven't seen any numbers on him since that bizarre 2010 or 2011 season or whatever it was. Is he still megahyped?

 

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2013/1/17/3884810/jose-abreu-cuba-baseball-stats

 

He also had 3 HR and a 1.145 OPS in 25 ABs in the WBC this year.

 

http://www.whiteboardbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rod_tidwell.jpg

[ctcf]

Give that man all of the dollars.

[Sammy Sofa]

Substitute "every money" for "everyone:"

 

[TruffleShuffle]

http://i.qkme.me/3r2aws.jpg

[ctcf]

Brett Taylor of BN believes the Cubs won't be in on Abreu due to his being a 1B.

[UMFan83]

Brett Taylor of BN believes the Cubs won't be in on Abreu due to his being a 1B.

 

That sucks, I don't see the problem with having a surplus of talent, but I guess with finite resources it makes sense to not overload at a position you have a 'cornerstone' signed to a long term deal already.

[jersey cubs fan]

Brett Taylor of BN believes the Cubs won't be in on Abreu due to his being a 1B.

 

That sucks, I don't see the problem with having a surplus of talent, but I guess with finite resources it makes sense to not overload at a position you have a 'cornerstone' signed to a long term deal already.

 

It's also the position where you are that, or nothing. You generally don't shift 1B around the field. Having 2 of pretty much everything else is manageable.

[Guest]

Brett Taylor of BN believes the Cubs won't be in on Abreu due to his being a 1B.

 

That sucks, I don't see the problem with having a surplus of talent, but I guess with finite resources it makes sense to not overload at a position you have a 'cornerstone' signed to a long term deal already.

 

It's also the position where you are that, or nothing. You generally don't shift 1B around the field. Having 2 of pretty much everything else is manageable.

 

Yeah, that's the biggest problem. In the NL, there's nowhere else on the defensive spectrum Rizzo or Abreu could shift down to.

[Guest]

Brett Taylor of BN believes the Cubs won't be in on Abreu due to his being a 1B.

 

That sucks, I don't see the problem with having a surplus of talent, but I guess with finite resources it makes sense to not overload at a position you have a 'cornerstone' signed to a long term deal already.

 

It's also the position where you are that, or nothing. You generally don't shift 1B around the field. Having 2 of pretty much everything else is manageable.

 

Yeah, that's the biggest problem. In the NL, there's nowhere else on the defensive spectrum Rizzo or Abreu could shift down to.

 

People are suggesting moving Rizzo to LF, but then you're downgrading two spots defensively, including severely at 1B and taking one of Rizzo's biggest strengths away from him.

 

The only way to work it out would be to trade Rizzo if you can get fair value for him. All things considered, I think that'd be hard to do.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I like defense, but I'm willing to downgrade two positions defensively if the bat is good enough.

[jersey cubs fan]

I like defense, but I'm willing to downgrade two positions defensively if the bat is good enough.

 

That is a big if. How does Rizzo's bat rate as a mediocre at best defensive LF?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I like defense, but I'm willing to downgrade two positions defensively if the bat is good enough.

 

That is a big if. How does Rizzo's bat rate as a mediocre at best defensive LF?

 

He's a +12/150 defensive 1b, and he would lose that but gain about +5 runs in value for playing a tougher position.

 

I think it's at least strongly possible that the improvement from Abreu to our other LF options would outweigh that loss.

[Guest]

I like defense, but I'm willing to downgrade two positions defensively if the bat is good enough.

 

That is a big if. How does Rizzo's bat rate as a mediocre at best defensive LF?

 

He's a +12/150 defensive 1b, and he would lose that but gain about +5 runs in value for playing a tougher position.

 

I think it's at least strongly possible that the improvement from Abreu to our other LF options would outweigh that loss.

 

I think it's pretty unlikely, especially given the cost involved.

 

For a similar amount of money, I bet we could get a LF that would provide more of an overall gain and with much more certainty.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Who?

 

The FA market sucks. Abreu is one of a very small number of palatable options, and his age negates at least part of the concerns when compared with the age of all the available FAs.

[Guest]

Who?

 

The FA market sucks. Abreu is one of a very small number of palatable options, and his age negates at least part of the concerns when compared with the age of all the available FAs.

 

Choo and Ellsbury, easily.

 

 

If Abreu even costs 2/3 as much as either one of them, I take both of them without thinking twice.

[Guest]

hell, maybe even Nelson Cruz in LF and Rizzo at 1B trumps Rizzo in LF and Abreu at 1B, and probably for less money.

[KingCubsFan]

I like defense, but I'm willing to downgrade two positions defensively if the bat is good enough.

Especially when those two positions are left field and first base. But I'd still just rather sign Choo.

[Guest]

I like defense, but I'm willing to downgrade two positions defensively if the bat is good enough.

Especially when those two positions are left field and first base. But I'd still just rather sign Choo.

 

I'm not sure it matters that much what position it is when you're downgrading from Rizzo at 1B to likely awful. That's a massive swing.

[KingCubsFan]

I like defense, but I'm willing to downgrade two positions defensively if the bat is good enough.

Especially when those two positions are left field and first base. But I'd still just rather sign Choo.

 

I'm not sure it matters that much what position it is when you're downgrading from Rizzo at 1B to likely awful. That's a massive swing.

It's first base. It's the easiest position to play in the game. And I don't even know how one could properly measure that "massive swing." Defensive metrics are all over the place for first base.

[SouthSideRyan]

We wouldn't be having this problem if we just moved Soriano to 1B.

[Guest]

@BruceMiles2112 #Cubs confirm signing of RHP Jen-Ho Tseng out of Taiwan. Bonus said to be $1.625 million

[davell]

Quote from Theo in a Wittenmyer article, he says that trading for IFA space WAS to save money off the penalties. We are a mid market team officially.

[davell]

Anraku Watch: Coming out for the 10th inning, about to throw his 300th pitch in 3 days.