Who do we trade and what do we expect in return?

[Guest]

If the offer for shark is more than his value to the team when it contends, you have to take it. This is not an elite pitcher we are talking about and he's about to turn 29. Are you going to sign a 31 year old to a long-term deal in two years? Maybe, but you have to consider that. Its not that different from Garza really just two more years until free agency. If you're not contending in that two years, what are you keeping him for?

[THISisTHEyear09]

I asked my friend that works within baseball if he thought the Cubs were done trading. He says "I highly doubt it."

 

Went on to say that he thinks Gregg is as good as gone. Also believes they like Shierholtz too much to trade him, would rather move DeJesus. He thinks they would move Samardzija for the right package (similar to what Royals gave up for Shields). Villanueva could be a deadline move for a team in need of SP.

[Guest]

If the offer for shark is more than his value to the team when it contends, you have to take it. This is not an elite pitcher we are talking about and he's about to turn 29. Are you going to sign a 31 year old to a long-term deal in two years? Maybe, but you have to consider that. Its not that different from Garza really just two more years until free agency. If you're not contending in that two years, what are you keeping him for?

 

I don't think I agree with any of the assumptions you're making here.

[Guest]

If the offer for shark is more than his value to the team when it contends, you have to take it. This is not an elite pitcher we are talking about and he's about to turn 29. Are you going to sign a 31 year old to a long-term deal in two years? Maybe, but you have to consider that. Its not that different from Garza really just two more years until free agency. If you're not contending in that two years, what are you keeping him for?

 

I don't think I agree with any of the assumptions you're making here.

 

 

What do you mean? I'm not really making assumptions just trying to see how cubs management might view it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Of course we're going to try to contend for the next two years.

[Guest]

If the offer for shark is more than his value to the team when it contends, you have to take it. This is not an elite pitcher we are talking about and he's about to turn 29. Are you going to sign a 31 year old to a long-term deal in two years? Maybe, but you have to consider that. Its not that different from Garza really just two more years until free agency. If you're not contending in that two years, what are you keeping him for?

 

I don't think I agree with any of the assumptions you're making here.

 

 

What do you mean? I'm not really making assumptions just trying to see how cubs management might view it.

 

Assumptions, implications, framing of the situation, however you want to couch it. Samardzija is an elite pitcher who while he isn't super young, has a young arm and a repertoire that doesn't lend itself to injury like many pitchers. As such he's a guy I'd be comfortable extending(especially now v. later, as the FO seems to want), and his performance, injury history, and consistency make it very different than Garza's situation.

 

Pulling the methodology from the Wood/Bundy discussion earlier, Samardzija would be worth well over 40 million in surplus value if they traded him at the deadline, plus the value of the pick they'd get from letting him go in FA. You need an extraordinary return to trade him, especially if you're trading him for pitching prospects. That means more than Skaggs and Bradley, more than Gausman and Bundy, more than Taillon and Glasnow, etc. Even moreso when you consider that the Cubs do not want to punt tens of millions of value to 2016 and beyond when guys like Bradley, Glasnow, etc. will be contribuing.

[abuck1220]

if the cubs aren't "contending" within two years, well that's just pathetic.

 

you can't just continue with a cycle of trading young, cost-controlled good players for even younger and even more cost-controlled young players. you'll never contend if you do that. at some point they have to be like "ok, we've got the bullets, time to go for it."

 

the goal is for the big league team to win a WS, not to give jim callis a boner.

[Guest]

To be fair, Bradley could be contributing in 2014.

 

However, while I'm for trading Wood for the right package, I evaluate Shark much more highly.

[Guest]

To be fair, Bradley could be contributing in 2014.

 

However, while I'm for trading Wood for the right package, I evaluate Shark much more highly.

 

I see your points, but still think you have to listen to offers. Pitchers get hurt. I don't see how you can call him elite though - he's not quite there to me.

[mookie]

Yeah, he isn't elite at all.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

There's a difference between listening to offers and listening to offers with the mindset that you won't be competing in the next two years.

[Guest]

if the cubs aren't "contending" within two years, well that's just pathetic.

 

Who the hell is going to hit in two years? Right now their foundation players are league average at best. The prospects I see at AA and AAA look pretty high risk to me, including Baez. I hope you're right Adam but I am not sure this team will be there in 2015 and certainly won't next year. Doesn't mean I would trade Shark but I would definitely consider it.

[Warpticon]

ah, there's the semantic nitpickery we were missing.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

if the cubs aren't "contending" within two years, well that's just pathetic.

 

Who the hell is going to hit in two years? Right now their foundation players are league average at best. The prospects I see at AA and AAA look pretty high risk to me, including Baez. I hope you're right Adam but I am not sure this team will be there in 2015 and certainly won't next year. Doesn't mean I would trade Shark but I would definitely consider it.

 

"Who the hell is going to hit" is pretty far down the list of concerns regarding this team's ability to contend in future seasons. Between Castro, Rizzo, Baez, Almora, Soler, Bryant, Alcantara, & Vogelbach, enough of these guys should develop into productive major league hitters that offense should not be the glaring weakness that you're making it out to be.

[sneakypower]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/90d1cd301d923287bbe0f2905415efb8/tumblr_mpojpzKJ0E1qhc47so1_500.jpg

[jersey cubs fan]

if the cubs aren't "contending" within two years, well that's just pathetic.

 

Who the hell is going to hit in two years? Right now their foundation players are league average at best. The prospects I see at AA and AAA look pretty high risk to me, including Baez. I hope you're right Adam but I am not sure this team will be there in 2015 and certainly won't next year. Doesn't mean I would trade Shark but I would definitely consider it.

 

"Who the hell is going to hit" is pretty far down the list of concerns regarding this team's ability to contend in future seasons. Between Castro, Rizzo, Baez, Almora, Soler, Bryant, Alcantara, & Vogelbach, enough of these guys should develop into productive major league hitters that offense should not be the glaring weakness that you're making it out to be.

 

They have a plethora of bats for future seasons, but it's a legit question when referring to the next 2 years. Castro and Rizzo need to get better soon, and they each should be able to take steps forward. But I don't think any of those other guys can be expected to do anything on next year's major league team, and I doubt if any other does much in 2015, with the possible exception of Bryant.

 

This team is only 9th in runs scored, 8th in OPS and 13th in OBP this year. They are 4th in SLG, but that isn't as important as OBP, and they are getting a bunch of that SLG mostly from older guys who will either being gone or probably decline.

[mookie]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/90d1cd301d923287bbe0f2905415efb8/tumblr_mpojpzKJ0E1qhc47so1_500.jpg

 

WTF!? Is that Stanton all bronzed up?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We have a lot of money to spend and have shown ourselves at being fairly adept at navigating the mid-level FA market. We'll find out who is going to hit. They don't have to already be in place.

[sneakypower]

WTF!? Is that Stanton all bronzed up?

i think that's just how he naturally looks

[abuck1220]

if the cubs aren't "contending" within two years, well that's just pathetic.

 

Who the hell is going to hit in two years?

 

if they can't figure out a way to get a good hitter or two here within TWO years, the entire front office should be fired. a 5-6 year rebuilding plan or whatever for a team with the cubs' resources is complete lunacy.

[mookie]

Losing sucks. I am still in Theo's corner, but the dude better hope we start getting better pretty damn soon because this aggression will not stand man!

[Fro]

Losing sucks. I am still in Theo's corner, but the dude better hope we start getting better pretty damn soon because this aggression will not stand man!

 

We're quite a bit better than last year already. If we would have went 7-6 against the Reds so far instead of 3-10, for instance, we'd be right in the middle of the race for the 2nd wildcard.

[Guest]

We have a lot of money to spend and have shown ourselves at being fairly adept at navigating the mid-level FA market. We'll find out who is going to hit. They don't have to already be in place.

 

And some of them are

 

To the tune of an about league average offense (8th in wOBA 9th in R) and that's WITH fairly to hugely disappointing seasons out of Rizzo and Castro.

 

I don't understand why so many people think this team is so much worse than it is. It's not bereft of talent.

[mookie]

hahaha. Good point. This team is fledgling at best. Of course we would be better if we beat the damn Reds more often.

[abuck1220]

We have a lot of money to spend and have shown ourselves at being fairly adept at navigating the mid-level FA market. We'll find out who is going to hit. They don't have to already be in place.

 

And some of them are

 

To the tune of an about league average offense (8th in wOBA 9th in R) and that's WITH fairly to hugely disappointing seasons out of Rizzo and Castro.

 

I don't understand why so many people think this team is so much worse than it is. It's not bereft of talent.

 

well before it was OMG WE'LL NEVER BE GOOD WITH SORIANO'S BURDEN OF A CONTRACT COMPLETELY DESTROYING THE TEAM, so now it has to be something else.