2014 Roster Discussion

[davell]

It was Levine, but in his Girardi article, he says the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell. If true, what in the hell kind of contract did this dumbass sign?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It was Levine, but in his Girardi article, he says the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell. If true, what in the hell kind of contract did this dumbass sign?

 

A tax avoidy one with little regard for the team itself.

[davell]

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=chicagocubs&id=20263&city=chicago&src=desktop

[imb]

http://i.imgur.com/6BFIU1N.jpg

[SouthSideRyan]

It was Levine, but in his Girardi article, he says the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell. If true, what in the hell kind of contract did this dumbass sign?

 

Its just a cover for his Faberge Egg habit.

[Little Slide Rooter]

So we're trading Schierholtz, Wood, and Russell, but not for any players that figure to crack the MLB roster. Also I think the Opening Day payroll of that team may be under 70 million.

 

Teams would certainly be willing to give up big league ready talent for those guys, but not the type Epstein would be looking for. I see Epstein prefering to take high ceiling prospects. If he wanted productive, young, big league talent, he'd simply hang on to them. As is, we have several high level prospects whom I think they'll play sink or swim with rather than search too hard for big league level replacements, unless we're talking reclamations or inexpensive "veteran presence."

 

And yes, the payroll would be a low one, as would the W column. I don't want to use the T word, but my hunch is that 2014 will be another one of those seasons where more enjoyment will come out of minor league box score than the big league field.

 

Okay, so you've made the big league team demonstrably worse, and cut the payroll well below even what pessimists think it will be next year.

 

Why? How does that get to be the most logical or best outcome? Unless you think the payroll won't go above 75 million for the next 5 years it doesn't make any sense.

 

It's possible. The free agents that would make the team better are out of our price range, and the free agents we could afford would be lateral moves at best. If the payroll goes up, it will likely be via an extension for Shark.

 

The 2014 team does have some glimmer of hope, but it depends largely on the progress of our young core. Any free agents we sign will be reclamations or inexpensive band aids.

 

Cory Hart wouldn't be your standard reclamation, but after missing an entire season due to injury, and being on and of the DL before that, I could see him available at the right price.

[davell]

We're losing 30 mill off our payroll from last year, after expected arb raises. I'm pessimistic as he'll about Ricketts, but there's no way he drops payroll to 75. We can flat out afford any FA out there and still lose payroll off last season.

[TruffleShuffle]

people didn't get energized about the indians because of francona, they got energized because the indians won way more games than they lost and made the playoffs. like 12 people would get excited about joe girardi, manager, and 4 of them would stick around once the cubs stink. the way to get ticket sales back to where they were is to win games.

[treebird]

people didn't get energized about the indians because of francona, they got energized because the indians won way more games than they lost and made the playoffs. like 12 people would get excited about joe girardi, manager, and 4 of them would stick around once the cubs stink. the way to get ticket sales back to where they were is to win games.

 

actually that didn't even happen. the indians were next-to-last in the AL in attendance this year.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2013/09/attendance_down_but_tribe_tick.html

[Guest]

people didn't get energized about the indians because of francona, they got energized because the indians won way more games than they lost and made the playoffs. like 12 people would get excited about joe girardi, manager, and 4 of them would stick around once the cubs stink. the way to get ticket sales back to where they were is to win games.

 

actually that didn't even happen. the indians were next-to-last in the AL in attendance this year.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2013/09/attendance_down_but_tribe_tick.html

 

that's insane. surprise contender, nice stadium, and they were the city with that insane sellout streak, right?

[Post Count Padder]

Tim Dierkes (via Twitter) has talked with multiple agents who see the Cubs spending significant money on a free agent catcher this winter. That comes as something of a surprise following a solid year by Wellington Castillo, who is still pre-arbitration eligible. Castillo, 26, hit .274/.349/.397 in 428 plate appearances this season.

 

I imagine this is just agents trying to drum up interest in their players? Only one I'd be interested in Salty, and he'd be expensive. Especially considering Castillo was worth two more wins than him this season and is younger.

[Guest]

Tim Dierkes (via Twitter) has talked with multiple agents who see the Cubs spending significant money on a free agent catcher this winter. That comes as something of a surprise following a solid year by Wellington Castillo, who is still pre-arbitration eligible. Castillo, 26, hit .274/.349/.397 in 428 plate appearances this season.

 

I imagine this is just agents trying to drum up interest in their players? Only one I'd be interested in Salty, and he'd be expensive. Especially considering Castillo was worth two more wins than him this season and is younger.

 

You're not interested in McCann?

 

I mean there's other places I'd address, but just saying as far as catchers go.

[Guest]

ABTY:

 

Keep hearing the Cubs will be more active in the trade market than the FA... A ton of chatter about Carlos Gonzalez becoming available- highly expect the Cubs to go hard after him. Contract is reasonable for a large market, young enough to still be a major piece when this team is ready to compete- Cubs also have the assets the Rockies would ask for in return, mainly MIF and 1B (along with pitching)- a deal starting with Alcantera and Vogelbach should get their attention and be as competitive as any...

Balaguert,

 

 

Not sure what the Balaguert thing is at the end. Maybe he meant to throw him in with Alcantara and Vog.

[davell]

It doesn't worry me to hear the C thing. We may trade Castillo, but we're not signing someone to put Castillo on the bench. We know what we've got.

[Guest]

It doesn't worry me to hear the C thing. We may trade Castillo, but we're not signing someone to put Castillo on the bench. We know what we've got.

 

I could see him or Lake going in a deal like the CarGo one.

[davell]

It doesn't worry me to hear the C thing. We may trade Castillo, but we're not signing someone to put Castillo on the bench. We know what we've got.

 

I could see him or Lake going in a deal like the CarGo one.

Same here. Castillo may not be good fit with Rockies(Rosario) but he would be with the Marlins....

[NOLA]

people didn't get energized about the indians because of francona, they got energized because the indians won way more games than they lost and made the playoffs. like 12 people would get excited about joe girardi, manager, and 4 of them would stick around once the cubs stink. the way to get ticket sales back to where they were is to win games.

 

actually that didn't even happen. the indians were next-to-last in the AL in attendance this year.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2013/09/attendance_down_but_tribe_tick.html

 

that's insane. surprise contender, nice stadium, and they were the city with that insane sellout streak, right?

 

We should take this as a cautionary tale. Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

[Guest]

people didn't get energized about the indians because of francona, they got energized because the indians won way more games than they lost and made the playoffs. like 12 people would get excited about joe girardi, manager, and 4 of them would stick around once the cubs stink. the way to get ticket sales back to where they were is to win games.

 

actually that didn't even happen. the indians were next-to-last in the AL in attendance this year.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2013/09/attendance_down_but_tribe_tick.html

 

that's insane. surprise contender, nice stadium, and they were the city with that insane sellout streak, right?

 

We should take this as a cautionary tale. Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

 

Maybe, but I could envision almost no scenario in which a playoff bound Cubs team didn't draw a [expletive]-load of fans.

[Old Style]

the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell.

WTF does that even mean? The sales contract limited how much Ricketts could spend on the team?

[Cubswin11]

the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell.

WTF does that even mean? The sales contract limited how much Ricketts could spend on the team?

I take it to mean Levine has no idea what he's [expletive] talking about

[Guest]

the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell.

WTF does that even mean? The sales contract limited how much Ricketts could spend on the team?

 

Yes.

[Guest]

the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell.

WTF does that even mean? The sales contract limited how much Ricketts could spend on the team?

I take it to mean Levine has no idea what he's [expletive] talking about

 

No.

 

He's not the first to talk about that arrangement.

[Cubswin11]

the Cubs baseball ops department will be limited monetarily for another 3 years due to a covenant in the sales contract Ricketts signed with Zell.

WTF does that even mean? The sales contract limited how much Ricketts could spend on the team?

I take it to mean Levine has no idea what he's [expletive] talking about

 

No.

 

He's not the first to talk about that arrangement.

The debt/financing structure is what is presumably limiting them along with likely falling short of projected revenues (renovations/city help/additional ad revenue/falling attendance/etc.) not some explicit thing in their sales agreement. If you want to say their financing structure in the SA is keeping them limited, fine, but you really think there is some clause in there that says they can't exceed spending x?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The debt/financing structure is what is presumably limiting them along with likely falling short of projected revenues (renovations/city help/additional ad revenue/falling attendance/etc.) not some explicit thing in their sales agreement. If you want to say their financing structure in the SA is keeping them limited, fine, but you really think there is some clause in there that says they can't exceed spending x?

 

It says they can't deficit spend for any fiscal period. IANAaccountant, but apparently it's one of the rules of the type of family trust that they used to buy the team in order to save Zell some taxes and protect Papa Ricketts.

[Guest]

ABTY:

 

Keep hearing the Cubs will be more active in the trade market than the FA... A ton of chatter about Carlos Gonzalez becoming available- highly expect the Cubs to go hard after him. Contract is reasonable for a large market, young enough to still be a major piece when this team is ready to compete- Cubs also have the assets the Rockies would ask for in return, mainly MIF and 1B (along with pitching)- a deal starting with Alcantera and Vogelbach should get their attention and be as competitive as any...

Balaguert,

 

 

Not sure what the Balaguert thing is at the end. Maybe he meant to throw him in with Alcantara and Vog.

 

More on this:

 

Justin Upton, younger, more talented and signed to a better extension, cost Martin Prado, Randall Delgado (previous dealt for 3 month rental of Ryan Dempster before 10/5 invoked), mid level prospects Zeke Spruill, Nick Ahmed and Brandon Drury, oh and the DBacks included an (at the time) MLB average starting 3B in Chris Johnson (who obviously exceeded expectation a bit)... the market price is set gents- the Rockies need RP, they need a future 1B, they've needed a 2B since Eric Young left 10 years ago and they 'need' to capitialize on CarGo's value before they start to pay into that contract big time. IMO, a CarGo trade is exactly what the Cubs FO is hoping for- it's splashy, it's for the future as well as the present, it shows off just how far the farm system has come in terms of 'assets' and it's a PR wet dream... Too much makes sense here, even moreso when you think that CarGo has the ability to play all three OF spots and blocks no one...

 

The big issue they have is there is an awful lot of people in that Rockies FO that question his toughness, mental edge and injury history- I keep hearing they want to avoid an 'Alex Rios situation'- the Blue Jays had to just dump Rios as his value had disappeared once Rios displayed the very same issues the Rockies seem to think CarGo has.