2014 Roster Discussion

[jersey cubs fan]

It's not about reports...he's asking him if he thinks the Cubs' efforts with Tanaka are legitimate and serious or not. If he does, then he shouldn't need Tanaka to actually decide to sign here to feel that there's money to be spent.

 

If he doesn't believe the Cubs efforts will be legit, then different story. I'm pretty sure that was TT's point in asking that.

 

But that is a pointless question. It does not matter what somebody believes about the actual level of interest. I want to believe it is legit. But I don't know. And you don't know either. The only proof they are willing to spend is to actually spend.

[XZero771679666304]

I think that the Cubs will in fact make Tanaka the best offer. He is exactly the kind of player the FO has said would be worth the investment.

 

Now whether or not he accepts it is another issue, one they can't fully control at this point.

 

If they only make him a token offer, that would be much more discouraging.

[UK1679666180]

I haven't looked at salary implications but...

 

Even if they sign Tanaka @ market value, what will their payroll look like compared to last year?

[Guest]

It's not about reports...he's asking him if he thinks the Cubs' efforts with Tanaka are legitimate and serious or not. If he does, then he shouldn't need Tanaka to actually decide to sign here to feel that there's money to be spent.

 

If he doesn't believe the Cubs efforts will be legit, then different story. I'm pretty sure that was TT's point in asking that.

 

But that is a pointless question. It does not matter what somebody believes about the actual level of interest. I want to believe it is legit. But I don't know. And you don't know either. The only proof they are willing to spend is to actually spend.

 

I didn't think that I was making such an ambiguous point here. If you think the Cubs are stuck in "payroll hell" (which is the term I'm asking clarification on to begin with) for a half-decade, but you also legitimately think they're offering tens of millions to Tanaka, I'm curious how you reconcile those two beliefs. Obviously the only true proof of actual spending is to actually spend, but that's not the point of what was being discussed.

[Guest]

I haven't looked at salary implications but...

 

Even if they sign Tanaka @ market value, what will their payroll look like compared to last year?

 

They're currently at about 77 million for the 25 man roster + dead money. Last year Opening day was a little over 100. If you count the release fee as it's paid out, it'd likely be a decent sized increase, probably over 110 million. If they can amortize that release fee over the duration, then it's more of a slight bump.

[davell]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Passan sounds like a bunch of us.

[imb]

It's going to be very interesting to watch the same people who act like paying premium for talent is the devil handle what happens if Baez or another of the prospects truly hits his ceiling and wants to get paid like a superstar.

 

Will tying up all the payroll still be the worst thing to do in the history of ever, or will it somehow be more acceptable because we developed the player?

 

This is a ridiculous post. One, you'd do everything humanly possible to lock Javy and whoever else up early, ala Castro and Rizzo. Secondly, in case you hadn't noticed, we appear to be in a legit money crunch, due to ownership. Whether it's because they can't or won't spend.... That is up for debate, I suppose, but it's beyond obvious they aren't, either way.

 

I seriously doubt anyone here wouldn't love to have a 150 mill+ payroll right now. But it's not happening anytime soon(new TV deal/renovation money) and it's quite allright to be cautious currently, when we MAY have the money to go after one relatively large contract. Tanaka makes total sense, based on age and upside. A guy like Ubaldo? He's got neither of those things going for him.

 

And even if you didn't lock him up early (which is what I foresee happening with most of these guys if/when they show something in the majors), an actual superstar hitting free agency for the first time in his mid 20's is a completely different story.

 

I don't think anyone here would be opposed to backing up the Brinks truck for Mike Trout.

 

I fear Javy's attitude is exactly the type that would say, nah I'm good when we go to him with a pre-FA extension.

 

I think people read too much into that badass baseball attitude he has on the field. He seems like a pretty normal dude in the limited interviews i've read. Something tells me if the Cubs say "let us buy out your arb years" he's just gonna say "yeah sounds great" like every other player in baseball the last few years.

[SouthSideRyan]

I think the interest in Tanaka is similar to the interest in every other top free agent. Make an effort, hope nobody else pays him what he's worth and hope they can pay him less than everyone expects him to get. If by some miracle we wound up with him, I think Samardzija would be gone within a couple weeks if we can't find a taker for Jackson.

[SouthSideRyan]

 

I think people read too much into that badass baseball attitude he has on the field. He seems like a pretty normal dude in the limited interviews i've read. Something tells me if the Cubs say "let us buy out your arb years" he's just gonna say "yeah sounds great" like every other player in baseball the last few years.

 

Except for Shark :(

 

To clarify, I'm not saying this is a negative trait for Baez. He's just supremely confident in his baseball abilities, and if you're supremely confident in your baseball abilities and not a pitcher, you'd be dumb to not go to free agency.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I think the interest in Tanaka is similar to the interest in every other top free agent. Make an effort, hope nobody else pays him what he's worth and hope they can pay him less than everyone expects him to get. If by some miracle we wound up with him, I think Samardzija would be gone within a couple weeks if we can't find a taker for Jackson.

 

Similar to how I'm pretty sure that if Sanchez had accepted our deal last year, Garza or Soriano would have been gone to make up for it.

 

Epstein can be pretty creative inside financial restraints when he wants to be.

[SouthSideRyan]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Passan sounds like a bunch of us.

 

Who wants to help craft a @PoorTomRicketts tweet to him? This could be its big break!

[SouthSideRyan]

"Payroll hell" to me means continuing to be in the lower half of MLB payrolls. Obviously the stinkburger payroll we'll run out there without Tanaka this year would 8th circle [expletive], but it's unacceptable for the premiere team(at least for now) in the 3rd biggest market to run out bottom half payrolls.

[Guest]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Passan sounds like a bunch of us.

 

Exactly. Saw a lot of people on Twitter disagreeing with him (including Brett) but I saw little wrong with what Passan said.

 

And Passan engaged Brett and others on Twitter too, which I'd recommend reading.

[Cubswin11]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Alfonso Soriano was a $136 million bust.

I still don't get this narrative, he wasn't even close to a bust. He came closer to fulfilling his contract than he did to busting it.

[jersey cubs fan]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Alfonso Soriano was a $136 million bust.

I still don't get this narrative, he wasn't even close to a bust. He came closer to fulfilling his contract than he did to busting it.

 

It probably didn't help matters that the current regime came in with the narrative that the previous regime ruined our chances to win with albatross contracts. Then they spent a couple years talking up the hopes to trade Soriano, and could not. Then they finally did give him away for very little, and paid for the right to do so. Soriano's time in Chicago wasn't really a bust, but his time under contract to the Cubs hasn't even expired yet.

[davell]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Passan sounds like a bunch of us.

 

Who wants to help craft a @PoorTomRicketts tweet to him? This could be its big break!

 

This NEEDS to be done. I'm beyond sick of NotTomRicketts at this point, as it is.

 

It's should have something to do with Papa Joe not giving them an increase in allowance money or something.

[KingCubsFan]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Passan sounds like a bunch of us.

 

Who wants to help craft a @PoorTomRicketts tweet to him? This could be its big break!

Something about being able to read the article because it wasn't behind a paywall.

[SouthSideRyan]

Jeff Passan previews the 2014 Cubs, spends most of his time ripping Ricketts: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no--29-cubs--cheap-club-looks-like-it-s-on-verge-of-another-woeful-year-165308395.html

Passan sounds like a bunch of us.

 

Who wants to help craft a @PoorTomRicketts tweet to him? This could be its big break!

Something about being able to read the article because it wasn't behind a paywall.

 

I think we have a winner

[davell]

You could combine two great accounts somehow and say its Reinsdorf's fault because he made us pay for Derricks nee stuff.

[Banedon]

Bernstein talking about the Passan blurb now if anyone wants to listen.

[Guest]

Damn it, add a period in front of Passan's handle if you want your tweet to be seen by all your followers, not just Passan.

[SouthSideRyan]

Damn it, add a period in front of Passan's handle if you want your tweet to be seen by all your followers, not just Passan.

 

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS

[Banedon]

Damn it, add a period in front of Passan's handle if you want your tweet to be seen by all your followers, not just Passan.

 

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS

 

http://i.imgur.com/baA4adV.jpg

[Guest]

Damn it, add a period in front of Passan's handle if you want your tweet to be seen by all your followers, not just Passan.

 

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS

 

Well, I retweeted it to my 15 non-spambot followers (a majority of whom don't care about Chicago sports).

[Ryne Ween]

-I fear that we see no increased revenues from the renovations for at least 5 years because all the monetizing is used to fund the rest of the renovations.

 

I just want this part of everything to be over. The relatively de minimis revenue increase from a dumbass video board shouldnt have anything to do with anything. If they can get it up and make a couple of bucks off it great if not whatever. If they can do this commercial promenade and make some money off it thats great too.

 

They do not need those improvements to self fund. They need to focus on their baseball product. Thats all they need to focus on. If they need to make cosmetic or structural improvements to wrigley than make them. You dont need to wait until you have the "miller lite fan patio" or whatever it will be. They own a roughly $300mln ballpark. If you need to protect that asset by making whatever improvements, than you need to make them.

 

"He has no cash" (which i absolutely do not believe) than he needs to either further leverage or sell the team.

 

I dont believe any of that. I think that they came in with a plan and a conservative strategy and for whatever confluence of reasons either (i) its not working or (ii) its not working fast enough for most fans.