Yankees Sign Masahiro Tanaka

[Soul]

hilarious/pathetic that the cubs are apparently the only team in all of professional sports that think you are required to be terrible for five seasons before you can even dream of being competitive.

 

It's not required, but if you try sooner than that you might not be able to sustain the success and instead you'll be terrible for five years. In order to avoid risking five terrible years, we must have five terrible years.

 

That's known as rationalization.

[UMFan83]

Jed was on MLB Network just now

 

MLB Network Radio ‏@MLBNetworkRadio 10m

Hoyer tells #InsidePitch the #Cubs still need pitching, will still be active on the free agent market, exploring over next couple weeks.

 

MLB Network Radio ‏@MLBNetworkRadio 15m

Hoyer: For us, an opt out clause would have been a tough thing to give. Never got to the point if it would have been a deal breaker #Cubs

 

MLB Network Radio ‏@MLBNetworkRadio 17m

Hoyer on Tanaka: We were aggressive, we felt given where we were, it was the right thing to do with a 25 year old pitcher. #Cubs

 

[Benny Rodriguez]

I would think the "deal breaker" was being 35 million dollars light not the opt out.

But the opt out is pretty nice for him if he is everything he is supposed to be,

[Guest]

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/tanaka-fallout-cubs-facing-long-term-questions-about-future

 

Why can’t the Cubs build a good farm system while also putting out a decent big-league product?

 

Team officials didn’t have a great answer when a fan asked that question during last weekend’s Cubs Convention. That disconnect has left the entire industry – players, agents, scouts, executives – wondering what’s going on at Clark and Addison. 

 

The bad press snowballed again on Wednesday, as the Cubs lost the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes and got into another turf battle with the rooftop owners, leaving the $500 million Wrigleyville project in limbo.

[LeftCoastCubFan]

I would think the "deal breaker" was being 35 million dollars light not the opt out.

But the opt out is pretty nice for him if he is everything he is supposed to be,

When it comes to the 2020 multibillion new TV contract, the opt out was huge. The Cubs will need to field a very competitive team in 2018 and 2019 to maximize its value. Allowing him the option to leave after 2017 would make no sense in the grand scheme of things. Adding another year which would be 2020 when they have a few hundred million in additional revenues would not be as big of an issue.

[davell]

I put that in the renovation thread too. It kind of encompasses everything.

[Guest]

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/tanaka-fallout-cubs-facing-long-term-questions-about-future

 

Why can’t the Cubs build a good farm system while also putting out a decent big-league product?

 

Team officials didn’t have a great answer when a fan asked that question during last weekend’s Cubs Convention. That disconnect has left the entire industry – players, agents, scouts, executives – wondering what’s going on at Clark and Addison. 

 

The bad press snowballed again on Wednesday, as the Cubs lost the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes and got into another turf battle with the rooftop owners, leaving the $500 million Wrigleyville project in limbo.

 

undoubtedly cursed.

[Guest]

I would think the "deal breaker" was being 35 million dollars light not the opt out.

But the opt out is pretty nice for him if he is everything he is supposed to be,

When it comes to the 2020 multibillion new TV contract, the opt out was huge. The Cubs will need to field a very competitive team in 2018 and 2019 to maximize its value. Allowing him the option to leave after 2017 would make no sense in the grand scheme of things. Adding another year which would be 2020 when they have a few hundred million in additional revenues would not be as big of an issue.

This post pisses me off more than it should. [expletive] 2018? They may draft the next Roger Clemens and sign the next Pedro [expletive] Martinez this year. Who the [expletive] cares about an opt out when you are trying to sell a guy to come to a team with back to back 90 loss season? Give him the opt out and when the TV bucks are flowing and they are paying the minimum for all the talent they have in the field they can afford to pay him. [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] [expletive].

[Guest]

I really don't know why people think the valuation of a 20-25 year TV contract hinges on the W/L record of the Cubs the year the contract is signed.

[Sammy Sofa]

I really don't know why people think the valuation of a 20-25 year TV contract hinges on the W/L record of the Cubs the year the contract is signed.

 

Obviously nobody's talking only about that year; they're talking about that year in terms of maybe being the culmination of a long stretch of bad baseball. Declining or stagnant attendance for years is also going to be accompanied by stank ratings, too.

[Guest]

Jed was on MLB Network just now

 

MLB Network Radio ‏@MLBNetworkRadio 10m

Hoyer tells #InsidePitch the #Cubs still need pitching, will still be active on the free agent market, exploring over next couple weeks.

 

MLB Network Radio ‏@MLBNetworkRadio 15m

Hoyer: For us, an opt out clause would have been a tough thing to give. Never got to the point if it would have been a deal breaker #Cubs

 

MLB Network Radio ‏@MLBNetworkRadio 17m

Hoyer on Tanaka: We were aggressive, we felt given where we were, it was the right thing to do with a 25 year old pitcher. #Cubs

 

 

"it was the right thing to do with a 25 year old pitcher" sounds to me like they kicked the tires and knew they probably weren't really in it.

[Backtobanks]

I would think the "deal breaker" was being 35 million dollars light not the opt out.

But the opt out is pretty nice for him if he is everything he is supposed to be,

When it comes to the 2020 multibillion new TV contract, the opt out was huge. The Cubs will need to field a very competitive team in 2018 and 2019 to maximize its value. Allowing him the option to leave after 2017 would make no sense in the grand scheme of things. Adding another year which would be 2020 when they have a few hundred million in additional revenues would not be as big of an issue.

 

Signing Tanaka would have pushed the "very competitive team" level to 2015 (or 2016 at the very latest) and given the team a real chance at attracting FAs. Making a smart trade or two, adding a decent FA or two, and having our prospects at the ML level would have allowed Tanaka to leave after 2017 with the team still being very competitive.

[Benny Rodriguez]

I would think the "deal breaker" was being 35 million dollars light not the opt out.

But the opt out is pretty nice for him if he is everything he is supposed to be,

When it comes to the 2020 multibillion new TV contract, the opt out was huge. The Cubs will need to field a very competitive team in 2018 and 2019 to maximize its value. Allowing him the option to leave after 2017 would make no sense in the grand scheme of things. Adding another year which would be 2020 when they have a few hundred million in additional revenues would not be as big of an issue.

 

It is huge for Tanaka..but I don't think if the numbers were switched and we offered 155m with no opt out, and the yanks offered 120 with it, that he goes with the yankees because of it. It is absolutely great for him, because he is protected if he is average or gets hurt but if he's great, he can go after Kershaw money in 4 years.

I don't see how the Cubs could have ever included that since the allure of Tanaka was to have him well after the young guys are up.

[ConstableRabbit]

I really don't know why people think the valuation of a 20-25 year TV contract hinges on the W/L record of the Cubs the year the contract is signed.

People always overpay for top performance in a contract year.

[SouthSideRyan]

I would think the "deal breaker" was being 35 million dollars light not the opt out.

But the opt out is pretty nice for him if he is everything he is supposed to be,

When it comes to the 2020 multibillion new TV contract, the opt out was huge. The Cubs will need to field a very competitive team in 2018 and 2019 to maximize its value. Allowing him the option to leave after 2017 would make no sense in the grand scheme of things. Adding another year which would be 2020 when they have a few hundred million in additional revenues would not be as big of an issue.

 

It is huge for Tanaka..but I don't think if the numbers were switched and we offered 155m with no opt out, and the yanks offered 120 with it, that he goes with the yankees because of it. It is absolutely great for him, because he is protected if he is average or gets hurt but if he's great, he can go after Kershaw money in 4 years.

I don't see how the Cubs could have ever included that since the allure of Tanaka was to have him well after the young guys are up.

 

I think most of us expected the Cubs to try before 2018. Of the top 10 prospects, I'm not sure there's a guy with an eta that late, maybe Candelario?

[Guest]

Freaking Eloy Jimenez might be knocking on the door by 2018

[Benny Rodriguez]

The Tanaka idea was intriguing and really the only FA that fit the model. At 25 he should have been around and very good when the younger hitters arrive AND we would not have to dig into our prospects to get him.

The problem is that with out him, who is out there that we can sign that also fits into our future plans. I don't see anyone left on the market now that is dependable much past 2016.

Price will cost prospects, and a lot of money but is he now the target. At 28, you would hope he's still an ace type for at least 3-4 seasons. Is he now a target?

 

Worries me a bit because the Rays don't seem to get the short end of many trades.

[Benny Rodriguez]

The Tanaka idea was intriguing and really the only FA that fit the model. At 25 he should have been around and very good when the younger hitters arrive AND we would not have to dig into our prospects to get him.

The problem is that with out him, who is out there that we can sign that also fits into our future plans. I don't see anyone left on the market now that is dependable much past 2016.

Price will cost prospects, and a lot of money but is he now the target. At 28, you would hope he's still an ace type for at least 3-4 seasons. Is he now a target?

 

Worries me a bit because the Rays don't seem to get the short end of many trades.

[jersey cubs fan]

I really don't know why people think the valuation of a 20-25 year TV contract hinges on the W/L record of the Cubs the year the contract is signed.

 

The same reason the Trib wanted to field a good team while in the process of selling the team. It's a lot easier to sell a television product when lots of people are actually watching it than to make up numbers that ask you to ignore the last few years when nobody watching but assume they will watch again.

[Soul]

Price will cost prospects, and a lot of money but is he now the target. At 28, you would hope he's still an ace type for at least 3-4 seasons. Is he now a target?

 

Worries me a bit because the Rays don't seem to get the short end of many trades.

 

I've heard zero indication Price is now a target. Prospects? Which? If they start spending their blue-chippers then their entire plan, as stated, is [expletive] horse crap.

[Benny Rodriguez]

Price is mentioned as the next big target for many teams that missed on Tanaka, or didn't want him. Now that Tanaka is done it seems that the Rays will get real interest in him.

Price and Scherzer seem like the only pitchers that could fit into the plan of the FO.

 

I think we would be better trying to sign them as a FA rather than give up the depth we have worked so hard to build in our system.

 

Looking at getting Myers for Shields, they have to be looking for better/or more than that for Price.

 

Without going to fantasy baseball trades, any other top of the rotation guys that could come available in the next 2 years?

[Benny Rodriguez]

wow, I just made the mistake of looking at possible free agents for next year and all I can say is don't do it!

There is so little help on the pitching market, it will ruin your weekend.

This year is actually much better. If Scherzer resigns like it looks like he will. It's somewhere between sad and scary.

Most interesting names have options or are up there in age.

Looking like Brett Anderson, Homer Bailey, Yvoni Gallardo and Johnny Cueto. Iwakuma has a club option for 2015, and will be mid 30's.

Not sure where the front end help is going to come from.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

how do you feel about Mark Trumbo?

[Sammy Sofa]

The Tanaka idea was intriguing

 

Tanaka was a crucial necessity.

[Tracer Bullet]

The Tanaka idea was intriguing

 

Tanaka was a crucial necessity.

 

How so? We're entirely unable to compete for __ years b/c we didn't sign him.