Mooney: Cubs are Interested in Shin-Soo Choo

[SouthSideRyan]

Never paying market value for the best free agents shouldn't be one of them.

[SouthSideRyan]

Would you agree that bringing in none of the top 4 FAs is punting 2014?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Paying too much for less than stellar FA's or sucking are the only two choices?

 

The other choice is hoping we get a bunch of players performing near the top of their hopes/projections, which I guess we'll be doing regardless.

[KingCubsFan]

Would you agree that bringing in none of the top 4 FAs is punting 2014?

Of course not. Now, if they stand pat during the offseason and roll out a similar team next spring, then they would certainly be punting.

[Guest]

They need to add a player of significance to be more than an extreme longshot at being contenders next year. It doesn't have to be a FA, although my intuition is that the Front Office would prefer to overpay with dollars than players if price tags are high.

[Guest]

They need to add a player of significance to be more than an extreme longshot at being contenders next year. It doesn't have to be a FA, although my intuition is that the Front Office would prefer to overpay with dollars than players if price tags are high.

It's not my intuition, but it's my hope. I have no clue what they will do. If they aren't getting heat or money from the Ricketts, my intuition is that they are content on punting. I think they are on a quest.

[Guest]

Would you agree that bringing in none of the top 4 FAs is punting 2014?

1) I said that I'd go all in for Tanaka

2) No, I wouldn't say that. There are other options for acquiring talent than signing one of these four guys.

[Guest]

Paying too much for less than stellar FA's or sucking are the only two choices?

 

The other choice is hoping we get a bunch of players performing near the top of their hopes/projections, which I guess we'll be doing regardless.

When did trades become illegal?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Paying too much for less than stellar FA's or sucking are the only two choices?

 

The other choice is hoping we get a bunch of players performing near the top of their hopes/projections, which I guess we'll be doing regardless.

When did trades become illegal?

 

If you think the FAs are getting too much, wait till you find out what it costs to trade for good players and then give them contract extensions.

[davell]

I want CarGo.(just not for Javy)

[d_money]

In the post PED era and in terms of years, I'd be disappointed if the brass went beyond 6 years for players >30. Too many negative variables

[rawaction]

I'd pay Choo 6/100. Reluctantly, but I'd do it. I think he's the most worth those contract terms laid out and I think he's the most likely to get what he's asking for. I think to ever get a top FA, you have to go a year or two more than they are probably worth. In the Cubs situation, they should have very cheap production from several positions to make paying 36 year old Choo less of a hinderance.

 

Love Cano but not sure what the front office would reasonably pay him. Dont think they'd even go 200Mil.

[Guest]

I'd pay Choo 6/100. Reluctantly, but I'd do it. I think he's the most worth those contract terms laid out and I think he's the most likely to get what he's asking for. I think to ever get a top FA, you have to go a year or two more than they are probably worth. In the Cubs situation, they should have very cheap production from several positions to make paying 36 year old Choo less of a hinderance.

 

Love Cano but not sure what the front office would reasonably pay him. Dont think they'd even go 200Mil.

Where does he play defensively when he's 34-36? He can't play a reasonable OF at 29-30.

[Guest]

Yeah, if it's going to take 6 years, give me Ellsbury over Choo.

[imb]

I'd pay Choo 6/100. Reluctantly, but I'd do it. I think he's the most worth those contract terms laid out and I think he's the most likely to get what he's asking for. I think to ever get a top FA, you have to go a year or two more than they are probably worth. In the Cubs situation, they should have very cheap production from several positions to make paying 36 year old Choo less of a hinderance.

 

Love Cano but not sure what the front office would reasonably pay him. Dont think they'd even go 200Mil.

Where does he play defensively when he's 34-36? He can't play a reasonable OF at 29-30.

 

You get two good years out of him, by year three, we've either got cheap production coming up from the minors and we can eat his contract in a platoon/trade, or we don't have cheap production coming up and we just suck and deal with it during year 7 of *****the process*****

[Guest]

Hunter Pence is about to get 5/90 from the Giants. He's a year younger than Choo but still had a year of arbitration left.

[SouthSideRyan]

Hunter Pence is about to get 5/90 from the Giants. He's a year younger than Choo but still had a year of arbitration left.

 

Pence would be a free agent.

[Guest]

Ack, misread the Baseball Reference table.

 

Here's their fWAR compared:

 

Year    Choo   Pence
2009     4.8    3.8
2010     5.9    2.7
2011     1.3    4.3
2012     2.4    1.6
2013     5.4    5.3

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm guessing that means Choo gets more just by virtue of having less competition.

 

There's going to be more teams with money than big-name FAs this offseason. Seller's market.

[rawaction]

I'd pay Choo 6/100. Reluctantly, but I'd do it. I think he's the most worth those contract terms laid out and I think he's the most likely to get what he's asking for. I think to ever get a top FA, you have to go a year or two more than they are probably worth. In the Cubs situation, they should have very cheap production from several positions to make paying 36 year old Choo less of a hinderance.

 

Love Cano but not sure what the front office would reasonably pay him. Dont think they'd even go 200Mil.

Where does he play defensively when he's 34-36? He can't play a reasonable OF at 29-30.

I think u overrate his lack of ability on defense. If he gets on base 40% of the time who cares if he stinks in LF (where I'd put him next year and beyond). Like I said its going to be a bad last 2 years anyway. But I think its worth it if he provides a much needed boost to the team approach.

[rawaction]

Yeah, if it's going to take 6 years, give me Ellsbury over Choo.

I'd take Choo for 6 over Ellsbury for 7, which was in the OP.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

I'd take Choo for 6 over Ellsbury for 7.

 

In a heartbeat.

[sneakypower]

Would you agree that bringing in none of the top 4 FAs is punting 2014?

i don't, but we'd likely need to see something resembling the Winter '12 Pirates offseason

 

formerly great gambles at open positions of need

Russell Martin : Curtis Granderson, Nelson Cruz

Francisco Liriano: Josh Johnson, Matt Garza?, Scott Kazmir

 

known-quantity potential shutdown RP

Grilli: Jesse Crain, Eric O'Flaherty, Casey Janssen, Rafael Betancourt

 

do something like that and you're able to put yourself in the position they were this spring; you'd still be wanting some guys to hit the upper levels of their projections (Burnett=Shark, Melancon=Strop, Marte=Lake)...and a couple reasonable rebounds from core players might ideally approach McCutchen (plus RF black hole) stratosphere

[rawaction]

Would you agree that bringing in none of the top 4 FAs is punting 2014?

i don't, but we'd likely need to see something resembling the Winter '12 Pirates offseason

 

formerly great gambles at open positions of need

Russell Martin : Curtis Granderson, Nelson Cruz

Francisco Liriano: Josh Johnson, Matt Garza?, Scott Kazmir

 

known-quantity potential shutdown RP

Grilli: Jesse Crain, Eric O'Flaherty, Casey Janssen, Rafael Betancourt

 

do something like that and you're able to put yourself in the position they were this spring; you'd still be wanting some guys to hit the upper levels of their projections (Burnett=Shark, Melancon=Strop, Marte=Lake)...and a couple reasonable rebounds from core players might ideally approach McCutchen (plus RF black hole) stratosphere

 

Wow. I'd be OK with a Cruz, Kazmir, O'Flaherty offseason. Not the big splash that people want, but could shape up to be a decent team if some things go right (bounce backs from toung players).

 

OF- Cruz, Lake, Sweeney, Schierholz

IF- Rizzo, Castro, Olt, Baez, Valbuena

SP- Samarzdija, Jackson, Wood, Kazmir, several 5th options

RP- O'Flaherty, Strop, Parker, Russell, Villanueva

[davell]

Yeah, that's not sexy, but it could turn out well, all the same. I keep looking at the A's myself and wonder which OFer they get rid of this offseason? They've got Smith, Crisp, Cespedes, and Reddick, with Michael Choice pushing into next year. They also have Brett Anderson making 8 mill next year. Even with down years, I'd still like Cespedes or especially Reddick. Surely Anderson wouldn't cost much, he'll maybe they don't even pick his option up, for all I know. If by some miracle Anderson gets healthy, he's a frontline guy, if not you've got 5 currently that you can feel decent about. Either bat could be huge. I think it'd be a move that has minimal risk, as the price shouldn't be astronical, nor are the contracts long term killers, all while having decent shot to make a difference.