Offseason Rumors

[HoopsCubs]

In reacting to the news that Alcantara and Villanueva made the Topps AA All Star Team, two AL scouts told one of my sources today that they wouldn't be surprised if Villanueva was the Cubs starting 3B on Opening Day so long as Valbuena, Murphy, and Olt all die in a horrific car crash, they fail to sign a free agent and Baez refuses to make the move to 3B.

I had to spare Baez. I just couldn't bring myself to have him die too...

 

Scouts giving their opinions. I personally think it's Olt's to lose.

[rawaction]

In reacting to the news that Alcantara and Villanueva made the Topps AA All Star Team, two AL scouts told one of my sources today that they wouldn't be surprised if Villanueva was the Cubs starting 3B on Opening Day so long as Valbuena, Murphy, and Olt all die in a horrific car crash, they fail to sign a free agent and Baez refuses to make the move to 3B.

I had to spare Baez. I just couldn't bring myself to have him die too...

 

Scouts giving their opinions. I personally think it's Olt's to lose.

 

I see no reason to believe he won't lose it. Better go into the season with multiple backup plans.

[Cubswin11]

Wieters might be available, according to Rosenthal

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/baltimore-orioles-should-trade-catcher-matt-wieters-closer-jim-johnson-111313

[KingCubsFan]

Wieters might be available, according to Rosenthal

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/baltimore-orioles-should-trade-catcher-matt-wieters-closer-jim-johnson-111313

Pretty sure we already have a guy that can put up a .700 OPS with good defense. The Cubs shouldn't be trading assets for guys who aren't good offensive players or good starting pitchers.

[davell]

I like Castillo and think he's going to get better. Sure the BA may drop, but I see the power improving.

[davell]

After goading Parks into a half day of discussion, Sharma into the same yesterday.....Kyle was shut down today with a very simple "agree to disagree" by Julie DiCaro. Can Kyle bounce back or will he develop the equivalent of Steve Sax disease with posting?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

After goading Parks into a half day of discussion, Sharma into the same yesterday.....Kyle was shut down today with a very simple "agree to disagree" by Julie DiCaro. Can Kyle bounce back or will he develop the equivalent of Steve Sax disease with posting?

 

You need to cast a wider net if you want to keep up with my comings and goings. I've been going at it with Arguello most of the day in his comments. That's how I ran into DiCaro in the first place, she was bragging about holding court on Twitter.

[davell]

After goading Parks into a half day of discussion, Sharma into the same yesterday.....Kyle was shut down today with a very simple "agree to disagree" by Julie DiCaro. Can Kyle bounce back or will he develop the equivalent of Steve Sax disease with posting?

 

You need to cast a wider net if you want to keep up with my comings and goings. I've been going at it with Arguello most of the day in his comments. That's how I ran into DiCaro in the first place, she was bragging about holding court on Twitter.

 

Ah, I've never been to Arguello's site, just read his Twitter stuff. If you've got him going on Twitter though, no idea why it's not showing up for me.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

After goading Parks into a half day of discussion, Sharma into the same yesterday.....Kyle was shut down today with a very simple "agree to disagree" by Julie DiCaro. Can Kyle bounce back or will he develop the equivalent of Steve Sax disease with posting?

 

You need to cast a wider net if you want to keep up with my comings and goings. I've been going at it with Arguello most of the day in his comments. That's how I ran into DiCaro in the first place, she was bragging about holding court on Twitter.

 

Ah, I've never been to Arguello's site, just read his Twitter stuff. If you've got him going on Twitter though, no idea why it's not showing up for me.

 

Not on Twitter, in his site comments. He wrote a long, snarky column about how brilliant everything is because we're too awful to spend on free agents and only the special, smart fans can see how great this truly is.

[davell]

After goading Parks into a half day of discussion, Sharma into the same yesterday.....Kyle was shut down today with a very simple "agree to disagree" by Julie DiCaro. Can Kyle bounce back or will he develop the equivalent of Steve Sax disease with posting?

 

You need to cast a wider net if you want to keep up with my comings and goings. I've been going at it with Arguello most of the day in his comments. That's how I ran into DiCaro in the first place, she was bragging about holding court on Twitter.

 

Ah, I've never been to Arguello's site, just read his Twitter stuff. If you've got him going on Twitter though, no idea why it's not showing up for me.

 

Not on Twitter, in his site comments. He wrote a long, snarky column about how brilliant everything is because we're too awful to spend on free agents and only the special, smart fans can see how great this truly is.

 

Oh, just read it. Not my favorite from him.

[XZero771679666304]

I, for one, never ceased to be amazed at how an adult can find enough time to post on message boards/columns 24/7/365. It's what I might do if I had absolutely nothing else to occupy my time.

 

Kyle is either the greatest manager of time ever, or he has a tragically desolate life.

[jersey cubs fan]

Not on Twitter, in his site comments. He wrote a long, snarky column about how brilliant everything is because we're too awful to spend on free agents and only the special, smart fans can see how great this truly is.

 

Oh, just read it. Not my favorite from him.

 

Those "Tut-tut, I knew this was going to take forever and it is good that it is taking forever. You barbarians expecting more are far too uneducated to understand what I know" people are just the worst things on earth.

[Guest]

I, for one, never ceased to be amazed at how an adult can find enough time to post on message boards/columns 24/7/365. It's what I might do if I had absolutely nothing else to occupy my time.

 

Kyle is either the greatest manager of time ever, or he has a tragically desolate life.

 

Too soon.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kyle is either the greatest manager of time ever, or he has a tragically desolate life.

 

*m*agically desolate.

[Guest]

Kyle is either the greatest manager of time ever, or he has a tragically desolate life.

 

*m*agically desolate.

 

I'd have to agree, given what I know about your situation.

[abuck1220]

kyle, as usual, is the worst, but that article and that general attitude is just as bad.

 

"YOU CAN'T FIX A 100 YEAR OLD PROBLEM IN TWO YEARS" is just a nonsensical position to take. as if the cubs need to take an extra year to get their plan in place because the cubs were bad in 1952 or because they drafted poorly in 1981. the cubs currently have zero bad contracts on the team. yeah, they blew it on hayden simpson or whatever, but give me a break. the cubs' current "problems" are not made any worse because of their awful history.

[davell]

Not on Twitter, in his site comments. He wrote a long, snarky column about how brilliant everything is because we're too awful to spend on free agents and only the special, smart fans can see how great this truly is.

 

Oh, just read it. Not my favorite from him.

 

Those "Tut-tut, I knew this was going to take forever and it is good that it is taking forever. You barbarians expecting more are far too uneducated to understand what I know" people are just the worst things on earth.

 

I've certainly been as vocal and supportive of the rebuild as anyone, but I guess I didn't look at it in the correct lens honestly. I thought we could tank 2012 and 2013 and have enough prospect inventory to trade off and compete this year, with FA signings of some magnitude this offseason. Obviously, I was mistaken in my timeline and really don't know if I expect major moves NEXT offseason at this point even. At any rate, I didn't expect it to take this long, nor did I see Ricketts in quite as pitiful of a light as I do now.....But I don't think anyone saw THIS exact strategy have to be played out the way it is.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I've certainly been as vocal and supportive of the rebuild as anyone, but I guess I didn't look at it in the correct lens honestly. I thought we could tank 2012 and 2013 and have enough prospect inventory to trade off and compete this year, with FA signings of some magnitude this offseason. Obviously, I was mistaken in my timeline and really don't know if I expect major moves NEXT offseason at this point even. At any rate, I didn't expect it to take this long, nor did I see Ricketts in quite as pitiful of a light as I do now.....But I don't think anyone saw THIS exact strategy have to be played out the ways it is.

 

There's still some small part of me that hopes that maybe, somehow, this is all a smokescreen and Epstein's about to come flying down on a ROFL-copter throwing dollars out the side and we're going to get Tanaka and Ellsbury and two more mid-level signings.

 

But if we're going where it seems like we're going, then they really are just going to wait and see when the prospects develop enough to make us good. There's really no easy way to tell when that is.

 

If Starlin Castro puts up 4 WAR; and Mike Olt hits 25 HRs; and Junior Lake can keep his K% below 25% and put up some power; and if Kyle Hendricks becomes a useful start; and if Vizcaino and Paniagua and Rivero and Grimm and Ramirez and who knows who else comes together and suddenly we have an elite bullpen; then maybe it's 2014 and Javier Baez comes up to be our Andruw Jones and we all live happily ever after.

 

But if all those guys suck and Travis Wood's arm blows out and one of Baez or Bryant busts and the other isn't up until 2015, and we never really do find any top-shelf starting pitching, then maybe it'll be like 2017 or 2018.

[davell]

I really think our FO is going to give each of the big 4 a legit major league shot before moving any of them to other teams. That alone may take until the end of 2015 to accomplish. We've gone this far with it, I'm disappointed it may take longer, but another year or two of [expletive] burgers won't kill me. But [expletive] Ricketts, we could have really exploited some loopholes in IFA, that if money was there, I'm sure we would have.

[pccubfan]

I really think our FO is going to give each of the big 4 a legit major league shot before moving any of them to other teams. That alone may take until the end of 2015 to accomplish. We've gone this far with it, I'm disappointed it may take longer, but another year or two of [expletive] burgers won't kill me. But [expletive] Ricketts, we could have really exploited some loopholes in IFA, that if money was there, I'm sure we would have.

 

My problem all along with this rebuild has been that it has been one-sided. If a very high percentage of the top guys don't work out, then the last couple years have been wasted not trying.

[davell]

I really think our FO is going to give each of the big 4 a legit major league shot before moving any of them to other teams. That alone may take until the end of 2015 to accomplish. We've gone this far with it, I'm disappointed it may take longer, but another year or two of [expletive] burgers won't kill me. But [expletive] Ricketts, we could have really exploited some loopholes in IFA, that if money was there, I'm sure we would have.

 

My problem all along with this rebuild has been that it has been one-sided. If a very high percentage of the top guys don't work out, then the last couple years have been wasted not trying.

I'll err on the FO's proven ability of being able to develop players on that one. But I understand anyone else's hesitancy.

[BeerHere]

I really think our FO is going to give each of the big 4 a legit major league shot before moving any of them to other teams. That alone may take until the end of 2015 to accomplish. We've gone this far with it, I'm disappointed it may take longer, but another year or two of [expletive] burgers won't kill me. But [expletive] Ricketts, we could have really exploited some loopholes in IFA, that if money was there, I'm sure we would have.

Agreed. I can handle another year or two of suckiness if it means some sustained success. The only way I bail is if Ozzie Guillen somehow becomes a part of this. Yes, I hate the guy that much. If that does happen, I'll see you whenever he's fired/gone/quits/is institutionalized.

[Boris]

Obviously we are going to endure another year of putrid baseball, but if it goes past this year I am going to start getting really jaded on this whole process. I don't expect to be world beaters in 2015, but we better have a nice solid squad running out on that field. Time has been on their side and now it is time to start putting up or shutting up.

[pccubfan]

I really think our FO is going to give each of the big 4 a legit major league shot before moving any of them to other teams. That alone may take until the end of 2015 to accomplish. We've gone this far with it, I'm disappointed it may take longer, but another year or two of [expletive] burgers won't kill me. But [expletive] Ricketts, we could have really exploited some loopholes in IFA, that if money was there, I'm sure we would have.

 

My problem all along with this rebuild has been that it has been one-sided. If a very high percentage of the top guys don't work out, then the last couple years have been wasted not trying.

I'll err on the FO's proven ability of being able to develop players on that one. But I understand anyone else's hesitancy.

 

I understand the FO's track record and that does give one hope. However, four or five years of 90+ losses is inexcusable. I don't care if it is the FO's fault, ownerships fault, or some combination, it should never happen.

[Guest]

I said it would take awhile at the outset of this sea change in leadership, but the thing that bothers me is there has been zero improvement in the big club. No one will convince me it was all part of the plan. I also never thought the people who bought the team would cry poor either, that's a big one to swallow.