Offseason Rumors

[Guest]

But we're not talking about them going out and stockpiling contracts a la the Yankees and Angels; we're talking about one guy. Presenting signing Cano is if it would be the prelude to a misguided spending spree is some very selective spin. He's a player that should be very productive for several more years and he frees up the Cubs to trade from a position of strength to upgrade elsewhere.

 

I'm not saying it's a prelude to a spending spree. Most simply, I'm saying there's no point in risking that Cano won't be an anchor in 8-10 years when you can make a similar gamble on Ellsbury for 5 to 7 and get very similar benefit at a position of greater organizational need. It's not just "Cano's contract is too long", it's "Cano wants a contract that's years longer than even the other elite FA".

Ellsbury is not the same player Cano is and he can't stay healthy. I'd wager Cano will come closer to living up to his contract then Ellsbury will.

[Guest]

According to B-R our payroll was 75.9M last year... is that true? wtf.

 

That's adding up the salaries of the players that ended the year on the roster. So in some sense that's true, but it's far less than what we opened the year with(because we traded Garza, Marmol, DeJesus, etc), and it's also a good bit less than what we actually paid out.

[Guest]

But we're not talking about them going out and stockpiling contracts a la the Yankees and Angels; we're talking about one guy. Presenting signing Cano is if it would be the prelude to a misguided spending spree is some very selective spin. He's a player that should be very productive for several more years and he frees up the Cubs to trade from a position of strength to upgrade elsewhere.

 

I'm not saying it's a prelude to a spending spree. Most simply, I'm saying there's no point in risking that Cano won't be an anchor in 8-10 years when you can make a similar gamble on Ellsbury for 5 to 7 and get very similar benefit at a position of greater organizational need. It's not just "Cano's contract is too long", it's "Cano wants a contract that's years longer than even the other elite FA".

Ellsbury is not the same player Cano is and he can't stay healthy. I'd wager Cano will come closer to living up to his contract then Ellsbury will.

 

Yes, Ellsbury has missed a big part of 2 seasons to injury, but when healthy he's been every bit as good as Cano(his 2011 is way better than any season Cano's ever had). Given that players with Ellsbury's speed and diversity of skills age better anyway, I'd rather gamble on his health for ~6 years than on Cano's bat remaining great(and great for the position he has to play) for ~9.

[Fro]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-new-national-tv-contracts-and-2014-payrolls/

 

Basically every team seems to be getting an extra $25 million each year from the new national TV deals that kick in next year, so that's probably where this sudden "payroll bump!!" rumor is coming from.

 

I guess it'll be good if Ricketts spends nearly all of it on the team instead of pocketing half of it, but that extra money won't go as far as a normal year since everyone's going to have a little more to spend.

 

Fangraphs has our payroll obligations at $58 million for 2014, for what it's worth.

[Guest]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-new-national-tv-contracts-and-2014-payrolls/

 

Basically every team seems to be getting an extra $25 million each year, so that's probably where this sudden "payroll bump!!" rumor is coming from.

 

I guess it'll be good if Ricketts spends nearly all of it on the team instead of pocketing half of it, but that extra money won't go as far as a normal year since everyone's going to have a little more to spend.

 

Fangraphs has our payroll obligations at $58 million for 2014, for what it's worth.

 

We've sort of talked about that before...The extra money is likely to be offset by the reduced revenue from attendance dropping.

 

It's also not likely to be where the rumor is coming from.

[Clem Fandango]

Considering it's the Marlins, I take it at face value, but...

 

Marlins general manager Dan Jennings told SiriusXM's Jim Bowden in an interview Sunday that Giancarlo Stanton is "not available" for trade this offseason.

"He will be in right field at Marlins Park on Opening Day," Jennings added. "We are building around him." Stanton's name has been involved in plenty of trade rumors over the last year, but the Marlins dealing him has always seemed unlikely. The young slugger will turn just 24 later this week and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter.

[UMFan83]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-new-national-tv-contracts-and-2014-payrolls/

 

Basically every team seems to be getting an extra $25 million each year from the new national TV deals that kick in next year, so that's probably where this sudden "payroll bump!!" rumor is coming from.

 

I guess it'll be good if Ricketts spends nearly all of it on the team instead of pocketing half of it, but that extra money won't go as far as a normal year since everyone's going to have a little more to spend.

 

Fangraphs has our payroll obligations at $58 million for 2014, for what it's worth.

 

Does that number include salary obligations to traded players like Soriano and Hariston? I'm also assuming it's not accounting for arb players.

[Guest]

John Arguello ‏@CubsDen 4m

@BleacherNation If I tell you I want to gain 25 pounds and I ask you how I should add it, why would it matter what I weigh now?

 

Oh...well then. That explains that. I guess we're all idiots.

[Clem Fandango]

John Arguello ‏@CubsDen 4m

@BleacherNation If I tell you I want to gain 25 pounds and I ask you how I should add it, why would it matter what I weigh now?

 

Oh...well then. That explains that. I guess we're all idiots.

 

http://i.imgur.com/zl8Be3w.gif

[Guest]

I don't think I can follow this guy's blog at this point if he is this incapable of logic and reason.

 

He seriously has no clue why it's relevant whether he means an increase in payroll over what it was in April (which is what he says) or i if it's an increase over what the payroll is now - which would basically just be "they're going to spend 25-35M this offseason."

[Have a seat, Neifi]

I'm going to post some of this clown's recent tweets to see if any of them will help (each of these are separate tweets from this afternoon):

 

@Cerambam1736 Yeah, I had no idea that was still up there. Could see the confusion. Was basically told it's 25/35 minus internal raises.

 

@TimBernier31 I just mean $25-$35 from here on out, but some of that will go to internal raises this offseason.

 

Even if they don't plan on spending big, Cubs would probably stretch payroll for the right guy, as they tried to do with Sanchez last year.

 

@mqmoody @harrypav @BleacherNation Not adding 60M. They're adding 30. So if you start at 60, you'll be 90. If start at 90 you'll be at 120

 

@Boost3383 @BleacherNation Well, I've already answered the question then when I say it's 25-30M minus expected raises.

[Guest]

Yeah, after all his clarifications, what he's indirectly saying is that the payroll will be 85 million. Hopefully that turns out as accurate as the Cargo rumors from last month. You can still do some interesting things with 85 million and the current roster, but your chances of getting a strong playoff contender in 2014 are pretty slim.

[Clem Fandango]

Can anyone with a good grasp on arbitration raises give a quick and dirty estimation on the raises the Cubs might be doling out this offseason?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Arguello making a butt out of himself on Twitter is probably going to be my favorite thing that happens all offseason :(

[Guest]

Can anyone with a good grasp on arbitration raises give a quick and dirty estimation on the raises the Cubs might be doling out this offseason?

 

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/10/arbitration-eligibles-chicago-cubs.html

[SouthSideRyan]

85M would put us at 19th to start this past season. With everyone getting free 20M, it'd almost certainly slot lower than that. Pittsburgh has already been mentioned as going up to 100M, Seattle was just a hair under 85, and has been connected to the big names, KC and Cleveland also seem due for bumps.

 

If Arguello is correct, we're looking at somewhere around 23rd-25th in payroll. For the Chicago Cubs.

 

What a [expletive] nightmare.

[rawaction]

John Arguello ‏@CubsDen 4m

@BleacherNation If I tell you I want to gain 25 pounds and I ask you how I should add it, why would it matter what I weigh now?

 

Oh...well then. That explains that. I guess we're all idiots.

 

LMAO! You can't possibly answer that question to the best of your ability without knowing how much he weighs now. What a jackassical (bringing it back) response.

[davell]

John likely misconstrued his info. My honest guess is we'll have 25-35 mill to spend AFTER arb raises, which basically places us in the same realm we went into 2013 with. He's a very solid Cubs blogger, this info just got handled incorrectly and his responses didn't help.

 

The bottom line though, is if we don't make any major trades, and fail to land one of Ellsbury, Choo, Cano, Tanaka, McCann, Ervin Santana, etc....It becomes counterproductive TO spend on most of whats available.

 

The entire offseason COULD consist of adding Edward Mujica and Corey Hart, which at least fills two holes and improves those two spots, while everything else could technically get filled from within. Eh, backup C too, I guess. But still, we're probably a 70-73 win team right now with no additions at all.

 

So my guess is we'll be after big ticket, impact types, because we've got enough to fill out the roster already. We miss on them? Payroll could be in the 80's, for lack of need of stopgaps.

 

In the end, I think we'll be extremely active myself, add either Choo or Ellsbury AND Salty, and use Castillo as a key piece in bringing over a solid cost controlled SP. Castro sticks, and I'm 50/50 on what I think happens with Shark.

[Guest]

John likely misconstrued his info. My honest guess is we'll have 25-35 mill to spend AFTER arb raises, which basically places us in the same realm we went into 2013 with. He's a very solid Cubs blogger, this info just got handled incorrectly and his responses didn't help.

 

The bottom line though, is if we don't make any major trades, and fail to land one of Ellsbury, Choo, Cano, Tanaka, McCann, Ervin Santana, etc....It becomes counterproductive TO spend on most of whats available.

 

The entire offseason COULD consist of adding Edward Mujica and Corey Hart, which at least fills two holes and improves those two spots, while everything else could technically get filled from within. Eh, backup C too, I guess. But still, we're probably a 70-73 win team right now with no additions at all.

 

So my guess is we'll be after big ticket, impact types, because we've got enough to fill out the roster already. We miss on them? Payroll could be in the 80's, for lack of need of stopgaps.

 

In the end, I think we'll be extremely active myself, add either Choo or Ellsbury AND Salty, and use Castillo as a key piece in bringing over a solid cost controlled SP. Castro sticks, and I'm 50/50 on what I think happens with Shark.

 

We have a lot of options but changes must happen and not little changes.

[A New Era]

likely he heard something, got excited "man I could be the first to break this I gotta break it". Then his source or elsewhere told him, slow up partner. And now he's had to backpedal, backpedal, backpedal. And instead of admitting he was wrong he's being a politician with his words.

 

Just admit you were wrong big guy.

[SouthSideRyan]

Corey Hart could barely play the OF in 2012, and he's had surgery on both knees in the last year. I wouldn't trust him out there.

[Guest]

Corey Hart could barely play the OF in 2012, and he's had surgery on both knees in the last year. I wouldn't trust him out there.

 

Yeah, Gutierrez makes a lot more sense for that role. He can't play every day, but he's a good OF when he's out there, and he complements the current OF of Sweeney/Lake/Schierholtz pretty well.

[davell]

No thought put into that, I was trying to find a cheap, middle of the order hitter. I still like Chris Young, if we go with a cheap OFer. But we need a guy to bat in the middle of the lineup until Javy and KB make their triumphant debuts in June.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

No thought put into that, I was trying to find a cheap, middle of the order hitter. I still like Chris Young, if we go with a cheap OFer. But we need a guy to bat in the middle of the lineup until Javy and KB make their triumphant debuts in June.

 

I may accept him as a contributor to the team, but I will *never* like Chris Young.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/11/2014-top-50-free-agents-with-predictions-1.html

 

We are predicted to get No. 26 Joaquin Benoit *and* No. 50 Chris Young. So much for Epstein's "only one impact player through FA" nonsense.