Offseason Rumors

[Clem Fandango]

Sweet, I was really hoping we'd target a guy we can pay $5 million to never pitch for us. New market inefficieny.

[treebird]

Both PSD insiders today agreeing that what they are hearing is the Cubs may not hit $90m in payroll.

 

yeah but is that $90 million if you start counting at zero or if you start at $20 million?

[gscool89]

Both PSD insiders today agreeing that what they are hearing is the Cubs may not hit $90m in payroll.

#PoorTomRicketts

[Sammy Sofa]

2) A reliever who will give us a discount for being named our "closer"

 

This is hilarious.

[marc_foust]

Bat Throw 2014 salary

1 C W. Castillo R R 1

2 1B A. Rizzo L L 1

3 2B D. Barney R R 2.1

4 SS S. Castro R R 5

5 3B L. Valbuena L L 1.5

6 RF Shierholtz L L 3.8

7 LF J. Lake R R 0.6

8 CF R. Sweeney L L 1.7

9 S1 Samardzjia R 4.9

10 S2 E. Jackson R 11

11 S3 T. Wood L 3.6

12 S4 J. Arrieta R 0.6

13 S5 C. Rusin L 0.6

14 R1 Villanueva R 5

15 R2 A. Cabrera R 0.4

16 R3 Z. Rosscup R 0.4

17 R4 D. Bard R 1.8

18 R5 J. Russell L 1.7

19 SU B.Parker R 0.6

20 CL P. Stropp R 1

21 C R R

22 INF D. Murhpy R R 1

23 INF M. Olt R R 0.4

24 OF Vitters R R 0.4

25 OF Bogesevuic L L 0.6

Misc Contracts 17.5

Total Payroll

68.2

 

Using Mlbtr arb estimates. In house 25 man for next season, without a back up catcher

Misc contracts includes soriano, soler, hairston etc

Edited November 12, 2013 by marc_foust

[jersey cubs fan]

Both PSD insiders today agreeing that what they are hearing is the Cubs may not hit $90m in payroll.

 

yeah but is that $90 million if you start counting at zero or if you start at $20 million?

 

The point is it doesn't matter if you start counting, or if you don't start counting, or if you do start counting but at a different starting point from where somebody else may start counting.

[USSoccer]

So the only question that remains is whether Tom Ricketts is the lovable, Charlie Chaplin-esque type of tramp or the scary, stab you in the eyeball under the train bridge type of hobo.

 

[Guest]

It's surreal. All the sudden the Cubs are a mid to small market team. If true, I really wonder if this is on the Ricketts or if it's just stubbornness in the front office. Theo has long talked about thinking and acting like a small market team.

[Sammy Sofa]

It's surreal. All the sudden the Cubs are a mid to small market team. If true, I really wonder if this is on the Ricketts or if it's just stubbornness in the front office. Theo has long talked about thinking and acting like a small market team.

 

I need to believe that a FO seemingly as smart as ours would never ever willfully choose to actually act like a mid or small market team across the board. Really, I NEED to believe that.

[Guest]

Total Payroll 68.2

 

Using Mlbtr arb estimates. In house 25 man for next season, without a back up catcher

Misc contracts includes soriano, soler, hairston etc

 

Personally I've never thought that Soler(and Concepcion for that matter) were counted towards the payroll in that manner, but it looks like you're missing Fujikawa's 4.5 million so it balances out.

 

Since I read that this morning, I've been trying to think through some moves that make the best of an 85 million payroll. First pass was something like:

 

Samardzija for 2 real good arms(Delgado and Skaggs is my favorite at the moment), one should be able to slot into the rotation

Lake for Ackley

Barney for Herrera

Villanueva for Maybin

Sign a FA SP(Ubaldo and Kazmir are the current favorites), sign a RH OF to share time with Schierholtz(Young, Gutierrez)

 

That should get you to 85 million and have something like:

 

Sweeney/Castro/Rizzo/Castillo/Platoon OF/Platoon 3B/Maybin/Ackley

Ubaldo/Wood/Jackson/Delgado/Arrieta

Strop/Herrera/Parker/Russell/Rusin/etc

 

Not a playoff contender, but a lot deeper than recent years, and the coming power prospects are exactly what that lineup is missing.

[marc_foust]

From hearing hoops report the possible interest in Shierholtz and Barney from other teams and in house options like Vitters/Bogesevuic and Valbuena/Murphy, I would be solidly in favor of opening up the combined 6m in payroll by moving them. Barney would be more payroll motivated, but if Shierholtz can bring back a Pinyero/Black type then why not. If my payroll numbers are close then that would put it at 63m possibly putting giving us close to 25m to work with. Not sure on the actual top number other than less than 90m.

[Cubswin11]

So who are some of the, very early, top prospects for the 2015 draft?

[davell]

Theo said looking for pitching for "now and in the future" I don't see a Scott Baker, I see a trade for a cost controlled younger guy.

[Guest]

Losing at the MLB level is the new market inefficiency.

[Clem Fandango]

Orioles, Mets and Pirates have checked into Nate Schierholtz's availability.

 

You can apparently add the Diamondbacks to that list. Schierholtz and Samardzija should be plenty to get a package going started with Delgado and Skaggs.

 

http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/11/12/rumor-diamondbacks-interested-in-nate-schierholtz/

 

They are rumored to want Schierholtz because they want a corner OF bat. I guess Parra and Eaton don't qualify as corner OF bats to them. Delgado, Skaggs, and Parra for Schierholtz and Samardzija?

[KingCubsFan]

Orioles, Mets and Pirates have checked into Nate Schierholtz's availability.

 

You can apparently add the Diamondbacks to that list. Schierholtz and Samardzija should be plenty to get a package going started with Delgado and Skaggs.

 

http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/11/12/rumor-diamondbacks-interested-in-nate-schierholtz/

 

They are rumored to want Schierholtz because they want a corner OF bat. I guess Parra and Eaton don't qualify as corner OF bats to them. Delgado, Skaggs, and Parra for Schierholtz and Samardzija?

I bet they value Parra pretty highly. It would be great if they would include Eaton, though.

[Gilby]

I want someone who has the potential to be a TOR arm in return for Samardzija. Neither Delgado nor Skaggs project to be that. Skaggs is not the same player he was when he was a top 20 prospect.

[Guest]

Skaggs was a Top 20 prospect like 6 months ago. There's definitely some subjective evaluation to be done there, but I find it hard to believe he's wrecked his ceiling as a prospect.

[Gilby]

Skaggs was a Top 20 prospect like 6 months ago. There's definitely some subjective evaluation to be done there, but I find it hard to believe he's wrecked his ceiling as a prospect.

 

Hmm, I didn't realize he was as highly thought of coming into this season as he was. I thought most of the hype was from pre-2012. But anyway, there's been concerns of a drop in velocity for a couple years now. They've shut him down the last two Septembers with velocity concerns.

 

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/20130921arizona-diamondbacks-pitcher-tyler-skaggs-takes-off-all-month-unwind.html

 

Not enough upside for my liking in return for Shark.

[davell]

If you're going to require a top 20 pitching prospect for Shark, you're boxing yourself in to just Walker(not a team likely to be involved), Bradley, Taillon, and Bundy(injury). Not leaving much to negotiate with.

[Gilby]

If you're going to require a top 20 pitching prospect for Shark, you're boxing yourself in to just Walker(not a team likely to be involved), Bradley, Taillon, and Bundy(injury). Not leaving much to negotiate with.

 

I never said there needed to be a top 20 prospect in return for Shark. I just meant I'm not as excited about Skaggs' past rankings due to a drop in velocity.

[rawaction]

Total Payroll 68.2

 

Using Mlbtr arb estimates. In house 25 man for next season, without a back up catcher

Misc contracts includes soriano, soler, hairston etc

 

Personally I've never thought that Soler(and Concepcion for that matter) were counted towards the payroll in that manner, but it looks like you're missing Fujikawa's 4.5 million so it balances out.

 

Since I read that this morning, I've been trying to think through some moves that make the best of an 85 million payroll. First pass was something like:

 

Samardzija for 2 real good arms(Delgado and Skaggs is my favorite at the moment), one should be able to slot into the rotation

Lake for Ackley

Barney for Herrera

Villanueva for Maybin

Sign a FA SP(Ubaldo and Kazmir are the current favorites), sign a RH OF to share time with Schierholtz(Young, Gutierrez)

 

That should get you to 85 million and have something like:

 

Sweeney/Castro/Rizzo/Castillo/Platoon OF/Platoon 3B/Maybin/Ackley

Ubaldo/Wood/Jackson/Delgado/Arrieta

Strop/Herrera/Parker/Russell/Rusin/etc

 

Not a playoff contender, but a lot deeper than recent years, and the coming power prospects are exactly what that lineup is missing.

 

That's not a bad team if Ubaldo is close to 2nd half Ubaldo and the back end of that bullpen is good. Bounce backs from Castro, Rizzo, and Ackley and you have some offense once you add Baez.

[SouthSideRyan]

Don't know where this fits best, but here's a mock offseason organized by a guy over on BTF. Not sure how accurate it will wind up being, but I'd guess these could be decent approximations for contract sizes FAs will be looking for.

 

http://www.royalsreview.com/2013/11/11/5087240/sb-nation-winter-meetings-simulation-debriefing

[Tryptamine]

Don't know where this fits best, but here's a mock offseason organized by a guy over on BTF. Not sure how accurate it will wind up being, but I'd guess these could be decent approximations for contract sizes FAs will be looking for.

 

http://www.royalsreview.com/2013/11/11/5087240/sb-nation-winter-meetings-simulation-debriefing

 

If the Cubs ended up dealing Castro for Trevor Rosenthal and Tyrell Jenkins I'd be done with this nonsense.

[davell]

Man, I like Rosenthal a ton. But pixie dust on Starlin turns him into Tulo. So no. Just no.