Hammel/Samardzija Traded to A's for Russell/McKinney/Straily

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

let me say again it's insane how fast this played out from when it was first reported to actually happening.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I think davell did the math and showed that the Cubs were gonna be sitting at like a ~$50-$60 million payroll at the start of 2015. They can do it immediately.

 

I got about $55m if they fill out the roster with minimum guys.

 

And that's with an entire infield, probably some outfielders, starting catcher, three pitchers (four if you like Hendricks or Straily) and the entire bullpen already in place.

 

They can afford anything they want this offseason. whether they *will* or not is a different question.

 

Agreed on it for this season, but if they are not going to be willing to spend big on payroll until a new TV deal in 2020, it's the 2017 season that starts to get tricky.

 

Edit to add: Although we would have a lot of cheap guys that could fill out our lineup. So, maybe I'm wrong.

 

I don't think they'll reach $150 million or anything, but they could be at $90-$100 million easy and still have a potentially elite team. They wouldn't NEED to have a $150+ million payroll

 

It might be tough. Let's say that we have Stanton at $25 and two really top of the rotation guys at $18 per (which is probably too cheap) our payroll in 2017 is already at about 80 million with those three players, Rizzo and Castro. Which, I guess with guys like Bryant could make us really good with a $100 million payroll. But it would be tight.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If you added Stanton and two TOR pitchers to what we have for 2015 you'd have a chance to win 100 games. Edited July 5, 2014 by Hairyducked Idiot

[Clem Fandango]

Seriously this trade is like the best [expletive] thing that could've ever happened for the immediate near future of this team.

 

Zah?

 

Got ahead of myself, meant to say what Tim corrected.

[Outshined_One]

A's fans with mixed to negative reactions

 

I'm a fan.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

If you added Stanton and two TOR pitchers to what we have for 2015 you'd have a chance to win 100 games.

 

Yes, yes I agree. But it's a two-year window before stuff starts possibly hitting the fan a bit if we are going to be cheap.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

i really hope the A's win the WS this year. moneyball sequel. Theo and Jed can play themselves Edited July 5, 2014 by Tangled Up in Plaid

[RynoRules]

Potential FA SP's after this season per Cot's (asterisk indicates option):

 

Starting Pitchers

Brett Anderson *

Josh Beckett

Chad Billingsley *

Joe Blanton *

A.J. Burnett *

Chris Capuano

Bruce Chen *

Wei-Yin Chen *

Kevin Correia

Johnny Cueto *

Jorge De La Rosa

Ryan Dempster

Scott Feldman

Gavin Floyd

Yovani Gallardo *

Jason Hammel

J.A. Happ *

Aaron Harang

Dan Haren *

Roberto Hernandez

Luke Hochevar

Hisashi Iwakuma

Josh Johnson

Kyle Kendrick

Hiroki Kuroda

John Lannan

Colby Lewis

Jon Lester

Paul Maholm

Justin Masterson

Brandon McCarthy

Brandon Morrow *

Jeff Niemann

Ross Ohlendorf

Felipe Paulino *

Jake Peavy

Wandy Rodriguez

Max Scherzer

James Shields

Carlos Villanueva

Ryan Vogelsong

Edinson Volquez

Jerome Williams

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If you added Stanton and two TOR pitchers to what we have for 2015 you'd have a chance to win 100 games.

 

Yes, yes I agree. But it's a two-year window before stuff starts possibly hitting the fan a bit if we are going to be cheap.

 

Agreed. I'm not expecting them to go nuts deep and blow all this flexibility in one offseason. We *might* get one big move, but we'll probably just sign mid-tier guys to short-term deals. And that could be enough.

[Clem Fandango]

I think davell did the math and showed that the Cubs were gonna be sitting at like a ~$50-$60 million payroll at the start of 2015. They can do it immediately.

 

I got about $55m if they fill out the roster with minimum guys.

 

And that's with an entire infield, probably some outfielders, starting catcher, three pitchers (four if you like Hendricks or Straily) and the entire bullpen already in place.

 

They can afford anything they want this offseason. whether they *will* or not is a different question.

 

Agreed on it for this season, but if they are not going to be willing to spend big on payroll until a new TV deal in 2020, it's the 2017 season that starts to get tricky.

 

Edit to add: Although we would have a lot of cheap guys that could fill out our lineup. So, maybe I'm wrong.

 

I don't think they'll reach $150 million or anything, but they could be at $90-$100 million easy and still have a potentially elite team. They wouldn't NEED to have a $150+ million payroll

 

It might be tough. Let's say that we have Stanton at $25 and two really top of the rotation guys at $18 per (which is probably too cheap) our payroll in 2017 is already at about 80 million with those three players, Rizzo and Castro. Which, I guess with guys like Bryant could make us really good with a $100 million payroll. But it would be tight.

 

It would definitely be tight, but I think just adding one top tier FA pitcher would be plenty. Someone like Scherzer is going to cost between $20-$23 million though I'd guess. But there's still a great crop of FA pitchers to choose from. Honestly though if they got one of the premiere pitchers and then used one of Wada, Hendricks, etc. or converted Ramirez to a starter, I think they'd be fine with the rotation. They could also get another Hammel like reclamation. there's lots of those on the market this offseason.

 

If you added Stanton and two TOR pitchers to what we have for 2015 you'd have a chance to win 100 games.

 

And that makes me giddy. Don't think two pitchers is on the table though. One TOR arm and a reclamation? Seems possible. But I think the Cubs make a run for at least one of the better arms out there this offseason.

[Andy]

i really hope the A's win the WS this year. moneyball sequel. Theo and Jed can play themselves

I already did, this obviously makes me want it more.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

And that makes me giddy. Don't think two pitchers is on the table though. One TOR arm and a reclamation? Seems possible. But I think the Cubs make a run for at least one of the better arms out there this offseason.

 

I still don't think we will get any TOR, to be honest. Bad value is bad value to this organization, and elite FA pitchers are bad value.

[Post Count Padder]

Just tuning in. Need to digest this a little. On the surface it looks like a solid infielder, a good but raw outfielder and a young pitcher in need of fine tuning (like Arrieta). And a ptbnl. Someone tell me how to feel about this return.

 

And any idea on the ptbnl? I saw someone mention an alcantara?

[Shilzzz]

alcantara must be one of the ptbnl names. he was a former boston farmhand who went over in the same deal that sent josh reddick to oakland

[RynoRules]

If they get Raul Alcantara as the PTBN this could wind up in the same pantheon as Anderson for Bagwell. Ok, maybe not that bad, but you get my drift. Edited July 5, 2014 by RynoRules

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Just tuning in. Need to digest this a little. On the surface it looks like a solid infielder, a good but raw outfielder and a young pitcher in need of fine tuning (like Arrieta). And a ptbnl. Someone tell me how to feel about this return.

 

And any idea on the ptbnl? I saw someone mention an alcantara?

 

Just one correction, I'd say on the surface it looks like a star infielder rather than a solid one.

[Clem Fandango]

Just tuning in. Need to digest this a little. On the surface it looks like a solid infielder, a good but raw outfielder and a young pitcher in need of fine tuning (like Arrieta). And a ptbnl. Someone tell me how to feel about this return.

 

And any idea on the ptbnl? I saw someone mention an alcantara?

 

You should be thrilled. Russell is one of the best prospects in baseball. BP has him at #6 I believe in the midseason Top 50. Gives the Cubs an incredible advantage for their future and allows them to use their assets for MLB ready pieces if they wanted (remains to be seen if thats the case, but that's my speculation).

 

Even if they keep Russell, he's a beast, and he'd probably slide over to 3B and move Bryant to the OF in that scenario. Basically, the Cubs are in an excellent position.

[Shilzzz]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/top-10-prospects-oakland-athletics/The Scouting Report: Alcantara has above-average control for his age but he’s still looking for continued improvement on his command within the strike zone. All his offerings took a step forward in 2013, although they still have a ways to go to become legitimate out pitches. The heater works in the low 90s and touches the mid-90s. His second-best offering is a plus changeup, and he also has two breaking balls with the slider having a slight edge over the curveball.

[RynoRules]

I did just notice that his K numbers are down, though didn't I read somewhere that he was injured?

[RammyFanny]

Keith Law is stalking me.

 

If you look at it in pieces, you could pitch the deal as Addison Russell and Dan Straily for Samardzija, then Billy McKinney straight up for Jason Hammel, both of which individually are strong returns for the Cubs.

 

Much moar:

 

 

Russell is a top-five prospect in the game, a true shortstop with an advanced bat, showing good on-base skills and line-drive power, even though he's just 20 years old in Class AA. He has some of the best hands I've ever seen on a prospect, both as a fielder and at the plate. He slimmed down before his senior year of high school to prove to scouts that he could stay at shortstop, and he has the soft, quick hands for the position as well as plenty of arm, needing refinement on his footwork to remain there. At the plate, he has a simple, fluid swing that produces hard line-drive contact and should eventually lead to 15-20 homers a year, if not more. His approach at the plate is already advanced and continues to improve; he came into July 4th with as many walks as strikeouts in his brief Class AA tenure, which was interrupted by a hamstring tear that cost him over two months. He could still be ready for the major-league club next spring, although a return engagement in the Arizona Fall League to make up for the lost at bats would help significantly. In the long term, he's a potential All-Star at shortstop who posts high OBPs with the aforementioned power and above-average defense.

McKinney's superficial stats this year don't tell a great story about his skill set, in part because he's 19 years old in high-A, taking the same express route that Russell took the previous year by going from the draft one June to the California League ten months later. McKinney is a pure left fielder with a pretty left-handed swing that he can repeat well and with good loft in its finish. He loads his hands a little too high and deep, although his hand acceleration is so good that he can get the barrel to the zone in time to make contact; cutting that load slightly might produce better results when he puts the ball in play. Despite being the Cal League's second-youngest regular, he's making a lot of contact and showing power and patience, although a recent shift to get him more aggressive earlier in the count has cut down on his walks. He projects as an above-average regular in left even if his defense is just neutral there, although I think he has the instincts to end up an asset there with the glove.

If the A's win the World Series with Samardzija and Hammel, I'm sure they'll be able to live with watching Russell make All-Star teams for the Cubs while McKinney nails down left field.

 

Also says PTBNL won't be significant.

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/post/_/id/2480/timelines-dictate-massive-cubs-as-deal&ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_Law_CubsAsdeal

 

[Shilzzz]

haha they should get billy burns as the ptbnl just for the fun of things

[Sammys Boombox]

Very excited about this. If the Cubs get their financial side figured out for the better by the end of this calendar year I am going to be all kinds of excited.

[Irrelevant Dude]

I did just notice that his K numbers are down, though didn't I read somewhere that he was injured?

Pretty sure he had TJS recently.

[Shilzzz]

I did just notice that his K numbers are down, though didn't I read somewhere that he was injured?

Pretty sure he had TJS recently.

 

in May

[RammyFanny]

Russell's profile sounds alot like Bogaerts to me. Edited July 5, 2014 by RammyFanny