Cubs acquire Felix Doubront for PTBNL

[CubsWin]

Thrilled with this. It's an upside and win in 2015 move, exactly what I want to see the Cubs focus on now. The Cubs will have the ability to roster the players they really want to protect. The Red Sox get their pick of the litter of any rule 5 eligible player that doesn't get selected. Low price/possible high reward with possible impact on next season and beyond (Felix doesn't become a FA until 2018). Man, Boston must have really wanted to get rid of this guy. That may be a red flag, but it also could be something a change of scenery fixes.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

North is my hero, but outside of Junior Lake, he's been right about like nothing lately.

 

What does that even mean?

 

And if we are keeping score like this, he predicted huge things for Rizzo this year.

 

The things that stick out to me lately have been his excitement over Travis Wood's early results and Starlin Castro's increased power, both of which have evaporated.

[Guest]

He also wasn't all that jazzed about Arrieta to start with. That doesn't really matter to me though, he's looking at indicators, and sometimes indicators end up being statistical noise. It's still very interesting stuff that not a lot of people can synthesize in an easy to follow way.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Is there a North summoning spell?

[Guest]

North is my hero, but outside of Junior Lake, he's been right about like nothing lately.

 

What does that even mean?

 

And if we are keeping score like this, he predicted huge things for Rizzo this year.

 

The things that stick out to me lately have been his excitement over Travis Wood's early results and Starlin Castro's increased power, both of which have evaporated.

 

The things he pointed out weren't wrong. They changed. Just like he wasn't wrong about Javy's contact % being horrendously low. That has changed. Doesn't mean he was wrong.

 

He also pointed to an early season trend with Wood that hasn't held up.

 

FWIW, him and Dooglas are still very high on Castro's peripherals, IIRC.

 

Either way, the point is that none of that stuff was wrong. All he really does is post numbers, which, unless he's making them up, are all facts (and then his analysis of said numbers, obviously). Which is why I asked what that even means.

[Guest]

He also wasn't all that jazzed about Arrieta to start with. That doesn't really matter to me though, he's looking at indicators, and sometimes indicators end up being statistical noise. It's still very interesting stuff that not a lot of people can synthesize in an easy to follow way.

 

Yeah. He's since been really high on the sustainability of what he has been doing, though.

[Guest]

Peter Gammons ‏@pgammo 6m

Cubs official:"Felix(Doubront) gets one last chance to grow up."

 

wonder what this is about

[Guest]

Peter Gammons ‏@pgammo 6m

Cubs official:"Felix(Doubront) gets one last chance to grow up."

 

wonder what this is about

He was bitching about management.

[Guest]

Peter Gammons ‏@pgammo 6m

Cubs official:"Felix(Doubront) gets one last chance to grow up."

 

wonder what this is about

 

One of the big reasons he got traded is that he complained that he wasn't getting the chance to start. I saw an unsubstantiated mention that he might've tanked some out of the bullpen in protest. Don't know any other details around that whole situation, but that's the situation being referenced in all likelihood.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

He also wasn't all that jazzed about Arrieta to start with. That doesn't really matter to me though, he's looking at indicators, and sometimes indicators end up being statistical noise. It's still very interesting stuff that not a lot of people can synthesize in an easy to follow way.

 

 

I totally love his work too. Maybe I shouldn't say he's been wrong, so much as he's caused me to be excited about players who since sucked.

[jersey cubs fan]

Peter Gammons ‏@pgammo 6m

Cubs official:"Felix(Doubront) gets one last chance to grow up."

 

wonder what this is about

 

One of the big reasons he got traded is that he complained that he wasn't getting the chance to start. I saw an unsubstantiated mention that he might've tanked some out of the bullpen in protest. Don't know any other details around that whole situation, but that's the situation being referenced in all likelihood.

What are his feelings on chicken and beer.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

God damn it, now I want chicken and beer.

[toonsterwu]

I think this was a nice gamble, although I don't really like Cameron's comparison of this as "Arrieta 2.0". Doubront never had anywhere near Arrieta's stuff, and Doubront's ceiling was really more of a mid-rotation guy, with a more realistic positive outcome as an end of the rotation option. Maybe North is right that his velocity decline is due to arm-slot, and maybe it can be fixed, but if so, I'd find it a bit odd that the Red Sox couldn't address that. It does sound like the Red Sox simply decided to throw in the towel on him, as they needed a roster spot to take Lester's place, and Doubront's whining and possible tanking simply made the decision easy for them. I think he's better than Wood/Russell, but I'm not sure how much better. That said, it's definitely a gamble worth taking as all indications are that we didn't give up much (realistically, we have some mildly interesting Rule 5 eligible guys that may not be protected this offseason ... but it feels like the return might be just a scrap heap type of guy).

[Guest]

My hope is not more than Christian Villanueva.

 

This almost definitely means we're dealing Russell or Wright though.

 

 

God, I hope not Villanueva

[davell]

My hope is not more than Christian Villanueva.

 

This almost definitely means we're dealing Russell or Wright though.

 

 

God, I hope not Villanueva

 

Nah, that was before hearing its coming after the Rule 5. I'm betting on Marco Hernandez. Amaya is my 2nd guess.

[sneakypower]

The things he pointed out weren't wrong. They changed. Just like he wasn't wrong about Javy's contact % being horrendously low. That has changed. Doesn't mean he was wrong.

Javy's contact rate has since graduated to merely 'disturbingly low'!

[Guest]

He also wasn't all that jazzed about Arrieta to start with. That doesn't really matter to me though, he's looking at indicators, and sometimes indicators end up being statistical noise. It's still very interesting stuff that not a lot of people can synthesize in an easy to follow way.

 

 

Did any non-hack see this from Arrieta?

[sneakypower]

i remember this spring wanting him in there to maybe be a future #3 if things went really well, but yeah, i doubt anybody foresaw this

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

yeah, pretty sure no one saw 3.1 fWAR in 15 starts.

[Guest]

i remember this spring wanting him in there to maybe be a future #3 if things went really well, but yeah, i doubt anybody foresaw this

 

Could be worse... could be SSR/Kyle

[Hairyducked Idiot]

i remember this spring wanting him in there to maybe be a future #3 if things went really well, but yeah, i doubt anybody foresaw this

 

Could be worse... could be SSR/Kyle

 

I'm done having opinions on pitchers forever.

[SouthSideRyan]

@jazayerli: An underrecognized part of the Cubs' pitching acquisition strategy: always trading for guys from the AL. Felix Doubront fits the profile.

 

I don't think that's really part of their strategy. Just kind of a coincidence. You've also got Travis Wood, Chris Volstad, the aborted Delgado acquisition, Vizcaino, and to a lesser extent; Michael Bowden, Jaye Chapman, and Henry Rodriguez

[Bryants Disco Ball]

He also wasn't all that jazzed about Arrieta to start with. That doesn't really matter to me though, he's looking at indicators, and sometimes indicators end up being statistical noise. It's still very interesting stuff that not a lot of people can synthesize in an easy to follow way.

 

 

Did any non-hack see this from Arrieta?

 

"Plus, I still think Arrieta is going to prove to be a really solid pitcher who can have some success in the National League."

 

Me in April in a game thread.

 

And even that was wrong because he's been way better than really solid.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Peter Gammons ‏@pgammo 6m

Cubs official:"Felix(Doubront) gets one last chance to grow up."

 

wonder what this is about

 

One of the big reasons he got traded is that he complained that he wasn't getting the chance to start. I saw an unsubstantiated mention that he might've tanked some out of the bullpen in protest. Don't know any other details around that whole situation, but that's the situation being referenced in all likelihood.

 

It says a lot about how low their opinion of him was that they essentially gave him away rather than letting him start, probably knowing that they were about to open up at least 1 rotation spot not 24 hours later.

[Tryptamine]

Peter Gammons ‏@pgammo 6m

Cubs official:"Felix(Doubront) gets one last chance to grow up."

 

wonder what this is about

 

One of the big reasons he got traded is that he complained that he wasn't getting the chance to start. I saw an unsubstantiated mention that he might've tanked some out of the bullpen in protest. Don't know any other details around that whole situation, but that's the situation being referenced in all likelihood.

 

It says a lot about how low their opinion of him was that they essentially gave him away rather than letting him start, probably knowing that they were about to open up at least 1 rotation spot not 24 hours later.

 

Well if the rumors are true that he intentionally tanked, you pretty much have to get him off your team.