Theo on The Score @ 10:40AM

[Bull]

When asked about payroll level next year, he said something about "if you look back a couple of years ago with regards to payroll" and then mentioned he expected a big jump when new revenue streams are in place.

 

Someone correct me if I got information wrong, I'm half listening while I'm working.

 

 

And when are they expected to be in place?

 

Well, signage will be in place next year. Who knows how much of that would go to it, though...

 

He sounded really high on the TV deal but I got in late so I don't know if he was just talking about the 2019 one or if he was addressing the 2015+ slate as well.

 

I was under the impression money from the signs was going back into the renovations

 

That is the reasoning given to justify them initially, but it's also been considered one of the untapped revenue streams. I'm not really sure how that will all be allocated, though.

 

I've always had it in my mind that sign money would go to pay for renovations until they were "paid off" and then go toward salary.

[davell]

PTR is in McCourt territory payroll-wise in some ways. They had a cost-controlled team of Martin, Loney, Ethier, Kemp, Broxton, Billingsley, Kershaw and others and never spent on a CC, Cliff Lee, or whoever else was out there to help put them over the top back then.

[Guest]

abbatacola isn't too bright

[SouthSideRyan]

PTR is in McCourt territory payroll-wise in some ways. They had a cost-controlled team of Martin, Loney, Ethier, Kemp, Broxton, Billingsley, Kershaw and others and never spent on a CC, Cliff Lee, or whoever else was out there to help put them over the top back then.

 

Come on Mrs. PTR go for the divorce and end our long national nightmare.

[jersey cubs fan]

PTR is in McCourt territory payroll-wise in some ways. They had a cost-controlled team of Martin, Loney, Ethier, Kemp, Broxton, Billingsley, Kershaw and others and never spent on a CC, Cliff Lee, or whoever else was out there to help put them over the top back then.

 

Come on Mrs. PTR go for the divorce and end our long national nightmare.

I do know a woman who dated him in college, maybe I can get her to cause some friction.

[Banedon]

"In a stable place payroll wise"

 

Basically said that the payroll will increase when the TV deal happens.

 

What's the read here? Stable as in embarrassing 2014 85M payroll stable, or stable as in we held back money this year embarrassing 100M payroll stable?

 

My read was that there's not going to be a payroll increase until the tv deal is in place. Soriano's money coming off wasn't mentioned, but it'll obviously help.

[Banedon]

abbatacola isn't too bright

 

What specifically are you referring to?

[Flames24Rulz]

"In a stable place payroll wise"

 

Basically said that the payroll will increase when the TV deal happens.

 

What's the read here? Stable as in embarrassing 2014 85M payroll stable, or stable as in we held back money this year embarrassing 100M payroll stable?

 

The payroll thing is a little discouraging to me.

 

I don't see how they won't spend at least a little bit this offseason, because of how low the payroll is going to be going into the offseason.

[jersey cubs fan]

"In a stable place payroll wise"

 

Basically said that the payroll will increase when the TV deal happens.

 

What's the read here? Stable as in embarrassing 2014 85M payroll stable, or stable as in we held back money this year embarrassing 100M payroll stable?

 

The payroll thing is a little discouraging to me.

 

I don't see how they won't spend at least a little bit this offseason, because of how low the payroll is going to be going into the offseason.

But spending a little bit would be a big problem.

[Clem Fandango]

"In a stable place payroll wise"

 

Basically said that the payroll will increase when the TV deal happens.

 

What's the read here? Stable as in embarrassing 2014 85M payroll stable, or stable as in we held back money this year embarrassing 100M payroll stable?

 

The payroll thing is a little discouraging to me.

 

I don't see how they won't spend at least a little bit this offseason, because of how low the payroll is going to be going into the offseason.

 

Hoyer has pretty openly said they will be players in the pitching market this offseason, too. Theo's statement doesn't match, unless they're going after more Hammels and Feldmans, which would be disappointing, IMO. That said, the offense should be really fun and potentially very good, so the team won't be miserably awful in that situation.

[Guest]

abbatacola isn't too bright

 

What specifically are you referring to?

 

just generally the way he interpreted some statements from the interview. it's a consistent thing with him, too.

 

in this case, he essentially seems to think they won't sign anyone of note until the TV deal is in place, which, if he means the 2015 tv deal, that's not really even worth saying because that's next year. if it's 2019, then he seems to think we're going to carry like a $50M payroll next year and not much more beyond that, which I'll go ahead and put myself out there by saying is a laughable notion. if i'm wrong, oh well.

[Guest]

Hoyer has pretty openly said they will be players in the pitching market this offseason, too. Theo's statement doesn't match, unless they're going after more Hammels and Feldmans, which would be disappointing, IMO. That said, the offense should be really fun and potentially very good, so the team won't be miserably awful in that situation.

 

Which one? And, if so, did you actually hear it? (I'm not being argumentative... I didn't hear it either so I'd be interested in your interpretation)

[Clem Fandango]

Hoyer has pretty openly said they will be players in the pitching market this offseason, too. Theo's statement doesn't match, unless they're going after more Hammels and Feldmans, which would be disappointing, IMO. That said, the offense should be really fun and potentially very good, so the team won't be miserably awful in that situation.

 

Which one? And, if so, did you actually hear it? (I'm not being argumentative... I didn't hear it either so I'd be interested in your interpretation)

 

I was interpreting his statement of payroll increasing to our desired levels when the TV deal is struck as him saying they wont be big spenders until that happens, which I'm assuming means our expectations of having this rollover budget (and extra $50 mil to play with, roughly) is less fact and more speculation now.

 

I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

[Guest]

Hoyer has pretty openly said they will be players in the pitching market this offseason, too. Theo's statement doesn't match, unless they're going after more Hammels and Feldmans, which would be disappointing, IMO. That said, the offense should be really fun and potentially very good, so the team won't be miserably awful in that situation.

 

Which one? And, if so, did you actually hear it? (I'm not being argumentative... I didn't hear it either so I'd be interested in your interpretation)

 

I was interpreting his statement of payroll increasing to our desired levels when the TV deal is struck as him saying they wont be big spenders until that happens, which I'm assuming means our expectations of having this rollover budget (and extra $50 mil to play with, roughly) is less fact and more speculation now.

 

I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

 

so you think "desired levels" = $100M?

 

to me, i would think desired levels = $150M - 200M

Edited August 28, 2014 by David

[NOLA]

He came across as 2015 could still be a rebuilding year. Players will be coming up and still will not overpay for older pitching.

Besides not overpaying for older pitching, was there anything else that makes you say that?

[Clem Fandango]

Hoyer has pretty openly said they will be players in the pitching market this offseason, too. Theo's statement doesn't match, unless they're going after more Hammels and Feldmans, which would be disappointing, IMO. That said, the offense should be really fun and potentially very good, so the team won't be miserably awful in that situation.

 

Which one? And, if so, did you actually hear it? (I'm not being argumentative... I didn't hear it either so I'd be interested in your interpretation)

 

I was interpreting his statement of payroll increasing to our desired levels when the TV deal is struck as him saying they wont be big spenders until that happens, which I'm assuming means our expectations of having this rollover budget (and extra $50 mil to play with, roughly) is less fact and more speculation now.

 

I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

 

so you think "desired levels" = $100M?

 

Nope. But it sounds like he said they weren't gonna be big spenders until it happens, and I include going after a guy like Lester to be a big acquisition. But who knows. Like I said, I could be/hope I'm wrong and I'm just misinterpreting this badly. I didn't hear it so I have no idea, just going off of what others are saying here.

 

It would just be very PTR-esque for the Cubs to sort of hint that we have this rollover budget to spend this offseason earlier in the season only to come out and be like "We gotta hold off until we get this TV deal in place" and then pinch more pennies this offseason.

[WrigleyField 22]

I'm just gonna hold out hope this is just Theo setting expectations low.

 

 

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[davell]

Theo mentioned having the rollover money to spend today, if its needed.

[WrigleyField 22]

In addition to rollover from Tanaka didn't we save like $6M with deadline deals?

 

 

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[jersey cubs fan]

Nope. But it sounds like he said they weren't gonna be big spenders until it happens, and I include going after a guy like Lester to be a big acquisition. But who knows. Like I said, I could be/hope I'm wrong and I'm just misinterpreting this badly. I didn't hear it so I have no idea, just going off of what others are saying here.

 

It would just be very PTR-esque for the Cubs to sort of hint that we have this rollover budget to spend this offseason earlier in the season only to come out and be like "We gotta hold off until we get this TV deal in place" and then pinch more pennies this offseason.

 

They won't be big spenders, as in they won't be spending $150-$190m on payroll for a while. But with so little committed toward the current roster, that pretty much means they have to be big spenders on 1 or 2 players just to get to the point of being even "medium spenders" for next year's roster.

[SouthSideRyan]

"In a stable place payroll wise"

 

Basically said that the payroll will increase when the TV deal happens.

 

What's the read here? Stable as in embarrassing 2014 85M payroll stable, or stable as in we held back money this year embarrassing 100M payroll stable?

 

The payroll thing is a little discouraging to me.

 

I don't see how they won't spend at least a little bit this offseason, because of how low the payroll is going to be going into the offseason.

 

Hoyer has pretty openly said they will be players in the pitching market this offseason, too. Theo's statement doesn't match, unless they're going after more Hammels and Feldmans, which would be disappointing, IMO. That said, the offense should be really fun and potentially very good, so the team won't be miserably awful in that situation.

 

But that's just the problem. IMO, Doing nothing this offseason leaves the team as a fringe contender. If they don't make the moves to improve the team, then it'd be the worst punt of all.

[Brian]

"I think because we have so many young players that are going to be cost-controlled over the next several seasons, we have tremendous flexibility built into our roster as it is," Epstein said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. "We'll be able to field a pretty good nucleus with a very low payroll associated with that.

 

"That in of itself -- and some of the savings that we made over the last offseason, for example -- will allow us the flexibility to be very aggressive if the right player or players present themselves to us."

 

 

 

"As we get closer to a new television deal [in 2019], and as we realize some of the revenues associated with a renovated Wrigley field, I believe that will only enhance our flexibility," Epstein said.

 

 

"I never look at any one offseason as a time that we have to do something," Epstein said earlier Wednesday during the "Carmen & Jurko Show" on ESPN Chicago 1000. "I look at offseasons and trade deadlines and future offseasons together. Looking at the next 24 or 18 months, I think you'll see us add impact starting pitching from outside the organization. The major league starting pitching free-agent market is pretty good. The free-agent class is more pitching-rich than position player-rich this offseason. And, frankly, the class after that is even more impressive in the 2015-2016 offseason."

 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/26955/theo-epstein-the-money-will-be-there-for-future-transactions

[davell]

In addition to rollover from Tanaka didn't we save like $6M with deadline deals?

 

 

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Yeah we did. But unless we find out otherwise, I'm just figuring Hammel and Bonifacio ate into the Tanaka savings and that just helped replenish it.

[Guest]

Hoyer has pretty openly said they will be players in the pitching market this offseason, too. Theo's statement doesn't match, unless they're going after more Hammels and Feldmans, which would be disappointing, IMO. That said, the offense should be really fun and potentially very good, so the team won't be miserably awful in that situation.

 

Which one? And, if so, did you actually hear it? (I'm not being argumentative... I didn't hear it either so I'd be interested in your interpretation)

 

I was interpreting his statement of payroll increasing to our desired levels when the TV deal is struck as him saying they wont be big spenders until that happens, which I'm assuming means our expectations of having this rollover budget (and extra $50 mil to play with, roughly) is less fact and more speculation now.

 

I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

 

so you think "desired levels" = $100M?

 

Nope. But it sounds like he said they weren't gonna be big spenders until it happens, and I include going after a guy like Lester to be a big acquisition. But who knows. Like I said, I could be/hope I'm wrong and I'm just misinterpreting this badly. I didn't hear it so I have no idea, just going off of what others are saying here.

 

It would just be very PTR-esque for the Cubs to sort of hint that we have this rollover budget to spend this offseason earlier in the season only to come out and be like "We gotta hold off until we get this TV deal in place" and then pinch more pennies this offseason.

 

But ~$100M doesn't = big spending.

 

If they don't sign someone expensive, they are going to likely have a REALLY low payroll.

[SouthSideRyan]

In addition to rollover from Tanaka didn't we save like $6M with deadline deals?

 

 

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We did the same last year, and they never really made a peep about that money rolling over. That money is almost certainly gone.