The Jon Lester Signs w/ Cubs - 6 yrs/$155 Million

[Guest]

The only chance they're getting 2 of those specific 4 is if Maeda's market never materializes and he signs for Liriano/McCarthy money. I don't think there's any interest at all in Scherzer or Shields. Shields especially seems like a terrible idea.

 

You don't think they'll even make a phone call?

 

Seems like that would be selling themselves short given their need, availability of money, and scarcity of options. There's no perfect signings, which even they admit, and I think they're at the point where they're getting more and more open to the imperfect.

 

I'm not going to try and forecast how much they'll humor the agents involved(is it Boras for both?), I'm speaking more to the endgame. I don't particularly want Lester, but I could definitely see him getting signed. I do want Maeda and could definitely see him getting signed. Scherzer and Shields I don't see any chance they get signed, unless their markets turn out way different than I'm expecting. Considering the last time we undershot a top FA SP's market was never, I'm not going to hold out hope.

[Tyrant]

Like Anthony Rizzo, I like it when our front office's need to accumulate and reward their buddies from past jobs happens to coincide with things that help us be better at baseball.

 

so this is your new thing

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Like Anthony Rizzo, I like it when our front office's need to accumulate and reward their buddies from past jobs happens to coincide with things that help us be better at baseball.

 

so this is your new thing

 

New?

[treebird]

hoping for one, expecting zero. i am honestly surprised so many people (here and elsewhere) are so confident we'll get one of these guys. unless we get a deal/theo decides he can't live without his bff, i think it's much more likely we spread the money we spend around on an of, a couple lesser starters, and a reliever.

[rawaction]

hoping for one, expecting zero. i am honestly surprised so many people (here and elsewhere) are so confident we'll get one of these guys. unless we get a deal/theo decides he can't live without his bff, i think it's much more likely we spread the money we spend around on an of, a couple lesser starters, and a reliever.

 

Yeah I think the Cubs make a great effort but someone gives Lester something ridiculous like 6-150 and the Cubs settle for a lesser pitcher.

[Guest]

hoping for one, expecting zero. i am honestly surprised so many people (here and elsewhere) are so confident we'll get one of these guys. unless we get a deal/theo decides he can't live without his bff, i think it's much more likely we spread the money we spend around on an of, a couple lesser starters, and a reliever.

 

it's pretty hard to spread that much money that way and i doubt they'd expend a significant chunk of resources on any reliever at this point

[Guest]

hoping for one, expecting zero. i am honestly surprised so many people (here and elsewhere) are so confident we'll get one of these guys. unless we get a deal/theo decides he can't live without his bff, i think it's much more likely we spread the money we spend around on an of, a couple lesser starters, and a reliever.

 

Yeah I think the Cubs make a great effort but someone gives Lester something ridiculous like 6-150 and the Cubs settle for a lesser pitcher.

 

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important...not compared to not giving a team that could have a chance to immediately contend that chance to do so.

Edited September 30, 2014 by David

[Hairyducked Idiot]

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important.

 

 

There's no way they'd do it *four* times in a row, anyway...

[Guest]

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important.

 

 

There's no way they'd do it *four* times in a row, anyway...

 

yeah you keep pretending that anything but like 5 perfect signings/trades would've put 2012-2014 in contention

 

well, maybe 2014 with tanaka but then again yeah maybe not

 

not to mention those teams didn't have an everyday lineup, bullpen, and TOR starter (and solid 3 or 4 imo) just about set with only like $45M in committed payroll or something

[PackLandVA]

With the added revenue streams anticipated in the next few years, isn't it really the 2-3 years that could hamstring the team? So a six year deal wouldn't be awful if they if they anticipate big money coming in in 2017/2018 and later, right?

[rawaction]

hoping for one, expecting zero. i am honestly surprised so many people (here and elsewhere) are so confident we'll get one of these guys. unless we get a deal/theo decides he can't live without his bff, i think it's much more likely we spread the money we spend around on an of, a couple lesser starters, and a reliever.

 

Yeah I think the Cubs make a great effort but someone gives Lester something ridiculous like 6-150 and the Cubs settle for a lesser pitcher.

 

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important...not compared to not giving a team that could have a chance to immediately contend that chance to do so.

 

That doesn't mean they get him. Also lesser pitcher doesn't mean bad pitcher.

[treebird]

hoping for one, expecting zero. i am honestly surprised so many people (here and elsewhere) are so confident we'll get one of these guys. unless we get a deal/theo decides he can't live without his bff, i think it's much more likely we spread the money we spend around on an of, a couple lesser starters, and a reliever.

 

it's pretty hard to spread that much money that way and i doubt they'd expend a significant chunk of resources on any reliever at this point

 

"don't worry guys we're going to roll over the extra payroll"

[Derwood]

The A's pen just blew Lester's lead, so I hope Theo is calling his cell phone right now

[KrisBryantisaBeast]

Well giving up 6 earned runs in the lone playoff game should knock a couple million off his asking price lol.

[biittner77]

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important.

 

 

There's no way they'd do it *four* times in a row, anyway...

 

Reminds me of a line from Blackadder Goes Forth (which takes place in the trenches of WWI)

 

"They'll never expect us to attack in the exact same place a 17th time."

 

I'm in the hoping for 1, expecting zero camp.

[SouthSideRyan]

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important.

 

 

There's no way they'd do it *four* times in a row, anyway...

 

yeah you keep pretending that anything but like 5 perfect signings/trades would've put 2012-2014 in contention

 

well, maybe 2014 with tanaka but then again yeah maybe not

 

not to mention those teams didn't have an everyday lineup, bullpen, and TOR starter (and solid 3 or 4 imo) just about set with only like $45M in committed payroll or something

 

Or 2014 if they added anything of long-term value in 2012 or 2013.

[SouthSideRyan]

With the added revenue streams anticipated in the next few years, isn't it really the 2-3 years that could hamstring the team? So a six year deal wouldn't be awful if they if they anticipate big money coming in in 2017/2018 and later, right?

 

What added revenue streams? We might get less money on our short-term TV contract, and we've seen nothing to support the idea that the ballpark ads will go to anything but funding the renovations.

[Guest]

With the added revenue streams anticipated in the next few years, isn't it really the 2-3 years that could hamstring the team? So a six year deal wouldn't be awful if they if they anticipate big money coming in in 2017/2018 and later, right?

 

What added revenue streams? We might get less money on our short-term TV contract, and we've seen nothing to support the idea that the ballpark ads will go to anything but funding the renovations.

 

i think he meant 2019

[Guest]

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important.

 

 

There's no way they'd do it *four* times in a row, anyway...

 

yeah you keep pretending that anything but like 5 perfect signings/trades would've put 2012-2014 in contention

 

well, maybe 2014 with tanaka but then again yeah maybe not

 

not to mention those teams didn't have an everyday lineup, bullpen, and TOR starter (and solid 3 or 4 imo) just about set with only like $45M in committed payroll or something

 

Or 2014 if they added anything of long-term value in 2012 or 2013.

 

aside from rizzo, arrieta, and the bullpen arms + CJ that they got from the trades?

 

they pretty much maxed out payroll every year but this year unless you think theo is lying and has chosen to leave tens of millions of dollars in the ricketts' coffers every year.

Edited October 1, 2014 by David

[Brian]

The A's pen just blew Lester's lead, so I hope Theo is calling his cell phone right now

 

I don't think that's legal.

[Guest]

The A's pen just blew Lester's lead, so I hope Theo is calling his cell phone right now

 

I don't think that's legal.

Theo is pretending to sell him a Kirby, it's on the up and up.

[Derwood]

The A's pen just blew Lester's lead, so I hope Theo is calling his cell phone right now

 

I don't think that's legal.

 

Just a social call, to see how he's handling the loss and IF THERE'S ANYTHING HE CAN DO TO HELP *wink*

[KingCubsFan]

With the added revenue streams anticipated in the next few years, isn't it really the 2-3 years that could hamstring the team? So a six year deal wouldn't be awful if they if they anticipate big money coming in in 2017/2018 and later, right?

 

What added revenue streams? We might get less money on our short-term TV contract, and we've seen nothing to support the idea that the ballpark ads will go to anything but funding the renovations.

Wasn't the rumor that the renovations were going to be paid for with equity stakes?

[Guest]

With the added revenue streams anticipated in the next few years, isn't it really the 2-3 years that could hamstring the team? So a six year deal wouldn't be awful if they if they anticipate big money coming in in 2017/2018 and later, right?

 

What added revenue streams? We might get less money on our short-term TV contract, and we've seen nothing to support the idea that the ballpark ads will go to anything but funding the renovations.

Wasn't the rumor that the renovations were going to be paid for with equity stakes?

 

Haven't heard a thing about that since.

[SouthSideRyan]

There's too much to be lost by not putting a team that can legitimately contend on the field next year. It's an opportunity cost. They're not stupid. With their payroll flexibility, the money isn't all that important.

 

 

There's no way they'd do it *four* times in a row, anyway...

 

yeah you keep pretending that anything but like 5 perfect signings/trades would've put 2012-2014 in contention

 

well, maybe 2014 with tanaka but then again yeah maybe not

 

not to mention those teams didn't have an everyday lineup, bullpen, and TOR starter (and solid 3 or 4 imo) just about set with only like $45M in committed payroll or something

 

Or 2014 if they added anything of long-term value in 2012 or 2013.

 

aside from rizzo, arrieta, and the bullpen arms + CJ that they got from the trades?

 

they pretty much maxed out payroll every year but this year unless you think theo is lying and has chosen to leave tens of millions of dollars in the ricketts' coffers every year.

 

So you think 73 wins + Tanaka was the best case scenario for 2014?