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

[Guest]

And I'm [expletive] done talking about next year. If they're going to put us through another year of this [expletive] [expletive], they can get [expletive].

ok

yeah, I'm just not patient enough. Only sitting through a million years of nothing ever and not even considering free agent class of 2020.

[Guest]

We are never going to sign a meaningful free agent, are we?

[Guest]

We are never going to sign a meaningful free agent, are we?

deep breaths, find your mantra, focus on your breath.

[Guest]

I will relax when we sign some pitchers and they aren't brandon mccarthy.

[gscool89]

I will relax when we sign some pitchers and they aren't brandon mccarthy.

McCarthy is going to be one of the best signings this offseason depending on price.

[Sammy Sofa]

I think it's a legitimate question to ask if the Cubs had any serious plans of contending next year or ever.

 

I guess it could be that Theo is just conducting some sort of experiment.

They just signed a manager for 5/25. Did people forget this or something?

 

Also next year's SP FA crop is better than this years.

 

So sign good pitchers this year AND next year.

 

The Maddon signing is awesome, but the dual fronts thing being a reality at some point would be pretty great, too. Some good big signings, trades...SOMETHING.

[Tyrant]

I will relax when we sign some pitchers and they aren't brandon mccarthy.

McCarthy is going to be one of the best signings this offseason depending on price.

 

hahaha. thanks jon heyman.

[Cubswin11]

I will relax when we sign some pitchers and they aren't brandon mccarthy.

I'd be very happy with a Mccarthy signing

[Sammy Sofa]

I will relax when we sign some pitchers and they aren't brandon mccarthy.

I'd be very happy with a Mccarthy signing

 

Me too. But they need more. Starting pitching is a key weakness for them.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I will relax when we sign some pitchers and they aren't brandon mccarthy.

I'd be very happy with a Mccarthy signing

 

As like the fourth biggest move of the offseason? Sure

[Elrhino]

Oh good, we've reached the "Other teams are talking to players? The offseason was a waste!" portion of the transactional offseason.

 

My favorite part of the offseason so far was when I was down on the Zimmerman trade reports because I figured why give up prospects when we can just sign our stud ace outright like we had a definitive choice between the 2.

 

Top tier/Ace pitchers testing the market generally go to the highest bidder. Bid the most money, and the choice is pretty close to definitive.

 

It's nice to believe such definitives, but it's not an auction where just the highest dollar bid wins. One of the reasons that the Rangers went all in on the Yu Darvish bid is they repeatedly couldn't attract top tier free agent pitchers to play in their home environment, despite offering the highest salary. They had just watched Cliff Lee walk to take less money from the Phillies.

 

 

Top tier free agent pitchers rarely see the open market and those that do will have no shortage of suitors willing to put up competitive offers. Salary is the starting point to get into the conversation, not the selling point. Maybe the Cubs might can blow everyone else off the table with a dollar amount for Lester, but it's going to cost a tremendous premium to lure him away from a city he's called home for basically his entire playing career to go to one of the league's worst franchises for well over half a decade.

[nolanwood]

Oh good, we've reached the "Other teams are talking to players? The offseason was a waste!" portion of the transactional offseason.

 

My favorite part of the offseason so far was when I was down on the Zimmerman trade reports because I figured why give up prospects when we can just sign our stud ace outright like we had a definitive choice between the 2.

 

Top tier/Ace pitchers testing the market generally go to the highest bidder. Bid the most money, and the choice is pretty close to definitive.

 

It's nice to believe such definitives, but it's not an auction where just the highest dollar bid wins. One of the reasons that the Rangers went all in on the Yu Darvish bid is they repeatedly couldn't attract top tier free agent pitchers to play in their home environment, despite offering the highest salary. They had just watched Cliff Lee walk to take less money from the Phillies.

 

 

Top tier free agent pitchers rarely see the open market and those that do will have no shortage of suitors willing to put up competitive offers. Salary is the starting point to get into the conversation, not the selling point. Maybe the Cubs might can blow everyone else off the table with a dollar amount for Lester, but it's going to cost a tremendous premium to lure him away from a city he's called home for basically his entire playing career to go to one of the league's worst franchises for well over half a decade.

 

Lee went with the Phillies because the AAV was 3 million higher per year along with a vesting option accompanied by a very generous 12.5 million buyout allowing him to test the market sooner. Generally speaking, the most financially attractive offer wins when a top tier pitcher becomes a free agent.

Edited November 25, 2014 by nolanwood

[Guest]

I will relax when we sign some pitchers and they aren't brandon mccarthy.

I'd be very happy with a Mccarthy signing

 

As like the fourth biggest move of the offseason? Sure

 

Second biggest would be most good.. Most good.

[Elrhino]

Oh good, we've reached the "Other teams are talking to players? The offseason was a waste!" portion of the transactional offseason.

 

My favorite part of the offseason so far was when I was down on the Zimmerman trade reports because I figured why give up prospects when we can just sign our stud ace outright like we had a definitive choice between the 2.

 

Top tier/Ace pitchers testing the market generally go to the highest bidder. Bid the most money, and the choice is pretty close to definitive.

 

It's nice to believe such definitives, but it's not an auction where just the highest dollar bid wins. One of the reasons that the Rangers went all in on the Yu Darvish bid is they repeatedly couldn't attract top tier free agent pitchers to play in their home environment, despite offering the highest salary. They had just watched Cliff Lee walk to take less money from the Phillies.

 

 

Top tier free agent pitchers rarely see the open market and those that do will have no shortage of suitors willing to put up competitive offers. Salary is the starting point to get into the conversation, not the selling point. Maybe the Cubs might can blow everyone else off the table with a dollar amount for Lester, but it's going to cost a tremendous premium to lure him away from a city he's called home for basically his entire playing career to go to one of the league's worst franchises for well over half a decade.

 

Lee was an anomaly. Generally speaking, the highest bidder wins when a top tier pitcher becomes a free agent.

 

And Maddux took less money to sign with the Braves. And CJ Wilson took less money to go back home to Los Angeles. We're racking up quite the list of anomalies considering we're dealing with a miniscule sample size.

[Guest]

And Maddux took less money to sign with the Braves. And CJ Wilson took less money to go back home to Los Angeles. We're racking up quite the list of anomalies considering we're dealing with a miniscule sample size.

 

What?

[Guest]

And Maddux took less money to sign with the Braves. And CJ Wilson took less money to go back home to Los Angeles. We're racking up quite the list of anomalies considering we're dealing with a miniscule sample size.

 

You've now reached 3 anomalies and expanded your timeframe to over 20 years.

[Sammy Sofa]

And Maddux took less money to sign with the Braves. And CJ Wilson took less money to go back home to Los Angeles. We're racking up quite the list of anomalies considering we're dealing with a miniscule sample size.

 

You've now reached 3 anomalies and expanded your timeframe to over 20 years.

 

Yeah, that's a pretty goofy tangent.

 

That said, from our outsiders standpoint it's really looked like the Cubs were banking on him being THE signing. Obviously nothing has been inked yet, but it will be hugely disappointing if he ends up back with the Red Sox.

[nolanwood]

 

And Maddux took less money to sign with the Braves. And CJ Wilson took less money to go back home to Los Angeles. We're racking up quite the list of anomalies considering we're dealing with a miniscule sample size.

 

How about we expand another 40 years and dig up a couple more anomalies? Lee went with the best offer, as I clarified above. He went with the Phillies because the AAV was 3 million higher per year along with a vesting option accompanied by a very generous 12.5 million buyout allowing him to test the market sooner. Generally speaking, the most financially attractive offer wins when a top tier pitcher becomes a free agent.

Edited November 25, 2014 by nolanwood

[Guest]

Maddux didn't even ultimately have an offer to take.

 

EDIT - or are we talking about to the Braves over the Yankees?

 

How much did he turn down again?

[nolanwood]

Maddux didn't even ultimately have an offer to take.

 

EDIT - or are we talking about to the Braves over the Yankees?

 

How much did he turn down again?

 

6 million, plus a 9 million signing bonus.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The rationalization is starting to kick in and I'm thinking about how we'd still have a chance to be pretty good with a rotation of Arrieta, McCarthy, Anderson, Hendricks, Whomever.

[Guest]

The rationalization is starting to kick in and I'm thinking about how we'd still have a chance to be pretty good with a rotation of Arrieta, McCarthy, Anderson, Hendricks, Whomever.

You're further along than me...even in resignation I'm hoping for Shields + McCarthy/Liriano

[Guest]

Maddux didn't even ultimately have an offer to take.

 

EDIT - or are we talking about to the Braves over the Yankees?

 

How much did he turn down again?

 

6 million, plus a 9 million signing bonus.

 

vs what from Atlanta?

[Sammy Sofa]

The rationalization is starting to kick in and I'm thinking about how we'd still have a chance to be pretty good with a rotation of Arrieta, McCarthy, Anderson, Hendricks, Whomever.

You're further along than me...even in resignation I'm hoping for Shields + McCarthy/Liriano

 

Alright, I'm back in.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The rationalization is starting to kick in and I'm thinking about how we'd still have a chance to be pretty good with a rotation of Arrieta, McCarthy, Anderson, Hendricks, Whomever.

You're further along than me...even in resignation I'm hoping for Shields + McCarthy/Liriano

 

I don't even really want Shields that bad. He's so very, very old.