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

[TruffleShuffle]

If the Cubs sign Ross you can pretty much book Castillo's flight out. That may have been the plan all along.

 

well, that's pretty obvious. castillo's situation is a bit weird because he really hasn't been bad enough to just be completely relegated to a backup/platoon role, yet he's obviously not going to be the starter going forward with the cubs. while the best thing for the club on paper may be a straight platoon, i guess there's the whole thing about managing personalities, and if castillo is going to be grumpy because he could/should starting for a second-division team, then you probably just have to deal him away.

 

but TT does raise a very good point about montero playing too many innings the past few years, and it would be really nice if he could stay somewhat fresh and healthy with his backup sharing about a third of the playing time. i'm not sure if ross is the guy to do that - he was actually quite a nice player at one point, but he's gone downhill pretty quickly. maybe a BABIP correction is due this year, though.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Castillo can have 54 starts at C, DH 10 times, maybe teach him to give Rizzo like 6 days off at 1b, and PH in like every other game.

 

If we can't keep him happy with that, then WTH are we paying Joe Maddon for?

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

It seems like two weeks ago that I was trying to pump myself up about a full year of Coughlan and Wada, and now we are talking about Cargo in addition to everything that just happened the last two days. SO sick.

[Deeg]

I don't think the Cubs are especially concerned about Castillo being happy. It's more a question of Ross making Lester very happy, and being one of those "veteran leaders" Theo rants about. And the fact that Castillo does have at least some trade value, as a young and cheap catcher who can provide league-average performance.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I don't think the Cubs are especially concerned about Castillo being happy. It's more a question of Ross making Lester very happy,

 

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/swPcFyhDMpk/hqdefault.jpg

 

and being one of those "veteran leaders" Theo rants about. And the fact that Castillo does have at least some trade value, as a young and cheap catcher who can provide league-average performance.

 

We're downgrading by, I don't know, a win by replacing Castillo with Ross. What out there that you can get for Castillo improves our roster by a similar amount?

[Deeg]

I don't think the Cubs are especially concerned about Castillo being happy. It's more a question of Ross making Lester very happy,

 

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/swPcFyhDMpk/hqdefault.jpg

 

and being one of those "veteran leaders" Theo rants about. And the fact that Castillo does have at least some trade value, as a young and cheap catcher who can provide league-average performance.

 

We're downgrading by, I don't know, a win by replacing Castillo with Ross. What out there that you can get for Castillo improves our roster by a similar amount?

 

Who's to say? Look at how little Beane got back for Moss, who's not a bad player. I'd just as soon keep Castillo as part of that platoon, but the fact that the Cubs are openly flirting with Ross tells you he's a candidate to be moved.

 

And Ross isn't a bad hitter vs. lefties, for the record - over .800 OPS both of the last two years. I'm not sure he's a big downgrade from Castillo as part of a platoon.

[Deeg]

Excellent breakdown from MLB (believe it or not) with their two best guys, Smoltz and Rosenthal.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v37040795/mlb-tonight-reports-on-lester-to-cubs

[gscool89]

RT @ChrisCotillo: Theo Epstein and #Cubs front office emerge from suite, celebrating Lester signing with round at Redfield's inside the Hyatt.

[Guest]

http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Daniel-Bryan-Yes-Cheer.gif

[itisallpartoftheplan]

Be happy that we never have to know what plan B was!

[wvcbxl]

All hail nocode.

 

This.

[TruffleShuffle]

Be happy that we never have to know what plan B was!

 

http://media.giphy.com/media/14k24670rln5Oo/giphy.gif

[Clem Fandango]

Joe Maddon's thoughts:

 

http://i.imgur.com/9aCmuOX.gif

[Abedunk34]

All hail nocode.

 

This.

Hail, Hail nocode!

[Felix Leiter]

Castillo can have 54 starts at C, DH 10 times, maybe teach him to give Rizzo like 6 days off at 1b, and PH in like every other game.

 

No DH in the NL. Thanks, Kap.

[Southpaw191679666239]

Castillo can have 54 starts at C, DH 10 times, maybe teach him to give Rizzo like 6 days off at 1b, and PH in like every other game.

 

No DH in the NL. Thanks, Kap.

 

Interleague games in AL parks.

[Southpaw191679666239]

Lester can't have #31 ... Only "downside" :D

[Boris]

I had this especially made for the occasion:

 

http://i.imgur.com/xOaIVBa.gif

 

 

[expletive] ACES BROTHER!!!

[cl smooth]

There has been an awakening...have you felt it?

[d_money]

We're currently sporting a 10 deep rotation.

 

Lester

Arrieta

Hammel

Hendricks

Wood

 

Jaxon / Wada / Doubront / Turner / Straily

 

Do we still have to pretend like those last 3 are worth anybody's time now that we have Lester?

I still have my doubts that Hendricks and his 87 MPH FB and 5 k/9 is nothing more than a poor mans Carlos Villanueva and not a #4 starter on a team trying to win. Really would like to see us add McCarthy yet at minimum.

 

I agree with you on Hendricks...not enough success to show it can be sustained. I'd love to see Turner grow into the pitcher many thought he would be.

[Old Style]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LESTER!!!!!!!!

[rawaction]

Is this the first time a thread has gone over 60 pages and the Cubs actually GOT the player they targeted?

[ctcf]

Came for the celebration, got a bunch of doofuses complaining about the potential signing of a [expletive] backup catcher. Never change, NSBB.

 

Also, WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO

[Guancous]

2014: Edwin Jackson

2015: Jon Lester

[ctcf]

Also:

 

Patrick Mooney

@CSNMooney

Theo: "We're not shopping (Castillo) at all. The second that the Montero news came out, we got calls from a number of teams about Wely."

 

Patrick Mooney

@CSNMooney

Theo: "We'll always listen, just because it would be crazy not to listen. But we really like the way (Montero and Castillo) fit together."