The A's

[Tryptamine]

Gray is pretty much the absolute best case scenario. I'd much rather have him instead of Hamels, Cueto, or even Strasburg.

[Backtobanks]

The flip side to the idea that Gray is untouchable because they are trying to rebuild would be that moving a guy like him, with, I think, 3 arb years, would net a lot more and likely help the rebuild move along faster. I don't rule anything out with Beane, as he's shown that he's amenable to all sorts of ideas.

 

That said, they made a lot of moves this winter to rebuild while trying to stay competitive, so I don't think they would make any moves with the sole focus being on rebuilding.

 

Why would anyone trade a 25 year old #1 starter making $512,000 with 3 arbitration years left? It doesn't matter whether you're contending or rebuilding when you have an asset that valuable, you don't trade him unless you're trying to make a deal for someone like Trout.

[jersey cubs fan]

The flip side to the idea that Gray is untouchable because they are trying to rebuild would be that moving a guy like him, with, I think, 3 arb years, would net a lot more and likely help the rebuild move along faster. I don't rule anything out with Beane, as he's shown that he's amenable to all sorts of ideas.

 

That said, they made a lot of moves this winter to rebuild while trying to stay competitive, so I don't think they would make any moves with the sole focus being on rebuilding.

 

Why would anyone trade a 25 year old #1 starter making $512,000 with 3 arbitration years left? It doesn't matter whether you're contending or rebuilding when you have an asset that valuable, you don't trade him unless you're trying to make a deal for someone like Trout.

 

Why? Because such a player would net a huge return and he is still just a young pitcher that could fall apart tomorrow. If you aren't good and you don't have the resources to get better in a hurry, it is at least worth considering.

[rawaction]

The flip side to the idea that Gray is untouchable because they are trying to rebuild would be that moving a guy like him, with, I think, 3 arb years, would net a lot more and likely help the rebuild move along faster. I don't rule anything out with Beane, as he's shown that he's amenable to all sorts of ideas.

 

That said, they made a lot of moves this winter to rebuild while trying to stay competitive, so I don't think they would make any moves with the sole focus being on rebuilding.

 

Why would anyone trade a 25 year old #1 starter making $512,000 with 3 arbitration years left? It doesn't matter whether you're contending or rebuilding when you have an asset that valuable, you don't trade him unless you're trying to make a deal for someone like Trout.

 

Why? Because such a player would net a huge return and he is still just a young pitcher that could fall apart tomorrow. If you aren't good and you don't have the resources to get better in a hurry, it is at least worth considering.

 

Yeah, there's no doubt they'd consider trading Gray, but it would probably take a lot more than the Cubs are willing to give up. If they could get 3-4 good, cheap, young players for their 1 good, cheap, young player...they do it 100 times out of 100 because they aren't going anywhere.

[Backtobanks]

The flip side to the idea that Gray is untouchable because they are trying to rebuild would be that moving a guy like him, with, I think, 3 arb years, would net a lot more and likely help the rebuild move along faster. I don't rule anything out with Beane, as he's shown that he's amenable to all sorts of ideas.

 

That said, they made a lot of moves this winter to rebuild while trying to stay competitive, so I don't think they would make any moves with the sole focus being on rebuilding.

 

Why would anyone trade a 25 year old #1 starter making $512,000 with 3 arbitration years left? It doesn't matter whether you're contending or rebuilding when you have an asset that valuable, you don't trade him unless you're trying to make a deal for someone like Trout.

 

Why? Because such a player would net a huge return and he is still just a young pitcher that could fall apart tomorrow. If you aren't good and you don't have the resources to get better in a hurry, it is at least worth considering.

 

Yeah, there's no doubt they'd consider trading Gray, but it would probably take a lot more than the Cubs are willing to give up. If they could get 3-4 good, cheap, young players for their 1 good, cheap, young player...they do it 100 times out of 100 because they aren't going anywhere.

 

You're going to have to change the word "good" in describing Gray and the players needed to acquire him.

[Little Slide Rooter]

The flip side to the idea that Gray is untouchable because they are trying to rebuild would be that moving a guy like him, with, I think, 3 arb years, would net a lot more and likely help the rebuild move along faster. I don't rule anything out with Beane, as he's shown that he's amenable to all sorts of ideas.

 

That said, they made a lot of moves this winter to rebuild while trying to stay competitive, so I don't think they would make any moves with the sole focus being on rebuilding.

 

Why would anyone trade a 25 year old #1 starter making $512,000 with 3 arbitration years left? It doesn't matter whether you're contending or rebuilding when you have an asset that valuable, you don't trade him unless you're trying to make a deal for someone like Trout.

 

Why? Because such a player would net a huge return and he is still just a young pitcher that could fall apart tomorrow. If you aren't good and you don't have the resources to get better in a hurry, it is at least worth considering.

 

Yeah, there's no doubt they'd consider trading Gray, but it would probably take a lot more than the Cubs are willing to give up. If they could get 3-4 good, cheap, young players for their 1 good, cheap, young player...they do it 100 times out of 100 because they aren't going anywhere.

 

Hypothetically, if anybody could make it happen, it's us. RF and an entire infield seemingly secured for the foreseeable future, we no longer have to be stingy with prospects. I'm not saying that we empty it out, but we have talent to spare. Would a package of:

 

Edwards

Schwarber

Almora

Vogelbach

1 of Villanueva/Alcantara

1 of Tseng/Underwood

1 of Cease/Steele/Stinnett

1 decent quality low level guy (Burks/Caratini/D. Torrez/Candelerio/Hanneman/etc)

 

Maybe throw in 1-2 fringy, big league ready spare parts (Lake/Bruno/Andreoli/Beeler/Batista/Cooper/SCzur/whatever) or even Edwin Jackson, just as kind of a here, 'maybe you can make this thing work again' gesture.

 

Be too much/too little to land Gray and Reddick?

 

Or to make it sound less insane, it would essentially be:

 

-Edwards, Schwarber, Villanueva/Mendy, Vogelbach for Gray

 

-Almora, Tseng/Underwood, Cease/Steele/Stinett for for Reddick

 

-1 more decent low level prospect and some maybe useful junk for a few months of Clippard

[Guest]

I pretty much don't include Schwarber in any deal if I think he can catch.

[KrisBryantisaBeast]

The flip side to the idea that Gray is untouchable because they are trying to rebuild would be that moving a guy like him, with, I think, 3 arb years, would net a lot more and likely help the rebuild move along faster. I don't rule anything out with Beane, as he's shown that he's amenable to all sorts of ideas.

 

That said, they made a lot of moves this winter to rebuild while trying to stay competitive, so I don't think they would make any moves with the sole focus being on rebuilding.

 

Why would anyone trade a 25 year old #1 starter making $512,000 with 3 arbitration years left? It doesn't matter whether you're contending or rebuilding when you have an asset that valuable, you don't trade him unless you're trying to make a deal for someone like Trout.

 

Why? Because such a player would net a huge return and he is still just a young pitcher that could fall apart tomorrow. If you aren't good and you don't have the resources to get better in a hurry, it is at least worth considering.

 

Yeah, there's no doubt they'd consider trading Gray, but it would probably take a lot more than the Cubs are willing to give up. If they could get 3-4 good, cheap, young players for their 1 good, cheap, young player...they do it 100 times out of 100 because they aren't going anywhere.

 

Hypothetically, if anybody could make it happen, it's us. RF and an entire infield seemingly secured for the foreseeable future, we no longer have to be stingy with prospects. I'm not saying that we empty it out, but we have talent to spare. Would a package of:

 

Edwards

Schwarber

Almora

Vogelbach

1 of Villanueva/Alcantara

1 of Tseng/Underwood

1 of Cease/Steele/Stinnett

1 decent quality low level guy (Burks/Caratini/D. Torrez/Candelerio/Hanneman/etc)

 

Maybe throw in 1-2 fringy, big league ready spare parts (Lake/Bruno/Andreoli/Beeler/Batista/Cooper/SCzur/whatever) or even Edwin Jackson, just as kind of a here, 'maybe you can make this thing work again' gesture.

 

Be too much/too little to land Gray and Reddick?

 

Or to make it sound less insane, it would essentially be:

 

-Edwards, Schwarber, Villanueva/Mendy, Vogelbach for Gray

 

-Almora, Tseng/Underwood, Cease/Steele/Stinett for for Reddick

 

-1 more decent low level prospect and some maybe useful junk for a few months of Clippard

 

I am not opposed to using some of our farm system to trade for upgrades to our major league team but trading most of our system for 2 players doesn't appeal too me.

[toonsterwu]

I'm still of the opinion that we don't need to sell the farm to land an elite 3rd starter. Assuming we are still hanging around at the ASB, I'd prefer moves for a solid starter, pen help, and maybe a positional asset or two that won't cost us elite talent. You can sell all the secondary pieces and have a decent shot of replacing those assets relatively quickly.

 

That said, would that get their attention? I'd be surprised if it wouldn't, particularly since we'll have a good grasp of Underwood at the ASB. A potential TOR starter that might be in AA this year, an elite power bat (power being one of the tougher things for them to get), and a few more solid pieces? I don't think I'd want to sell the farm like that ... and it's possible the A's could feel that packaging them separately could net them a more meaningful return (not necessarily just better, but they could perhaps be targeting specific things in trades).

 

But that should, unless I'm just off on things ... get their attention.