2015 trading deadline

[Cubswin11]

I like the trade for the Giants/Leake in that park

[XZero771679666304]

So does that make the Cubs the only NL contending team that hasn't made a move yet? #-o

 

Pretty much, and now the Dodgers are going to be more motivated to scoop up another SP. Theo needs to pony up soon.

[toonsterwu]

Was it a fleecing? Nah ... but man, that's a steep price to pay for Mike Leake. There's no doubt Leake will improve their rotation (considering ... well ... anything would've improved that rotation considering the injuries and struggles for several guys).

 

Is it worth it for the Giants? Probably. This is an aging team that's still in win-now mode. A sacrifice of a talented, but not elite, A ball pitcher for a pitching upgrade to make another push is justifiable, particularly when you have Bumgarner to pitch in a Wildcard game if you can get there.

 

That said, great get for the Reds. This was already a solid system, and the addition of these arms in these two trades greatly boosts their ability to find cheap ways to fill holes in the rotation in the near future. If Jocketty can work some magic on the rebuild side, they could be back in the thick of things sooner than later.

[toonsterwu]

So does that make the Cubs the only NL contending team that hasn't made a move yet? #-o

 

Pretty much, and now the Dodgers are going to be more motivated to scoop up another SP. Theo needs to pony up soon.

 

I honestly think the Dodgers should stay put. Even if Alex Wood is a risk down the road, he's a solid starter, particularly as a 4th/5th option right now. Latos is fine as a 3rd option. Without an elite arm to go after, someone that greatly kicks things up a notch, they really ought to stay put unless the price is cheap, IMO. There's no need to thin things out. Keep Peraza to go with Seager as two possible future IF options.

 

As for the Cubs, if Theo/Jed/Jason and Co. are thinking that they simply need a good starter to join with their four guys in place already, I could understand them not wanting to go all-in. The match-up with the Padres isn't exactly the best. On paper, they could use MI help, so if there's a way to work Castro in there, that makes some sense. If they don't want Castro and/or Baez (or if the Cubs don't want to move Baez), then the match-up is a bit more iffy. On paper, they should take the best talent possible, but they do have two young shortstops in the system in Jose Rondon/Ruddy Giron that could influence things (Torres is , as of now, better than both, and should be, but still, one never knows how folks feel internally about guys). Of course, beyond that, guys like McKinney/Zagunis make some sense for a team that's somewhat lacking on positional parts. Travis Jankowski and Hunter Renfroe give them two intriguing guys, albeit with their own questions, but more depth is needed since the transition to a new future in the OF will probably come sooner than they planned last offseason. It's not inconceivable that a guy like Christian Villanueva could fit into the picture as an option at 3rd for them.

 

It all comes down to what they want as the lead asset. If Torres works, or if Castro/Baez make sense for them, then there's a sensible match.

[DiamondMind]

It's almost as if they value winning the world series over their prospect ranking.

 

Thank you for giving me a brain splitting migraine. I mean I understand what you're trying to say -- but Mike Leake is not the guy that puts you over the top. If they win again it'll be because they still have Bumgarner pitching 3 games in a series and going crazy, not because of Leake. However they may lose quite a few more games in the future because they gave up their #1 guy.

[ARCubsFan]

It's almost as if they value winning the world series over their prospect ranking.

 

Thank you for giving me a brain splitting migraine. I mean I understand what you're trying to say -- but Mike Leake is not the guy that puts you over the top. If they win again it'll be because they still have Bumgarner pitching 3 games in a series and going crazy, not because of Leake. However they may lose quite a few more games in the future because they gave up their #1 guy.

I don't think giving up their #1 guy means as much as it would for any other MLB team because their system sucks (he's not even a top 100 guy). But yeah, it's ridiculous to get pissed off about not getting Mike Leake.

[Cubswin11]

Someone better get an inventory count on T-Shirts in the Reds clubhouse before Leake leaves town

[MWV]

Well done.

[Guest]

Giants went [expletive] insane. This is why I wouldn't mind Haren. No way I'm giving up a literal #1 prospect for a rental.

 

Not like the Giants #1 prospect was all that great compared to numerous other teams.

[DiamondMind]

^ seriously? It's Mike Leake dude. What's your point? Is it that the Giants #1 isn't as good as ours or that Mike Leake is someone I should be upset about the Cubs not acquiring? Edited July 31, 2015 by DiamondMind

[Guest]

It's almost as if they value winning the world series over their prospect ranking.

 

Thank you for giving me a brain splitting migraine. I mean I understand what you're trying to say -- but Mike Leake is not the guy that puts you over the top. If they win again it'll be because they still have Bumgarner pitching 3 games in a series and going crazy, not because of Leake. However they may lose quite a few more games in the future because they gave up their #1 guy.

 

maybe leake wins 1 more game than their next best option would have over the next 2 months, and they win the wild card by 1 game. they overpaid, but they also improved their chances of getting into the playoffs again. i'm not going to laugh at the organization that overpaid a little to try and win their 4th world series in 6 years.

[mul21]

It's almost as if they value winning the world series over their prospect ranking.

 

Thank you for giving me a brain splitting migraine. I mean I understand what you're trying to say -- but Mike Leake is not the guy that puts you over the top. If they win again it'll be because they still have Bumgarner pitching 3 games in a series and going crazy, not because of Leake. However they may lose quite a few more games in the future because they gave up their #1 guy.

 

The inability of people to grasp that a move like this isn't about the postseason itself but about solidifying the ability to get there in the first place is mind bottling. Leake may not even pitch in the playoffs, but if he makes 11 starts over the next two months and has a 3.5 ERA vs. the alternative who may have a 4.5 ERA, that's potentially the difference between winning 4 games or 8 games and getting into or not getting into the playoffs.

[XZero771679666304]

It's almost as if they value winning the world series over their prospect ranking.

 

Thank you for giving me a brain splitting migraine. I mean I understand what you're trying to say -- but Mike Leake is not the guy that puts you over the top. If they win again it'll be because they still have Bumgarner pitching 3 games in a series and going crazy, not because of Leake. However they may lose quite a few more games in the future because they gave up their #1 guy.

 

The inability of people to grasp that a move like this isn't about the postseason itself but about solidifying the ability to get there in the first place is mind bottling. Leake may not even pitch in the playoffs, but if he makes 11 starts over the next two months and has a 3.5 ERA vs. the alternative who may have a 4.5 ERA, that's potentially the difference between winning 4 games or 8 games and getting into or not getting into the playoffs.

 

Well, we can't have people's minds being bottled.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Anyone else remember the days when if you wanted to track the deadline deals, you had to carefully read the reports scrolling at the bottom of the screen on ESPN?

[weis21]

Anyone else remember the days when if you wanted to track the deadline deals, you had to carefully read the reports scrolling at the bottom of the screen on ESPN?

Nothing will beat the moment when I was watching Baseball Tonight's trade deadline addition when Gammons said that Nomar didn't get traded and then about 2 minutes later it was reported Nomar was traded to the Cubs.

[Smack]

Anyone else remember the days when if you wanted to track the deadline deals, you had to carefully read the reports scrolling at the bottom of the screen on ESPN?

 

Or the next day in the newspaper?

[CubsInNC]

 

Well, we can't have people's minds being bottled.

 

Anyone up for a game of Boggle™?

[Clem Fandango]

Anyone else remember the days when if you wanted to track the deadline deals, you had to carefully read the reports scrolling at the bottom of the screen on ESPN?

Nothing will beat the moment when I was watching Baseball Tonight's trade deadline addition when Gammons said that Nomar didn't get traded and then about 2 minutes later it was reported Nomar was traded to the Cubs.

 

Didn't something similar happen with Maddux?

[mul21]

 

Well, we can't have people's minds being bottled.

 

Anyone up for a game of Boggle™?

 

I did that on purpose, but if you haven't been here forever you probably missed the reference.

[DiamondMind]

Anyone else remember the days when if you wanted to track the deadline deals, you had to carefully read the reports scrolling at the bottom of the screen on ESPN?

 

Or the next day in the newspaper?

 

I remember reading MLBs GEnie page all the time

[XZero771679666304]

Many deadlines spent scrutinizing ESPN's crawler, and getting furious when DirecTV or Comcast would play one of their ads over it just as it was going to show what I was waiting for.

[DiamondMind]

Many deadlines spent scrutinizing ESPN's crawler, and getting furious when DirecTV or Comcast would play one of their ads over it just as it was going to show what I was waiting for.

 

oh god yes

[sneakypower]

this is where Fred tells us he had to read smoke signals

[UMFan83]

Anyone else remember the days when if you wanted to track the deadline deals, you had to carefully read the reports scrolling at the bottom of the screen on ESPN?

Nothing will beat the moment when I was watching Baseball Tonight's trade deadline addition when Gammons said that Nomar didn't get traded and then about 2 minutes later it was reported Nomar was traded to the Cubs.

 

Haha. I remember I was visiting family and obviously we didn't have smart phones or whatever to check the news, but on the way there I was listening to the Cubs postgame and they said basically that the Cubs were not going to make any moves, so I kind of came to terms with it only to find out like 45 minutes later by my Boston friends texting me about how devistated they were.

 

In a way I will remember those pre-smart phone moments like that way more vividly than I will remember refreshing my phone constantly for 6 days in a row waiting to see if Jon Lester signed with the Cubs.

[Guest]

 

Well, we can't have people's minds being bottled.

 

Anyone up for a game of Boggle™?

 

I did that on purpose, but if you haven't been here forever you probably missed the reference.

I got it for the first time in forever. I feel like an insider now.