Fowler

[Bryants Disco Ball]

There's a couple teams that have either gotten really silly with pick hoarding, or they're using that as an excuse to be cheap. The White Sox basically lose pick #50 by signing Fowler, that is barely worth anything. A couple million bucks max.

 

Don't they lose #28 or no?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Oh I forgot about #28, I didn't think long enough about who could be a FA. That's a little better, but still a little silly considering they would have 2 other Top 50 picks(including protected #10). Adding a legit MLB OF would make a big difference for them and the impression they're giving off is that it's a marginal upgrade not worth the tradeoff.

[Bull]

If what Olney says is correct and Dex can't find 2/20 out there, at some point, it does become feasible to bring him back and trade Soler + for the best pitching you can get, right?

 

Trade Coghlan, not Soler. Fowler is an upgrade and a much better roster fit than Coghlan, swapping Fowler for Soler doesn't really move the needle.

 

Also, with being a true CF, Schwarber catching/DHing, and Soler's proclivity for injury, odds are Dex would be able to get closer to 500 PA than 300 once the actual imperfect circumstances of the season play out.

I agree with all of this. In fact, my opening day lineup would have fowler in cf and Soler as Dh. Sit Soler any time it's less than 50 degrees; with heyward's tendency for slow starts, you don't need both of them dragging you down. Rest Heyward occasionally in April. After that Schwarber and Soler would have force fowler out of the lineup. And they would. In mid May.

 

Resign fowler with the promise that he's your opening day cf. if they are all 3 amazing in August, trade him and his very attractive contract for something better than a draft pick. If not, you've bought a very smart insurance policy.

[mdwilla]

If the Cubs are trading Soler, I'm going after Gurriel to play 2B and shifting Zobrist to RF.

[BigSlick]

I've been out of the loop the last few months with so little baseball news and I'm shocked to see there's no market for Fowler and the expectation is 2/20 for him right now. The sentimental part of me wouldn't mind seeing him back at that cheap of a cost even though it means we have some giant logjam at outfield. I just love Dex so much.

 

Don't make me your general manager.

[toonsterwu]

The Orioles rumor makes a ton of sense, and I think that's where the betting money has to be right now. They have a need, and if they go after Gallardo, they might as well spend and try and boost the team a bit more. Shame they are going after Gallardo - boy, would love that 14th pick (really am not a big believer that Gallardo is a big enough upgrade, particularly when you factor in the rumors of 3/45, which is essentially market value). Still, having a first rounder when all is said and done this winter would be ... the cherry on top.

 

If they pass on Gallardo, then that throws things wide open, because I think the Orioles either do both, or they do none. Fowler could give them a nasty top of the lineup - Fowler/Machado/Davis/Jones would be a very good top 4. Don't know what the projection systems would do with the Orioles if they add two, but with a good manager in Showalter, it's easy to see them hanging around and being competitive for much of the year with that bullpen.

 

Still ... I think they were better off collecting picks and rebuilding this winter.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

The Orioles rumor makes a ton of sense, and I think that's where the betting money has to be right now. They have a need, and if they go after Gallardo, they might as well spend and try and boost the team a bit more. Shame they are going after Gallardo - boy, would love that 14th pick (really am not a big believer that Gallardo is a big enough upgrade, particularly when you factor in the rumors of 3/45, which is essentially market value). Still, having a first rounder when all is said and done this winter would be ... the cherry on top.

 

We wouldn't get the 14th pick no matter what (if that's what you are saying).

[toonsterwu]

If the Orioles signed Gallardo and Fowler, aren't the reports that we'd get the 29th pick, with the 14th going to Texas for Gallardo? I thought I saw that in a report this morning, although maybe I misread that.

 

Wait, that doesn't make sense, but I could've sworn I saw that in a report somewhere.

Edited February 11, 2016 by toonsterwu

[Cubswin11]

If the Orioles signed Gallardo and Fowler, aren't the reports that we'd get the 29th pick, with the 14th going to Texas for Gallardo?

No, that's not how it works. The team signing the player loses the pick and it's essentially skipped in draft order. The team who loses the player gets a comp round pick.

[toonsterwu]

If the Orioles signed Gallardo and Fowler, aren't the reports that we'd get the 29th pick, with the 14th going to Texas for Gallardo?

No, that's not how it works. The team signing the player loses the pick and it's essentially skipped in draft order. The team who loses the player gets a comp round pick.

 

yeah, that didn't make sense. i might've misread the report.

 

ANyhow, having the 2nd rounder (slipped my mind we signed two, so we'd lose the compensatory pick gained) would be a nice cherry on top.

[davell]

If the Orioles signed Gallardo and Fowler, aren't the reports that we'd get the 29th pick, with the 14th going to Texas for Gallardo?

No, that's not how it works. The team signing the player loses the pick and it's essentially skipped in draft order. The team who loses the player gets a comp round pick.

 

yeah, that didn't make sense. i might've misread the report.

 

ANyhow, getting a pick in the 30's would still be a great way to end the offseason.

 

NM, beaten to reply.

[Bull]

Instead of returning to different classes of free agents (type a, type b, unclassified) like under the old system, would it be feasible to combine the two systems. Currently the qualifying offer is set as the average of the top 125 contracts (is it aav or current year?). What if the were two types/tiers of qualifying offers? One that is the average of the top 50 contracts and one that is the average of the next 50 contracts. Type a is a first round pick or sandwich (with a protected team losing their second rounder), type b is a second round pick (or sandwich if the surrendering team has already lost their second rounder). You can only offer one type a and one type b.

 

The way this plays out this year: the cardinals have to offer Heyward a little better QO. He still turns it down, the Cubs sign him. Nothing changes.

Lackey is offered a lower QO, he turns it down, nothing changes.

 

The Cubs offer fowler a slightly lower QO. He still turns it down, but he is significantly more signable. Perhaps they offer him the higher QO and he accepts it. If he rejects it, he's rejecting $20m for a year, which is what he's being offered over two years now according to reports. He has chosen that gamble. It's much more likely the Cubs offer the type b offer.

 

The Dodgers and Orioles are not able to offer three QOs in one year and lose one of their FAs for nothing, or stop structuring contracts that all end the same year. This makes it difficult on teams that have say a shwarber, Bryant, and Russell expiring at the same time, encouraging them to sign at least one of those players to a long term deal before that expiration season.

[NewUserName]

There's a couple teams that have either gotten really silly with pick hoarding, or they're using that as an excuse to be cheap. The White Sox basically lose pick #50 by signing Fowler, that is barely worth anything. A couple million bucks max.

I know it's actually the 28th pick, but what are the Sox thinking? They are making moves like a contender, but don't upgrade the OF or team OBP or really defense. Shockingly Fowler would be a rather large upgrade for the Sox for what appears to be a very manageable contract. How are they not making this move?

[Tryptamine]

There's a couple teams that have either gotten really silly with pick hoarding, or they're using that as an excuse to be cheap. The White Sox basically lose pick #50 by signing Fowler, that is barely worth anything. A couple million bucks max.

I know it's actually the 28th pick, but what are the Sox thinking? They are making moves like a contender, but don't upgrade the OF or team OBP or really defense. Shockingly Fowler would be a rather large upgrade for the Sox for what appears to be a very manageable contract. How are they not making this move?

 

The majority over on WSI seem to be in agreement with their FO. It's baffling to refuse to give up the 28th pick for a 3fWAR upgrade at one position when you're in a division as tight as that one.

[UMFan83]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Cubbie Swagger]

Nice.

[Derwood]

Fowler to O's looks done

[Clem Fandango]

Good for him. And the Cubs.

[itisallpartoftheplan]

[JWCUB]

Dexter to O's. 3 years 35 million per Buster Olney.

[WrigleyField 22]

Nice. Finally ready to update my sig.

[Cubbie Swagger]

Nice. Finally ready to update my sig.

I have absolutely no idea where you're going with this.

[Tim]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

 

Already kinda know who I want with that pick:

 

We don't get that pick, but we do get our second rounder back.

[UMFan83]

Bruce Levine just said it Gallardo doesn't sign the Cubs get the 14th pick in the draft. :no: thank you score baseball expert

[David]

Bruce Levine just said it Gallardo doesn't sign the Cubs get the 14th pick in the draft. :no: thank you score baseball expert

 

i was driving in and heard it and i couldn't stop myself from texting in