The Bryce is Right, Bitch

[David]

This seems like a major pipe dream to me. Great player no doubt, but I have almost zero interest in him at his proposed price point. Regardless of how much money is printed at Wrigley, the Cubs aren't going to launch their payroll into the stratosphere and into the nasty tax range. If you're expecting that, I'd wager you're going to be disappointed.

 

Nah.

[Banedon]

If this boring offseason pays off with Harper next offseason, it'll be well worth it.

[Cubswin11]

This seems like a major pipe dream to me. Great player no doubt, but I have almost zero interest in him at his proposed price point. Regardless of how much money is printed at Wrigley, the Cubs aren't going to launch their payroll into the stratosphere and into the nasty tax range. If you're expecting that, I'd wager you're going to be disappointed.

Harper is the type of player you make exceptions for. He’s that special level of talent/age that rarely hits FA, so you sign him and deal with the ramifications later.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I think Harper will have an opt out after the 2021 season when his friend Bryant is a free agent. Hopefully, they both decide to stay. And, yes, I'm already counting on Harper being healthy and a Cub.

[Perd]

A pox upon any scoundrel that casts aspersions on this beautiful inevitability.

[CubinNY]

This seems like a major pipe dream to me. Great player no doubt, but I have almost zero interest in him at his proposed price point. Regardless of how much money is printed at Wrigley, the Cubs aren't going to launch their payroll into the stratosphere and into the nasty tax range. If you're expecting that, I'd wager you're going to be disappointed.

 

Nah.

By next year the Cubs will own an entire city block and more of retail and hotel. They will have enough money for anyone they want. Also, they will get a fat check for $50M from the sale of BAM they can salt away in escrow for a year.

[Sammy Sofa]

You guys sure showed that post from over a year ago.

[David]

You guys sure showed that post from over a year ago.

 

I knew it was old. That was kind of the point (how much worse it's beginning to look in hindsight)...I'm not sure if the other replies were immediately aware, tho.

[davell]

Theo won't blink an eye on 40 per on Harper, nor should he. The opt outs involved will allow for him to get even more cash too. Theo ain't even truly trying to hide this either.

 

The key is keeping from hitting 245 mill next year and we'll be able to do that.

 

If we miss on him though, who DO we spend on? And I'm not thinking Machado is the actual answer.....

 

Kikuchi? Kershaw? Blackmon or Pollock? One of the closers like Britton, Kimbrel, or Miller?

 

Obviously, in some of those casee you can grab multiples for the same money it'd count on the LT for Bryce.

 

Still, I think we're getting Harper anyway.

[KingCubsFan]

Theo won't blink an eye on 40 per on Harper, nor should he. The opt outs involved will allow for him to get even more cash too. Theo ain't even truly trying to hide this either.

 

The key is keeping from hitting 245 mill next year and we'll be able to do that.

 

If we miss on him though, who DO we spend on? And I'm not thinking Machado is the actual answer.....

 

Kikuchi? Kershaw? Blackmon or Pollock? One of the closers like Britton, Kimbrel, or Miller?

 

Obviously, in some of those casee you can grab multiples for the same money it'd count on the LT for Bryce.

 

Still, I think we're getting Harper anyway.

If we don't get Harper, I'd give the money to Machado. He's one of the few that I'd replace Addison with.

[David]

i was gonna say easily machado (and prob still do)

 

but did anyone notice what a pooey (by his standards) 2017 he had?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If we miss on him though, who DO we spend on? And I'm not thinking Machado is the actual answer....

 

I haven't thought about this very hard, but my initial reaction is you do what it takes to buy out a year or two of Bryant's free agency as a first step.

[CyHawk_Cub]

I think it's all but a fait accompli that Machado winds up w/ the Yankees.

 

Thus, that means he'll sign with StL.

 

I see the financials show a Harper signing is indeed possible, even w/ Zombie Heyward still on the books, but I'll remain worried about the Phillies. It'll be interesting to see what happens if they indeed take a big step forward this year.

[Sammy Sofa]

The 2020 version of the Phillies in my Road to the Show this time has their lineup anchored by Harper and Schwarber.

 

And Rizzo is on the White Sox.

 

Bryant is still on the Cubs, but he's mostly just OK, while Heyward is still there and inexplicably turned into a hitting superstar.

 

It's pretty fucked up.

[Derwood]

The 2020 version of the Phillies in my Road to the Show this time has their lineup anchored by Harper and Schwarber.

 

And Rizzo is on the White Sox.

 

Bryant is still on the Cubs, but he's mostly just OK, while Heyward is still there and inexplicably turned into a hitting superstar.

 

It's pretty horsefeathers up.

 

Thanks for the update, Derwood

[davell]

If we miss on him though, who DO we spend on? And I'm not thinking Machado is the actual answer....

 

I haven't thought about this very hard, but my initial reaction is you do what it takes to buy out a year or two of Bryant's free agency as a first step.

 

Doubt Boras allows that to happen.

[Cubswin11]

We are going to end up with Harper unless some team comes in and offers some ridiculous offer like 12/500+. But in the case we don't get him yeah Machado should definitely be a target, then trade 1 of Russell or Javy for some pitching (maybe even try and attach Zobrist and the last year of his contract in that deal to save some money). I would agree too that in the event we miss out try and offer Bryant an extension with the aav that Machado/Harper get.

[Sammy Sofa]

The 2020 version of the Phillies in my Road to the Show this time has their lineup anchored by Harper and Schwarber.

 

And Rizzo is on the White Sox.

 

Bryant is still on the Cubs, but he's mostly just OK, while Heyward is still there and inexplicably turned into a hitting superstar.

 

It's pretty horsefeathers up.

 

Thanks for the update, Derwood

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If we miss on him though, who DO we spend on? And I'm not thinking Machado is the actual answer....

 

I haven't thought about this very hard, but my initial reaction is you do what it takes to buy out a year or two of Bryant's free agency as a first step.

 

Doubt Boras allows that to happen.

 

Boras isn't going to refuse out of spite, and ultimately it's not his decision. It'll just be expensive.

[Cubswin11]

The 2020 version of the Phillies in my Road to the Show this time has their lineup anchored by Harper and Schwarber.

 

And Rizzo is on the White Sox.

 

Bryant is still on the Cubs, but he's mostly just OK, while Heyward is still there and inexplicably turned into a hitting superstar.

 

It's pretty horsefeathers up.

Of course in Mr. DoomBoner's virtual reality we lose all of our good players and Bryant is just okay. But yeah in my different versions of RTTS (always choose to be pitcher since you can get more seasons in) this happens to me too. Bryant sticks around and is really average, Harper never comes, Schwarber has been on the Phillies, Cardinals and some other team by like 2019, Rizzo is gone around 2020 and has been on the Orioles, Giants and some other team Russell and Javy stick around but Russell seems to turn in to a bench player and some create a player always takes over at SS, Almora usually sticks around too and ends up being okay. The rotation always ends up with some random middle of the road SP too like Jake Odorizzi, Porcello, Wacha, etc who's in his mid 30s but puts up ridiculous CY Young level seasons around 2022. Oh an we end up with like Logan Morrison or Matt Adams or Lucas Duda type or rookie create a player at 1B and they are always MVP 40 dong 3/4 hitter by 2020 as well.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Cubswin11

[Sammy Sofa]

The 2020 version of the Phillies in my Road to the Show this time has their lineup anchored by Harper and Schwarber.

 

And Rizzo is on the White Sox.

 

Bryant is still on the Cubs, but he's mostly just OK, while Heyward is still there and inexplicably turned into a hitting superstar.

 

It's pretty horsefeathers up.

Of course in Mr. DoomBoner's virtual reality we lose all of our good players and Bryant is just okay. But yeah in my different versions of RTTS (always choose to be pitcher since you can get more seasons in) this happens to me too. Bryant sticks around and is really average, Schwarber has been on the Phillies, Cardinals and some other team by like 2019, Rizzo is gone around 2020 and has been on the Orioles, Giants and some other team Russell and Javy stick around but Russell seems to turn in to a bench player and some create a player always takes over at SS, Almora usually sticks around too and ends up being okay.

 

Hah! It's got a pretty clear MO. Contreras ended up on the Diamondbacks by 2020, too. Baez and Russell are still there, but they're basically platoon players with whatever cheap, mediocre MI the AI decides to sign for 1-year contracts. Basically the Cubs won the WS again in 2020 thanks to my pitcher basically being Ohtani fully realized on the mound and at the plate and Heyward confusingly being Mike Trout-esque.

[davell]

 

I haven't thought about this very hard, but my initial reaction is you do what it takes to buy out a year or two of Bryant's free agency as a first step.

 

Doubt Boras allows that to happen.

 

Boras isn't going to refuse out of spite, and ultimately it's not his decision. It'll just be expensive.

 

That's true. I just doubt KB would actually have an interest in doing it himself. Obviously, its based on nothing though.

[Andy]

i was gonna say easily machado (and prob still do)

 

but did anyone notice what a pooey (by his standards) 2017 he had?

I had him in fantasy. I noticed.

[toonsterwu]

I wouldn't read too much into the rhetoric about letting things play out until after 2018. If I recall correctly, there was similar talk about letting Strasburg hit FA before they revisited. The Nationals front office, though, to put it bluntly ... they aren't the Orioles front office.

 

I'd love Harper on the Cubs, and it sure feels like it's going to be Cubs or Nationals. My gut hunch would still lean Nationals, but a lot is probably dependent on how Harper gets along with Dave Martinez. By most accounts, Bryce likes the DC area quite a bit At the end of the day, though, I think the main things that lead me to think he's going to be with the Nationals is

 

a) His talk about wanting to be a one-team guy (granted, money and winning talks in the end), but the Nationals are well setup for the future, as their system is solid right now.

 

and

 

b) the fact that Boras and Ted Lerner have a ridiculously close relationship. IIRC the articles post-Strasburg, they consistently meet up to discuss things, somewhat bypassing Mike Rizzo, although Rizzo still makes the decisions. Boras convinced Lerner to bend on 7 years for Strasburg (which, IIRC, was what the FO had told Lerner what it would probably take as well).

[CubinNY]

I wouldn't read too much into the rhetoric about letting things play out until after 2018. If I recall correctly, there was similar talk about letting Strasburg hit FA before they revisited. The Nationals front office, though, to put it bluntly ... they aren't the Orioles front office.

 

I'd love Harper on the Cubs, and it sure feels like it's going to be Cubs or Nationals. My gut hunch would still lean Nationals, but a lot is probably dependent on how Harper gets along with Dave Martinez. By most accounts, Bryce likes the DC area quite a bit At the end of the day, though, I think the main things that lead me to think he's going to be with the Nationals is

 

a) His talk about wanting to be a one-team guy (granted, money and winning talks in the end), but the Nationals are well setup for the future, as their system is solid right now.

 

and

 

b) the fact that Boras and Ted Lerner have a ridiculously close relationship. IIRC the articles post-Strasburg, they consistently meet up to discuss things, somewhat bypassing Mike Rizzo, although Rizzo still makes the decisions. Boras convinced Lerner to bend on 7 years for Strasburg (which, IIRC, was what the FO had told Lerner what it would probably take as well).

It depends on if he wants to win. The Nats don’t have the resources to build a winning team a give him 1/3 or 1/4 of the entire money spent on the team.

Edited December 16, 2017 by CubinNY