The Bryce is Right, Bitch

[Rex Buckingham]

I don’t know why but I get especially pissed at Cub fans who think Harper will break the Rickett’s pocketbook.

 

They horsefeathering own entire city blocks and a billion dollar company that is not the Chicago Cubs in addition to owning the Chicago Cubs who are worth a billion dollars x3. The only thing that will stop them from spending is peer pressure from other billionaires.

I get more annoyed with the “If the Cubs sign Bryce how can they afford to re-sign Hendricks, Russell, Schwarber, etc.”. Who cares he’s Bryce horsefeathering Harper. Sign him now and figure horsefeathers out later.

 

You sign them with the extra hundreds of millions you get on TV deals, tickets, World Series gear, etc. that you make after adding Bryce to the Cubs.

[Backtobanks]

I don’t know why but I get especially pissed at Cub fans who think Harper will break the Rickett’s pocketbook.

 

They horsefeathering own entire city blocks and a billion dollar company that is not the Chicago Cubs in addition to owning the Chicago Cubs who are worth a billion dollars x3. The only thing that will stop them from spending is peer pressure from other billionaires.

 

 

and also greed.

 

 

When I was young, everybody hated the Yankees because Steinbrenner bought all the players he wanted. I admired him for putting his money on the field instead of in his pocket or using it for a tax break. Meanwhile I suffered through miserable Cub seasons while Wrigley used the Cubs to write off profits from his gum company.

[Sammy Sofa]

When I was young, everybody hated the Yankees because Steinbrenner bought all the players he wanted. I admired him

 

Monsters like the Steinbrenners and the Ricketts are a necessary evil when it comes to our sportsball teams, and should only ever be begrudgingly tolerated at BEST.

[Backtobanks]

When I was young, everybody hated the Yankees because Steinbrenner bought all the players he wanted. I admired him

 

Monsters like the Steinbrenners and the Ricketts are a necessary evil when it comes to our sportsball teams, and should only ever be begrudgingly tolerated at BEST.

 

They're easier to tolerate (or admire) when they own my sports team. Meanwhile all of those other filthy rich owners are claiming they can't afford to build winning teams.

[Sammy Sofa]

When I was young, everybody hated the Yankees because Steinbrenner bought all the players he wanted. I admired him

 

Monsters like the Steinbrenners and the Ricketts are a necessary evil when it comes to our sportsball teams, and should only ever be begrudgingly tolerated at BEST.

 

They're easier to tolerate (or admire)

 

[Cubswin11]

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[jersey cubs fan]

That's a good line for the Nationals.

[Cubswin11]

That's a good line for the Nationals.

 

[davell]

 

Some here may not know this guy. That said, he's definitely got a legit source. He actually broke that it was Monasterio going in the Murphy deal. You gotta know something, if you get THAT right lol.....

 

So anyway, worried about the Braves?

 

I'm guessing we're concerned about creativity? Liberty could potentially offer up a stake of Formula One to him, I guess? Or NASCAR, if they buy it? No idea, not even sure it's legal to do that kind of stuff...... But, if they're concerned with the Braves, it's gotta be more than just money......

[treebird]

 

Some here may not know this guy. That said, he's definitely got a legit source. He actually broke that it was Monasterio going in the Murphy deal. You gotta know something, if you get THAT right lol.....

 

So anyway, worried about the Braves?

 

I'm guessing we're concerned about creativity? Liberty could potentially offer up a stake of Formula One to him, I guess? Or NASCAR, if they buy it? No idea, not even sure it's legal to do that kind of stuff...... But, if they're concerned with the Braves, it's gotta be more than just money......

 

if there’s somehow an enormous loophole that allows teams to sidestep the competitive balance tax by giving players portions of companies in lieu of additional salary, bryce harper is about to be the proud co-owner of a bunch of unused never-trump stationery and like a million bison.

[UMFan83]

 

Some here may not know this guy. That said, he's definitely got a legit source. He actually broke that it was Monasterio going in the Murphy deal. You gotta know something, if you get THAT right lol.....

 

So anyway, worried about the Braves?

 

I'm guessing we're concerned about creativity? Liberty could potentially offer up a stake of Formula One to him, I guess? Or NASCAR, if they buy it? No idea, not even sure it's legal to do that kind of stuff...... But, if they're concerned with the Braves, it's gotta be more than just money......

 

He really likes that organ player

[imb]

The Braves noise is imo due to a couple obvious factors

* young team with good mix of offensive/pitching talent

* about to win his division already without him

* could be one 6-win player away from the top seed in the NL

 

So from his perspective they would seem to align perfectly to suit him. From the team's perspective they may be willing to completely break the bank to sign him given how much talent they already have on cheap controllable contracts.

 

This could all tie in with the recent-ish seemingly accepted idea that machado is going to bring in a bigger contract than Harper. If you buy that, maybe atlanta is letting people know they're willing to make that not so.

[Bertz]

The Braves noise is imo due to a couple obvious factors

* young team with good mix of offensive/pitching talent

* about to win his division already without him

* could be one 6-win player away from the top seed in the NL

 

So from his perspective they would seem to align perfectly to suit him. From the team's perspective they may be willing to completely break the bank to sign him given how much talent they already have on cheap controllable contracts.

 

This could all tie in with the recent-ish seemingly accepted idea that machado is going to bring in a bigger contract than Harper. If you buy that, maybe atlanta is letting people know they're willing to make that not so.

 

Yeah the Braves have no one except Freeman and Inciarte signed past next year. So while they don't have as much money as the bigger market teams, they're much better positioned to do something crazy like 5/250. The Phillies are in a similar boat, they only have Santana and Arrieta on the books long term and they've shown they can run a $200 million payroll when they're competitive.

 

The Cubs should be the favorites to sign Bryce, but the Braves, Phillies, Yankees, and maybe Dodgers all have a lot of money to burn this winter. Thankfully, the latter three are all likely more focused on Machado, but except for the Yankeea I don't think we can count any of them out on Bryce.

 

Houston's kind of an interesting dark horse. They likely need to focus their money on retaining/replacing Keuchel and Morton (and prepping for Verlander and Cole to hit FA the year after) but they could potentially pivot to just building a "horsefeathers you" offense and worrying about the pitching later.

[Brian]

"I think about other cities, but I love it here," Harper said. "Am I in the plans, you know? I don't know. It's hard to think about, because it's all you know, and then you think about it, it's like, 'Well, it could all be over in a,'" and here, he snapped his fingers, " 'a second.' It's kind of crazy."

 

---

 

"I've always said: If I'm in those plans, I'd absolutely love to be here," Harper said. "But if I'm not, there's nothing I can do about it. There's nothing I can do. I would love to play next to Robles or Soto or [Adam] Eaton. I'd love to. But am I in those plans? I have no idea."

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-free-agency-bryce-harper-says-he-would-absolutely-love-to-remain-with-the-nationals/

[David]

exactly what you expect any pending FA to say about their current team as time is winding down

 

it's not like they're getting a discount

[Brian]

yeah I was going to add that the Nationals have likely already given their best offer and he obviously hasn't taken it. How often does a major free agent get to his first FA year and sign back with his team after hitting the open market?

[Regular Show]

The Nationals should have traded him when they had the chance. They aren't re-signing him now. I'm not sure if they're over the luxury tax line or if they're under it now...

 

If they're over it and Harper signs somewhere else after getting the QO from the Nats then they get a compensation draft pick after the 4th round (basically nothing).

 

If they're under it and he signs somewhere else after getting the QO then they receive a compensation draft pick after the 2nd round.

 

I think it'll come down to Dodgers vs. Cubs and maybe the Phillies get involved. I think he signs with us during the winter meetings after meeting with Theo and Jed and Maddon.

[Brian]

Cots projects them at 7.1 million over the luxury tax for '18, they've got a boatload of money coming off the books though.

 

They've also got 93.7 million in actual payroll for next year in 3 players (Scherzer, Strasburg, Zimmerman)

 

edited to say that by actual I mean in terms of that years payroll, those 3 players luxury tax hit for '19 is "only" 70.3 million

[Cubswin11]

Cots projects them at 7.1 million over the luxury tax for '18, they've got a boatload of money coming off the books though.

 

They've also got 93.7 million in actual payroll for next year in 3 players (Scherzer, Strasburg, Zimmerman)

 

edited to say that by actual I mean in terms of that years payroll, those 3 players luxury tax hit for '19 is "only" 70.3 million

It’s probably more wise to extend Rendon (FA after next year I believe) or even Turner then spend money on SP, RP and some ancillary offensive pieces than to pay Bryce I think. Soto/Robles/Eaton is a fine OF, sign a vet for cheap like Mcutchen or someone to throw in the mix.

[Brian]

"You never know what's going to happen," Harper said, "so I'm going to take it today and just enjoy it. Enjoy running out to right field -- I think that's where I'm playing -- but enjoy running out there and see what happens. I enjoy putting the W on my chest every single day. And I have since the beginning. It's like I'm standing here like a 35-year-old, but I'm only 25.

 

It's more fun to fly W's every single day Bryce :flythew:

[Liam Neeson]

Harper's Instagram

 

 

All the squares are captioned "To the fans and the city of DC, thank you!"

[Brian]

well that seems pretty definite.

[Sammy Sofa]

Imagine the meltdown here if the FO whiffs on both Machado and Harper.

 

Forget heroin to the forehead; people are going to be swan-diving into vats of needles.

[Cubswin11]

Imagine the meltdown here if the FO whiffs on both Machado and Harper.

 

Forget heroin to the forehead; people are going to be swan-diving into vats of needles.

I’m only going to be upset if we miss on Harper. I hope we whiff on Machado.

[Sammy Sofa]

If someone is trying to convince themselves that the Cubs came out OK by not signing either, which is what that would technically be, they are a damn lying insane nerd.