Darvish to Cubs, 6/$126 Million + Incentives

[Sammy Sofa]

i definitely get it, but it's not like theo signed him to that contract and then bragged about how he got him for less than he's actually worth. he traded for a guy who brought a contract that offered salary cap flexibility in future seasons. i suppose he could've been a bit more tactful about it, but i dont interpret it as him shoving the contract into quintana's face or anything like that

 

He's not, which is why I said something, like, "it's this close" to being that. Basically we all get what he's saying, and he's not actually going, "nyaaaah-nyaaaaah," but given the seemingly growing discontent among the players and the union towards team owners and FOs, it just seems like now maybe isn't the time to essentially be bragging, however tactfully, about how you were able to sign one really good pitcher because you've got another really good pitcher who is really underpaid on his current contract. Like, to the point it seems weird that Quintana was even brought up at all.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Sammy Sofa

[Tim]

Y'all are really overreacting to the Quintana statement, imo

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Y'all are really overreacting to the Quintana statement, imo

 

Yeah, it seems strange. When I heard Theo say it, I didn't take it at all negatively as a few of you have.

 

Theo has talked a few times about how disappointed and frustrated he's been for the players this offseason. Can't imagine many other front office types have talked like that. He's said all the right things even if he doesn't mean it.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

well, I, personally don’t think theo should horsefeathers a goat. it’s just a weird drum to be beating at that level of specificity given the current environment.

 

if he made mention in broad terms about the number of young players under control for the next 3-4 years providing surplus value allowing the team to round out the roster with three big contracts, I wouldn’t have really thought twice about it. and I’m sure there’s no friction or anything and I don’t think it’s a big deal. it’s just struck me as kind of funny to me to focus specifically on Quintana in his comments multiple times now is all. “thanks to Jose for pitching on a dirt cheap contract, we were able to give Yu Darvish a truckload of money!”

 

not that I’m not thrilled to have quintana on that contract or anything.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Y'all are really overreacting to the Quintana statement, imo

 

Finally, somebody said it.

[17 Seconds]

only tom's response was an overreaction. i thought the same thing as sammy sofa when i first read the quote. it was a little inappropriate.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Y'all are really overreacting to the Quintana statement, imo

 

Yeah, it seems strange. When I heard Theo say it, I didn't take it at all negatively as a few of you have.

 

Theo has talked a few times about how disappointed and frustrated he's been for the players this offseason. Can't imagine many other front office types have talked like that. He's said all the right things even if he doesn't mean it.

 

I mean, I think Theo enjoys giving fans some insight/education into the decision making process and strategy involved in the transactions they make, and this was just an opportunity to circle back and talk again about why the quintana trade was such a good one for the cubs even though they had to surrender pretty serious prospect talent. his comments yesterday close the loop by showing exactly how the quintana deal afforded the cubs the ability to make another significant move for a pitcher. I get all that.

 

I don’t think what he said is incredibly scandalous or anything... I was mostly kidding. Jose agreed to that contract when he was under no obligation to do so, and it wasn’t Theo that made the deal. It just struck me as kind of funny given the state of things is all.

[David]

It doesn't really take a ton of mental gymnastics to believe he truthfully was the top priority, in some sense. High end starting pitching was the obvious area of need and he was the best one available. Whether they thought they could afford him is kind of irrelevant as far as priority. And they were always gonna do their due diligence on him.

 

Theo basically just said exactly this on Mully and Hanley.

[Sammy Sofa]

Y'all are really overreacting to the Quintana statement, imo

 

Yeah, it seems strange. When I heard Theo say it, I didn't take it at all negatively as a few of you have.

 

Theo has talked a few times about how disappointed and frustrated he's been for the players this offseason. Can't imagine many other front office types have talked like that. He's said all the right things even if he doesn't mean it.

 

I mean, I think Theo enjoys giving fans some insight/education into the decision making process and strategy involved in the transactions they make, and this was just an opportunity to circle back and talk again about why the quintana trade was such a good one for the cubs even though they had to surrender pretty serious prospect talent. his comments yesterday close the loop by showing exactly how the quintana deal afforded the cubs the ability to make another significant move for a pitcher. I get all that.

 

I don’t think what he said is incredibly scandalous or anything... I was mostly kidding. Jose agreed to that contract when he was under no obligation to do so, and it wasn’t Theo that made the deal. It just struck me as kind of funny given the state of things is all.

 

Exactly. I mean, I'm assuming he was addressing something brought up in a question asked of him, right? Otherwise why even bring up Quintana in that context?

[UK]

It doesn't really take a ton of mental gymnastics to believe he truthfully was the top priority, in some sense. High end starting pitching was the obvious area of need and he was the best one available. Whether they thought they could afford him is kind of irrelevant as far as priority. And they were always gonna do their due diligence on him.

 

Theo basically just said exactly this on Mully and Hanley.

 

 

http://d3u67r7pp2lrq5.cloudfront.net/product_photos/482639/30NOV11highfive4_original.png

 

[David]

It doesn't really take a ton of mental gymnastics to believe he truthfully was the top priority, in some sense. High end starting pitching was the obvious area of need and he was the best one available. Whether they thought they could afford him is kind of irrelevant as far as priority. And they were always gonna do their due diligence on him.

 

Theo basically just said exactly this on Mully and Hanley.

 

 

http://d3u67r7pp2lrq5.cloudfront.net/product_photos/482639/30NOV11highfive4_original.png

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'd feel the Quintana comments come off worse if he would have been FA eligible but was getting like 5 mil a year, or if he were just 1st year arb eligible or something. He signed an extension after his first good season in the big leagues that even with his best possible outcome realized, will cost him about 25 million or so. That's a perfectly fine trade off to make for a SP of all people, and especially considering he'd still be arbitration eligible without the extension, it's hard for me to get too worked up about Quintana feeling like a pawn.

[Sammy Sofa]

I'd feel the Quintana comments come off worse if he would have been FA eligible but was getting like 5 mil a year, or if he were just 1st year arb eligible or something. He signed an extension after his first good season in the big leagues that even with his best possible outcome realized, will cost him about 25 million or so. That's a perfectly fine trade off to make for a SP of all people, and especially considering he'd still be arbitration eligible without the extension, it's hard for me to get too worked up about Quintana feeling like a pawn.

 

Look, I know a lot of you think being a baseball robot is the thing that all the cool kids do, but it's more than a little odd to be talking about how you could afford the guy you just signed because the guy you traded for the year before is on a VERY team-friendly deal. Like, everyone knows it's true and he's right, but it just seems like one of those things where you don't talk it up to the press. What's the point?

[craig]

Y'all are really overreacting to the Quintana statement, imo

 

Yeah, it seems strange. When I heard Theo say it, I didn't take it at all negatively as a few of you have.

 

Theo has talked a few times about how disappointed and frustrated he's been for the players this offseason. Can't imagine many other front office types have talked like that. He's said all the right things even if he doesn't mean it.

 

That was a pretty long press conference. I didn't hear the whole thing (wish I had).

 

But yeah, just what I'd read or heard in clip, I didn't take it all negatively, bad taste, braggy, inappropriate.

 

I think it's a great insight into the interconnectedness of management decisions. I admit I was not that sure the Eloy/Q trade was wise at the time. I knew Q's contract was good, but I don't think I appreciated then that might help enable an offseason like this. So as a fan, I think it was a very helpful, and straightforward insight, by Theo. If explaining some of the management logic comes across as braggy, it didn't to me.

[craig]

has anybody found a link to the full press conference? I think it touched on much beyond Darvish, no?

[David]

I'd feel the Quintana comments come off worse if he would have been FA eligible but was getting like 5 mil a year, or if he were just 1st year arb eligible or something. He signed an extension after his first good season in the big leagues that even with his best possible outcome realized, will cost him about 25 million or so. That's a perfectly fine trade off to make for a SP of all people, and especially considering he'd still be arbitration eligible without the extension, it's hard for me to get too worked up about Quintana feeling like a pawn.

 

Look, I know a lot of you think being a baseball robot is the thing that all the cool kids do, but it's more than a little odd to be talking about how you could afford the guy you just signed because the guy you traded for the year before is on a VERY team-friendly deal. Like, everyone knows it's true and he's right, but it just seems like one of those things where you don't talk it up to the press. What's the point?

 

i don't think everyone knows it's true and i generally like how theo's transparency and ability to explain his processes has made the local media and some fans a little less stupid.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I'd feel the Quintana comments come off worse if he would have been FA eligible but was getting like 5 mil a year, or if he were just 1st year arb eligible or something. He signed an extension after his first good season in the big leagues that even with his best possible outcome realized, will cost him about 25 million or so. That's a perfectly fine trade off to make for a SP of all people, and especially considering he'd still be arbitration eligible without the extension, it's hard for me to get too worked up about Quintana feeling like a pawn.

 

Look, I know a lot of you think being a baseball robot is the thing that all the cool kids do, but it's more than a little odd to be talking about how you could afford the guy you just signed because the guy you traded for the year before is on a VERY team-friendly deal. Like, everyone knows it's true and he's right, but it just seems like one of those things where you don't talk it up to the press. What's the point?

 

I'm surprised people that are a bit upset about the Q thing aren't mentioning Theo saying essentially that Yu's World Series meltdown gave the Cubs an opportunity to be a contender for Yu because they would be able to get him at a better price.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Also, although I could be wrong, I'm pretty sure Theo talked about Q's great contract when we traded for him, too.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Also, although I could be wrong, I'm pretty sure Theo talked about Q's great contract when we traded for him, too.

 

he did. so?

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Also, although I could be wrong, I'm pretty sure Theo talked about Q's great contract when we traded for him, too.

 

he did. so?

 

So why didn't people have a problem with it then like they do now?

[UMFan83]

Interesting info about the Cubs recruiting Darvish from his agent:

 

https://www.fanragsports.com/news/yu-darvishs-agent-likens-cubs-recruiting-to-alabama/

 

Apparently, the Cubs did a phenomenal job recruiting Darvish, who also drew interest from the likes of the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers.

 

“The Cubs — they know how to recruit a player,” said Darvish’s agent Joel Wolfe, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. “It’s like the University of Alabama. They go the extra mile.”

 

Wolfe said that Chicago’s presentation wasn’t just about baseball; it was about why and how Darvish would thrive in the Windy City in general.

 

“It was very much like a high school football player trying to choose and he’s going to have the signing day,” he said. “Here’s what we have to offer you and your family as a place to live. This is what our organization is like. Here’s what we’re going to do with you. We think you’re a great pitcher, but here’s how we’re going to make you better. Here’s what we’ve done with other guys. This is exactly how we’re going to do it. Incredible detail.

 

Wolfe says that what clinched Darvish’s decision was how Cubs general manager Theo Epstein handled things.

 

“With all the offers getting very close together, we had to make a decision,” said Wolfe. “One thing that Theo said to him and to me right before was, ‘You’ve been traded. You understand what it’s like going to a new team. I want you to have the opportunity to come in here on Day 1. When you sign, there’s going to be all this talk about your contract, blah blah blah, but I want you to be able to — from Day 1 — just be a guy on the team.’”

 

I'm not really sure what he's trying to say in that last blurb that would make the Cubs stand out.

[JennieGarthAlgar]

Has anyone checked in on Quintana? Has he vented anything on social media? Im sure he's pretty shaken up over these comments saying that because he's lived up to/exceeded the first multi-million dollar contract he will sign in his lifetime he now has a fancy new teammate and better odds to be a World Series champion. Hopefully he has a good therapist who will help keep his head up through this crisis.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Has anyone checked in on Quintana? Has he vented anything on social media? Im sure he's pretty shaken up over these comments saying that because he's lived up to/exceeded the first multi-million dollar contract he will sign in his lifetime he now has a fancy new teammate and better odds to be a World Series champion. Hopefully he has a good therapist who will help keep his head up through this crisis.

 

I would hope this is a lesson for Theo and he doesn’t mention Rizzo’s contract at the Bryce Harper press conference.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Also, although I could be wrong, I'm pretty sure Theo talked about Q's great contract when we traded for him, too.

 

he did. so?

 

So why didn't people have a problem with it then like they do now?

 

well, on my end, because context matters. the relationship between players and front offices is much icier now. and, i alluded to his past comments in my previous posts by noting how he has brought up quintana being underpaid multiple times now.

 

it’s not a fireable offense or anything and it doesn’t impact my perception of Theo in the grand scheme. I made a throwaway comment about it and probably would’ve forgotten about it by like dinner time yesterday. we all love theo. it’s just kind of a bad look, to me anyway, to keep harping on how underpaid one guy is and how that helped the cubs give another guy $126 million. it’s amusing to me when I look at it through the lens of any other profession.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Has anyone checked in on Quintana? Has he vented anything on social media? Im sure he's pretty shaken up over these comments saying that because he's lived up to/exceeded the first multi-million dollar contract he will sign in his lifetime he now has a fancy new teammate and better odds to be a World Series champion. Hopefully he has a good therapist who will help keep his head up through this crisis.

 

imagine that, JGA making a dumb post.