BigbadB

How many other teams legitimately look to be shopping QB in the first round. San Fran seems like a given. Cleveland again? Houston? Denver? Jets? What are the possibilities of trading down a handful of spots and still getting one of the top QB's? Are there any teams that would trade up to draft one of those guys?

Padres fans were sad to see him go. They don't talk a lot of baseball since they are in an endless cycle of small market wheel spinning with no real direction, but he roped quite a few doubles in a low amount of innings. He was also their prime lead off hitter and hit .299 in that role. He also doesn't strike out much. He seems like a nice addition to what is still a busy outfield, but doesn't block a significant addition in the near future.

in a 180 game season a manager will make some bad decisions. I'm not going to whine about it a month after winning the World Series.Not whining about the bad decision. No asking for an apology. Saying it's out of character for Maddon to mic drop and weirdly crusty coming from a guy who likely knows that horsefeathers was a bad move. I don't really see it as a mic drop, because he did offer some explanations. Given the results, there is no real reason to dwell on them. I think a lot of his decisions that are being questioned were him trying to do as much as humanly possible to avoid this organization suffering another meltdown loss, and this time under his watch. He didn't want Hendricks facing the lineup a 3rd time through with veterans like Lester and even Lackey available in the pen if necessary. He had one of the most dominant closers in the game at his disposal, and he wanted to use him in a much higher leverage situation rather than a late game save opportunity, "because that's what you are supposed to do with closers". These decisions could have cost them the World Series. If so, Joe would probably be first in line to take the blame. Instead, it added to the dramatics that made this one of the best World Series wins of all time. Now, next year let's just win the World Series 4-0 and leave all the drama out of it with heavenly dongs. I would imagine some people will bring some of these questions up again in Spring Training, and maybe Joe will offer more. But I certainly don't need any closure from him.

This is a good thing. This is not a bad thing! Say it again with me, a little louder this time. THIS IS A GOOD THING! THIS IS NOT A BAD THING!

LOL. You think the Cubs give a sh*t about anything other than your money and their public image (which also increases money for them)? You DO know that this is the billionaire Ameritrade family that supported Donald Trump, right? (http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/09/21/ricketts-family-endorses-donald-trump-campaign-chicago-cubs) So you didn't REALLY lose your season tickets afterall? All of this was just a big lie?

But anyone with a decent sized bank account can "invest thousands of dollars for years". The Cubs want to be sure that someone is also investing their "TIME" in the team. How much time did you invest this year? I can afford a few season tickets. Tell me why I should deserve them over someone who actually lives in Chicago and wants to actually go to the games.

I'm not talking about single game profit. If they have the ability to track all of your season ticket movement through Stub Hub, they can determine what your true intentions are. There is clearly verbiage in the contract for season tickets that says that if you are behaving as a baseball ticket broker with your season tickets, you will lose your tickets.

Care to share how much you profited off the sale of your season tickets this year? I would almost bet that the amount you made on your tickets was a much larger factor in you losing your season ticket account over selling all of your tickets. And I ask this because I could totally understand someone losing their season tickets if it gives any appearance that the sole purpose of the use of those season tickets is to make a living/ridiculous profit. I think it's great that sports teams are able to monitor/control that type of behavior, as it wasn't what season tickets was designed for. There are so many people waiting for tickets that would truly use them for what they were designed for, and they are getting hosed by those who only have the tickets because they want to expand their wallet. I would bet quite a few other people did lose their season tickets in this fashion. But I'll also bet that the Chicago Cubs are using due diligence in making sure the people they are taking away season tickets from are deserving so.

=D> In a season where they were favored to win the World Series before the season ever started, had a line up loaded with such likeable and talented players, if you can't make an honest attempt to go to a respectable amount of games (I live in California and I made it to a game this year), you probably should be giving up your season tickets to someone who could make better use of them. Better use meaning actually seeing the product actually play rather than capitalizing on their success by selling the tickets for profit.

How dare you beat me to the punch by one minute.

Uehara is signing for 6m, per Jesse Rogers.

DAMN... I thought that was Heyward. Fowler has the best celebrations/reactions. That, Schwarber Dong vs Cole last season, his game 7 HR trot, etc.. He clearly knew it was gone off the bat. Of course we all did. That's a great photo.

ok but really. is going from rondon/edwards/strop/davis to edwards/strop/davis/chapman(or Jansen) worth $18m a year? Honestly, I don't expect a lot from Strop or Rondon this year. They worry me. And I don't expect the Cubs to go after Jansen because I think they are trying to build Edwards to be the closer for next year with Davis in the helm this year. But yeah, I think another World Series while basically cutting the game down to 6 innings max is worth 18M, if they chose to go that way. I find it hard to believe that neither come back to their old selves. Even if they do, Edwards and Grimm or Edwards and Montgomery (assuming someone else ends up in the 5th starter role) would make pretty good set up guys for Davis. If Strop and Rondon come back to their old selves, this bullpen is the best in baseball.

Yeah, I'm not joining in on that argument.

Edwards starting in AAA, What!?!?!!!! No. He was our second best relief pitcher for a good chunk of the year behind Chapman and they brought him in Game 7 of the WS to save it ahead of Rondon and Strop. Short of an injury he's gonna be in the major league pen all year. Zas I agree starts in AAA as SP depth/development Maddon eluded to going Edwards over Rondon and Strop in game 7 because they just didn't seem like they were where they needed to be after coming back from injury. During regular season games was time to practice and try to get back to full health, not during the playoffs/WS. The few times they did go to Rondon, he clearly wasn't the same guy they expected him to be, so they went a different route with Montgomery, Edwards and extra frames from Chapman in high leverage situations. That doesn't mean that they won't have full faith in Strop and Rondon going into the 2017 season.

Only if he pitches shirtless.

I'm not really sure I want to see the Cubs use Schwarber as a straight platoon. I'd like to see him become an everyday player. Given that he will likely sit a lot versus lefties, I'd probably still rather see Contreras or Zobrist out there ahead of Soler. The Cubs can time their behind the plate rest days for Contreras for an upcoming lefty matchup where he can play LF. If Contreras is in LF, that means Montero is behind the plate vs a tough lefty? No thanks. I don't think it will be a straight platoon. Among lefties you might sit against a tough lefty, (i.e., sans rizzo) you have Schwarber, Jay, Heyward and Montero. To replace them you have one of Javy/Zobrist, Almora, Szczur, and Contreras. I'm guessing that 2 of Schwarber, Jay and Heyward stay in the lineup vs. lefties. Soler will be missed. Assuming they don't carry a 3rd catcher.

I'm not really sure I want to see the Cubs use Schwarber as a straight platoon. I'd like to see him become an everyday player. Given that he will likely sit a lot versus lefties, I'd probably still rather see Contreras or Zobrist out there ahead of Soler. The Cubs can time their behind the plate rest days for Contreras for an upcoming lefty matchup where he can play LF.

40 innings is probably all we will need from Davis during the regular season. This offense is getting pretty good at playing "Screw The Closer". I like this trade. One season of Davis might be the perfect bridge to Edwards. Maybe he is over his health problems and they can get him signed to an extension that is cheaper than what Jansen or Chapman would have commanded. Maybe Theo has his eye on a few guys that will become available next year. I really like Davis. Wish there were more years left on that contract, but this move puts them just a few more arms away from calling it an offseason.

You'd have to get both players to agree to give up save opportunities. Chapman seemed pretty horrible for the Cubs and even seemed upset when he wasn't being used in a save situation. I wouldn't put it past New York to want both, but I don't know that either of the players would accept a contract to not be the regular closer.

Sorry. No take-backsies!

Oh geez. I read this whole thread before posting that. At least I thought I did.

I just read that the all star game being used for home field advantage has been done away with. Any truth to that?

you call it clutch, I call it pixie dust (actually he had a .999 OPS with men on last year with SDG) That's all Epstein needed to see. Once .999, always .999!

it's amazing that KB won the MVP Driving home yesterday from some shopping in Mission Valley, San Diego on one of the busiest freeways in town I ran across a full billboard congratulating Kris Bryant on his great season. He's wearing his San Diego uniform in the picture, but still very cool.