rawaction

Today? Today was only his 3rd worst game.

#PAYTHEMAN!

Blocks in the back are now legal!

Shitty play calling.

I don't think that's a coincedence. Good and historic teams that sellout all their home games and have huge waiting lists for season tickets, don't typically agree to give up home game revenue to agree to play overseas. It doesn't benefit the NFL to make them do so either. While the game has featured the Patriots, Giants, Cowboys, Bears, Steelers, Jets and Giants....the home teams for these games have historically been bad franchises or ones who have historically had trouble drawing fans consistently. Tampa twice. Dolphins twice. Jacksonville in the midst of 5 straight home games in London. Bad Rams, Raiders, and Saints teams.

I'd love McGee. And I could see a Coghlan/McGee type trade, but I think the Cubs would have to throw in a pretty decent prospect to make it work. I do think the value is pretty good/similar for both teams. But Mcgee is a more rare commodity (hard throwing, shutdown LHRP) than Coghlan (majority platoon corner OF, without much defensive value), which is why the Cubs would have to add something.

I wonder if it's insanity or concussion history. Seems like a bad post-career situation waiting to happen. Hell, he's probably in his "post-career" right now. Worried about his and everyone who knows him's safety.

Fowler is black. Can't be a gamer.

Yeah, definitely going to be an opportunity for a trade with Cogs. With Schwarber and Soler being younger, cheaper and more talented and Coghlan's inability to play CF.....he's not going to have a big role on the team next year. He's definitely a starting caliber OF, and may make too much for a seldom used 4th OF (being that he won't necessarily be a defensive replacement either). I think someone would give up something (nothing major) to have him as the LHH part of a LF platoon, and it's a good way for the Cubs to clear up a few million. And honestly, if the Cubs add a good CF and find the right bench OF, they will only need to carry 4 guys out there all year, especially with Bryant and potentially Baez having the ability to play out there.

Coghlan would be one of the best bench bats in the league. He was fine as a starter last year. LaStella is your typical backup IF. Ther'es nothing wrong with those 2 being the top LH options off the bench.

It's also a good way to get the new Austin Jackson, since FA aren't going to fall over themselves to get 300ish PA behind Soler, Schwarber, Coghlan, Fowler/Heyward. My current favorite version of this is Teheran + Maybin, I wonder if the Braves would rather be free of Grilli's 4 million too. I've thought about a Teheran and Maybin package. Another thing I've thought is about is if the Braves trade Teheran somewhere else and get a couple bats, they could use a starter. I think a pure salary swap of Maybin and Hammel would work out pretty perfectly, assuming the Cubs got a couple starters elsewhere and the Braves got a couple of bats elsewhere. Braves could use the innings, if they get rid of Teheran (and could trade Hammel at the deadline). And Maybin would be a full season's Austin Jackson.

Salazar, Ross, and Teheran have a ceiling much higher than you are giving them credit for. They all fit into your first sentence perfectly.

If they non-tender a player, he is a free agent the Cubs have no financial obligation to him going forward. In other words, zero financial consequences to non-tendering someone. Non-tendering Wood(or Richard or Turner or...) would save the amount of money they're estimated to get, although the roster spot has to go to *somebody*. Forgot he was arbitration eligible and not under actual contract.

So, how does non-tendering a player works against the cap? They can't just non-tender Wood and save 6.4 Mil can they? Aren't they responsible for paying that if no team claims him or responsible for the remaining of the 6.4Mil if a team signs him for less?

I think O'Day and all those RHPs I named are going to get upwards of $7Mil/annually. I mean, i guess the Cubs could pay that much given they paid the combo of Motte, Wada, Rodney, and Hunter over 10Mil.

I had a post about the lack of talk about the bullpen outlook for next year in the offseason thread, but I hit submit and got an error and lost it. The pen was really good last year, but the Cubs got lucky IMO. They got Rodney and Motte to not be terrible as their recent history/stuff indicate they should have been. They got several failed starters to be dominant relievers (as you pointed out). And they had pretty good health. If you told me the Cubs would be throwing out the guys they threw out of the pen in the playoffs in June, I'd have thought the pen was a disaster. Well, the problem is the status quo has a good chance at being a disaster in 2016. So, I think the Cubs really need to make a decent sized investment here. I don't like the thought of trading for Kimbrel or Chapman, because I don't like trading valuable assets for relievers and those guys would be worthy. But it's a pretty decent class for FA relievers. Papelbon, Soria, Ziegler, Broxton, Clippard and Jim Johnson all have closing experience, and I'd really like a 2nd capable 7th/8th inning guy to keep Grimm in the 6th/7th role. But I'd really like to add a LHRP. Tony Sipp seems like a great candidate here. The way I see it, the 2016 pen is Rondon, Strop and Grimm. Counting on anyone else in your 1st post is probably a mistake. One is an injury concern (Ramirez), some are free agents (Cahill, Rodney, Motte), a couple are DFA/trade candidates (Wood, Richard), and some have control concerns (Medina, Edwards, Rosscup). I'd probably try to trade Wood. I think his salary is a good place to cut. Maybe trade him to a team needing a 5th starter/long reliever, and getting a decent bench bat (5th OF or 6th IF type would be most likely). I'd re-sign Cahill if he's willing to take a 1 year deal to stay in the pen, worst case he's a long man, best case he performs like a late reliever again. Richard makes it to camp, but is a DFA candidate. And I'd definitely get 2 starters, giving Hammel the Jackson/Wood treatment if he can't be traded or beat out Hendricks. CL- Rondon Set up- Strop, Grimm, Sipp, Cahill Middle- Edwards, Richard, Ramirez, Rosscup Long- Hammel In AAA, you'd have Edwards and Rosscup if they don't make the team out of camp. Along with Corey Black and PJ Francescon. I wouldn't shy away signing one of those RHPs I mentioned earlier but they are all probably long-term, large money contracts. But I'd look at Rule 5 picks and throw in RPs in any trades the Cubs make.

At some point, moral victories are not enough. This is a familiar formula of hanging with a team and then not able to close it out. Obviously, you don't expect them to beat Ohio St or Michigan St, but they shouldn't have the same issues vs. Rutgers. 4-0 to 4-4, still need 2 wins for a bowl game.

That was hilarious. I don't know what was worse, the fact that he kept going on about the great play the IU CB made as MSU was celebrating and the scoreboard is changing on the screen. Or the fact that it's not like it was even a close play situation. The CB was beat by 5 yards on an 11 yard TD pass. I used to think he was OK back in the day. I don't know if he's gotten too old for the job, or if he always sounded OK because he was paired with the ridiculousness of Dick Vitale or other loud color guys.

He's a decent fit in that he has some ability to get upfield. But he hasn't been much of a player so far in his career. He's a guy. Oh and this could have been a real fun lockerroom with Ratliff, McDonald and Marshall. If only......

Those [expletive] low strikes have messed up Cubs hitters all series.

I feel like Castro has hit everything that hard this series. He has little to show for it, but he's been on top of everything.

Ok, do exactly that every inning from now on and we win this thing!

How about 26 diving outs ending the game with a called strike 3 on a pitch in the home dugout?

Not our year for the 108th time in a row.

I have "what if I don't pull out" fantasies all the time, and that probably won't end well but I can't help it.