nolanwood

6 million, plus a 9 million signing bonus.

How about we expand another 40 years and dig up a couple more anomalies? Lee went with the best offer, as I clarified above. He went with the Phillies because the AAV was 3 million higher per year along with a vesting option accompanied by a very generous 12.5 million buyout allowing him to test the market sooner. Generally speaking, the most financially attractive offer wins when a top tier pitcher becomes a free agent.

My favorite part of the offseason so far was when I was down on the Zimmerman trade reports because I figured why give up prospects when we can just sign our stud ace outright like we had a definitive choice between the 2. Top tier/Ace pitchers testing the market generally go to the highest bidder. Bid the most money, and the choice is pretty close to definitive. It's nice to believe such definitives, but it's not an auction where just the highest dollar bid wins. One of the reasons that the Rangers went all in on the Yu Darvish bid is they repeatedly couldn't attract top tier free agent pitchers to play in their home environment, despite offering the highest salary. They had just watched Cliff Lee walk to take less money from the Phillies. Top tier free agent pitchers rarely see the open market and those that do will have no shortage of suitors willing to put up competitive offers. Salary is the starting point to get into the conversation, not the selling point. Maybe the Cubs might can blow everyone else off the table with a dollar amount for Lester, but it's going to cost a tremendous premium to lure him away from a city he's called home for basically his entire playing career to go to one of the league's worst franchises for well over half a decade. Lee went with the Phillies because the AAV was 3 million higher per year along with a vesting option accompanied by a very generous 12.5 million buyout allowing him to test the market sooner. Generally speaking, the most financially attractive offer wins when a top tier pitcher becomes a free agent.

My favorite part of the offseason so far was when I was down on the Zimmerman trade reports because I figured why give up prospects when we can just sign our stud ace outright like we had a definitive choice between the 2. Top tier/Ace pitchers testing the market generally go to the highest bidder. Bid the most money, and the choice is pretty close to definitive.

If he doesn't want to play for Chicago...he won't. I think he's going to be a Cub, though. It all about the $$. If they pass on Lester they won't be signing Scherzer, and I haven't seen anything connecting him with us. Shields is a possibility...

I don't understand why we would let Lester slip away, when the alternative is trading away prospects for a similar contract and production. I take that back - I do get it. We can continue to come in second/third place for the big signings because it's not a "steal", but still look like we're trying.

How could we not top that offer?

I bore witness to that mess, too. ;) For the record, I believe the friend of the FIL is likely legit.

Indeed. It's almost as if the father-in-law is not closely involved in the negotiations. Of course, that's apparently crazy talk. The crazy talk is devoting two entire pages to debating the validity of such a vague statement. :banghead:

For reference, Montero's Steamer projection is .252/.338/.391 in 130 games, 3.1 fWAR Steamer's projection is very generous for a catcher who turns 32 next season and hasn't put up those numbers in the previous two seasons. All signs point to decline... There's no way the Cubs offer anything close to Almora for Montero and the 40mil he's got left on the remaining 3 years of his contract.

Montero looks real good now after Martin's contract. That's a pretty good team with those 4. I have zero interest in spending money or prospects on a guy who has been as marginal as Montero over the last two years. I think those resources could be used more effectively.

That's a steal for STL.

given what i assume is the perceived value of castro around the league, i suspect the nats would hesitate to trade gio alone for castro. What do you assume the perceived value around the league is for a 24 year old, 3 WAR Shortstop signed to a 60/7 contract?

Exactly. :clapping:

Apparently it's Ynoa. Or Alcantara...

Puke.

Have you tried Google? http://lmgtfy.com/?q=tanaka+wife

That makes absolutely zero sense. :banghead:

He's a teenager, right?

=D> The "signing the paycheck" remark is absurd, too.

Renteria, huh? This has "blah" written all over it.

I'm sold, too.

i'd never full on hate the cubs, but i could definitely see a scenario where i barely follow them for a few years, then pop back right in (in 2019) when they start to be good again oh wait that's happening now You barely follow them yet you post on a Cubs message board? Got it. He could be following this stuff but not watching games. Like many of us have been recently. Exactly. :thumbsup:

Hawk is a horrid broadcaster. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444180004578016652376246198.html

I can't be the only one that linked this to that report about a "deal that takes longer than 30 mins", right? Or are you all just way more grounded in reality? That's how I saw it, too...