davell

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/is-alfredo-despaigne-coming-to-mlb-the-fascinating-decisions-ahead-for-cubas-star-outfielder/ Everything there is to know currently on Despaigne's situation.

Arguello is easily the best blogger when it comes to the minors. He just fails badly at the Maths.

I didn't realize Stein was a player agent for 7 years, prior to joining us.

There's no way Hoffman is available in the 2nd round. And Beede has fallen to the point he'd be a reach if we took him at 4.

Did he film one in-season? I don't remember that.

Considering the lack of other moves made this offseason, signing Cruz to a one year deal wouldn't have been smart at all. Losing a 2nd rounder for ONE year of a guy isn't smart, unless you've made other moves to out yourself much closer to contention, than what we have. It's not that the 2nd rounder is even all that valuable. But in that exact case, you're just donating it.

Hopefully the Rams knew about this. If not, he looks REALLY bad. If they did know, he still looks bad. It's a distraction and for me anyway, it puts into question his real agenda. It's great he had the courage to do what he did. I get that life is more important than football. If he's trying to bring awareness and his journey thru all this to the public, it's admirable. But to the guys inside that locker room, it's a distraction. Seems very likely he's going to get off on the wrong foot to me. I don't think the Rams will have any issue cutting him early, if this thing becomes a circus, nor do I think they'd catch a TON(they'd catch some) heat from doing it. Hopefully, the Rams knew and this somehow won't interfere with things and he plays well, makes the team and has a long career.

It's OK but you are just setting yourself up for disappointment when we finish a strong second. A strong 2nd is a vast improvement over limp dick 2nd.

Kerr took Golden State over the Knicks.

Good God. [expletive] trading them Shark. Bend them over on Hammel.

So Michael Sam has a reality show. Announced it after he had been drafted, although its been filming for weeks. I wonder how the Rams feel about this?

Wouldn't a big market team be more willing to trade the 6 years of control for the known entity who costs money? I'm thinking that since they're there all the time, the other teams may be likelier to overbid. Basing this on not thinking the Yankees or Dodgers(now) giving up much in trades recently.

Parks said yesterday in his chat that he'd expect the Cubs to turn down Betts and Owens, yet today he said he doesn't think the Rockies would deal Gray OR Butler. Much less Butler and Dahl. I'm one of the Parks fans here and that makes no sense at all to me.

I think it's entirely plausible to think a contender would take the "known entity" over a top prospect. Because, they are "prospects" after all. Maybe even being a mid market team helps this cause, as a Colorado isn't a perennial contender? Maybe that's a reach. But I'd expect an excellent return or else there's no reason at all to deal him. With the way he's pitching, his relative bargain salary, and the extra year of control-the return had better dwarf the Garza return.

http://thrivesports.com/2014/05/13/inspirational-armless-egyptian-ibrahim-hamato-is-better-table-tennis/ Wow.

Arguello is talking about Butler and Dahl from Colorado as a legit option. I'm not in favor of that. It'd take Gray and Butler or Dahl for me. Or Tapia. But Gray as the headline piece seems like our best option, in my mind. Of teams that need SP.

In other words, no matter what, even if the Cubs make the playoffs every year after this year, Kyle is going to keep his act up until *at least* 2018. That's the utter brilliance of it all. You're the one who said it's a failure if they only go 3 times, which would leave you in doubt on the Epstein regime until... after the 2019 season ETA: Or after the 2018 season if they still haven't made it in which case I quit everything. I don't think anyone can honestly be sold that this will work completely. Or at least they shouldn't be able to be. My worst case scenario, is not enough of these guys pan out and we hold on to them long enough they lose quite a bit of value. Come 2019, after receiving a less than market value TV deal, the new regime(Theo and Co leave prior due to monetary frustration) spends in a Hendryesque way for an offseason or two and it doesn't pan out. Setting us back again, to where it may be 2024 before we realistically have money to spend. And Ricketts is still the owner. Heroin anyone?

In other words, no matter what, even if the Cubs make the playoffs every year after this year, Kyle is going to keep his act up until *at least* 2018. That's the utter brilliance of it all.

Chris Sale redux?

http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/game-report-evansvilles-kyle-freeland/ OK, he may be my top overall choice and I'm not totally sure how irrational it is.

My cut offs for calling this a success-5 playoff appearances or 1 World Series(rightly or wrongly, but that's me) 3 playoff appearances or under is a legit failure. 4? Not a success, not a failure-unless the team is in bad shape after year 10.

Point being that the arrow is pointing up and that 4-5, over the next 5 seems plausible. And we're in good shape moving forward after that. I'm not arguing that the first 1-5 is shitty or not .

I agree somewhat with this. But a sub 100 mill payroll being turned into a playoff team, from where it was, pre-Theo, seems fairly unrealistic. They would have had to hit on things perfectly. This is NOT a "woe is me, they inherited [expletive]" post either. I'm just saying that I'm of the opinion that too many things would have needed to go perfectly .

I don't think would have been available prior to us getting him. I honestly don't think he was lied to by PTR. I think they each misjudged the financial ramifications. I think they both counted on extra funds, that are still being held up by the rooftop [expletive]. Personally, I blame the owner for this, as Theo isn't even a part of business ops. After having spent money on Edwin, etc that offseason(just money that had fallen off the books), I see both sides of this past offseason. In the end, I actually AM happy we didn't go after anything prior to Tanaka(who I think we knew we weren't getting). I'd rather spend that money on Despaigne or something else than what was available) As a whole, Kyle saying Theo wants an all prospect team is wrong. But I do think Theo took this job, as a challenge of NEEDING to depend on the farm much more than he did in Boston. Like it or not, this job IS less pressure than Boston. And there's no doubt in my mind that he didn't choose this path. It was told to him in his interview that its what HAD to happen. And he was completely OK with it. People can bitch about Theo all they want, but anyone who took this job was going to be doing the same type of things. Is Theo too calculating? Meaning, is he too immune to taking risks? Maybe. But they've said all along that there was going to be a year they basically went worst to first. I don't think it's time to call him a liar yet.

Thank you. That at least gives a baseline. I'm not one that still blames Hendry. I definitely think we're in all around better shape now than we were then. Fire Hendry immediately? They handcuffed him instead. I see both sides of that. How attractive would the job have been, if you tell the perspective candidates you're not able to do much immediately? Who was potentially available at that time? Did you foresee better options being available at a later date? Was he so bad that none of those questions matter? Possibly. This FO will have had ample time to move past what they inherited. I feel rather certain in saying you're a results based guy. I am as well. But I obviously have a longer string than you do, on judging things. Not sure what else to say here. If this group (Theo and Jed, McLeod will get a GM job at some point) sticks around here for a decade(I suspect they will).....What do you consider success? How many playoff appearances? Does it not matter that they did inherit a much less than ideal situation? Personally, here's my realistic judgment-5 playoff appearances and for the org to be considered in "good shape" after the decade has passed. Fair or not?