davell
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Everything posted by davell
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It's currency. There are certainly teams out there with more of a true "need" than we do, in the middle infield, since you have to take into account what you've got coming. Unfortunately, I would think a guy like Diaz would look at us, with all the competition he'll be facing, as a lesser option than other teams offering the same money. Doesn't change the fact I'd love for us to get him, having tons of middle infield trade bait isn't a bad thing.
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Depends on what's important to you: Upside or proximity to the majors. I go upside, for the most part. Therefore, a guy like Vitters, who I can't see being anything more than a short side of a platoon guy, doesn't factor into my thinking at all. On the other hand, guys like Maples, Underwood, Torres, and others DO have legit upside, to where they still have the ability to become something more than a spare part. With Jimenez off the board, Torres was considered by basically everyone to be top 3 in the class and even 1st by some. If you've voted for Jimenez at this point, voting for Torres makes sense at this point too. Not to mention, Badler loves the guy. Very advanced for his age, will stick in the middle infield, hits to all fields, and has the ability to turn himself into a 15-20 HR type, with a good hit tool.
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Not too long ago, didn't you say you didn't care about Vitters and probably liked Szczur more than him?
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Holy balls, Jesse, spit the question out in 50 words or fewer. Epstein says they've given up on dual fronts. If you don't have money to spend, you kind of have to. He keeps mentioning how he had no real idea on Chicago politics and without the renovation money, he's stuck. To me, it's easily his biggest mistake since taking over-Banking on things that have still yet to happen.
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Swap Ramirez and Pineyro, but same 3. As far as Pineyro's lack of upside goes- it's as a starter. Even if it's a 5, that's better than a non-closer or non-elite set up guy, in my mind. If I'm looking at trying to find someone other than Vizcaino, that has those capabilities, I'd take Dillon Maples over Cabrera or Rivero as a future elite set up/closer type.
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At first glance, I thought you put Villanueva's stache over Theo's eyes.
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Random Cubs Musings: Minor League Edition
davell replied to Little Slide Rooter's topic in Cubs Minor League Talk
I don't see it honestly. I'd agree with Kyle's 5% assessment actually. Soler is still raw and it's not going to surprise me if he struggles a bit out of the gate, even if I do think he's going to really establish himself as an elite prospect this year. Which I do. But if he spends the first half of the year in Tennessee, he'd have to absolutely mash in AAA for 2 months as well, before the FO would promote him to the main club in September. I think the FO wants this group to come up and never go back down. After seeing Rizzo struggle as much as he did in his initial big league experience, I think they're much more likely to leave a guy down, unless they're ultra-confident he's ready. 2 months in Iowa doesn't seem to me like it'd be enough for them to feel that way about Soler, due to his lack of professional experience, in my opinion. I'm thinking mid 2015 is the major league debut of Soler, Almora too, for that matter. -
I wonder if Roberts and Bonifacio can both make this team without Barney getting dealt? If Olt is somehow fixed, I can see Barney dealt, Valbuena/Roberts as a platoon at 2B and Bonifacio playing everywhere.
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The 60-day DL should have opened with pitchers and catchers reporting. The Dodgers have already used theirs. Given that he's reported to be graduating to mound-throwing "soon," I wonder if maybe Fujikawa might not go on the 60-day at all? The earliest I've heard on him being ready is June. I think it's very likely he'll go on, didn't know that date has already come and gone though.
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Arb awards aren't. I honestly didn't know that. Is that the case in all of them? For some reason I thought the only way to non-guarantee them was set around a certain spring training date that if they make it that far, it becomes guaranteed? But not all have that clause in them.....
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Well, don't remember the day, but Fujikawa will be put on the 60 day DL at some point, opening up one spot. If Cabrera doesn't make the major league roster, that'll be another open spot, since he's out of options.
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Heyman just said he turned down major league deals for a minor league deal with us. I think that pretty much says he's making the team.
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Didn't realize this: He evidently had agreed to 3.5 with KC just a week or so earlier, prior to arbitration. KC signed Bruce Chen and being up against their budget, had to cut Bonifacio. Evidently, it wasn't a guaranteed 3.5 either.
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Expounding on what Kyle said in the other thread, I like it too. I think he WILL make the roster, likely at Roberts and Watkins expense. Roberts could wind up in the mix for the 5th OFer spot though, as it can't hurt that he's really versatile. Honestly, I'm more than a little surprised Bonifacio didn't get a major league deal.
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Put this elsewhere, probably deserves own thread though.
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We got Bonifacio on a minor league deal evidently.
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Tseng lost some velo at some point late in the year, if memory serves me right. He had had a very busy year and threw quite a bit. The velo came back during his Arizona stint though. The ranking reflected the loss of velo, it happened around the time the rankings came out. Tseng was very highly thought of by some, kind of seemed like a love him/hate him type......
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He's awesome.
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No clue why I had Parker listed twice. I think I expect Grimm and Rondon to emerge as the best of the bunch in 2014. I think we'll take it easy with Vizcaino, just getting him innings is important.
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CL-Veras LHP-Russell, Wright RHP-Strop, Parker, Villanueva or McDonald, Parker I guess that's the expected pen for now? With Rondon, Grimm, and Vizcaino pushing hard for spots. Maybe Rosscup or Rusin pushes Russell away? The wildcard here is Villanueva, in my mind. With Arrieta not looking likely to start the season on time, one of Villanueva, McDonald or Rusin is in the Opening Day rotation. If it's Rusin or McDonald, I can't see Villanueva in the pen, with this many arms available. He's the perfect candidate to see dealt during Spring Training. If McDonald doesn't make the rotation, my guess is he's cut.
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This offseason is the first time they haven't spent everything available to them. Tanaka complicated things. It is slightly disconcerting that they haven't made an effort on some of the SP's out there, but who really knows what they've offered. Where do you see the 2015 payroll being, if you had to put money on it? The fact that there isn't so much as a whisper connecting the cubs to the other starting pitchers left after tanaka I find very concerning. It's one thing to use your "budget" on a Japanese star who you can make some money back on through non ticket means, it's another to actually spend it to solely improve the mlb team. I expect the mlb payroll to be at 80-90m next year which is a continued disgrace I don't even disagree with the payroll amount or that it's a disgrace obviously. But with what's on our payroll currently, it allows for a couple of major signings even within that.
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I can see a Homer Bailey signing next offseason, along with a 40-50 mill expenditure on an IFA that's unknown at this point. Something along those lines. But it IS dependent on how Castro bounces back and how Javy and KB look. I find it completely laughable though, that anyone thinks we're sitting on gobs of money and just not spending it. They can't even live up to their Arizona complex and build around it, as they were supposed to, after getting the entire project funded by others.
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Black, Jimenez, and Ramirez.
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Not even the thread to put this in, but...... E-Jax 11 Castro 6 Soler 2 Rizzo 5 Sweeney 1.5 Concepcion 1.2 That's literally all we're committed to next year. 26.7 million. That's it. Guys in arb(if they're not dealt) Shark Arb3(dealt)if not, let's go with 10 mill Wood Arb2(7mill) Barney Arb2(dealt or DFA)if not, let's go with 3.5 Ruggiano Arb2(3mill) Russell Arb3(dealt)if not, lets go with 2.3 Valbuena Arb3(2.5mill) Strop Arb2(2mill) Wright Arb3(2mill) Kottaras Arb4(1.5mill) Murphy Arb3(DFA'd in my opinion) if not let's go with 1.3 Castillo Arb1(3.5mill) Arrieta Arb1(2mill) Vizcaino Arb1(800k) Both Veras and Fujikawa have 5.5 mill options with a total of 650k in buyouts. Can't see either being kept. Counting buyouts, that'd be 51.650 in salary not counting pre-arb guys in what I think actually happens. If EVERYONE(but Fujikawa and Veras) is back, it's around 68.75. If we don't have a pair of major signings next offseason, I'll be shocked. It's likely we can do it AND keep our payroll around where it is right now.
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Well, they have the opportunity to fix Castro. Which they need to do. I'm not sure they would have passed on this offseason, if Tanaka had been posted much earlier. That said, the fact they're saying they saved money this offseason DOES create the expectation it will be spent soon. Next year at the latest, in my mind. I imagine there's a good chance it will be needed next year to make up for the 300k loss in attendance they are projecting. Did I miss that? Where is that projection? Personally, I think that bringing up Javy and KB possibly keeps that from happening this year.