davell

My main thing, so far at least, is I'm not regretting us actually "missing" on someone yet. Fielder and Pujols? I'm glad we've got Rizzo instead. No, not because I think he's going to be better than either of them, but because he's super cheap and should be extremely productive, leaving us THAT money to spend elsewhere. Cespedes? He's not looked like a gamechanger and we got Soler, who's not already in his prime. Wilson was a total pipedream, we didn't have a real shot. Darvish? If I'm upset at all, it'd be over him, but he's been having issues himself and doesn't appear to be some kind of definite "ace" right now and for the money outlay, he definitely needed to be. We've got a few solid trade chips to pawn off right now, which could give us enough currency to buy a younger guy or two in a trade over the offseason as it is. I guess we'll see how it all plays out, but I'm pretty happy right now. But I'm much more of the personality, to where if we're not going to contend, I'd rather be where we are, for the picks and extra IFA money.

Dew, I figure it also means high priced trade candidates. But I'd like to think they already have an idea on what the FA landscape could look like, for at least each of the next 3-4 offseasons. I don't see this group getting caught off guard, wanting to spend and not seeing anything out there that helps them. I guess that's the whole parallel fronts thing, he's talked about. Either way, I'm thinking what we do with Garza really helps determine any additions for next year.

no idea if it runs out before or after the 2014 season. Still, they have their Comcast deal, that I believe runs through 2019. I guess they could redo their CSN deal, to get more money, once the WGN deal runs out, but the really big money probably can't come until 2020.

Well, I doubt Theo is going to run around saying "woooooooooooooo, Demp's letting me trade him".

Not that I'm aware of. I guess it's possible we could spend money on over 23 year old IFA's. Of course, there'd have to be some worth spending on. It's kind of dependent on what happens with Garza, I guess. If he IS traded, you're right, it won't be easy to even get 80 mill, if we take the same approach as last year. It would be cool, if we have a surplus of 50-60 mill that we could throw towards seasons in the future.

Theo has said previously the time to go big into free agency is when you think it's a piece that really puts you over the top. Until then, FA is used to accentuate your team. The more I think about it, I'll admit I doubt we're big players in FA in 2013. Maybe Upton, if he comes in cheaper than we think and we have moved Soriano and LaHair too.

With Morrow out indefinitely and now Drabek possibly hurt as well, coupled with being a game under .500 currently, Toronto is looking like less and less of an option for either Dempster or Garza.

According to his Twitter, Blackburn is on his way to Chicago, to start a new journey.

http://withleather.uproxx.com/2012/06/hating-the-miami-heat-still-socially-just-and-morally-sound Not too bad anyway.

Yeah, Stanek is my hope right now too. But our needs can change drastically by then, so who knows? But if it lets us add another bigtime talent or two, at whatever position, I hope we go that route.

To me, our perfect scenario, since it dorsn't appear to have a single top guy again, is for their to be a group of 6-8 guys, like this past year. Slightly better than this past draft. Then, assuming we're picking top 3 or so, get an underslot sign and do what Houston is in the process of doing right now.

Bremer signed. Some other updates include Bonnell and Pannone are undecided and Crum posted a pic on Twitter where he was showing his mom pics of his college facilities.

Hoyer said tonight we're looking for power arms that throw strikes. Said our pen has not done a good job of this. He didn't come out and actually say we're looking strictly for pen arms, but maybe a more realistic package for Dempster is Lindblom or Tolleson and Gould?

soler's actually there?

Turner has 6 starts and 36 innings in AAA right now with 17 walks and only 21 K's. Yeah, he's really young, but I do wonder about his health. I'd just as well prefer to stay away from Detroit, if we're talking Garza. I'd take Crosby and Garcia for Dempster from them.

This. I put him there because he's not a guy we HAVE to get rid of right now. In my trade scenarios of what it'd take me to personally deal those 2, it should be pretty apparent that I value them quite differently. But as someone who thinks he's a solid .800ish+ OPS guy for a few years, I need SOMETHING decent in return.

Brad Eldred, he's over 30 years old. Nothing to see there.

In the past, the Cubs have loaded up one of the DSL teams and not both, wonder if that's still being implemented? I'm asking because, while early, the DSL 1 team is 5-3, without the big 3 signings from last year. Making me think they MAY still be doing it, but also making me wonder if we've made some very solid, under the radar type moves. Obvious SSS, in affect here. Roberto Caro and Roney Alcala are both 18 and making their DSL debuts right now and both seem to be off to solid starts. Only thing to grasp onto so far, is both are hitting high in the lineup, so maybe that's a slight indicator? Carlos Rodriguez, a lefty who got a 120,000 bonus has started off great as well, but he's 5'11 and doesn't hit 90, so I'm tempered on him a bit, unless we hear some positives coming from someone else. Of course, he doesn't even turn 17, until next month, so who knows? Jose Paulino has 10 K's in 5 innings and hasn't allowed a run yet. He's 6'2 and a thin lefty, haven't heard a word about him, but he's definitely someone to try and get Badler to find something out about, if possible. The DSL2 team is easier to figure out, you've got the big 3 hitters in Acosta, Malave, and Marcano, plus the biggest bonus pitcher, in Pieters. You also have Santana, who pitched well last year and received a 6 figure bonus that season, if I remember correctly. Araujo is a low 6 figure guy, guess we need to keep tabs on him too. Frailyn Figueroa also got a 6 figure bonus last year, is a lefty and already 6'2, 203, so he bears watching as well. Oh, the DSL1 team has a guy named Jeffry Hernandez, who's a RHP, that's 17 and 6'5, 215. Hasn't pitched yet, but I guess he should be kept up with, once he does pitch.

Didn't a bunch of teams, Cubs included, just watch him in Florida last week? If so, I missed that. The location part anyway. I knew he held a workout, not sure where it was.

So, I wonder what that truly means? If it means Dempster and Soriano, fine, that's a no-brainer. But, does it mean Garza or even LaHair? I understand trading Dempster and Soriano for whatever the most you can get for them, under pretty much any case. They're not a part of the future. But, at what point, DO you trade Garza or LaHair? I think we can contend during the early to middle parts of a Garza extension and he's certainly capable of being a frontline starter for us, if we keep him, for the entirety of a 5-6 year deal. LaHair? I know that there are still plenty of doubters around here on him, but I'd definitely throw him in LF when Soriano is dealt and Rizzo comes up. His bat has been too valuable to just dismiss, from my point of view. I guess guys like Maholm and DeJesus could be on the block as well, personally don't see the point of dealing them right now, since we do have to field a major league team next season and both have reasonable contracts(Maholm, not nearly as much as DeJesus, but a 6.5 mill option is feasible on a one year deal at least). It doesn't appear as if we'll spend wildly next offseason right now, but of course, things could change that scenario too. So, what would it take for you to trade Garza and LaHair? I want both back, unless I'm overwhelmed. For Garza, it'd take 2 top 100 prospects(40-80ish range and at least one of them being in AA or higher, preferrably pitchers)a guy who's already played a bit in the majors and hopefully can slide into his rotation spot that has 3ish upside, and maybe a guy or two that have bench player capabilities, like Sappelt, Fuld, Chirinos, Guyer, etc. LaHair is a different story, but I'm not getting rid of him, unless I'm also getting back a top 10 guy from a system, plus a top 20ish guy, and maybe a pen arm that has some upside. Again, these guys need to be fairly close to the majors. AA or so. Too much? Probably for LaHair, in most's minds, but he's better off in LF for us, than giving hjim up for less than that, in my opinion. Anyway, not sure if these prices could be too high or not, but I don't care, since I can easily see us keeping one or both of them as it is.

First, we don't know if he's even in the US yet, or if he CAN come to the US yet. Secondly, we don't have a 40 man spot available at the moment, so we're probably in the middle of passing a guy through waivers. It took a while before we announced Concepcion was signed, could well be the case here as well.

This better be precautionary.

Hayden Simpson was reassigned to Boise evidently. Good lord.

I think it's fairly obvious at this point, Hill has some major dirt on everyone in the Cubs organization that scares them shitless.

I was about to sugges the same thing. Jaramillo seems to be known for an agressive style of hitting and our FO certainly values the walk, taking pitches, etc. I didn't expect him back next year, but still find it a bit odd to see him fired midway through. I guess someone has to be the scapegoat.