Sammy Sofa

How is that risky? What are you risking? Because it's very possible you get nothing but a headache from him. Volstad isn't great, but at least he has the potential to be something. Volstad is a serious non-tender candidate.

Right. Signing Fielder right now would be a more prudent move than waiting for Votto (who may or may not even make it to FA). Banking on potential free agents not to be extended by their team or traded and extended while passing on current FAs is a flawed and dangerous strategy. The same old choruses are going to be repeated offseason after offseason (he's not an ideal age, we'll be overpaying in the last two years of the deal, let's wait for someone better to come along, etc.,) I don't know why people think things are going to be different in 2013 than they were this year. That's my point; I'm surprised/amused at how often Votto is brought up here as a FA target when he'd be turning 31 that first season after he's signed and you'd have so many arguments against signing Fielder due to fatness and Pujols because he's 32 and how they don't fit into the plan of "the new Cubs." OK, how does a 31-year-old signing a huge contract fit into "the new Cubs" for those people?

I don't think anyone here doesn't prefer the idea of the Cubs generating more talent in-house than having to go shopping for it. The disappointment stems from them seemingly being a team that has resources that most of the rest of the league simply doesn't have or isn't willing to have, so the expectation/hope was that they'd be able to temper the path to internal superstardom with external impact pick-ups along the way. The hope was that they'd be one of those few teams with the luxury to do both (which makes me wonder how the percentage of teams that arguably can't add superstars via FA would skew those percentages) instead of one or the other. Hell, even those hoping for big spending this offseason were typically looking for a combination of two players involving the Cubans, Pujols or Fielder, Wilson or Darvish, and then another player from the pitching FA class next year, and not some bonkers spending spree where they just started picking up big names left and right immediately.

Wait, are you hiding the rest of that post somewhere?

I dont think hes keeping the Cubs from signing the Cubans, but his money is still added into the payroll. Its not a major issue but just 1 I dont see the need in spending 4.25 mil on a guy over 30 who brings zero long term value. There's value in keeping at least a decent product on the field so as not to tank attendance and damage revenues. But this team can still compete in 2013 or 2014, and DeJesus can be a part of that. Right. It's not like the Cubs need to play some kind of game to see how little they can spend this season. DeJesus is a valuable player who they got on the cheap who can ideally produce for the next 3 years.

David DeJesus isn't keeping the Cubs from signing the Cubans. If Ricketts' comments about the payroll staying around $130 million then they have money to spend.

Yeah, if Jim Hendry was known for anything it was how he shredded the reps of the Cliff Floyds and Jake Foxes of the world. Oh, right; davearm2 is no doubt talking about Zambrano. Yup, that sure was a "constant criticism" about Hendry across the board. Oh my lord. You don't recall the mountain of crap Hendry took over the Sosa situation? The Milton Bradley situation? People constantly complained about how Hendry killed guys' trade value by airing the dirty laundry, and making clear that he had to trade the player. Please tell me you haven't completely lost your mind, and want to challenge me on this. Yup, people "constantly complained" about Hendry killing players' value with the three guys he did it to during his nine years as GM. Man, three whole guys in a nearly a decade. The constant complaints were nearly deafening. Oh, right; plus he did actually help [expletive] up moving those guys when they arguably still had value. This little tangent is stemming from you inexplicably referring to these instances in a discussion about LaHair. Think about that for a second. Who gives a [expletive] about what anyone says about LaHair? He essentially has zero value with or without anyone throwing him under the bus. Hendry and the Cubs got [expletive] for how they handled those three guys because they helped turn bad situations even worse by willfully throwing them to the wolves. Obviously I don't want or expect Theo or anyone else to inexplicably badmouth LaHair, but it's a ludicrous comparison in the first place since LaHair is practically worthless. And if he inexplicably is made and remains a starter I think he'd probably end up with an OPS in the .700-.725 range.

I think there's very little chance Ryan Zimmerman will leave the Nationals. In fact, I'd be rather shocked. I'm not doubting you, I'm just curious as to why. Does he have a strong commitment to the team and/or city that I don't know about? Would he give a large "hometown discount?" He'll have been there for a while and there's a decent chance they'll be pretty damn good by the time he's a FA. I find it interesting how many times Votto's name comes up in terms of FA targets when he'll be 31 by the time he's available. He'll be 30 when he reaches FA. He'll be 28 this year and is a FA after the 2013 season He'll turn 31 during his first season after whatever deal he signs. We're really splitting hairs if we're thinking that turning 31 in, say, February instead of September really makes that much of a difference giving the hemming and hawing certain segments have been repeating ad nauseum about signing the right big players at "the right ages."

I think there's very little chance Ryan Zimmerman will leave the Nationals. In fact, I'd be rather shocked. I'm not doubting you, I'm just curious as to why. Does he have a strong commitment to the team and/or city that I don't know about? Would he give a large "hometown discount?" He'll have been there for a while and there's a decent chance they'll be pretty damn good by the time he's a FA. I find it interesting how many times Votto's name comes up in terms of FA targets when he'll be 31 by the time he's available.

Make no mistake, I am. Thoroughly. But I'm not going to get apoplectic over fluff comments. If the Cubs enter camp with LaHair as the 1B, I'll not be so forgiving. I'm not apoplectic. It's a thing that was said and I'm responding. No, I don't expect him to cater his comments to me but it would be nice if he did.

Yeah, if Jim Hendry was known for anything it was how he shredded the reps of the Cliff Floyds and Jake Foxes of the world. Oh, right; davearm2 is no doubt talking about Zambrano. Yup, that sure was a "constant criticism" about Hendry across the board.

If Theo convinces Boras to lower Fielders price because we already have Brian LaHair, then he's even better than I thought. No kidding. "Whoa, those guys are going with LAHAIR. We better bring down the asking price!" Whether it would work isn't what I was arguing. It's the principle. Bagging on your own assets is stupid, as is openly bemoaning your needs. I didn't expect him to do either, hence why I said "diplomatically." There's plenty of ways to talk about 1B. The only options aren't propping up LaHair, trashing LaHair or crying that they don't have any solutions. Frankly I'm surprised at anyone who isn't grossed out by the idea of LaHair as the starting 1B for the Cubs.

Yes please. Why?

If Theo convinces Boras to lower Fielders price because we already have Brian LaHair, then he's even better than I thought. No kidding. "Whoa, those guys are going with LAHAIR. We better bring down the asking price!"

Jesus what the [expletive] To be fair, what's he supposed to say? "Bryan is the only 1B on our roster, and we really need to replace him because he sucks." You talk up the guys you have whether you mean it or not. There are a myriad of ways to discuss the Cubs' 1B situation much more diplomatically without basically waxing Kaplan's dome.

Jesus what the [expletive]

Well, that was shockingly self-aware.

Excellent.

At Riguly Field.

And a face made for nightmares.

That's a spicy meat-ah-ball. You seem to take it personal. Would expect nothing less. I'M WAILING AND GNASHING LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

doesn't he face 100 games? MLB says he should face 100 games. Manny's camp (and likely the MLBPA) says his retirement last season should count towards those 100. Both sides are amenable to a 50 game suspension, though I don't know that anything has been officially declared. Right. If he did play it sounds like he'd like get 50 games instead of 100.

Yes, because clearly what I was hoping for instead is a play by play guy who inexplicably fawns over the opposing team. Brilliant deduction. That's a spicy meat-ah-ball.

I love that that video linked me to this one: http://youtu.be/2_b9TCojRis that video should be titled "pitcher throws most hittable pitch of all-time." jesus that was a meatball. he missed his target by like three feet. and two clicks later, i found this gem: Damn you.

I like listening to the noise box while I do my whittling in my rocking chair.