A New Era

This is exciting, with Rizzo you are really starting to see the brand new core being put together by Theo and co. They will not be in contention next year but spank me with a monkey if I'm not excited as hell to watch every damn Cubs game next year to watch this new young core grow and get better together. This is how you [expletive] rebuild, and thank god we've finally got a front office that realizes this is EXACTLY what our team needs. And has needed, for a long time.

The Cubs have been making rebuilding moves all season. Targeting previous high draft picks that had some dissapointing MLB numbers, but still young and have upside like Travis Wood, Volstad, Ian Stewart. And I really do think 1 or more of these guys will actually turn things around and atleast somewhat reach their potential. But this is the first BIG move, IMO. This is the first move you can sway, wow, 1B of the future.

so him and this girl, bout the same age, were drinking heavily. She drunk so much that she passed out, so obviously while you are that drunk, going to a guys apartment is always a good idea. People are so stupid. And I'm aiming this at both of them.

wonderful. and per http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/01/06/sources-cubs-starlin-castro-accused-of-sexual-assault/

what is that pic? I hate it when the link isn't descriptive like "georgeburns with pepsi can" :)

He probably just read the Morosi article and figures he'll take a stab at prediction and if it turns out, try to make it seem like he has actual sources.

This. ^^ Hey Esolar. We have epeople from your, ecountry. In our, esystem.

guys on pixie dust don't count; that eliminates all of the cards roster. fixed. :D

I really hope you didn't have to pay for it. Who buys a jersey of a player rumored to be traded in the next couple of weeks? Maybe it was cheap. You know, because he's gonna be traded. :D

I can't find the other double name, I'm tired. What's the other one besides having double wood?

I was already on board for a rebuild. Thank God Dusty and Hendry are on another team and we are the one taking advantage of them this time. (Only Hendry = Jocketty) It feels really, really good to be the "other team" here.

Johnson's signing is so miniscule and inconsequential in the grand scheme of the upcoming rebuild.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-your-morning-phil-yankees-cespedes-hamilton-20111220,0,5791888.story So we now know that Theo's plan is to suck for 2 more years and then be a factor in the NL Central race. I suppose we can look forward to a WS Championship by 2025. 2012 + 2 = 2025? Forgive me, my math sucks. There's a big difference in Roger's quote (being a factor in the weak NL Central in 2 years - not necessarily winning it) and what I posted (winning a WS Championship). If we went through all of this hype and expense to get Theo so we could become "a factor in the NL Central", then we could have hired someone else or even kept Hendry. Hendry wouldn't have traded Marshall while his value was high for a net gain in assets. Hendry would have extended Ramirez for 3 years 36 mil as opposed to rolling the dice on a buy low move that could pay big dividends. I think I prefer the way the new guys are doing it. Buying low on a lot of peices and building up their assets through trades.

IF this is the case, then enjoy the tv being off, the stands being half empty, the merchandise sales being way down. Essentially this amounts to alienating the majority of your fan base and cutting a substantial portion of your revenue while only marginally reducing your payroll. While officially putting your chances of being a playoff contender many years out. So, why on earth would you do this, when you have to completely overhaul the stadium in the next couple years and the city or state making any financial concessions is at best questionable given the current economic climate. Outside of the 03/04 draft epstein and hoyer looked remarkably average with their ability to pick and develop prospects into above average major leaguers. So there is no guarantee that in 4 or 5 years we are going to look more like the 03 marlins than the 'pick a year' royals. This is a recipe for how not to succeed as an owner. I remain skeptical, however, mainly because there is far too much revenue at stake. Almost every move they have made so far, has been a buy low, or sell high. Or just tiny $1 mil stopgap contracts. If that is not how to build a good foundation, I don't know what is. Signing Prince to 8/200? What would you do? Keep in mind, they still could be all in for guys like Cespedes and Soler. Doing that, and selling high / buying low is exactly how you build a foundation.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-your-morning-phil-yankees-cespedes-hamilton-20111220,0,5791888.story So we now know that Theo's plan is to suck for 2 more years and then be a factor in the NL Central race. I suppose we can look forward to a WS Championship by 2025. 2012 + 2 = 2025? Forgive me, my math sucks.

prolly some time today. This morn or early afternoon.

Well put. It seems like people are more upset about this because Theo and Jed did it and not Hendry. Fact is, Hendry gave $900,000 to a guy coming of a 74 OPS+ season, and while I thought the $1.5 was legit (my bad) it seems like they might give him what... $1.2 or $1.3 million... after a 122 OPS+ season? I don't expect Johnson to fully recreate those numbers one iota, but we could do a whole lot worse, and there aren't many options out there that can do a whole lot better at the price. The fact is there are better options out there for approximately $1 million more - Andruw Jones. I understand many posters remaining positive (or trying to), but if we're being honest Theo/Hoyer has sucked this offseason and "rebuilding" has pushed back "contending" for probably an additional 2 years. While you're listing all of the accomplishments, let's not forget that he passed up Darvish, probably Fielder, Pujols, etc. Now if he manages to sign the 2 Cubans and pull off a big trade or two, then we can talk about a good offseason. Yes he did pass on Pojuls, for 10/270, who will be 34 years old by the time we can put together a really good team around him. he passed taking a risk on a starter for likely close to 20 mil a year. Who will only have 2 years left on his deal by the time we build a really good team around him. He hasn't passed on Fielder yet.

Much more promising than some of the other prospects listed. Works in the low 90's and tops out at 97mph. Seems to have started to figure things out. The other two Coddington and Ward make absolutely no sense. The other name he gave me was Yorman Rodriguez Corcino and Rodriguez. Yes please. You're kidding right? I think you guys need to come way down off your prospects expectations. I wouldn't trade Wood for Marshall straight up as it is, so if it's anything but low level filler guys I'll be surprised. Coddington/Webb makes much more sense. You realize Walt Jockety is your GM right?

Is it unreasonable for me to hope that atleast one of those prospects is in the Reds top 10? I'm not expecting top 3, but maybe a 9 or a 10?

Watch Castro and Rizzo mature together and grow as the face of the Cubs? Yes please.

Hell Epstein might be 48 hours from signing Fielder and Dale might not even know it. And if he does, he was told strictly, lie if you have to, we don't care, we're not even after him as far as you know. Infact, you might even be certain about it, got it? /removes gunpoint from head.

That would be one smart way to use money to increase assets.

Isn't it more like they can opt out in 5 or 6? But yeah that's been in the back of my mind too, and most deffinately in the front offices mind aswell.

I believe that was the game I was at. That's the only Cubs game I've been to in the last 10 years. I picked a good one. And I was screaming more female like than Len was.

Whadaya expect. He watches Glen Beck. That [expletive] rubs off.