Vinestal

via twitter: (@thekapman) Sources have also told me that the Red Sox demands have gone from ridiculous to unbelievable. (@thekapman) Cubs could put baseball operations team in place and wait as long as it takes for Theo. No way Bosox want to pay 7 mill to him

Cubs tell Boston to go F themselves, they will wait till Boston becomes more reasonable: http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/cubs-talk/post/-?blockID=578868&feedID=661

I have a growing hate for the RedSox, this should have been over last week but they are trying really hard to rake us over the coals. I think they should just make Byrnes the GM and wait till Epstein's contract expires then rape Boston's front office.

man, what is this thread going to turn into if nothing gets done and the World Series starts? More WuTang clang lyrics? I think the Cubs should give them a piece of paper with the names of players they are comfortable giving up, say pick 2 and be done with it. If they don't like the list then to Hell with them.

I agree. It's really well done site. Very simple and clean. Never heard of hybrid blog software before, but I really like the look of it. When did you start the site? I see you're ranking 156,000.. Do you tweet all your blogs? If not you should that number would decrease greatly in no at time at all. he does tweet them.

I don't like giving up Szczur but Brett admitted that those were not set in stone and that they were just names brought up to him, he expects there to be a sleeper type guy involved. He also says he thinks not all 3 of those names will be involved but some mix of those players and a lesser known sleeper type.

I feel the same way, he's done great work lately. Also recommend Cubs Den and The Cub Reporter (great for Arizona Phil's content).

is speed a component of Lakes game or does everyone run in that league?

Friedman works without a contract. Theoretcally possible but is rumored to want to go to Houston is he leaves TB. Actually he's publicly stated he doesn't have interest in the Houston job, someone wrote a piece recently that said people close to Friedman think that the only job outside of Tampa that might interest him is the Cubs job. The reason he was rumored to go to Houston was because his father was part of a group that had the possibility of buying the team, that is no longer the case. Do you have a link to that? I'd be curious to read that since I was seeing talk of the Houston theory as recent as yesterday. I cant seem to find that article now, so maybe your right and that ownership group that includes his father is still in play. Could have swore I read that that particular group had fallen out of contention.

Friedman works without a contract. Theoretcally possible but is rumored to want to go to Houston is he leaves TB. Actually he's publicly stated he doesn't have interest in the Houston job, someone wrote a piece recently that said people close to Friedman think that the only job outside of Tampa that might interest him is the Cubs job. The reason he was rumored to go to Houston was because his father was part of a group that had the possibility of buying the team, that is no longer the case.

I don't believe Friedman works under contract at all. I also spoke with (via twitter) Mark Topkin a writer for the St Pete times who has followed the Rays for a number of years and asked him if he knew if Friedman had any ownership with the team. His response was that he did not believe that was the case.

Jesus, he's free in a year, plus he can bring whoever the hell he wants with him at that point. Why do we have to hire someone else at all? Just wait it out with Bush or temporarily use someone that Theo would trust to run things for a year. We weren't going to be major players in FA this year or probably even be very competitive, why does it mater this year. You don't mortgage the future over one crappy pointless year.

The Cubs in no way have to cave to the demands of the RedSox. Boston has made it clear that it's ready to move on without Theo and the Cubs have made it clear they want him here. Ricketts could easily run the team under it's current placeholder GM (Randy Bush) for another year. They could aslo bring in Josh Byrnes (who was rumored to be coming in under Theo's new Chicago front office anyway) as a temporary GM for a year until Theo is out from under contract. Once Theo is hired Brynes could move back into an assistant role. Then the Cubs and Theo Epstein could completely gut the RedSox front office of whomever Theo wants to bring with him. Most of Theo's inner circle are working under 1 year deals and without any kind of agreement to stop them from leaving, as they would have with this trade Boston could see a mass exodus of it's best and brightest. Who wants to work for an organization that drags it's people through the mud the way the RedSox have after this season? The RedSox need to think twice before they try to ask for the moon here. Cub fans realize that 2012 is not a prime opportunity for us to compete anyway and we know Theo is worth waiting for. Ricketts has the whole hearted support of his fans, and one way or another he can and will get his man. I don't mind waiting a year, it's not worth giving up 3 of our top prospects for, we don't have many good ones near the top anyway.

Me to Laura, me to.

Meanwhile, Scott Miller chimes in saying that some sources are telling him Jackson tweaked his foot while others are saying he did not. Unless things change, Brett Jackson tweaked his foot. If they do change, he did not. hahaha yes thats clasic Heyman

Theo wasn't the only person involved in the Crawford contract, there are people who have said Luccino was ultimately responsible for the Crawford contract because he thought a big signing would boost TV ratings and excitement for the season. There was a top man in Boston and it wasn't Theo, ultimately everything in Boston went through Luccino. This is presumably one of the reasons why Theo wants to leave.

Sounds like Jon's sources are other newspaper articles. Vinestal needs to twitter-heckle him some more. I stoped following him but I follow these bastards that keep retweeting him. I hate Heyman, he said there was only a 25% chance Theo would come to the Cubs. So I'm guessing his info is only about 25% right. In all honesty though our only really good prospects are in the low minors anyway so there's really not all that much to take from us. I'm not really high on Vitters or Jackson, neither are likely to be stars. The guys that hold the most hope I think are from this past years draft and international signings. I don't think this past years draftees are illegible to be traded yet, isn't there a certain amount of time after the draft that guys can't be traded? They can honestly take their pick from AA and AAA as far as Im concerned.

There is no chance it even comes to this. I'm not saying it will, I'm saying it's an option and they don't necessarily need to feel like they must give up to much for someone who's available without compensation and possibly with most of his current staff in a year. They don't need to feel they are negotiating desperately.

There was already a report saying Byrnes might be hired as part of Epstein's front office. Push comes to shove they could talk to Byrnes about running the GM position for a year while we wait for Epstein and many other Boston front office people's contracts are up. Then hire them and slide Byrnes back into an assistant position. He might be ok with that when he hears his old buddy is being screwed out of the job right now.

This is just a normal negotiation process, made to look more dramatic because Boston writers like to do that. Cubs shouldn't be automatically caving to whatever Boston wants, they need to try not to give up to much. It'll all pan out and if it doesn't we can get someone to be GM for a year and then rape their front office dry next year.

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21147476/source-sox-cubs-negotiations-hit-bump Apparently there is a gap between the Cubs and Boston on compensation. Cubs would like to just pay cash where Boston wants prospects.

well, we got byrnes as assistant GM or whatever. we've never had a real front office like the red sox have so i'd have no idea how many people we'd need. it feels like we just had hendry in a single room watching games on a standard def tv with rabbit ears, coughing unhealthily and surrounded by mcdonalds wrappers with maybe an Apple IIe in the corner with the screen smashed. hahaha this is the picture I always had in my mind as well, add a few dozen empty donut boxes strewn about.

Iv'e been super impressed with Vogelbach's eye at the plate. What's his OBP up to now I wonder. Its a great sign when a power guy like that can take walks at the clip he's been doing it.

If you guys have time and are interested there's a great interview that was done the second year Epstein was in Boston by Baseball Prospectus here's the link: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2546 Its a good read.

Meh, I'm with others I think there are wiser areas to spend the money. Is Steve Wilson still our Asian scout? or was that some sort of bizarre dream I had?