Backtobanks

Not too surprised about this. When a mediocre player suddenly turns into a superstar, it's usually not just a player suddenly discovering how to hit.

Yeah, that was too strong. I got a bit carried away. Out of curiosity, what is our current pace? We'd have to go 19-40 to finish the year with 100 losses, but I'm not sure what we're actually on pace for. 68-94. That pace is probably about to take a pretty big hit. I take it you don't think Germano/Volstad/Coleman can match Dempster and Maholm's production. :lol:

I thought I was the one who brought him into every discussion. :lol:

Not part of the master plan. Got to keep sucking to gain draft picks.

That doesn't make any sense. You think every team that bid besides the Rangers was just [expletive] around? Every article I saw before the bidding thought that the winning bid would be in the $48 - $50 million range, so unless you were going to bid somewhere near that you were just [expletive] around.

Obviously I'm talking about all of the 19-21 year olds that are in A ball or below. Like whom, exactly? Villanueva, Torreyes, Soler, Almora, etc.

Obviously I'm talking about all of the 19-21 year olds that are in A ball or below.

I don't hate Theo, I'm just anxiously awaiting results that we can see at Wrigley. As for mentioning Hendry, go through all of the deadline trade threads and see how many posters brought up Hendry. What's really one-note and tiring is that many posters can't discuss a topic for two pages without bringing up Hendry. He's gone, let's move on and discuss the moves that are being made (or need to be made) by this FO. you are the one who always gets hendry back into the same conversation. Obviously you didn't look at the hundreds of pages on trading, Garza, Dempster, Soto, etc. and notice who brought up his name. I certainly want Theo making good moves, but the problem is that we won't know if the moves he made are good until 2015 and beyond.

I don't hate Theo, I'm just anxiously awaiting results that we can see at Wrigley. As for mentioning Hendry, go through all of the deadline trade threads and see how many posters brought up Hendry. What's really one-note and tiring is that many posters can't discuss a topic for two pages without bringing up Hendry. He's gone, let's move on and discuss the moves that are being made (or need to be made) by this FO.

It's amazing to me that some of you can't get past your dislike for Hendry to see anything good that he did. I guess it's pretty much the same group that loves Theo so much that you can't admit he ever made a bad decision in his life. As for me, I've moved past Hendry and I'm hoping Theo & Co. can win a WS before we need to extend their contracts.

That's a big statement. While most GMs make their fair share mistakes,its one of the most desired jobs in sports, and there's only 30 of them out there. Whether we're talking Coletti, Hendry, Epstein, or Friedman, anyone who's ever made it to that point and stayed for any length of time, these guys are a lot more competent than even the smartest fans give them credit for. Most of these guys clawed their way up a ladder to get to where they are, and if they're doing a poor job, there's no shortage of guys waiting in line to take over. Also, a big market GM and a small market GM are very different jobs. With big market teams, the GMs job is to put a contender on the field every year. Obviously, unless you're the White Sox, the farm system's important. However, theres more pressure to contend each year and those prospects often become currency.With smaller market guys, it's to put a cost effective team on the field, and keep the farm system growing to work toward a window in which to contend sometime in the near future. When players become expensive, swap them out for cheaper ones. It's not often that you see a big market team do what Epstein and Hoyer are doing with the Cuba. I often wonder how Hendry, Colleti, or Cashman would make out in KC or Oakland Alternately, how would Andrew Friedman, Billy Beane or even Dayton Moore do with the Red Sox or Yankees. Well said! Also, all of the discussion comparing different GMs is ridiculous because of your point about big market/small market. Ownership told Hendry that his job while he was here was to spend a lot of money and try to buy a winning team. Theo's philosophy (backed by Ricketts) is to cut payroll and rebuild with the farm system. I think most guys who got this far in baseball would figure out a way to survive in another situation. Let's not forget that Theo took a very good Red Sox team (avg. 89 wins a season) and made them better (93 win avg.) with a huge payroll, but he has never dealt with a bad team that's going to rebuild with a decreasing payroll. I'm sure he will make the system better, but I'm not as confident as many of you that he will have a perennial 95-win juggernaut in the NL Central.

Only if you agree that half of all GMs are above average.

Maybe he subscribes to Theo's philosophy of making sure he gets the right number of AB at AAA because we know it has nothing to do with starting his ML "clock". :^o

Exactly my point. Coletti came out of this trade deadline with 4 big additions to his team without giving up his top prospects. Explain to me how this makes him an idiot or a bad GM.

Theo might be a very smart guy, but it bothers me that posters refer to most other GMs as idiots and somehow any success that they have had has been luck. Most of these guys have been in and around baseball all of their lives. I'm sure most owners wouldn't leave an "idiot" in the GM post for many years. All of the sabermetric analysis that Beane and Theo initiated has been implemented by most teams.

I don't agree with all of the posters who say that Maholm and DeJesus are easily replaced during the offseason. The expectation level of both signings wasn't super-high, but I'm not sure you would be able to replace their production for what we paid them. A random cheap OF and BOR starter don't describe the contributions they've made this year.

2013 - Horrible (prospect tryouts and dumpster diving) 2014 - showing signs of being decent (hopefully a few prospects show they belong in the ML and possibly 1 trade/signing of a young "star") 2015 - should be a contender with the FO finally spending some money. (prospects mature after 1-2 years in ML and FO buys/trades to fill in the remaining holes)

68 wins will be the upper limit on projections for next year.

I might have this concern if the Delgado trade hadn't been agreed to. Taking both trades into account, Atlanta simply looked like a desperate team willing to overpay from a position of depth for a major league need. Theo simply took advantage of that. There's also the matter of Maholm pitching very well this season and being under control for another season on a very team friendly deal, while Liriano has struggled over the entirety of the season and is a rental. Often a contending team believes a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Vizcaino obviously has a ton of potential, but he is still unproven at the ML level and coming off of TJS. As others have posted, stocking our system with prospects increases the odds that some of them will be successful at the ML level. Meanwhile the Braves know exactly what they got in Maholm and Johnson.

If we don't make some big trades now, I really don't see how we can without some big free agent signings or trade prospects for big league players I really don't see how we can. The only help that we have coming from our farm in the next year or two is Vitters, Jackson, and Lake, as well as some relievers, none of whom are sure things by any means. Actually contend? Next season, meaning 2013. That is with or without Garza. Hopefully it is without. Get on board everyone, this vehicle is beginning to make its ascent. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: why do you post on here? Do you really believe the Cubs can contend in 2013 assuming they will trade Dempster and Garza (and possibly others)?

If we don't make some big trades now, I really don't see how we can without some big free agent signings or trade prospects for big league players I really don't see how we can. The only help that we have coming from our farm in the next year or two is Vitters, Jackson, and Lake, as well as some relievers, none of whom are sure things by any means. Actually contend? Next season, meaning 2013. That is with or without Garza. Hopefully it is without. Get on board everyone, this vehicle is beginning to make its ascent. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Yeah, that wasn't a joke. Frankly, folks on here that don't understand the direction this organization is heading in baffle me. It is glaringly obvious at this point. Look around baseball right now folks. Please stop saying the Cubs have to blow a load of cheese to get better next season. It simply isn't true. I am not saying to not spend money, but splurging because we haven't done so yet isn't the answer at all. The Cubs will be a better ball club next season, and even better the season after that. It is onward and upward from here. If you can't see that, or think I am cracking a big fat one, then I am sorry. I totally understand the direction the organization is taking, but for anybody to say we will contend in 2013 is ridiculous. Assuming the usual suspects will be traded, there are gaping holes @ 3B, RF, C, #1 & #2 starters, and 2-3 bullpen guys. Everything Theo has said is that he's not going to spend big on FA until we're close and have evaluated the young guys. Now if you're talking about 2014, the team ought to be considerably better. 2013 looks to be a year of testing prospects (Jackson, Vitters, etc.) and dumpster diving while we wait for the next set of prospects to reach the ML. Let's also remember that part of the plan is to let prospects spend the right amount of time in the minors before calling them up.

If we don't make some big trades now, I really don't see how we can without some big free agent signings or trade prospects for big league players I really don't see how we can. The only help that we have coming from our farm in the next year or two is Vitters, Jackson, and Lake, as well as some relievers, none of whom are sure things by any means. Actually contend? Next season, meaning 2013. That is with or without Garza. Hopefully it is without. Get on board everyone, this vehicle is beginning to make its ascent. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

And Theo won the crapshoot twice. Meh.

If Kenny is getting it done, than I have to assume you'll be okay with waiting 5 years for a playoff appearance and making the playoffs twice in 11 years with our front office. As I posted before, I'm certainly not a fan of Williams. As for waiting 5 years for a playoff appearance, we'll have to wait and see if Theo gets us there.

Besides trading Johnson, Baker, and Camp for non-prospects.