jersey cubs fan

Maybe license out the Cubs name to other organizations in an effort to maximize revenues.

Did McNabb throw that one?

At this point I really just want to see how much lower they can get the payroll.

Nobody is an ideal use of resources. Or maybe better said, the Cubs have a lot of resources and very little in the way of ideal targets to spend those resources on.

Well you'd have to wait for a while and hope he improves quickly because looking for a deal anytime soon isn't going to be selling high.

I'm concentrating on it because it was a nonsensical statement by you. "Blowing up in your face" is an overly dramatic way of describing the limited downside to such a move. It's not going to blow up in their face. There's only so many prospects worth spending big on. And there's a crapload of unspent payroll available for 2012. It's not "my way". I'm just pointing out how ridiculous it is to talk about the risk of blowing up in your face. The season is a waste going in, might as well look at every option to acquire more talent in the future. Signing guys you can trade later is one way, and the fact that he's a "closer" and you already have a "closer" shouldn't affect your decision making on the matter.

What the hell is this chance you are taking? The team sucks. The money is available. You are making up nonsensical worries about nothing. Worst comes to worse, you aren't able to trade him and he leaves at year end. Oh well. That didn't blow up in your face. You sucked before and you sucked after. So [expletive] what? First off, the fear of them somehow being worse because they are on the same team is kind of stupid. Neither guy is elite, but both could be trade bait in July. If one struggles, you trade the one that is doing well. If they both struggle, so what, you were already throwing away 2012 and are only out money. The whole point is to acquire assets that can help in the future. It's not about constructing an ideal roster in 2012. They've already given up on that notion. If you aren't acquiring guys who can help you the most in 2012, acquire guys you can trade later.

From this week's jambaroo http://deadspin.com/5871820/a-holiday-urination-story-to-warm-your-heart Seriously, Easterbrook is such a huge douche with his idiotic "glory boys" and undrafted free agent worshipping.

You didn't explain how it would blow up in your face. That "explanation" holds true for any player you acquire. If they aren't good they hold no value. Wow, breaking news. If that qualifies as blowing up in your face then I'd hate to see how you'd describe something bad actually happening. The Cubs are going to suck in 2012 and the one thing they have is plenty of payroll space. It's a risk, and probably a stupid move if you are trying to build the ideal 2012 roster, but that ship has sailed, and the risk has a potential pay-off.

My guess is he has a shot to be a closer elsewhere. However, the Cubs could always install him as their closer and demote Marmol to set-up guy. He's signed longer, so they have more time to get trade value out of him. Plus, he sucked last year so a demotion is warrented.

Closers certainly have more value, but teams will give good value to elite setup men as well. Plus, this is baseball, once you've done something you are considered that type of player (hit .300, drive in 100, be a GM, manage, be a closer). Both of these guys have histories of racking up save totals, a lack of save totals from April thru July isn't going to suddenly cause teams to doubt if they can handle the role they've already handled. And yes, teams are still trading a lot for set-up men.

Yo-yoing proven closers into a committee has a pretty solid chance of blowing up in your face, I would think. It's a risk that just doesn't need to happen. You do this and EITHER of them struggles, you're in the same situation you were in before you did this, just with the added salary involved now. How exactly would it blow up in your face? This isn't an ideal way to build a baseball team in 2012 but they already threw away the notion of building an ideal club in 2012. This isn't about 2012, this is about that thing everybody seems to be all giddy about, building the organization from the ground up. You have the money to spend and aren't spending it on useful parts, might as well spend it on something tradeable.

It would be interesting, given Theo's closer by committee history that ended abruptly. If you can't do it with just relievers, do it with multiple closers. But hopefully he'd trade both of them at the deadline to competing contenders.

http://deadspin.com/5871886/espns-keith-law-interviews-for-job-in-astros-front-office Keith Law interviewed for a gig there.

Has it not already been set? Teams have been acquiring players for the purpose of letting them walk via free agency and getting the picks, for years. Teams have signed players on one year deals before quickly moving them, probably forever. It would be weird in this case because the team sucks, and they have an expensive closer already, but you can always pretend you are just filling a bullpen need.

It would be a dumb baseball decision to sign Madson now, but a potentially beneficial organizational move if they have the payroll flexibility and trade one or both of he and Marmol at the deadline. I'd have to think he would look for many other options before accepting a one year deal from the Cubs this season, given that the obvious purpose would be to trade him somewhere else in July.

This is what happens when a media relations guy becomes your "stats analyst".

I haven't seen any of the Blue Jays packages.

To each his own.

Stoops does enjoy a bag of dicks on a regular basis, so there is a chance. Also something is going on at OU right now, seems to be a lot of eternal fighting within the staff That's probably not going to end anytime soon.

I don't think tix on the secondary market have been terribly profitable for a while, save maybe some Sox or Cards games. I signed up thinking I wouldn't be up until I was about to retire and would have more time to go to games. There's no risk in being on the list so who cares. This is my biggest fear. Although its nice the Red Sox, White Sox, and Cardinals make up 15 of the games on the schedule this season. I want to grab the rights to these tickets but don't want to take a hit every season for the next few years. I would love to break even and just hold onto my spot as a season ticket holder and be guaranteed a seat when/if they ever play in a WS. Not to mention there is talk of the ASG coming back to Wrigley in the near future. I'm really surprised I got through this fast. I'm only 23. Really happy my wife is accepting a job offer next week or we probably wouldn't be able to do this. I wouldn't be surprised. Seasons tickets for baseball are pretty easy to get in general. The idea of a waiting list is pretty new with the Cubs. Lots of people made money selling their seats in 2003 and 2004, and again in 2008, but even more people signed up thinking they could sell for a profit when in fact that market just wasn't there the last couple days. When the Cubs struggle for prolonged periods of time, tickets are incredibly easy to find on the cheap. Everybody wants to be there the year they wind up winning, but if it doesn't look like it's going to happen, the draw just isn't the same.

who is we?

Mad dog? He's more like a useless trivia expert.

Could easily be a nickname.

Minnesota is terrible. They lost their only player, an all pro. And their qb is loopy. The game is pick em. Sounds about right.