Little Slide Rooter

I didn't even see that Arroyo was involved. I had no idea that he was still active, let alone making 9.5 MM for 2015 with an 11MM team option/4.5MM buyout for 2016. They're essentially paying $10MM for Touki.

With Turner being out of options, is there any limit to the length of a rehab assignment? If nothing else, I could see the players association getting involved if he stays down there for too long.

must be tough having to think back to 2001 or 2008 to remember your last world series win I never get this kind of thinking. The whole be grateful that you've won a championship in your lifetime mindset. Let me tell you, when the 2006 White Sox turned to [expletive], their fans didn't think in terms of hey, it's cool. We'll get them last year. The Curse of the Bambino has been broken 3 fold, and Red Sox fans are no happier than they were when Aaron "Freaking" Boone shattered their hopes about an hour after our own. On the other side of that coin, I have to laugh at Brewer fans who harp on the 100 years plus [expletive] despite 1 World Series appearance and 4 playoff appearances in their team's 45 (46 if you count the Pilots) year history. Short version: fans like to see their team be good whether they won it all 1 year or 107 years ago.

Not sure what he's going on about. Scherzer, Bauer, and Skaggs were each part of blockbuster trades. And it's not like Arizona fared poorly. Scherzer brought back 3 stellar years of Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson (still a valuable commodity at the time. Bauer brought back Didi Gregarious. As for Upton, I believe it was $ based, and they got a solid player return in Delgado, Prado, and Spruill.

Yeah, but in the case of guys who were already on the pre-season list, when those ahead of them are no longer eligible, they move up a spot. So for us alone, Soler, Bryant, and Russell have been bumped off the list since it was published. And I'm not sure how they determine who's added to the tail end: whether they have a preseason 100-200, or if they put a bit of thought into it. With this in mind, according to them, our top 10 is: 1. Edwards (39) 2. Schwarber (41) 3. Almora (47) 4. Torres (91) 5. McKinney (98) 6. Underwood (100) 7. Johnson 8. Tseng 9. Jimenez 10. Stinnett So on that note, even with Bryant, Soler, Russell, Baez, and Alcantara gaduated, we still have 6 Top 100 guys. As for the top Cubs Top 30, Null, Lockhart, and most recently, Pineyro have replaced Soler, Bryant and Russell. And I have to think that some. Degree of thought went into that rather than some pre-season list, as I doubt that Null would have registered at that time.

McKinney is 98 on MLB.com's latest top 100, with Gleybar at 91 and Underwood at 100.

Maybe I'm way behind on this, but I was just checking out MLB.com's Top 100, which automatically boots those who are no longer eligible as prospects. So while we've lost Bryant, Russell, and Soler in the top 20, we've gained a few at the tail end: Gleybar Torres (91) Billy McKinney (98) Duane Underwood (100) So that's something. I guess.

I would say 3rd or 4th best team in the NL. And with a team full of guys under team control for several years, many of whom have yet to hit their full stride. Kyle, we've been through our 40 years in the desert. Not only did we survive, but wearegood. It's ok to be happy. Right now, there's only one man preventing it from happening. And it's not Jim Hendry. It's not Starlin Castro. It's not David Ross, Brian Schlitter, or even Aaron Miles. Perhaps there will come a day when wearenolongergood. But that won't happen for many, many, many years. So why not allow yourself to live in the moment and enjoy the gift that his glory has bestowed upon us, his loyal followers. I think you deserve it. We all do.

I kind of sort of remember that. But I have no recollection of the Steve McMichael/Angel Hernandez thing. That's pretty wild. I also don't remember Mongo looking quite so much like John Goodman.

'To acquire as much good, young talent as possible via trade, free agency, and the draft.' Or something like that. But that was what Theo said he was going to do. This didn't sit too well with those who'd honestly expected him to take the pile of rubbish left for him by the previous regime, and work the same magic as he did on the perennial >90 game winner he'd inherited in Boston. For 3 years, Wrigley was a revolving of low risks and no risks. Flash forward, and here's what we have: Rizzo 1B: Traded for another good, young player. Granted, Cashner would look good in our rotation. But not as good as Rizzo does in the lineup. Russell 2B: Arguably the greatest asset of the entire lot. We essentially acquired him along with a guy who's arguably one of our top 5 prospect (easily top 10) and a consummate 5-7 SP for a few years of Samardzia. Who again, would look nice in our rotation, but a worthwhile expenditure. Castro SS: Hendry holdover. But nothing Hendry-esque about the 8/60MM extension. Bryant 3B: Some might say that if that pitcher whose name eludes me hasn't been give a smack on the wrist for using Adderall or something, we wouldn't have this delightful young man. But judging by the regimes affinity for hitting over pitching, who knows. Coghlan LF: Peeled off the sidewalk. Fowler CF: Acquired for a serviceable super sub and an earlier mentioned 5-7 starter. Soler RF: Agressive IFA campaign. Montero C: Traded a raw, high ceiling pitching prospect. Who currently has a 6.something ERA, 2.01 WHIP, and 31/17 BB/K (yikes) through 34 IP in low A. SP Arrieta: Acquired along with an often lights out set up man for 2-3 months of a 3-4 starter and a younger Koyie Hill. SP: Hammel: Was a steal as a 1/9MM Reclamation. Flipped as part of a huge trade. Stollen back for 2/19MM. I feel actual guilt over this. SP: Hendricks (and Villanueva) for 2 months of Dempster. Maybe not as sexy as Delgado, but Dempster immediately ceased to be good following the trade. SP: Wada/Turner :reclamation/waiver trade Bullpen: -Rondon: Rule 5. Stuck with him despite bad first year. -Strop: See Arrieta -Grimm/Ramirez/Edwards for 2 months of Matt Garza. And we also got the guy who was blocking the guy who they traded us the year before. -Wood: Perhaps we gloated a bit too soon over that trade. But Wood's still a serviceable middle reliever. And rumor has it that Sean Marshall is still alive. So of out of our entire team, a serious contender, we have 3 players that we paid market value for, Lester and Jax. I can't think of too many FO teams that could have put this together the way that they did.

Or we could go get an actually good player to play CF instead. How silly of me. I didn't realize that we'd closed the book on the 21 year old top 50 prospect who's in a league full of 23-25 year olds. Moving on then.

I don't see why not. He's basically been a better version of Brandon Nimmo and he's consistently in top 100s This same conversation was about McKinney several weeks ago, and he's two years younger. And though McKinney has hit at AA, he hasn't put on the show he did at MB. My point is that it's all moot until he gets to AA and does hit. And with Almora, McKinney, and Hanneman occupying the OF, none of whom appear up for promotion or demotion, I'm thinking it's going to be a while until we find out. Unless they decide to skip him a grade, which isn't impossible, as he is over a year older than Almora and a year and a half older than McKinney. And it's not like there's anyone in Iowa who's going to block him.

He's on a rehab assignment. I know. What I meant is what to do with him when said rehab assignment comes to an end. I suppose his bat is better than those currently on our bench.

If anyone's at all interested, Mike Olt's on the Smokies roster. Not sure what to do with him. But he's there.

If Rizzo, Bryant, and Russell keep doing what they're doing, Schwarber keeps up his beastly ways, Soler and Baez continue to progress, and Castro can at least stabilize as a .7something OPS, 10-12 HR SS, I think we can get by with Almora's pedestrian bat and potential gold glove.

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Ever been to Twitter following a loss? Look over some of these replies and tell me if you still agree with that sentiment on the dumbest of Cubs fans? https://twitter.com/lenkasper/status/611706310615142400

Mendy with a rather lopsided line the past 10: .195/.214/.537. And that 1/11 BB/K is rather saddening.

I'd completely forgotten about Alamo. And that should never be done.

Is it me, or does Frank Batista start every other game for the Smokies?

Though the smart thing for the Sox to do would be to trade Sale for a massive prospect package, no way that it's to us. Not unless the package looks something like..I don't even want to think about it. Bottom line is that PR is a thing, and an important one at that. And while trades between rivals (regardless of how loosely the term is being used) does happen, it doesn't tend to involve elite players. And please don't bring up Sosa, as there's was zero indication of what he would become at the time.

Ever been to Twitter following a loss?

Theo's so going to get crucified when Schwarber's sent to Iowa next week. I'm not saying it's not the sensible move, but you know. Fans.

Hamels and Papelbon would be ideal, but Amaro's a raving lunatic. If we want to go nuts, there's Justin Upton. And if he's up for an extension, it might not be all that nuts. If we want to go big but not nuts: Reddick, Kazmir, Clippard If we want to be frugal, there's K-Rod or Axford (if the Rockies decide to sell.)

Frandy DeLarosa looks like he has no idea who's taking his picture and why they're taking it. And it's kind of creeping him out. http://www.milb.com/images/620447/t461/180x270/620447.jpg