Cubswin11

Right, but we know they are part of the stupid rules they have to play by

we've known about this for months. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2406 I’m not David, I don’t remember things like this being talked about months ago

I certainly agree that they obviously have the money/net worth to go do whatever they want (even if they had to tap in to personal money vs just Cubs "business" money). But this is all a paper gain, they don't have $2B in cash all the sudden. We know MLB has lending limits/ratios teams can't exceed so there are restrictions for them to just go lend against their paper gain (which is a whole other discussion and we can argue if that's stupid or good). It's possible they've maxed out what they can borrow going by MLB rules and spent that money on things like the renovations, neighborhood projects, ST facility, Dominican facility, etc. so maybe they are tight from a cash flow perspective because maybe those projects cost more money, aren't coming on line as fast as they thought or not returning what they projected (or maybe they are just being plain greedy and pocketing money). Which is pretty dumb and poor planning knowing this offseason was coming and they certainly can dump personal money in, you'd assume, if they really wanted to make something happen. I'm not defending them by any means, just trying to figure out what the hell could be going on. But it can't be this dire. Their ownership has gone about as well as they could have possibly expected, save another title or two. And it's gone on during a period of constant economic growth across the board. There's no way that this kind of success can have them backed into a corner like this, because that means pretty much any other alternative would have made them declare bankruptcy or something along those lines. Definitely and the answer is probably somewhere in the middle, they obviously aren’t poor or in a dire spot but maybe (in the vacuum of just the cubs as a business and not their personal worth/money) they don’t have all this money that we think either because something(s) didn’t go as planned on the business side. I’d just like to know the real reason(s) instead of guessing and maybe (likely) it’s as simple as their greed.

I certainly agree that they obviously have the money/net worth to go do whatever they want (even if they had to tap in to personal money vs just Cubs "business" money). But this is all a paper gain, they don't have $2B in cash all the sudden. We know MLB has lending limits/ratios teams can't exceed so there are restrictions for them to just go lend against their paper gain (which is a whole other discussion and we can argue if that's stupid or good). It's possible they've maxed out what they can borrow going by MLB rules and spent that money on things like the renovations, neighborhood projects, ST facility, Dominican facility, etc. so maybe they are tight from a cash flow perspective because maybe those projects cost more money, aren't coming on line as fast as they thought or not returning what they projected (or maybe they are just being plain greedy and pocketing money). Which is pretty dumb and poor planning knowing this offseason was coming and they certainly can dump personal money in, you'd assume, if they really wanted to make something happen. I'm not defending them by any means, just trying to figure out what the hell could be going on.

This is some really stupid scheduling

Under on the Brewers. Yup. Rays, Dodgers (because the division sucks), Braves (though seems trap level low) and Nats over, Tigers, Royals, and D’backs unders jump out to me as well.

First over/unders are out.... https://twitter.com/the_junkyard/status/1082776429782155264?s=21

I'm sure the creatures that go to that thing will focus on the hard hitting questions like "Will Almora be the everyday CF'er and leadoff hitter?" "Why did you trade LaStella?" etc.

Should’ve drafted Jon Gray over KB. Could’ve avoided one of these deals!

I should gamble more often. They were all the way down to the +1800 to +2500 range around the winter meetings/before it came out he had that long meeting with ownership

I agree we need to add a guy or two. But depending on Strop shouldn’t be a concern, he’s been one of the better and most consistent/reliable RPs in baseball for a while now. If Cishek doesn’t have to pitch 140 innings this year he should be fine too. Ideally, yes, they are somewhere between our 4th best RP options than top 2, but to act like Strop doesn’t give you confidence is wrong. IMO. I wasn't specifically referring to Strop, but the bullpen as a whole. An injury to any of those guys and the Cubs could be up horsefeathers's creek. You could say that about any bullpens top 4 options. Now I know we are already at a little more risk since Morrow is likely missing time to begin the year and Carl was off towards the end. But it’s not like it’s a unique situation for the Cubs that they’d be in a not ideal spot if their top bullpen options aren’t healthy or performing. I’m still hopeful we will add a decent FA/trade RP and one of the Iowa shuttle guys proves to be decent.

Strop Relying on Strop, Cishek, Edwards, and a usually hurt Morrow for the back end of the bullpen doesn't give me a lot of confidence. Thanks PTR!!! I agree we need to add a guy or two. But depending on Strop shouldn’t be a concern, he’s been one of the better and most consistent/reliable RPs in baseball for a while now. If Cishek doesn’t have to pitch 140 innings this year he should be fine too. Ideally, yes, they are somewhere between our 4th best RP options than top 2, but to act like Strop doesn’t give you confidence is wrong. IMO.

I don't know what his post playing career plans are but he seems like he'd be an awesome addition to an organization in either some sort of coaching or FO role. Edit: a quick google shows he's already a special assistant to the GM for the Rangers

That’s a good question about streaming providers, I’d like to know that too. I mean if you’re in market idk why you couldn’t get it through a YouTube TV or something. Anyways I think the article nailed it on how the Cubs think they can play it with the $6 fee, assuming Sinclair is the partner. Are the Cubs even allowed to offer the channel to streaming providers and then streamed locally in Chicago or will that be blacked out? It should be allowed in market but idk for sure. Like if your team has a Fox Sports regional deal/network you can stream games in market if you subscribe to the Fox Sports channel through a provider. I will watch Cubs-Brewers games this way as I get FS Wisconsin through my cable provider and I stream their games in market through the Fox Sports App on my phone if I’m not home and like out golfing or somewhere that doesn’t have a game on when a game is going on or I will pull up the Brewers on my phone to see what’s going on if I have the Cubs game on my TV through MLBTV.

As minor league depth as our like 9th starter on the depth chart or trying to make him a RP and focus on 2 pitches I guess it’s an okay depth move to keep piling up Iowa shuttle dudes

Speaking of which, our favorite Twitter “source” is at it again — Charles the Cat @CharlsMeow Multiple relievers I'm hearing the #Cubs have had recent discussions with. Kelvin Herrera, Brad Brach, and Oliver Perez. #HotStove Regardless of the stupid cat. Oliver Perez would be kind of interesting.... he was better than both Miller and Britton last year and he would definitely be cheaper. Perez and Allen as additions to the pen wouldn't be the worst moves.

Guess I’ll put it in here. Theo was on the score this morning and mostly talked in circles and said nothing while saying a bunch of words. The only real things of substance I took away was that Yu is expected to be 100% healthy and ready to go for ST and is going about his offseason like every other one and that he’s excited what the TV deal will mean money wise but it might take a few years to realize that money..... as for spending he spoke on it like you’d expect him to talk around it.

I think that’s where I lean, either it’s the team showing publicly they made an effort (whether or not it’s true who knows) or it’s Boras trying to stir horsefeathers up.

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Ignoring the stat Ralph posted, he lists us as a team still in on Bryce in this tweet.

I very much think this is the case too. But like I said, it's still cool to see we have a guy in the system ranked so well in it with a pitch if it gives him even a little bit of a boost or is something that can be worked with to maximize his effectiveness.

After the great Chatwood debacle I’ll never truly trust spin rate meaning much or that we as an org know how to make it work and translate it to on field success like the Astros certainly are. But cool to see with one of our prospects grading so well against big leaguers, I guess.