Cubswin11

If they're charging $6 a month, I can't imagine the dominant cable providers in Chicago (Comcast and RCN) will pick up the network, right? If they do it will be a pretty big standoff. Will the Cubs offer the channel to streaming providers for a separate fee? 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.

I'm expecting something like 12 years, 380 mil with opt outs after seasons 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. I’ve always had 13/375 in my head +/- (maybe over 400 if he will allow for deferments). He ultimately will get more years than less I feel like for teams wanting to be LT conscious and he gets to have the largest contract ever and yeah multiple opt outs somewhere between years 3 and 6.

i ask because harper is such a unique FA in terms of both talent and age, so i kind of read his tweet to be downplaying the amount he'll get. i know 5 wins is worth a ton, but i think calling him a 5 war player is kind of underselling him. I think he’s just trying to use WAR in a way to get the point across the offers he’s received reflect a highly valuable player but doesn’t exactly know what he’s saying. A win is worth $9-11 mil, right? So he’s probably not using it literally. I doubt he has 10 year ~$500 million offers.

someone splain this tweet to me Levine reported earlier in the day the White Sox wouldn’t go to 10 years on Manny/Bryce (7 was allegedly as much as they’d go). Then he put this poorly worded tweet up to say Bryce does have 10 year offers at good AAV’s and shoehorned in the WS aren’t one of those teams using the info he previously reported.

Sources: Boras. The 10 year offer thing I could definitely see being Boras blowing smoke. The White Sox thing I buy, they were always in this to make it look like they were ready to be big boys to their fans and then ultimately bow out/know Bryce and Manny weren’t coming.

Wait, is the relegation idea sarcastically over-the-top or do you honestly think that's more realistic than the other ideas in this thread? I don’t see any possible issues with forcing 3 billionaires every 5 years to sell their teams and also finding 3 billionaires every 5 years willing and able to buy teams.

I think it's a great fit. He's a cheap option to fill in for however long Gregorious is out. If they can get anything at all out of him, then they don't have to rush Gregorious back. For the Yankees it’s a fine fit. For Tulo it just seems like an odd choice and place to pick because he might not see as much playing time as he would with other teams, especially if he starts slow and gets buried behind guys.

I know it’s 5 years from now, so it’s kinda the point, but man some of those names seem pretty aggressive for how high they are considering it’s a lot of guys with 1 year or less and/or literally no time in the majors.

Seems like an odd team for him to pick, assuming they still get Machado. That infield is crowded and since they are trying to win he won’t get the benefit to play through struggles if he has some rust to work off. Good move by the Yankees though as it’s essentially free and good depth.

Meh, I’m fine with that and how we played it. Given the rules (which are dumb) but probably worth it to us to lose him in FA, and not paying him through his mid-late 30s, to have him for another year.

Well, keep trolling Bryce

I could see Mills ending up being something like a Randy Wells/Jason Hammel type useful starter at some point. Peak year(s) in the 2-3 win range for a few years maybe. He’s not horrible depth as our 7/8/9th starter.

If Monty were to be involved in a trade Richard would’ve been a nice pickup to take his spot. Fine depth move for the Jays and maybe they can flip him at some point.

Yeah basically what I did with the three teamer I just proposed. Bored and just wanted to have some fun and throw something out there that seemed to make sense for all parties.

I was just thinking of this 3 team deal with the Giants talk... Cubs get: Cueto and Crawford Braves get: Bumgarner, Zobrist, Melancon Giants get: Heyward, Chatwood, Kintzler, Adbert, Amaya, Short, 1-2 top ~15 but not top ~5 Braves org prospects and some money from us and/or Braves. We net $37 million in overall savings, $13.5 mil in real money and $20.6 in LT savings for this year. Giants net $14.5 million in overall savings, $26 mil in real money and $26 in LT savings for this year. Braves take on $55 million overall, $39.5 million in real money and a $36.5 LT hit this year and only have Melancon and his his $15.5 mil left for next year. Braves get their "Ace," a RF'er and a decent bullpen arm, we shed money (both real and LT for this year) Crawford gives us a SS option and Zobrist replacement (and lets us send Russell out of here), Cueto is a wild card for a rotation option next year which we need to fill at least one spot, Giants save overall money and some significant money this year and next few years as they rebuild and get out of a lot of contracts and get some good prospects for it and hopefully Theo can sell them on this keeping Bryce from the Dodgers and dealing with him in a few years when they might be winning again. They also can work with and hope Chatwood turns it around and soaks up some innings and even flip him at some point if he figures it out and same with Kintzler if he can throw some good first half innings this year, Heyward gives them a name and could be around still for if/when they turn it around in 3-5 years as a veteran presence.

I read that and the Cueto idea is a little interesting, basically acquire the Hamels/Chatwood replacement this year for next year while he rehabs (in theory, maybe he’s just toast). Cueto and Melancon ups the LT hit the next two years pretty significantly though. It would be interesting if reducing the LT hit or minimizing the total dollars owed to guys are what we want to do the most. The total savings on a Heyward for Cueto/Melancon swap really isn’t all that significant though. The overall savings is $12 million, Heyward is owed ~$106 mil yet and those two owed ~$94 mil but it’s likely mostly negated when factoring in penalties for the increased upper LT tax the next two years and time value of the money paid out sooner on Cueto and Melancon vs over the longer life of Heyward’s deal as both guys deals are done sooner than Heyward’s. In the end this trade really doesn’t put us in that much better of a spot. Heyward and prospects for just one of those guys could be something that helps quite a bit though. I also do really like the Chatwood for Russell Martin swap they mentioned in the article as well (Martin is owed more this year, Chatwood just a little more overall but Martin has a higher LT hit). If we could pull off something like Chatwood, Kintzler (Kintzler to offset money/LT this year and maybe we throw money back next year), and prospects for Martin and then Heyward + prospects and/or money for Cueto that could really help reduce some long term money, the LT doesn't end up in all that better shape for this year though.

It’s a lot of Heyman circle talk and hedging but some good stuff to hear from a national guy who at least, hopefully, is hearing half truths.

AZ is tearing down. They want to shed salary and get prospects They still shed Tomas’s money (him and Melancon are owed about the same over the next 2 years). And I’d be fine giving them Amaya in this scenario and some Short type prospects. I also don’t know if they’re trying to entirely tear it down. They did re-sign Escobar, they might wind up thinking this lets them try and win this year and accomplish goals of getting prospects. Getting Tomas would be big for us given the LT loophole. Giants also only take on about $30 mil more overall in this deal and lower their LT hit the next two years.

Something more like Belt, Melancon and maybe some prospects to the D’backs, Heyward and prospects to Giants and Tomas to us makes some sense.

Well then he’s a horsefeathering idiot for leaving $100-200 million guaranteed on the table by taking a 4/5 year deal, since the long term deal will allow him to hit FA again with opt outs as already mentioned. The discussion is all hypothetical about what he would receive (long term or short term). Since we being hypothetical, if his best offer was $300/10 yrs (with opt outs) I could see him accepting accepting $200 million/5 yrs (with opt outs) and hitting FA again at 28/29 years old when salaries have increased with new money floating around (i.e. Cubs network). I can’t see him leaving $100 mil on the table just to make ~$30 more million with the 4/5 year contract. That’s too risky and he still gets the opt out chance to hit another big deal and securing more guaranteed money in the event something goes wrong by going 10/300 over 5/200.

If not for an inept kicker the first couple weeks, they'd have made the playoffs this year. Crazy. Or if they had a real coach from week 1. Jackson almost certainly cost them a win or 2 for just being a dumbass.

He’s going to get opt outs in the 8-12 year deal too, that guarantees and secures him more money and allows him to hit FA around 29/30 as well. It just makes no sense for the 4/5 year deal unless he’s literally getting $50 mil a year. Harper made a point of wanting to be the highest paid player in MLB. If that doesn't happen with the long term offers, he could justify it by saying he had the highest average annual salary (for a shorter term). Well then he’s a horsefeathering idiot for leaving $100-200 million guaranteed on the table by taking a 4/5 year deal, since the long term deal will allow him to hit FA again with opt outs as already mentioned.

If there's an opt out in those 4/5 years, he might think about it with all that money up front and still be able to become a FA at 29 years old. Then again he might take the deal without opt outs since he would only be 30/31 years old with a lot of earning potential still ahead of him. He’s going to get opt outs in the 8-12 year deal too, that guarantees and secures him more money and allows him to hit FA around 29/30 as well. It just makes no sense for the 4/5 year deal unless he’s literally getting $50 mil a year.