Bryants Disco Ball

I'll never forget that one game in June against the Twins when he let a ball go through his legs with two outs and the bases loaded and then that other runner scored from second while Castro had his back turned. It just made you love him for being human.

Yup. Thought he was fun. Liked his walkup music. Don't give a [expletive] that he's gone. people with souls care, dammit Damn it. Good point.

Yup. Thought he was fun. Liked his walkup music. Don't give a [expletive] that he's gone.

Can't imagine he's a guy the front office wants. His walk rate has never been good and has gone down each season and he strikes out a decent amount. Thinking they are hoping to add a different type player to the lineup. Like another Zobrist.

I left at the 1 second mark. Can't be using a sappy song like that for baseball. shut your piehole that song is amazing and i will always love starlin no matter how much i hated on him Hahahaha. Yeah it's great for a Saved By the Bell Kelly loves Zack montage but that's about it.

I left at the 1 second mark. Can't be using a sappy song like that for baseball.

You might be frustrated with how expensive that cheap platoon could be.

Gotta have a back up plan. Yup. If the Cubs are out on Heyward, it's not because of the Zobrist signing. We didn't commit THAT much more to him than we owed Castro.

He's not an accountant, he's a professional athlete. And he's old. He will just have to be productive like Tori Hunter then.

I hope you're saying you're going to wear it at the gym and then give it to him. Why would you ruin the beauty of that joke, Sofa?

Ryan was probably included so it's the Cubs and not the Yankees who have to pay him the remaining $1 million on his contract when they cut him this week.

Oh God, this post is understandably going to be blasted but I just have to say it. Will everybody stop bitching about Zobrist's age? He's not that [expletive] old. We are making it sound like the kid just turned 40. He's 34. OK. Go!

Spot on. I realize it wasn't everybody, but [expletive], the dude was awful. I'm glad he turned it around for that last month, but he was really, really bad. And not so good in other seasons, either. I will miss him, though. He could be fun to watch. And his walk-up music was cool.

Still not worth it. Unless someone signs Heyward for 14M more per year than the Cubs should pay (thinking 38-40Mil aav), then I'd still take 1 Heyward over Zobrist and whoever else they get. I am stupid, but isn't there a big difference in total commitment? Meaning they might not be willing to shell out a financial commitment of $250 million and are comfortable with smaller deals that help now but don't effect the long-term window when trying to sign our own in a few years. I mean, yeah there is a big difference. But almost 100M for two 36 year olds vs. 250M for one guy better and 10 years younger? And they just made a 155Mil commitment to a pitcher. Not sure why a 100M more commitment (which they basically threw around in the last 2 days) for again a much younger, hitter would scare them all of a sudden. I don't know. They are getting two quality players for a total of 6 years and 86 million and being able to use $164 million on whatever else they want (in theory). That's just a huge difference to me. ETA: I know you acknowledged it was a huge difference and weren't debating that part.

Still not worth it. Unless someone signs Heyward for 14M more per year than the Cubs should pay (thinking 38-40Mil aav), then I'd still take 1 Heyward over Zobrist and whoever else they get. I am stupid, but isn't there a big difference in total commitment? Meaning they might not be willing to shell out a financial commitment of $250 million and are comfortable with smaller deals that help now but don't effect the long-term window when trying to sign our own in a few years.

Not to tell you how to feel or think, but [expletive] the other shoe.

If true on numbers, oh hell yeah.

thank you if anything, that drought that i didn't experience like 80% of, adds a little intrigue. i'd rather win championships, but my desire to win a WS has just about nothing to do with eliminating the "curse" thing, outside of the cool element it would add to the narrative (i'm sure theo loves this part). i mean, yeah, it sucks that they haven't won one in that long, i guess, but i wouldn't feel any better about the cubs had they won one in 1969 or something (or even 84). i'd almost rather have the drought than a random championship somewhere along the way there...but either way it doesn't matter much. Totally spot on. The people who have a right to bitch are the ones who are in their 90s and early 100s. Otherwise, being a Cubs fan means you are no different than an Indians, Brewers, Pirates, Mariners, Astros or Rangers one. I mostly agree but... Indians: At least they can watch video highlights of their team in the World Series...in color. They have memories of their team winning 5 World Series games in the 90's. They have AL Champion banners Brewers: Same but to a much lesser extent. Pirates: They've won a title, they had fun memories of "We are family" and Stargell hitting a HR in game 7 of the world series. even if they weren't alive, they can connect with those memories, similar to how Bears fans can with the 85 team even though someone like me was too young to remember Mariners: OK they can compete with us Astros: Again they have a recent experience of winning a pennant and playing in a world series. Heck they can watch their pennant winning celebration in HD Rangers: Same plus they won 4 WS games within the last 5 years Obviously winning a World Series is the end goal and ultimately the only goal that definitively matters, but the Cubs have a longer pennant drought then any other team has a world series drought (among teams that have won a world series)...we don't have 100 years of pain, but we carry 100 years of baggage as fans whether we want to or not. Some people it doesn't bother, others it does. Quality counterpoint. I am for sure in the camp that my team has to win it all or there is nothing big to celebrate or brag about, but I do acknowledge that there are different levels of fun and memories in losing come playoff time. This year for the Cubs was much better than in 2008.

thank you if anything, that drought that i didn't experience like 80% of, adds a little intrigue. i'd rather win championships, but my desire to win a WS has just about nothing to do with eliminating the "curse" thing, outside of the cool element it would add to the narrative (i'm sure theo loves this part). i mean, yeah, it sucks that they haven't won one in that long, i guess, but i wouldn't feel any better about the cubs had they won one in 1969 or something (or even 84). i'd almost rather have the drought than a random championship somewhere along the way there...but either way it doesn't matter much. Totally spot on. The people who have a right to bitch are the ones who are in their 90s and early 100s. Otherwise, being a Cubs fan means you are no different than an Indians, Brewers, Pirates, Mariners, Astros or Rangers one.

That's about an 150 million payroll before trading away from the depth of Coghlan/Castro/Hammel (I assume Wood is a goner when the 2nd SP arrives). Those players are an....underwhelming use of a payroll of that magnitude, even though I don't hate any of the moves individually(except maybe Soler for SP). I feel like they'd solidify the first two spots in the order with guys who have career OBP's of .350+. You're also getting these guys, hopefully, for three to five seasons and they come off the books at the perfect time. In addition, it doesn't hamstring you as much in the future. Meaning, when Edwin Jackson's money comes off the books it's payroll we can use rather than having to put it in the Jason Heyward contract that will be much longer and expensive. Gordon can provide a lot of that same stuff for fewer years and money. I will take my bashing now.

Oh thanks for the update I laughed.

That would be a great offseason. But it's also because I feel like Alex Gordon, while certainly not unappreciated or underrated, would be an amazing addition for this offense while providing top-notch defense and is even better then most think. Also that second pitcher addition would be awesome.

I've only read the final page of this thread, but wouldn't this be Boxberger they are talking about? Or nah?

I feel like many fans might think Lackey is a douche, but that his teammates don't. I think many fans think Papbelbon is a douche, and so do his teammates. Therefore, I really don't know if Theo would be willing to bring him in.

Yeah, it was a pretty memorable brawl in which Cueto was kicking people, and iirc, Molina was on the receiving end. That might make for an awkward battery. Jason LaRue? Suffered a concussion and retired shortly thereafter, as I recall. Yup, it was LaRue and Cueto pretty much ended his career. TBF LaRues career was basically over at that point. He was an awful backup catcher Those guys still get two-year contracts.