Aaron_Kennelly

Yeah, trading Bryant and Rizzo and Russell just doesn't make sense. They are so cheap and so good. It's the reason we are as good as we are right now. Fill out a lineup full of young studs that cost no money and you can splurge on free agent pitchers to build a good rotation. I love Trout, but there is just so much surplus value there with those guys. And with Bryant and Russell, I don't know how good they could really be. Like, what if Bryant starts cranking out 40 homers? Or if Russell starts hitting 25 or so? I'm just not trading those two, especially when I have to throw in other guys. And if we do make that trade then we are riding Trout hard. If he goes down with an injury, that's a killer. The depth up and down the lineup allows us to keep rolling when a guy like Schwarber goes down. Next man up! It might be stupid and I might be overvaluing our own guys because I've become attached. But I just don't see why we would change course when we are so freaking good as is. I just think a Trout trade involving Bryant or Russell is unnecessary. That being said, I'm a big proponent of getting the best player in any deal. Give me one 10-win guy over two five-win guys everyday. We are already coming to a crossroads with some of these guys. What if Soler and Baez and Schwarber all beast out in the next two years and become good? Where are they all going to play? (Like this a bad thing... woe is me.) And, if not, how do you even get them all enough at bats to see who does stick? Schwarber going down alleviated that issue this year, and it also showed why depth is important. But, still, rather than waiting and hoping and being deliberate with a Soler or a Baez, just give me freaking Trout. Let them figure out the Soler and Baez and Schwarber issues themselves. I'm just gonna roll out Mike Trout everyday instead. And as for the prospects, yeah, just let them literally pick any that they want, and however many they want. We can just disband a minor league team or two for a year if need be. So count me in on the group of "trade literally anyone besides Russell and Bryant." That also probably puts me in the camp of "this is never going to happen."

At first glance, he's an injured 41-year-old who wasn't that good the last time he was healthy. But, relief pitchers are weird. Maybe the velo is there when he comes back or something and he can randomly give us one last good year before he rides off into the sunset. Most likely he pitches like a bad, injured 41-year-old, though.

Also, Tom I didn't flip out last summer during the Heyward/Price discussion. I think I was cordial and we engaged in forthright discourse. Also it wasn't just a question of Heyward vs. Price; there were other nuances, such as if we should re-sign Fowler. (And we got both, which has been pretty great.) I never had a problem with Heyward or thought it would be dumb to sign him, though. It was simply a preference for what I thought to be a better fit, due to team needs and my lack of understanding what our payroll would look like. Anyway, I just looked through that thread and I really love this part. We were discussing team needs and you mentioned some skills and tools that our lineup was missing. I said that we actually were good at a lot of them, except for outfield defense and contact ability. But, then I went into a thing about how I didn't care where our value came from as long as we were getting good value. Anyway, it was some good back-and-forth. But this part was prescient: Silly me, not recognizing that we actually would be good at literally every aspect of baseball.

Agreed. And if you look through the trade deadline thread and elsewhere, I've been clamoring for a trade for a stud, young pitcher. Obviously, that is gonna cost us. If we lost Contreras in a deal for Jose Fernandez, then sayonara, Willson. And if a team wants us to include Almora in a trade that can help us, I'll pack his bags for him. I really don't care too deeply for Almora. I like that he seems to have rejuvenated his career. And I am thrilled that we have a guy like that in Iowa, at a position that has a murky forecast in our future. But, I'm all aboard if we have to trade him to get a stud pitcher, or anything really. My problem with Tom on the issue of Contreras and Almora has nothing to do with me thinking they are untouchable, or anything like that. I am just tired of him flogging them as guys that have no future here. His continued disregard for them as irritating. They are good prospects and they are close to major league ready. And they definitely could fit in on this team. It's not a necessity that they do, but they can resolve some issues. Contreras, in particular, is a guy that I think is really good and could step right in and join in on the fun.

And, yes, I was wrong about Heyward/Price. I was way off on it. Granted, I thought the money would be similar on their deals. I think the Heyward deal was really solid for us. And I also didn't realize we had enough money to still land John Lackey (and Ben Zobrist, for that matter). But, yes, I was wrong. And I've admitted as much. But, do you really want to cast stones, Mr. Please Sign Pablo Sandoval for 2015?

Your sarcasm is even less effective than when you flipped out last summer over my preference for Heyward over Price. So he's untouchable in trades because you imagine there to be 6 true talent 6 win hitters on the roster in 2017? As sound as that science might be, seems pretty hokey from here. You got me, I think Albert Almora is untouchable. Or maybe I just think you are weird about certain things and you have a one-track mind and get on these delusional quests, and you fixate on certain players and ignore all evidence that contradicts your preconceived notions. But, no, I don't think Albert Almora is untouchable or anything close to it. And I don't have him penciled in as part of the core or anything. I think he's an intriguing player that might help us off-set the loss of Fowler -- you know the one guy we will lose this off-season. And I think Willson Contreras is legit. And yet you want to trade him. And you also, at the same time, want to acquire Austin Barnes and Mike Zunino and lord knows what other catchers. I think that's, frankly, insane, to trade the best catching prospect in the minors so we can take on a retread like Zunino. But, I don't think anyone is untouchable. I think there is a spot waiting for Contreras and that he would fit in nicely on this team. So I would prefer not to trade him. But if he gets traded, I assume we would be getting back something nice that can also help the team. So I wouldn't be too broken up about it. But I am not clamoring for the Mike Zuninos of the world when we have him stashed in Iowa.

I have no idea if it's the best, but I want to see an outfield of Heyward/Almora/some other good defender at some point have an awesome game in a big outfield just breaking hearts. Kris Bryant? There's limited info, but he's kinda been awesome out there and he is a badass athletic specimen, so it wouldn't surprise me if he is just really good out there. And I want to see Almora at some point this year just to get some kind of data and a better look at him in the outfield. If he's not really good out there with the glove, then I agree with Tom, he has no spot on this team. But, if he could be like, say, Kevin Pillar, as mentioned above -- even if only as a cheap, imitation-brand -- then, hell yeah, I'll take that guy on a rookie contract.

Oh no, Albert Almora might be our 8th or 9th hitter next year, on a platoon/part-time basis. However will our, like, six six-win players hitting above him be able to survive!?

I didn't remember it. My wife did. And actually, mine is easy to remember, because our first date was on same night as the final episode of Seinfeld. You missed the final episode of Seinfeld for a girl?!?!?!? Or perhaps worse: the date consisted of watching the final episode of Seinfeld?!?!? Sorry, guys, I gotta go see about a girl.

*Calls me out for trying to peg him as an anti-Contreras guys* *Wants to trade Contreras the next day*

This is not an opinion based thing. The Cubs are actually the best team in baseball. Gerrit Cole can not believe it all he wants, but that doesn't mean it isn't a fact. Oh I know we are the best team in baseball. I'm simply making fun of Gerrit Cole's line of thought. If we aren't the best team in baseball and we've trounced them that badly, how bad must the Pirates be?

If we are 5-1 against them and have outscored them 38-13 and we aren't the best team in baseball, then just wait until the Pirates have to face the team that actually is the best team in baseball.

Here we go!

Let's go!

Make them weep.

This loss shall be even more dreadful for the Pirates than all the 5-run drubbings.

I kinda still want a run differential game, so let's get 7.

Goodness, Javy.

And I get being annoyed or mad. I am too. But constantly being a whining, sniveling boob is different. That is grating.

Please shut up.

Facing a tough pitcher. And with an offense that scores approximately 15 runs a game. The Skis of the world really get annoying.

Well, that didn't happen. Gonna need a couple 7 pitch innings or so. Oh, yeah, let's get some runs first.

Yay for defense!

crap

Get us a lead, Addi.