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Deeg

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Everything posted by Deeg

  1. Deeg
    Scary news about Fujikawa.
  2. Deeg
    Way too early to be gloating about a trade when none of the guys we got apart from Grimm (and that was garbage time) has played an inning where it counts. It can safely be said Theo did very well under the circumstances, and that it was a smart trade from our perspective. Whether it will haunt anybody or anyone got a "steal" is strictly conjecture. As for Ramirez, I've liked him better than Grimm from the beginning and he's certainly been one of the Cubs' best pitchers in Arizona. But I'd keep him as a starter until he proves he can't be effective in that role. My hope is that he didn't go North with the big club because they intend to stretch him out and have him starting at Iowa.
  3. Deeg
    This. If Olt is healthy enough to play, he has to play every day. One essential outcome from this punted season is that the Cubs find out with as much certainty as possible what they have with Olt, and you can't do that if he's platooning or playing in AAA. They're going to have some major decisions next winter and gauging what they have in Olt is a crucial step in making them. Also, Valbuena hitting a few HRs in Arizona doesn't change what he is. He has almost 1500 major-league ABs and he's 28 - he's not going to morph into a good everyday player now. He's a nice piece, and if it were me I'd platoon him at 2B with Barney. But ideally, on a good team he's a utility guy.
  4. Deeg
    I honestly think the most interesting question raised here is why so few prominent (by web standards) sources have chosen to be hard-nosed and balanced critics of the organization, and so many to be cheerleaders. Really, apart from CCO is there anyone left - anyone credible, anyway - who still holds the organization to an objective standard? Praising when it's warranted and not shying away from accountability? It almost seems as if there's a collective will here to try and get the fanbase through bleak times by denying the bleakness of those times, and praising the infallibility of the men in charge of changing them. Either that or it's simply too much blind loyalty to Theo Epstein, who's certainly earned plenty of credibility but not the free pass almost the entire blogging community gives him. And even if it's the latter, that doesn't explain the eagerness to absolve Ricketts from responsibility for the failures of the big-league product in the short and medium-term.
  5. Deeg
    I'd actually be more interested in video of the next AB where he struck out, under the circumstances. Still - that was a bomb. Why anyone would ever throw this guy a fastball is beyond me.
  6. Deeg
    In reality the Cubs surely knew 6/120 had no chance with Tanaka. But let's just say for the sake of argument that a meteor hit, and Tanaka accepted it. Do you think they wouldn't have had to produce that money from somewhere? The notion that they have no cash to spend is a myth. It's a question of willingness to spend it. I'd also point out that although the new TV deal is being held up as some kind of panacea, it's no sure thing to happen imminently. And the bulk of the deal is still five years away from expiring, with nothing close to a guarantee it will be bought out. Are you happy waiting that long for your panacea?
  7. Deeg
    They have money now - they're the most profitable team in baseball. Having more doesn't mean they'll spend it. And given everything Theo has said about not paying FAs for past performance and not adding major talent until the team is ready to content, there's no way he's committing something like 7/$175 (at least) to a 30 year-old pitcher when the team is coming off a 95-100 loss season. Don't set yourself up for disappointment - it's not happening. The model here is to win like Minnesota or Tampa, and the window to contend is likely 2018 at best.
  8. Deeg
    Even if Scherzer makes it to FA, I'm mystified how anyone could have been observing the Cubs these last three years and think the Cubs have the slightest chance of being the blowout high bidder for a 30 year-old pitcher. And if they aren't, they'll have zero chance because if the money is close, no FA good enough to have options would even consider the Cubs for anything but leverage with a team they actually want to sign with.
  9. Deeg
    I like Edwards a lot, but I haven't seen anyone - not even his biggest fans in the scouting community - suggest he could be a #1 starter. Realistically the best chance (assuming you're not going to trade Baez or Bryant, which I wouldn't) is to try and get somebody to give you a prospect with TOR potential for Samardzija, even if he's a couple of years away. It seems no one was willing to do that yet, but if he has a very solid 1st half it could happen in July. The Cubs aren't going to sign a TOR free agent, period - not next offseason, and not any time in the next several years. They'll have to blow the field away financially to have a chance, and they weren't willing to do that with a 25 year-old FA with no draft compensation. They sure as hell won't for a 30 year-old.
  10. Deeg
    She's a person that repeats a lot of rumors she reads somewhere else, in my experience.
  11. Deeg
    For those who care, ABTY says Yanks would have to go about $38M into the luxury tax to match the Cubs offer and that the Dodgers aren't going to match, but rely on the quality of the team and the huge Japanese-American community in LA.
  12. Deeg
    I see people making a huge fuss about this on Twitter. Why is this news - did we think they wouldn't make an offer? Levine tweeted "Living near and being a part of the Japanese-American community is a key element for Tanaka and his wife" three minutes later, BTW. That's not news either, but it's probably a lot more relevant.
  13. Deeg
    http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/20956/plan-is-same-as-cubs-await-tanaka-decision If 7/$182 doesn't get it done, then screw baseball. If that type of deal is offered and he goes elsewhere, then I can't get even get mad at Theo and company. And how will you know whether it was really offered or not? Theo sure as hell won't tell you.
  14. Deeg
    I don't think he really is much of a life long Cub fan. I think he came here for college, liked going to games and drinking, and got an apartment in Wrigleyville. Not that I think that matters in much of any way. Ricketts is a lifelong money fan, the Cubs are purely an ego thing for him. This whole notion of him as a bleacher bum everyman who lives and dies with every Cubs win and loss is laughable on the face of it. He'll spend when he can convince his father every dollar will bring back two in return, and not a minute before.
  15. Deeg
    I like Ty, but I can't stand this sort of grandstanding for attention. If you have something to report, report it. Otherwise keep your mouth shut if you're not confident enough to claim it on an internet message board.
  16. Deeg
    Barney was 246-310-415 vs. LHP last season.
  17. Deeg
    I don't disagree with what you say about the NPB and understand that $20 million is a far cry from what they were expecting, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that it isn't a lot of money. If he can leave for nothing in two years, he's getting posted. The question is will it be this year or next. Is $20 million a lot of money? Sure. But Rakuten had income of something like $5 billion last year. And the real figure isn't $20 million - it's $20 million less whatever not having Tanaka on their roster costs them in other ways. $5 billion? Even assuming you we're referring to revenues, that would make them ten times larger than the Yankees. Yes, revenue - $4.7 billion to be precise.
  18. Deeg
    I don't disagree with what you say about the NPB and understand that $20 million is a far cry from what they were expecting, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that it isn't a lot of money. If he can leave for nothing in two years, he's getting posted. The question is will it be this year or next. Is $20 million a lot of money? Sure. But Rakuten had income of something like $5 billion last year. And the real figure isn't $20 million - it's $20 million less whatever not having Tanaka on their roster costs them in other ways.
  19. Deeg
    Badler has been peddling the "Rakuten must post him" line since the beginning, so he's certainly not going to stop now. I know it's hard for American fans to grasp, but NPB teams actually do care about winning and it isn't a minor league. They play a high standard of baseball in big stadiums and giving up the best pitcher in the league for $20 million isn't the slam-dunk guys like Badler make it out to be. Rakuten may still end up posting him because there's a sort of honor system here whereby if players ask to be posted, it's bad form not to do it. But if it were their choice, I suspect they'd get two more years out of him and let him walk as a FA.
  20. Deeg
    If Gausman is who you really want, I think he's gettable in a Samardzjia trade. I'm not as high on him as some - of course you like the arm and the fact that he's already pitched in the major leagues, but you're paying for pure potential with Gausman - he's never dominated even in the minors. Some rank him with (or even above) the likes of Bradley - I don't see it. But he may be the most highly-ranked young arm Samardzjia could fetch you.
  21. Deeg
    Non-tender candidate might be Mike Pelfrey. Seems like the kind of move this team is looking at right now.
  22. Deeg
    Certainly, Jackson in a vacuum is a nice addition. Throw in Porcello, even better. But what are you willing to give up? And please don't say "Darwin Barney" because only in the most Arguello-like, rose-colored worldview does Barney add significant value to a trade - he's one of the worst offensive players in baseball (including several SP). Depending on the cost, if you could add Jackson and Porcello, sign Kazmir for 2 years plus an option, and trade Smaradzjia for a legit #1-2 starter prospect that's a pretty good offseason. But I certainly wouldn't give up any of our top-5 prospects for Jackson.
  23. Deeg
    Sign me up for Tommy Kahnle right now, if he really is one of the options.
  24. Deeg
    No way Garza's medicals were the issue - they've been an open book since the beginning or serious negotiations never would have gotten started. The issue is almost surely either Olt's or Ramirez' medicals, and the most likely scenario is that the Cubs weren't convinced Olt's vision issues aren't going to be a recurring problem. Even if they intend to flip him they'd still have to deal with that issue with the third team.
  25. Deeg
    Yes. I like him, but that's a no-brainer.
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