LeftCoastCubFan

I liked the original Manny Trillo and Bill Buckner too. For now, my favorite players are every starting position player in 2017.

Alfonso Soriano DFA'd http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24609228/yankees-designate-alfonso-soriano-for-assignment

"I travelled 2,000 miles and all I got was this lousy tee-shirt"

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/05/the-cubs-collection-of-position-prospects-is-ridiculous/

100% shortstop :D http://t.co/KHkbqEWUyw

So all in all, a good draft?

I think the QB position will set the Bears position with the 14th pick. Half a dozen teams are linked to QBs. I'm hoping Houston goes QB and the other teams react. 3 or 4 QBs drafted high helps the Bears.

I’m just here to make sure you aren’t arguing that the Bears should give draft picks to the Texans because they made 4 times less wins than the Bears, or that the players should give up their cadillac insurance plans for an ACA policy, or demonize all of the Bears players for being part of the evil 1 percent, or argue the Bears should have more female and midget players to match makeup of the country…………………………… :D Seriously, almost 4,000 posts and a small percentage are in the politics thread (though I will admit a much higher percent recently). Nor do I have the time to post 50k. Did I just say "nor"?

About a month till the draft. Looks like there are 5 sure things in the top 10 (or 13); Clowney, Matthews, Robinson, Watkins, Mack are sure things. Barr and at least one quarterback seem to be in it. That leaves 6 before the Bears pick. So it seems that how offensive the remaining picks will be depends on how many quarterbacks are drafted; and whether Taylor, Evans and Ebron are rated highly (as the draft pundits say) should define the Bears draft. I don’t see the bears drafting a safety that early. I’m hoping that Gilbert/Dennard or Mosely are there at 14. I’m not in love with Donald /Jerrigan that early. I worry Emery falls in love with someone like Haggeman after the last few drafts. Best case is a trade down unless it’s the top CB. Who are we drafting?

I classify ball players with actors, musicians, and comedians. They make a choice to live a dream, with a longshot at success. Nothing wrong with that, but it is a choice. Add in the per diem and they make 11.56 an hour (based on a 40 hour week it is not less the a fast food worker). I'm not arguing that it is fair. It also doesn't address signing bonuses, having a college education for some, or a scholarship for some others. It isn't as simple as it is portrayed.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3702/miguel-cabrera

Just a few comments. While in the short term there have been a few mistakes and a terrible product on the field, the long term prospects are great. The Ricketts bought the team under the Tribune’s terms when most other wouldn’t, but they would have not have won the bidding contest if sold through bankruptcy. Come 2020 they will have a few hundred million in revenue streams, a likely 2 to 3 billion franchise price, Zell out of the picture, and a stronger product on the field. I look forward to the future.

When it comes to the 2020 multibillion new TV contract, the opt out was huge. The Cubs will need to field a very competitive team in 2018 and 2019 to maximize its value. Allowing him the option to leave after 2017 would make no sense in the grand scheme of things. Adding another year which would be 2020 when they have a few hundred million in additional revenues would not be as big of an issue.

I would think the 4 year opt out would have been a huge problem for the Cubs. Having your hopeful ace leave 2 years before your big TV contract is up would be an issue. Also I would think the marketing value of playing on a contender immediately and the New York market could be a huge difference both here and in Japan.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRICeBbfp_CuyZlMQ0sNA9xMcng80qb_umwvayCqSIP3XbXEeW8

The cone is still down http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMauJn8QCZLfncqScL4Gy8ty6zPrbvm2hG24nf8zbWVHmNxCga

For what its worth (the source says they saw it on ESPN Chicago, but doesn't seem to be there) http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/mlb/news/p-bb-tp2-20140121-1246770.html

You totally missed the point

You’re being a bit harsh on Rickets and have some unrealistic expectations on spending. Blame Zell and the Tribune for their tax avoidance strategy (it’s ironic the IRS is going after them and they may need to pay the taxes anyway). They were not going to sell the team unless it was highly leveraged, which is why so many bidders dropped out. As a result the Cubs started 671 million in debt, with some bad contracts, weak team, weak in talent, and a weak organization. It was public knowledge at the time of the sale that there wasn’t much money to spend on players for a few years. No owner could have changed that. It is frustrating as a fan, but I am a realist. You can’t spend more money when revenues are sinking. The Cubs need revenues and can’t spend until they do. But hope is on the horizon. - 2014 National broadcast rights increase 20 to 25 million a year - 2015 Local broadcast contract 10 million plus a year - 2017 Wrigley renovations complete (if not held up long in court) another 75 to 100 million a year - 2020 New broadcast contract. Hard to predict the market but if there is a quality product on the field it could be a 200 million plus a year windfall per year So the money just isn’t there the next few years, other than incremental upgrades. By 2016 or 2017 the spending will increase significantly and we will have a steady supply of young cheap players, allowing for sustainable success (no guarantees of course). That has been the business plan from day one. Enjoy the ascent of some talented young players and wait till next next next year.

Lock up at the Lincoln Park Zoo?

What QBs are FA in your league? Have to be better options. I will go counter and go Hartline.

I'm using the term "fire sale" because when I asked Beer Kase to clarify what he meant by "unwinding the old team" he described what I consider to be a fire sale by listing a bunch of players who were traded. He didn't go on about players who had been released or not re-signed; he listed a bunch of trades. That's what I was responding to. Then you stumbled in like a jackass and decided you were going to be this week's jerkoff who can't stand to hear people bemoaning the woes of the Cubs despite the fact nobody was actually doing that and now you can't figure out a way to pull out that foot that's jammed so far inside of that [expletive] you call a mouth because you decided to randomly defend the dumbest post of the week like you actually give a [expletive]. Isn't a "fire sale" when you sell your gun after you shoot somebody. Still trying to figure out your point. It's semantics of what as FS means?

Dez, Marshall, AJ or Julio? PPR League. I rate them in that order. Pick one.

Updated for Scott Hairston Signing 6 Starters at 42.4 Matt Garza 10.3 Edwin Jackson 13.0 (includes 2m prorated signing bonus) Jeff Samardzija 2.6 Scott Feldman 6.0 Carlos Villanueva 5.0 Scott Baker 5.5 4 relievers at 16.8 Carlos Marmol 9.8 Kyuji Fujikawa 4.5 (includes .5m prorated signing bonus) Shawn Camp 1.4 James Russell 1.1 1 catcher at 1.8 Dioner Navarro 1.8 3 infielders at 8.9 Starlin Castro 6.0 (includes 1m prorated signing bonus) Ian Stewart 2.0 Luis Valbuena .9 6 outfielders at 31.0 Alfonso Soriano 19.0 (includes 1m prorated signing bonus) David DeJesus 4.3 Scott Hairston 2.5 Nate Schierholtz 2.3 Jorge Soler 1.7 (includes .7m signing bonus) Gerardo Concepcion 1.2 (includes .6m prorated signing bonus. No longer on 40-man roster) 20 Players at 100.9 (95.1 for those who don't believe prorated signing bonuses should be included) All others are under Cubs control and contracts have not been announced

I just looked at the transactions on the Cub site and he was recalled on October 4th and outrighted to Kane County in December. He had to pass through waivers (2.4 million reasons to pass through) so that explains why he is off the 40-man. You are right he is still getting his money and its not coming from Kane County. I just added him to the original post.