Benny Rodriguez

wow, I just made the mistake of looking at possible free agents for next year and all I can say is don't do it! There is so little help on the pitching market, it will ruin your weekend. This year is actually much better. If Scherzer resigns like it looks like he will. It's somewhere between sad and scary. Most interesting names have options or are up there in age. Looking like Brett Anderson, Homer Bailey, Yvoni Gallardo and Johnny Cueto. Iwakuma has a club option for 2015, and will be mid 30's. Not sure where the front end help is going to come from.

Price is mentioned as the next big target for many teams that missed on Tanaka, or didn't want him. Now that Tanaka is done it seems that the Rays will get real interest in him. Price and Scherzer seem like the only pitchers that could fit into the plan of the FO. I think we would be better trying to sign them as a FA rather than give up the depth we have worked so hard to build in our system. Looking at getting Myers for Shields, they have to be looking for better/or more than that for Price. Without going to fantasy baseball trades, any other top of the rotation guys that could come available in the next 2 years?

The Tanaka idea was intriguing and really the only FA that fit the model. At 25 he should have been around and very good when the younger hitters arrive AND we would not have to dig into our prospects to get him. The problem is that with out him, who is out there that we can sign that also fits into our future plans. I don't see anyone left on the market now that is dependable much past 2016. Price will cost prospects, and a lot of money but is he now the target. At 28, you would hope he's still an ace type for at least 3-4 seasons. Is he now a target? Worries me a bit because the Rays don't seem to get the short end of many trades.

The Tanaka idea was intriguing and really the only FA that fit the model. At 25 he should have been around and very good when the younger hitters arrive AND we would not have to dig into our prospects to get him. The problem is that with out him, who is out there that we can sign that also fits into our future plans. I don't see anyone left on the market now that is dependable much past 2016. Price will cost prospects, and a lot of money but is he now the target. At 28, you would hope he's still an ace type for at least 3-4 seasons. Is he now a target? Worries me a bit because the Rays don't seem to get the short end of many trades.

A lot of people have discussed the dual fronts situation and pretty much said you can't do it because you won't get high picks. In baseball picks are fair less likely to be sure things. You can get guys like Mike Trout and the end of the first round. For every Bryce Harper, there's Shawn Abner. I hope we contend soon, but it's hard to not like the draft and signings that they have done so far. I know we all want this to speed up, but I really do want to sell out a chance at a very sound long term future to win 80-85 games this season.

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. It is huge for Tanaka..but I don't think if the numbers were switched and we offered 155m with no opt out, and the yanks offered 120 with it, that he goes with the yankees because of it. It is absolutely great for him, because he is protected if he is average or gets hurt but if he's great, he can go after Kershaw money in 4 years. I don't see how the Cubs could have ever included that since the allure of Tanaka was to have him well after the young guys are up.

I would think the "deal breaker" was being 35 million dollars light not the opt out. But the opt out is pretty nice for him if he is everything he is supposed to be,

They (Ricketts) made reference to owning the Cubs for generations during the convention. If they were caught off guard by the cost, they don't seem to be fazed by it. It sounds a bit like a vague comment about a team with a huge fan base starting to get perturbed with ownership, to try to get some heat going. It's a very slow sports time, and maybe Olney is trying to stir up some energy-interest in sportstalk radio. Just look at the sports news this week- Sherman's rant and waiting for the Tanaka decision. They probably needed something or anything else to talk about.

So much for the old.."The Cubs will not be outbid for Tanaka". It would have been a nice shot in the arm but wouldn't have gotten us over the top this year or probably next. The tough part of the loss is that to find a much needed replacement for him is either going to be much older, much more expensive or cost us good prospects out of our system(or all of them)

They said this last year. We've added some new faces but if Veres is your closer, his stats last year are only slightly better than Gregg's, if at all. 21 -25 saves 3.02 era vs 33-38 saves with a 3.48 era with a huge fall off in September (he was at 3.11 to start that month) If it's Strop, he had 1 save last year, and 4 for his career. He has shown flashes but has never had the role, so we simply do not know what we have in him. Wright adds another lefty, but totes a 4.37 career era, and 3.69 from last year. Blake Parker adds interest but it's doubtful he has a significant role unless everyone else flops-maybe a 7th inning guy, more likely a fill the gap guy from starter to the 7th...with the other 4 filling the end of game roles. Anyone else would be non-impact (long relief,etc), or is also an unknown for any important role. One of the things that is rarely mentioned about out pen last year was that because of our offense almost every appearance was a high intensity situation. So they were always under pressure, and usually facing a 1 run loses the game or lead situation. So even if our guys out there are a little better on paper, they may have similar results. You'd have to think we can't possibly blow as many games as last year, but the scary thing is can you imagine what it would have been like if Gregg hadn't sold his soul to the devil for 1 more season in the sun? I still can't fathom that he had the type of season he did, but we could have easily blown 10 more saves if he hadn't.

I have questions on the signing but if this is who the FO feels is the must have guy, why isn't anyone talking 200 mil? All 5 teams they say are over 100. If he is the make or break guy, then at 25 years old is 20 mil a year for 10 years crazy? He'd be 35 at the end, it would seem that it's a good bet his value stays high through 32 or 33. You just gave Edwin Jackson a deal that equals 13 mil a year to be middle of the rotation guy. Kershaw just got 30 mil as arguably the best pitcher going. If he (Tanaka) is the type of pitcher they say, then any free agent pitcher in that class that comes on the market is probably going to cost more than 20 a year, by the time the contract is done-it may be a bargain. With everything they say pointing him towards the west coast or the yankees, I think we will have to outbid everyone else substantially to get him....so "make him an offer he can't refuse"

I maintain that "pretty productive" is a cop-out descriptor. Ok. Above league average for the position. Since it was our best offensive position last year basically without a platoon, don't you think we need a bit more than just better than league average? I have hope that it could be even better this..saving Nate from wearing down and missing some tough lefties.