Tim

1.5 dead weight it is, then.

Well scratch them off then!

Pitchers have hope of improving when they leave Colorado, plus he only has a one year commit.

Yeah that stretches past the realm of likely limitations the team is going to have, by at least 10 million, I'd say. It seemed low(ish) cost compared to my last plan with Cole and Donaldson. Note the many ishes

Low(ish) Cost offseason 1) If they can't be traded, non-Tender Russell & Almora to save $5M 2) Move on from: Cishek, Hamels, Strop, Kintzler, Zobrist, Phelps, Cedeno, Barnette, Lucroy, Morrow, Holland 3) Sign Will Smith 4) Sign Castellanos 5) Sign Gennett (should be a low-ish cost signing after lousy year, with upside) 6) Sign Brock Holt 7) Trade Happ, Alzolay, Uelman to Colorado for Gray + McGee (taking on the salary to make it happen) SP) Darvish SP) Gray SP) Hendricks SP) Quintana SP) Lester SP Depth) Graveman/Chatwood/Mills RP) Kimbrel RP) Smith RP) McGee RP) Ryan RP) Wick RP) Graveman/Chatwood/Mills RP) Graveman/Chatwood/Mills 2B) Gennett RF) Castellanos 3B) Bryant 1B) Rizzo SS) Baez LF) Schwarber C) Contreras CF) Heyward B) Caratini B) Kemp B) Descalso B) Bote B) Holt I actually like the relatively low-key additions to the offense with Castellanos, Gennett and Holt. I think it gives the team a lot of different looks against opposing pitchers and a lot of flexibility off the bench - especially when you include Hoerner replacing Descalso once he's released mid-year. I'd like to upgrade the starters more than this, but I'm not sure how to do it on a budget. The relievers have the real potential to sink an otherwise solid team. They'd need Wick & probably Wieck to emerge as reliable options. It would also really help if another arm or two developed quickly into solid relief options instead of spending another $5-10M in free agent additions. -------- If the team wanted to add another $20M to the budget by trading Q for a cost-controlled reliever and adding Cole, I'd be much happier!

If he was using binders, he wasn't as analytics friendly as he thinks.

My guess is that we wanted him to commit full time and the reds were willing to let him continue at driveline.

We also have to fill 13 position player positions with guys who won't make claw our eyes out when they play

Unlimited Cash Offseason - rev 1.0 1) Sign Gerritt Cole 2) Sign Josh Donaldson 3) Sign Scooter Gennett 3) Trade Almora for whatever / non-tender him 4) Shoot Russell into the sun 5) Exercise options on Rizzo, Q, Graveman 6) Trade Q for a reliever 7) Sign Will Smith C) Contreras 1B) Rizzo 2B) Gennett SS) Baez 3B) Donaldson RF) Bryant CF) Heyward LF) Schwarber B) Caratini B) Happ B) Bote B) Descalso B) Hoerner SP) Cole SP) Darvish SP) Hendricks SP) Lester SP) Graveman / Mills / Chatwood RP) Kimbrel RP) Reliever from Q trade RP) Will Smith RP) Ryan RP) Wick RP) Wieck RP) Graveman / Mills / Chatwood RP) Graveman / Mills / Chatwood RP) Underwood? RP) Hultzen?

He spent some time there in the minors this year

Bruuuuuce

I turned this on for the nostalgia of the WGN finale. But I swear I'll turn this off at the slightest hint of molina doing well.

I think your time in Pittsburgh has biased you.

For those curious like I was, from reading the replies, the implication is that Julianna Zobrist = Cindy Sandberg lol - who is supposed to be Palmeiro?

Don't know if you still read the forum anymore, Bruce, but thanks for all the years covering the team. You've been my favorite beat writer for a long time. I hope that semi-retirement treats you well!

They have no excuse for settling on coaches. As I said, they have the same cut of Big 10 money as OSU or Michigan, but they act like a "small market team". Why? BTW, Purdue and Minnesota are equally guilty of this Hiring Lovie Smith was a small market move?

Maybe someone will trade us something good for Mitch

They probably shouldn’t ever talk crap about any other program ever It was a stupid throwaway joke. I get it if a PSU fan says something about a program's unethical behavior, but saying Illinois sucks is not exactly controversial. :(

The Cubs insisted there was untapped power when they drafted him.

That was an impressive inning of work

So, uh, good challenge?

So this is what it's like to watch Maples pitch for the other team.

Fractured knee cap. Done for the year.

Suck it, haters.

So...you're saying he missed games last year, then