WrigleyField 22

I think you're just way overrating Schwaeber based on approach then. Anyone at A has tons of built in fail rate that Bryant and Baez now are safer bets. There's probably still some probability of it occurring that he is better but from a risk management viewpoint it's not the most likely probability. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay I think if I read your first response differently I understand now you are still talking about K rates. I'll retract destined and amend to very likely. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Who was the OF the White Sox somehow acquired like 3 separate times in a two year span about a decade ago? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why does any idealistic scenario include having Matt Szczur on a major league roster. He's obviously there as a 5th OF. Does his base running and defense grade out like his tools indicate they should? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Only if you really worry about K rates and think Bryant and Baez are destined for failure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I don't have to think they're destined for failure to feel more comfortable in Schwarber becoming a competent and productive MLB hitter. Uh they're mashing AAA despite K rates so that's basically what it means when the other reference point is in A ball as mentioned above. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Plenty of guys mash AAA and don't succeed in MLB because of contact issues. Guys that strike out less than Bryant. If Baez's peripherals lately are to be taken as reflective of his true abilities going forward, though, I feel much better about him than I did. So if guys sometimes flop from AAA to MLB (unrelated to K rates) that makes the A guy a safer bet because... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Only if you really worry about K rates and think Bryant and Baez are destined for failure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I worry about K rates, but FFS, Bryant has been a monster at levels that matter. Schwarber pooed all over SS Ball, was sub-Bryant at A, and is now speedless Dwaine Bacon in 32 Hi-A ABs I don't really disagree with you. I'm not taking the stance that their K rates make them less safe bets then the Schwarbs, but that's about the only stance you could take to argue so. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Only if you really worry about K rates and think Bryant and Baez are destined for failure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I don't have to think they're destined for failure to feel more comfortable in Schwarber becoming a competent and productive MLB hitter. Uh they're mashing AAA despite K rates so that's basically what it means when the other reference point is in A ball as mentioned above. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Only if you really worry about K rates and think Bryant and Baez are destined for failure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We basically have Arrieta, and Wood we can count on for the backend probably, based on cost. It's not technically nothing but with injuries and pitchers it certainly ain't pretty. I just worry we'll stop hitting on these Malhom, Hammels, Feldman types. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If Beane is our template it's pretty close to hopeless. But I think this year was the first really bad tank year. 2012 signings were pretty good and cost effective. And they seemed to use their available funds, but still had a lot of legacy payroll. 2013 they tried harder but had their worst miss in signing Jackson who was I recall their second or third choice. And 2013 was a bad year obviously for our young players, and perhaps can be drawn to Sveum. Then they really were okay waiving the white flag this past offseason unless they got Tanaka. So we basically have one manager fail, one big FA fail (which was just as much about failing to get their first choice), and one white flag offseason. The third is the only one that really irks me, and the other two seem to be a reasonable fail rate against their other FA activity. It sucks and all, but I can't complain too much about 2012/13. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Would have preferred Friedman, too. Definitely someone used to having to deal with these limitations for a sustained period of time. Part of my excitement over the Theo hire (and subsequent frustration) was it seemed to signal the Cubs were going to act like big boys while fixing things. But isn't Friedmans approach basically also to just suck and stockpile prospects? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The point Kyle's making by bringing up Beane is that the A's were in just as bad a position as we were after 2011 - at least on paper - and since then the A's have won two straight AL West titles and are currently the best team in baseball by a lot, while we're having the worst 3-year stretch in the history of the franchise. So his point us Beane is a great GM (maybe the best?) and Theo isn't as good. Okay. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The only other big name I remember people wanted was Friedman, and I think his rebuild would look like Theos too. I think I wanted Beane the most but can't remember for sure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There's a lot of A's and Beane talk and if the point is Beane would have been a better option, I don't think that would be too controversial of an opinion. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Has there been any player anyone can think of that had good pedigree, put up minor league and major league struggling stats like Vitters and the light just clicked turning him into a starter or even good player? I know he is what he probably is and hes not necessarily young but he's also not necessarily for sure too old to improve. Is there anybody we can compare Vitters too that can give us any sort of hope. I know if possible its a 1 in 1000 chance of probably happening but still. I dont know why I even care but I guess I used to like Vitters a lot as a prospect around 08 or 09 ? If his K rate hadn't just fallen apart this year I'm sure you could find reason for some hope, but it did so, nah. He didn't really improve any other peripherals either, all are about the same or worse, but Ks were the biggest change (in addition to his position change which really necessitated improvement offensively). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think baseball is the only sport with PTBNL (maybe hockey?) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My keepers: I've decided on Antonio Brown for $10 and Alshon Jeffrey for $5. I can do one more and am looking at: DeSean Jackson $14 CJ Spiller $23 Reggie Bush $29 Bush and Jackson I still have another control year on if I keep. This would be my last with Spiller. Spiller and Bush cost probably market value, and DeSean well under but not sure I wanna go in RBless when I have two decent options. A long shot keeper is Vereen at $9 which is probably market value and keeps more in my pocket for some big plays in the auction and gives me a decent flex guy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would prefer a wing, someone who can be a creator with Rose. But I'm not waiting around for some hypothetical wing if Love was available. It's not like if this wing showed up available you wouldn't still have awesome assets to try and obtain them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[expletive] awesome. Vans are by almost any measure the most awesome and practical vehicle, everyone's just too afraid to admit it. Not Jay, cuz http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/24/qadu8era.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's kind of disappointing but I'm also realizing it's somehow already the end of July, so that's like a month away. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Him and Jackson can have a strikeout competition in AAA the rest of the year Holy crap just looked up Jackson's stats. He has completely forgotten how to play ball the last two years. Can they just cut him already? As soon as they want another 40 man spot in sure he'll be done. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fat HR ogres are obviously more fun cuz of like winning and all but Fat singles/high OBP ogres are way more fun from a pure entertainment value. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well even though he's done as a prospect him being like the 4th best power hitter in Iowa should be fun to watch. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I realize you're being hyperbolic, but I don't think Baez's OBP is going to be the cataclysmic disaster you're implying it would be. I think he'll be closer to .350 than .300, personally. I suppose if he's a good enough hitter hell have a highish OBP from being pitched around and a high average, but a .260/.310/.450 type line is still a pretty likely outcome. If Javier Baez's likely outcome is as a .760 OPS hitter then let's not hesitate to move him for someone like Stanton ASAP. Maybe I'm optimistic, but I like to think Javy is perennially going to be above an .850 OPS when he settles in and adapts to big league pitching. At the very least an .800 OPS should be cake for a guy with his power. Castro, at the moment, has a .767 OPS. He's drawn 26 walks. He's a good bet for 15-20 homers. I think Javy has better patience than Castro, and he obviously has more power. A .760 OPS is basically another Starlin Castro, which is fine, Castro is a great player, but I don't think for a second they'll be matching up, OPS wise. I fully expect a player with 40 home run power to put up and OPS of .800 at the very least. If he's a .760 OPS guy I'll be very disappointed. I'm not sure Javy has a most likely outcome or anything, but I do think he'll hit for a lower average than a guy like Castro and even with a little better IsoD you're probably left with a lower OBP guy. I have a hard time seeing him as a 80-100 IsoD. Maybe 450 was a little conservative SLG, but I'm trying to wrap my mind around the current offensive landscape and 450 is still a pretty good power output, particularly for a MIF. No doubt he does have immense potential to be more than that but he does have some bust and regression potential. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I realize you're being hyperbolic, but I don't think Baez's OBP is going to be the cataclysmic disaster you're implying it would be. I think he'll be closer to .350 than .300, personally. I suppose if he's a good enough hitter hell have a highish OBP from being pitched around and a high average, but a .260/.310/.450 type line is still a pretty likely outcome.