Regular Show

I don't understand the interest in Cain at all, unless we plan on moving Almora and/or Happ in a deal for pitching I guess? I mean I'd be down for signing Cain on 1 year pillow-contract if he doesn't get the multiyear deal he's looking for... If we signed Cain I doubt it'd be on a one year deal though. Defense is an important part of L. Cain's game and if his offensive abilities collapse I don't think it's wise to invest that much money in two players solely for their defensive abilities.

Yeah. I really don't want Baez to be traded even though you can make a good case for it, especially if it's really lopsided in the Cubs' favor. Maybe wait a year and then re-evaluate which of Baez, Russell or Happ is the best candidate to move in a trade.

I really don't think it's collusion that is slowing down the FA marketplace. Teams and FOs are just a heck of lot smarter than they were even 10 years ago. They've done numerous studies on how inefficient it is to acquire players through FA. It just doesn't work out that well -- even when you target a young player with a good track record like Heyward. Honestly, I understand why teams are so reluctant to commit big dollars (and years) to inconsistent talents like Arrieta, Darvish, Hosmer, JD Martinez, etc. this offseason. Every free agent has some kind of question mark or blemish, and prices seem to go down the longer teams wait in most cases. I think Darvish will sign first and it'll pick up from there with Cobb signing somewhere soon after, and then Arrieta. I think the Royals ultimately re-sign Hosmer. I think the Blue Jays or Red Sox sign Martinez.

You know I gotta admit it took me a little while for this to register in my head lol. Me: "Oh, that one cool scene from Saving Private Ryan" ..."Wait, why is Niko's face on -- oh okay, I get it now".

Bulls are winning too much now! Stop it! You need to tank hard and get those well-deserved L's. I guess maybe Mirotic has improved his stock enough to get something at the NBA trade deadline (protected 1st-round pick?). His salary is pretty reasonable and he has an affordable option for next year too.

Yup, exact same logic. I think Bryant, Rizzo and Schwarber are locks as long as they remain healthy. I think one of Baez or Happ get there. Russell always misses some time with some nagging injury. Contreras might get there if he gets enough playing time, but he takes a beating behind the plate and might need to go on the DL occasionally to recover/be ready for the postseason.

Like TT said, there is NO way MLB would approve this contract. I mean it's pretty obvious what the signing team is trying to do lol. The Blackhawks did something similar to this with the M. Hossa contract, and they would've suffered a penalty if he retired before the end of his contract (they did regain cap space because he is on medical IR with a bad skin disorder).

Good one lol. There is NO realistic scenario where Heyward opts-out. It is what it is... I'm happy we signed S. Cishek and think he'll do pretty well as long as the Cubs monitor his health and mechanics. I've watched a lot of Cishek for some weird reason (he's fun to watch because he's so funky) and he struggles when he faces too many left-handed hitters and also when his mechanics (command) falls apart. He was really good last year, and I think he can close out games occasionally when B. Morrow needs some rest.

I’d rank remaining guys I want as Davis, Nicasio and McGee. I really want the Cubs to sign McGee if it doesn't require too many years. I also really wanted the Cubs to sign Neshek, but on a 1-yr deal (he got a 2-yr deal with the Phillies).

Without a major overhaul I'm afraid he'll never be that productive on offense. Pitchers know how to exploit his weaknesses right now. Like TT said, if he gets enough +DRS and plays amazing defense then he'll still be valuable to the Cubs. Just sucks that all his value is pretty much derived on defense.

I wouldn't even give up Caratini for him. Yeah, hard pass on M. Harvey. I wouldn't even offer a non-prospect for him right now. I'm not saying he's finished, but he looked terrible last year. Maybe he needs to re-invent himself and become a relief pitcher like B. Morrow or W. Davis.

Hendricks also lives in the LA area, so it might have just been a proximity thing. Hendricks is in Chicago this winter, he works out at my gym. He's actually a really nice guy. Really? If you say so Tyson Chandler...

Was Hendricks the only player that attended? I like Hendricks and I'm glad he went, but I have to think Bryant and Rizzo would have a bigger impact on Ohtani. Apparently, Ohtani was really impressed by Trout and received a phone call from him before he decided to join the Angels.

I think D. Lee was the most complete hitter I've ever seen while watching the Cubs. His performance in 2005 was amazing and MVP-worthy. I also like his stance and how he uses a leg kick, but it's not for everyone. D. Lee had great hands and a great swing. I really wouldn't try to get J. Heyward to start using a bigger leg kick. Not a good idea. Heyward has timing issues, and a leg kick could further mess up his timing at the plate. If he wants more power he needs to start utilizing his lower half and properly distribute weight during his swing. A lot of times when his front foot lands it's sliding forward or looks awkward, and he just uses his arms and upper body to power the ball.

This isn't the best way to observe any changes (if he's made any to his swing). I mean it looks pretty similar to me. I hope Chili Davis can work some magic on his swing. I always thought his swing (during his time on the Cubs) is too dependent on just arm strength and just utilizing his arms. He isn't using his wrists enough to rotate and square up with the ball. The path of his swing is also not great when/if you watch it in slow-motion. He also has problems with his front side opening up, and his weight distribution is also messed up on many of his swings. He relies too much on just using his arms and upper-body strength in his swings. I wanted to make a post about this during the season, but was too lazy and he honestly was hitting decently at the beginning of the year. I never believed in his early performance, and thought he would struggle again because the swing is still messed up. I mentioned all that in this thread. Again, I'm not an expert on swing mechanics so I can't break it down scientifically and tell you everything that is wrong with his swing. I've just watched a lot of baseball like most everyone here. My observations: Like I said, his right arm is locked up and way too straight. So many of his swings look like this from the sideview. It's not the worst swing ever, but it's not ideal. I believe he's late on this one, and again his arms are too straight (especially his right arm). He looks like this so often when he's swinging from the sideview. Again, just swinging with his arms and his timing is often off as well. If you watch other hitters you really start to notice how rigid his arms are, and how little he utilizes his wrists. http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Chicago+Cubs+v+Atlanta+Braves+OpNKS4AHlaol.jpg Finally, I found a swing from his days in Atlanta, and this one looks a lot better. It also looks pretty different from the other swings. His right arm isn't straight and "locked in" and he has a better angle to the ball in this swing. I had other pics that show the same flaws, but what's the point? Again, I'm not a swing mechanics expert and his swing does look okay occasionally when he times it right. I have no idea how the Cubs intend to fix him, but I hope he works hard and makes some positive changes to his swing. Sorry about the long post lol.

He actually said this lol? Wow, good burn at the expense of one of your own players...

Pretty happy with this signing. A little worried about how Maddon uses his best reliever/closer in high leverage situations and/or when he loses faith in a couple relievers during parts of the season. B. Morrow will need adequate rest and careful monitoring to be effective. I think we'll have to limit his workload here and there to make sure he's good to go come playoff time. Great contract. Now, we can move on from W. Davis.

So the Cardinals are probably not getting Stanton, and it honestly has to sting that a top player doesn't want to go there. It seems like Cards fans and writers then want the team to focus on the other Marlins OFs (Yelich and Ozuna) as trade targets. That raises a couple questions: A. Why do they think the Marlins are going to move all their best players? Another "fire sale" or however you want to describe it will not go over well with the fanbase and is a bad way to start off for Jeter and company. B. Are the Cardinals really willing to give up what it will take to trade for Yelich and/or Ozuna? It will be harder than trading for Stanton undoubtedly. A lot of teams are going to be interested in Yelich and Ozuna if they become available. Don't do this again Marlins. Say NO to a fire......................(sale).

I'm actually starting to worry they're too good at getting that tank W. Only half-joking...

It's nothing. Just speculation that maybe he has known from the beginning who he will sign with and that because he crammed 7 meetings into two days this process might be for show. There are no real quotes, just a one word quote from an executive involved wondering if his team is being "played." That's a dumb article. Ohtani has got nothing to gain by pretending to have interest in some of these teams -- he can't start a bidding war. Maybe he has a favorite club in mind, but I don't think he's being disingenuous with these clubs. I think he has genuine interest in the final 7 teams, and wants to see how he'll fit in each clubhouse. He's definitely a baseball savant who is "wired" differently from every other player and I think some clubs aren't used to it.

The consensus amongst the Internet publications is this is a very deep draft. Callis said it might the best draft since 2011. Yeah, I know -- I've read that as well, but I think it's too soon to make that call. We'll need to see how these prospects are doing in the spring of next year. Health and performance can vary drastically for these young players leading up to the draft. I really like the 2012 draft class so I'm not so sure about that claim.

Yeah, the new rules are pretty confusing for FA compensation. I'm pretty excited for this year's draft class. I think it might be better than last year's draft class overall.

So K. Maitan got more than I was expecting. I was down on him after reading the latest scouting reports, but apparently some MLB teams still really like him. I wanted the Cubs to sign him, but not at that price. Not too many other former Braves' prospects I care about at this point.

What? Are you upset that he didn't immediately cancel the meetings with those other teams after the Cubs' presentation lol?

Hasn't Theo already been in a room with him, though? Didn't most teams schedule meetings with him in LA this weekend? I'm sure Theo and Jed met Ohtani and his agent when the Cubs did their presentation. I don’t think anyone has actually met with him or his reps. They’ve just sent in their questionnaire and maybe their presentation in PowerPoint or video form. He reviewed all those and is picking what 5 or so to go face to face meetings with now, I think. Oh okay. Well, that's one of way of doing it I guess. I thought teams were getting short 30 minute sessions with Ohtani and his agents this weekend in LA.