Bull

Who walks away from 350 million a year?

Instead of returning to different classes of free agents (type a, type b, unclassified) like under the old system, would it be feasible to combine the two systems. Currently the qualifying offer is set as the average of the top 125 contracts (is it aav or current year?). What if the were two types/tiers of qualifying offers? One that is the average of the top 50 contracts and one that is the average of the next 50 contracts. Type a is a first round pick or sandwich (with a protected team losing their second rounder), type b is a second round pick (or sandwich if the surrendering team has already lost their second rounder). You can only offer one type a and one type b. The way this plays out this year: the cardinals have to offer Heyward a little better QO. He still turns it down, the Cubs sign him. Nothing changes. Lackey is offered a lower QO, he turns it down, nothing changes. The Cubs offer fowler a slightly lower QO. He still turns it down, but he is significantly more signable. Perhaps they offer him the higher QO and he accepts it. If he rejects it, he's rejecting $20m for a year, which is what he's being offered over two years now according to reports. He has chosen that gamble. It's much more likely the Cubs offer the type b offer. The Dodgers and Orioles are not able to offer three QOs in one year and lose one of their FAs for nothing, or stop structuring contracts that all end the same year. This makes it difficult on teams that have say a shwarber, Bryant, and Russell expiring at the same time, encouraging them to sign at least one of those players to a long term deal before that expiration season.

30 teams. 1 every 30 years. Sounds about right.

Add make it rain after selling the domain to the to do list.

Should make them feel better about moving carrasco for Soler.

Well now it's been so long I'm questioning my own knowledge. Didn't they have a salary cap back in the 90's? I'm losing it. Either way, point still stands. it was the 80s and they called it collusion Andre Dawson called it bullcrap.

b&

Agree. Thread title change, mods?

Trade Coghlan, not Soler. Fowler is an upgrade and a much better roster fit than Coghlan, swapping Fowler for Soler doesn't really move the needle. Also, with being a true CF, Schwarber catching/DHing, and Soler's proclivity for injury, odds are Dex would be able to get closer to 500 PA than 300 once the actual imperfect circumstances of the season play out. I agree with all of this. In fact, my opening day lineup would have fowler in cf and Soler as Dh. Sit Soler any time it's less than 50 degrees; with heyward's tendency for slow starts, you don't need both of them dragging you down. Rest Heyward occasionally in April. After that Schwarber and Soler would have force fowler out of the lineup. And they would. In mid May. Resign fowler with the promise that he's your opening day cf. if they are all 3 amazing in August, trade him and his very attractive contract for something better than a draft pick. If not, you've bought a very smart insurance policy.

Seconded

Very interesting. For all the talk of the Cubs tanking for high draft picks, there's surprisingly little from draft picks there. Although Cubs draftees were involved in some of those trades (cashner and samardszija) and some of the players recieved in trades wouldn't have been acquired by a team actually trying to win (Arrieta)

I don't get it. 4.04 R/G Aha. Shows 4.05 for me.

This David as a robot thing has gone through the funny/not funny cycle multiple times and gets more funny and more not funny every time around.

Well, I thought it was clever. I don't get it.

There tap out shirts

I have no empathy for the Yankees.

Fight da bum

TOO LATE HE ALREADY PROMISED also, optimistic treebird likes to think this is just him trying to reverse course and position the nl dh as something for the owners to concede in the upcoming labor talks instead of something they actually want. Nobody expects the double reverse fake-out! It's like the fake to first, fake to third.

not agile enough. he runs like a left fielder.

No way he signs if he has any indication he's a "fourth outfielder"

The one stat that demonstrates he is a star: WAR.

Translator, of course.

Beautiful outline form.

Backup shortstop who won't play because Russell doesn't need a backup. Baez traded for Cobb. Any better?

Fair enough. You were the second guy to comment something that made it sound like I was horrible person for making light of concussions. I just happen to find humor in everything. You name it, I can laugh at it. And my cervix is just fine, thank you. Wait, what? odd that you find humor in everything but tell someone making a joke not to lecture you. Yep, probably should have responded to nonprofitcow's smug response instead.