http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...ys-gm-andrew-friedman-leaving-to-join-dodgers Most in the media would like to draw some comparisons between the two. Unfortunately, the only real comparisons that can be made is that they are both Jewish and one is an absolute failure at trying to be a copycat. Friedman brings real proven baseball brains to the Dodger organization along with the funds backing him to make the Dodgers exceptionally dangerous moving forward. Colletti is given a "promotion" of sorts as a result. Appears that the Cubs will have to get by teams such as this to get to the World Series, a path that clearly appears further out of reach due to their lack of brains at top positions in the FO. As the young players from the Cubs grow older, when is the right moment to "put the hammer down" ?
This is who the cubs should have gotten for their talent rebuild, but all water under the bridge now. Dodgers clearly want to improve their farm, and over the next 2-4 years will begin shedding the big contracts. It may start in a couple weeks with Hanley Ramirez. Not sure what the plan is with him; MLBTrade Rumors says: the Dodgers? primary offseason goal is to inject more youth into their roster, as ?they?re terrified of becoming? a team loaded with declining veterans, a la the Phillies or Yankees. That explains Friedman. Dodgers are also fighting whether or not to move on from HanRam, and if they do, extend or not extend a QO.......Ramirez, though hot toward the end of 2014 had a down year he may accept, which he very likely may. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/hanley-ramirez
One thing is for sure Pat. The Dodgers will NOT be tanking multiple seasons in search of the FuckStein Holy Grail of baseball's rebuilding stupidity being a large market ballclub. As far as Hanley goes. He is still young and has a good five years in him if he stays healthy. He is an impact bat in the lineup that deserves respect from opposing pitchers. If I were to try and move someone for prospects, it would be their first baseman. They could probably get a pitcher like Cashner or better for him. :-*
You mean their first baseman who isn't better than Rizzo, who's a top 1B in the NL according to our resident genius on the weather in his poster name?
Why would they have to tank? They already have enough players now to be competitive. Their aging players are going by the wayside, but when you are left with Puig, Kershaw, Ryu, Greinke, A-Gon, Gordon, Kemp, Howell, Jensen, and soon to be Pederson, you already have the foundation you need and can start dumping off players and can pick and choose your battles. To me it shows that teams want to be fiscally responsible, and that yet another attempt to buy a WS has failed miserably. Funny they mentioned the Yankees and Phillies as I stated to another poster the other day and said they were trending badly the wrong way. Also funny how they want to get younger too just like in Boston. :-* But this is not even close to the Cubs, and they would not have tanked either given the team that is in place right now. To have Soriano, Shark, Byrd, Rizzo and Castro is a far cry from the aforementioned talent that the Dodgers have or had.
Their contention windows closed. Were we talking about the decline of the Phillies from 07-2011? Probably towards the end, but no, we werent. They had 5 years and won 1. Same with the Yankees. Its the nature of baseball. You suck, you get good, you got a couple years to get to the post season, you crumble, then you suck again, building it all back from the ground up. Rinse, wash, repeat. I think you're reading too much into something that's not there. Its plain and quite simple, if you don't get the job done, they find someone who they think will. That's any sport. If Freidman was allowed a 120 million dollar team payroll, think he'd have done Tampa Bay a lot differently? Fuck yes he would have, but he didn't. Friedman made a lot of cheap pieces work and had a manager that got a lot out of table scraps. He had to constantly cycle talent then restock when he couldn't afford a 15 million dollar a year guy. He's got a different animal in LA. He cant hide behind Lowly Tampa Bay/St. Pete's market where in the grand scheme of things, win or lose they aren't taken seriously as they are big markets. In LA--he's gonna have to produce. Has nothing to to with fiscal responsibility. All that matters is if he can get LA from where they are beyond.
Maybe you should inject the rinse, wash, repeat thing to some people who seem to think that you are not supposed to suck and have to build it back up. And as far as the Phillies are concerned, they should have started gutting the team during their second stretch of bad baseball, but instead, they tried to hang on to days gone by and re-signed aging players that were not going to get any better. They did the "try at all costs" thing the past few years and it has netted them absolutely nothing. In LA, Friedman is going to get their payroll under control. Watch and see. It will be high for a while, but in the end, he will have balance and not just high profiled guys. If you start going around that team and you look to have Puig, Kemp and Pederson in the outfield, and Gordon, A-Gon, and maybe Ramirez, then the rest you can get rid of and they can make a more positive move and possibly go after Russell Martin again. Taking Beckett, Crawford, Ethier, and Haren from that team would be a good thing. They need young energy supplied to that team, kind of like when Puig was introduced last year and they went on a huge run. Friedman won't get a good price for any of those aging guys, so there will probably be some bargains out there for someone. The only one I would possibly be interested in is Crawford to play left if they could get him for some salary relief which is quite possible. He wouldn't be bad in the 2-hole. Between Crawford and Ethier, they are owed 118 million or so over the next three years, and they don't need either one on the team. Something is going to give.
The a Cubs have been stuck in rinse mode and they smell like shit from not washing their balls and asshole's with soap.
I can't see too many teams lining up to take a 31 and 32 year old OF due a lot of money. Pulling a Soriano or Vernon Wells will be a pain, because they're still going to have to eat 80% of those contracts, which at the end of the day, like dishing Soriano to NY I think is stupid. If you're going to pay them, get production from them. I think they start by not keeping Hanley Ramirez. He will cost a penny. Kemp will fetch more than both these guys. They'll probably eat less of his contract to move him too. If the Dodgers do want to cut payroll, after arbitration, a couple declined options, and maybe a trade they can get to the 200-210 mil range from this year's 230 mil (https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tBbMgiEHXYczpjt0I7dajQQ&output=html) Its all about mentality. One argument is perfectly fine with sucking to get the better talent potential with higher draft picks to rebuild. The other wants to remain at least competitive. Some people are okay with throwing in the towel before the fight starts for 3 years. Some dont. Its called opinion. I don't like intentionally sucking, I detest sucking on purpose for the draft pick. I know talent exists outside the top 10 picks in the draft. No, we likely wouldn't have Bryant, but I do think the rebuild would be cut a year or two shorter trying to be so. I also think Colin Moran would have been picked instead of Bryant, and he aint half bad looking either. Then again, the Marlins traded him if I'm not mistaken to Houston or Texas........thought I heard that earlier this past June/July.
Sorry, that is wrong. The fanboys have already stated that the only way to get talent is to draft in the top ten despite the numerous facts provided them.
Considering they're already at luxury tax limits for 2015 with plenty of contracts still to write, I think there's something to be said for that. I think part of their goal was to hire more of an effective asset manager type, at least in the short term. Since luxury tax penalties increase for consecutive years, I think finances are a big part of the hire when looking at the short and/or intermediate term. They're in one of those doom loops of suckage in terms of spending and they have to get out of it, these owners aren't going to stand for tanking imo. They threw a monster chunk of actual cash out for the team in the sale, and they want it back faster. I don't think what they'll be doing for the next 2 to 4 years will be indicative of what the long term model will look like. That's the truth. It's always interesting to see how gms/pres/execs adjust in a transition to a dramatically different market and business model. While there are plenty of advantages going to LA, there are plenty of things going on there that will keep him from doing business the same way he did TB. Expectations and monetary pressures (sponsors, STHs, etc.) change things quite a bit. Overall, I'm confident he'll do well for a couple years, but I'm going to wait 3 years before I call this a great move or a mistake. I would think a franchise like LA would have wanted to bring in execs from larger markets who are used to doing business in a more similar market. In the short term, a candidate like Friedman makes the most sense but long term I'm skeptical until the finish with all the rest of the turnover in the FO.
I disagreed that they rinsed. I think they just amputated the smelly parts. Hopefully everything grows back and they install a shower.
Nope. Quit lumping Wrigs or Hurricanes comments as commonplace for everyone who disagrees with you. There is no more statistical proof that trying to field a competitive team gets them anywhere closer to where they are today with a well stocked farm, players on the cusp of developing into everyday ballplayers, and financial flexibility which is what ALL teams want. That is strictly your opinion and what would make YOU happy. They have gutted the team, improved every year, and are poised to start adding some pieces to the team to keep the flow trending upward. That is the way they choose to make it work. I think they have done rather well trending the team upward with young kids even after losing some of the talent they have, and still have many waiting in the wings to compete in the farm. Now they can start adding pieces too. Three years ago, I didn't agree with plan, but every year it starts to make a lot more sense. Strictly my opinion and not FACT. Guess that makes me a fanboy. :-* You will come around sooner or later.
Fair enough. I apologize for jumping the gun and assuming they were even in the shower to begin with. *DRINK*
As a whole, this has been some of the most unwatchable baseball I have seen from the Cubs since the years (1976-1983). There is no excuse for it. I am tired of watching a team out of it after the first month of the season. This has been some weak assed shit with a lot of hot fucking air fueling it. Until the FO steps up to the plate I am not falling for their PR bullshit and buying their stories of hope. After watching my team waste three years of baseball they had best deliver on the fucking WS or this regime goes down as one enormous colossal failure for the history books. They need to fucking deliver or get the fuck out because their bullshit has grown very tiresome.
Well, since you are going to stop watching, just give me your number and I will call you and let you know when. Don't worry, it won't be long.
I am tired of watching losing baseball concerning our Cubs. I can give you my number but it will be to exchange recipes and talk dirty to each other...... :-*
