Salami, I will ask one simple question and I hope you answer truthfully one way or another. Have you ever seen this many top of the line prospects come up at the same time with a team with a ton of payroll left to spend? I am talking this highly rated and this highly skilled whether they fail or not. Have you ever seen this type of talent ready at the same time with the money the Cubs have to spend?
For a catcher, he has an average to above average bat. Behind the plate, he can block balls very well and has a nice rocket arm on steal attempts. Great throwout rate. My problem is him calling games. He sucks. Flat out. In what world with 2 outs, men on 2nd and 3rd, and an 0-2 count to Justin Morneau against Colorado a month or so back do you call an inside the strike zone fastball up in the zone from Travis Wood? Premier hitters, great hitters know to be defensive and do damage with that. Morneau took Wood 400 feet to right field. What happens when this team starts winning and in a pivotal game or division race he calls a dumb pitch and serves up a 3 run shot? Russell Martin is far better at calling games. Get him. I haven't seen much of Schwarber call games (truth be told, I only care about his bat) but he said he's committed to catcher. Good. I like 2 way catchers. Next minor league season I'll pay more attention if I can get video playback. I've noticed how Arrieta has missed specific locations Castillo sets up for him during his successes. I wonder why....... I'll look forward to the prospects and potential they bring. I'll be half full. But if this team starts winning, and gets blended with vets and specs, this bozo should find a new spot. He's a liability in one of the most paramount necessities when it comes to being a catcher. Lucroy, Molina, Weiters, and Posey (though he's gonna be a 1B) call the best games in the league.
The Cubs need to pick up a table setter and this could get fun. High OBP guys like Span, and put Alcantara in the 2-hole, and you would definitely have speed at the top. Any of those two, or both get on, and it will make things very difficult for other teams to face the likes of Bryant, Rizzo, Soler, Baez, and Castro.
Baez won't be as bad. Alcantara will be better? How do you know? This is why being cheap and worrying about a player's FA year is foolish when in the Cubs position. Should have been up ll year getting at bats.
Because they basically would have to break a leg to be worse. Also, the Cubs werent cheap with Baez. They could have kept him down but decided to start the tires. Alcantara wasnt ready until this year and neither was Baez.
No! He shouldn't have been up because they are currently paying people like Valbuena, Coghlan and Soler to name a few. The Cubs had plenty enough young people up to give them a look, and Bryant would have just crowded the situation even more and not given him enough at bats. It was an easier call up for Alcantara and Baez because they dealt Barney and Bonafacio, and they also wanted to see how Alcantara handled CF. Joc Pederson batted .303 with a .435 OBP in AAA for the Dodgers. The Dodgers then called him up in September and he has had a grand total of 21 AB's, and is batting .143. I don't know if they will keep him on the playoff roster or not, but I am also not sure what a handful of AB's is going to do for him this year. Baez, Alcantara, Hendricks, and Wada all had sufficient amount of time in the majors and got a good taste of what to expect because of who was dealt. Bryant knows where he stands and where he will be in 6 months, and he has more than earned his promotion for next year. It is not a big deal for him to get 30-40 AB's in the majors. You get the other ones on pace, and then you allow Bryant to join them. To me, there would be nothing worse than 3 of them having trouble hitting major league pitching. Bring them into the majors incrementally, unless their hand is forced.
Soriano's WAR was a whopping .9 in four months with the Cubs in 2013 and you sucked his dick. But Rizzo's 2.2 over a full season with the Cubs meant he was a liability according to your genius expertise.
I choose not to wish in one hand and shit in the other. When the Cubs are serious, I believe Renteria will no longer be the manager. They are going to need someone that has experience in the post season and knows how to handle a ballclub. I seriously doubt they are going to spend the big money and have that putz managing the team. Rick sucks. The only prospects that I have been impressed with this year are Soler and Hendricks. Baez and Alcantara look extremely over-matched. I don't get excited about players from the farm until they make contributions at the ML level. I don't care about where they are ranked or how much media hype they receive. This team as it sits sucks and will not be competing for a playoff spot next year unless the dickheads in the front office buy some players to turn things around. Pretty simple.
And what happened? Sori got red hot come summer time the way he always did. Went to NY and kept them in the WC Race for August. Sori got dealt and Rizzo plummetted worse without his bat protection in the line up. Rizzo was batting .252 until July 26, Sori got dealt, then managed a Hall of Fame, Tour de Force output of .170 to finish the season....... But we forget about that. We forget Rizzo blew ass more than Soriano. We just hate Soriano. Because Hendry signed him. And he made a lot of money. And was an "albatross" contract on the 3rd biggest MLB market of 18 million a year. And Theo didn't like that. DJ, get over it. Spin it anyway you want to make yourself feel better. Rizzo sucked in 2013. My comment mirrored my opinion, which was that Rizzo played as bad as Andy LaRoche. He changed in 2014, I'm happy. Soriano was better in 2013 too champ, hate to tell you. I just hope Schwarber is better than the #5-9 pick, had the cubs kept Sori, they would have won some games in August. Not too much unless we change the topic that needs to be discussed. And yet, KB will get blamed for derailing the thread.
And what happened? Sori got red hot come summer time the way he always did. Went to NY and kept them in the WC Race for August. Soriano had one good month for the Cubs - July. He had sported a god-awful .274 on-base or something like that through June 25. His hot streaks had started much sooner than that earlier in his Cubs career. His early 2013 struggles weren't a cold streak. It was a sign of age. Using your same logic, the Yankees too gave up on him too soon since he was bound to go on a late-summer hot streak here in 2014. Brian Cashman must be such a moron because he got even less for Soriano than Theo did. Sori got dealt and Rizzo plummetted worse without his bat protection in the line up. Rizzo was batting .252 until July 26, Sori got dealt, then managed a Hall of Fame, Tour de Force output of .170 to finish the season....... Oh well. Sophomore slumps happen. That, and the fact the Sveum's dumbass never could quite figure out that Nate Schierholtz was not an adequate cleanup hitter behind him. But we forget about that. We forget Rizzo blew ass more than Soriano. We just hate Soriano. Because Hendry signed him. And he made a lot of money. Speak for yourself. Do you actually hate Soriano? I don't. I just don't like his contract that we're still eating as we speak for a guy that's no longer in the league. And was an "albatross" contract on the 3rd biggest MLB market of 18 million a year. And Theo didn't like that. Then we did he hang onto him for nearly two years after he took the Cubs job? DJ, get over it. Spin it anyway you want to make yourself feel better. Rizzo sucked in 2013. My comment mirrored my opinion, which was that Rizzo played as bad as Andy LaRoche. Did Andy LaRoche ever hit 40 doubles in a season? How about hit 20+ HR's? Drive in 80 runs? Draw 76 walks??? He changed in 2014, I'm happy. Really??? Because I don't think you are... And yet, KB will get blamed for derailing the thread. Yes, of course. Of all things that's what your lover will be blamed for.... Moving on now. What a waste. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLxbqYNkAPo
Strawman. You point is irrelevant. Because I think one way on one subject, I don't think it for every subject. Flawed thinking. He was bad on the Yankees and was given on and off chances, plus he got hurt this season. So you're allowed to exaggerate my point on Rizzo on one year but then turn around and exonerate him for sucking because its Sveum's fault. Or was it Theo's fault for ignoring the offense because he wanted to stockpile top draft picks? Refresh my memory, champ. I loved Soriano's signing. Hindsight is 20-20. Had the cubs not offered him that deal he may have gone to another team. Now we're talking different stories, likely no playoffs in 2007 and 2008 without another big signing. Newsflash--great players are still gonna get big money on the FA market. Because teams didn't give up top prospects, and the cubs didn't eat 18 of his 26 remaining million on contract. Plus he was, you know--useful. No, but LaRoche never struck out 1 in 5 at bats, or 127 times a season, and mustered a better average than .233, also batted 7th or 8th in pittsburgh. I am happy he's improved. The difference between you and me is you slurp everything Theo says, whereas I don't. He's the smartest poster when it comes to baseball on this board. The only waste is you on here trying to instigate a rouse....... Go back to CCS. They like you there.....
Regarding Theo, opinions differ. And to KB's point, he hasn't accomplished anything in Chicago sans the worst 3 year stretch in team history. But straight baseball, fantasy baseball (which he won in our rigged season after taking the first 2-3 months off--was it?) KB knows his shit. And DJ--well.......CCS can keep him. His one of a kind insight would be better suited over there.
The retreads don't really want him over there either. He will have to go back to his blog and entertain his four followers. Four more than I would care to have. :-*
Winning fantasy baseball means nothing. Not being a dick. You could have won it and it means nothing. KB can talk baseball when he doesnt have an agenda. He just always has an agenda.Also, he is one of those guys that is stuck in old school thought and brings in no new school. You dont adapt. You fail. I go back with him cause it humors me and always did say he does know what he is talking about when he stops his bullshit. He just has gone off the deep end on it. Everyone has an opinon and everyone is right and wrong with things. Its why baseball is great. If one planned worked, everyone would do it. This is actually giving props to KB so dont take this as a bashing post. Its just talk baseball and not anti Theo. For a couple of million, I would let Theo touch me! What? I didnt say that. :|
Regardless of what people think, he is accomplishing exactly what he wanted to. He knew that this wouldn't be a quick transition, and he was VERY transparent about it in the beginning and stated "he wouldn't listen to fans disapproval" to alter his actions, as easily as that would be to do. They stood firm. People see what they want to see, or as Boyd puts it, "wins at the major league level" is all that matters. That is true to an extent, and we will have to agree to disagree on the whole " farm thing first", and that certain people want the BOTH now, and others feel the BOTH is coming. There is the debate. The FO has a vision of how they want this to play out. They chose to do whatever it takes to build the farm up as quickly and as plentiful as possible, and that was by drafting high, and selling off all of it's assets. Will it work? Well, that answer remains to be seen. As far as measuring success, some point to the "worst three year stretch" in team history, when in reality, they bottomed out two years ago, and since then, have sold off parts to fill the farm and have actually improved every year since. If some are disappointed in the Cubs current record, or disappointed in the lack of quality players on the team, to me, all you have to do is go back 4 years to find that these young kids now have out performed that team record-wise, and they are currently only 3 games behind the 2010 team that featured D-Lee. Ramirez, Byrd, Soriano, Castro, Fukudome, Soto, Dempster, Zambrano, and Lilly. Talk about disappointment. So, do I see better times ahead? I certainly do. With this young group, and the free agent veterans that they will add, I think it will be a very good mix at the parent level, and I also like what I see down in the minors right now which is another thing that the FO was adamant about, and that was having waves of talent in the minors. The first wave is here, and the second one is coming, and yes, we all know that they will not all work out. That's why you need the waves to begin with. There are certain young players that are locked in to certain positions, now it is time to start putting players around them IMO because this is where it gets fun. I have read MANY quotes from players that were on the team at the start of the year, and players that have recently joined, and the talk and excitement on this team is off the charts. Granted they are still in last place, but it's starting to show in the record department from a team that could have very easily laid down and quit, especially after the trade-offs. I feel that they too know that better times are on the horizon, and we will soon see if other free agents think the same way, and hopefully in the end, we will all be happy. *DRINK*
Build the farm, I know. Make it so great players produce at the highest level. I'm cautiously optimistic. I know some of these kids will click, maybe not perfectly or as well as desired. I also know some of these kids will flat out bust. And the cubs will ride them until they are declared busts. Which means they will get negative production. If the Royals can make the playoffs for the first time in 20-something years, there will be better times ahead. This is also a double edged sword for both sides of the pendulum swing. Yes, KB saying 'wins at the ML level is all that matters is correct,' but true to an extent for the cubs right now. He's not one for moral victories. And depending on the moral victory, I typically don't either. No, I don't care if a young reliever strikes out a top hitter after the starter's been pulled and left with a bases loaded, 0 out situation. And I hate to do this because its the sign of a weak argument or something posters will do to try and put words in your mouth with the whole 'by that logic, you must think this;' but cant the same be said of those predicting future line ups of nothing but prospects, predicting how Bryant will be the next Glaus, Longoria, etc. How Baez will be the next Sheffield, Almora the next Elsbury, Schwarber the next Varitek, etc? Wins do matter, they are the most important thing; and what Theo's doing now is trying to build a team that can win. There are small victories right now we have to look at as we take the young route. Progression, regression. KB wants to skip all that, truth be told, me too. Next year is year 4 and now we're in the growing pains and cheap stages as Bryant should have been up this year. Delaying contract negotiations with Boras is only going to bite the cubs in the ass if he pans out. If Bryant pans out, either way he'll probably get 100-200 million by 28-29, so whats the issue holding him down when he's clearly done all he can at AAA? The cubs to me, seem to be running a horrible, penny pinching model that's high profit; but that's deviating from the team. I've worked for several companies who cut costs when troubling waters approach, doing more with less; and its backfired every time when in house maintenance gets ignored and then the big pipe bursts. I don't want that to bite them in the ass. Prospects alone aren't going to win a championship. And for the past 3 years now the cubs have nothing to show for it except their names on a fancy list. A top ranked farm system from Keith Law is only that. There is no championship trophy for that.
To be honest, even getting free agents isn't going to swing the pendulum one bit around here. If the Cubs sign Lester or Shields, people will say "it's about time" and/or "what took so long"? It won't be enough regardless, because even if the Cubs were at 150 million, and they didn't win the NLCS, Theo and his staff would be a failure........No? There is only one way to be voted the savior of this franchise, and that's to win it all. Of course, if he falls short, I think some would still feel he is substantially less than Hendry or Greene even though they both failed as well, and to me, it sounds like the same kind of people that use to crucify Hendry back in the old CBS days. I stood behind what he did then, and still do, but that is the past. I am now standing behind this front office because it is the now, and I don't like every move they make but I have to deal with it. And as much as people think they know about baseball around here, trust me, they don't, or else they would be doing it for a living. Hendry had his 9 or so years to prove what he could do, but subsequently fell short. I think the same opportunity should be given to this FO to see what they can do.
