Around The MLB: Free Agent Signings And Trades Discussion Thread

[TL1961]

And if he did he'd do it for a team that's a playoff team

Well, if he did sign with the Cubs, they have as good a shot at the playoffs as most any other team he could go to.

 

[brett05]

Well, if he did sign with the Cubs, they have as good a shot at the playoffs as most any other team he could go to.

No he wouldn't. The Cubs are not that close. It helps to give them two studs in the rotation and maybe Arrieta repeats, but the drop off there is massive. And you are banking on a lot of specs being studs from the get go. No, the Cubs aren't in the same boat as the Cards or Pirates in their own division.

 

[chibears55]

No he wouldn't. The Cubs are not that close. It helps to give them two studs in the rotation and maybe Arrieta repeats, but the drop off there is massive. And you are banking on a lot of specs being studs from the get go. No, the Cubs aren't in the same boat as the Cards or Pirates in their own division.

Drop off where ? in rotation ?
If they signed sheilds..

Lester Arrieta Shields Hammel Hendricks

Ehhh not really a massive drop off. .
Hammel and Hendricks are both capable of winning 10+ games...

You wanna talk massive drop off , you can look at the sox rotation after top 2 - 3


Bryant Soler and Baez dont need to be studs, just average or better...

Cubs can very easily be an 85+ win team basically because of the pure talent on the team but yes if they dont play to what their capable of they can just as easily lose 85 + games. ..

 

[TL1961]

No he wouldn't. The Cubs are not that close. It helps to give them two studs in the rotation and maybe Arrieta repeats, but the drop off there is massive. And you are banking on a lot of specs being studs from the get go. No, the Cubs aren't in the same boat as the Cards or Pirates in their own division.

I am banking on a lot more production from Bryant than from last year's combo of Olt/Valbuena.

I am counting on a lot more production from Soler than we got last year in RF.

We added an OBP guy at the top, a better defensive catcher.

If you don't think it's an improvement over 2014 to be adding Lester, Shields, another month of Arrieta and another three months of Hendrick and even Wada over Jackson and the other guys who filled in at the 5 spot last year, I don't know what to say.

I think there's a 1 in 1000 chance that Shields would ever play for the Cubs anyway, so it's moot - but if he was added to the rotation, you STILL don't think they're a playoff team??

Adding Lester and Shields and bringing up NO prospects would have the Cubs damn close to contention. Soler will be a huge addition to the lineup. Bryant will, too, even if half of what experts predict.

Oh, and that guy so many have written off over at 2nd? K's or no K's, if he doesn't produce more than Darwin Fuckin' Barney it will be a miracle.

And Alcantara, who is ten times better than anyone seems to think, will be a plus as well.

So, to sum it up, if we get anything at all from Baez and Alcantara - or only one of them - and half of what is possible from Bryant and Soler, we are in the discussion.

No, I am not expecting four prospects to be MVP candidates, nor am I predicting a Cy Young for Lester. (Not saying those things are out of the question, but not counting on them. Not by a long shot.)

Playoff contention doesn't mean winning the WS or even the division. It means 85-88 wins.

 

[TL1961]

Drop off where ? in rotation ?
If they signed sheilds..

Lester Arrieta Shields Hammel Hendricks

Ehhh not really a massive drop off. .

You wanna talk massive drop off , you can look at the sox rotation after top 2 - 3


Bryant Soler and Baez dont need to be studs, just average or better...

Cubs can very easily be an 85+ win team basically because of the pure talent on the team but yes if they dont play to what their capable of they can just as easily lose 85 + games. ..

Hendricks had a quality start every time he took the mound, but even as our #5, some consider him "a massive drop off". I expect he'll have a tougher time this year, but I don't know that for sure. But last year he was a good #3. Now he's suddenly a bad #5? Nah.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Hendricks had a quality start every time he took the mound, but even as our #5, some consider him "a massive drop off". I expect he'll have a tougher time this year, but I don't know that for sure. But last year he was a good #3. Now he's suddenly a bad #5? Nah.

Hendricks does worry me but I agree he probably wouldn't at #5 but he's the 4 isn't he? Lester, Arrietta, Hammell, Hendricks and s competition between Wood, Turner, Doubront, Wada and maybe Jackson. Is that not correct?

Edit: ah reading is a skill, 5 if Shields was signed.

The thing is this team doesn't necessarily need pitching it needs to score runs. They can get pitching at the deadline if they need a playoff rotation.

 

[TL1961]

Cubs grab another guy from Boston.

Drake Britton, a LHP who Theo drafted in 2007 was picked up on waivers.

As a reliever, he pitched a total of 27.2 innings the last two years at the MLB level for the Red Sox, with an ERA of 2.93.

 

[brett05]

Cubs grab another guy from Boston.

Drake Britton, a LHP who Theo drafted in 2007 was picked up on waivers.

As a reliever, he pitched a total of 27.2 innings the last two years at the MLB level for the Red Sox, with an ERA of 2.93.

Hurt?

 

[beckdawg]

Hurt?

From what i've ready they just had better options and are limited on space on the 40 man because of a lot of high level talent.

 

[TL1961]

FWIW, and it may be little, but comments on ESPN from Red Sox fans were asking why they kept losing good people, vs. "Thank God" or "Good riddance!", so I guess he did Ok.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Haven't seen much talk about the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes on here. Obviously the Cubs are out since they can't spend any international money until June but the Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees are definitely in on this kid who's expected to get as much a $110 million as a 19 year old. Some are saying he's the best of the Cuban players over teh last 7 or 8 years. Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

 

[chibears55]

Haven't seen much talk about the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes on here. Obviously the Cubs are out since they can't spend any international money until June but the Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees are definitely in on this kid who's expected to get as much a $110 million as a 19 year old. Some are saying he's the best of the Cuban players over teh last 7 or 8 years. Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Just curious if this could happen or not....

But say Moncada wants to join the Cubs, couldn't he just agree with the max the cubs have to offer under international rules and then at sone point afterwards renegotiate a new contract.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Just curious if this could happen or not....

But say Moncada wants to join the Cubs, couldn't he just agree with the max the cubs have to offer under international rules and then at sone point afterwards renegotiate a new contract.

Theoretically yes and it's been speculated that the Cubs had those discussions with his camp but the fact that they haven't been one fo the teams to bring him in for a private workout would seem to preclude that. The good news is that the Yankees and Red Sox are already precluded from signing international players about the $350K limit for two years beginning in June and if the Dodgers sign Moncada that would leave the Cubs all alone among big spenders in that market in that next period to spend at will, until their own two year ban of course.

 

[beckdawg]

Just curious if this could happen or not....

But say Moncada wants to join the Cubs, couldn't he just agree with the max the cubs have to offer under international rules and then at sone point afterwards renegotiate a new contract.

Pretty sure once he's part of their system they own him on your minor league contract. If he wants to join the cubs he'd just wait til june(cubs could offere w/e then) to sign but all indications are he has no desire to do so.

 

[SilenceS]

Mlb tonight said last night that his camp is in no hurry to sign. They think he will get around 80 million and would to spend about two years in the minors and a club would have him for 6 on the big club. The Dodgers, Red Sox. And Yankees are favorite but his camp may hold off until everyone can throw their bids in ala the Cubs. The dude looks like he is 27 with his body


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[TL1961]

Tigers' DH Victor Martinez to have surgery on a torn medial meniscus.

Who can we send them? Castillo? Vogelbach?

Hell, Travis Wood can hit!

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Yoan Moncada to sign with the Red Sox in somewhere in the $30 million range.

 

[brett05]

Yoan Moncada to sign with the Red Sox in somewhere in the $30 million range.

Which I read will cost the Red Sox another $30 million in fines

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Which I read will cost the Red Sox another $30 million in fines

Yep, part of the deal with the current rules. They were already over the limit though so the two year ban would have taken effect in June regardless. What's interesting is that of teams that dip their toes in these waters The Dodgers never got fully in on Moncada and might have their eye on some of the pitchers that will available this summer.

 

[SilenceS]

Soler looks like a steal now.