Castro and Cubs reach a seven year deal

[Jntg4]

no goldstein has mentioned as well as kasper that is what he will be. no with the OBP and numbers from last year I see your point...2+2=4 so that would be nice if he collected all attributes at once and was that type of hitter.

I think a lot has to do with advanced scouting with him. I think he is still a raw player with "potential" to be very good and I believe other teams are starting to figure him out. he obviously needs to make a counter adjustment. his at bats remind me of viciedo without the power....approach and quick at bats.

Viciedo without power? Castro's SLG is just .11 points lower... it isn't like one has power and the other doesn't, pretty small difference. Back before the ASG you were saying that .20 SLG wasn't a big difference, but .11 is?

Oh, and overall Castro is better offensively, 98 OPS+ to a 94.

And another interesting stat I found that probably means nothing that I have just been looking at with difference players: waaWL% (not intended to be a point, just a side note random mention that doesn't relate to power)
Castro: .512
Viciedo: .489

 

[JosMin]

Guess this means Castro won't be getting shopped. The nucleus in the field of Castro, Rizzo, Jackson, Soler, Almora and Vitters is pretty enticing. Hopefully some of the pitching prospects from the last two drafts pan out. This winter is going to be interesting, to say the least. I wonder if we may try to bring in some smaller-scale free agents to two or three-year deals in order to bridge the gap in all the prospects' development?

 

[waldo7239117]

Or their do what they did this off-season ... sign a FA to a cheap contract, limted years and trade him at the deadline for young players. Just like the Paul Maholm kind of situation.

 

[waldo7239117]

One player I would be fine with bring to in to be a filler until Almora is ready ... BJ Upton. His stats don't show well, but if they can get him for cheap, I think willl be a good signing. Also, I think a change of scenery will be for the best.

Soler is at least a season away and when DeJesus leaves, Soler will take his spot.

AlmorA is a good 2-3 years way and Upton will fill in until he's ready.

2013: LF-Upton, CF-Jackson, RF-DeJesus
2014: LF-Upton, CF-Jackson, RF-Soler
2015: LF-Jackson, CF-Almora, Soler ----------------------if Almora is ready, have Upton... If Almora is ready later in the season, move Upton to 4th OF.

So a contract to Upton of 2 years with a CO for the 3rd year (The CO depending on the readyness of Almora.).

 

[Jntg4]

One player I would be fine with bring to in to be a filler until Almora is ready ... BJ Upton. His stats don't show well, but if they can get him for cheap, I think willl be a good signing. Also, I think a change of scenery will be for the best.

Soler is at least a season away and when DeJesus leaves, Soler will take his spot.

AlmorA is a good 2-3 years way and Upton will fill in until he's ready.

2013: LF-Upton, CF-Jackson, RF-DeJesus
2014: LF-Upton, CF-Jackson, RF-Soler
2015: LF-Jackson, CF-Almora, Soler ----------------------if Almora is ready, have Upton... If Almora is ready later in the season, move Upton to 4th OF.

So a contract to Upton of 2 years with a CO for the 3rd year (The CO depending on the readyness of Almora.).

Soler will not be up as a starter for the 2014.

 

[waldo7239117]

Soler will not be up as a starter for the 2014.

If he produces, I bet we'll see him sometime in 2014... the Cubs find a filler until then.

 

[Jntg4]

Guess this means Castro won't be getting shopped. The nucleus in the field of Castro, Rizzo, Jackson, Soler, Almora and Vitters is pretty enticing. Hopefully some of the pitching prospects from the last two drafts pan out. This winter is going to be interesting, to say the least. I wonder if we may try to bring in some smaller-scale free agents to two or three-year deals in order to bridge the gap in all the prospects' development?

LOL @ mentioning Vitters but not our top prospect (Javier Baez)

 

[dabynsky]

no goldstein has mentioned as well as kasper that is what he will be. no with the OBP and numbers from last year I see your point...2+2=4 so that would be nice if he collected all attributes at once and was that type of hitter.

I think a lot has to do with advanced scouting with him. I think he is still a raw player with "potential" to be very good and I believe other teams are starting to figure him out. he obviously needs to make a counter adjustment. his at bats remind me of viciedo without the power....approach and quick at bats.

I think the counter adjustment has been made by Castro though. The total results are coming the past 12 games (.348/.400/.543), but he has been hitting for more power and being vastly more patient since the switch in hitting coaches just wasn't getting singles at the same rate as the rest of his career. Bottomline is the people that have the most information think he is going to be better than that. You don't lock up a 7th hitter for 7 years 60 million.

 

[mountsalami]

What makes people believe that Almora and Soler are going to be starting ?
Is it just because Theo and The Gang drafted them ?
Why waste two or three years.
If the young ones don't work out is the idea to continue waiting and hoping for talent to develop.
Pittsburgh has done this for years.
I'm not so sure that everything this Cub's regime touches turns to gold.
Prospects rarely become anything tangible at the ML level. But now the idea is to build the whole team behind this theory that has never worked.
I seriously doubt Upton's coming to the Cubs on a two-three year deal.

 

[mountsalami]

My bad I shouldn't say whole, I mean to say most.
Sorry.

 

[Rice Cube]

What makes people believe that Almora and Soler are going to be starting ?
Is it just because Theo and The Gang drafted them ?
Why waste two or three years.
If the young ones don't work out is the idea to continue waiting and hoping for talent to develop.
Pittsburgh has done this for years.
I'm not so sure that everything this Cub's regime touches turns to gold.
Prospects rarely become anything tangible at the ML level. But now the idea is to build the whole team behind this theory that has never worked.
I seriously doubt Upton's coming to the Cubs on a two-three year deal.

My standard response:

http://worldseriesdreaming.com/2011/12/22/why-prospects/

Plus I will note that teams such as the Atlanta Braves, Yankees and Red Sox all succeeded with a mostly home-grown core. Tampa Bay has been unlucky in the playoffs but they've been contending consistently for the past few years. The Phillies championship was built off of home-grown talent as well. Part of the difference is that the Cubs never developed the right kind of talent or made the right draft picks. Now you have a front office who's had success in the past. The other issue is that if you're going after marquee free agents, then someone else had to have developed those players, and so you ask yourself, what are those guys doing right that the Cubs aren't? Why can't the Cubs do it right themselves then and save some $?

 

[mountsalami]

My standard response:

http://worldseriesdreaming.com/2011/12/22/why-prospects/

Plus I will note that teams such as the Atlanta Braves, Yankees and Red Sox all succeeded with a mostly home-grown core. Tampa Bay has been unlucky in the playoffs but they've been contending consistently for the past few years. The Phillies championship was built off of home-grown talent as well. Part of the difference is that the Cubs never developed the right kind of talent or made the right draft picks. Now you have a front office who's had success in the past. The other issue is that if you're going after marquee free agents, then someone else had to have developed those players, and so you ask yourself, what are those guys doing right that the Cubs aren't? Why can't the Cubs do it right themselves then and save some $?

Good information on your view point.
I believe the Yankees and Red Sox the whole time during their "in house" were top ten in payroll for the last twenty years, which tells be they were able to do both, field a competitive major league ballclub and hone their farm system at the same time. They continually signed legitimate big league talent and sprinkled in prospects as need.
It just wasn't one or the other.
The Cubs are the third highest revenue team in baseball and can do both.
Ricketts has cut the payroll every year since owning the team.
He has been the master of PR to this point.

 

[mountsalami]

The biggest weapon the Cubs have is money.
They could easily outspend the other teams in the division and have a shot at winning the division every year.
I don't promote just to overspend, but outside of MAYBE Rizzo and Castro they really have nothing else.

 

[waldo7239117]

I have no responce ... I'll just stay out of it.

 

[Rice Cube]

I have no responce ... I'll just stay out of it.

Technically this is a response :lol:

 

[Rice Cube]

I forgot if we did this in this thread, but look at this link:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/04/2013-mlb-free-agents.html

Then tell us who you would sign.

 

[Captain Obvious]

Good information on your view point.
I believe the Yankees and Red Sox the whole time during their "in house" were top ten in payroll for the last twenty years, which tells be they were able to do both, field a competitive major league ballclub and hone their farm system at the same time. They continually signed legitimate big league talent and sprinkled in prospects as need.
It just wasn't one or the other.
The Cubs are the third highest revenue team in baseball and can do both.
Ricketts has cut the payroll every year since owning the team.
He has been the master of PR to this point.

So you wanted Ricketts to spend, spend, spend? How would that have cured an already old, declining team? Ricketts came in in a bad situation and while yes, he has been a master of PR, that's about all he can do. He can't take over and make sudden rash changes. We've seen how that plays out. It doesn't work. He took his time and started with the behind the scenes and getting a complete overhaul there. Which makes sense, does it not? They're the ones who are going to be directly running this team. If you give a crappy GM a good team, he's still a crappy GM. But if you give a crappy team to a good GM, something can be done. One of the things that I really admire in Ricketts is his patience and while in the mean time, he has been running the team like a business, that's a good thing. He has been promoting the team to get people in there. Without the people showing up when we suck, it's going to be harder to get the money that we need to succeed. When a CEO takes over a failing company, he doesn't immediately fire everyone does he? No. He takes his time and learns what he needs to learn so he can make an educated decision on who to fire and who to keep.

 

[Jntg4]

I forgot if we did this in this thread, but look at this link:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/04/2013-mlb-free-agents.html

Then tell us who you would sign.

Henry Blanco - starting catcher
Mark DeRosa - starting third baseman
Eric Hinske - starting left fielder
Alfredo Amezaga - starting center fielder
Mark Kotsay - starting right fielder
Doug Davis - starting pitcher
Rich Harden - starting pitcher
Rodrigo Lopez - starting pitcher
Kyle Fransworth - closer
Dave Bush - relief pitcher
Dontrelle Willis - relief pitcher

2013 World Champions :yep:

 

[waldo7239117]

Technically this is a response :lol:

True, but not to his opinions.

 

[Jntg4]

So you wanted Ricketts to spend, spend, spend? How would that have cured an already old, declining team? Ricketts came in in a bad situation and while yes, he has been a master of PR, that's about all he can do. He can't take over and make sudden rash changes. We've seen how that plays out. It doesn't work. He took his time and started with the behind the scenes and getting a complete overhaul there. Which makes sense, does it not? They're the ones who are going to be directly running this team. If you give a crappy GM a good team, he's still a crappy GM. But if you give a crappy team to a good GM, something can be done. One of the things that I really admire in Ricketts is his patience and while in the mean time, he has been running the team like a business, that's a good thing. He has been promoting the team to get people in there. Without the people showing up when we suck, it's going to be harder to get the money that we need to succeed. When a CEO takes over a failing company, he doesn't immediately fire everyone does he? No. He takes his time and learns what he needs to learn so he can make an educated decision on who to fire and who to keep.

Great post by CO

mind = blown that I agree with him about something