The Front Office And Ownership Thread

[CSF77]

I think the trade deadline will be telling. If Shark goes then personally I'll lose some faith because that means several years before they get the pieces to combine with the hitting. Say what you will about this current team being crappy but their starting rotation is actually quite good. I've resigned myself to Hammel being traded. However, he's only on a one year deal anyways. If Shark goes too then you're looking at not only rebuilding the positional players who by in large aren't good right now but you're also trying to find multiple starters.

I see them trading either Shark or Hammel unless they get a SP in return.

Ideally they Retain Shark and trade Hammel. Hammel is pitching over his talent right now. He is a back of the rotation.

What I see is 1 gone and either Wada or Hendricks back filling.

Wada: 4-1 1.22 ERA .83 WHIP
Hendricks 3-3 3.64 1.26 WHIP

Either one would be fine as a back fill.

Now on trading Shark I wouldn't do it unless we are talking about a Dylan Bundy return.

From Apr 23:
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/20...chado-buck-showalter-right-hander-dylan-bundy

Bundy throws breaking balls

Right-hander Dylan Bundy threw breaking balls Wednesday for the first time in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Bundy threw a 40-pitch bullpen session in Sarasota that included eight curveballs and several changeups.

Getting a feel for the breaking ball is really Bundy’s final step before the club can consider letting him pitch in games, Showalter said, but he wouldn’t give a timetable for when that will happen.

The organization believes Bundy could be an option in the majors at some point in June.

“I’ll leave that for [our staff] down there [in Sarasota],” Showalter said. “I don’t know exactly what day. I don’t think anybody is at that point yet.”

Would make sense for the O's if they are in the thick of it and Bundy becomes the future ace of the Cubs.

 

[beckdawg]

Ideally they Retain Shark and trade Hammel. Hammel is pitching over his talent right now. He is a back of the rotation.

As I've said, I think Hammel is a foregone conclusion to be traded. What I'm worried about is both him and Shark being traded. I think given the way he's pitching that Hammel can net slightly more than Feldman did but I'm not sure there's going to be much more than a hopeful a similar level replacement and another piece. For example, does anyone think Toronto would trade Sanchez for Hammel?

Honestly, I have said this before but I do wonder if they wouldn't be better off trying to get a quality OF player as the return. I'm not saying it has to be a top 25 prospect but if they got a hitting equivalent of Arrieta and another piece I wouldn't hate it. I think Hendricks can come up and fill the rotation spot for the second half and if he's good you have your replacement. If not you can look to replace the pitcher in FA.

On the other hand, if Sharks gone.... I don't know. That immediately means you're spending to replace him next FA which is really spinning the wheels more so than improving. Sure whatever shark returns is more pieces but I doubt they are getting much AA/AAA talent.

 

[Sunbiz1]

if the bleacher report article is to be believed nwfisch, then it's "wait until 2020" at least. but it's cool because AFTER all that, we'll have "sustained success".

How has 5 years somehow digressed into an entire decade?.

We all realize guaranteed contracts make rebuilding a multi-year project, but it certainly should not be taking more than 7.

 

[beckdawg]

How has 5 years somehow digressed into an entire decade?.

We all realize guaranteed contracts make rebuilding a multi-year project, but it certainly should not be taking more than 7.

As people have said, winning isn't a linear path. Think of it this way, if Vitters and Jackson were the players they were hyped to be where is this team now? They probably aren't a WS contender but maybe they are a playoff contender. Now you can make a similar case for the current group of prospects. But that's kind of the point. If your prospects pan out you end up a good team usually. If they don't, you're in a situation where you have very little young talent on a team that's not that good to begin with. Most teams that are contenders have prospects that become stars. At the moment the Yankees are probably the only team that this isn't the case. Even the dodgers have Kershaw and Kemp who were their prospects. Yanks have an aging Jeter who's not the same guy anymore and a lot of FAs. And even then they are 20-19 at the moment.

 

[brett05]

As people have said, winning isn't a linear path. Think of it this way, if Vitters and Jackson were the players they were hyped to be where is this team now? They probably aren't a WS contender but maybe they are a playoff contender. Now you can make a similar case for the current group of prospects. But that's kind of the point. If your prospects pan out you end up a good team usually. If they don't, you're in a situation where you have very little young talent on a team that's not that good to begin with. Most teams that are contenders have prospects that become stars. At the moment the Yankees are probably the only team that this isn't the case. Even the dodgers have Kershaw and Kemp who were their prospects. Yanks have an aging Jeter who's not the same guy anymore and a lot of FAs. And even then they are 20-19 at the moment.

In the toughest division in all of baseball

 

[beckdawg]

In the toughest division in all of baseball

That's debatable. Only one team in the division has a positive run differential and 3 of the teams are sub -10. You can make a legitimate argument that the NL central is the best division in baseball. Pittsburgh is the worst team in run differential at -13 and they won 90 games last year. Cincy and St. Louis were playoff teams. Milwaukee has the most wins in baseball. And while people will bash the cubs, the have a -5 run differential and have beaten some teams like the Cards.

 

[beckdawg]

To put it another way, the cubs are the worst team in the NL central obviously and they have scored 153 runs and given up 158. The O's are currently in first place in the AL east and have scored 155(with a DH) and given up 165 runs(against 9 hitters obviously). So, to say that division is far away a better division to me doesn't work. I think it's a close division because there's no stand out team. On the contrary, you can make arguments for 4 of the 5 teams in the central to make the playoffs. If anything the cubs are bringing the division down based on wins.

 

[theberserkfury]

This should be fun...

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...t-mlbpa-concerned-about-cubs-lack-of-spending

 

[diavolos]

This should be fun...

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...t-mlbpa-concerned-about-cubs-lack-of-spending

Not likely cause fanboys will continue to be fanboys even when the entire world can see that the cubs are interested more in profits than wins.

 

[theberserkfury]

Not likely cause fanboys will continue to be fanboys even when the entire world can see that the cubs are interested more in profits than wins.

I meant for the people who think that there are actually fans who are happy that payroll is dwindling and that the major league team is bad...

 

[nwfisch]

I meant for the people who think that there are actually fans who are happy that payroll is dwindling and that the major league team is bad...

I don't know, we have quite a few people apologizing for a bad team.

 

[brett05]

So 2017 now?

 

[Mr. Cub]

So 2017 now?

More like 20never.

 

[brett05]

Sorry Ernie

 

[Boobaby1]

So 2017 now?

I don't see that much has changed. If they needed to, they could get Hammel back in the off-season, and we will see what Strailey brings to the table.

This team was all about seeing what Baez, Bryant, and Alcantara can do next year, and with Hammel and Shark off the books and with Shark getting a raise next year, the Cubs figure to have saved at least 15 million to spend towards a pitcher.

 

[brett05]

Hammel isn't coming back. Hes getting paid by a better team

 

[Parade_Rain]

Hammel isn't coming back. Hes getting paid by a better team

So that rules out the White Sox.

 

[brett05]

So that rules out the White Sox.

You are high if u think the Cubs are better

 

[chibears55]

You are high if u think the Cubs are better

Yea what he thinking ?
Sox have currently one of the best hitter and pitcher in the game now and a real roster full of players that are far better then the cubs and they try to win, not tank seasons.

So give them their due for being 2 games better then the cubs

 

[brett05]

Yea what he thinking ?
Sox have currently one of the best hitter and pitcher in the game now and a real roster full of players that are far better then the cubs and they try to win, not tank seasons.

So give them their due for being 2 games better then the cubs

Three more that have lost objectivity