The Jon Lester Discussion Thread

[Zvbxrpl]

If they were to sign Lester, would you guys want to still go after Zimmerman, if he agreed to an extension?

Some package like Alcantara, Tseng, and Wood?

Gives a rotation of Lester, Zimmerman, Arrieta, Hendricks, and Turner.

It takes two teams to trade.

If I'm Washington, I laugh at that proposal and hang up the phone.....

 

[TC in Mississippi]

It takes two teams to trade.

If I'm Washington, I laugh at that proposal and hang up the phone.....

I agree, for now. Washington has backed themselves into a corner with Zimmermann unless they want to be Detroit and just let him play out his free agent year and that doesn't seem like Rizzo's style to me. Washington is likely to lead their division wire to wire and a team that quite possibly sabotaged its own chances a few years by shutting down Strasburg cannot be shopping a TOR pitcher at the trade deadline for PR reasons alone. Because of that I think he'll be dealt by opening day, most likely for a huge package to a team that will be given the opportunity to negotiate an extension. If that fails to materialize he'll be dealt as a rental for a smaller package but in either case Wood, Alcantara and Seng won't get it done. For right now id say that something like Baez, Edwards and Ramirez probably is what it would take and I don't see the Cubs trading any assets they think could help them until the 2015 deadline at the earliest.

 

[TL1961]

I agree, for now. Washington has backed themselves into a corner with Zimmermann unless they want to be Detroit and just let him play out his free agent year and that doesn't seem like Rizzo's style to me. Washington is likely to lead their division wire to wire and a team that quite possibly sabotaged its own chances a few years by shutting down Strasburg cannot be shopping a TOR pitcher at the trade deadline for PR reasons alone. Because of that I think he'll be dealt by opening day, most likely for a huge package to a team that will be given the opportunity to negotiate an extension. If that fails to materialize he'll be dealt as a rental for a smaller package but in either case Wood, Alcantara and Seng won't get it done. For right now id say that something like Baez, Edwards and Ramirez probably is what it would take and I don't see the Cubs trading any assets they think could help them until the 2015 deadline at the earliest.

The "huge packages" are never as huge as the trading team wants to believe they'll be.

See the Cliff Lee trades as example.

 

[JosMin]

The "huge packages" are never as huge as the trading team wants to believe they'll be.

See the Cliff Lee trades as example.

Shit, just look what the Tigers ended up getting for David Price. I had to double and triple take when they announced that trade -- Nick Franklin, Drew Smyly and Willy Adames was an absolute joke for him. Smyly certainly has upside and salary control, but I don't think you'll find anyone who feels like he'll transform into a TOR starter. And I watched Nick Franklin after he was traded to Tampa while he was a member of the Durham Bulls (Rays AAA affiliate that plays the Louisville Bats where I live) -- he struggles defensively at short and if his value as a middle infielder is going to increase to when he was a first-round pick back in '09, he needs to showcase some of the 20-homer power people thought he could obtain. He's a switch hitter who flat-out can't hit right-handed and the Rays really need to start him going into the '15 season since they're all but certain to trade Ben Zobrist before then. He's still young and still has tons of upside... but the fact that the Mariners (who obviously have problems scoring) refused to play him, should send red flags.

 

[brett05]

It takes two teams to trade.

If I'm Washington, I laugh at that proposal and hang up the phone.....

And change numbers

 

[DewsSox79]

It takes two teams to trade.

If I'm Washington, I laugh at that proposal and hang up the phone.....

im surprised he didnt say valbuena and a ronnie woo woo bobble head doll to get it done.


Sent from My 1998 Palm Pilot Using Tapatalk

 

[Boobaby1]

im surprised he didnt say valbuena and a ronnie woo woo bobble head doll to get it done.


Sent from My 1998 Palm Pilot Using Tapatalk

Ronnie Woo Woo? Now that's asking for too much there.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Maybe the don't want Wood, but Alcantara was a top 50 prospect last year and Tseng's stock his risen after a great year. They might have to throw in another guy like in our 20-25 range, but the package is without any question in the ballpark for Zimmerman.

 

[brett05]

Maybe the don't want Wood, but Alcantara was a top 50 prospect last year and Tseng's stock his risen after a great year. They might have to throw in another guy like in our 20-25 range, but the package is without any question in the ballpark for Zimmerman.

Uhm....I question it.

You aren't even in the ballpark. He's going to be worth something in the Shark range.

 

[Boobaby1]

Uhm....I question it.

You aren't even in the ballpark. He's going to be worth something in the Shark range.

Start with Baez and add to it from there. I am not giving anyone Russell, Schwarber, Bryant or Soler. The rest are all on the table for me though.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Maybe the don't want Wood, but Alcantara was a top 50 prospect last year and Tseng's stock his risen after a great year. They might have to throw in another guy like in our 20-25 range, but the package is without any question in the ballpark for Zimmerman.

No it's not. I'd say Edwards, Baez and McKinney or Almora might get it done and I don't see that happening.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

No it's not. I'd say Edwards, Baez and McKinney or Almora might get it done and I don't see that happening.

That is straight fucking lunacy. In no way would it take that package to get him.

 

[Zvbxrpl]

Put yourself in Washington's shoes. Someone's offering you Alcantara who struggled at the plate, Jen ho Tseng, who albeit great at A- ball is still at A- ball, and Travis Wood, who's taken a shit and is useless.

That trade gets laughed at. You'd laugh at it. There is no return for you if you're Washington. You'd get fired for taking the deal.

The deal is changed if Tseng was rocking at AA or AAA, but one decent year and 100 innings at A- ball isn't good enough.

I'd want McKinney and Edwards. I don't HAVE to deal him if I'm washington. Its not imperative because after 2015 season, they'll have a lot of money off the books, so resigning him is a decent possibility pending feelings on Dennard Span.

Also consider there are teams that could offer far better than your proposed deal for him. If you're washington, you consider that.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

That is straight fucking lunacy. In no way would it take that package to get him.

Philly is asking for quite a bit more more than that for Hamels. In Cubs terms they would want something like Bryant, Soler and Edwards or Almora. Zimmerman is younger and most teams would insist on signing him to an extension before making the deal. Now, without an extension maybe something like Edwards, McKinney and Olt might get it done but the price on these guys is high. Think about what Oakland paid the Cubs for Samardzija and both Zimmermann and Hamels are true number ones where Samardzija is probably a #2. Pretty much why the Cubs won't make a trade and would prefer to buy their pitchers.

 

[DJMoore_is_fat]

I'd offer him 6-years/$140M and try to front load it as much as possible.

Year 1: $30M
Year 2: $27M
Year 3: $25M
Year 4: $22M
Year 5: $19M
Year 6: $16M

Lester is not a $30M/year player but to us it wouldn't matter. We have the financial flexibility to pay him that next season and it puts us in a good position over the course of his contract. Having an legitimate #1 ace on the staff would be a huge building block and go a long way towards developing a winning culture. Lester would be an ideal ace to have Arrieta under his wing.

I like Lester more than Scherzer because he's such a bulldog in the post season. If Fenway doesn't scare him, he'll do fine under the bright lights of Wrigley. Lester would dominate the NL.

 

[DJMoore_is_fat]

Philly is asking for quite a bit more more than that for Hamels. In Cubs terms they would want something like Bryant, Soler and Edwards or Almora. Zimmerman is younger and most teams would insist on signing him to an extension before making the deal. Now, without an extension maybe something like Edwards, McKinney and Olt might get it done but the price on these guys is high. Think about what Oakland paid the Cubs for Samardzija and both Zimmermann and Hamels are true number ones where Samardzija is probably a #2. Pretty much why the Cubs won't make a trade and would prefer to buy their pitchers.

If Philly is asking for Bryant, Edwards, AND Soler for Cole Hamels - Epstein would laugh in their face.

 

[brett05]

I'd offer him 6-years/$140M and try to front load it as much as possible.

Year 1: $30M
Year 2: $27M
Year 3: $25M
Year 4: $22M
Year 5: $19M
Year 6: $16M

Lester is not a $30M/year player but to us it wouldn't matter. We have the financial flexibility to pay him that next season and it puts us in a good position over the course of his contract. Having an legitimate #1 ace on the staff would be a huge building block and go a long way towards developing a winning culture. Lester would be an ideal ace to have Arrieta under his wing.

I like Lester more than Scherzer because he's such a bulldog in the post season. If Fenway doesn't scare him, he'll do fine under the bright lights of Wrigley. Lester would dominate the NL.

Theo has said no unbalanced contracts.

 

[Mr. Cub]

Well, there you go. We have offered him 6 years at 135+ mil. Is it enough to win him? Or are the Sox, Cards or Giants going to do more?

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/25/the-cubs-have-offered-jon-lester-north-of-135-million/

 

[Shawon0Meter]

That won't get the job done but it's a fair starting point showing serious interest

 

[Shawon0Meter]

Gordon Wittenmyer @GDubCub

Source: Report that Cubs offered Lester a six-year deal of more than $135m is "not accurate."