Trade Debate.

[beckdawg]

I'm not a WAR or sabermetrics geek. I watch enough baseball and have for years to know who is good and who isn't. I don't agree with all that you have to say but you are doing a good job stating your beliefs/opinion. I can respect that.

Yeah I don't got a problem with you either. I see where you're coming from about the ticket price thing. I think most pro sports are over priced anymore honestly which is why I generally watch via TV unless I get free tickets. And I think part of the reason I'm a WAR/Saber geek is because of all these horrible contracts I see year in and year out.

I think a lot of this board's issue are two sides to the same coin. My problem is the willful waste of money on bad FA contracts because it stops you from bringing in better cheaper FAs. Your problem is the lack of spending at all. It's a fine line to walk. Personally, I always suggest conservative moves because they are easy to recover when they fail. But going big can work. The dodgers are in first place. However, I'm curious to see if they sustain success because they gave a lot of their farm away recently. And I've seen a lot of teams succeed for a few years and then get slammed by huge contracts.

I'd like to see a strong farm system where they sign their young stars, bring in good value FA and rarely have to pay for $75 mil+ FA's.

 

[Boobaby1]

Yeah I don't got a problem with you either. I see where you're coming from about the ticket price thing. I think most pro sports are over priced anymore honestly which is why I generally watch via TV unless I get free tickets. And I think part of the reason I'm a WAR/Saber geek is because of all these horrible contracts I see year in and year out.

I think a lot of this board's issue are two sides to the same coin. My problem is the willful waste of money on bad FA contracts because it stops you from bringing in better cheaper FAs. Your problem is the lack of spending at all. It's a fine line to walk. Personally, I always suggest conservative moves because they are easy to recover when they fail. But going big can work. The dodgers are in first place. However, I'm curious to see if they sustain success because they gave a lot of their farm away recently. And I've seen a lot of teams succeed for a few years and then get slammed by huge contracts.

I'd like to see a strong farm system where they sign their young stars, bring in good value FA and rarely have to pay for $75 mil+ FA's.

As long as you have Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, and Nalasco spearheading the staff, they will be tough for a while. They are all under 30, and that doesn't include of they get Billingsley back, or Fife who pitched well in his short stint.

Oh, and that Puig guy is pretty good too.

I only hope the Cubs can start developing pitching like these other teams have like the Dodgers, Cards, Giants, Braves, Nats, Rays, and Bucs have to name a few.

We are so overdue for pitching, and it's beyond pathetic. opcorn:

 

[mountsalami]

As long as you have Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, and Nalasco spearheading the staff, they will be tough for a while. They are all under 30, and that doesn't include of they get Billingsley back, or Fife who pitched well in his short stint.

Oh, and that Puig guy is pretty good too.

I only hope the Cubs can start developing pitching like these other teams have like the Dodgers, Cards, Giants, Braves, Nats, Rays, and Bucs have to name a few.

We are so overdue for pitching, and it's beyond pathetic. opcorn:

I saw a live interview on MLB Network with Ned Colletti this weekend. He was happy with the players and the age of the ML ballclub. He said that he is going to be spending and concentrating on scouting more now that the ML team is in place. He wants to get the Dodgers back to be one of the leaders in harnessing young talent again.

These guys have spent the money and are showing that BOTH can be done at the same time. A team like the Cubs have now put themselves so far behind the curve it isn't even funny.

They will never catch up to the teams like the Dodgers, Cardinals, Braves, etc... with the plan we are currently seeing without taking shots in the free agent market on big time talent. These teams will load and reload while the Cubs just sit, load, and pray for the best.

 

[beckdawg]

I think the front office is taking some blame that should be directed at the Ricketts. I mean if Theo is told to reduce salary to x amount, that's what he has to do. LA hasn't had that problem with ownership because they've essentially written blank checks. The Ricketts don't appear to be focused on the team. They appear to be focused on fixing up the stadium and hope they have a team good enough to play in it when they are done.

 

[JP Hochbaum]

My point is that if the Cubs truely want to strengthen the farm system they can do it while still trying to compete as they move forward. They need to sign much better players in F/A. That would give them a better opportunity to compete at the ML and also get better trade returns if the season requires them to sell. I'm not speaking of signing elite talent. Just not signing the cheap, below average, for flipping, if they can turn the player around for half the season, shitbags. I see no reason why they can't go out and sign three or four players in the 10-15 million dollar range in 2014. The crap we received for Manhole'm and Feldman are not even worth wasting the time to make or even to sign to flip. All it amounts to is busy work that accomplishes nothing. Garbage for garbage.

The major problem with trying to compete is that at the trade deadline we would just fool ourselves into thinking we were in contention, and instead of selling, we would buy, trade our prospects and end up back in 2009.

Being .500 with bad prospects is not a good option.

 

[Boobaby1]

I saw a live interview on MLB Network with Ned Colletti this weekend. He was happy with the players and the age of the ML ballclub. He said that he is going to be spending and concentrating on scouting more now that the ML team is in place. He wants to get the Dodgers back to be one of the leaders in harnessing young talent again.

These guys have spent the money and are showing that BOTH can be done at the same time. A team like the Cubs have now put themselves so far behind the curve it isn't even funny.

They will never catch up to the teams like the Dodgers, Cardinals, Braves, etc... with the plan we are currently seeing without taking shots in the free agent market on big time talent. These teams will load and reload while the Cubs just sit, load, and pray for the best.

Well put. I hope attendance drops to an all time low for Rickett's sake and put his feet to the fire to start doing something about it.

Every dollar is spent my ass!

 

[Boobaby1]

I think the front office is taking some blame that should be directed at the Ricketts. I mean if Theo is told to reduce salary to x amount, that's what he has to do. LA hasn't had that problem with ownership because they've essentially written blank checks. The Ricketts don't appear to be focused on the team. They appear to be focused on fixing up the stadium and hope they have a team good enough to play in it when they are done.

The Rickett's are focused on the one reason they bought the Cubs, and that is money. Winning will always be secondary to money for that family.

 

[KBisBack!]

Personally, I always suggest conservative moves because they are easy to recover when they fail. But going big can work.

Completely wrong.

A lot of times when you go 'conservative' you end up with nothing at all and that is not easy to recover from.

They went conservative on Anibal Sanchez, lost, panicked, and ending up with Edwin Jackson instead. That is not easy to recover from.

They went conservative on Yu Darvish. Ended up with nothing. That is not easy to recover from.

 

[KBisBack!]

The major problem with trying to compete is that at the trade deadline we would just fool ourselves into thinking we were in contention, and instead of selling, we would buy, trade our prospects and end up back in 2009.

Wrong.

There wasn't one true top prospect traded this deadline.

Olt was the highest ranked prospect but I would have much rather signed Garza to an extension.

The White Sox got Garcia, but he was in the 70's preseason in Baseball America.

Sometimes standing pat is the better than selling.

Being .500 with bad prospects is not a good option.

It is a better option than being .400 with decent prospects.

There is nothing said that by being .500 you have to have bad prospects.