You're the GM (Game)

[chibears55]

Just saw that too. Less money fewer years than expected. Disappointed the Cubs wouldn't have been in on him.

Looks like an overpay to get less years..

He going to be 34 when he a FA next.
Most likely wont be getting much of a deal then

Glad he signed with AL team, one less tough starter in NL

 

[beckdawg]

$22/season(5/110) probably sets the market more than Happs deal. Least in my opinion. It's probably fair to both sides but I think you're still likely better off with Shark if that's the going rate. Shark at $16/17 mil/season probably provides more value over 3-4 years.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Yeah when I say speed i'm almost always talking about base running. I probably should word that better but i'm always lazy I guess. As for how he can be excellent, from what I've read, he just reads the ball off the bat really well and takes efficient paths. That's one of the cool things about that stat cast they are now using in some games is it shows route efficiency. Almora's run rating from MLB.com is a 50. So, he's not "slow" it's just he's not your typical 30-50 SB type CF with little power. Also, positioning in the OF makes quite a bit of difference. That's one of the things they apparently did with Fowler this year to make him better. If you're in the right spot when the ball is hit you don't have to run as far. In addition to all that, he's got a really good arm apparently with a 60 grade. Fangraphs had his arm rating better than Soler's and Soler has a cannon.

I had no idea about his arm strength. To have that in CF would be a real weapon. Plus, if the Cubs keep Soler and work with him on routes, that is two OF that R3 needs to think hard before tagging or scoring from 2B.

 

[SilenceS]

Conteras projects to be the long term answer for the Cubs at C. Why in the world would you trade him?

And the year before he wasn't in the Cubs plans. Pump the brakes on the guy. He has legitimately one good season. I would make that deal in a heartbeat for miller who is 25. I wouldn't think twice.

 

[FrankieLyrical]

Zimmerman to Detroit.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

And the year before he wasn't in the Cubs plans. Pump the brakes on the guy. He has legitimately one good season. I would make that deal in a heartbeat for miller who is 25. I wouldn't think twice.

That's really not so, he's been in the Cubs plans for several years. Scouts were talking him up 4 years ago and Hoyer mentioned hm in interviews as early as 2012. Cubs Den has been reporting about him for years. The Cubs knew he could hit but let him concentrate more on his catching until 2014. Now he's putting the two together.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Looks like an overpay to get less years..

He going to be 34 when he a FA next.
Most likely wont be getting much of a deal then

Glad he signed with AL team, one less tough starter in NL

Fewer years are more valuable than more dollars to a team.

 

[Parade_Rain]

And the year before he wasn't in the Cubs plans. Pump the brakes on the guy. He has legitimately one good season. I would make that deal in a heartbeat for miller who is 25. I wouldn't think twice.

He's had one good season? He has been converted to catcher and spent a lot of energy working on game management and defensive skills. He is likely better defensively in many areas than the current starter who was brought in for defense.

 

[85Bears]

I saw 5/110

That's correct - being reported on mlb.com now.

 

[beckdawg]

And the year before he wasn't in the Cubs plans. Pump the brakes on the guy. He has legitimately one good season. I would make that deal in a heartbeat for miller who is 25. I wouldn't think twice.

Think a better way of saying this is he's had a lot of good years and this year he had a great one. He hit .273/.316/.357 in A- at 20, .248/.320/.423 in A at 21, and .242/.320/.359 at 22. Now those years alone aren't amazing but you also have to adjust for being a catcher and apparently an above average one at that. More to the point, it's not as though Contreras' .333/.413/.478 is entirely propped up by BABIP. .370 BABIP is a bit high but he also cut his k rate by roughly 9% which suggests what he was doing in 2015 is different.

Either way, if you assume he ends up a .310-.320 OBP catcher who's decent defensively/framing, average-ish power that's probably a fair bet long term on a C. That's not to say you'd be an all-star with that which is clearly where the hype has headed. However, I think any team would plug that into their line up every day of the week. And regardless, think it would be kind of silly for the Braves to make a move on him when they almost assuredly would like to build value for Christian Bethancourt if either to keep him or deal him for something to rebuild with.

 

[JimJohnson]

I'm really disappointed with Zim not coming to Chicago. If all the Cubs end up with is Shark this FA, it would be a total bust.

 

[85Bears]

I'm really disappointed with Zim not coming to Chicago. If all the Cubs end up with is Shark this FA, it would be a total bust.

I am NOT a Shark fan at all. Maybe as a #5 guy...

But I trust Theo and Jed. The Cubs are a very attractive ball club right now, and more people want to play for them than any single other team. Young talent, great manager, great front office, updated stadium, new clubhouse for 2016, WS favorites for 2016 and the opportunity to win a WS in a team that hasn't for over 100 years, etc.

So because of all of that, I highly doubt the Cubs are getting any free agents signed out from under them that they otherwise weren't interested in for whatever reason. Greinke and Price are totally still in play. I think the Price/Red Sox links are a smokescreen. But even if we don't land one of them, as long as we get 2 new SPs and one of them is better than Shark, I'm good. If we don't I'll be a little nervous, but like I said, I trust Theo and Jed so we'll see.

 

[chibears55]

I'm really disappointed with Zim not coming to Chicago. If all the Cubs end up with is Shark this FA, it would be a total bust.

Something tells me their going to make an offer like 6/150-162 to Price and or Greinke , which will probably be turned down and then end up with Samardzija with either a 1 yr deal with option to extend or something like 6/95 with options

If they do end up with Samardzija, i just hope whomever they trade for has TOR potential

 

[JimJohnson]

I am NOT a Shark fan at all. Maybe as a #5 guy...

But I trust Theo and Jed. The Cubs are a very attractive ball club right now, and more people want to play for them than any single other team. Young talent, great manager, great front office, updated stadium, new clubhouse for 2016, WS favorites for 2016 and the opportunity to win a WS in a team that hasn't for over 100 years, etc.

So because of all of that, I highly doubt the Cubs are getting any free agents signed out from under them that they otherwise weren't interested in for whatever reason. Greinke and Price are totally still in play. I think the Price/Red Sox links are a smokescreen. But even if we don't land one of them, as long as we get 2 new SPs and one of them is better than Shark, I'm good. If we don't I'll be a little nervous, but like I said, I trust Theo and Jed so we'll see.

I trust Theo/Jed but we need a #3 guy who is just as solid as Lester and Arrieta. That way you go into playoffs with a 1/2/3 that can match anyone else's. Throwing Lester/Arrieta/Shark isn't going to get the job done. Shark wouldn't have made the difference against the Mets and certainly not against the Royals who are going to be just as strong in 2016.

 

[Shawon0Meter]

Tells me the Cubs are going to at least make a legitimate effort at one of the big 2

 

[Zvbxrpl]

I trust Theo/Jed but we need a #3 guy who is just as solid as Lester and Arrieta. That way you go into playoffs with a 1/2/3 that can match anyone else's. Throwing Lester/Arrieta/Shark isn't going to get the job done. Shark wouldn't have made the difference against the Mets and certainly not against the Royals who are going to be just as strong in 2016.

Huh?

You're asking for an overachieving #3 who can play like a TOR piece but not cost TOR price.

If players like that existed, I'd be all for it. But they dont. Most teams wont let players like that leave unless the player wants to go or are small market.

And you can bet the other 29 teams would be in on that same player.

The options at this point to improve the rotation are: A) Buy a premier pitcher and overpay for him. Or: B) Trade for one. There is no in-between. Cubs got squat in the pipelines thats anywhere near MLB Ready.

 

[CSF77]

$22/season(5/110) probably sets the market more than Happs deal. Least in my opinion. It's probably fair to both sides but I think you're still likely better off with Shark if that's the going rate. Shark at $16/17 mil/season probably provides more value over 3-4 years.

Happ was a lower mid tier. 12 mil value. Zimmerman is lower upper tier. So 22 mil is that value now.

Shark is upper middle tier so he should get half way. 17 mil is what he should be getting.

 

[JimJohnson]

Huh?

You're asking for an overachieving #3 who can play like a TOR piece but not cost TOR price.

If players like that existed, I'd be all for it. But they dont. Most teams wont let players like that leave unless the player wants to go or are small market.

And you can bet the other 29 teams would be in on that same player.

The options at this point to improve the rotation are: A) Buy a premier pitcher and overpay for him. Or: B) Trade for one. There is no in-between. Cubs got squat in the pipelines thats anywhere near MLB Ready.

No you misunderstood me. I don't care what the guy costs. I just want a TOR. That way the Cubs have 3 TOR's going into the playoffs which can dominate or at the least match any other teams. With our hitting, we should be able to win at that point.

Shark is not a solid enough #3, he's a #4 at best.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

No you misunderstood me. I don't care what the guy costs. I just want a TOR. That way the Cubs have 3 TOR's going into the playoffs which can dominate or at the least match any other teams. With our hitting, we should be able to win at that point.

Shark is not a solid enough #3, he's a #4 at best.

A year ago Samardzija was considered solid #2 or a fringe #1 and now he's a 4 after a bad season with no injury or loss of velocity? That makes no sense. The reality is that he's always projected to be a solid MOR starter who can occasionally outplay that. The Cubs knew that when they offered 5/$85 and tests likely close to what he'll sign for now. His projection for 2016 is very, very close to Zimmermann. In many ways they're close to the same guy. I would have preferred JZ because of Shark's history with the Cubs but at this point he's their best bet as I'm reasonably certain they aren't in a position to spend on Price.

 

[FrankieLyrical]

Cueto might be the guy we nab up. What do you guys think about that?