Chicago Cubs Offseason

[Johnny Sleeper]

Lovullo was the best candidate out there. There was no reason to hire anyone before he was interviewed. Unless Lovullo completely blows the interview he should be an easy hire. A manager who has said in interviews that he believes guys should know where they will play and where they will bat. A guy who wants to use his best relievers in high leverage situations not just to collect a save, which is the most meaning less stat in baseball. Martinez is a good second choice; now that Ausmus is not an option, but it is pretty clear at this point that Lovullo was who they wanted from the start and should be the one that gets the job.

You must have a very low opinion of Theo if you think that he watches twitter and makes his decision based on anything on there. To think that Theo makes decisions to just do the opposite of what people on twitter, blogs, media outlets, etc write is basically saying that he is letting people outside the organization make his decisions. Theo was a part of one of the best organizations in baseball over the last 15-20 years in Boston. Why wouldn't he be using his knowledge of people in that organization to help build that Cubs? Think about it; if you were hired to be in charge of a different company then you currently work for that does the same thing, but is struggling, then wouldn't you want to bring over the best of the people you currently work with? It is just smart business to bring over guys like Hoyer, McLeod, etc who Theo has a history with and knows they are among the best in the business at what they do when he is having to completely build something from the ground up. The biggest mistake we fans have made is calling this a re-build. It's not a re-build because nothing was ever built to begin with. It is the building of the Chicago Cubs organization from the ground up. Doing some things that should have been done as far back as 30+ years ago like indoor cages and upgraded on-site training facilities.

 

[anotheridiot]

I do have a low opinion of Theo. I want the chicago cubs organization to grow here. He went back and hired his other two amigos to keep the fingerprint of the red sox and padres on this organization. Best in the business? the sandiego padres? I dont give him credit for the first world series, that team was built by Dan Duquette and he took over a team with 93 wins. He lucked into the arizona fire sale and a million dollar free agent named david ortiz.

All he did was put the window dressing on, he never built from the ground up. Until he does, I give no credit for lucking into the boston world series. He was also there for the chicken and beer clubhouse games, he was there when they were bad, his free agent moves did not pan out. As soon as he left, they did what they could to flush all of theos free agents and luckily found LA to take over the bad deals.

Too many are on the kool-aid. As far as I am concerned, he made a huge mistake hiring Dale. His first big free agent signing was a pitcher nobody wanted or kept for more than a year. Ricketts wanted Girardi and he didnt get him. Eventually these are strikes against him. Now we have a kid hits 37 homeruns and he does not even get called up for a cup of coffee in september. Are the kids gonna be pawns to trade for prospects other organization taught how to play or play here or will they actually wear a major league cub uniform? If he wanted Lovullo from the beginning he should have started interviewing with him, not twiddling his fingers for a month making it look like he is dotting all the i's and crossing the t's while he tries to go around the entire american draft system by getting all the internationals like Concepcion who I believe is out of the organization already.

Yeah, jacuzzis and indoor batting cages are gonna make this a title team.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

So he shouldn't have interviewed anyone until after the World Series was over? No one could interview Lovullo until after the Red Sox season was over. So you think he shouldn't have looked at other options? What if the Red Sox do not grant permission to interview Lovullo? Then you have wasted all this time when you could have been setting up your plan b.

Why are you in a hurry to rush a 20 year old kid to the majors? What position was he going to play? Were you going to bench Castro? Where you going to tell Baez to learn 2B or 3B on the fly in the majors when he wasn't ready in any facet of game to be in the majors yet?

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Red Sox denying permission to interview Lovullo

Lovullo remains in limbo as dispute arises between Cubs, Red Sox - CBSSports.com

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Cubs, D-Backs discussing Samardzija

D-Backs, Cubs Expected To Discuss Samardzija Trade: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

I'll be a bit surprised if Samardzija goes to the D-Backs. Royals and Blue Jays are in just as much need of a pitcher like him and can offer better packages. Unless the D-Backs are putting Archie Bradley in the deal I don't see him ending up there.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

I'll be a bit surprised if Samardzija goes to the D-Backs. Royals and Blue Jays are in just as much need of a pitcher like him and can offer better packages. Unless the D-Backs are putting Archie Bradley in the deal I don't see him ending up there.

LOL. You Cubs fans are hilarious. Why in the world do you think you'd get THE top pitching prospect in all of baseball for a no. 3 starter in his 30's? The Dbacks farm system is very deep and they have WAY more solid trade pieces than the Royals or Jays. Skaggs and a lower level prospect is probably all it would take and I still wouldn't even do that.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

If we don't get Archie Bradley then I wouldn't want a trade with Arizona either.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

LOL. You Cubs fans are hilarious. Why in the world do you think you'd get THE top pitching prospect in all of baseball for a no. 3 starter in his 30's? The Dbacks farm system is very deep and they have WAY more solid trade pieces than the Royals or Jays. Skaggs and a lower level prospect is probably all it would take and I still wouldn't even do that.

28

 

[Arizona_Sting]

If we don't get Archie Bradley then I wouldn't want a trade with Arizona either.

You really think he's worth the top pitching prospect in baseball?

& I meant entering his 30's. He'll be 29 before the season starts.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

You really think he's worth the top pitching prospect in baseball?

& I meant entering his 30's. He'll be 29 before the season starts.

No, I don't think he's worth it. I also didn't think Shields was worth Wil Myers. The reason I would have to get Bradley from the D-Backs for Samardzija is because they have no other combination of prospects that make the value I'd need. Take the other rumored teams and they can offer solid 2-3 player packages. The Royals can offer Almonte and Ventura. While neither is as good as Bradley I'd rather have those two then any package the D-Backs can put together without Bradley and that doesn't include the Royals top pitching prospect, Kyle Zimmer. The Blue Jays could offer Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez which would meet the same criteria; neither is individually as good as Bradley, but the two make for a better combination then what the D-Backs can offer without Bradley.

If my offers are:

Royals- Ventura, Almorte and Jorge Bonifacio
Blue Jays- Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman and A.J. Jiminez
D'Backs- Chris Owings, David Holmberg and Andrew Chafin

The D-Backs offer is vastly inferior, in my eyes. What kind of offer can the D-Backs make, without Bradley, that would be compelling over the Royals, the most likely to land Samardzija, and the Blue Jays, most likely runner up. The D'Backs do not have the depth, especially in terms of high ceiling pitching prospects, to make a better offer then several other teams that will also be in on Samardzija.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Apparently you haven't heard of guys like Tyler Skaggs, Matt Davidson, Stryker Trahan, AJ Pollock, Wade Miley or Didi Gregorius.

That's besides the point because I don't even want him. He's one of the most overrated pitchers in the game hands down. Number 3 starter at best.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Apparently you haven't heard of guys like Tyler Skaggs, Matt Davidson, Stryker Trahan, AJ Pollock, Wade Miley or Didi Gregorius.

Shame on you. You left out Blair, Shipley, Drury, Stites, & Barrett. Or were you just listing MLB ready top prospects(minus Trehan)?

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Skaggs lost velocity last year and while he would be a fine second piece I wouldn't consider him a headliner in a deal. Davidson plays the position, 3B, the Cubs already have too many prospects at. Didi is an all glove no bat SS and the Cubs are have a much better SS prospect in Baez who is currently blocked by a 23 year old two time all-star.

Again, you are naming prospects that are far behind what the Royals and Blue Jays can offer. Outside of Bradley the D-Backs lack the high-end, i.e. top 100, prospects that would be required in a Samardzija deal. Skaggs' value is at an all-time low after two trips to the majors and both time posting 5.00+ ERAs. I just don't see the Cubs and D-Backs as a good match. The Cubs need high end pitching prospects and the only one the D-Backs have that I like is Bradley. We both agree that Samardzija is not worth Bradley which means I do not see a deal working out between them unless the Cubs are adding assets to combine with some of their other prospects to trade for David Price.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Cubs fans are delusional when it come Samardzija's value.

 

[Orange602]

Any team that gives up a top prospect for Samardzija is overpaying.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Cubs fans are delusional when it come Samardzija's value.

Every fan is delusional about the value of their own players. Fans are most delusional about the value of their own prospects. I've head some people say the Cubs could get David Price for Alcantara, Vogelbach and C.J. Edwards and I just have to laugh because that package wouldn't be enough to get a Samardzija type from another team, much less get David Price.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

We lack Top 100 prospects? Hmm weird because I'm pretty sure Bradley, Skaggs, Eaton, Gregorius, Owings, and Davidson are all top 100 prospects. C'mon man.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Any team that gives up a top prospect for Samardzija is overpaying.

With the pitching market the way it is right now someone will "overpay". In a world where Lincecum just got $17.5M/yr, the best pitching on the open market is a Japanese pitcher who will cost $60M+ just to talk to, and Matt Garza wants $20M+/yr a good pitcher with two years of team control has a lot of value.

 

[Orange602]

With the pitching market the way it is right now someone will "overpay". In a world where Lincecum just got $17.5M/yr, the best pitching on the open market is a Japanese pitcher who will cost $60M+ just to talk to, and Matt Garza wants $20M+/yr a good pitcher with two years of team control has a lot of value.

I agree. There is always some team willing to overpay for a middle of the rotation pitcher. I just hope that Arizona isn't that team.