Yes, because I think thats part of the formula for winning but if they find a way to do it without spending a ton, that'll be just fine.

There is your answer! A better chance to win it all.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

They've won 3 in a row in this crazy hypothetical world we've created

Maybe "winning the world series with a less than top 8 payroll" is not good enough for you, but its just fine for me.

Why aren't you laying the same criticism on your beloved Sox for missing out on Martinez? Or not even being in play for Martin?

You added in that. I could just as easily say that adding $150 million in payroll this year is a great move if they win the World Series. It doesn't mean anything.

It would be disappointing if the Cubs continue to have an artificially low payroll simply because they can and still be somewhat competitive because they have young players who they can pay less for.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I disagree. That would not be dissappointing at all.

Its all about results. Who gives a fuck what the payroll is if you're winning?

The name of the game is hit the ball, catch the ball and get the fuckin job done

You can attribute the Cubs losing out on their #1 targets in each of the last three offseasons to two possibilities:

1. Theo can no longer close the deal on a free agent;

2. The rest of the league doesn't believe in the rebuild as much as half of Chicago does and is therefore not willing to take the risk of a lower offer in the hopes of legacy enrichment.

Neither speaks well for the future of the team

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

The Cubs may have to relocate to Jacksonville.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Many would argue Lester is the #1 target

Its quite possible that the rest of the league wasnt down for the cause while the Cubs were purposely losing and will be fine with coming aboard (in fact jump at the chance) once they start winning.


That was a decent spin though, nice work.

I can't argue with that. Something is a good plan as long as it works.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I appreciate your foolish optimism

Lester might be the better player but the speed and intensity of negotiation clearly shows Martin was their #1 target. That said, they aren't getting Lester either. I expect that disappointment to be followed with the recommitment to 18 months rather than this year.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Its not foolish. The Cubs have made a playoff run every 6 years or so since i was born. Its almost time again.

Theo's free agent track record has never been his strong suit anyway

Excuse me, I prefer the term "The 1060 Project."

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I don't want Martin. I don't want Lester. I don't want any big free agent. I want to suck hard for one more year, give the kids as much PT as possible, draft well and contend in 2016.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

The Cubs are going to contend in 2015 whether you like it or not. The only detail left to be clarified is division or World Series.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

I want the Cubs to suck hard until 2028 and contend in 2029.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

make fun of me if you will, but I think they need a high draft pick pitcher. Go get 'em, Cubs. It is unrealistic to expect the Cubs to play all these kids next year and contend.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

russell martin? 5 years 80+million? you can have him. of all of the Cubs shortcomings that need to be addressed, for some reason catcher doesn't strike me as one of them. i'm not understanding the bidding war for a career .260 hitter. i mean, castillo is no johnny bench but i wouldn't give all those years and dollars to a guy whose value is likely as high as it ever will be right now. imagine how sweet his contract will look in 3 years.

RPB broke me with the Kingpin Gif.

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Team Cutler.

When you become GM, I will write posts about City of Fools did or did not do.

As for now, you are not the GM, so I will post about the current administrations malfeasance.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

you think Theo thinks the Cubs can really contend and achieve his plan? You are wrong.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

goddamn i just heard that toronto (you can't spell "toronto" without "tonto" aka spanish for 'stupid') signed russell martin for ~5yr/82mil? hot diggity DAMN MAN, i know the guy isn't exactly jason kendall back there or anything (which is technically both good and mainly bad) but it's not like you're signing the second coming of mike pizza to roidemup and go .280/30/100 every season.

IIRC off the top of my head russell martin is one of those .280/10-15/~75 RBI guys and his gimmick used to be that he'd steal 10-20 bases as a catcher which was !!! but then that kind of went away, and i guess he's now a VETERAN LEADER who KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE A PITCHING STAFF and etc etc..... but 5yr 82mil?



so while i'm not doubting that russell martin can't help the cubs over the next few years (until that one catcher prospect they reached to get with the 4th overall pick or whatever shows up. schwarber i believe?

and wow, amattacola just said that the braves sent jason heyward to the cardinals for shelby miller! that's a !!!! trade for me because shelby miller was the goods 2 years ago and IIRC after some 4.00+ ERA struggles for the first 1/2 to 2/3 of this year he got it together and finished 3.74/1.28, which is obviously pretty meh.... but hey holy shit couldnt the cubs have traded/dumped-off castro or baez or someone on the reeling-from-the-loss-of-oscar-taveras redbirds and end up getting a bigtime pedigree (rd1 pick 19) pitcher who despite 3.5 months of suckage last year (he had a 2.879 ERA on may 17th and ended up coming down to 3.74 from 2.46 on aug 23) still has a career 3.33/1.23 going on?

he seemed to adjust to the adjustments made to him after 2013, and while his last playoff start (3.2IP of 3ER i believe) was far from the !!! sendoff you'd ideally have, still man, DONT THE CUBS NEED TO BE STOCKPILING SOME POTENTIALLY HIGH-UPSIDE STARTING PITCHERS TO JOIN KYLE HENDRICKS IN THE 2015 ASG?

i'll hangup and wait for my reassurances that this is going according to plan, especially since that #WhenTheCubsSignStanton hashtag i staked out ended up being a whole lot of nothing.

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I am happy the Cubs didn't sign Martin. A lot of Cub fans will feel the same way over the next 4 years.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Maybe Cubs look at a 1 year deal for Nick Hundley and hope he gets his head out of his ass.

Damn, now Nas doesn't even have love for the mulattos.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

They shouldn't waste money like that. He just wasn't worth it.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

This argument can be made for any free agent they sign. It's hard to argue that Martin's deal won't end up a bad deal in 2 or 3 years, and the same could be said for any of these starting pitchers, if they get 5 or 6 years.