give me 24 more lazy players then please.

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Git on back there.

They are not competing next year. This is get money off the books time. Keeping Ramirez and signing another old free agent so you can peak at 85 wins next year is not going to help this team compete long term. It will stall the process.


Even if your focus is being competitive, I think a case could be made that spending that 16 mill on two players might be better.


Take a chance on a young guy. Coulda had Alex Gordon for nothing before this year. Could probably get Beckham for a bag of balls at this point.

No way they should pick up his option.

Did you stop watching Cubs baseball in 2003?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Do you believe this team has a legitimate chance to win the World Series in 2012? If you don't then I say you don't pick up his option. You have seen that he is not very willing to waive his no trade so take the money and reinvest in the farm system and let it go. The Cubs are going to have to be pretty bad for awhile to get better. I almost say get a new GM this off season, let A-Ram go, keep Quade around for one more year to manage the club at its nadir and then start turning it around with young talent hopefully. It's not a great plan but at least its a plan.

As a Cubs fan I would be more hopeful for that then bringing back a team of retreads to hopefully make a strong push for 3rd place in the division and 15 games out of first.

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That's fine if there is a canidate the new GM really feels strongly about hiring. But if they aren't let they should Quade's Qlowns go out there for another go round and get the manager you really want when he is on the market.

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absolutely

in the face of all the criticism, he's gone out and had a hell of a year and is still one of the best 3B in the game...to me he is a $14 million player at least, so why not just pick up the option

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We've been agreeing way to much lately.

I'd pick up his option. Him being at 3B isn't going to stunt anyone's growth. When next season goes badly as most of us here think it will, the Cubs can move him at the trade deadline, get a prospect or two in return and by then hopefully Vitters will be ready.

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Team Cutler.

If he waives his no trade. He is a dog. If you want to get rid of the culture of losing that permeates this franchise you need to get rid of players like Ramirez and Zambrano as soon as possible.

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No, did you? I saw a someone who was one of the best, most consistant hitters in baseball over the last 8 years who worked hard to become an above average defensive player.

If not sprinting to first base on routine grounders bothers you, you better hope the Cubs don't make a run at Pujols.

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Git on back there.

I hope they do NOT make a run at Pujols, actually.
Can you imagine how good Ramirez would have been if he wasn't dogging it most of the season?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Agree 100%

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Ditto. Same with Fielder.

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Team Cutler.

Mid 30's HGH users are not my particular brand of vodka.

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Oh shit I agree with that too.

Signs of the Apocalypse.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I usually agree with you. I think there was one argument with BRick that you clearly lost, but other than that.

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Team Cutler.

Which one was that?
I never lose an argument. I just run out of caring.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

One of the most consistent from Memorial Day to Labor Day, I'll give you that. Thats where you get the 75 or so games of him hitting 2 HRs with 20 RBI and by the time he gets hot, the Cubs are buried in the standings.


No player should be dogging it, but if anybody has earned the right for that its Pujols. He also doesn't stand and admire a double off the wall like Aram does time and time again.

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ARAM is not nearly as bad as that as the 18 Million dollar man in Left Field

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Will Aramis Ramirez Opt Out?
By Tim Dierkes [February 23, 2010 at 2:14pm CST]
The Cubs will face uncertainty at the infield corners after the 2010 season. We discussed first baseman Derrek Lee earlier today. Now let's take a look at Aramis Ramirez's situation.

Ramirez faces a $14.6MM player option for 2011. He also has a mutual option for 2012 at $16MM, with a $2MM buyout attached. If the club exercises the '12 option and Ramirez declines, he forfeits the buyout. There are also circumstances under which the '12 option can vest. Basically, if he exercises his player option for '11, Ramirez will earn either $16.6MM for one year or $30.6MM for two.

Ramirez, who turns 32 during the season, has consistently raked in his Cubs career. He has had his share of DL trips, with last year's shoulder injury limiting him to 82 games. Even with a big 2010, Ramirez probably can't earn more than $15-16MM per year. It is possible, though, that the free agent market would offer a three or four-year guarantee. Ramirez told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune he won't think about his opt-out clause until after the season. A year ago, Ramirez said he wanted to finish his career with the Cubs.

Heading into the '06 season, Ramirez was in a similar situation. He had the opportunity to void his contract after the season and leave three years/$33.5MM on the table. He did so in October, but a month later signed a below-market five-year, $75MM deal to remain with the Cubs.


**It's going to take 20-30M over 2-3 years to resign him as someone will offer 2-3 years at 10M+ per ...

That article was from Feb 2010. I think Tim had that one wrong.

07:$8M, 08:$14M, 09:$15.65M, 10:$15.75M, 11:$14.6M player option, 12:$16M club option ($2M buyout)

edit: it looks like Ramirez would have had the option to void the '12 option if it vested but it did not vest which makes it a team option only.

Tuesday Cubs News Round-Up
Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 08/23/2011 - 1:57pm Cubs Notes
Some bits of news from the latest news cycle, most of it mentioned in the comments in the thread below.

- I admit missing out on this rather crucial piece of information, but apparently Aramis Ramirez 2012 option is a mutual option. Technically, if the Cubs exercise the $16M option, he can void it and forfeit the $2M buyout, and his agent suggests that with Hendry gone, that's looking more likely now.

I'm not sure if that's good or bad news yet. $16M for one season is a bit expensive for Ramirez, but there's not a lot out there to play the hot corner either.


http://www.thecubreporter.com/2011/08/2 ... und?page=1

i do not want ramirez back, but i will say this.. if prince fielder could be had for 6 years 120 million i would welcome it..need a first baseman with power, he is lefty and you can get fat and still produce at first base when you are 33-34 years old.. i want no part of pujols coming to this team

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Just checked out stats of Cubs minor leaguers. Unfortunately, their best hitters in AAA are also 27-29 years old. Not exactly prospects. But they have a left-handed 1B with power, Byan LaHair (by cracky). And a competent 3B, Scott Moore. I'd rather trot them out there for $500k a piece than throw away $10-15 million for veterans that will get you to 77 wins instead of 72 wins.

a guy that came up as a Cub, was traded to the Orioles, and returned to the Cubs, cant possibly be competent

a guy that has worked for Bully hendry and McFail cant possibly be competent

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Okay, so he's incompetent. So play him anyway and take away an additional couple wins from an already bad team next year. Big whoop.

Since he was designated and then signed by the Pirates I am not sure what his contract status is but I would still (since next year is a wash anyways) like to see Brandon Wood play there for at least 140 games. He plays very good defense, is a good teammate and if it ever clicks would be light years better than Casey Mac up in Milwaukee.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!