Oh, and that quote is utter crap. Good players are found throughout the draft. If that is true, what is the incremental benefit of having the 10th pick versus the 5th pick? If the incremental benefit is low, then why would you not try to maximize wins at the MLB level? The truth is that you can be both competitive in the majors while developing players in the minors. However, Epstien was given a mandate to slash operating costs because his fanboy owner overspent on the team. So now we (and by we I mean you dumbfuck lemmings) get hope in one hand and shit in the other until at least 2014 but realisticly, this is looking like 2016-17 until when/if those prospects mature.

Also, what is the benefit of a protected pick if you aren't going to sign a protected level free agent?

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

Correct. So why enter the market if you don't have to? My house is worth 33% less but I don't have to take that hit if I don't sell.

If you are, at best, ambivalent about winning this year, pocket that $13 million and go sign yourself another serviceable guy on a short deal. Hell, go get yourself Kyle Lohse in the bargain bin to mess up the Cardinals while still having your protected pick.

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

I think Edwin Jackson was signed to trade

Teams get desperate for decent starting pitching mid season

It's always interesting how Cubbie Nation buys into this talk of basically tanking and running yourself like the Rays from a guy who succeeded with one of the biggest payrolls in MLB. Trust in Theo, to do things completely different than he did when he found his success!

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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!

So I think the point has been made that not everyone agrees anything is guaranteed. Hopefully we can move on.

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Teams don't trade for Edwin Jackson when they have to cover him for three more years. The Cubs will have to eat significant salary if they hope to move him for any kind of prospect with the next three years.

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

Not entirely true.

The 2007 WS team had a lot to do with Theo's drafting and development.

Disagree. That contract will be a bargain by year 3.

A shit ton of TV money has and will get dumped into teams coffers. So you're probably wrong.

and there will still be 5 Edwin Jackson quality arms on the open market at the trade deadline working with either FA or one more year on a deal...so, I'm probably correct.

The Cubs married the girl everyone else was using for one nighters. Enjoy!

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

Not, it's entirely true. Of course to win a World Series you need drafting and development. The Yankees drafted and developed players too. Every team that has ever won has, even those rent-a-player Marlins teams did.

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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 think you underrate Edwin Jackson, dolphin

Um, not really, but everyone is allowed to have terrible baseball thoughts now and then.

This. Edwin Jackson is getting $8M upfront. His contract is $11M/season over the next four years. It's not that bad considering the market. The Cubs may have to eat a few bucks to move him, but the upcoming FA classes aren't very good and someone always gets desperate. See Maholm, Paul or Jimenez, Ubaldo.

This rotation was put together for the team to be competitive and sell tickets in the first half. We all know guys will get moved after the All-Star break. Their record over the final two months can be 20-40 and they'll get the draft pick they want.

The only way I trade him is for two solid prospects. Why get rid of a solid,still young enough type SP for just one unproven prospect?

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

JP, I think you nailed it.

It's possible.

I think one day this summer you'll see him hit the 100 pitch mark in the 5th inning and think to yourself what 8 other MLB teams have thought.

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

Garza is one...now I just have to find 4 more in the next five months.

Oh, and Jackson is two, because he is an Edwin Jackson quality arm who has been on the open market pretty much every year of his career.

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

Or he'll throw 8ip with 11 K's and some gm will say we need that guy

You know why he's been on 8 teams? Because he's been traded multiple times for good prospects.

I think KW got a bag of road apples for him. Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart if I remember correctly.

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

Jason Frasor was an awesome middle reliever for a while and Stewart was a prospect.

But if you look at this list of guys he's traded for, there's a lot of good prospects.

Did you know that if you pull my weiner it plays jingle bells?

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

Interesting, are you aware there is a hockey gays meet up this Sunday?

Depends on what your definition of "know" is

The opposite of no

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

January 14, 2006: Traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers with Chuck Tiffany (minors) to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Danys Baez and Lance Carter.
December 10, 2008: Traded by the Tampa Bay Rays to the Detroit Tigers for Matthew Joyce.
December 8, 2009: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Detroit Tigers to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Detroit Tigers sent Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees sent Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to the Detroit Tigers. The New York Yankees sent Ian Kennedy to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Detroit Tigers.
July 30, 2010: Traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Chicago White Sox for David Holmberg (minors) and Daniel Hudson.
July 27, 2011: Traded by the Chicago White Sox with Mark Teahen to the Toronto Blue Jays for Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart.
July 27, 2011: Traded by the Toronto Blue Jays with Octavio Dotel, Corey Patterson, Marc Rzepczynski and cash to the St. Louis Cardinals for Trever Miller, Colby Rasmus, Brian Tallet and P.J. Walters.

All either top prospects or good MLB players

you know what's hilarious about that comment? One of those 8 teams may re-aquire him this season for some good prospects...

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

sneaky motherfucker not highlighting Corey Patterson

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

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