Ever since Theo/Hoyer arrived they've been pretty spineless about setting expectations. Better to not set a timetable so an evaluation of their work would be impossible. Any reasonable fan should expect playoff contention by year 4 at the latest and definitely by year 5. But unless these two yahoos start packaging their precious prospects for major league talent or sign a legitimate free agent or two the Cubs won't be competitive for at least another 2-3 years.

Take a look at the development of Rizzo and Castro. They've had 3-4 years of struggles and learning to get to the point of being above average contributors. A lot of Cubs fans are idiotically assuming Baez, Bryant, Alcantara, Almora, Soler (ha!), Edwards not only all make the majors but just step right in without skipping a beat. The Super Two and service time baloney is a crock of shit. How about let's figure out if they're even decent major league players before worrying about their free agency in 2021.

I'll still defend your right to enjoy a Cubs World Series victory after the Plan works.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

4 years is too long. 5 is way too long.

Agree with pretty much everything you said.

troll

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

He should worry about his own team and less about the Cubs.

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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!

The Plan was essentially rebuild the minor league system. OK, system is rebuilt and even more will be added after Shark, Hammel and 2015 Draft due to this tanked season. Minor league talent has become so ridiculously overvalued it's crazy. Theo needs to scout his backyard to find the Hosmer and Moustakas in our system who were supposedly can't miss and sell high.

No but really, its becoming ridiculous.

Three guys batting under .200 in the lineup yesterday. This can not stand.

They have to start attempting to win....as crazy as that sounds


And at this point, until something comes out that changes this, its on Theo and Ricketts equally

Doing your job with no pressure can become addicting. Everyone is making a ton of money with the Cubs. Theo is. Ricketts is. The players that actually make it to the MLB club are.

They have no real reason to want to compete in 2015 either. Extract as much value as they can and then they can compete. You know people will forget everything the first time they are in first place in July anyways.

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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!

Exactly

Ive said this a lot, but I thought two years was very reasonable and made sense with all the contracts that were coming off the books after those two years. If they would have done the Jimmy Pasta plan (sign a couple veteran free agents) this year Id be on board. You'd have Rizzo and Castro improving and learning on a decent team. Now you have Arrieta and Samardzija pitching well. Maybe you're in it. Either way there is NO DOWN SIDE to trying to compete at this point

I dont think the players should be included in that. Im sure they'd welcome pressure. But everything else is right.

We'll see if there starts to be a backlash. The attendance has dipped but that hasnt changed anything.

Jed Hoyer was scouting his backyard last night. He was front and center behind home at Kane County. Seems like a nice guy.

Right. Theo isn't exploiting a market inefficiency. He's creating one.

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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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Braves_season_records

Braves lost 89-106 games per year from 1985-1990. Think anyone is worried about that now? They've been below .500 twice since then. That is what Theo is building. I don't care if it isn't fast enough for your liking. You're gonna love it when it blooms.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

So the 2015-2025 Cubs are going to be the 1990s Atlanta Braves?

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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!

It is my hope that the Plan will result in prolonged dominance. I doubt it starts in 2015, although I previously predicted in 2013 that 2015 would be the start of it. I don't see enough pitching to be that dominant in 2015.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

I must have missed the three Hall of Fame pitchers Theo has hidden.

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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

You cant be serious. That happens once every 50 years with an organization.

Or the position players.

Baez, Villanueva, and Almora are hitting in the .200s. Olt already is a bust. Soler can't stay healthy. So we have Schwarber and Bryant. Is the new market inefficiency fielding a roster of 1st basemen?

Don't underestimate Chris Bosio.

The Cubs haven't had real pitching issues in several years...without having any stars. He seems to be pretty decent. And the offense is an up and coming, hopefully.

The Major League team must be improved in 2015. That was my deadline all along. As long as the organization was showing improvement through 2014, I don't really care for the Chicago Cubs record. But this off-season and next season are truly important. The Cubs don't need to splurge this off-season, but there needs to be a competitiveness that hasn't been there recently.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Dont forget the Cy Young winning 26 year old free agent signing.

TSN just did a documentary on the 1984 Pittsburgh Penguins, who pulled an egregious tank job to get Mario Lemieux. What have our three years of egregious tank jobs gotten us? Mike Olt?

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Kris Bryant, Albert Almora, and Kyle Shwarbererererer

Bryant, duh.....?

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Blackhawks.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

I am all in on Schwarber. Next Billy Butler.

The Blackhawks had three tank seasons before they turned it around ('04/'06/'07) and did so with the dubious luxury of being at the absolute bottom of the sports world. These are the Chicago Cubs planning to be awful year after year. It's different.

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I get it, you guys don't like the plan or its execution. It certainly seems behind schedule. I am on board with it because I believe it will result in a Braves-like dynasty. Independent baseball experts all rate the Cubs system highly. Whether that turns into HOFer's, All Stars, or even quality everyday players, well that is the gamble with building through the draft and trades for prospects. You have to admit they seemed to have picked the right guys in round 1 of the last two drafts. Also, paying below slot was a smart move to get quality picks later on that others didn't have the bonus money to sign. They seem like they know what they're doing. They told us about this plan upfront.

My main point to Kirkwood is that the Cubs fans on this board will be the first in line when they start winning. I have patience because I didn't like the Hendry model. We had a lot of guys that I found difficult to cheer for. I love the Blackhawks model where there are a lot of "our guys". Given a choice, I love winning with our own draft picks and youngsters.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

This post is like Christmas morning for White Sox fans.

Literally every Cubs fan thinks like this.

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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!

What didn't you like about it? The winning?

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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

sox had the #1 ranked minor league system in the early 90s if I recall. they got like one division title or something out of it. BFD. Nobody cares.

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