I know everyone wants to take it slow, dont expect to much, dont put pressure on these guys early and every other saying from the Chris Rongey book of 1000 excuses, but the bar is raised, like it or not.

Everyone in baseball has heard about the cubs farm system and everyone wants to see and play against them.

right now the Cubs are doing well, but I do think part of it is that they are playing loose and nothing matters. Its different when you start Scoreboard watching and every AB means something and if you dont run hard your manager chews you out.

But give them credit to date, be ready to play next year! Next year tryouts are over, players will be acquired to play, not to see if they have anything left in the tank

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Like the picture we all know how I feel about happy endings.

I am really enjoying the past couple of weeks of Cubs baseball

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

I agree expectations will be big in 2015. But the Cubs are only halfway there...they MUST spend $$$ on two starting pitchers, preferably Scherzer and Price, or even Darvish if they can get him.

If the payroll isn't at least $120m next year, Ricketts should be run out of town.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Where will the Cubs play $80M in new contracts?

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Pitching!

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Without question.

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Go Cubs!!!!

How does Baez and Alcantara being bad combine with 15 Soler PA's to convince you The Bar Has Been Raised? Is it Arrieta and his 4.32 second half ERA? Maybe you think Hendricks might eeke out a pitch quicker than 90 mph and won't be immediately figured out by major league hitters? Oh, I know! The Cubs will blow an asston of money on guys over the age of 30 and those guys will just keep on being good. Look at Justin Verlander, it's pretty clear pitchers never age.

You seem upset.

I'm sorry you're baseball stupid.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Question: If 5 games is enough to anoint Jorge Soler the MVP of All Time how is 48 and 27 games for Alcantara and Baez respectively "too small a sample size" to confirm the obvious (which is, they can't play major league baseball)?

I feel pretty strongly that none of my questions will be answered.

well, then you got one right, congrats

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

America is spinning in circles!!!! Taking Sox bitterness to new extremes.

Sounded to me that what he meant by the bar being raised is that you can expect any new additions to be immediate impact type players and not some jerk placeholder who isn't expected to win games. Perhaps the lose and gain picks mentality is at a close

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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

Aka bad money.

I don't know. Have you seen his ass?

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Other than Jackson which I didn't understand from day 1 the Cubs don't have a lot of bad money really out there.

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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

And what you're saying is they need to add some. Yikes!

Jackson is Theo getting a little too carried away with his flipping pitchers.

No. I am not saying that.

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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

So any addition Hahn makes this offseason won't be bad money? A lotta money coming off the books.

The question is rhetorical. Obviously the answer from you will be yes.

Sox already have bad money (Danks) that precludes us from adding more bad money. So yea, expect more trades like the one for Eaton this offseason from the White Sox.

But this isn't about the Sox, it's about the Cubs and how bad play from key players means that somehow expectations are elevated.

Have you had recent head trauma?

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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

The Sox traded their primary closer or Eaton...the signed Abreu because they didnt have a 1st baseman...and they traded Peavy for Garcia....

All very good deals....but who do you think you are trading on this team for talent? 37 year old Ramirez? or The cuban missle?

I think Hahn made very good deals, but to expect him to do that again is foolish. I made this point when those deals got done.

And we all know how Jerry loves to pay for free agent pitching.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

So the Dunn money? De Aza money? Beckham money? Around 20 million that was spent this year that won't be. Just let Jerry pocket it? Use it to hire more ushers? Did Abreu magically appear on the roster or was he....*gasp*...bought on the free agent market. You're full of Clown baseball thoughts bro.

Ma tête est tre bien, je vous remercie pour votre sollicitude.

So you're saying you surrender. That's pretty much all the French anyone needs to know.

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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

Potential extensions for Eaton, Gillaspie and Avi. Rather that than broke down 30+ year old pitchers.

Head trauma it is

I have no idea who Hahn does or doesn't intend to trade, but if the Sox wanted to they could put together the bullets for a big name in a trade. But that's not the route I see them taking, smaller deals around the periphery to shore up the bullpen, LF and maybe another starter.

That's fine, those moves make the Sox a contender.

Again, not talking about White Sox here. Talking Cubs.