I don't see the Cubs signing a free agent this off season that requires giving up a draft pick (Scherzer, Lester, Shields). The pitching I think they will acquire will be via trade, the international market or 2nd tier free agents. If they go big on the free agnet market I think it will be after the 2015 season.

Lester does not require a pick.

You really think they're going to trade Syndergaard for Castro?

_________________
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

Really? Oakland can't make him a qualifying offer? Well that changes things. What the hell is Billy Beane thinking agreeing to that.

Also, the Cubs 1st round pick is protected anyways.

I thought their first pick was protected. If the second gets taken then just do the famous under slot.

I once saw an exotic dancer who accepted gratuities by way of her genitals named Famous Under Slot

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

I know. They would have to give up their 2nd round pick and roughly $1.2M in pool money. I think they will try to load up in the draft for one more year then start spending after the 2015 season.

I dont know the Mets situation, Ive seen that name thrown around quite a bit. Sometimes its Russell though

This is what Ive seen on each side. Some include Harvey even.


Syndergaard
Wheeler

Baez
Castro
Russell

The Cubs have tried to slip this news in on the last Sunday of the season and a day the Bears played the Packers but, they ain't planning on really spending until 2019.

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

This mentality will never cease as long as Cubs fans are convinced having a good looking farm system is a desirable end in-and-of-itself.

This article makes it seem like they'll spend some on pitching but they wont become a top spender til 2019



That plan figures to include a very young lineup next year, with many of the same young faces who filled the lineup Friday in a 6-4 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.

It’s also a plan that figures to include a very active search for pitching during the winter, with payroll flexibility boosted by big contracts falling off the books and $20 million in firewalled savings by baseball ops from its 2014 budget.

But more spending on baseball from the ownership side might be a lot further in the distance than the new construction along Waveland Avenue seems to suggest.

“Eventually it’ll mean some more revenue, but the big mechanism by which we’ll realize significantly more revenue is really the TV deal,” Epstein said. “And the Wrigley improvements will help move the needle. But the paradigm shifter is really the TV deal.”

The Cubs still are working on their short-term TV rights plans for the WGN portion of their schedule after opting out of the WGN deal, effective after this season.

Assuming the kind of mega money that teams in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Texas have received in recent years is available in this market, the Cubs don’t figure to be able to deliver results on such a deal until they have their entire schedule to sell — after their CSN deal runs out following the 2019 season.

All of which leaves the Cubs’ financial progress better measured in inches than miles until the TV picture clears up. Which could continue to put the onus on baseball ops to spend prudently – even with a younger, cheaper roster and a leftover pile of cash on hand.

By the time 2019 rolls around everyone else will have their big money TV deal and the Cubs will just be playing catch up.

We all assumed that money not spent in 2012-2014 would not be saved up for future years, but this article seems to imply they are in fact going to do that with 2014 money???

"... and $20 million in firewalled savings by baseball ops from its 2014 budget."

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Firewalled savings = Ricketts pocket change for a new yacht.

I dont care about theoretical spending

So far Ricketts has spent on one free agent. Edwin Jackson.

Cubs theoretically won't be "big spenders" until 2019 because that is when a bunch of the rookie contracts will be up. Doesn't mean they won't spend money on free agents.

The payroll for next season is at like $40M.

Im very afraid of the payroll looking like 60 millionish next year.

They should really add TWO pitchers

Francisco Liriano or Masterson 2015
David Price 2016

I don't want Lester or Scherzer. I don't feel comfortable paying 31 year old pitchers $100M when we are 2 to 3 years away from legitimately competing for a title.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I would guess the Cubs would be looking to get the payroll to about $80-$90M.

This is pretty much why I fully expect them to sign Lester. Could still throw some money at Masterson, too and hope he turns it around. Neither will cost a pick.

If the Pirates were to pass on re-signing Russell Martin, the Cubs could pursue him, instead.

That is not what the article, with quotes from the front office, says.

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

How soon they forget....

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

I don't know how Rahm didn't immediately pull all their permits when he read this. If I were Fioretti or Lewis, I'd be holding this out as an example of him getting duped by business to the detriment of the people

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

I believe I predicted this two years ago.

Make your payroll artificially low to "save the money for future years" and then when you bump it up to a league average payroll(still well below what a team like the Cubs should have) you then claim it was done with that saved money when it wasn't. It was just a big money grab. Add in that they will put in bids they know they won't win on big money free agents and all of a sudden we start to hear "new Cubs willingness to spend". Even if they end up getting one of those high priced free agents they still have basically lined their pockets for years.

If they really did bank that money, the Cubs should have a top 5-10 payroll next year. They need to get to what they should have been paying, and then add the $20 million a year to that number.

The fact that 2019 is even a topic of discussion now is pretty much hilarious.

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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 like that plan

The Cubs will have to substantially overpay sign Lester. I believe he wants to play for a team that has a chance to win the WS.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

It's almost like billionaires buy off the media first to trick the public into supporting them, then buy off politicians so any legal safeguard to prevent their malfeasance and lies is neutralized.

I believe many of you will come out of this off-season surprised.

Some in a positive sense, some in a negative sense.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

What does that mean?

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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.

I think he'll get about 20-25 mil regardless of where he signs


Nas, where would you spend the money?