Zimmerman and either Lackey or Leake added to the mix. Then add Span and we are ready to go.

_________________
Go Cubs!!!!

Somebody called in suggesting Gallardo. Lot of miles there, I suspect he believes he can get a 4 year deal.

_________________
1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

This guy gets it. Odds much better Shark is back in silver and black.

They have the money to spend; I think saw 81.5 million guaranteed for next season.

They can probably add one high end pitcher (and this could be a closer like Kimbrel via a trade ).

They need one more clear starter though; Hendricks isn't a #3 starter; he's a #5 (which means bullpen) in a top-end rotation.

They have a few guys they have to trade or just let go do to options. Szczur and Alcantara come to mind immediately. They may both have their last option next year but you should probably trade them sooner than later as teams will just wait out the year if they really want them. I doubt they can get much of anything for either but they could sweeten a deal.

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

Lackey and Latos are known jerks. I think Samardzija spouted off a couple times but I can't blame him for being shipped to a place less popular than Oakland.

Lester is a bad guy? Have your thoughts on him as a pitcher or too much $ but he's pretty much considered one of the better guys and teammates in the league.

_________________
Kenny Williams fell for the banana in the tailpipe

When he's not pounding beers and eating chicken in the locker room, he's solid.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

_________________
Kenny Williams fell for the banana in the tailpipe

Arrieta
Lester
Cueto or Zimmermann - unless they can get Archer via trade
Carrasco (trading Soler)
Shark (1 year deal)

As much as I want Price to help them win the division, I think somebody is going to give him a Robbie Cano type of contract, and Theo's just going to laugh and wish them well. Grienke eventually goes back to LA, because their 3-4-5 is horrible already and the ownership is made of money.

I'd like them to trade to get Archer back. It'd take 4-5 guys - probably Hendricks, two guys at AA/AAA (if they sign a CF, Almora is expendable), and two guys at Myrtle Beach. The other guys we sent for Garza worked out ok for Tampa except for Lee who got hurt. Guyer is playing, Chirinos got moved to Texas but is also playing. So they can probably sell it to their fans as long as two guys end up getting significant MLB time in 2016.

Trading Soler means they won't trade Castro - he's cost-controlled at 2B. So no Tyson Ross.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

You must have been listening to Ben Finfer on Saturday, he said the same thing.

So you think the Guppy declines the one year qualifying offer from the Sox for 16 million- 1 year. Epstein offers this scrub what? 18 million for one year?

_________________

Considering no one has ever accepted a QO, I'd say that's a fairly safe bet. And no, Samardzija isn't going to be signing a one year deal with anyone. But he will likely get less than sore-armed Johnny Cueto.

_________________
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

My Cubs fans friends are all pushing the Schwarber for Sonny Gray deal. I responded Schwarber and who else. They acted like I was the crazy one.

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

I really don't think the Cubs are going to sign Shark and Cueto/Zimmeran. They sill have to give Arrieta a long-term deal at some point as well. I think they will aggressively sign one of these pitchers who will slide into the #3 spot (perhaps #2 at some point), and they will role the dice on Hammels coming back healthy, and Hendricks to round out the rotation.

8 games is more than enough sample size? Really?

Im not saying I want him here but that's just ridiculous. Also its not like he gets slammed in each start. 5 of his 8 have been Quality starts. (Granted in the post season you need more than that)

Perfect example of how W-L in small sample sizes is deceiving.

Epstein was burned by signing Lackey in Boston (injuries mostly but still)

I think Cub fans are far overestimating Soler and Castro's value on the open market.

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

I can see that

Starlin as a 2B has value though, imo.

I agree but Starlin at 2B has far less value than at SS. Also, he is still likely to turn into a malingering dipshit when the chips are down. Starlin is the kind of guy who would rather be the best player on a bad team than a contributor on a winning team. He wants to be a leader on no team.

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

I'm not sure where you get your info, but Starlin must understand that he is not the best player on the team now.

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

Nah, I don't recall the last time I put on MVP. I think Shark hates Don Cooper, and would take the same 16M from the Cubs for a chance to rehab his mechanics with Bosio in the easy spot of the #4 starter. A lot of pitching with a big lead against the other team's #4, a lot of spring games at Wrigley with the wind blowing in.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

I do think that Soler and a AA/AAA player will get Carrasco. The Indians had Nick fucking Swisher playing RF for much of last year.

There is enough depth in the minors that they can throw guys into deals who can immediately make the end of an AL bench, such as Villanueva, Alcantara, Sczcur. And that's not touching any of the pieces at Tennessee or Myrtle Beach last year. There's only about 17 spots on the hitting depth chart that can possibly matter for 2016 - 7 OF, 7 IF, 3 C, and maybe Vogelbach as a September PH if he's not traded at the July 31 deadline. Anybody not in that list of 17 who is at Iowa is either trade bait or organizational filler.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

I didn't watch much of the Sox last year. His mechanics are the problem?

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

Levine said the Cubs have seen problems with his mechanics that they think they can fix.

Within the confines of playoff baseball. its a large sample size. You're suggesting that he's just unlucky. 7 times . Without a win. He's gotten out pitched ( recently by Yordano Ventura twice).His career post season ERA is over 5 in 60 plus innings. At what point do you think he's not a very good playoff pitcher? 12 starts without a win? 15? I don't want him and the 175 million plus 5 years he's going to get when he's a known playoff bust if the assumption is you're going to be in the playoffs several times the next 5 years.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I dont separate it. To me, he's a guy who wins most his games overall.

If he was getting destroyed in every start I could see it.

Like has been brought up many times, Randy Johnson was 1-7 in his first 8 playoff starts.

Im more concerned with his age than the fact that he's had three bad post season starts.

Career ERA over 5 in 60 innings of playoff baseball doesn't worry you?

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I guess so, but Lester was awesome in the playoffs and you see what happened there

If I had to guess Id think Price goes on a run of post season success just based on the law of averages

If they can land Price and Lackey (on a 2 year deal), they'd be a good bet to get back into the post season, and if Price is your 3rd option in the playoffs, you should be OK.

Not in favor of Shark, but if they see a flaw and know they can fix it, will he take maybe 4/60??

Probably what happens is they get either Price or Zimmerman, then they trade for a cost controlled guy like Carrasco or maybe even a Sonny Gray/Tyson Ross if they want to overwhelm OAK/SD with a package of maybe Castro or Baez/Vogelbach/Alcantara/Szczur/Underwood or Edwards (in other words a 5 for 1 deal).

Bottom line is they need to win the division to avoid the wild card crap shoot and to do that will take pitching.

Keep Hammel/Hendricks for depth and unload Wood to save cash to help finance Price or Zimmerman.

Greinke will stay in LA and Cueto is damaged goods and someone will overpay Gallardo for 4 years so not a good buy there.

A good bounce back candidate is Doug Fister is they have to trade Hammel or Hendricks to upgrade the cost controlled acquisition.

Lackey is 38 but he knows how to pitch and is a winner. Hope they can get him.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Yep. I want him as their #4 guy.