It certainly is a good portion of the reason. How can you deny that?

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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'm also going to go ahead and retroactively give Theo credit for last night's Andrew Miller usage.

I say that jokingly, but wasn't it Theo's regime in Boston that wanted to implement using the team's closer in whatever situation they deemed the most important? I remember there being quite a bit of ridicule when that idea was floated. And before anyone gets all worked up, I'm sure it wasn't a revolutionary thought and somewhere along the line a previous baseball administration had the same game-plan.

Praise Theo nonetheless.

How can I deny that? I watch baseball games and follow the performance of all teams and players. But if you want some numbers...

2016 Collective WAR for Theo's Major League FA signings: 14.9

2016 Collective WAR for Theo's Draft Picks, Int'l Signings, and Trades: 28.4


I left Dexter Fowler out of both because you could argue him as a trade acquisition or a free agent. If you want to manually add him into one or the other, 4.2 WAR. I also did not include Montero in the trades because you'll bitch that was due to acquiring an albatross contract or something. But if you want... -0.3.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

So free agent signings on their own are more than a third and the three other categories you said are far less than free agents. Yes, Fowler is a free agent too so you can add that in.

Thanks for proving my point too! This has all been very good information.

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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!

Fowler would not have re-signed with the Cubs on a very team friendly deal for 2016 if he hadn't been a Theo trade acquisition. Fowler is definitely not going on the FA acquisition list. Or every player that is re-signed would have to.

The performance of actual players that were drafted / traded for, in addition to the fact that the successful trades and drafts allowed for the Cubs to actually spend on FA to fill the minimal holes, leads to the definitive conclusion that the Cubs team success is 100% attributed to Theo's bottom to top organization rebuild.

This topic can now be closed.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

With or without Fowler your own numbers proved that in terms of war fa signs accounted for at least as much as anything else. That is what I said.

I agree the topic is closed. Big spending the past two years had the biggest impact.

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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!

Do you math?

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

What math is wrong? 14.9 + 28.4 = 43.3

14.9 / 43.3 is greater than one third. That's pretty substantial.

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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'm not sure about that.

They spent big on Lester and he was OK last year, much better this year.

Heyward-nada

Fowler? 8 million a year. Not sure I'd call that big. He's been good.

Zobrist at 16 million a year? Big money but I think his numbers are a little down this year.

Lackey has been OK.

The two biggest contributors are Bryant and Rizzo. Draft pick and a trade.

How is "greater than one third" the "biggest impact."

If you want to split up trades and draft picks... FA still wouldn't be the biggest impact...trades would be. Bryant's WAR is ~7.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

What is the trade number then?

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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!

Dude, I like both of you, but this is worse than a Scooter-Chas fight.

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I think it's safe to say that those 3 dark years were a waste of fucking time. He ended doing the same shit the last few years (FA signings and trades) that he could have done 5 years ago. Remember some of the sad sack talent he brought in to make sure they sucked? It was shameful.

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

I'll let you pindicks crunch the numbers, but the three most important hitters-position players are Bryant, Rizzo,Russell and the Starters are Lester,Hendricks,Arietta.

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28.4 - 7.1 - (1 or 2 total for Almora, Soler and a couple others) so...about 20? I'm not doing the exact math all over again.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Wrong.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

If they lose THIS year,you can argue until your blue in the face but all I see is 5 years of failure.

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

You brought it up. In willing to concede trades may have been more important and free agents were second. I'm not sure why suddenly you stopped with the numbers you chose to present.

By the way, the free agent pitcher from last night sure seemed to do well!

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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 was all manual math. It took awhile. I gave up since I had already made my point...and didn't feel like putting a ton more effort into assisting in your concession.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

It's because you know that number starts approaching 14.9 fairly quickly. It may end up a little higher but it does prove how important the spending spree was.

That's also not counting Fowler as a free agent who clearly was part of the spending spree even if he was a late stage resigning. That was part of the money spent though. For a guy who was so cocky at the start of the thread suddenly not having enough time seems strange.

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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 provided all numbers. I'm extremely confident as I did the math. Re read the thread.

That being said, why would I do your research? If you feel any of my numbers are incorrect or that I'm being disingenuous in how I presented anything, you're more than welcome to do the same work and try to prove me wrong.

2016 club's performance comes from approx 1/3 free agents...it is not the largest factor. Period.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

It was your argument. You brought it up. If you suddenly don't feel like backing it up I question if there is a reason.

I'm more than willing to acknowledge that trades may have been more important. I said it was probably close in my very first post.

You framed your argument poorly by comparing free agents to three other categories combined.

Deep down you know that if Fowler is counted as a free agent that the free agency spending spree is just as important. That is why you are refusing to do the math to substantiate your argument that trades are the biggest factor.

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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!

Whatever you say. Again, I can't put much weight into your thoughts and stances as you admittedly don't follow baseball much.

You've never once attempted to back up your own arguments.

Everything I've posted is fact and fully supported my counter to your ignorant statements. There is nothing more to discuss unless you plan on positing a new, relevant, intelligent thought.

Thanks.

Also..I did the math. 28.4 - approximately 9 is trades. So 19.4 > 14.9.

Fowler was acquired in a trade. This thread is discussing Theo acquisitions.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Ok 19.4 is your answer. What site did you use? I'll make sure your math is right since you want to act like you are. It may be a little bit since I don't know enough about baseball to read another sites numbers.

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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!

Baseball reference

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.