And dont gimme the bullshit excuse of "oh, he only has a year ot wo left, we need to replenish our farm system"

The cubs have 4 or 5 guys in that same boat. Yet why arent THEY mentioned in any trade rumors?

Why arent we trading Rizzo? Baez? Schwarbino? Why?

I'll tell you why:
Its unbelievable to me that ANY GM would do business with Epstein. Epstein is not about fair trades. He is about getting the better of the deal. ALWAYS.

If Theo wants to trade you it means you suck in his eyes. He thinks people still value Bryant but he thinks he is overrated (but of course doesnt tell anybody). Hence wanting to trade him. Forget the rest of the numbers last year, but to have only 77 RBIs is terrible. This is his thinking.

So tell me, whats your theory? Why is Bryant the fall guy, and not any of the other core guys?

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Why does any one productive player have to be traded to bandage Theo's minor league drafting failures? Theo's score shills brag of his brilliance but he's put himself behind the 8 ball now dealing from a position of weakness. Other teams know it. Then, more bad money on Kimbrel to top it off.

Nobody would talking about our farm if Theo didn't make that awful trade for Quintana. That trade fucked us.

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Why hasn't Theo signed any of these players to long-term deals? Has he signed any of his young core to long-term deals?

If he hasn't, what is the strategic value in not locking up younger players?

That trade also opened the doors for the Yu and Chatwood signings. The trade was the beginning of the end for this Championship window.

It has everything to do with the tyranny of WAR over everyone's decision making process. His long term prognosis in that one statistic is bad since he's going to need to change positions if he wants to play more than a hundred or so games a year.

Somebody with sense will pay him.

Well of the guys you mentioned, I think its pretty generous that you are putting Schwarber in the same category as the other 3.

Which leaves Rizzo, Bryant and Baez. I am pretty sure Baez is going to be signing a long term deal in the near future.... so between Bryant and Rizzo, Bryant would be the more attractive option to other teams.... as he is younger.

Who knows really what goes through the mind of Epstein.

I could be way off.

You're right. Just like they paid Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera and Carl Crawford after they decided to ignore fairly obvious projections.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Because he didn't kill himself.

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We Now Know That JOE BIDEN has been COMPROMISED by CHINA! (let that sink in)

Election 2020-The Largest Fraud in the History of Mankind.

*If you believe that Biden won, you also believe that Epstein killed himself*

I think it’s fairly obvious KB doesn’t want to sign with the Cubs long term.

If the Cubs were legitimate World Series contenders, I don’t believe Theo would be shopping him.

But they aren’t, so he his shopping him.

Pretty simple, really.

Bryant has had a rash of injuries the past couple years. If you recall, Maddon sat him for a few days a couple of times during the latter part of this past season with a sore knee. that may be the tip of the iceberg and trading him while his value is high, might be wise. He is not a great 3rs baseman. He is good there, but will never be contending for a gold glove. I think he wants to play on the West Coast if possible when he becomes a free agent. Holding onto a guy until he becomes a free agent is usually bad policy, unless that team has a legitimate chance to win the World Series. But Jed and Theo better not miss on the prospects they get in return.

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Go Cubs!!!!

2018, yes. He played in more games than Rizzo did in 2019. The return for Bryant will not be as good as the return Quintana netted.

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Proud of myself for resisting making a "Why is Kobe Bryant so tradeable in God's eyes?" thread

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

While Rizzo has been trying for an extension this off-season, the problems with his back and missing games as he did, are good reasons (along with his age) the Cubs have not jumped at the chance. I didn't want Quintana in the first place and yes, that was a stupid trade, as was the Glyber Torres deal. A perennial All-Star for a fucking asshole rental. I don't need to hear idiots trying to convince me that one title is worth it. It's not. A team should be built for long term success and the truly outstanding prospects never traded for just a rental.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I made my first Kobe joke yesterday. Couldn't resist when ABC news set me up on the tee. At least I asked too soon?

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Elections have consequences.

The Cubs lost 85+ games almost annually for decades and decades, and suddenly four straight 90+ win seasons with a WS Title mixed in is not good enough for Burbank Steve.

Steve is the male July DiCaro.

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You know your baseball thoughts are bad when Frank has to come in and stick up for the Cubs.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

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

how is it obvious? Again, you have no facts or observations. Why would KB want to sign? And why would the Cubs not want a guy that is MVP?

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Im not looking at it at from my perspective. This is from THEO's perspective. And yes, he values Schwarber and Contreras in the same way as the others. So thats 6 guys. Yet Bryant is the guy that needs to go for some reason. I just dont get it. It's like the old thing where if u keep saying it enough, it must be right, but there is still no good reason why Bryant should be the odd man out. Good 3B-men are hard to find. Fuck, we searched 40 years for one, we finally got one, and now we wanna trade him. It's dumb.

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I still wonder (aloud) if Baez is really one of Theo's "guys". He didn't pick him...people forget that. Not sure how Theo really feels about him.

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

yea i would say if he didnt turn into the star he is he would be odd man out. Remember how it took him a while to become an everyday player. They didnt give him an everyday job right away the way they did Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, etc. And then took a while to wrest SS from Addison Russell. Russell was for sure a Theo guy at first.

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It seems as though the Cubs may well go into 2020 with their core intact and give the team a chance to contend as is and if they do not perform well and appear to be a real contender, look to trade Bryant and others closer to the deadline. That makes sense. It gives Ross the chance to see what he can do with this roster and often teams get a better return at the trade deadline, when contending teams might feel they are just 1 good player away from winning a division and perhaps having a real chance for a title. Lots of things will have to go right for this to work out and this should have happened a year ago, rather than letting Maddon finish out his contract. But I like the idea of giving Ross a real chance this season.

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Go Cubs!!!!

They are not a real contender.

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My opinion is just my opinion and there's no stock on it.

I think it's because they think Boras will ask for too much $ in 2 years. Along with Bryant's grievance hearing. There are rumors that he is still upset. He lives out west and may want to go back to a west coast team.

With all of that, it might be better for the Cubs to get some cost controlled prospects back in return and do what they were doing in 2012 and 2013 to restock a somewhat weak farm system?

Trading Bryant now vs later is all based on the offers. If some team comes at them with a good offer now, then he's gone but if all they're being offered is a mediocre return, they hold on to him and see what happens at the deadline. As to this team contending, yeah they could but very doubtful and I certainly don't see this team as a legit World Series contender, so clearly they need to do something sooner or later.

Also don't rule out Quintana or Chatwood being dealt this spring if another team has injury issues. I think the last thing they want is a PR disaster such as the White Sox white flag trade where they are 4 games out at the deadline and they unload $$ for prospects and are perceived as tanking. Not a good scenario there unless they get a great return in the trade which is possible certainly. If they are under .500 or 7+ games out, then no one will cry to much when they trade off $$ to get under the tax.

Cubs 2020 = Remember 2016?

Bryant's value continues to decline. He was more valuable last year than he'll be this season. He may not have any true trade value next season.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I wonder if the key issue isn't Bryant for prospects, but whether someone is willing to take Heyward like the Dodgers took Price. I think Atlanta might be the most likely, given they developed Heyward and he had some success with them.

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This is silly.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

He's still declining. You're clinging to your memories of 2015 and 2016.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

If he rakes first half this year the offers will be there.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

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