A Chart of the Soler System

(This of course inspired by Rob's headline yesterday)
So, I don't know jack, do you?
The other day somebody said that Jorge Soler was gonna sign a contract with the Cubs, he just couldn't find his pen.
Now it's all kindsa teams trying to get close to Soler, apparently.
The Cubs, represented in the chart as the USS Enterprise, still seem to be the closest.
But the Yankee Evil Empire suddenly came on the screens, and not alot Captain James T. Epstein can do with his phasers against those guys.
And the Black Hole of Miami now opened it's hungry mouth. They've been sucking up everything, even Dark Star Z.
Billy Bean is riding some crazy comet, and swooped down to get Yoenis Cespedis. Today I read that Ces didn't get a no-trade so Billy's probably got something up his sleeve for some kind of future time warp.
Every time I read anything about the Philadelpia Red Planet, it's that their population is getting ancient, so getting Soler might make sense.
But given everything I've tried to guess so far, probably Soler is going someplace not on the map.
Houston or Minnesota.
Maybe to the White Sox to back up Kosuke Fukudome.

Ahhhh just kiddin'.
Like I said, I don't know jack.

Submitted by CubbyBlue on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 10:28am

Comments

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:15am

Billy BeanE is the A' s Gm .
Billy Bean, I believe, landed on Uranus.

/too easy

Submitted by CubbyBlue
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:54am

Doh!

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:33am

Awesome Tim

Submitted by navigator
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:38am

This is all 4/27.5 Tim!

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:52am

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/02/which-p...

good look on potential draft pick comp for 2012

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:06pm

Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:52am — Rob G.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/02/which-p...

good look on potential draft pick comp for 2012

==========================

ROB G: See if you can spot the error in the MLBTR post.

HINT: It's in the paragraph next to David Wright.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:20pm

I skimmed as usual, was just looking for the names.

that being said, I don't see it.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:33pm

Says...

"If Wright struggles to an extent in 2012 where the Mets determine he is not worth a $15MM net option price for 2013, would they be willing to risk $12.5MM for two potential draft picks?"...

Under the new CBA, compensation for losing a player who is offered a guaranteed contract with a salary equal to the average salary of the 125 highest-paid MLB players the previous season is one draft pick (not two).

BTW, the compensation draft pick is between the first and second round (like it would have been for a Type "B" player under the old system), but the signing team loses its 1st round draft pick (as if it had signed a Type "A" player under the old system), unless it's a Top 10 pick in the 1st round, in which case the signing team loses its 2nd round pick.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:41pm

guess I misunderstood this...

C. A Club that signs a player subject to compensation will forfeit its first round
selection, unless it selects in the top 10, in which case it will forfeit its second-
highest selection in the draft.
D. The Player’s former Club will receive a selection at the end of the first round
beginning after the last regularly scheduled selection in the round. The former
Clubs will select based on reverse order of winning percentage from the prior
championship season.

so the pick the signing team loses just disappears?

there's the competitive balance lottery , but those are between the 1st and 2nd rounds and 2nd and 3rd rounds.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 2:03pm

Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:41pm — Rob G.

so the pick the signing team loses just disappears?

there's the competitive balance lottery , but those are between the 1st and 2nd rounds and 2nd and 3rd rounds.

=======================

ROB G: That's correct.

The signing team loses its pick, but nobody gets it. There is just one fewer pick in the 1st (or 2nd) round.

Of course that would be offset by additional draft picks inserted into the 1st (or 2nd) round when a club gets a compensation pick for failing to sign its own 1st or 2nd round draft pick from the previous year's draft. BTW, a compensation pick is inserted one slot lower than where the team selected the unsigned pick the previous year (if a club fails to sign overall pick #11 from the 2012 draft, it gets overall pick #12 in the 2013 draft). NOTE: Compensation for failing to sign a 3rd round pick is a selection between the 3rd and 4th round in the next year's draft, and there is no compensation for failing to sign a player selected in the 4th (or lower) round.

But if the club fails to sign a compensation pick (a selection awarded for failing to sign a 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pick from the previous year's draft), it does not get another pick the next year for failing to sign the compensation pick. So "signability" considerations are very important when deciding who to select with this pick.

Not much has been discussed (yet) about the new competitive balance lottery draft picks. These picks can be traded, but the pick cannot be traded during the off-season, and the pick cannot be traded for cash unless the cash acquired is a financial adjustment made to offset the salary of one or more of the players involved in the trade.

It also has not been made clear how and when International signing bonus cap money can be traded (and how much of it can be traded to any one team at any one time).

Submitted by JD
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 8:27pm

Nerds.

Just playing.

Kind of.

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 8:30pm

Cmon Rob any 10 year old can figure this out.

~turns to Zeppo -"Run out and find me a ten year old."~

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:28pm

Well played!

On very few Cubs blogs can you get a Marx brothers movie/play reference.

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 12:34am

it's better than the penn state joke i decided not to make

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:54am

best change-ups of 2011

no Cubbies though

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:59am

more pictures from spring training

http://journal.boysofspring.com/2012/02/mello...

and

http://yfrog.com/h7obfugj

organizational meetings begin today...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 12:01pm

Cubs release Robinson Lopez, RHP they got from Braves for Derrek Lee according to a Goldstein tweet

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:04pm

That came from a Matt Eddy (Baseball America) tweet.

BA gets a direct transactions feed from ebis, but they don't have access to confidential ebis transmissions (waivers, directives, birthday greetings from Bud, etc).

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:12pm

not sure what you're going for there...

Matt Eddy @eddymk
Cubs release 20-year-old RHP Robinson Lopez, whom they acquired with 2 other players from Braves for Derrek Lee in Aug ’10

10:31 AM - 15 Feb 12 via web · Details

Kevin Goldstein @Kevin_Goldstein
The Cubs have released RHP Robinson Lopez, who was seen as a nice prospect when he came from Atlanta in the Derrek Lee deal.

9:53 AM - 15 Feb 12 via TweetDeck · Details

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:18pm

Apparently Goldstein (or more-likely Baseball Prospectus) gets the ebis transactions feed, too.

Submitted by navigator
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 12:14pm

Isn't this Blake DeWitt decision day?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:05pm

Wed, 02/15/2012 - 12:14pm — navigator

Isn't this Blake DeWitt decision day?

===========================

NAVI: Deadline is tomorrow.

Submitted by George Altman
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:23pm

Phil, when do they have to add Concepcion to the 40-man? Or is this not 'official'?

Also curious if you have any thoughts on the Jorge Soler 'signing'?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:47pm

Wed, 02/15/2012 - 1:23pm — George Altman
Re: A Chart of the Soler System
Phil, when do they have to add Concepcion to the 40-man? Or is this not 'official'?

Also curious if you have any thoughts on the Jorge Soler 'signing'?

=========================

GEORGE A: The Cubs don't need to add Gerardo Concepcion to their 40-man roster until the contract is signed. Apparently they are still waiting for him to take a physical. So it's not official yet.

Because he has no previous MLB or minor league experience, the Cubs cannot wait 20 days to add him to their 40-man roster if he signs a major league contract (as would be the case if they were signing an MLB or minor league FA). While the Cubs have up to 20 days to file the contract with the MLB office, the player must be added to the MLB 40-man roster as soon as he signs the contract (again, presuming he signs a major league contract).

BTW, if Concepcion were to sign a minor league contract instead of a major league contract, the entire $7M must be paid upfront as a signing bonus and cannot be spread over multiple years. (Well, it could be spread over five years if he is a "two-sport" player, but there is no indication of that).

But if Concepcion signs a major league contract, the $7M can be spread over the length of the contract (as was the case with Jeff Samardzija).

As for Jorge Soler, the Cubs have to be careful to follow the rules. If they don't, the contract could be rejected by the MLB Commissioner and/or the Cubs might have to pay a hefty fine.

Submitted by George Altman
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 2:10pm

Thanks, Phil...........will you be doing your Top 15 list this year?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 2:24pm

Wed, 02/15/2012 - 2:10pm — George Altman

Thanks, Phil...........will you be doing your Top 15 list this year?

=====================

GEORGE A: I know I prepared one (off-line) at the conclusion of the AFL, but I must not have posted it.

Submitted by superjimmer
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 2:58pm

Okay so WTF??

Anyone care to guess what the fuck happened on Monday? Was it Soler's agent blasting the shopping spree into the stratosphere by leaking a false signing? Or was it some crap the The tribune screwed up - or a 'true' scoop that was ill-advisedly leaked for reals? This particular turn of events has an old school cub-moment smell to it??

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 3:04pm

cubs probably threw a number out there at Soler, someone leaked it or made it more than just talking.

I'm sure Jedstein are as pissed as anyone.

Submitted by George Altman
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 3:10pm

I hope they haven't f'd this up with Soler. When all this talk of the top 3 Cubans began this fall, this is the one guy I was hoping Theo could land.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 3:22pm

The only thing to fuck it up is someone throwing more money at them.

Submitted by superjimmer
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 3:54pm

Well exactly. As the old saying goes - look for the person with the most to gain - OR - follow the money. Either way, a leak in this situation can only benefit Soler/his agent. It definitely screws the Cubs.

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 4:08pm

that's why people don't like dealing with barry praver. he's popular with latin clients, though...he's good at getting fringe guys good loot.

Z is one of his best known "high-end" clients.

btw...barry, theo, and jed rode to MIL together for the Nov. GM meetings. played...

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 3:50pm

Ramon Ortiz gets invite to camp...with the Giants
https://twitter.com/SFGiants/status/169881476...

somewhere, far far away: a Bruce Levine source wipes a small speck of egg off chin.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i...?

Submitted by artskoe
on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 4:33pm

Has compensation taken this long ever in beisbol history?
Can Bud hurt the Cubs to help the Brewers? What's going on??

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 7:19am

fan graphs comes up with another good one...homegrown talent WAR production (total and average WAR) from 2002 by team. I assume higher average war equates with more star power development.

shows the Cubs at #27 (near the bottom, total WAR 19.3, ave WAR 0.92) with the most productive player in Sean Marshall.

This would be fun to look at in 5 and 10 yr blocks of time correlated with management/scouting director changes to see who deserves credit for major upswings/downswings.

Best: Boston Red Sox 100.3; 4.36

Worst: Chicago White Sox 11.9; 0.54
...........Seattle Mariners.....8.9;..0.45
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/buil...

If the Astros have only developed one stud player since the 2002 Draft (Hunter Pence), the Chicago Cubs have developed no one significant. They have been relatively successful at drafting and developing minor role players — Tony Campana, Rich Hill, Darwin Barney, Tyler Colvin, etc — but the homegrown talent is lacking star power. The best the Cubs have done is Sean Marshall, who found success as a dominant set-up man — which, while nice, has little overall value for creating a homegrown core to build around. Perhaps the 2005 Draft personifies the Cubs’ developmental success over the past decade. The 2005 Draft saw one Chicago Cub draftee make the big leagues (thus far), and that was left-handed reliever Donnie Veal, who pitched 16.1 innings for the Pirates in 2009 and compiled a 7.16 ERA. The system suffered yet another blow prior to the 2011 season, when they sent Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, and company to Tampa Bay for Matt Garza.

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 8:41am

The problem with this kind of analysis is that it only addresses the June amateur draft--at which the Cubs have obviously been miserable for the last decade and a half. But the story is a bit different when you look at international signings, the Cubs have been one of the more active teams there, and the results have been good over the same time period. On last year's team alone you had Zambrano, Marmol, Soto, Castro and I suppose you'd need to include Fukudome as well? Plus, Soriano, Pena and Ramirez were originally intl FA signings with other teams.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 9:14am

Z wouldn't have been eligible for this analysis. It's just 2002 draft and later.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 9:56am

Yeah, I guess Starlin Castro sucks pretty bad.

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 9:23am

tweeting Nick Cafardo @nickcafardo 1hr ago
A Red Sox official indicated he expects comp decision on Theo Epstein "very soon."

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 10:12am

Can't wait til this is over so I never again need to hear from this fucken tool Nick Cafardo, what a homer. No wonder Theo was anxious to get out of town.

Submitted by The Joe
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 6:48pm

Sad, I'm going to miss reading the algonquin round table discussions at MLBTR concerning the compensation; such claims include Castro, Rizzo and the 2012 #1 draft pick.

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 11:27am

from this fucken tool Nick Cafardo
---
don't forget that Nick the Tool thinks this significant announcement will be for significant compensation even though he thinks Theo was a worthless jerk and really bolted for a lateral move compared to his significant boss, Lucchino who is a real President of Baseball Operations.

Submitted by navigator
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 12:40pm

Jorge Soler worked out at the Blue Jays complex in Boca Chica yesterday. Next stop, Baltimore Orioles. No mention of working out for the Cubs......

http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120...

Submitted by navigator
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 1:26pm

AND

MLBastian-- The Indians have worked out Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler several times at their DR academy, according to @hoynsie.

With so many teams showing interest, could the Soler contract match or exceed the A's deal with Cespedes?

Submitted by navigator
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 1:32pm

Best pre-ST news I've heard so far -- Tony Campana has been working on his (abysmal) bunting. IF he could bunt, his OBP would be forty points higher and he'd be worth keeping around.

Best suggestion I've heard for Tony Campana's weak hitting --- fine him every time he hits a fly ball.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 1:53pm

IF he could bunt, his OBP would be forty points higher

Where did you pull that from? 40 points is a helluva' lot of bunts.

Submitted by shlenny
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 1:58pm

depends on how many ABs he has...

Submitted by navigator
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 3:02pm

Campana showed bunt almost every PA last year but he was so inept infields didn't take the bait and third basemen just played him at normal depth. He only had 3 Sac Hits.

I'm saying he could raise his OBP all the way up to .340 if he could bunt---it was .303 last year. e.g. A combination of 2 more sacrifice hits, 4 more bunts for hits, a walk instead of a strikeout bunting, and 2 hits past a pulled in infielder last year would have done the trick.

Submitted by navigator
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 1:42pm

If you're wondering where the Cubs rank in the ESPN INSIDER super-flawed "future power rankings," they are 13th.

Submitted by JD
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 3:09pm

How far into the future will they be 13th? And, when we all reach that point in time, where will they rank on THOSE future power rankings?

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 4:01pm

Take that you stoopid Cafardo...our own Captain Wrongway sez:
Phil Rogers @ChiTribRogers

Selig has spent "a ton" of time studying Theo case. Decision likely by week's end.

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 6:45pm

You'd think he was adjudicating the Sandusky trial.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 4:40pm

RIP Cub Killer Gary Carter

Submitted by Rob G.
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 5:30pm

the final hit of his career, happened vs. Cubs...Harry and Steve calling it

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=...

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 7:34pm

Wow, that was cool.

Carter doubling over Dawson knocking in Larry Walker.

Called by Harry in one of his last games.

Lot going on there.

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 6:08pm

:(

tony gwynn had his surgery yesterday. they had to take a nerve out resulting in temporary loss of motor control in the right side of his face. Though it's his 2nd surgery, the cancer is supposedly contained and not spreading.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-gwyn...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 6:18pm

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/425...

Re: Hak Ju Lee
10-15 HR peak. Should hit for high averages, get on base, run, save 5-10 runs a year with the glove. What's not to like?

Re: Soler with Cubs
Definitely not ahead of Rizzo, but most likely ahead of Jackson on ceiling.

Re: Cespedes vs. Soler
I haven't seen either guy yet, but given what I've heard, and their listed ages, I'd rather roll the dice on Soler.

Re: McNutt
I wouldn't rule out starting, but he's got to get some consistency in that delivery first.

Submitted by JD
on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 10:08am

Pshaw. HJL isn't gonna hit 10 homers in the majors.

Submitted by Charlie
on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 8:06pm

How old is he now? 20? 10 HRs in a career year seems possible. Ryan Theriot hit 7 in 2009. The number of HRs Lee hits is obviously not going to be a determining factor in his success at the majors. Defense, OBP, steals. He'll pop one over the fence by accident every once in a while.

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