2015 Winter Meetings (Day Two)

Submitted by CTSteve on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:20am

Update 2: In a related move, Castro heads to the Yankees for RHP Adam Warren and IF Brendan Ryan.

Update 1: Zobrist signs with the Cubs for 4/$56m.

Cahill is back and Baez is rumored to be on the block.

Meanwhile, the Reds have a bridge over the Ohio River they'd like to sell you.

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Winter Meetings

Comments

Submitted by QuietMan  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:13am  
ExCub Jason Motte gets 2 years $10 million from the Rockies. Way to go Jason. Good luck Colorado.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 10:09am  
"#Rockies sign RHP Jason Motte for 2 yrs, $10 MM, and RHP Chad Qualls for 2 yrs, $12 MM." rockies have screwed up the reliever market in real quick fashion. 6m a year for qualls...really...and for multiple years?

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 10:49am  
Jason's a good dude. I loved watching him clap for Castro's walk-up song.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:30am  
Cards continue tradition of oddly named infielders Acquire Jedd Gyorko for former phenom and chief justice John Jay.

Submitted by fullykräusened  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 11:23am  
And Jay would have made more than just a few contributions to the Federalist Papers if he hadn't been toiling in the minors...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 11:41am  
he's 30, he should have been released 2 years ago anyway. /everyonelovesslaveryjokes

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 12:31pm  
Padres acquire the John Jay Story. Plans for a Broadway play with Hip-Hop libretto. http://www.theatermania.com/chicago-theater/n... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3FnpaWQJO0

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:23pm  
Jacos, his mother spelled his name Jon, so he wouldn't be tempted by law school. (She was a baseball fan.)

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:39am  
"Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal Correction: #Cubs, #Dbacks not currently in mix for #Braves’ Miller. #Dodgers have talked to ATL. Where they stand is unclear."

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 10:08am  
Bullpen seems pretty full, although I guess you can never have too many: -Rondon -Strop -Grimm -Brothers -Travis -Cahill -Richard -Edwards -Ramirez

Submitted by cubbies.4ever  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 10:52am  
All if these Soler/Baez to TB or for Miller are beginning to remind me of Brian Roberts and Jake Peavey

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 10:53am  
How about...go with the MLB pitchers we have, trade some minor league hitters for some minor league pitchers, sign Heyward and roll out this lineup: - Heyward CF - Schwarber LF - Bryant 3B - Rizzo 1B - Soler RF - Castro/Baez 2B - Russell SS - Miggy/Ross C Yowza!

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 11:00am  
heyward at 25m-ish a year for 7-8 years gives me a bit of pause for resource allocation... those years of 6-ish WAR even with a lot of sub-.800 OB% seasons and sketchy ability with loss of power vs lefties looms. his D is good, but you'd think he's reinventing how to play the position and he's going to get a lot of money because of his D.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 10:59am  
I hate that lineup... Now for a real lineup: - Heyward CF - Schwarber LF - Bryant 3B - Rizzo 1B - Soler RF - Castro/Baez 2B - Miggy/Ross C - Russell SS

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 2:03pm  
Well, that's just crazy...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:12pm  
"Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Ben Zobrist has a four-year, $80 million offer on the table." wow. 20m a year for age 35-38 of zobrist (who's not as flashy with advanced stats if he's not playing SS as much as he used to). that's 4m a year less than cano's "crazy" contract through age 39. also, why is that deal still on the table rather than rabidly being signed asap? how much better can he do than that?

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:18pm  
Consider the source. Already debunked.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:38pm  
it's easily the craziest rumor i've heard put up by a legit sportswriter this offseason...so far.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:41pm  
Bob Nightengale? Legit?

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 5:09pm  
he just doubled-down on that live on MLB Network...followed by a breakdown of in-house talent saying they're not sure if they buy that one. nice.

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:19pm  
Whoa. That's way too much money and years. Feel like this is a very Seattle move (maybe recollecting that terrible Chone Figgins contract).

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:18pm  
Sun rises in the east, water is wet.... Baseball Prospectus ‏@baseballpro Dusty Baker addresses media in Nashville. Says he'd like to see more aggressive hitters. Deeper counts = more Ks.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 1:57pm  
cubs/lackey finalized...guess his medicals checked out. sweet.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 2:08pm  
Dusty giving a lot of wonderful old world thoughts today at his presser.

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 2:31pm  
Perhaps I'm easily convinced, but I think I'm convinced: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/jason-heyward-... https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl...

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 2:39pm  
I like Heyward for Cubs. IMO, he starts in CF and if/when power develops move to corner and bring up Almora or recent Cuban signing. Lot of options for a smart front office like the Cubs.

Submitted by Sonicwind75  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 4:03pm  
The embedded highlight clip in the article is awesome. Then I noticed the game situation: 9th inning, 2 on, 2 out with a 2-1 lead. wow!

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 3:00pm  
More Baez to Atlanta rumors. http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/7/71/11630...

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 3:01pm  
Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 2 minutes ago Lackey contract breakdown: Signing bonus - $7 million, $12.5 million in 2016; $12.5 million in 2017

Submitted by CTSteve  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 3:02pm  

It looks like crunch is not going to have Mike Baxter to kick around anymore. He's headed to the Mariners in a minor league deal. 

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 4:08pm  
good...i've run out of jokes about him only hitting singles.

Submitted by James Watkins  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 4:57pm  
According to anonymous sources the Cubs are on the verge of signing Jason Heyward; AND trading Javier Baez along with Carl Edwards to the Braves for Shelby Miller; AND trading Starlin Castro with Jorge Soler to the Tampa Bay rays for Kevin Kiermaier and Bruce Boxberger. The team announced Tommy LaStella would play 2nd Base and leadoff.

Submitted by Hagsag  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 4:59pm  
Sources?

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 5:06pm  
i'll vouch for him. all that stuff is helluh true, brah. also, lackey's going to be used out of the pen as the new cubs closer, not the #3 starter as assumed.

Submitted by Jackstraw  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 5:19pm  
Seems like a series of panic moves after letting Baxter get away.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 5:28pm  
it's the single best way to plug that hole in the lineup

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 5:13pm  
multiple sources telling the press that the cubs/yanks are still working on a s.castro deal...and b.gardnder not involved. it's not a sure-thing, it's just being tossed around... also worth mentioning, w.flores (NYM middle IF) broke his ankle in winter ball, though he's expected to be good to go by spring training.

Submitted by CTSteve  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 5:27pm  

sent sound: rimshot

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 5:55pm  
Rosenthal on Twitter: Zobrist choosing between Cubs and Mets.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:05pm  
if that happens castro pretty much has to be gone...i mean, if they're not playing zob at 2nd that's just a pissed away opportunity.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:12pm  
Muskat tweets: Theo said possible trade/free agent signing are interrelated. Still looking for CF fit. Willing to give up offense to get defense. MLB.TV guys discussing rumor of Castro to Yankees as the trade part of the Zobrist transaction. No names in speculation regarding Castro to NYY (but supposedly not Brett Gardner).

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:35pm  
Joel Sherman reminds...Jim Hendry, now a NY Yankee assistant to GM Cashman, is the one who was involved when the Cubs signed Castro.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:14pm  
Tyler Flowers signs 2 yr deal at $5.3M (plus $1.5M incentives) with Braves. AJ/Flowers. Go figure.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:34pm  
"Carrie Muskat ‏@CarrieMuskat #Cubs Theo: "We're trying to sync up a trade and a free agent signing at the same time." Stay tuned" IT'S AWWWWNNN.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:39pm  
Rosenthal (6:37pm, CST)...Zobrist to #Cubs

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:40pm  
zobrist is a cub...4/56m next stop, g'bye castro...hello CF? closer? SP? ???

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:40pm  
Zobrist, 4yrs x $56M

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:44pm  
cubs got older really quickly the past week... lackey 37-38 zobrist 35-38 at least d.ross will have people to talk to. both seem to be reasonable loot given their skill set. really interested to see what castro will snag...or baez if castro becomes a stopping point.

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:03pm  
The victory disco dance parties just got lamer.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:55pm  
castro to yanks! details to come.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:57pm  
Joel Sherman says Castro deal to NYY is agreed upon, not finalized (Still need medical review, etc)

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 6:58pm  
Ken Davidoff on Zobrist contract: $2M signing bonus, $10M/$16M/$16M/$12M

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:10pm  

Signing bonuses for contracts signed prior to the end of the calendar year are usually paid out of the $$$ left-over from a club's previous season's payroll, so the Cubs probably had aboutr $10M left-over from their 2015 payroll (allowing for a $7M signing bonus for Lackey and a $2M signing bonus for Zobrist).

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:06pm  
NYY sending pitcher "Andrew" Warren (per Bruce Levine). Adam Warren? also a ptbnl to the Cubs

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:13pm  

Players eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft are "frozen" on minor league reserve lists (can't be traded, released, or transferred from one minor league reserve list to another) beginning on 11/20 up through the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft, so the PTBNL coming to the Cubs could be a Yankees minor leaguer eligible for selection in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. 

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:07pm  
Cubs get Adam Warren for Castro

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:09pm  
Theo said he wanted pitching depth.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:09pm  
Al Leiter on Warren: bowling ball power sinker, swingman for spot starts. 93-95 action down in the zone. Plays better in the bullpen as he keeps the ball down there. 2 1/2 pitches. Changeup, Slider.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:12pm  
Cubs also get Brendan Ryan

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:13pm  
:(

Submitted by The E-Man  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:15pm  
-1

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:17pm  
Maybe gets flipped with another piece?

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:19pm  
i just hope the middle IF can stay healthy. b.ryan as a late-inning D replacement is awesome...b.ryan as an injury replacement is a bit of fear unless there's a ground ball pitcher on the mound closing the gap that his awful bat creates. that said, even if it's the worst thing ever they can just cut him and pay him a million. no biggie.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 11:25pm  
Baez is Russell's backup with Zobrist for spot starts. Baez and LaStella back up Zobrist. If Ryan makes the team, he's the 25th man. Chances are he's trade or waiver fodder in March.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:14pm  
dbacks get s.miller from the braves, ending that drama.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:30pm  
Shelby Miller to AZ per Rosenthal edit: for Ender Inciarte and 1st round pick SS Danby Swanson, RHP Aaron Blair

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:28pm  
Ender Inciarte, Aaron Blair and Dansby Swanson are involved in the Shelby Miller deal.

Submitted by CTSteve  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:27pm  

The NY media is going to eat Castro alive.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:29pm  
Unfortunately for him this is true

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:31pm  
These are not the kind of moves I've been hoping for. Didn't get our ace, didn't get our CF yet. Spent a bunch of money and spent a significant trade chip. If they pick up a CF, seems like Baez is likely to get moved too. Anyone else find the Castro deal a little weird? Will they pick up a decent PTBNL?

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:33pm  
The way the money breaks down Castro and Zorbrist are a wash

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:37pm  
So... you're saying we get Heyward too? *puppy dog eyes*

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:38pm  
We'll see what Santa says!

Submitted by The E-Man  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:38pm  
Charles: It would seem as if Cubs got Warren, Zobrist, Ryan for a net $20MM (38MM to the Yankees). Its a lot of money (Zobrist made $7.5MM last year so its a 100% raise. Wouldn't we like that at our jobs!). Warren has some very good stats, but for sure, not sexy. I still think there is a trade and/or FA signing yet to go. Hang in there until Opening Day, 'bro. These guys are not Hendry.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:54pm  
Brendan effing Ryan ......seriously??

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:42pm  
Hendry got his man: Starlin!

Submitted by CTSteve  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:40pm  

So much for Coughlan or Baez being Maddon's Zobrist.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:44pm  
So Zobrist is Maddons new Zobrist

Submitted by Jackstraw  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:48pm  
No reason Baez couldn't be Maddon's other Zobrist. One Zobrist, two Zobri.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:50pm  
is this a Zobriety test?

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:45pm  
with Zobrist, Is Arismendy Alcantara is the new Christian Villaneuva?

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 7:56pm  
Talk is Warren going to be in rotation

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:08pm  
could live with that...wonder what CF'r hendricks + ??? is going to fetch the cubs (speculation).

Submitted by Jackstraw  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:11pm  
So is Warren the "young, cost-controlled, starting pitcher" the Cubs were rumored to be coveting?

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:24pm  
Yeah...6-6...3.66 ERA in 17 starts. For Castro. I am.....underwhelmed

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:37pm  
If you had been offered that for Castro on August 1, I think you would have been jumping for joy. Starlin had one very hot month then was 6-34 with one BB in the playoffs. Theo passed him back to Hendry, which should tell you a lot.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:45pm  
Castro sucked in May, June and july. No doubt April: .325/.349/.410 Aug:.296/.315/.437 Sept/Oct:.369/.400/.655

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:51pm  
i was hoping for something more, but every scenario i pondered for getting "something more" also involved one of the cubs expendable prospects joining castro in the trade. i don't mind the trade. i feel good about having him around for a few years and if he can make it as a SP then that's an extra bonus. plus, i think it lets the cubs trade hendricks...there's just so much going on for 2 SP slots and hendricks at least has value. it would be nice if the cubs could also figure the CF issue out without getting rid of coghlan...he would be one hell of a 4th OF'r. im liking how it's shaping up. i hope they manage to find a CF'r worth a damn. they have months to figure it out.

Submitted by The Joe  on Wed, 12/09/2015 - 9:02am  
Who hacked Crunch's account? Just want say thanks.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 12/09/2015 - 9:20am  
same crunch...it's just people who have constant sticks up their asses about anything remotely going against the cult-of-theo seem to not be posting as much anger and driving up emotions because they read something that went against their religion and witches -must- be burned at the stake lest they infect society at large. ignore 10 "positive" things, fixate and foam at the mouth over 1 piece of criticism...fun times...fun fun times.

Submitted by Tito  on Wed, 12/09/2015 - 9:31am  
"One" piece of criticism posted dozens of times. But don't let that affect your melodramatic narrative. That "cult of Theo" comment is very much like Rick Morrissey's "group think" nonsense he wrote when people, you know, were getting excited that the team wasn't going to be terrible anymore.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 12/09/2015 - 9:46am  
yeah, this is what i'm talking about. you haven't posted in days and this is what you're jumping in to comment on out of everything that's been happening in the cubs universe. we have new cubs players. enjoy them...or not.

Submitted by Tito  on Wed, 12/09/2015 - 9:54am  
While you're apparently monitoring my posts, you still overlooked that I also posted about Starlin Castro and Mike Quade. Your name didn't come up in either one.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:56pm  
It is not sexy. I don't know that much about him. Look at the advanced stats though. For comparison last 2 years... Jason Hammel: 4.6/3.2 % (2.3 for Cubs 2014) HR% 2014/2015 WHIP:1.28/1.16 ERA+: 127/105 Warren: 1.2/1.9 HR% 2014/15 WHIP: 1.10/1.16 ERA+: 128/120 Considering Castro was worthless 2014 for long stretches, and 2015 until the "Switch", who knows what he will do in NY? Some $$ is freed up for other stuff, imo, and with Zobrist/Warren, its making the team better should they make the playoffs in 2016 I think...

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:40pm  
Steve Adams from MLB Trade Rumors writes: Warren, 28, will give the Cubs a right-hander that was one of the more valuable swingmen in the game last season. The former fourth-round pick appeared in 43 games for the Yankees, making 17 starts and 26 relief appearances en route to a career-high 131 1/3 innings. In that time, Warren posted a 3.29 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 45.2 percent ground-ball rate. Those numbers are more or less commensurate with the production he delivered from 2013-14 while working almost exclusively out of the bullpen (101 relief appearances, two starts) and can be a reasonable expectation for him going forward. (If anything, one could perhaps forecast slightly better results due to the move to the National League.) He can be controlled for another three years in arbitration.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:04pm  
I don't know, when was the last time an AL East pitcher help the Cubs?

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:12pm  
matt clement pulled 3 solid, but overshadowed, seasons ooops...he left FOR the al east. it's been a long day.

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:54pm  
Matt Clement was a good dude.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 8:57pm  
supposedly Brendan Ryan is still a PTBNL until after the rule 5 draft. That frees up a Cub roster spot in the short term.

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:13pm  
I assume this means Javy is staying, and will be used like he was this year -- backup for Russell, a little this, a little that...maybe get a shot in CF now that they have an OBP guy to lead off? But, man, if we could get Heyward...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:19pm  
they're yet to give up a prospect for anything...given there are some who are truly expendable all over the value scale and c.coghlan is also valuable/expendable, things could still go down. they've filled a lot of holes and they got 3+ months before pitchers/catchers report.

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:16pm  
My guess is that Theo saw Javy significantly change his game to become a better player, while Starlin will always be viewed as something of a wild card who will eventually go back to his "pull everything', low OBP days.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:31pm  
Did TheJedi pull it off again? http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/who-might-adam...

Submitted by The E-Man  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:33pm  
Agree with you guys. Theo and Co. may still be aboard the Javy train. After I saw the haul of prospects for Shelby Miller, SHELBY FUCKING MILLER...I am glad (as of tonight, at least) they didn't bite.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:53pm  
Bruce Levine tweet: Cubs not done yet according to source. Big time OF next? Hayward, Gordon, Car Go?

Submitted by SheffieldCornelia  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:57pm  
Great pickups in Zobrist and Lackey so far, but there HAS to be more to this offseason. Still need a CF, could use more young pitching given lack of quality starting depth, and the buzz has been that they want another back end bullpen guy.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 10:00pm  
and the buzz has been that they want another back end bullpen guy. -- supposedly the Cubs are still talking to Fernando Rodney he has a big back end, no?

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 9:57pm  
per Dan Szymborski tweet: ZIPS loves Adam Warren: 2016 ERA 3.03, 27 Starts, 157 IP, 135H, 44BB, 135K, WAR 3.7 Swingman? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEIrcMbcnVE

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  • crunch 1 day 6 hours ago (view)

    j.girardi did a 2nd interview with PHI on Monday and he's supposedly the favorite for the job.

     
  • bradsbeard 1 day 10 hours ago (view)

    The draft over the ASB and the trade deadline pushed back until August 15th or so would make sense. Otherwise, I don't know how scouting departments are going to handle the draft lead up and the trade deadline running almost simultaneously.  

     
  • Arizona Phil 1 day 11 hours ago (view)

    One other thing about MLB player development that is very different from NFL, NBA, and NHL player development is that most MLB clubs have upwards of 300 minor league players under contract (not including players on their MLB 40-man roster, the Cubs presently have 301 minor leaguers under contract on nine minor league affiliates).

     
  • Arizona Phil 1 day 11 hours ago (view)

    JUST SAYIN: MLB is the only one of the four major North American professional sports that holds its draft and signs its draft picks during the season.

     
  • crunch 1 day 19 hours ago (view)

    umpire eric cooper has died...complications from knee surgery (blood clot)...52 years old

     
  • crunch 2 days 7 hours ago (view)

    "MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports former player David Ross and Astros bench coach Joe Espada "appear to be the frontrunners" for the Cubs' managerial opening."

    espada's had 2 interviews.  for a guy who's actively at his "other job," having a 2nd interview seems like both sides want to make this work.  SF and PIT are also supposedly interested in espada.

     
  • JustSayin' 2 days 8 hours ago (view)

     That's a fair description of the benefits of the plan but If I have to choose between "better way" and "owners' greed," I pick the latter.  MLB wants better MiLB facilities, on average, without paying a cent.  They want to deal with the social and legal pressure they are getting for not even paying minor league players minimum wage per real hour worked by having less players.  In addition, the draft is to be moved to late August, so every draftee would lose compensation for the stub year in which they are drafted.  For this reason, I'm not sure your point about col

     
  • Hagsag 2 days 9 hours ago (view)

    Thanks Mr. Phil.

     
  • Arizona Phil 2 days 10 hours ago (view)

    HAGSAG: Besides reducing the costs that are associated with operating a minor league club, reducing the number of minor league affiliates would allow MLB organizations to increase the salaries of their remainng minor league players (who would be the organization's most-legit prospects) without having to increase the organization's aggregate minor league payroll. 

     
  • crunch 2 days 10 hours ago (view)

    The discussions on this matter have been quite varried.  There seems to be a lot of pressure connected to this on minor league team owners who haven't upgraded their facilities/park in a while or who lag in quality compared to their competitors.

    It seems like this would not only cause some teams to fold, but some radical redistribution of existing teams/cities into new minor league levels rather than just pruning some teams over others.

     
  • Hagsag 2 days 22 hours ago (view)

    AZ Phil, what are your thoughts on the discussion to eliminate 42 low minor league teams in 2021? What would this do to the Dominican League? Thanks.

     
  • crunch 3 days 4 hours ago (view)

    yanks/astros game 6 was a f'n classic.  wow.

    altuve continues to build his astros legend.

     
  • bradsbeard 3 days 19 hours ago (view)

    Thanks for this. I agree they’ll probably take their chances in the Rule 5 if he will resign, though I really wouldn’t mind adding him back to the 40 man. I feel like he has a good chance to be effective out of the bullpen. 

     
  • bradsbeard 3 days 19 hours ago (view)

    I hope Sagara doesn’t end up leaving because of the shakeup. The Athletic did report that his position might be eliminated but that he should be offered another role in the organization somewhere. All I know is Sagara’s name came up frequently in connection with the pitch lab, and he was credited for improvements with Ryan, Wick, and Wieck. Maybe he’ll end up focusing more specifically in that role helping guys tweak things in the lab. 

     
  • JustSayin' 4 days 7 hours ago (view)

    Does anyone have insight into the new management hires and musical chairs the Cubs announced yesterday?  Craig Breslow might be the only guy out there with extensive MLB experience AND the grey matter to challenge any quant not making sense. His role intrigues me but are they going to give him real responsibility to clear out the deadwood (including the existing minor league coordinator who was never good enough to be the pitchers he's coaching?)  Or, is this a superficial change aimed at keeping ownership off Theo's back? 

     
  • Arizona Phil 4 days 8 hours ago (view)

    BRADSBEARD: I think the Cubs want to retain Oscar de la Cruz post-2019, just not on the MLB 40-man roster.

     
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