I admit it...

[Oleg]

Feel free to write off Jake at your own risk.  And Hendricks, too.  They're not tolerating your bullshit, you fucking pansies.

Jake hasn't been Cy Jake for about 300 innings now. Hendricks's fastball velocity is down almost 4 mph this year. These are real problems.

Yes.  I know.  But I'm not spending the next 97 games like some common playoffSKO.

[Quality Start Machine]

Feel free to write off Jake at your own risk.  And Hendricks, too.  They're not tolerating your bullshit, you fucking pansies.

Jake hasn't been Cy Jake for about 300 innings now. Hendricks's fastball velocity is down almost 4 mph this year. These are real problems.

Yes.  I know.  But I'm not spending the next 97 games like some common playoffSKO.

No, you'll spend them baked.

[Saul Goodman]

I can't quite figure out what Lana Berry's job is. It appears to be "reply to everything @MLB posts on any and all social media platforms." Which is a pretty great job, actually.

[CBStew]

Tonight's 5-4 win is why I love baseball.

[Quality Start Machine]

I can't quite figure out what Lana Berry's job is. It appears to be "reply to everything @MLB posts on any and all social media platforms." Which is a pretty great job, actually.

She shares an office with Slak.

[Saul Goodman]

I hate music videos that constantly interrupt the actual song for interludes, skits, other bullshit.  Let the dang song play, please.

[Quality Start Machine]

I care more about Eloy in the Futures Game than I do about whether or not Bryant makes the All Star game.

[Quality Start Machine]

...my initial reaction to the Quintana trade was that I think the Cubs overpaid.

I now disagree with my initial reaction.

Good news is, however the trade breaks at the end, I'm wrong.

[SKO]

....Assuming his contract (which I think would be below market for the next two years) drives away other teams and his ERA starts to line up closer to his absolutely insanely good peripherals (seriously right now he has a 9.7 K/9 rate and the majors best K/BB ratio) am I crazy to think that actually trading some Candelario/Zagunis types for Samardzija to be their #5 might not be a terrible idea?

I know, I know. Sorry Jon.

[Oleg]

....Assuming his contract (which I think would be below market for the next two years) drives away other teams and his ERA starts to line up closer to his absolutely insanely good peripherals (seriously right now he has a 9.7 K/9 rate and the majors best K/BB ratio) am I crazy to think that actually trading some Candelario/Zagunis types for Samardzija to be their #5 might not be a terrible idea?

I know, I know. Sorry Jon.

...I've had this thought before.  Even out loud on the webs.

[SKO]

....Assuming his contract (which I think would be below market for the next two years) drives away other teams and his ERA starts to line up closer to his absolutely insanely good peripherals (seriously right now he has a 9.7 K/9 rate and the majors best K/BB ratio) am I crazy to think that actually trading some Candelario/Zagunis types for Samardzija to be their #5 might not be a terrible idea?

I know, I know. Sorry Jon.

...I've had this thought before.  Even out loud on the webs.

I think Snork signed 4/64 for the Giants, so two years of him making basically Lackey money, with Quintana locked up for about 9 million per, and Hendricks at minimum and then arb prices, gives you a lot of flexibility to either chase a Darvish for that last spot in the rotation or put Montgomery or something there and throw all of the money at Harper next year.

[Quality Start Machine]

....Assuming his contract (which I think would be below market for the next two years) drives away other teams and his ERA starts to line up closer to his absolutely insanely good peripherals (seriously right now he has a 9.7 K/9 rate and the majors best K/BB ratio) am I crazy to think that actually trading some Candelario/Zagunis types for Samardzija to be their #5 might not be a terrible idea?

I know, I know. Sorry Jon.

...I've had this thought before.  Even out loud on the webs.

I think Snork signed 4/64 for the Giants, so two years of him making basically Lackey money, with Quintana locked up for about 9 million per, and Hendricks at minimum and then arb prices, gives you a lot of flexibility to either chase a Darvish for that last spot in the rotation or put Montgomery or something there and throw all of the money at Harper next year.

Or lock up the guys who are already here.

[SKO]

....Assuming his contract (which I think would be below market for the next two years) drives away other teams and his ERA starts to line up closer to his absolutely insanely good peripherals (seriously right now he has a 9.7 K/9 rate and the majors best K/BB ratio) am I crazy to think that actually trading some Candelario/Zagunis types for Samardzija to be their #5 might not be a terrible idea?

I know, I know. Sorry Jon.

...I've had this thought before.  Even out loud on the webs.

I think Snork signed 4/64 for the Giants, so two years of him making basically Lackey money, with Quintana locked up for about 9 million per, and Hendricks at minimum and then arb prices, gives you a lot of flexibility to either chase a Darvish for that last spot in the rotation or put Montgomery or something there and throw all of the money at Harper next year.

Or lock up the guys who are already here.

I mean I'm not opposed to that but frankly I think the path to more titles is to pay money to guys who can add to this core and win in this window before 2021, not try to extend that window a little bit.

[Quality Start Machine]

....Assuming his contract (which I think would be below market for the next two years) drives away other teams and his ERA starts to line up closer to his absolutely insanely good peripherals (seriously right now he has a 9.7 K/9 rate and the majors best K/BB ratio) am I crazy to think that actually trading some Candelario/Zagunis types for Samardzija to be their #5 might not be a terrible idea?

I know, I know. Sorry Jon.

...I've had this thought before.  Even out loud on the webs.

I think Snork signed 4/64 for the Giants, so two years of him making basically Lackey money, with Quintana locked up for about 9 million per, and Hendricks at minimum and then arb prices, gives you a lot of flexibility to either chase a Darvish for that last spot in the rotation or put Montgomery or something there and throw all of the money at Harper next year.

Or lock up the guys who are already here.

I mean I'm not opposed to that but frankly I think the path to more titles is to pay money to guys who can add to this core and win in this window before 2021, not try to extend that window a little bit.

So why throw money at Harper when you're already paying over $20MM/per for a guy to play RF (albeit not at Harper's overall value), and then not have that money available for Bryant/Russell/Schwarber, who all come due at the same time?

[SKO]

....Assuming his contract (which I think would be below market for the next two years) drives away other teams and his ERA starts to line up closer to his absolutely insanely good peripherals (seriously right now he has a 9.7 K/9 rate and the majors best K/BB ratio) am I crazy to think that actually trading some Candelario/Zagunis types for Samardzija to be their #5 might not be a terrible idea?

I know, I know. Sorry Jon.

...I've had this thought before.  Even out loud on the webs.

I think Snork signed 4/64 for the Giants, so two years of him making basically Lackey money, with Quintana locked up for about 9 million per, and Hendricks at minimum and then arb prices, gives you a lot of flexibility to either chase a Darvish for that last spot in the rotation or put Montgomery or something there and throw all of the money at Harper next year.

Or lock up the guys who are already here.

I mean I'm not opposed to that but frankly I think the path to more titles is to pay money to guys who can add to this core and win in this window before 2021, not try to extend that window a little bit.

So why throw money at Harper when you're already paying over $20MM/per for a guy to play RF (albeit not at Harper's overall value), and then not have that money available for Bryant/Russell/Schwarber, who all come due at the same time?

frankly I think the path to more titles is to pay money to guys who can add to this core and win in this window before 2021, not try to extend that window a little bit.

Because that. I just said that. I think the Cubs have a better shot at more titles if they try to build 100+ win teams between now and 2021 by adding on, rather than trying to re-sign Bryant/schwarber/Rizzo etc and try to field a buncha 90 win teams between now and let's say 2023/2024 before those guys start to get old and pretty shitty anyway.

Heyward's deal is sunk cost, if the money is there to sign Harper then sign him and move Heyward to center or left or eat cash and trade him. It doesn't matter, do whatever you can to squeeze every last win and title out of this group before the end of 2021.