Totally Unreadable

[Richard Chuggar]

I've obviously been on the side of trying to keep Samardzija, but holy jebus this is some unreadable trash.

First we get "Ivy League" used as some sort of weird, Palin-style insult.

And regardless of the players the Cubs get in return, it's going to be hard for even the Ivy League front-office guys to rationalize letting this guy go if he winds up pitching somebody else into the playoffs and finishing off an All-Star season.

Also, "regardless of the players the Cubs get in return?" Mike Trout for Samardzija? HARD TO RATIONALIZE.

And based on this, Gordo needs new sources because I don't believe this story one bit.

According to sources, when Samardzija proposed $100 million earlier this year, and the Cubs were nearly $40 million below that, his camp talked about coming down by $20 million.

The Cubs huddled and countered by raising their offer by $500,000.

It's not even really worth diving into the rest of it. Gordo has some incurable Epstink derangement thing going on.

Jesse Rodgers has taken this same, not-really-supported with facts position that trading Dempster/Garza was one thing, but trading JEFF DAMN SAMARDZIJA would be a bridge too far because he's homegrown and went to Notre Dame and is an amazing leader and the clubhouse would REVOLT all that good stuff. I totally get being skeptical of trading a potential ace, but at this point I feel like these guys are just trolling. It's like they thought when Theo came to town they were all going to be rich and famous and selling books and going on Charlie Rose about a Cubs World Series within a year or two of his arrival and they're pissed that their ship hasn't come in yet. That, or they just miss the jovial old tub of lard who used to run the show and would throw back a beer or 12 with them . I like to picture Gordo and Jesse asking Hoyer if he wants to go grab a beer or shoot some pool or something after the game, and him telling them to fuck off.

I think it's just that with the team languishing 10 games under .500 again and attendance way down, they know that nobody cares about the team and the only way they can get anybody to read their shit is to A.) learn something about the guys on the farm which might take a few days worth of work for a few days worth of content that about 100 people would read or B.) FLAME THE FUCK OUT OF THE FRONT OFFICE AND OWNERSHIP!!!! 

They chose B out of boredom. One guy who didn't is Bruce Miles and he's so bored he dicks around on Facebook in the EPSTINK IS TERRIBLE club. I kind of feel sorry for him.

Meh. Had a beer with him a few weeks ago. His kids are doing great. His youngest is on an athletic scholarship track.  And he asked me if I ever hear from Al.

He's doing just fine.

He's on the track?  Doing what? Trying to tell his dad not to hang out with dipshits?

[PenFoe]

I've obviously been on the side of trying to keep Samardzija, but holy jebus this is some unreadable trash.

First we get "Ivy League" used as some sort of weird, Palin-style insult.

And regardless of the players the Cubs get in return, it's going to be hard for even the Ivy League front-office guys to rationalize letting this guy go if he winds up pitching somebody else into the playoffs and finishing off an All-Star season.

Also, "regardless of the players the Cubs get in return?" Mike Trout for Samardzija? HARD TO RATIONALIZE.

And based on this, Gordo needs new sources because I don't believe this story one bit.

According to sources, when Samardzija proposed $100 million earlier this year, and the Cubs were nearly $40 million below that, his camp talked about coming down by $20 million.

The Cubs huddled and countered by raising their offer by $500,000.

It's not even really worth diving into the rest of it. Gordo has some incurable Epstink derangement thing going on.

Jesse Rodgers has taken this same, not-really-supported with facts position that trading Dempster/Garza was one thing, but trading JEFF DAMN SAMARDZIJA would be a bridge too far because he's homegrown and went to Notre Dame and is an amazing leader and the clubhouse would REVOLT all that good stuff. I totally get being skeptical of trading a potential ace, but at this point I feel like these guys are just trolling. It's like they thought when Theo came to town they were all going to be rich and famous and selling books and going on Charlie Rose about a Cubs World Series within a year or two of his arrival and they're pissed that their ship hasn't come in yet. That, or they just miss the jovial old tub of lard who used to run the show and would throw back a beer or 12 with them . I like to picture Gordo and Jesse asking Hoyer if he wants to go grab a beer or shoot some pool or something after the game, and him telling them to fuck off.

I think it's just that with the team languishing 10 games under .500 again and attendance way down, they know that nobody cares about the team and the only way they can get anybody to read their shit is to A.) learn something about the guys on the farm which might take a few days worth of work for a few days worth of content that about 100 people would read or B.) FLAME THE FUCK OUT OF THE FRONT OFFICE AND OWNERSHIP!!!! 

They chose B out of boredom. One guy who didn't is Bruce Miles and he's so bored he dicks around on Facebook in the EPSTINK IS TERRIBLE club. I kind of feel sorry for him.

Meh. Had a beer with him a few weeks ago. His kids are doing great. His youngest is on an athletic scholarship track.  And he asked me if I ever hear from Al.

He's doing just fine.

He's on the track?  Doing what? Trying to tell his dad not to hang out with dipshits?

That doesn't feel like a sport.

[PenFoe]

I'm sure some have seen this, but Ann Coulter's op-ed yesterday, "Any growing interest in soccer a sign of nation's moral decay" is the worst thing since at least the last thing. Probably the thing before.

[Bort]

I'm sure some have seen this, but Ann Coulter's op-ed yesterday, "Any growing interest in soccer a sign of nation's moral decay" is the worst thing since at least the last thing. Probably the thing before.

Is this a déjà vu moment or didn't she write that same column last World Cup?

[CT III]

I'm sure some have seen this, but Ann Coulter's op-ed yesterday, "Any growing interest in soccer a sign of nation's moral decay" is the worst thing since at least the last thing. Probably the thing before.

Is this a déjà vu moment or didn't she write that same column last World Cup?

I don't know, but it sounds like somebody is POINTING THE FENGER

[Saul Goodman]

Every hack who used some variation on "the Cubs created some fireworks of their own" in his trade story, including Al Yellon and Mark Gonzales. Al's SB Nation counterpart at Athletics Nation did not use it, furthering the mystery of  why they keep his pathetic ass around. Anyway, if you referenced fireworks in reporting this trade, you suck.

Speaking of Gonzales he wrote in his story that this trade bolsters the Cubs' stockpile of prospects to trade for pitching depth. Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

[Eli]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

[Saul Goodman]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

Do we know that for sure or is that just your own speculation written as TIME TO POST?

[Bort]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

Do we know that for sure or is that just your own speculation written as TIME TO POST?

Yes.

[Eli]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

Do we know that for sure or is that just your own speculation written as TIME TO POST?

Why do you keep asking if any of us know the Cubs plans "for sure"?

[Saul Goodman]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

Do we know that for sure or is that just your own speculation written as TIME TO POST?

Why do you keep asking if any of us know the Cubs plans "for sure"?

Yeah, that's really not what I'm asking though.  I wanted to know if that's just Gonzales's opinion, or if that's something Theo and company have said that I missed.  We don't know their plans for sure, but we know what they've said their plans are.  I think this is pretty obvious shit here, but you asked.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

Do we know that for sure or is that just your own speculation written as TIME TO POST?

Why do you keep asking if any of us know the Cubs plans "for sure"?

Yeah, that's really not what I'm asking though.  I wanted to know if that's just Gonzales's opinion, or if that's something Theo and company have said that I missed.  We don't know their plans for sure, but we know what they've said their plans are.  I think this is pretty obvious shit here, but you asked.

Do Theo and Jed ever openly discuss concrete trade plans like that?

For that matter, do any front offices?

[Saul Goodman]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

Do we know that for sure or is that just your own speculation written as TIME TO POST?

Why do you keep asking if any of us know the Cubs plans "for sure"?

Yeah, that's really not what I'm asking though.  I wanted to know if that's just Gonzales's opinion, or if that's something Theo and company have said that I missed.  We don't know their plans for sure, but we know what they've said their plans are.  I think this is pretty obvious shit here, but you asked.

Do Theo and Jed ever openly discuss concrete trade plans like that?

For that matter, do any front offices?

No, which is why I'm wondering where Gonzales got that. Or even if they've discussed general plans, like, "we will look for opportunities to match up our team's positional depth with teams that have more pitching depth," anything like that would shut me up on this. It's possible they'll deal some of their glut of hitters for pitching, but Gonzales states it as fact without citing quotes or anonymous sources as I'd expect.

They've done a pretty good job of piecing a rotation together every year, so I could see that continuing, and supplement it with free agents who cost only money, calling up rising pitching prospects from the last several drafts, and maybe, maybe deal for an ace once you're a contender. I think Castro might make more sense as a chip for pitching given his contract and the fact that the Cubs have cheaper options behind him, but I'll stop there before I get both of my feet into Camp Chuck. /shudders

[Saul Goodman]

DPD. Just to add an example, almost every story has been stating as fact all year that Samardzija/Hammel would be moved for pitching prospects, yet they were moved for a top shortstop. Maybe that gets proven right if Drew Pomeranz (currently on the DL after a Zambrano-esque outburst in which he punched objects in the dugout for making him pitch badly and broke his hand) or Raul Alcantara (also on the DL, TJ disease) is the PTBNL. I guess my complaint boils down to show your work, but more importantly, time to post.

[CT III]

Do we know that for sure or is that just his own speculation written as news?

Yes.

Do we know that for sure or is that just your own speculation written as TIME TO POST?

Why do you keep asking if any of us know the Cubs plans "for sure"?

Yeah, that's really not what I'm asking though.  I wanted to know if that's just Gonzales's opinion, or if that's something Theo and company have said that I missed.  We don't know their plans for sure, but we know what they've said their plans are.  I think this is pretty obvious shit here, but you asked.

Do Theo and Jed ever openly discuss concrete trade plans like that?

For that matter, do any front offices?

Well, the Astros.