Cubs Offseason 2014: So, what did your team do this offseason? Isn't that cute.

[SKO]

BleedCubTweets indicated that apparently some guy writing an article on Al's main page advocated the Cubs give 5 years, $75 million to Chase Headley. I can't even process the level of stupidity behind that.

I actually like Headley well enough, but I have no idea how he would fit into the Cubs' plans over the next five years.

Well that's what I mean. I'd argue 3B is the deepest position in the entire Cubs system if you factor in the possibility of the surplus shortstops moving in there. Even Valbuena is a perfectly average MLB 3B it appears. Giving $75 million to a guy to block your own prospects seems really, really stupid, even for BCB.

[Saul Goodman]

BleedCubTweets indicated that apparently some guy writing an article on Al's main page advocated the Cubs give 5 years, $75 million to Chase Headley. I can't even process the level of stupidity behind that.

I actually like Headley well enough, but I have no idea how he would fit into the Cubs' plans over the next five years.

Well that's what I mean. I'd argue 3B is the deepest position in the entire Cubs system if you factor in the possibility of the surplus shortstops moving in there. Even Valbuena is a perfectly average MLB 3B it appears. Giving $75 million to a guy to block your own prospects seems really, really stupid, even for BCB.

Next up for GM Rob Huff: Sign 1B Adam LaRoche for 5/$100M.  HE'S GOOD VALUE.

[Slaky]

Are we freaking out about this yet?

[PenFoe]

Are we freaking out about this yet?

If any of the pitchers had signed, I would be. 

But not QUITE yet. 

Still, do something good already.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Are we freaking out about this yet?

If any of the pitchers had signed, I would be. 

But not QUITE yet. 

Still, do something good already.

SHOOOOOOOOT!

[SKO]

Are we freaking out about this yet?

If any of the pitchers had signed, I would be. 

But not QUITE yet. 

Still, do something good already.

Agreed. No panic until Lester and Scherzer are both off of the market and not Cubs. Both of them gone? OH SO MUCH PANIC.

[InternetApex]

Are we freaking out about this yet?

If any of the pitchers had signed, I would be. 

But not QUITE yet. 

Still, do something good already.

Agreed. No panic until Lester and Scherzer are both off of the market and not Cubs. Both of them gone? OH SO MUCH PANIC.

I'm never going to PANIC about free agency. If most of the top prospects don't pan out I'm going to take all of the pills though.

[Quality Start Machine]

Are we freaking out about this yet?

If any of the pitchers had signed, I would be. 

But not QUITE yet. 

Still, do something good already.

Agreed. No panic until Lester and Scherzer are both off of the market and not Cubs. Both of them gone? OH SO MUCH PANIC.

Even then, if there's somebody willing to spend stupid money on these guys, at least we'll know the Cubs are only willing to spend wisely. But even if they're both gone, the Cubs' vaunted farm system means they can explore trade avanues if they're out there.

[Eli]

Even then, if there's somebody willing to spend stupid money on these guys, at least we'll know the Cubs are only willing to spend wisely.

They'll be heavy favorites for the 2015 Spend Wisely Championship.

[SKO]

Even then, if there's somebody willing to spend stupid money on these guys, at least we'll know the Cubs are only willing to spend wisely.

They'll be heavy favorites for the 2015 Spend Wisely Championship.

This. If they want to fast-track the rebuild now that the core is coming up then they're going to have to give stupid money to somebody. You can't comfort yourself with "thank God Theo won't give out bad contracts" and truly expect them to contend on a rotation built around Arrieta and Hendricks and lord knows what else in 2015. If you're on the "winner in 2015" train then stop telling yourself it's fine if they don't land another top pitcher. It's not.

If you just view the Cubs as a savvier Royals who need to go bargain shopping and rely almost entirely on homegrown players for the major contributions, fine, but they're still probably not ready to win in 2015 at that rate and also it means all of Theo's talk about payroll flexibility and what not is a bunch of bullshit, and Gordo would be closer to right than we all want to admit about them not being a real major market team.

[Eli]

Even then, if there's somebody willing to spend stupid money on these guys, at least we'll know the Cubs are only willing to spend wisely.

They'll be heavy favorites for the 2015 Spend Wisely Championship.

This. If they want to fast-track the rebuild now that the core is coming up then they're going to have to give stupid money to somebody. You can't comfort yourself with "thank God Theo won't give out bad contracts" and truly expect them to contend on a rotation built around Arrieta and Hendricks and lord knows what else in 2015. If you're on the "winner in 2015" train then stop telling yourself it's fine if they don't land another top pitcher. It's not.

If you just view the Cubs as a savvier Royals who need to go bargain shopping and rely almost entirely on homegrown players for the major contributions, fine, but they're still probably not ready to win in 2015 at that rate and also it means all of Theo's talk about payroll flexibility and what not is a bunch of bullshit, and Gordo would be closer to right than we all want to admit about them not being a real major market team.

I also don't think they'll be consistently good in the next 5 years if they insist on only spending "wisely." If they really believe in their homegrown core, they're in a perfect position to overpay for difference-making talents.

[Chuck to Chuck]

If they want to fast-track the rebuild now that the core is coming up then they're going to have to give stupid money to somebody. You can't comfort yourself with "thank God Theo won't give out bad contracts" and truly expect them to contend on a rotation built around Arrieta and Hendricks and lord knows what else in 2015.

Not only that, but looking at their payroll, they can afford some stupid contracts.  Adding two $25mm/ year contracts only puts payroll in 2015 at about $110mm.  That's lower than payroll was in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and only $1mm higher than 2012.

Going forward, they project to have young cheap guys the next 4 years or so, making high priced guys very affordable.

Lastly, it's not our money. And with the Ricketts supposedly seeing their Cusb valuation up over 50% already and their TDA stock up over $900mm last year, I don't want to hear about anything being too expensive.  I mean, shit. They just bought Nebraska for their kid to play with.

[SKO]

If they want to fast-track the rebuild now that the core is coming up then they're going to have to give stupid money to somebody. You can't comfort yourself with "thank God Theo won't give out bad contracts" and truly expect them to contend on a rotation built around Arrieta and Hendricks and lord knows what else in 2015.

Not only that, but looking at their payroll, they can afford some stupid contracts.  Adding two $25mm/ year contracts only puts payroll in 2015 at about $110mm.  That's lower than payroll was in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and only $1mm higher than 2012.

Going forward, they project to have young cheap guys the next 4 years or so, making high priced guys very affordable.

Lastly, it's not our money. And with the Ricketts supposedly seeing their Cusb valuation up over 50% already and their TDA stock up over $900mm last year, I don't want to hear about anything being too expensive.  I mean, shit. They just bought Nebraska for their kid to play with.

*shudders* Yeah, Chuck is right. And I get not wanting to go on a Yankee-esque "buy all of the free agents" splooge so much that it does cripple their financial future when, god willing, Bryant and Co. merit long-term extensions, but we're talking One deal for a pitcher they really could use that would be the cherry on top of this long rebuild, not trying to build a core of aging shitheads.

[PenFoe]

If they want to fast-track the rebuild now that the core is coming up then they're going to have to give stupid money to somebody. You can't comfort yourself with "thank God Theo won't give out bad contracts" and truly expect them to contend on a rotation built around Arrieta and Hendricks and lord knows what else in 2015.

Not only that, but looking at their payroll, they can afford some stupid contracts.  Adding two $25mm/ year contracts only puts payroll in 2015 at about $110mm.  That's lower than payroll was in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and only $1mm higher than 2012.

Going forward, they project to have young cheap guys the next 4 years or so, making high priced guys very affordable.

Lastly, it's not our money. And with the Ricketts supposedly seeing their Cusb valuation up over 50% already and their TDA stock up over $900mm last year, I don't want to hear about anything being too expensive.  I mean, shit. They just bought Nebraska for their kid to play with.

*shudders* Yeah, Chuck is right. And I get not wanting to go on a Yankee-esque "buy all of the free agents" splooge so much that it does cripple their financial future when, god willing, Bryant and Co. merit long-term extensions, but we're talking One deal for a pitcher they really could use that would be the cherry on top of this long rebuild, not trying to build a core of aging shitheads.

I still hope they sign Lester AND Scherzer.

[Chuck to Chuck]

If they want to fast-track the rebuild now that the core is coming up then they're going to have to give stupid money to somebody. You can't comfort yourself with "thank God Theo won't give out bad contracts" and truly expect them to contend on a rotation built around Arrieta and Hendricks and lord knows what else in 2015.

Not only that, but looking at their payroll, they can afford some stupid contracts.  Adding two $25mm/ year contracts only puts payroll in 2015 at about $110mm.  That's lower than payroll was in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and only $1mm higher than 2012.

Going forward, they project to have young cheap guys the next 4 years or so, making high priced guys very affordable.

Lastly, it's not our money. And with the Ricketts supposedly seeing their Cusb valuation up over 50% already and their TDA stock up over $900mm last year, I don't want to hear about anything being too expensive.  I mean, shit. They just bought Nebraska for their kid to play with.

*shudders* Yeah, Chuck is right. And I get not wanting to go on a Yankee-esque "buy all of the free agents" splooge so much that it does cripple their financial future when, god willing, Bryant and Co. merit long-term extensions, but we're talking One deal for a pitcher they really could use that would be the cherry on top of this long rebuild, not trying to build a core of aging shitheads.

I still hope they sign Lester AND Scherzer.

THIS