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

[Chuck to Chuck]

1) Sign Masterson, McCarthy, or Santana
2) Trade prospects for Hamels
3) Roll with the guys you've got

Which do you prefer and why?

#2. Something built around Baez, Almora/McKinney and Edwards/Johnson. That still leaves them a good amount prospect firepower in the system and a rotation of Hamels, Lester, Arrieta, Hammel and Hendricks is about as good as it gets in baseball.

Lineup after April looks something like:

1. Valbuena - 2B
2. Castro - SS
3. Rizzo - 1B
4. Bryant- 3B
5. Soler - RF
6. Montero - C
7. Alcantara - CF
8. Coghlan/Platoon guy  - LF

They'd still have Russell, Schwarber, Almora/McKinney waiting in the wings, along with plenty of other mid-level options to fill in gaps.

Baez to Iowa?

[SKO]

1) Sign Masterson, McCarthy, or Santana
2) Trade prospects for Hamels
3) Roll with the guys you've got

Which do you prefer and why?

#2. Something built around Baez, Almora/McKinney and Edwards/Johnson. That still leaves them a good amount prospect firepower in the system and a rotation of Hamels, Lester, Arrieta, Hammel and Hendricks is about as good as it gets in baseball.

Lineup after April looks something like:

1. Valbuena - 2B
2. Castro - SS
3. Rizzo - 1B
4. Bryant- 3B
5. Soler - RF
6. Montero - C
7. Alcantara - CF
8. Coghlan/Platoon guy  - LF

They'd still have Russell, Schwarber, Almora/McKinney waiting in the wings, along with plenty of other mid-level options to fill in gaps.

Baez to Iowa?

Reading comprehension is critical. Baez is going to Philly for Hamels in this scenario, IDITO. A scenario I don't dislike.

[Eli]

Reading comprehension is critical. Baez is going to Philly for Hamels in this scenario, IDITO. A scenario I don't dislike.

Or if they really want to go nuts this offseason, they can do the theoretical Hamels trade and sign Headley, who just costs money.

1. Valbuena - 2B
2. Castro - SS
3. Rizzo - 1B
4. Bryant- LF
5. Soler - RF
6. Headley - 3B
7. Montero - C
8. Alcantara - CF

That lineup, plus that rotation, is boner something something.

I've probably gone a bit overboard though.

[Chuck to Chuck]

1) Sign Masterson, McCarthy, or Santana
2) Trade prospects for Hamels
3) Roll with the guys you've got

Which do you prefer and why?

#2. Something built around Baez, Almora/McKinney and Edwards/Johnson. That still leaves them a good amount prospect firepower in the system and a rotation of Hamels, Lester, Arrieta, Hammel and Hendricks is about as good as it gets in baseball.

Lineup after April looks something like:

1. Valbuena - 2B
2. Castro - SS
3. Rizzo - 1B
4. Bryant- 3B
5. Soler - RF
6. Montero - C
7. Alcantara - CF
8. Coghlan/Platoon guy  - LF

They'd still have Russell, Schwarber, Almora/McKinney waiting in the wings, along with plenty of other mid-level options to fill in gaps.

Baez to Iowa?

Reading comprehension is critical. Baez is going to Philly for Hamels in this scenario, IDITO. A scenario I don't dislike.

OK. Just looked at your lineup and skipped the rest.  I'm not on the Headley wagon. Only 1 year did he hit over 13 HR. Much more interested in Bryant at 3rd and left held for Schwarber if he doesn't make it at C. Love to find a bat for CF. Alcantara doesn't strike me as a long term solution there.

[CBStew]

I know I need to get less mad at stupid people but the guys like Yellon and that Vlahos guy and that fucking Gieryna fellow who criticized every step of the rebuild because they were stupid, impatient twits and now want to say OKAY THEO YOU'VE WON ME OVER can rot. This was the plan all along and they spelled it out in clear terms at every stop. There was never any time where they didn't do exactly what they said they'd do, so fuck you. You don't get to act like they came around to your way of thinking or something.

Nicely played. That was so out of context that I read my own last name and my first thought was, "What a weird name."

I was proud of it. But really, fuck Yellon too. " I GET TO BE OPTIMISTIC NOW". DIE IN A FIRE.

Al is too busy having civil conversations:

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/12/10/7369619/jon-lester-dh-national-league#276556100

Wait.   That was satire.  Wasn't it?

[SKO]

1) Sign Masterson, McCarthy, or Santana
2) Trade prospects for Hamels
3) Roll with the guys you've got

Which do you prefer and why?

#2. Something built around Baez, Almora/McKinney and Edwards/Johnson. That still leaves them a good amount prospect firepower in the system and a rotation of Hamels, Lester, Arrieta, Hammel and Hendricks is about as good as it gets in baseball.

Lineup after April looks something like:

1. Valbuena - 2B
2. Castro - SS
3. Rizzo - 1B
4. Bryant- 3B
5. Soler - RF
6. Montero - C
7. Alcantara - CF
8. Coghlan/Platoon guy  - LF

They'd still have Russell, Schwarber, Almora/McKinney waiting in the wings, along with plenty of other mid-level options to fill in gaps.

Baez to Iowa?

Reading comprehension is critical. Baez is going to Philly for Hamels in this scenario, IDITO. A scenario I don't dislike.

OK. Just looked at your lineup and skipped the rest.  I'm not on the Headley wagon. Only 1 year did he hit over 13 HR. Much more interested in Bryant at 3rd and left held for Schwarber if he doesn't make it at C. Love to find a bat for CF. Alcantara doesn't strike me as a long term solution there.

Headley's value is his defense but yeah I can't get behind that one either. I'd be more in favor of going for Kemp or Upton to hold down an OF spot this year than signing Headley, assuming Kemp's contract/Upton only being a one year rental to begin with would lower the prospect cost.

[Eli]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

I can live with a Coghlan/Ruggiano platoon for a year.

[SKO]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

That's why I'd really be interested in Upton if they could get him without giving up too much presumably due to him not being under contract past this year. You get a guy that can be a big part of contending in 2015, and then they could either try to extend him or let him go if they feel confident in the guys they've got coming up.

[Saul Goodman]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

That's why I'd really be interested in Upton if they could get him without giving up too much presumably due to him not being under contract past this year. You get a guy that can be a big part of contending in 2015, and then they could either try to extend him or let him go if they feel confident in the guys they've got coming up.

I believe the Cubs are one of the teams on Upton's limited no-trade list, which could complicate matters a bit.

[InternetApex]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

I can live with a Coghlan/Ruggiano platoon for a year.

Or Coghlan/Gomes.

[SKO]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

That's why I'd really be interested in Upton if they could get him without giving up too much presumably due to him not being under contract past this year. You get a guy that can be a big part of contending in 2015, and then they could either try to extend him or let him go if they feel confident in the guys they've got coming up.

I believe the Cubs are one of the teams on Upton's limited no-trade list, which could complicate matters a bit.

the scuttlebutt is he may be willing to change his mind on that now that Lester has ended rebuilding forever.

[PenFoe]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

That's why I'd really be interested in Upton if they could get him without giving up too much presumably due to him not being under contract past this year. You get a guy that can be a big part of contending in 2015, and then they could either try to extend him or let him go if they feel confident in the guys they've got coming up.

I believe the Cubs are one of the teams on Upton's limited no-trade list, which could complicate matters a bit.

the scuttlebutt is he may be willing to change his mind on that now that Lester has ended rebuilding forever.

The Cubs were on his no-trade clause way back when he signed his deal after the 2010 season.  While the Cubs were bad that year (75-87) they were a pretty solid team the two years prior to that (180-142.)  There are plenty of teams that were way worse that weren't on his no-trade.  

So I don't think it's because he was worried about the rebuild or even the Cubs being crappy.  

I think he just hates the Cubs for some reason.  
Maybe the fans were mean to him once. Maybe someone he knows hated playing for the Cubs. Maybe he hates day games.

But pretty sure it's something.  

Either way, give me Hamels for reasonable prospects (Baez and Almora feels like plenty by themselves) and then also one more decent bat.  4 years of Hamels will go by awfully fast and I think even with that rotation they won't have enough immediate firepower (prospects needing time to adjust and all that) to win the next couple of years with that current lineup.  

[InternetApex]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

That's why I'd really be interested in Upton if they could get him without giving up too much presumably due to him not being under contract past this year. You get a guy that can be a big part of contending in 2015, and then they could either try to extend him or let him go if they feel confident in the guys they've got coming up.

I believe the Cubs are one of the teams on Upton's limited no-trade list, which could complicate matters a bit.

the scuttlebutt is he may be willing to change his mind on that now that Lester has ended rebuilding forever.

The Cubs were on his no-trade clause way back when he signed his deal after the 2010 season.  While the Cubs were bad that year (75-87) they were a pretty solid team the two years prior to that (180-142.)  There are plenty of teams that were way worse that weren't on his no-trade.  

So I don't think it's because he was worried about the rebuild or even the Cubs being crappy.  

I think he just hates the Cubs for some reason.  
Maybe the fans were mean to him once. Maybe someone he knows hated playing for the Cubs. Maybe he hates day games.

But pretty sure it's something.  

Either way, give me Hamels for reasonable prospects (Baez and Almora feels like plenty by themselves) and then also one more decent bat.  4 years of Hamels will go by awfully fast and I think even with that rotation they won't have enough immediate firepower (prospects needing time to adjust and all that) to win the next couple of years with that current lineup.  

Stop trading Baez. Stop it. I don't want you to.

Also the day games thing might be a big deal to some. That and as a visiting player you could probably learn to loathe Wrigley pretty easily - renovations notwithstanding.

[Slaky]

I'm not even really that sold on Headley either. I'd probably rather see them live with a bit of a LF black hole for a year and get a better idea what they have in Bryant, Soler, Schwarber, etc., then address that need either midseason or next winter. Just mentioned it as a way they could shore that up a bit going into 2015 if they were totally all-in.

That's why I'd really be interested in Upton if they could get him without giving up too much presumably due to him not being under contract past this year. You get a guy that can be a big part of contending in 2015, and then they could either try to extend him or let him go if they feel confident in the guys they've got coming up.

I believe the Cubs are one of the teams on Upton's limited no-trade list, which could complicate matters a bit.

the scuttlebutt is he may be willing to change his mind on that now that Lester has ended rebuilding forever.

The Cubs were on his no-trade clause way back when he signed his deal after the 2010 season.  While the Cubs were bad that year (75-87) they were a pretty solid team the two years prior to that (180-142.)  There are plenty of teams that were way worse that weren't on his no-trade.  

So I don't think it's because he was worried about the rebuild or even the Cubs being crappy.  

I think he just hates the Cubs for some reason.  
Maybe the fans were mean to him once. Maybe someone he knows hated playing for the Cubs. Maybe he hates day games.

But pretty sure it's something.  

Either way, give me Hamels for reasonable prospects (Baez and Almora feels like plenty by themselves) and then also one more decent bat.  4 years of Hamels will go by awfully fast and I think even with that rotation they won't have enough immediate firepower (prospects needing time to adjust and all that) to win the next couple of years with that current lineup.  

Stop trading Baez. Stop it. I don't want you to.

Also the day games thing might be a big deal to some. That and as a visiting player you could probably learn to loathe Wrigley pretty easily - renovations notwithstanding.

Seriously. Baez is the one guy I almost don't give a fuck about selling high or however Chuck would phrase it. Let him burn bright or fade out with the Cubs. I don't want to see him hit it big somewhere else because his ceiling, as unlikely as he is to reach it, is stratospheric. I give him every chance in the world and even a few chances after that.

I want him to figure it out more than anyone the Cubs have.