caulfield12

They're going to eat how much left on his contract? Without Tucker...it really doesn't matter who the manager is for 2026. For who? Vogt? No way Ricketts eats $24 million...and the majority of Cubs fans realistically believe the owner is more responsible than the GM here, not unlike the situation in St. Louis right now.

Remember...Getz was going to turn things around immediately, no time could be wasted. Trading Robert and not being able to sell the fanbase the illusion oin instant competitiveness with a new manager coming in would have made JR look like a con man. And then his value would have still taken a hit...we're not the Rays. We don't sell high and get the timing right traditionally. Everyone would have assumed there was some issue with Robert to suddenly want to trade him after a year like that. Not to mention Getz couldn't have KNOWN Crochet would have that type of season and relieve some of the pressure on stocking the farm without a #1-2-3 pick in 2025 as well. Cease is a Top 5-10 pitcher in baseball by fWAR. Huge discrepancy in valuations between the two systems. In fact, Cease is number 5 there and only trails the likes of Sale Skubal Wheeler Ragans. Fedde is #17. Still ToR numbers but not accorded that respect or value in just 3-4 months back in the big leagues.

I would argue they look at the offense more like end of 2023...Wallner #9 RFer, healthy Buxton, healthy Correa, productive Miranda like last year, Royce Lewis healthy and productive, they have a formidable core group of guys there. Rotation is so so. Jeffers and Vazquez fell off a cliff in second half. Wild cards in Brooks Lee and Larnach. Lee had a ton of hype but didn't hit. Willi Castro an average SS. That's why a young starter (SWR or Matthews) and Larnach/Castro for Cease makes sense for both Twins and Padres because payroll numbers cancel out. SD covers LF, Bogaerts back to 2B and Castro much better at SS. Brooks shifts back to SS with Keachsall at 2B coming off surgery. Or Julien at second with his terrible defense but potent bat. Kiriloff retiring from baseball hurts their depth, Kepler is finally gone too.

https://www.si.com/mlb/twins/minnesota-twins-news/pecota-projections-have-twins-as-clear-favorites-in-al-central-in-2025-01jk6gg269mk&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwir8LW2jamLAxUdJ0QIHfulB2oQFnoECAAQAw&usg=AOvVaw3JLwlHOBvPb9AbIp0cbPBI And they have a bullpen, led by Griffix Jax and Jhoan Duran, that a different projection system believes is the best in baseball. If the Twins can stay relatively healthy in 2025, they should have a pretty good chance to win a weak division and return to the postseason.

https://www.mlb.com/news/ranking-mlb-world-series-rematches-for-2025

Can just imagine all the screaming if Judkins Henderson Hampton or Caleb Johnson end up with Chiefs. Guess it depends on how Hunt and Pacheco look in the SB...Hunt getting close to 30 a death sentence these days for primary backs unless third down guys like Austin Ekeler.

Getz is like a stock broker from twenty years ago paid for every transaction to churn the roster and chase returns but actually nothing seems to be changing except the Crochet and Giolito moves...still nothing to show for Burger/Vaughn/Madrigal.

Reds and Red Sox actually trying this year and not that fat off...Cubs are getting way too much love as well. SF Detroit CLE fans must not be too happy either. I would take Reds/Francona with those odds.

"As a prospect in the Mariners and White Sox systems, DeLoach was well-regarded not because of any standout individual tool but because he possessed average — or close to it — tools across the board. He’s an above-average runner who swiped 20 bags in 2024 and popped 23 homers in 2023. He walks in well over 10% of his plate appearances but has also fanned in more than a quarter of his plate appearances the past two seasons. DeLoach has experience at all three outfield spots. He can handle center in a pinch but is best suited in left field." mlbtraderumors.com

https://global.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/43666616/2025-nfl-mock-draft-two-rounds-64-picks-matt-miller-senior-bowl

Minus the hype of being the best RH prep pitching prospect in the game...

https://global.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/43665573/indiana-fever-wnba-free-agency-2025-trades-caitlin-clark-aliyah-boston-bonner-cunningham-howard

"Reds (now Dodgers, 41st overall, CBR-A): This pick was already moved, as Cincinnati traded its selection along with outfield prospect Mike Sirota to Los Angeles in exchange for Gavin Lux." Seems like Cincy got fleeced big-time... https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/what-other-competitive-balance-round-draft-picks-could-be-traded-this-winter.html

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks-deserve-blame-for-failing-luka-doncic-lakers-trade

"Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki: 30% strikeout rates We haven’t seen Sasaki in MLB yet, but given his professional career thus far, we know there will be plenty of strikeouts. To that point, he’s projected for a 31.6% strikeout rate. Snell is projected for a 31.0% strikeout rate and Glasnow at 30.7%. We know this Dodgers rotation has a chance to be fearsome, and here’s another way to quantify that potential. With Sasaki, Snell and Glasnow, the Dodgers have three pitchers projected for a 30% strikeout rate or higher. No team in MLB history has had three pitchers with at least a 30% strikeout rate and 75 innings pitched each in a season." https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-players-chasing-records-in-2025

https://sports.yahoo.com/no-matter-how-you-look-at-it-the-mavs-process-in-dealing-luka-doncic-makes-little-sense-201815743.html

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2025/02/02/indiana-fever-add-dewanna-bonner-to-caitlin-clark-best-lineup-in-wnba/78159641007/ Indiana Fever now have created a "super team" with the league also adding future franchises by the week... Yes, not technically NBA but no desire to start a whole new thread.

Not until 2027 or likelier 2028. It also requires JR to spend in FA as well...which is far from certain. A labor strike/confrontation after 2026 is quite possible if the Dodgers win three consecutive titles. 2000 and 2018/19 #1 milb systems certainly didn't guarantee a thing as you well know.

Remember when we (and KW/JR via proxy) used to blame the fans for lower attendance dragging down payroll? That's no longer an easily defensible position...except for 3 specific posters and PTAC/Texsox. Then recently, JR's crap about the lack of 3 million attendance years when that's literally impossible to achieve with a big chunk of the upper deck cut off. We're a lot closer to one million than three million right now, anyway...especially actual butts in the seats numbers.

2/$35 million... Tigers up to $135 million but they and the Twins ($140+ million) still in the 16-19 range for MLB...slightly below average.

Isn't Shaw going to play there? Funny they have already gone through what...Morel Candelario Paredes Bote. Why not Arenado?...oh the infamous Lou Brock Broglio trade.

Yeah…not exactly a book I can recommend to high school students, I used to say “only in China” but now likely on a ban list in the US, too. Has a little bit of Gabriel Garcia Marquez to him…but not some of those worst tendencies in older age. Although he did write a novella that’s quite similar to Lolita in the last decade.

What inspirational message would Tray provide to Bulls' fans after this one? They're the ones getting taken to the cleaners. Sox fans are smart enough to stay away until there's either a competitive roster or at least interesting prospects to watch.

So you've got the Cubs Blue Jays Tigers Astros all theoretically in on Bregman...probably enough to get a deal done with early opt outs for places like Toronto or Chicago conditioned upon retaining key free agents. Maybe the Red Sox still involved as well...but they would have to move Bregman to second unless they were to move Devers to DH/1B instead.

MN Twins would prefer to offer a package headlined for Cease headlined by a young starter like Zebby Matthews or Simeon Woods Richardson that would also include Trevor Larnach and Willi Castro. Christian Vazquez seems to be off the table with the recent Elias Diaz signing. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/dylan-cease-discusses-trade-rumors.html