2013 Cubs catch all thread

[caulfield12]

Brilliant considering the lack of pitching depth in the Cubs organization & the fact that a mega SP prospect like Gray was right there for the taking. A lot of people had him down as the highest-ceiling pitcher in the draft. Most GMs under the same circumstances would have drafted him, although I could be wrong.

 

Weren't there some last minute PED's or steroids or injury/velocity concerns with Gray?

 

A lot of scouts said there was actually a better pitcher on Oklahoma, but that Gray had the better tools/physical package.

 

He was starting to fall back those last 2-3 weeks before the draft.

 

 

 

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Jesse Sanchez

‏@JesseSanchezMLB

IMHO fact that Eloy hasn't signed is an indication #Cubs not ignoring potential penalties, @davidrelliott. He hasn't signed for a reason.

Edited July 6, 2013 by caulfield12

[LittleHurt05]

Hey fathom, Travis Wood is an All-Star!

[hammerhead johnson]

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer reiterated Monday that he's confident about striking a deal with first-rounder Kris Bryant.

Bryant was the No. 2 overall pick in last month's draft. The signing deadline is June 12. "What we basically have now is 4-5 days left of discussions," Hoyer told the Chicago Tribune. "We’re confident we’ll get it done. We’re going to make him an exceptionally fair offer, and I think Kris wants to be a Cub and be a professional baseball player. I’m confident we’ll get a deal done."

[Steve9347]

Anthony Rizzo sucks.

[Harry Chappas]

Seems that the theo and jed spending spree is not as free wheeling as originally thought.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Seems that the theo and jed spending spree is not as free wheeling as originally thought.

 

Well they aren't the Dodgers. However, I bet they acquire more slot money and it allows them to sign Jimenez. They are also in on Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. The next big pitcher out of Cuba.

[LittleHurt05]

Anthony Rizzo sucks.

 

Starlin Castro's OPS now sits at .596. Ouch.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Weren't there some last minute PED's or steroids or injury/velocity concerns with Gray?

 

A lot of scouts said there was actually a better pitcher on Oklahoma, but that Gray had the better tools/physical package.

 

He was starting to fall back those last 2-3 weeks before the draft.

 

 

 

Follow

 

Jesse Sanchez

‏@JesseSanchezMLB

IMHO fact that Eloy hasn't signed is an indication #Cubs not ignoring potential penalties, @davidrelliott. He hasn't signed for a reason.

 

 

Jesse Sanchez ‏@JesseSanchezMLB 12m

#Cubs have spent $3,470,000 on SS Gleyber Torres ($1.7M), RHP Erling Moreno ($650K), RHP Jefferson Mejia ($850K) catcher Johan Matos ($270K)

 

Jesse Sanchez ‏@JesseSanchezMLB 12m

EJ expects to sign for $2.8M & adding high-$ prospect like Tseng could put #Cubs in max-penalty even if trade for max-slot $ allowed ($1.3M).

 

Those are Jesse Sanchez's last two tweets about Cubs bonus $$.

[hammerhead johnson]

Starlin Castro's OPS now sits at .596. Ouch.

 

He had a combined 7.4 WAR at the age of 22, but he's at negative 1.5 thus far in 2013, bringing his career figure down to 5.9. This is currently one of the strangest stories in the MLB.

[southsider2k5]

I call BS.

 

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeymanCBS 4m

 

in big switch, #cubs now talking about signing Matt Garza to long-term deal. http://cbsprt.co/18IN1sL

[southsider2k5]

He had a combined 7.4 WAR at the age of 22, but he's at negative 1.5 thus far in 2013, bringing his career figure down to 5.9. This is currently one of the strangest stories in the MLB.

 

There isn't a stat for stupid and lazy.

[Harry Chappas]

I call BS.

 

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeymanCBS 4m

 

in big switch, #cubs now talking about signing Matt Garza to long-term deal. http://cbsprt.co/18IN1sL

 

I believe this, they are not getting the starting pitcher that they need and until last year he was reliable. He is a clubhouse headache which is probably scaring everyone, including the cubs away.

[Y2Jimmy0]

I call BS.

 

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeymanCBS 4m

 

in big switch, #cubs now talking about signing Matt Garza to long-term deal. http://cbsprt.co/18IN1sL

 

 

I agree. They don't want to sign him I don't think. Somehow trying to drive up the market or cost for him with this news.

[southsider2k5]

I agree. They don't want to sign him I don't think. Somehow trying to drive up the market or cost for him with this news.

 

We aren't alone

 

jon greenberg ‏@espnchijon 3m

 

"Hey, there's going to be a bunch of scouts at Garza's start tonight, let's leak we might sign him as we want to win now." (laugh track)

[caulfield12]

Wow, I had no idea Josh Donaldson was traded by the Cubs for Harden (along with 3 other players, at the time, Gallagher being the centerpiece).

 

Ooops.

 

They could use a better 3B than Luis Valbuena, haha.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Wow, I had no idea Josh Donaldson was traded by the Cubs for Harden (along with 3 other players, at the time, Gallagher being the centerpiece).

 

Ooops.

 

They could use a better 3B than Luis Valbuena, haha.

 

 

That was a good deal at the time though. Josh Donaldson is 27 years old and had two very bad years in the A's system. Cubs were trying to win a World Series that year. And I believe Harden was 5-1 down the stretch with an era under 3

[Balta1701]

That was a good deal at the time though. Josh Donaldson is 27 years old and had two very bad years in the A's system. Cubs were trying to win a World Series that year. And I believe Harden was 5-1 down the stretch with an era under 3

One of the lessons there is that if you are selling off players...don't just settle for 1 guy, get yourself a couple A-baller throw-ins as well just to give your team a few more rolls of the dice.

[Steve9347]

One of the lessons there is that if you are selling off players...don't just settle for 1 guy, get yourself a couple A-baller throw-ins as well just to give your team a few more rolls of the dice.

This.

[fathom]

Hey fathom, Travis Wood is an All-Star!

 

I believe he leads the majors in quality starts. He's been awesome this year, hopefully his 2nd half splits resemble what happened last year.

Edited July 10, 2013 by fathom

[caulfield12]

Jen-Ho Tseng, Cubs Close To Deal

 

By Charlie Wilmoth [July 9 at 11:34pm CST]

 

The Cubs are close to a deal with Taiwanese pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports. Sanchez expects that Tseng's bonus will cost the Cubs a little over $1.5MM. Sanchez had tweeted on Monday that the Cubs had emerged as the favorite to sign Tseng.

 

Sanchez ranked Tseng the No. 29 international prospect. The 18-year-old Tseng has a fastball that reaches 95 MPH, along with a curve and slider. He was the youngest player on Chinese Taipei's WBC roster.

 

The Cubs have already signed Gleyber Torres for $1.7MM, Jefferson Mejia for $850K, Erling Moreno for $650K and Johan Matos for $270K, and they have an agreement with top outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez for $2.8MM. That means they will have exceeded their $5.52MM international bonus pool even before the Tseng signing.

 

The Cubs can still trade for the right to spend more bonus pool money, but Sanchez notes that they can only do so up to a 50 percent increase over their original $4.56MM pool. If they traded up to the maximum amount, that would leave them with a bonus pool of $6.84MM. Assuming Tseng signs for an even $1.5MM and that the Jimenez deal is completed, the Cubs will spend $7.7MM just on Jimenez, Torres, Tseng, Mejia, Moreno and Matos.

 

If the Cubs exceed their pool by 10 to 15%, they cannot sign an international prospect for more than $500K during the 2014-15 signing period. If they exceed it by more than 15%, they cannot sign a player for more than $250K. In either case, they would have to pay a 100% tax on this year's overage. It now appears very likely that the Cubs will exceed their 2013-14 bonus pool by more than 15%, which may be a plan they developed on the fly -- they recently traded for more pool space in the Scott Feldman and Ronald Torreyes deals, and it's hard to see why they would have done that if they planned on paying the stiffest penalty for exceeding their pool.

 

MLBTR's Steve Adams wrote last week about the Cubs' international bonus situation.

 

[witesoxfan]

So Epstein's plan is still "throw money at the problem."

[Kyyle23]

So Epstein's plan is still "throw money at the problem."

 

more like "throw money at the problem and hope"

 

These arent even polished veterans or solid prospects, these are just kids.

[Balta1701]

more like "throw money at the problem and hope"

 

These arent even polished veterans or solid prospects, these are just kids.

Just look at how excited the people here are about where their lineup will be in 5 years when all the guys sitting down in A ball reach the big leagues like they're guaranteed to do.

[hammerhead johnson]

Just look at how excited the people here are about where their lineup will be in 5 years when all the guys sitting down in A ball reach the big leagues like they're guaranteed to do.

 

Quote the post where someone guaranteed that all of their blue chip prospects would reach the majors.

 

And it's not a bad thing to have a s***load of quality prospects. When the time comes, I'm sure that they'll flip quite a few of them for proven major league assets.

 

There is nothing to be pessimistic about.

Edited July 10, 2013 by hammerhead johnson

[caulfield12]

Quote the post where someone guaranteed that all of their blue chip prospects would reach the majors.

 

And it's not a bad thing to have a s***load of quality prospects. When the time comes, I'm sure that they'll flip quite a few of 'em for proven major league assets.

 

There is nothing to be pessimistic about.

 

Except for being in the same division with the best organization in baseball right now, as well as the Reds and the Pirates on the rise and having the same number of prospects, but many of them on the pitching side.

 

Maybe you can finish ahead of the Brewers, but that's kind of a given without Braun and with Gallardo probably being traded.