2014 Free Agent Possibles per mlbtraderumors.com

Alot will depend on performances this year by the pitchers that were brought in.

Agree.

As far as free agents, look for the Cubs to spend on at least two notables such as a Josh Johnson/Jocoby Elsbury combo for instance

Don't see it.

since Dejesus will be off the books, Soriano will be in the last year of his contract, as well as a pitcher or two will likely be gone. You have to convince the fans that progression is visible year after year in my opinion. 

Can't depend on Sori off the books until he is off the books.  Dejesus is not a burden on any payroll.

Dumping DeJesus and Feldman for instance and bringing in the aforementioned tandem or someone like that at least shows that.

No it doesn't.   They have low return values and both are not major hits against payroll.

I see once again that no 3rd basemen are available of substance. Looks like the Cubs are going to have to trade Garza or Soriano to acquire one.   

Sori would get minamal returns.  If he has not been traded to this point comming off last year he won't be later on.  Garza is a maybe.


Right approach:

You have to convince the fans that progression is visible year after year in my opinion. 

Looking at it logically:

Dejesus in MLB.  Jackson at AAA.

If Jackson busts out then they have to find a CF until Almora is ready.

That is the logical approach. 

SP:

They have:

Garza team control til the end of the year.
Shark in arb 1.  2 more years of control at that point.
Jackson post first year of control.

Then Wood going into arb1

Feldman and Baker F/A. 

Adding a SP is debateable here.  They could just extend Garza and Baker and net the same results.

If Shark takes the next step and becomes a league ace the rest fall in line nicely.  They wouldn't need to ink a top of the rotation.


Sori I would just let him retire a Cub.  If he blows up they have some filler AAA types that could fill in at LF until his hit to payroll is gone.

Regardless that is the Cubs problem.  Even if they traded him they would still have that payroll hit. 

The Cubs won't be signing any of these FA's,unless the Rickett's figure out some way to pull millions out of their asses.

Smartest thing u said for a while.


If they sign any F/a's it will be more of the same.  If they spend big it will be on Garza to extend him. 

Woah woah woah, lets shoot for some more realistic signings like maybe a Kosuke Fukudome, some young Cuban pitcher nobody heard about, and some Little Leaguer thats really tearing it up in 3rd grade that has a ton of potential. 


Thats way more Theo.  

Agree with Crzy Jo.  Thin out FA signings by getting rid of the best producing players on it.  They cost too much for Theo.  Then, anyone under 30 goes.  He likes the "veterans".  Look for someone having a down year, *cough* career, and now you are in Theo's range.  Right around a career .240 hitter is good.  Maybe a pitcher with an career ERA over 4.50.  Has to be in their 30's.  Or, a foreign player nobody has heard of.  He likes them too!  Ahhh...don't you just love the new "Cub's Way"?!  At least Hendry was winning divisions.  This guy is shooting for the worst team in Baseball!  And with Houston still around, that is tough to compete with!

I'm scratching my head trying to remember how many years Theo has been running the Cubs, and how many seasons he's been responsible for.

I keep coming up with, approximately ... one.

Definitely a trend there.     

Well, I dont know what all the fussing is over. The Cubs have another terrible year then Theo is going to feel big time pressure to do more in FA. The cubs have a so so year then that means some young kids have stepped up. This year is going to be a telling sign for where the Cubs go in the future. Anything approaching another 100 loss season, you are going to see a lot of the fan base turn on Theo.

Dejesus in MLB.  Jackson at AAA.

Aren't we talking about 2014 and the potential free agents?  If we are, why would they bring DeJesus back? They have already worked on the pitching and somewhat netted depth for this year. Are they going to drop payroll once again next year and not add any offense? I hardly doubt it.

This year was about the pitching staff. Next year will be about pitching AND position players. The Cubs are not going to show progression with DeJesus in the everyday line-up and Soriano retiring a Cub just for the sake of Soriano retiring a Cub.

I would hardly doubt that they would bring Dejesus back for 6.5 million when they could buy him out at 1.5 million for 2014. I would rather have the Cubs actually go for a quality outfielder instead of this patchwork offense they are trying to assemble.

It is a piece-by-piece project. You can't expect the Cubs to keep getting better simply by sticking the same team out there year in and year out.

If you agree that progression needs to be made, then you better have players better than DeJesus, Stewart, Valbuena, Schierholz, and Hairston. Curtis Granderson has more offensive production than all 5 combined. 

Progression is not simply measured by the farm system being one year older in the maturation process.

BTW, Soriano has a lot of value, it just depends on how much the Cubs want to eat as to what kind of prospects they would get in return. He is better than 80% of the outfielders in the league, and a contending team that could get him for good prospects and/or only having to pay him 10 million for two years would be getting a good return on investment in my opinion.    

  

Aren't we talking about 2014 and the potential free agents?  If we are, why would they bring DeJesus back? They have already worked on the pitching and somewhat netted depth for this year. Are they going to drop payroll once again next year and not add any offense? I hardly doubt it. 

I think you are expecting something out of Theo/Jed/Tommy that goes against their trends and right at the start of a park over haul.

They didn't go after Bourn...why would they change their tune all of a sudden with a 60 mil per debt starting.


Some one needs a reality check. 


Fact is if the fans buy into this rebuild of the park and preping the team for after the park is done and still go to Cubs games to watch the work in progress they will not spend on big tickets player.

Just cross your fingers and hope they re-sign Garza and Baker vs taking the cheap route and resigning Feldman and having Carlos V. as the answer in 2014.


Also I expect them to give Jackson a shot at playing every day until Almora is ready then he maybe moved into a corner OF spot.


When they signed Jackson it went against their phlispohy but looking at it he would cost less then Garza going foward.  


keep crossing your fingers they re-up.


 

Just cross your fingers and hope they re-sign Garza and Baker

Same team. 

versus taking the cheap route and resigning Feldman and having Carlos V. as the answer in 2014.

Worse team. 

Also I expect them to give Jackson a shot at playing every day until Almora is ready then he maybe moved into a corner OF spot.

Even worse considering that Soriano could be gone too.  


Where's the progression that Jed and Theo adamantly have stated they want every year? This is a downward spiral. Forget about the park if you're going to have a lousy product to put in it because fans aren't going to pay top dollar to see them play. Would you? 

You are talking about three years into a rebuild and potentially having Feldman and Villanueva in the rotation? If that's the case, there won't be any need for this board any more because there won't be any fans left, Even Wrigs might jump ship.       

    


    

Where's the progression that Jed and Theo adamantly have stated they want every year? This is a downward spiral. Forget about the park if you're going to have a lousy product to put in it because fans aren't going to pay top dollar to see them play. Would you? 

You are talking about three years into a rebuild and potentially having Feldman and Villanueva in the rotation? If that's the case, there won't be any need for this board any more because there won't be any fans left, Even Wrigs might jump ship. 

lol,  that lifer surived the 70's.   This is nothing.


Talking about progression that comes in many forms.  Farm development and park rehab are all part of progression.

I still do not believe the goal is winning games.  They would rather win 65 and get a top 5 vs win 75 and get a unprotected 15 pick.

They have been pretty foward about building from with in.

      

BTW, Soriano has a lot of value, it just depends on how much the Cubs want to eat as to what kind of prospects they would get in return. He is better than 80% of the outfielders in the league, and a contending team that could get him for good prospects and/or only having to pay him 10 million for two years would be getting a good return on investment in my opinion.    

He is 37 and old knees.

2 years ago no one would have even said what you said.

So after 1 solid year he has value?

I would call it he was healthy for a year and accepted his limitations and adjusted finally.

He is still a knee injury away form the 60 day DL.

He is a risk and teams do not want to spend the quality type talent theat Theo went and demanded in return. 


They best spot for Sori is in LF with the Cubs.  Bottom line.

If the Cubs took a filler type talent in return Theo should be fired. 

Theo should be fired. 

Theo should have been fired during or at the end of last season, along with Dale and his group of pillow fighters.

But it takes a true genius to intentionally tank a season and call it a rebuild. So my mistake.

2013 will be another EPIC FAIL.

Oh my Lord !!!!! But look how the farm has turned around in just one season.  LOL !!!!!!













Pathetic.

He is 37 and old knees. 2 years ago no one would have even said what you said. So after 1 solid year he has value?

Regardless of his age, as a Cub, Soriano has sported a .264 AVG, 27 HR's, 80 RBI's, and a .320 OBP. Some of that came out of the lead-off spot.

Josh Hamilton just signed a 5 year mega-deal and in a hitters park hit a robust .302 AVG, 28 HR's, 101 RBI's, and a .359 OBP out of the 3-hole with runners that get on in front of him and protection behind him. Add in Hamilton's defense too, but he also inked a deal for 25 million per year and he is also a major risk both health wise and other issues as well. The Angels obviously thought otherwise.

So do I think Soriano has value aside fom last year? You betcha.

I would call it he was healthy for a year and accepted his limitations and adjusted finally.

Maybe. But if he adjusted, than it puts even greater value on him. He could have just sat back and raked in his contract and not cared. Soriano was the lone RBI producer before Rizzo came up last year. Considering he had limited to no protection, I'd say he did and has done rather well. 

He is a risk and teams do not want to spend the quality type talent that Theo went and demanded in return.

The defending World Series Champions obviously did, but it just so happens that Soriano nixed the trade. 

They best spot for Sori is in LF with the Cubs.  Bottom line.

Bottom line is that the best left fielder the Cubs have is Sori, but not if he wants to win a World Series.