Author Topic: Cubs in '21  (Read 53826 times)

JR

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2020, 07:34:45 pm »
I've wondered for a long time that he's eventually going to get into politics. It seems to me like he has signaled that from time to time, both in how he has handled controversies with the Cubs and in how he acts in his personal life. I think his work with the Red Sox and Cubs gives him enough name recognition and credibility to make him competitive in high profile politics immediately.

I assume he's still very popular in Massachusetts. If Biden wins next month, Elizabeth Warren will almost certainly be offered a position in the administration and they'll have a special election for her seat next year. So if he does have political aspirations, it wouldn't surprise me wants to re-establish his residency in Massachusetts as soon as possible. That would require resigning from the Cubs.

Actually I could see him being very successful in politics.  He has a very easy style to him, very good sense of humor, and he’s very well spoken.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #16 on: October 03, 2020, 07:59:15 pm »
If Theo moves on instead of just handing the keys to Hoyer I’d really like to go after the DBacks management team.

dogstoothe

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #17 on: October 03, 2020, 08:33:27 pm »
I don’t get this Epstein worrying about Hoyer, what does he care about Hoyer?

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #18 on: October 03, 2020, 08:57:56 pm »
If Theo moves on instead of just handing the keys to Hoyer I’d really like to go after the DBacks management team.

I certainly don’t see any reason why Hoyer should have first refusal, based on management’s performance over the last four years.

Ron

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #19 on: October 04, 2020, 02:54:56 pm »
I appreciate it when Cub players rave about how much they love Chicago, playing in Chicago and the Cubs organization. Javy Baez is the most recent to do so, insisting he really does not want to play somewhere else.

"I hope I never leave this city in my whole career, but anything can happen," Báez said after Friday's game. "Hopefully I stay here my whole career.

"I love the fans, the dedication that they got for this team, and the other teams in the other sports for Chicago. We'll see what happens and hopefully I'll stay here.

Báez, who's under contract through next season, and the Cubs were discussing a contract extension last offseason. He expressed optimism that talks were progressing in March prior to baseball's COVID-19 shutdown.

MLB has felt the pandemic's financial impact in this 60-game season, and the financial outlook for next season and beyond is hard to predict. Báez feels comfortable in Chicago and with the Cubs, the only organization he's ever known.

"I'm pretty sure there's not another organization like this one," he said. "I've never been in another one but I feel like everybody that comes through here, they don't want to leave."


https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-javy-baez-future-hopefully-i-stay-here-my-whole-career?fbclid=IwAR01ZXqSSGe8aA1xPFsp8c0feusmWvaEccT8zpOZgEMQCEAOH-eC7VwskPE

And yet, in the end it (virtually) always comes down to the money.  I get that everyone wants to get paid as much as possible, that's fine.  I get that the players are the guys who are the game, and that they should get their fair share.  But IF it's really true that a player deeply wants to play for the Cubs (or some other team), then why not be wiling sign for something below the optimal amount. Given that the budget will be what it will be, a star player's reluctance to take less than top dollar restricts the portion available for other players, including those who might be able to improve the team.

It's not a pro-ownership view to be disappointed that guys like Baez and Bryant talk a good game when it comes to remaining a Cub, but (so far) aren't willing to prioritize that over a few million more above the many, many millions they would make by signing for a bit less.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2020, 02:56:42 pm by Ron »
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Jack Birdbath

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #20 on: October 04, 2020, 03:13:33 pm »
If someone has to make a sacrifice to keep Baez or Bryant in Chicago, why should it be the player and not the owner? The marginal value of those extra millions is so much greater for the player than the billionaire owner.  It is absolutely a pro-owner point of view to say that the player should make a little less. Why doesn’t anyone ever ask the owners to make a little less to keep the team together?
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Ron

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #21 on: October 04, 2020, 03:53:16 pm »
If someone has to make a sacrifice to keep Baez or Bryant in Chicago, why should it be the player and not the owner? The marginal value of those extra millions is so much greater for the player than the billionaire owner.  It is absolutely a pro-owner point of view to say that the player should make a little less. Why doesn’t anyone ever ask the owners to make a little less to keep the team together?

As I tried to say in my post, when there is an annual budget (which every team is going to have), the issue is not simply one of whether the owner or the individual should get the difference in millions. Every million spent on one player within that budget affects how much is available for other players, whether they be current players or players who could be acquired through free agency or trades.

The issue of how much an owner should devote to the player budget - that's another issue - one that is itself worthy of discussion.  But not every comment about an individual's decisions about how they handle free agency and competing salaries is about the conflicting interests of players and owners. And this one was not about that.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2020, 03:56:10 pm by Ron »

Jack Birdbath

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #22 on: October 04, 2020, 04:06:28 pm »
Budgets are flexible. The team could sacrifice some of their operating profit if they wanted to keep the player.
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Ron

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #23 on: October 04, 2020, 07:45:13 pm »
Budgets are flexible. The team could sacrifice some of their operating profit if they wanted to keep the player.

Well, sure, up to a point, and we'd all like to see that. Although I doubt that even the most virulent critics of the Ricketts family would claim that the Cubs have any profits from this season. In any event, the Cubs have three key players whose contracts end after next season. At least two of those are going to be very demanding in their financial expectations. Not to mention the other salary increases that will be needed for current roster guys, the other needs the Cubs will have or the financial realities this financially damaged season and the uncertainty of what next season will look like. 

Bennett

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #24 on: October 05, 2020, 05:18:53 pm »

Continued from Today's Game

I think there's very little chance of Bryant being a Cub past next year. He's had nagging injuries in three straight seasons, and he has been bad when he has tried to play through them. Players who start getting hurt a lot in their 20s usually continue to get hurt in their 30s. He just hasn't been healthy enough to justify paying him into his mid-late 30s.

I'd be shocked if they non-tendered him. But I wouldn't be surprised if the front office decides to trade him for underwhelming return because they feel they're better off having his money available to spend somewhere else. Same with Schwarber.


Tommy Hottovy has received applause for the success of the pitching staff.


So, looking at the lack of success of the hitters, why hasn't the name of the hitting coach, Anthony Iapoce, ever come up?

Playtwo

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #25 on: October 05, 2020, 05:22:10 pm »
Multiple hitting coaches have failed using different approaches with this group.  It seem fanciful to think that finding the right hitting coach is the key to success.
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Bennett

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #26 on: October 05, 2020, 05:28:53 pm »
Multiple hitting coaches have failed using different approaches with this group.  It seem fanciful to think that finding the right hitting coach is the key to success.

Iapoce has had the job for two seasons of less than sterling performance.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #27 on: October 05, 2020, 05:51:29 pm »
I expect he'll be canned, Theo likes to hire a new hitting coach every year or two.  But the odds that a new hitting coach will fix much remains doubtful. 

I do recall think Iapoce's original message surprised me.  Seemed his original message when he came over for 2019 was to tell Almora, Baez, Schwarber, Happ, Bryant, and Russell that you were a top-10 draft pick and a top prospect for a reason; let it rip and don't worry about mechanics or strikeouts or launch angle.  Baez for one seemed to have gone back to his rookie approach this year.

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #28 on: October 05, 2020, 06:18:45 pm »
When management has no resources (and possibly no clue how) to fix the problem, firing the hitting coach is the obvious step.  It's cheap and makes it look as if you're doing something.

Ron

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Re: Cubs in '21
« Reply #29 on: October 06, 2020, 02:13:28 pm »
One never knows about these things, particularly given the vast financial uncertainty facing all clubs for next season. But the Cubs do seem to clearly see this next season as a transition so I expect to see some meaningful changes, assuming the opportunities are there.

I am looking forward to someone doing an analysis of the likely status of Cub salaries next year, given that they will presumably reducing the total due to the loss of Quintana ($10.5m this season), Chatwood ($13m), Lester ($20m, with $10m buyout for '21).

I am guessing that the Cubs will try hard to trade Schwarber ($7m) and very possibly Bryant ($18.6m) as well, and that there will be other lesser salaries gone such as Almora gone too. I'm guessing they will not try to trade Baez, although if they cannot reach a long term deal, maybe he'll be available as well. Same with Contreras?