Bleacher Bums Forum

To the surprise of no one, the Cubs and Yu Darvish agreed to terms on a six-year contract that will pay the RH starting pitcher $126 million.

Cardinals fans reacted calmly to the news.

Actually, no…

They did not.

Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., president of  baseball operations John Mozeliak and GM Michael Girsch are getting reviews nastier than leading “Worst Film of 2017” candidate “Mother,” starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Let’s clear some smoke and assess the Darvish damage.

1. Was anyone stunned by this? If so, why?
2. The Cubs already had the better overall team and a stronger rotation than St Louis.
3.  The Cardinals had a more moderate, measured plan for improving their pitching for 2018.
4. So why have the Cubs outspent the Cardinals by a nearly 8-to-1 ratio so far this offseason?
5. The Cubs have put another $215 million on their long-term payroll commitments for a simple reason:
6. The Cardinals aren’t competing at the same level as the Cubs … so let’s just drop the pretense.
7.  Realistically, the Cardinals are a real long shot to catch the Cubs in 2018 …
8. No disrespect intended, but fans and media hollering at the Cardinals
9. It’s important to remember how the Cardinals operate.
10. I’m not saying I agree with this strategy; I just recognize it’s worked well for this management team.