Bleacher Bums Forum

An interesting exercise: 2012 ranking of Cubs' position players by OPS in the National League:

C - 15th
1B - 6th
2B - 13th
3B - 16th
SS - 4th
RF - 7th
CF- 14th
RF - 15th

I am assuming that the first RFer, is actually the LFer, but are those the rankings of PLAYERS, or of the output from the POSITION?

You would expect the output from 3B, CF, SS, 1B and C to all be appreciably better in 2013 than they were in 2012, with 2B and RF likely unchanged (assuming DeJesus plays RF as opposed to CF).  LF output is the only one likely to be worse.

I was in Japan last month, and the only major league hats I saw on people had a Yankee logo.  A few recognized my Cubs hat and talked some baseball through the language barrier.  Basically names of Japanese major leaguers.

I bought a Yomiuri Giants hat, mainly because it was $10 cheaper than the Chunichi Dragons version, and it had the most distinctive logo.  The Dragons jersey has Dodgers colors and script, except there is a beautiful dragon embroidered on the sleeve.  Cost way too much to consider.

I doubt much Cubs stuff will be sold over there because of Fujikawa.  I didn't see major league paraphenalia in any store.

Someone playing devil's advocate...Lack of big name FAs doesn't mean Cubs aren't trying to win:

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2012/12/lack-of-big-name-fas-doesnt-mean-cubs-arent-trying-to-win/

I think the signing of Stewart is a great gamble.  He has shown in the past that if he is healthy, he is way above average, both offensively and defensively.  He now has had surgery, which may or may not return him to health.  If it does, he will be a cheap addition to the core of the the team.  If it doesn't, all they have lost is a little money, at a time when large numbers of fans are complaining that the Cubs aren't spending enough money.

MLB Trade Rumors:

The Royals and other teams seem “very cool” to Edwin Jackson, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter). In other words they aren't overly eager to spend aggressively on him.

Seriously, go offer him a fair 3-4 year deal.  If he takes it, that's one less roster spot they have to worry about for the next three years.  And he's unlikely to ever turn into a guy who they're unable to trade if they decide to go in a different direction a year or two down the road.

MLB Trade Rumors:

Seriously, go offer him a fair 3-4 year deal.  If he takes it, that's one less roster spot they have to worry about for the next three years.  And he's unlikely to ever turn into a guy who they're unable to trade if they decide to go in a different direction a year or two down the road.

Do we know that the Cubs Haven't offered him a fair 3 - 4 year deal?

But I don't think he's going to get paid like a TOR guy.  He's going to get a 3-4 year deal worth about $12-$13 million a year...expensive, but not even remotely in the neighborhood of Greinke, or even Anibal Sanchez.

Fangraphs has Dempster and Jackson more or less equally effective over the last four seasons.  I think that's about right.  The only difference is Jackson is still in his prime and can expect to stay at that level for another 3-4 years.  A good, stable pitcher like that is valuable for a team that is likely to be breaking in some inconsistent arms over the next few years.

Maybe they have offered him something, we don't know.  This is what people do on sports message boards in the offseason--speculate about players they'd like to see signed.