6 replies to this topic

[Tommy]

Cubs Current Payroll - $87,229,033
Cap on spending on the draft and international players
Shortage of TOR candidates in the upper minor league (while we seem to be stacked with position players)

These 3 reasons make me think our FO may be sitting on some spending cash for a starting pitcher either this year or next. Some reasons not to spend on the pitchers available this year are:

Tim Lincecum
Chris Carpenter
Adam Wainwright
Roy Halladay
Brandon Morrow
Ryan Vogelsong
Josh Johnson

There are more, but those are some of the highlights of FA starting pitchers for next year.

I can honestly see our FO saving money this year in order to spend big next year, and in my opinion this free agent market is pretty weak. One question I would ask is: Why overspend today when there will be much more to choose from a year from now?

I know I sound crazy, but I am excited about next offseason because I believe that we will see the Cubbies make a big splash in the free agent market for the reasons stated above. Still excited about this year, as well, but I just wanted to point out something that I believe is part of the plan and see what everyone else was thinking.

[fromthemitten]

All of those guys come with red flags because of injury (Carpenter, Wainwright, Morrow, Johnson) or a decline (Lincecum and Halladay) and I'm not sold on Vogelsong. I wouldn't mind swiping Wainwright from the Cardinals if he proves to be healthy and effective next season.

My money is on Lincecum signing with either Seattle or Colorado he was way more effective back when he was smoking

[Stinky Pete]

Much like this year's class, each candidate has some significant warts.

Tim Lincecum - Is earning his nick name "Freak" because no one knows if he is really good with a bad year or really bad with some good years in the past. Not someone you want to take your team to the next level.

Wainwright, Carp and Halladay are older than you like and have significant injury concerns

Vogelsong - I know just enough about the new stats to be dangerous and last season determined that V was getting by on luck and I would be okay trading him from my Fantasy keeper league. Then I guess he was awesome this year. I still think he's getting by. And he's been around a while.

Morrow and Johnson I admit I know little about.

I agree next year could be our "Werth" year But we will see.

[Mike Taylor (no relation)]

::EDITED:: at 1:20AM

Freakin' Tampa just traded James Shields + Wade Davis + PTBNL to Kansas City for Wil Myers + Mike Montgomery + Jake Ordorizzi + Patrick Leonard.

JEEZ!

The Amazing Andrew Friedman does it again!

[King Jeff]

As much as everyone would love it to happen, the Royals aren't giving up Myers for a year of control of an injured Matt Garza. If they are going to trade Myers it will be for some one on a cost controlled deal, and probably someone who's shown more durability than Garza. Last I read, they were talking James Shields for Myers, and Shields has better numbers and has been more durable than Garza, along with the fact that he has two more years of team control at a lower price than Garza.

I think that Garza won't be traded unless he starts out the year pitching well and the team is not in competition at the deadline, otherwise, the Cubs aren't going to get anything near valuable enough to trade him. I wouldn't mind Anibal Sanchez, but he's probably the next pitcher in line for a long-term, big money payday. They may be better off signing another low risk guy and spending the big dollars next year, but I don't think signing Sanchez or a guy like Edwin Jackson would be a bad move either.

[Cubsin]

I'm afraid you're assuming that all of those pitchers will really be available as free agents next winter. Remember Matt Cain and Cole Hamels? Matt Garza might be the best free agent pitcher available next winter if he isn't re-signed.

[King Jeff]

I'm afraid you're assuming that all of those pitchers will really be available as free agents next winter. Remember Matt Cain and Cole Hamels? Matt Garza might be the best free agent pitcher available next winter if he isn't re-signed.

It's starting to look that way.