Taxes and Cubs Signings, Phillies Needs, Cubs Minor League Signings, and Other Bullets

December 21, 2018, by Brett Taylor Chicago Cubs

Boo. Everybody who is off work already and out of school is crowding me out of my preferred working spot this morning. I just want to have some coffee and sit and type, people! Why are you here to do the very same thing! How DARE you?!

Just a fun financial factoid that doesn’t always seem to make an actual difference in these races, as setting records instead seems to be the top priority:

If Bryce Harper signs with Cubs or Dodgers for 10 years, $350 million, he would be owed the same amount: $350 million. But he would take-home, after-taxes, $13 million more by signing with the Cubs ($195 million v. $182 million). @SportsTaxMan & I explain: https://t.co/gzyNGPieJV https://t.co/NP3676mPOm

— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) December 19, 2018

The Phillies ZiPS is out, and it is extremely easy to see how needy they still are:

2019 ZiPS Projections – Philadelphia #Phillies https://t.co/GIOzqqMcPC #ZiPS19

— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) December 20, 2018

The Phillies currently project to be below average in left field, center field, third base, catcher, and most of the rotation. Yeah, they really need to figure out a way to add a significant starting pitcher and Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. Because they are young and were competitive last year for a long stretch, I think I overestimated how ready they were.
More minor league deal additions for the Cubs (we talked about Evans here):

The Cubs have added 4 names to their Iowa depth chart: 1B Jim Adducci (the return!), UT Philip Evans (AAA’s Best vLHP), OF Evan Marzilli and RHMR Carlos Ramirez (.167 AVG allowed in 2018). Evans and Ramirez intrigue a bit, Adducci and Marzilli are depth pieces in Des Moines.

— Cubs Prospects (@cubprospects) December 19, 2018

Adduci, 33, is a former Cubs prospect who has seen some time in the big leagues with the Tigers the last couple years as a reserve outfielder and sometimes first baseman. Marzilli, 27, is a long-time Diamondbacks outfield prospect who has seen time at AAA in each of the last three seasons, but has never made the big leagues. Ramirez, 27, is an interesting relief arm. We will probably talk about him separately since those guys do usually see big league action.
Obviously we know there’s a big difference in what we can see of a pitch thanks to the camera angles, but it’s pretty jarring to see it lined up like this:

Same movement and velo w different camera angle.
1st pitch looks straight as an arrow.
2nd pitch you can see tail and sink.

TV network should try broadcasting game w a LHP and RHP camera angle. Might be worth the hassle and extra $. pic.twitter.com/rtWh2PcMeQ

— Eric O’Flaherty (@EOF34) December 21, 2018

Just sayin’, they’d make the argument and it would not be an utterly insane argument to make:

(To be clear, he wouldn't get anything close to that, in my opinion, but there would be a valuation argument there for him and his agents to make. Consolidating 9 to 10 WAR in a single player, who is just 27 … yeah, there is extraordinary value there.)

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) December 20, 2018