Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
I'm staying in tonight watching GoT reruns, so I dug into it just a bit more and am writing this post completely and totally in spite of Willycat, who has yet to support any argument he's ever made with.... anything at all, really.
If the Cubs signed all of the pending free agents I mentioned, they'd be in lux tax hell
Rizzo is looking at a $150MM deal, Bryant a $250MM deal, Baez a $200MM deal, Schwarber a $100MM deal and Lester will be washed by the time his deal is up.
Rizzo 6/150 (based off Hosmer's deal)
Bryant 8/250 (based off Arenado's deal)
Baez 7/200 (he was hard to gauge)
Schwarber 5/100 (based on age/power output/OBP, can DH in AL or play a subpar OF in NL)
That's around $100MM AAV, and AAV is what's counted against the lux tax, which will be around $212-15MM in 2022. Obviously the numbers could vary greatly, but I think I was spot on for Rizzo/Bryant based on past player contract comps and production. Baez could be anywhere from $150-250MM depending on how he does the next two years, so I used $200MM as a middle ground.
Schwarber was a weird one too but he'll only be in his age 28 season at FA so he should get paid, relatively speaking.
Then they also have to replace Lester after next year and Quintana after this year. That's a ton of money off the books, but also a ton of IP to replace. Chatwood off the books as well. I'd assume they'll look to resign/extend Q as a reliable innings eater who won't break the bank. Lester might hang em up. Chatwood is gone.
Looking at the 2020-21 free agent SPs, it's REALLY bare bones. Nobody is close to top tier on this list.
So they'll have to find pitching via the trade market. As it sits right now, Keith Law has their farm ranked 28th in baseball. Baseball America has them 22nd. They'll fill one void with Braelyn Marquez who's a LHP with freaky good stuff but not ready for a 175IP workload quite yet. Dude could be a stud though, LHP that throw 97-100 don't grow on trees.
After that it's slim Pickens in the farm. So my question is, who do they trade for SP? Not a clue. Obviously there is bias here, but I'm of the opinion that if they aren't cruising to a division title come July 2021, they blow it up, trade 2-3 of their core guys and totally restock the farm. Then they'll be playing for 2025ish.
LMK where I'm wrong, would love to keep this convo going in spite of Willycat and because I love this shit.
PS - love how he called for moderators to delete the thread or w/e, while simultaneously breaking Rivals' rules in calling anyone who's participated in this (really fun) convo a loser.
Moderators, can we move this to the baseball board , or maybe the Rant Board. Anywhere but on a NU Football Board. Maybe all of these losers can start a Purple Sox Board. BYE!
Can't hear you because I'm over n the BASEBALL BOARD!LOL. Poor willy, poor cubs.
Can't hear you because I'm over n the BASEBALL BOARD!
Can't hear you because I'm over n the BASEBALL BOARD!
A team projected 85 wins or so and to make the playoffs will be miserable to watch? Huh? Look, I'm at best a baseball agnostic and only have a passing interest in the Cubs because I live right next to Wrigley and it's fun to get excited about stuff, but Sox fans have been embarrassing themselves in this thread.As bright as the Sox future apparently is, it’s also still the future (a future that could arrive in ‘20).
There’s a wide array of possible results, and guys like Cease and Rodon and Madrigal (remember Dustin Ackley? Of course you don’t) and Robert are far from guaranteed.
While being a fan of a team on the upswing is fun (a Chicago ex-pat, I’m all in on Acuña and Albies and the incredibly exciting Braves), it surprises me to see how overconfident the Sox fans here are on a team that lost 89 (could’ve been 90!) last season.
The Cubs will be miserable to watch most of the season — tick, tick, tick — but the Sox might be terrible as well.
(Of course, there’s a 75% chance this overconfidence is just willy-trolling, a pastime I fully support.)
As bright as the Sox future apparently is, it’s also still the future (a future that could arrive in ‘20).
There’s a wide array of possible results, and guys like Cease and Rodon and Madrigal (remember Dustin Ackley? Of course you don’t) and Robert are far from guaranteed.
While being a fan of a team on the upswing is fun (a Chicago ex-pat, I’m all in on Acuña and Albies and the incredibly exciting Braves), it surprises me to see how overconfident the Sox fans here are on a team that lost 89 (could’ve been 90!) last season.
The Cubs will be miserable to watch most of the season — tick, tick, tick — but the Sox might be terrible as well.
(Of course, there’s a 75% chance this overconfidence is just willy-trolling, a pastime I fully support.)
A team projected 85 wins or so and to make the playoffs will be miserable to watch? Huh? Look, I'm at best a baseball agnostic and only have a passing interest in the Cubs because I live right next to Wrigley and it's fun to get excited about stuff, but Sox fans have been embarrassing themselves in this thread.
In reality, 85 wins would be the best Sox season since the first Obama administration. Have the Sox made the playoffs in a year that didn't start with 200x? Celebrating salary cap tactics is just fantastic. The Sox are on the uptick...except if they're not. How many promising teams never get it together for various reasons and underachieve?
The Cubs are definitely on the downswing with this core and salvaging it doesn't seem possible, Cubs fans are annoying, willy is super annoying, but let's have a dose of reality. This is like Indiana fans chirping after having their best season ever...at 8-5 and 4th in their division...except the Sox didn't even have a good season, they just recruited a couple of 4-stars and landed a couple of transfers (I guess this is more like Purdue).
Miserable in a “dying a slow death” kind of way.A team projected 85 wins or so and to make the playoffs will be miserable to watch? Huh?
(Of course, there’s a 75% chance this overconfidence is just willy-trolling, a pastime I fully support.)
"I predict" that the Sox will win less than 30 games in 2020!!!Stick with your gut on this one.
"I predict" that the Sox will win less than 30 games in 2020!!!
I'll take that bet, since I don't even think they'll finish 30 games!
Don’t go out on a limb."I predict" that the Sox will win less than 30 games in 2020!!!