Uh, oh.

[Lewshus]

Re: Uh, oh.

You guys kill me talkin about how much the Cubs are spending this year. In years past when they weren't paying anybody any money, everyone (including me) where complaining. All you heard was the Cubs won't win because they won't go out and pay any of the top free agents they money they wanted.
Now the Cubs are finally throwing dollars around and all I'm hearing is how much they overpayed for the players they got. The Cubs are finally acting like the big market team they are. There was no reason in the past why the Cubs should not have had payrolls on par with Boston and New York. And now they finally are. If the Cubs win the world series, and I realize thats a big if. Nobody will care how much money they spent. I hope the Cubs keep doing this every off-season, they definitely have the resources. Hopefully they keep acting like the big fish that they are.

[SPTO]

Re: Uh, oh.

I'll put this here as it has to do with the Cubs' spending.

Tribune could keep Cubs

Interesting weekly blog entry from a CNNMoney columnist.

[BGarrett7]

Re: Uh, oh.

All you heard was the Cubs won't win because they won't go out and pay any of the top free agents they money they wanted.

So, let me guess, you're going to call the likes of Henry Blanco, Mark DeRosa, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Wade Miller "top free agents"?

They have made one signing this off-season of a marquee player for the money that player warrants in Soriano.

Everything else they have done has been completely absurd. Did they fill their holes? Absolutely. But no team should be paying the above mentioned five-some nearly $30M a year. That group hardly warrants what Soriano is getting, much less double it.

Now the Cubs are finally throwing dollars around and all I'm hearing is how much they overpayed for the players they got. The Cubs are finally acting like the big market team they are. There was no reason in the past why the Cubs should not have had payrolls on par with Boston and New York. And now they finally are. If the Cubs win the world series, and I realize thats a big if. Nobody will care how much money they spent. I hope the Cubs keep doing this every off-season, they definitely have the resources. Hopefully they keep acting like the big fish that they are.

There's a huge difference in being a big market team, and being a smart big market team. Perhaps you should look at what happened to the Mets in the decade prior to last season, the Orioles in the late 90's, the Dodgers over the same amount of time... The list goes on and on. Needlessly spending money will get you nowhere.

Have fun in third place with a payroll that will now likely rival that of the Yanks and BoSox.

[BigRed]

Re: Uh, oh.

Exactly. It's not "THAT" you spend the money as much as it is "WHO" you spend it on.

Something that stood out to me while I was browsing the Cubs website message board, seeing what the reaction of Cubs fans to this signing was, is this. A couple of Cardinal fans were giving the ole "HAHAHA!" and "good riddance" type of posts. I know, trolls.

Anyway, some Cubs fans came back with a blast on the Cards signing of Kip Wells.

Well, there's one difference. Jason Marquis will be making an average of 7 million dollars for the next 3 years from the Cubs.

Kip Well will be making 4 million dollars for 1 year from the Cardianals.

BIG difference. The Cardinals haven't handcuffed themselves on a guy who may or may not succeed. The Cubs absolutly have. Especially when there's better alternatives out there who won't be making all that much more than Marquis.

[rsox]

Re: Uh, oh.

When I think about Jason Marquis, two names come to mind:

Leo Mazzone and Dave Duncan.

If the two best pitching coaches in all of Baseball could not turn Marquis around why in the world do the Cubs think a bum like Larry Rothschild can?.

[Lewshus]

Re: Uh, oh.

So, let me guess, you're going to call the likes of Henry Blanco, Mark DeRosa, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Wade Miller "top free agents"?

First, Blanco and Miller and resignings. And yes Mark DeRosa, Lilly, and Marquis are some top free agents...THIS year. In years past, probably not. But this was not a strong year for free agents.

The last 3 years --
Schmidt 41-23 3.67
Lilly 37-35 4.52
Marquis 42-37 4.60
Zito 41-34 4.39

Schmidt and Zito are the so-called top free-agent pitchers this year. You gonna tell me based on those stats that Lilly and Marquis don't deserve the kind of money Schmidt got and Zito will get.
As far as DeRosa, and Blanco goes, they would have got there money. If the Cubs hadn't paid them, some other team would. It seems like you are blaming the Cubs for all the high salaries this off-season.

There's a huge difference in being a big market team, and being a smart big market team. Perhaps you should look at what happened to the Mets in the decade prior to last season, the Orioles in the late 90's, the Dodgers over the same amount of time... The list goes on and on. Needlessly spending money will get you nowhere.
[/QUOTE]
Last year the Mets payroll was over 100 million...100,901,085 to be exact. Which put them 5th in majors, 2 places ahead of the Cubs. And if I remember correctly, they did pretty well last year.

[CoRruPt-]

Re: Uh, oh.

So based on W/L, you're telling me Lilly and Marquis should be paid the same as Schmidt or Zito? Ew.

[roadman]

Re: Uh, oh.

So based on W/L, you're telling me Lilly and Marquis should be paid the same as Schmidt or Zito? Ew.

ERA wisewise, Zito is marginally better than Lilly and Marquis. Plus, who knows, Schmidt might be on the downside of his career. Dusty could have ruined his arm in SF.

Lilly and Marquis are in the prime of their career, however, they are mediocure careers. Unfortuantely, that is what the market is bearing currently.

[PodSquad]

Re: Uh, oh.

Thats insanity.

But hey, your a cubs fan. I have to deal with folks like you everyday of my life. The season will come crashing to an end sooner than later, you know it, i know it, I dont fault blind optimism.

[CMH]

Re: Uh, oh.

It's a bit unfair to complain about who the Cubs spend their money on.

The free agent market is thin and the salaries are going up. The Cubs are in the same position as everyone else. They have to overpay to fill their rosters.

[funky_chicken]

Re: Uh, oh.

We really needed his 6.02 ERA in the rotation

I was hoping we were going to sign Schmidt but didn't. Hopefully they go after Zito but I doubt that is going to happen. Looks like there will be lots of offense at Wrigley this year from both teams.

[Lewshus]

Re: Uh, oh.

So based on W/L, you're telling me Lilly and Marquis should be paid the same as Schmidt or Zito? Ew.

What else should you base it on? How about age? or who is more injury prone?
Or who is more likely to hang a curve. Baseball is a stats driven sport. So if your not basing decisions on W/L and ERA, what else is there?

[Macar91]

Re: Uh, oh.

What else should you base it on? How about age? or who is more injury prone?
Or who is more likely to hang a curve. Baseball is a stats driven sport. So if your not basing decisions on W/L and ERA, what else is there?

Sabermetrics. I don't know too much about it, but I wish I did.

[Lewshus]

Re: Uh, oh.

Thats insanity.

But hey, your a cubs fan. I have to deal with folks like you everyday of my life. The season will come crashing to an end sooner than later, you know it, i know it, I dont fault blind optimism.

I may be a Cubs fan. But I am not one of those happy, go lucky, wait till next year fans. Every year I have had to watch the Cubs wallow in mediocrity and I can't take it any more. At least this year it seems the management actually has a pulse. I'm just happy to see them being proactive and not reactive.
By the sounds of it, alot of guys here must Nostradamus. Because you all already know what going to happen next year. I would think baseball fans such as yourselves, would know that last year was last year and next year is next year, and never shall the two meet in between.

[TDO]

Re: Uh, oh.

derosa, blanco, marquis?

all former braves....all will not get you into the playoffs let alone the world series.

i think the thing that gets me most about you lewshus is the marquis thing. the guy is freaking horrible. he's been on good teams every year in the pros and has never shown he can be a top pitcher, so why give him the money?

i think it would have been smarter to just save it for next year or the year after. yes the market's thin, and you needed to fill a hole, but next year when maybe the market is better you still have those outrageous contracts from this year hanging on to prevent you from going after players that would help your club. all the cubs did was prevent themselves from being competitive in next year's and the year after etc free agent market.