DDJ->Cubs ← FREE KRAUT!

DDJ->Cubs 86

86 thoughts on “DDJ->Cubs

  1. nevermoor Nov 30,2011 9:43 am

    Dodged the worst case scenario.

    "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • Future Ed Nov 30,2011 11:04 am || Up

      A meteor was redirected?

      I mean, wasn’t the offer of arbitration, rejection and signed elsewhere a stone cold lock?

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • andeux Nov 30,2011 11:14 am || Up

        He might have accepted arb (though there was some speculation that he had agreed in advance not to), thinking that he could get a little more money in the short term while also building back up his free market value for next year.
        As it is he’s taking a 20% pay cut from last year, and though the max 20% pay cut rule doesn’t apply to him, I think in practice arbitrators don’t tend to cut salaries very much.

        TINSTAAFK
  2. monkeyball Nov 30,2011 9:43 am

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
  3. andeux Nov 30,2011 9:50 am

    Yay.
    Heyman says it’s 2 years + option, $10M.

    TINSTAAFK
  4. vignette17 Nov 30,2011 9:55 am

    Now for the Astros signing Willingham….

    • dmoas Nov 30,2011 10:29 am || Up

      We don’t want that, do we? I thought we were working off the old system where we only get the bottom 15 pick for Type A’s still?

      • grover Nov 30,2011 10:54 am || Up

        Nope.

        Pig is a special circumstances Type A. His new team doesn’t surrender a draft pick; instead, the A’s get a 1st round pick immediately preceeding the new team’s slot.

        • nevermoor Nov 30,2011 11:35 am || Up

          Woah. Really?

          That’s way better.

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
          • dmoas Nov 30,2011 12:18 pm || Up

            Aside from when the Yankees or Red Sox get the first pick in the draft when a shitty team signs one of their players. Won’t happen often, but you gotta figure eventually it will and the shit may hit the fan (or better).

        • monkeyball Nov 30,2011 11:38 am || Up

          sent you an email

          you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
          • grover Nov 30,2011 2:50 pm || Up

            Is it about launching a coup on **?

            • dmoas Nov 30,2011 3:36 pm || Up

              Give it another month or so for a coup. Let the silence really sink in.

              • MikeV Dec 1,2011 2:40 pm || Up

                WOO.

                And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                Thanks, and go As.

          • grover Nov 30,2011 2:51 pm || Up

            Did not receive said e-mail.

            • monkeyball Nov 30,2011 2:56 pm || Up

              Hm.

              you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
              • grover Nov 30,2011 3:17 pm || Up

                Try again. It may have ended up in my Junk pile, which I dumped this morning.

                Or… if it’s work safe… what’s up?

                • monkeyball Nov 30,2011 3:18 pm || Up

                  Eh, I’ll just ask here: you know of any good (online?) resource for aerial wildfire-fighting photography?

                  you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
                • grover Nov 30,2011 3:21 pm || Up

                  Best place I can think of for stored images.

                • monkeyball Nov 30,2011 3:25 pm || Up

                  Thanks!

                  you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
        • dmoas Nov 30,2011 12:16 pm || Up

          Okay… dear Houston, SIGN THE PIG!

        • andeux Nov 30,2011 2:45 pm || Up

          Are you sure? The only reference I can find to this says:

          (a) a draft choice in the same round and immediately prior to the draft choice that the signing Club otherwise would have forfeited

          i.e. still bottom 15 of the first round, or top 15 of the second round.

          TINSTAAFK
          • grover Nov 30,2011 2:55 pm || Up

            As sure as I can be without having the actual CBA in hand.

            Six Type A free agents (Heath Bell, Michael Cuddyer, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Madson, Francisco Rodriguez, Josh Willingham) were designated as modified Type A free agents. Rather then getting a pick from the signing team, the former club will get a a choice immediately preceding that pick along with the normal supplemental first-rounder.

            Link.

            • andeux Nov 30,2011 3:03 pm || Up

              That’s the same as what my link says – a pick immediately before the pick they would have gotten under the old system. So the top half of the first round is still excluded.

              It wouldn’t make sense for teams to get better compensation for marginal type A players like Willingham and Cuddyer than for Pujols and Fielder.

              TINSTAAFK
              • andeux Nov 30,2011 3:06 pm || Up

                In fact, Callis clarifies this in the comments on your link:

                So if the Astros sign a modified Type A, his former club will get the first pick in the second round.

                TINSTAAFK
                • grover Nov 30,2011 3:14 pm || Up

                  The PDF attached to the CBA press release expressly states that instead of the former club getting the new team’s pick, they will get a choice immediately ahead of the pick the new team would have given up.

                  The comment reads clearer than the original quote.

                  Dammit.

                • vignette17 Nov 30,2011 3:38 pm || Up

                  Ok, go Nats signing Willingham! Ha.

                • grover Nov 30,2011 3:42 pm || Up

                  I’m just pissed I read the original comment and didn’t understand the words…

                • grover Dec 1,2011 12:53 am || Up

                  Then there’s this

                  Meanwhile, clubs won’t have to surrender a draft pick to sign one of the following six players: Heath Bell, Michael Cuddyer, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Madson, Josh Willingham and Francisco Rodriguez. Teams that lose these players after offering arbitration will obtain first round picks in the slot before the signing team plus a supplementary draft pick for a total of two selections.

                  Need. Source. Material.

                • Soaker Dec 1,2011 8:49 am || Up

                  I don’t think the new Basic Agreement has actually been signed yet; they have a Memorandum of Understanding but the lawyers need to get in there and dot the i’s. The MLBPA site has the same info as above and when the new agreement is finalized it should be available in the left-menu there.

                  What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  5. grover Nov 30,2011 4:22 pm

    I. Hate. Stupid. People.

    I feel my Zooks proposal has been somewhat validated.

    • vignette17 Nov 30,2011 4:47 pm || Up

      And the Rockies follow up by signing Ramon.

      • grover Nov 30,2011 4:51 pm || Up

        I wonder how my 1/$4 million plus $4.5 million option ($500K buy-out) would have compared…

        • vignette17 Nov 30,2011 5:12 pm || Up

          2 years/6.5 million. I think Ramon would have taken your deal. Assuming money is the only factor.

          • grover Nov 30,2011 8:02 pm || Up

            Here’s what I don’t get…

            The Angels trade a 22 year old SP for Iannetta, a 29 year old Catcher who’ll make $3.55 million next year and can void his $5 million option for 2013.

            The Rockies immediately turn around and sign 36 year old Ramon Hernandez to a 2 year/$6.5 million deal to be their primary Catcher.

            (All ages for the 2012 season).

            Why didn’t the Angels just sign Hernandez?

            • monkeyball Nov 30,2011 8:08 pm || Up

              Because Scioscia saw a montage of Ramon not blocking the plate, and developed a new facial tic.

              you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
              • grover Nov 30,2011 8:21 pm || Up

                Heh.

                Find a suitable picture(s)?

                • monkeyball Nov 30,2011 8:34 pm || Up

                  Handed the link off to my art director

                  you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
                • grover Nov 30,2011 8:53 pm || Up

                  What’s the project?

              • andeux Nov 30,2011 8:26 pm || Up

                Iannetta’s low avg/high bb profile isn’t exactly Scioscia’s style either.

                TINSTAAFK
            • lenscrafters Nov 30,2011 8:20 pm || Up

              Iannetta is younger, healthier, and provides better defense, which is probably important for Scioscia. You can project him to be about a win or so better than Hernandez and for a team like the Angels looking to win immediately in 2012, that probably justifies the additional price of a 22 year pitcher who has done nothing in his professional career thus far to think he’d be a MLB caliber starter.

              • grover Nov 30,2011 8:23 pm || Up

                Maybe.

                Just not sure Chatwood+Ramon isn’t better than Iannetta.

                Then again, it’s the Angels… fuck ’em.

    • DFA Nov 30,2011 5:51 pm || Up

      Can we just give them Gio for Profar?

      In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
  6. grover Nov 30,2011 5:56 pm

    Something’s been bugging me about the new CBA. Again and again you hear complaints about how capping the draft is going to hurt small market teams.

    The 2011 draft skews the numbers a bit, as a lot of teams threw a bunch more money than they typically did in what might be the lastv uncapped draft in baseball. Per this list, the 10 teams that spent the most on signing bonuses were:

    Pirates $52,057,400
    Nationals $51,084,600
    Royals $45,204,900
    Red Sox $44,097,250
    Orioles $41,219,700
    Rays $40,582,200
    Blue Jays $38,429,600
    Mariners $36,055,900
    Padres $35,768,100
    Diamondbacks $35,261,000

    According to MLB this criticism appears to be vlaid: of this Top 10 list Pittsburgh, KC, Baltimore, Tampa, San Diego and Arizona are all “small market/lower revenue” clubs. THE NEW CBA HURTS SMALLER CLUBS!!!

    But what happens when we exclude the feeding frenzy that was the 2011 draft?

    Looking from 2007 – 2010, we see that 11 teams spent more than $25 million cumulative on their draft classes. Here’s a link for 2008 – 2010. (I added the 2007 figures by hand.) Pittsburgh, Baltimore, KC and Tampa are in this group; but they’re joined by Boston, Washington, Detroit, SF, NYY, Texas and Toronto. Then, looking at 2006, we see that 9 teams spent at least $6 million on bonus money. They were: Boston (8.6) Atlanta (8.1) NYY (6.7) KC (6.7) AZ (6.6) Cleveland (6.5) SD (6.3) Colorado (6.2) and Detroit (6.0).

    Simply put, if you exclude the 2011 draft large market/high revenue teams have been spending more on draft bonuses than their small market/low revenue brethren. The old CBA did nothing to check that fiscal advantage. Hopefully, the new CBA’s cap will change that.

    • aardvark Dec 1,2011 9:10 am || Up

      I have a larger concern about capping the draft. I’m concerned about what it does to mlb’s ability to remain competitive with other major sports. We already see many of the better athletes choosing football or basketball over baseball. With limits on the amount that can be spent on the draft I worry that fewer of the players that have basketball or football scholarships will opt to sign baseball contracts.

      Perhaps I’m mistaken and the flexibility that teams are allowed in how they allocate that money means that teams will pay more for those players and spend less elsewhere.

      • dmoas Dec 1,2011 9:23 am || Up

        It’s my understanding that they can pay more for players if they’re paying less on others. It’s an overall cap, not an individual one. Even still, baseball by it’s very nature is less attractive because can’t get into the big bucks right away like basketball/football. Anything that might add to that will only hurt it more.

        • DFA Dec 1,2011 2:32 pm || Up

          Still the number of teams willing to spend 7m on Donavan Tate when they won’t have any other draft picks that theyll be able to sign is going to be negligible.

          In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
          • dmoas Dec 1,2011 3:00 pm || Up

            Probably. I think it’ll eventually screw over a team at some point, but not likely too happen often.

            • DFA Dec 1,2011 6:20 pm || Up

              Wrong, it screws over the whole MLB because it decreases the talent level dramatically.

              In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
              • spwc2010 Dec 1,2011 6:26 pm || Up

                It screws over the fans the most, because if the owners are ALL spending less on talent, the talent drain is felt across all teams.

                \"Weren\'t you already aware the Kay is already writing everyone\'s story? We\'re all just characters who believe we are real. Things make more sense now, don\'t they. Be honest.\"- DMOAS
              • dmoas Dec 1,2011 6:53 pm || Up

                I sincerely doubt this changes anything in that regard. There’s more than enough in the money pool to pay out. The real “killer” is no major league contracts from draft picks which quite frankly is more a good thing even if it causes a very small percentage of players to choose another sport.

                • DFA Dec 2,2011 11:29 am || Up

                  Im sorry but this is just terrible analysis. Both high end and mid range tools players who have other sports options will not choose baseball because of the significant cap on player bonuses. Furthermore, the likelihood that the individual player makes good money is way higher in other sports already because of the difficulty of baseball.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • nevermoor Dec 2,2011 11:43 am || Up

                  I think it’s actually a pretty difficult choice for a HS senior, particularly one whose other sport is football.

                  You could be drafted/paid now, or play 4-5 years in college and risk injury/failure/etc before NFL money pours in. For college kids it’s a different choice.

                  "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • MikeV Dec 2,2011 12:31 pm || Up

                  Nah. They’re royalty as football players in college, and they probably make better money than minor leaguers do — on top of not having to play in shitty little towns with like 400 fans etc etc

                  Capping bonuses is going to FKing kill the draft.

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • DFA Dec 2,2011 1:31 pm || Up

                  agreed

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • DFA Dec 2,2011 1:14 pm || Up

                  Right but you also know that the pay out for baseball less certain over the long run. The vast vast majority of baseball draftees are only paid their bonus and then live subsistence living as minor leaguers, which is why capping the bonus will significantly undermine the talent entering the league.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • spwc2010 Dec 2,2011 6:00 pm || Up

                  I agree.

                  \"Weren\'t you already aware the Kay is already writing everyone\'s story? We\'re all just characters who believe we are real. Things make more sense now, don\'t they. Be honest.\"- DMOAS
                • dmoas Dec 2,2011 10:10 pm || Up

                  The vast majority of baseball draftees get meek bonuses and already declared baseball as their sport by playing it in college and entering the draft anyway. The only players this really matters for are high school kids who have proven little and have to choose between a “modest” payout (with a likely “we’ll pay for college” clause if that’s important) and an ultra competitive (and unpaid) college football career with no guarantees after 3 – 4 years of any payout nor of a “complete” education since most of that time is spent on preparing for games.

                • DFA Dec 2,2011 10:44 pm || Up

                  The vast majority of draftees are not college kids, they are high school kids.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • nevermoor Dec 3,2011 7:55 pm || Up

                  Right. Cash now or maybe more later.

                  "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • DFA Dec 4,2011 1:14 pm || Up

                  right so if you decrease cash now same more later is more appealing

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • nevermoor Dec 4,2011 9:04 pm || Up

                  Depends on the from/to.

                  A guaranteed multi-million dollars is a pretty sweet thing for an 18 year old.

                  "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • monkeyball Dec 4,2011 9:23 pm || Up

                  a pretty sweet thing for an 18 year old

                  {adds to decontextualized quote bank for blackmailing nm when he runs for office}

                  you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
                • DFA Dec 5,2011 4:33 pm || Up

                  but now its not millions is hundreds of thousands of dollars.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • dmoas Dec 2,2011 11:47 am || Up

                  I don’t think players choose baseball right now unless they’re already committed to the sport precisely because it’s difficulty level. I don’t buy the notion that this change will have significant impact on that. Kids choose their sport early on and in the end, either A) choose the sport they’re the best at B) choose the sport they love the most C) choose the sport that’ll make them the most money fast. The only possible change is how players who, after playing sports of decade or more, is how they view “C” and this does very little to that. Basketball & Football have had significantly higher payouts early on while getting to the big stage significantly faster. And that was before the change. The rare two sport star player would already be choosing the other sport unless “B” applied. The added cap won’t change any of that.

                • DFA Dec 2,2011 1:28 pm || Up

                  The idea that kids choose their sport early on is crap quite frankly. Tons of kids are multi sport athletes and don’t face competition that necessitates them focusing on one sport more than others until the late stages of high school. But there are plenty of kids with aptitude for both baseball and football, whether it is Bubba Starling, Zack Lee, or Rashaun Dixon (who had a legit football schollarship and whose brother plays on the niners). Loving the game isn’t going to be enough to offset the higher pay outs of playing a different sport when you are going to have to go to college and play for free anyway.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • dmoas Dec 2,2011 10:03 pm || Up

                  Dude, the only players this affects are the top-tier of the top-tier of players. The “good” players will likely get what they have been getting. The are very few players that are genuine two sport STARS. Not just “good” and generally speaking those players have more passion for one sport or the other. While money certainly has an affect on what direction they might take, you are WAY over-inflating the impact of that decision. The only players it would have a serious impact on are players who are arrogant enough to think they belong in the majors from day one and who’s dedication to the sport does leave the option of choosing another sport (Harper, Strasburgh, Drews of the sport). The rest will wind up with near what they’d normally get. The rare overpay will still happen at the expense of another prospect who will wind up signing cheaper.

                • MikeV Dec 2,2011 10:19 pm || Up

                  I disagree. There are a LOT of players who, while they may not be two sport stars, get bonuses large enough to buy them out of taking college scholarships.

                  (or don’t, zomg Justin Smoak)

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • DFA Dec 2,2011 10:47 pm || Up

                  Youre telling me that we are going to sign Rashaun Dixon to a 400k over slot deal when it would cost us two first round picks? Youre fking insane.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
          • JediLeroy Dec 1,2011 6:20 pm || Up

            I hear Tate Donovan is available for much less.

            az di bobe volt gehat beytsim volt zi geven mayn zeyde
  7. grover Nov 30,2011 9:15 pm

    Gotta find a way to make a deal with the Blue Jays…

    Link.

    • elcroata Nov 30,2011 11:29 pm || Up

      wow. 17 guys ranked B- or higher?!

      Because survival is insufficient
      • grover Dec 1,2011 12:49 am || Up

        And a bunch of the C+ guys have the tools to grade higher down the road.

        • DFA Dec 1,2011 3:00 pm || Up

          Yeah AA has done a fantastic job with the system.

          Deck + Wojo + Michael Crouse for Bailey? Too much?

          In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
  8. spwc2010 Dec 1,2011 7:45 am

    I went out to lunch with an old friend yesterday, and he, like a lot of my friends, says I should go into politics. I don’t think I’m quite ignorant enough, although I’m more than adequately morally bankrupt. I don’t think I’m greedy enough, either. Money bores me, as do small amounts of power.

    It’s kinda funny… A lot of my friends and family live in their own little worlds and completely ignore politics and current events, due to how depressing the news always seems to be, at least to them. I’m a big news/political guy to them just because I don’t willfully ignore it all like they do. In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.

    \"Weren\'t you already aware the Kay is already writing everyone\'s story? We\'re all just characters who believe we are real. Things make more sense now, don\'t they. Be honest.\"- DMOAS
    • Leopold Bloom Dec 1,2011 8:29 am || Up

      I don’t ignore it because it’s too depressing. I ignore it because I get too involved, it angers the blood and convinces me that humanity is in need of a real rain to fall and wash all the scum off the streets.

      Then, I turn off Frontline and decide against weapons purchases.

      • dmoas Dec 1,2011 9:27 am || Up

        Pretty much this. Add in the vehement from both sides just blasting away with ignorant hate and the need to use those weapons you’re pushed to consider purchasing and it’s just better to walk away from it. That being said, Viva the new nation: Pacific States of America!!

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 1,2011 8:39 am || Up

      I can just imagine the opposition TV ads, doubtless replete with damning photographs. “Here’s spwc with several unknown individuals at the Folsom Street Fair circa 1987. Would you want this “man” giverning your state?”

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • ptbnl Dec 1,2011 9:02 am || Up

        You’d have to go pre-emptive and use them in the campaign:

        “spwc – always gets to the bottom of things”

        “spwc – bound to succeed”

        etc

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • monkeyball Dec 1,2011 9:36 am || Up

          you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
          • Leopold Bloom Dec 1,2011 9:57 am || Up

            Where’s the like button on this god damned thing?

            • monkeyball Dec 1,2011 10:06 am || Up

              TWHS

              you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
            • dmoas Dec 1,2011 11:59 am || Up

              Buttons. Plural. You have to hit them all at the same time. Del, Ctrl, and Alt. Hit them all at once to show “Like”. And if you really, like it, keep hitting them over and over again.

      • Leopold Bloom Dec 1,2011 9:13 am || Up

        I’d vote for him.

      • dmoas Dec 1,2011 9:29 am || Up

        Well… those Folsom Street pictures won’t do them any good. When he comes out in fishnet shirts and in flamboyant drag everyday for press conferences, tv ads, debates, etc., really, what’s the point?

  9. lenscrafters Dec 1,2011 8:28 pm

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