The Bryce is Right, Bitch

[Cubswin11]

There is no reason to do it, but I'd almost punt this season if it meant getting Harper next year. Who needs a TOR pitcher anyway?

No. We can do both.

[Derwood]

If I was a betting man, I'd take Chicago vs. the field next year. I'm weirdly sure that Harper will come to the Cubs and that it won't be an agonizing decision

[TomtheBombadil]

If I was a betting man, I'd take Chicago vs. the field next year. I'm weirdly sure that Harper will come to the Cubs and that it won't be an agonizing decision

Agreed, since the second they lost Ohtani actually.

[David]

If I was a betting man, I'd take Chicago vs. the field next year. I'm weirdly sure that Harper will come to the Cubs and that it won't be an agonizing decision

Agreed, since the second they lost Ohtani actually.

what's ohtani have to do with it

[TomtheBombadil]

If I was a betting man, I'd take Chicago vs. the field next year. I'm weirdly sure that Harper will come to the Cubs and that it won't be an agonizing decision

Agreed, since the second they lost Ohtani actually.

what's ohtani have to do with it

Neither of us wants to take the time to figure out what is going on in this head of mine. I will openly admit any thought process I may have on this is Alex Jones crazy and not worth any of our times.

I’ll switch to just being extremely confident they get Harper.

[Sammy Sofa]

Dude, just attach this to all of your posts from now on so the rest of us don't have to post it:

[big ball chunky time]

If I was a betting man, I'd take Chicago vs. the field next year. I'm weirdly sure that Harper will come to the Cubs and that it won't be an agonizing decision

Agreed, since the second they lost Ohtani actually.

what's ohtani have to do with it

The idea that they REALLY WANTED Ohtani and eventually Harper and then REALLY REALLY wanted Harper after losing out on Ohtani is probably not without merit.

[Regular Show]

I'm pretty confident we will be bidding on Harper next offseason, but if we sign Harper we won't be the team offering him the most money (probably the Nats/Dodgers) just like when we signed J. Heyward and B. Zobrist. I really do think Harper wants to come to Chicago, but at the same time I believe he wants to break the record for highest paid player/largest contract in MLB. If the Dodgers offer something insane I don't think Theo and Jed will match it or try to beat it unfortunately.

I bet the contract will also be structured with multiple opt-outs so B. Harper can hit FA again in a few years and make even more money lol.

I think it comes down to Cubs vs. Dodgers for which team signs Harper next offseason. The Yankees don't get involved in the process and probably go after Machado/Donaldson.

[TomtheBombadil]

Agreed, since the second they lost Ohtani actually.

what's ohtani have to do with it

The idea that they REALLY WANTED Ohtani and eventually Harper and then REALLY REALLY wanted Harper after losing out on Ohtani is probably not without merit.

Oh, I could have just said this. G’dammit

[David]

heyman letting people know, in true heyman form, that bryce harper could sign elsewhere

[Banedon]

heyman letting people know, in true heyman form, that bryce harper could sign elsewhere

Lol one anonymous guy says maybe it won't be the Cubs...

Heyman: NEWSWORTHY!!

[UMFan83]

I especially love the embedded video explaining Cubs (former) curses. It's like the entire page was designed to annoy Cubs fans.

[Cubswin11]

I also really don’t see the “want to sign homegrown stars” thing being in the way. Sure with arb/contract raises kicking in the payroll will increase but right now Bryant is the only guy who you’d project worth giving big money to come FA/need to be aware of long-term budget wise. Russell, Schwarbs and Javy could get there but aren’t to the point yet where you have to start budgeting huge salaries to keep them (other than through arbitration), Rizzo is signed through age 32/33 season, Happ and Willson are like 5 years away from FA (and ~3 years away from any significant salary in arbitration) and Hendricks/Q are pitchers so who knows where they’ll be in 2-3 years when they are FAs.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

At the moment, the 3 most important/valuable position players are Bryant, Rizzo, and Contreras. Contreras would be under control for 4 years of Harper, Bryant and Rizzo for 3. Even if it meant you eventually choose between Bryce Harper and the arb years of someone like Schwarber or Russell, you very obviously pick Harper over them.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Also, it remains so silly that the idea that 'you might have more good players than you can afford 3 years from now' is considered a risk. Sure maybe you don't have the flexibility to extend a guy that far out, but it's just as much a feature in case Russell or Schwarber's bat doesn't come back around. Then you just trade or in a worst case non-tender them and all of a sudden your financial worries disappear.

And it can't be repeated enough that these downsides are in a situation where you have a four headed monster of Rizzo, Bryant, Harper, and Contreras terrorizing opponents. Who gives a rip if the 5th best slugger in your lineup is Schwarber or Happ if those are your headliners?

[TomtheBombadil]

Also, it remains so silly that the idea that 'you might have more good players than you can afford 3 years from now' is considered a risk. Sure maybe you don't have the flexibility to extend a guy that far out, but it's just as much a feature in case Russell or Schwarber's bat doesn't come back around. Then you just trade or in a worst case non-tender them and all of a sudden your financial worries disappear.

And it can't be repeated enough that these downsides are in a situation where you have a four headed monster of Rizzo, Bryant, Harper, and Contreras terrorizing opponents. Who gives a rip if the 5th best slugger in your lineup is Schwarber or Happ if those are your headliners?

Exactly!!!!!

Question:

Can the Cubs sign Harper and Kimbrel next offseason without penalty?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Question:

Can the Cubs sign Harper and Kimbrel next offseason without penalty?

They will have to go into the Luxury Tax to sign Harper alone, probably even in the (impossible) situation where Heyward opts out. So it's a matter of what penalties are you comfortable with. If you're signing Kimbrel too you're going to be paying significant penalties and probably also losing some draft position, depending on how the SP pursuit wraps up this offseason.

[Cubswin11]

Semi-related to the current discussion about the core and keeping guys, future spending, etc (since this offseason is so boring I’ve been reading other teams boards more often) Brewerfan.net is doing that thing again where Theo woefully horsefeathers up our window and it’s now closed or significantly shortened and also David Stearns is such a genius, savant GM he’s tricked Theo into overpaying for guys by feigning interest (Quintana as an example) and continues to have these wizardry powers over Theo this offseason, also the D’backs are better than us and set up better than us. Go to about post 77 and then to the next page it continues.


http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.ph ... 1&start=60

[Bryant's Disco Ball]

Also, it remains so silly that the idea that 'you might have more good players than you can afford 3 years from now' is considered a risk. Sure maybe you don't have the flexibility to extend a guy that far out, but it's just as much a feature in case Russell or Schwarber's bat doesn't come back around. Then you just trade or in a worst case non-tender them and all of a sudden your financial worries disappear.

And it can't be repeated enough that these downsides are in a situation where you have a four headed monster of Rizzo, Bryant, Harper, and Contreras terrorizing opponents. Who gives a rip if the 5th best slugger in your lineup is Schwarber or Happ if those are your headliners?

Exactly!!!!!

Question:

Can the Cubs sign Harper and Kimbrel next offseason without penalty?

Answer: It doesn’t matter, they don’t invest big money and years into closers.

[Cubswin11]

Also, it remains so silly that the idea that 'you might have more good players than you can afford 3 years from now' is considered a risk. Sure maybe you don't have the flexibility to extend a guy that far out, but it's just as much a feature in case Russell or Schwarber's bat doesn't come back around. Then you just trade or in a worst case non-tender them and all of a sudden your financial worries disappear.

And it can't be repeated enough that these downsides are in a situation where you have a four headed monster of Rizzo, Bryant, Harper, and Contreras terrorizing opponents. Who gives a rip if the 5th best slugger in your lineup is Schwarber or Happ if those are your headliners?

Exactly!!!!!

Question:

Can the Cubs sign Harper and Kimbrel next offseason without penalty?

Unless multiple guys just blow up I doubt they are spending much on the bullpen next year. They’ll have everyone back plus potentially guys like Maples, Alzolay, etc a year older and ready to contribute/expand roles. At best it will be a Duensing type guy or 2.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Below is a list of Brewers that Steamer projects to reach 2 WAR this year:

[Cubswin11]

Below is a list of Brewers that Steamer projects to reach 2 WAR this year:

I shouldn’t care about them as much as I do, but I’m surrounded by mostly idiot Brewer fans where I live and much of what they think that board regurgitates. They can think what they want about us, they’re wrong, but I can’t stand how they think they have this great window about to be opened up of competitiveness. They have no stars up or coming up, they have incredibly limited spending resources and nearly everyone on their team last year played out of their ass/are regression candidates this year and their best, young pitchers shoulder exploded. They’re going to win mid-low 70 games this year and I’m going to love it when their fans don’t understand what happened since they think everyone they have is so great.

[TomtheBombadil]

The more dumb moves Stearns can help Epstein make, the more their window shrinks.

[champaignchris]

The Brewers aren’t even particularly young. According to BR their average age last year was 27.4. The Cubs was 26.9.

[UMFan83]

The more dumb moves Stearns can help Epstein make, the more their window shrinks.

Can Stearns feign interest in Yelich and trick Theo into making another “dumb move”?