All Epstein and Hoyer have to say is they won a WS..... but their judgment (even the winter before their WS run) has been really questionable. They have wasted a lot of their financial advantage by signing players to really bad contracts. They have nearly 80 million dollars in payroll next year tied up in Hayward, Darvish, Kimbrel and Chatwood. There is certainly talent still in Chicago, but the GM has ripped those same players for being complacent and not competitive. It is just a really odd situation and a lot of the fans are bitter. Also the Cubs lost their chief advantage over other teams, which was the international spending. That got them guys like Torres, Jimeinez and Contreras. Now they are having a hard time.
There's been scuttlebutt from Epstein about moving some major pieces and rebuilding a bit...namely Bryant and Baez
All of those things are true (and they are also true in Boston as well imo after DD came in and gutted their farm to squeeze out another WS and then paid some guys questionably) but I still contend those are both top 5 jobs, if your goal is to be in a job where you can win a ring. If your desire is to keep a job as long as possible where the stars could align for you I'd go with Milwaukee or Tampa or Oakland. I feel like those are really smart FO and they will be patient for as long as they trust your process for decision making. You could catch lightning in a bottle there and win a WS like KC did in 2015.
Yeah, I saw that on Bryant. I'd guess they don't, but that's basically the same decision we have with Correa. If you don't think/want an extension then 2 years ahead of FA is the time to move him for best value, if you care about a competitive window beyond his current service window. I wouldn't though, especially not in Chicago. But if he trades him it's b/c he ****ed up all those signings and decisions Nook pointed out. That's on him. Just like if Betts gets traded that's on DD
Yes, Bryant is supposedly one of the players that Epstein believes was complacent and lacked the drive necessary. For years there have been whispers that the Cubs knew they would not be able to resign Bryant who has made it clear he wants every last dollar. Epstein does not like Baez' approach at the plate, they even were actively shopping him before last season. Both players have two season left before they are free agents and the Cubs don't really have any young players to replace their production with. Epstein made it clear in an interview right after saying Maddon wasn't coming back, that the issue was in part the personalities on the team and the line up construction (which he again passive aggressively blamed Maddon for).
The Astros, for as much as everyone claims they are robotic and numbers driven as a cheap takeaway for lazy talking heads, really value intangibles and makeup. The reason they gave the money to Bregman, and JV, and Altuve when they didn't have to is b/c they love their desires to be historically great and to get better every day. Makeup seems to matter a lot to this organization.
Moving Bryant and Baez or rebuilding around them? Edit: Nvm just saw Nook's post. Thats wild to me. Baez is gr8
If you're trying to rebuilt, then trading players when they are great and have maximum value is the way to do it. You can't really trade the overpaid players or the crappy players.
No i understand that I just didnt know they were wanting a full rebuild. I figured it would be more of a reshuffle. I know they fell apart down the stretch but looking at their roster from a postion player perspective at least they look solid. Figured they would try and bolster pitching and get back in the hunt
Astros bench coach Joe Espada said he will go back to San Francisco following Houston’s run in the World Series for a second interview for the Giants’ managerial opening.
