Yu Da Man!

[mudcat14]

Saw suggested on here earlier that Darvish may be available relatively cheap from the Cubs.  With 4-years and a smidge over $80mil left on his deal, he would be cheaper than MadBum or Ryu. Think Gordon would be enough to land him if we took on the entire contract?  I think the Cubbies are far from settled at 2B, and might like a cheap option who is still considered a good young prospect.

[drock2190]

I think the first domino to fall would be a trade of Kris Bryant. Otherwise the Cubs look to contend again this coming year, don't see them trading him during the offseason.

[Squirrel]

The Cubs need pitching. Don’t think they will be giving up on or giving up Darvish.

[AZTwin]

Likely would take much more than Gordon. This is one that might require Graterol, Thorpe (or Dobnak or equivalent), Gordon and Enlow (or equivalent value/expected eta wise)

[John Bonnes]

I'll admit - I don't have a very good idea what this would take. On the one hand, they absolutely need to cut salary. On the other, you're right - trading Bryant seems to be the focus to make that happen.

 

But here's the thing: right now the Cubs are stuck. Until they get the decision on his service time grievance, they cannot trade him as nobody knows if he'll be around one or two years. And that is still a couple of weeks away. And if that's the first domino that needs to fall, maybe they are forced to consider trading someone else before the free agent market just dries up on them. 

 

 

[sweetmusicviola16]

The price on Darvish is higher now than it was 3-4 weeks ago. The Cole, Stras, Wheeler deals made him worth more. 4/81 for someone who has front end potential is cheap right now. So my answer would be no, Gordon would not get it done. Add Balazovic and you might keep Theo on the phone.

 

If our FO wanted a deal they should have made it happen a month ago. Once Gibson, Wheeler, etc signed it was obvious that the oppurtunity for a special or a sale was gone.

[jhoffman]

Cubs would be much more likely to ask for Arraez to swing this deal regardless of who the other prospects are. Cubs want to move Baez to short.

[Number3]

6-8, 3.98 in NL with no DH.

 

Pick any pitcher at random and get the same. For the life of me I do not understand this constant obsession with getting anyone on a huge contract; doesn't matter who. Just spend the bucks.

I will sign tomorrow for 5 years at $20mil if it will make the budget busters happy. How much would you contribute out of your own packet for Darvish to be on the Twins? Very easy to spend other folks' money.

Ask any Socialist.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

On the one hand, they absolutely need to cut salary. 

Do they? They've said that, but the Red Sox said that too and they've gone out and spent $9 mil on two players this week, before they've even cut a dime. Maybe this "need" has been exaggerated?

 

Furthermore, the Cubs are only $1.7 mil over the lowest luxury tax threshold right now. If they really want to get under it, they can probably find someone to eat $2 mil of Tyler Chatwood's salary or something (even just exchanging Chatwood for a slightly less expensive bad contract). They could also trade Jose Quintana, get some wiggle room, and probably even get a decent prospect back. (Note they just exercised Quintana's $10.5 mil option a month ago, so they're probably not in any desperate financial times.) They absolutely *don't* have to trade Darvish, or Bryant, or anyone else like that, and certainly not as salary dumps.

 

Also, I've seen it reported that the Cubs only need to cut salary if they want to add salary this winter, and they don't really *need* to add anyone. They're returning most of their 2019 team -- all they really "need" is a couple relievers, and they've already added a few cheap candidates via trade, minor league contract, and Rule 5.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Cubs would be much more likely to ask for Arraez to swing this deal regardless of who the other prospects are. Cubs want to move Baez to short.

The Cubs can already play Baez at short, if they want. Even without Russell, they still have 4-5 other guys capable of playing second base on their 40-man roster, most notably Bote and Hoerner. Bote had a pretty good season (2 WAR in 356 PA) and they've already signed him long-term.

[USAFChief]

6-8, 3.98 in NL with no DH.

 

Pick any pitcher at random and get the same. For the life of me I do not understand this constant obsession with getting anyone on a huge contract; doesn't matter who. Just spend the bucks.

I will sign tomorrow for 5 years at $20mil if it will make the budget busters happy. How much would you contribute out of your own packet for Darvish to be on the Twins? Very easy to spend other folks' money.

Ask any Socialist.

Darvish was one of the best starters in baseball the last half of 2019.

 

I dont think anyone has an obsession with spending money, we have an obsession with watching the Twins in the WS. We see available cash as a possible boost to that goal.

 

Also, I do contribute "out of my own pocket" to the Twins. I attend games when I can, home and away, and purchase the right to watch them on TV.

 

Finally, as a mod, please leave the political jabs out of the forums. Thanks.

[TopGunn#22]

Baez already plays short.  He's an All Star SS.  Nico Hoerner or Bote is their probable 2B.  Addison Russell didn't play much these last 2-years and is on the way out in Chicago.  I would pass on Darvish.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

6-8, 3.98 in NL with no DH.

 

Pick any pitcher at random and get the same.

W-L record for pitchers is pretty meaningless, without further context.

 

Darvish was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the second half -- 13 GS, 2.76 ERA, 118/7 K/BB in 81.2 IP, .612 opponents OPS. But he was only 4-4. Berrios was 6-3 with a 4.64 ERA in the second half; Gibson 5-3, 5.92 ERA. W-L record really doesn't tell us anything about how well they pitched. (Even in just his 4 second half losses, Darvish's ERA was only 4.28.)

 

Now, it's certainly an open question how well he'll pitch going forward, but there was definitely a trend of improvement in 2019 that's worth noting, beyond just his overall numbers.

[Dave Overlund]

 

6-8, 3.98 in NL with no DH.

 

Pick any pitcher at random and get the same. For the life of me I do not understand this constant obsession with getting anyone on a huge contract; doesn't matter who. Just spend the bucks.

I will sign tomorrow for 5 years at $20mil if it will make the budget busters happy. How much would you contribute out of your own packet for Darvish to be on the Twins? Very easy to spend other folks' money.

Ask any Socialist.

No one is asking the Twins to be a top-3 team in payroll. Most fans would be content with being league average, which was $18 million more than the team spent last year. Currently, and it's early as far as free agency/arbitration goes, the Twins are $30 million below the league average. 

Honestly, I can understand not going crazy on free agents during the terrible 2011-2017 seasons, there was no real core there able to contend. But this is when most teams push their chips onto the table and try to get it done. 

It's cyclical. Look at the Royals, they went all in, went to two world series, now they stink. But I think fans are fine with it because they got the trophy a few years ago. 

[Drew]

 

Very easy to spend other folks' money.

 

 

Most of us have spent a lot of money on the team. I have anyway. Season ticket holder, too many jerseys for an adult man to be proud of, lots of other swag, All Star Game, you name it. If it's now taboo to expect/hope your team spends some money to make them better I find that very, very silly. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Also, I do contribute "out of my own pocket" to the Twins. I attend games when I can, home and away, and purchase the right to watch them on TV.

 

 

Most of us have spent a lot of money on the team. I have anyway. Season ticket holder, too many jerseys for an adult man to be proud of, lots of other swag, All Star Game, you name it. If it's now taboo to expect/hope your team spends some money to make them better I find that very, very silly. 

 

Also, many of us have paid sales tax in Hennepin County too...

[Mike Sixel]

Rumor (for what that's worth) is that Yu will not waive his no trade clause.

[nicksaviking]

It's going to turn into a limited no trade clause where he gets to choose half the league to avoid, but considering the Twins are obviously chasing pitching, a contender and tried hard to get him when he was a free agent, Minnesota will probably the the first team on that list.

 

Maybe the Cubs can convince him to go by dumping everyone around him and make it clear they are rebuilding. But I suppose if he just really likes Chicago, that may not matter either. Also, he'll have the leverage to pick where he goes even if the Cubs have to accept a lesser offer.

[Mike Sixel]

 

It's going to turn into a limited no trade clause where he gets to choose half the league to avoid, but considering the Twins are obviously chasing pitching, a contender and tried hard to get him when he was a free agent, Minnesota will probably the the first team on that list.

 

Maybe the Cubs can convince him to go by dumping everyone around him and make it clear they are rebuilding. But I suppose if he just really likes Chicago, that may not matter either. Also, he'll have the leverage to pick where he goes even if the Cubs have to accept a lesser offer.

 

Not until during the season, right? So if he won't waive it before the season, he's not an option to fill the hole to start the year. Or did I read that wrong?

[SmellEm]

 

Very easy to spend other folks' money.

Ask any Socialist.

 

Yes, I'm sure it was very easy for the Polands to spend a half a billion tax payer dollars for Target Field. Now it's time for them to pay us back.