Squirrel

Yep ... this is the part of the job that earned them a bad grade from me. Can't know yet what the trades and drafts will yield, though, so ... who knows. But this? Yeah ... why?

I thought I had read he was sent down ... but now I'm not sure. I think he was on their active roster.

lol ... I just got through asking the same thing to myself

I don't know ... was he still on the active roster in Chicago?

Heh, true that ... and no one can no for sure what's what ... so it's all moot and we should delete this thread of opposing opinions.

Again, then, you didn't read the complaint. I have no issues with him not being called up due to health and performance issues. I just don't think service time manipulation should be the only or primary reason to not call him up. That alone is my point.

Lol, well ... not sure I can argue that logic. But ... when it comes to cookie baking, I'm pretty serious, and I wouldn't want to win in an ethically questionable way.

And that is the issue, and should be the only issue, imo. I may not agree with him not being called up, but I understand if there are questions on whether or not he's ready -- physically, mentally, developmentally. If you are reading about Buxton still having health/wellness issues, then no, he stays put and goes home to get healthy and get ready for next season.

Brian, you and I are never going to agree. I think there is an ethical conundrum here. You don't. You're fine with it. I'm not. Yes, it's the way it is and we have to live with it. I just don't believe in maximizing profits at the cost of labor, even if that labor force is a bunch of millionaires. But I find cheering for it and hoping for it, well, wrong, from a human being standpoint. And I understand the frustration of wanting the year back, but this is the thing with prospects becoming 'sure thing' MLB stars ... it's not a sure thing and it's not guaranteed. I still don't agree with 'taking it out' on him because that's how I see some of the comments that have been made. That said, I don't have one single issue with him not being promoted because they think that he needs to work at it, is not ready, and it's better for him, his career and his development, to not bring him up. I don't necessarily agree with that decision, but that I understand. But I don't agree and will never agree, that not bringing him up for the sole purpose of ... let me repeat that ... for the sole purpose of manipulating service time. That that happens, that that's the 'gain' for making the decision to keep him down for development purposes? Okay, that's what it is and that I don't have issues with that but I don't think it should be a consideration. But so many have put the service time issue as primary, and that I don't agree with. Service time manipulation isn't what's best for anyone's development, imo. I just think it's ethically questionable to maximize profits at the cost of labor ... even if that labor makes more than I'd even have a clue what to do with. Management is taking advantage of a loophole. Yeah ... many would. Still doesn't make it something that isn't questionable. Feel free to keep debating ... but you're debating to a wall on this one. Enjoy!

If he’s not the best player right now, that I get. That’s a baseball decision and has nothing to do with service time. It wouldn’t be the decision I’d have made, but I still get that and that would be a decision I’d understand and think is fair even though I disagree. But, as I said, if your decision is based solely on service time, if that’s your only reason to hold him back, I think it’s questionable ethics. I know other teams do it, but that still doesn’t make it right. It might be technically ‘right’ according to the letter of the contract, but not to the spirit of it. I find the practice ethically questionable.

Not surprising the first call ups are relief pitchers.

I already conceded that technically it was allowable. Even so, it’s still questionable ethically. And I think it’s ethically questionable for other teams to play with service time like this, too. Promoting him or not should be a baseball and/or health reason. If the only reason you don’t bring him up is service time, I just can’t respect that. If that’s your only reason for not wanting him up, I don’t respect that.

Don’t promote him if you think he needs more work or needs to get healthy or anything that is about what’s best for him and his career. But if the only single reason you have to keep him down is service time, even though it’s technically allowed, I think it’s questionable from an ethics standpoint.

WHAT????? I’m shocked, I tell you! SHOCKED!!!!

Here’s a take from a Cubs fan guy at the gym this morning. He said of Gimenez, ‘Good riddance! He’s a real jerk. He screwed up Darvish!’ Um, what??? Apparently Gimenez said some things to the press like Darvish didn’t like getting booed and that put more pressure on him. And he’s really happy to be getting Wilson. He’ll be on the playoff roster as the back up catcher, he doesn’t care about his bat just his good defense.

Okay, well ... hmm ... I guess.

Of course it's not that simple. But they have a unique position of having a decent farm system AND a LOT of financial flexibility. Now is the time to jump on a few players to add to what strengths we currently have and will (hopefully) have in the future, now is the time to UPGRADE and not just sit at 'adequate' because these guys in the minors will some day make a difference. And Buxton is a PRIME example of expecting him to be tearing it up in the majors based on minor league projections and scouting. His projections were even higher than Lewis', being ranked the No. 1 over all prospect for a couple of years ... and look where he is now ... we are uncertain. It goes to show you that having the No. 1 over all rated prospect is not a guarantee of anything. He may still be that ... but we are still waiting for it. Are we supposed to wait until the next wave of 'sure thing' prospects to not end up being sure things? And I never said 'Go get the best player' (well, outside of Machado ... which I have also said is an impossible dream, but one I'm going to hold onto until he's signed long-term elsewhere) ... I said get the best player you can, and upgrade when you can. I think what some of you consider an 'upgrade' is far from my definition of an upgrade.

Buxton went through the minors in a similar fashion ... maybe not quite, but close, except for injury; and Buxton came in at a No. 1 over all prospect rating for a couple of years in a row; and Sano came in at single digits, like 3 or 5, I believe ... Lewis has yet to come close to that, and likely won't. I'm not sure where you are getting the comparisons to Correia and Lindor because everything I've seen about him doesn't even project him staying at short, which is another big reason not to count on that chicken until it's hatched. I'll admit, the kid has me hoping for good things, and he's a very nice prospect, no doubts or complaints from me on that, but, that's a few years away and I think we can afford to deal with that when/if it happens. Again, you are planning seasons for the next couple of years around these guys making a big league impact some day. Some day is for certain not 2019, and if we have the chance to get a really great, impactful player now, for several years, we should not say no because of some day.

Yeah, then we get into the debate ... prospects are just that and unproven until they are proven. I say you have to go with putting together what you can now, long terms contracts included, and deal with the 'log jam' later through trades, releases, whatever. Those prospect are no way guaranteed ... look what we thought of Sano and Buxton, and look where they are now? I'm not giving up on them yet, but it looks a lot less sure. I just don't think we should be putting together teams now, and not signing certain players now because of who might be in the wings. While we can't necessarily do that every year, but this year we have so much flexibility. I want the FO to put a team together for NOW. And I don't consider a 3-yr deal long-term. Long-term will be what Machado will get ... hopefully from us!

Why do you want to go with short-term contracts?

I don't consider that an upgrade, at all. These are basically the same players we've had. That is basically our same lineup ... where is the upgrade in that? We've got a LOT of payroll flexibility right now, probably something we won't have again for a while, we've supposedly got a pretty stocked farm system for making a trade or two ... if we can't do better than that, we aren't trying to win. imo. And #13 will be a pitcher. Edit: I caught up with the thread and see you were putting together a team using internal only options. But my thoughts on that are still the same ... we lose.

That was me. And while that is a literal reiteration of what I said, there was a broader point to that. While you can't have the best player in the league at every position, you still try to put the best player you can at every position. You make the upgrades you can and not fill your holes with adequacy. If Mauer, in the role he has, is the best option for the team, you sign him. If he's not, you let him go.

I'm not sure what to 'grade' them as there are things that are incomplete. Maybe overall, a C. I give the players the same. And Molitor a D. I think the FO did a good, not great but good, job this past off-season. I think they've done well in the two drafts they had, but ... some of that is yet to be seen, and incomplete. Trades ... whether or not you agree with need to trade, they did ... but whether or not it's good, is yet to be seen. If our added prospects add enough depth to make for a good trade this off-season? That will make a difference. Or if some of those pieces contribute to future success, that will also make a difference, but, unknown at this time. But some of the roster decisions this year were more than baffling to me ... who came up, who came down, when, who was added, removed, who they stuck with ... I mean, LoMo? Belisle? These were things that just made me feel uncertain and made me question, 'What the heck is their plan here?' So, some good, some really bad, and a lot 'don't know yet.' I grade them a C.

That’s fair. I think if he’s ready he should be up. If he’s not, then not. I just didn’t think that the decision of whether or not he’s up should be based solely on team control. That’s where my comment was coming from.

one more week? Wouldn't he have a month? Just my opinion ... I just think it's the wrong decision to make if he's perfectly fine and healthy and ready to come up.