2011-12 Chicago Cubs Offseason Ideas Thread

[Rice Cube]

Alright, so we're going from simply the team payroll and baseball operations to also having to fund the rebuild of a stadium that the neighborhood, city, and fan base won't allow Ricketts to rebuild or renovate without a whole lot of complaining and bureaucracy. I was merely talking about trying to balance the rebuild of the farm with funding a competitive MLB team, which will also take funds away from what they can allocate towards stadium improvements should the traditionalists decide to clean out their vaginas.

I happen to like watching baseball. If I can get cheap tickets, and people like you decide you don't want to pay for tickets, thus driving the prices down, more advantage to me. I don't like to watch the Cubs lose per se, but if they're losing that means at least one team was doing something right and a baseball fan should appreciate that

Now I agree that the Cubs should fund as much of the rebuild/renovations by themselves as possible. But you also cannot blame the Ricketts for asking when many other teams are also benefitting from tax dollars, including the Florida Marlins of all teams.

It's not stupid to have a differing opinion than you, by the way. There are probably ways the Ricketts and Theo can juggle multiple tasks with their finite funds. I'm reasonably confident that plan is more complex than anything you or I can think up, but it seems illogical to me to have a plan that says "I will build a solid foundation" while making signings that ensure you will lose early round draft picks.

If you decide not to spend money on the Cubs, fine with me. Don't mock others for wanting to spend their money (or in my case, not all that much money ) the way they choose.

[Rice Cube]

On a different note...what do y'all think the Cubs do about Kerry Wood?

Kerry Wood, a free agent, hopes to stay with the Chicago Cubs - ESPN Chicago

[nwfisch]

Originally Posted by Rice Cube

On a different note...what do y'all think the Cubs do about Kerry Wood?

Kerry Wood, a free agent, hopes to stay with the Chicago Cubs - ESPN Chicago

I'd like to keep him

I'd like to rework Demp's deal to be more team friendly.

Definitely like to keep Ramirez too, but

[Rice Cube]

Originally Posted by nwfisch

I'd like to keep him

I'd like to rework Demp's deal to be more team friendly.

Definitely like to keep Ramirez too, but

You can't rework Dempster's deal. He's getting up there in years and it's a one-year option. You can ask to defer it but he already deferred money to pay for Xavier Nady.

[Lex L.]

Originally Posted by Rice Cube

Alright, so we're going from simply the team payroll and baseball operations to also having to fund the rebuild of a stadium that the neighborhood, city, and fan base won't allow Ricketts to rebuild or renovate without a whole lot of complaining and bureaucracy. I was merely talking about trying to balance the rebuild of the farm with funding a competitive MLB team, which will also take funds away from what they can allocate towards stadium improvements should the traditionalists decide to clean out their vaginas.

I happen to like watching baseball. If I can get cheap tickets, and people like you decide you don't want to pay for tickets, thus driving the prices down, more advantage to me. I don't like to watch the Cubs lose per se, but if they're losing that means at least one team was doing something right and a baseball fan should appreciate that

Now I agree that the Cubs should fund as much of the rebuild/renovations by themselves as possible. But you also cannot blame the Ricketts for asking when many other teams are also benefitting from tax dollars, including the Florida Marlins of all teams.

It's not stupid to have a differing opinion than you, by the way. There are probably ways the Ricketts and Theo can juggle multiple tasks with their finite funds. I'm reasonably confident that plan is more complex than anything you or I can think up, but it seems illogical to me to have a plan that says "I will build a solid foundation" while making signings that ensure you will lose early round draft picks.

If you decide not to spend money on the Cubs, fine with me. Don't mock others for wanting to spend their money (or in my case, not all that much money ) the way they choose.

You couldnt be more wrong. The Marlins are the perfect example for why the Ricketts should have to do it themselves. Perhaps you werent aware that the Marlins went to the public claiming to be losing money and threatening to move the team unless they got a new stadium. Of course, during the whole time they refused to open their books. Somehow someone got a hold of their books and they found their way out in the open. It turned out they werent losing money and they essentially lied and swindled the taxpayers into buying them a new ballpark.

Referring to the Marlins is the worst thing you could have done. Congrats.

[waldo7239117]

The Cubs should go after Prado and he is available. He's also on the cheap end as he will enter his 2nd year of arb.

Start off a trade with Vitters.. offer Colvin too and another player

Prado to 3B.

[Rice Cube]

Originally Posted by Lex L.

You couldnt be more wrong. The Marlins are the perfect example for why the Ricketts should have to do it themselves. Perhaps you werent aware that the Marlins went to the public claiming to be losing money and threatening to move the team unless they got a new stadium. Of course, during the whole time they refused to open their books. Somehow someone got a hold of their books and they found their way out in the open. It turned out they werent losing money and they essentially lied and swindled the taxpayers into buying them a new ballpark.

Referring to the Marlins is the worst thing you could have done. Congrats.

The point isn't that the Marlins aren't shady, but rather that teams much less popular than the Cubs are able to snag huge financing deals. You can look at the Yankees and Mets as other examples of teams that have publicly financed parks. At the very least, the Yankees have cash hemorrhaging from their eyeballs and still got the city to pick up half the tab on their billion dollar stadium. While it's morally objectionable for billionaires to ask for corporate welfare in fixing up their toys, you can't deny that it does happen and Ricketts would be remiss in not exploring that possibility.

As for the books...does anyone know how much the Ricketts family is worth, how much they leveraged to buy the Cubs, and how much money is actually available for stadium improvements? I'm not making excuses for them, but you're acting like they have a bottomless pit of cash to A) rebuild Wrigley Field amongst all the objections listed already and more; B) field an MLB contending team given the trade-resistant contracts and holes in the lineup; C) rebuild the farm system by buying up free agents which would potentially give up draft picks; D) continue to finance operations abroad for scouting, player development, plus pay for their own spring training facilities in a market that is mostly dependent on the Cubs. That's a lot of money to ask a supposedly fiscally intelligent family to drop when the money could be used more efficiently. I don't think whatever plan you were thinking up is going to work.

[daddies3angels]

Originally Posted by waldo7239117

The Cubs should go after Prado and he is available. He's also on the cheap end as he will enter his 2nd year of arb.

Start off a trade with Vitters.. offer Colvin too and another player

Prado to 3B.

I rather see Vitters then Prado. Stop going after these medicore players. Either get the best players avaible at the postion OR just go young. Tired of seeing these halve ass moves to show Cub fans they trying to compete.

[waldo7239117]

^^ I disagree. Prado is still young and has been pretty good before last season. If the price is right, I say go for it.

[CubbyBear2290]

Originally Posted by waldo7239117

^^ I disagree. Prado is still young and has been pretty good before last season. If the price is right, I say go for it.

I agree 100% whole heartedly with this. Prado is sick and would make me with him at 2B. lol