Yeah Quintana had an awful start to the year...but he's a really good starter under team control for another 3 seasons. You don't get that for anything but a top prospect.
I like being aggressive during this phase where so many studs are under contract. I like even more that we addressed our biggest need. But I really hate that we gave up our best hitting and pitching prospects.
This isn't a move of desperation. Q is a really good pitcher and he's under control for the next few years. He's a top of the rotation arm. Eloy is a beast but we're in a World Series window and the FO landed a stud and didn't have to move anyone on the ML roster to do so.
I mentioned this in the MLB thread but people down about are farm being depleted shouldn't be. The major league roster is so young and jammed packed with talent you have time to slowly rebuild the system without being pressed to do so. Cubs will also be very active in the international market next year to replenish parts of the farm. They won't be selecting at the top of the draft but given the track record I'm sure in time they will get the farm loaded
This is a great trade for us in all honesty, this is a top of the rotation starter under control for another 3 years.
We've been talking about getting a young cost controlled starter for 3 years now. They just got one. They're going to have almost 30 mil coming off the books in lackey and arrieta. If they want, the rotation next year could be Lester, darvish, Quintana, Hendricks, Montgomery.
Couple of Cub bits in Law's chat. He had my guy Alzolay in contention for his updates top 50 and with health, De La Cruz could get into the top 100. Maples has been up to 99 with a +++ breaker and thinks he could pitch in the majors now.
For so long, the Cubs had a bad amateur player scouting and procurement system and a bad minor league development system. That was in addition to a talent-poor major league roster. That led to not being able or willing to trade away top prospects. One, you needed those guys on the big league team. And, two, because your system was not very fruitful, your thought process went like this - "We can't trade him! There will never be another him!" When you have good procurement and development systems in place combined with a talented major league roster, you can and should make trades of this nature. We can argue about the balance of value, but, in general, this is what good, winning organizations do.
There are nice prospects still a part of the farm system that could be part of a Gray deal... With that said I would expect a ML player to be included in the deal. Happ, Schwarber are two that come to mind.
Candelario is blocked at the ML level. No reason for him not to be attached to a trade at this point.
Next years rotation is Lester Q Hendricks Monty Free Agent/Project I'd pass on trading someone from the big league club for Sonny Gray at this point in time.
Wouldn't say the season would have been over but that loss would have been devastating. Thank god we got the W.
Pretty sure Patrick Mooney opined that Theo was just doing Billy Beane a favor by putting that rumor out there. And I think Theo himself said something to the effect of "well you didn't hear anything about the Sox trade beforehand..." leading you to believe that'd be the case if they made another trade.
For the most part normally when the media is claiming the cubs are in for a player. It's probably the other team linking them. Cubs have generally stayed quiet about moves.
I'm going to a Cubs game at Wrigley for the first time in way too long this week. For the game Friday vs. the Cardinals, should I buy tickets online or just wait and get them from a scalper?
I am even happier now with this Quintana trade. To be very honest, I did not watch a ton of white sox baseball. Saw him a few times here or there, in the world baseball classic this spring he really impressed me. Today, that curve ball was nasty and his ability to hit the corners early in the count was impressive.
I have tix to this weekend's Cardinals series and IDK if I can make it to Chicago. Anyone want them at face value? Friday definitely needs to be sold, maybe Saturday.