Jed Hoyer visited CSN Chicago Tuesday for an interview. He talked about the Cubs’ free agent philosophy, pitching and Alfonso Soriano. First up, free agents.
“We talked about all the free agents,” Hoyer said on “Chicago Baseball Hot Stove” on Tuesday. “Where we are as an organization, we want as many draft picks as possible. We want as much money in the draft as possible. So we would have given up a pick, theoretically, for the right player, the right fit.
“And we will going forward. But right now, I think holding onto our picks is something that makes sense and we’re looking to build as much talent in the minor leagues as possible. We need a lot going forward.”
So don’t expect the Cubs to sign any free agents with qualifying offers unless they’re a perfect fit. There are all kinds of aging closers still available on the free agent market (Jose Valverde, Brian Wilson, Francisco Rodriguez), but we don’t have to worry about the Cubs signing any of them.
“We’ll probably go forward with what we have now,” Hoyer said. “Of course, if there’s just a bargain – or a player that we feel like is at an incredible price – we might add him. But at this point, we feel really good. There also is a point at which we’re full on the roster – we’re taking a spot away from somebody. We really do like the way our bullpen and our rotation fit together now.”
That’s a relief.
Finally, Jed talked about the pleasant surprise that awaited them in Chicago when they arrived last year.
“No one was more different than his reputation than Sori,” Hoyer said. “I know the fans were frustrated with him and we wondered what we were walking into. He was the ultimate professional in the clubhouse. He really has taken Castro under his wing.
“His preparation is off the charts. I think a dozen players in baseball went 30 homers and 100 RBI (last season). What we got in our first year was terrific. He knows how we feel about him. We’ve had communication with him over the course of the winter. We’ll keep having that communication.
“But all of our thoughts on Sori are positive. He was so good for us last year, both on (and) off the field. (It) wasn’t necessarily exactly what we expected going in. (It) was just a wonderful revelation for us.”
It was a wonderful revelation for the fans, too.
Badgers
On Julie’s behalf: where’s the dislike button?
I don’t even know what the original post means.
Badgers!
Shut up. You didn’t even go there.
I know…but it still puts a smile on my face to see people I care for suffer.
Snakes!
But I don’t know of any snakes that beat down any hoosiers last night.
There will be a reckoning.
Yes…but you can’t take away the aura of happieness that has arrived in my office building today.
http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com/
They are really trying to talk up the trade value of Soriano.
Guys, I just read that Karl Farnsworth is 36.
36.
How is that possible? I remember his rookie season! He cannot be 36.
I feel incredibly old right now.
I remember his rookie season. I was sitting in the bleachers for his 2nd or 3rd career start.
Amazing.
Farnsworth used to be a starter?
Yep. In fact, I think he probably made over 20 starts in his rookie season…I can’t remember if it was the 1999 season or 2000…but somewhere in there. Don’t have time to look it up at the moment.
1999 and 21 starts that season.
Hey Mark,
I see the Nats signed Rafael Soriano. That team is really really scary.
The local talk radio is buzzing about what a package of clippard+morse could bring in. I think its more likely they keep all three so that they don’t have an end of year implosion like last season.
God damn this team is going to be fun to watch this year.
Perhaps we could interest them in a second Soriano?
This gives me an idea. I will now spend my days in fervent hope that the Nats sign all the Cubs’ shitty players, thus ruining Mark’s favorite team.
First Soriano, then Marmol, then Tony Campana.
And they could use another 3rd baseman too since Zimmerman is always hurt…Ian Stewart anyone?
Fortunately, the Nationals are run by a group of intelligent people. I do not have to worry about such nonsense.
…. so far.
Well.
The results last year kind of spoke for themselves…
Yes, the decision to shut Strasburg down was clearly made by intelligent people. Not.
I get the logic behind the decision, but it cost them the world series.
My god Jed Hoyer is hot.
That’s because he spends a lot of time baking in the sun.
Wrong. He looks like a baby.
A thirty-something year old baby.
that’s creepy. he should try having a beard.
he should not
Beards are hot. I’d like to see Theo in a beard.
That explains Mumford & Sons then. I guess you also really,really like ZZ Top?
Uh . . Marcus Mumford touches my soul. ZZ Top, not as much.
I have a beard.
Your point?
I have a beard. I just dont generally like them on other guys. Especially one with as pretty a face as Jed.
David Schuster of The Score posted on facebook that the Cubs will be releasing renovation plans some time this week.
I’m guessing it will be nothing more than a bunch of pretty drawings that indicate very little as to what the mythical renovation will eventually be just like what we’ve seen in the past.
I guarantee there is that same photo of the fictional Triangle Building in there.
From what I understand, the triangle building has undergone a pretty massive reduction in scope…with good portion of that land now to be dedicated to other activities.
If the plans don’t include “sticks of dynamite strategically placed to blow up the stadium and build a new one elsewhere,” I’m not interested.
Those are kinda my feelings too.
In the end, I’m guessing the plans will mostly involve the triangle lot and the mcdonalds property (which is supposedly going to have a hotel built on it). I’m not expecting anything of substance to be release as far as the actual grandstand renovations.
My fondest memory of the McDonalds building was going to a game with my parents as a teenager on a cold May day, and my parents suspiciously announcing they’d left the blanket in the car and they both had to go back for it.
So I get tired of waiting for them, go back to the car, and they’d completely hot boxed the thing. That entire parking lot smelled of weed when they opened the doors.
Um…ok.
The last time I stepped foot in there was before the Billy Joel-Elton John concert.
But no pot was involved.
Bears have a new coach.
Um…
Dave Sappelt and Tony Campana’s converasation with each other on twitter right now:
*****************
@SappySappelt6: #explosion #feelsgood #ahhhhh #relieved
****************
@Tcampana_24: you wrong haha
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@SappySappelt6: going to need a plumber in there
Uh . . .
http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-and-inspirational-story-of-the-college-football-season-is-a-hoax
That is just an incredible story. What the serious fuck.
Yet another reason to seriously hate Notre Dame.
I’ll never hate Notre Dame, but this is pretty disappointing.
Notre Dame’s statement says that Te’o approached the school on December 26th saying that he was the victim of a hoax.
I’m not sure I believe their statement…and I sure as hell don’t believe that Te’o was actually a victim here.
i’m sure how he can be the victim of a hoax when he told reporters that 1) he met her after a game; 2) she visited him in Hawaii; and 3) he fell asleep talking to her on the phone every night.
I have a fake dead girlfriend too.
And now, after Notre Dame and Te’o both say the girlfriend never existed, this guy says he met her:
http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2013/01/16/lennay-kekua-manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend-was-real-says-arizona-cardinals-fullback-reagan-mauia-who-claims-to-have-met-her/
On top of all that…I saw a story (from a less than reliable site) that Tiger Woods has offered Elin $200 million to get back together.
That sound almost as stupid as creating a fake dead girlfriend to gain sympathy….oh…wait…