NEWS/RUMORS/INJURIES/"CHRIS's CRAZY THOUGHTS" Thread

Mancada sounds good to me!
just keep getting younger and younger.

Bring on da Cubans.

I do think though from a marketing and business standpoint it is also important to have American players like Kemp, Joc, Seager, Dee, etc. out there as well. Jmo.

 

Cubs, already a big free-agent player, are targeting Russell Martin

The Cubs, already the leader in free agency after landing marquee manager Joe Maddon for a $25-million, five-year deal, are going to target top free agent catcher Russell Martin, sources connected to the team said.

The Cubs, expected to be a big player in the market with hopes of contending as they blend in their impressive stash of top positional prospects, surely appreciate Martin's superb performance this past year for the Pirates, when he was one of the few players in baseball with a .400-plus on-base percentage, and also caught and threw with the best in the game behind the plate.

The Cubs are expected to target one of the top free-agent starting pitchers, with Jon Lesterand Max Scherzer seeming to make more sense for them than James Shields due to their younger ages, and could also look to enhance other areas, possibly the bullpen. Lefthander reliever Andrew Miller, who should be very popular this winter with many teams, would make sense, as well.

The Dodgers, Martin's first team, are expected to be a player for Martin, whose market should be terrific following his great performance in his walk year -- though the Pirates will do what they can to try to prevent him from walking. Yes, the small-market incumbent Pirates indeed do seem intent on giving it their best shot.

Pittsburgh, which extended the $15.3-million qualifying offer that he will surely turn down, is said to be quite interested in bringing back Martin to the point of going to unusual lengths for them to try to make it happen. The Pirates, as was reported here, made a multiyear proposal during this his walk season, and while such a late try was a long-shot it is believed to have been a serious effort on their part.

The Blue Jays are said to have interest in Martin, as Jeff Blair os Sporstnet.ca in Canada reported, and the Red Sox have been viewed as a possibility, though it is also possible they could go with youngster Christian Vazquez. Martin hails originally from Montreal, so he may appeal to the Jays for that reason, though Dioner Navarro didn't do a bad job for them last year and they have other needs (second base or third base, bullpen).

Martin is believed seeking a five-year deal considering that has been the precedent set for top catchers. Brian McCann, Yadier Molina and Miguel Montero all signed five-year deals, for $85 million, $75 million and $60 million, respectively. Though, it should be noted that the Molina and Montero deals were done before free agency, and Molina's was done before he became commonly viewed as a superstar.

Martin hit .290 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI after dedicating himself in the offseason to improving his contact hitting. He was also one of four players with 400 plate appearances to post that .400-plus on-base percentage, with his .402 mark joining teammate Andrew McCutchen (.410), Victor Martinez (.409) and Jose Bautista (.403) at that magic figure. The high on-base mark has to appeal to analytics experts such as Cubs higherups, including Maddon.

Martin also ranked near the top among catchers by gunning down 39 percent of baserunners and is known as a very good pitch caller and framer. He makes sense as a fit for the Cubs, with the issue being the competition for his services.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer...ree-agent-player-are-targeting-russell-martin

 

You got me.

 

Would you give that pick up for Russ?

 

If we do, might as well go after Scherzer too, right? If we lose Hanley, we get a pick, so it'd make it easier to part with the draft pick. The way I see it, we need a catcher now and there isn't anything else out there.

 

Friedman needs to check in on Matt Wieters' availability and get a good idea of how crazy he needs to be when it comes to chasing Martin

 

The Cubs are going to outbid us for Russ. I guarantee it!!

 

personally, i wouldn't go higher than 4yrs/55M for Martin if i'm Friedman. if he wants to take a bigger payday and lose with the Cubs, so be it.

 

i'm not looking at it in AAV terms. i'm looking at like " 15 - 15 - 15 - 10 " paid out that way over 4 yrs because that final year he'd probably be splitting time down the middle with a Julian Leon.

doesn't mean they'll be in the post season..especially in that division where Cincy probably has the best rotation ( and the best closer) and a MVP caliber 1st baseman, the Brewers are improving, and the Pirates and Cards are leading the way. Martin would have a better chance of making the post season with the Dodgers.

 

You're getting way ahead of yourself dude lol. I think Baez could hit 30 bombs next year but literally strike out 250 times. Idk... He has the biggest probability to bust

I would trade Puig for Russell right now because I think Russell is Derek Jeter. But that won't happen

 

Lol i know. when you're talkin about a Puig trade though, your mind can't help but wonder because of his talent being proven on the big league level, his age and that wonderful contract.

yea. you think they'd take that kind of chance or would they go the safe rout? i mean my 1st choice would be to take advantage of Miami's situation with Giancarlo, but i'm just looking around at the market.

really? you think Russell is Jeter? OK. not disagreeing. i kinda see Seager as our Jeter ( probably has more pure potential than Jeter, but you know what i mean), but still.

put together a Puig package that nets us Russell..an Alex Guerrero addition to the deal along with Grant Holmes perhaps?

 

I don't think were going to bother with Jeannie.

If they aren't willing to give up a pick to sigh a FA SP, why waste it on a guy like Jeannie?

Martin is crap. He'll be terrible with a big money deal.

 

a real smart and handsome dude who's super dope and handsome wrote this. you should read it... if you can read

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=24980

 

I place baseball cards on the ground. And had my dog make what I called predictions.

Kemp*
Ethier
Puig*
Martin*
Cruz*
Stanton
Shields
Max*
CC
Miller
AJ


* = She pissed on them.

Everyone trusts their best friend.

 

Well. When you have to sell yourself in such a manner of greatness.............:mirror:

Nuff said.

 

Funny, I don't remember writing this article.

 

good stuff. i'm right around that price tag as well. anything more than 55M over 4yrs is too much. it's not like he's Posey at the plate or has a secondary position like Posey does for when he needs a day off from catching. i'm predicting that Martin catches 105-110 regular season games a year on average over the next 3yrs.

i wouldn't even hold this advice to just the Dodgers, but before anybody goes crazy and just forks over 70M to Martin, they should check in on Wieters' availability. Wieters is 3yrs younger and pretty good defensively himself + will likely have a 15HR or so a year power stroke away from Camden. however, questions about Wieters' arm won't be answered until the beginning of next year reportedly.