Cubs Acquire Cole Hamels from Rangers

[Ennder]

The Cubs seemingly have a horseshoe up their "you know what" when it comes to moves like this. Hamels looked done. DONE. Now he is suddenly Cy Young. It is pretty infuriating. I keep telling myself that luck will eventually run out ... hoping ... hoping

 

Its called a good pitch mix and good defense. Pitching is so heavily a team stat and some teams just don't get it. Obviously he won't keep this up but I'm not surprised at all to see a pitcher improving a lot going from a team like the Rangers to one like the Cubs.

[Chicago Here]

Cubs changed their season around when they got hammals. Toss in Murphy and its easy to see how Theo is at the top of his profession. Stearns is ok as well but there is a reason why the Cubs are in the playoffs all the time with theo and we dont wanna pull triggers and go conservative and dont make it.

No pitcher help plus schoop is a bust, so much that arcia regained his spot. Sad

[CheezButt]

Theo can play fantasy baseball with his checkbook. David can not. That's the difference.

[Ennder]

Cubs changed their season around when they got hammals. Toss in Murphy and its easy to see how Theo is at the top of his profession. Stearns is ok as well but there is a reason why the Cubs are in the playoffs all the time with theo and we dont wanna pull triggers and go conservative and dont make it.

No pitcher help plus schoop is a bust, so much that arcia regained his spot. Sad

 

 

Yep Theo is perfect. He didn't pay an OF about 3 times what he was worth and he didn't trade for a pitcher who was in obvious decline a year ago. He also didn't sign damaged goods to a huge contract in the off season this year. He has put the Cubs in a great position and even won a World Series but he has done it by destroying the minor league system and that just isn't something a small market team can do.

 

The first 3 years of Epstein with the Cubs they won 61, 66, 67 games during a rebiuld. The first 3 years of Stearns the Brewers won 73, 86 and 80 something also during a rebuild.

[superfly]

Cubs changed their season around when they got hammals. Toss in Murphy and its easy to see how Theo is at the top of his profession. Stearns is ok as well but there is a reason why the Cubs are in the playoffs all the time with theo and we dont wanna pull triggers and go conservative and dont make it.

No pitcher help plus schoop is a bust, so much that arcia regained his spot. Sad

 

Can't be said any better than this.

[Jopal78]

Don’t discount the facts that Hamels is owed a lot of money in salary; even though Texas picked up the option buy out. Hamels has a partial no trade clause, and was ticked for 21 earned runs in 17 innings (both home and away starts) in July leading up to the trade.

 

More probably true than not, Texas had zero leverage given the dollars and no trade clause. Epstein took a huge risk but now gets to reap the huge rewards. It’s not a situation where he’s got things figured out ahead of time and outmaneuvered all other teams to get his guy.

[xisxisxis]

Theo is perfect.

I think that's a bit too much, but yeah Theo is a very good director...

[MrTPlush]

Stearns is well on his way of having just as many second half collapses as Theo has World Series rings.

 

Pretty sure if he can win 3 World Series rings he is smart enough to manage a smaller market to success too if he wanted.

 

How about Stearns put a World Series contender on the field first, that’s a good first step.

[Boomer5]

Stearns is an average GM. He was given GOAT status on here for whatever reason but that was based on the always misleading small sample size.

 

It does seem he is better in the off-season than mid season.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Stearns is an average GM. He was given GOAT status on here for whatever reason but that was based on the always misleading small sample size.

 

It does seem he is better in the off-season than mid season.

 

I'd say he's better than average. No GM could have foreseen the large number of players who have regressed for the team this year. He's made some great moves, some horrible moves, and many moves that the jury is still out on. I think you need to give a GM five years in order to get an accurate take on their performance.

[Boomer5]

Stearns is an average GM. He was given GOAT status on here for whatever reason but that was based on the always misleading small sample size.

 

It does seem he is better in the off-season than mid season.

 

I'd say he's better than average. No GM could have foreseen the large number of players who have regressed for the team this year. He's made some great moves, some horrible moves, and many moves that the jury is still out on. I think you need to give a GM five years in order to get an accurate take on their performance.

 

I agree he needs 5 years to see what we really have in the guy. I’d be more interested in seeing what we actually have on the farm by then which is the primary way to build a small market contender.

[adambr2]

Cubs changed their season around when they got hammals. Toss in Murphy and its easy to see how Theo is at the top of his profession. Stearns is ok as well but there is a reason why the Cubs are in the playoffs all the time with theo and we dont wanna pull triggers and go conservative and dont make it.

No pitcher help plus schoop is a bust, so much that arcia regained his spot. Sad

 

Can't be said any better than this.

 

It actually can be said a whole lot better than this.

 

If Schoop was still hitting the way he was in July, we wouldn't hear a word about Murphy. The Cubs went out and got Murphy and Hamels because they were the only moves they could afford to make because they've completely gutted their farm. Yes, it has worked out great for them so far. But Theo doesn't have a crystal ball any more than Stearns does. If he did, he would have avoided trading for Quintana, signed Chacin instead of Chatwood, and maybe he would have paid Cain instead of Darvish, like Stearns did.

 

People are so quick to give Theo all the props in the world for guys who have played in a total of 9 combined games for the Cubs, yet not a peep about Stearns trading for a young controlled legitimate MVP candidate in the offseason that we would not even be in contention without, or finding a 30-40 HR .900 OPS guy for nothing.

 

And most still miss by far the most important difference between Theo and David. When Theo makes a huge mistake, he can shrug and write a big check to cover for it. David cannot. So yes, Theo can afford to be more aggressive. An aggressive miss for Theo is just a dent in the armor. An aggressive miss for Stearns can set the franchise back years.

[MrTPlush]

Well everyone became a huge fan of Stearns when he turned us around so fast, which in his defense he had some nice moves to do so (Shaw and now Chacin).

 

However he has left A LOT to be desired two July trading seasons in a row. He has traded/dumped many players (Segura, Davis, Gennett, and Villar(short sample)) who have all done better elsewhere making our returns look less than stellar. That is pretty brutal for only being here a short time.

 

Maybe the difference is the people Theo puts under him vs. Stearns. They have drafted well with their top picks, have a good coach, and develop fairly well. You gotta get good people under you to be a great GM. The GM needs to get a good farm director and ways to find great players. The GM just makes the philosophy and final decision making.

 

Regardless it is way too early to know how good or bad Stearns is. We won’t know that for years. He has done a lot of good and not so good.

[adambr2]

 

However he has left A LOT to be desired two July trading seasons in a row.

 

What did he do last summer that was so bad? Swarzak was a good addition. Walker was a good addition.

 

Also way too early to say this season left a lot to be desired. Moustakas has been a good addition. Soria has been a good addition when healthy. Schoop not so much, but he still has time to salvage his time here.

[MrTPlush]

 

However he has left A LOT to be desired two July trading seasons in a row.

 

What did he do last summer that was so bad? Swarzak was a good addition. Walker was a good addition.

 

Also way too early to say this season left a lot to be desired. Moustakas has been a good addition. Soria has been a good addition when healthy. Schoop not so much, but he still has time to salvage his time here.

 

Well this year it seemed pretty given we needed a nice solid starter, he didn’t get that. If the pitching continues to just bomb thats going to look really bad at the end of the year.

 

He just hasn’t done anything to take this team from fringe, to solid contender. Next year will be huge for him. If he turns in another fringe team in 2019 I’m going to be a bit concerned.

 

I’m pretty neutral on Stearns so far. 2019-2021 is his time to shine in my opinion. He has to put an elite team on the field.

[82brewcrew82]

 

However he has left A LOT to be desired two July trading seasons in a row.

 

What did he do last summer that was so bad? Swarzak was a good addition. Walker was a good addition.

 

Also way too early to say this season left a lot to be desired. Moustakas has been a good addition. Soria has been a good addition when healthy. Schoop not so much, but he still has time to salvage his time here.

 

Well this year it seemed pretty given we needed a nice solid starter, he didn’t get that. If the pitching continues to just bomb thats going to look really bad at the end of the year.

 

He just hasn’t done anything to take this team from fringe, to solid contender. Next year will be huge for him. If he turns in another fringe team in 2019 I’m going to be a bit concerned.

 

I’m pretty neutral on Stearns so far. 2019-2021 is his time to shine in my opinion. He has to put an elite team on the field.

It wasn't exactly a secret that DS went hard after pitching at last year's deadline, in the off-season and at this recent deadline. Whatever the reasons, he didn't get that done. I still believe the biggest weakness on this team is a true stopper in the rotation. It think DS agrees or he wouldn't continually be going after that elusive unicorn.

[lowblow]

I find it interesting that many on this board seem to beat up Theo/Cubs for their "terrible" offseason pitching acquisitions while at the same time complaining that David Stearns hasn't done enough to acquire starting pitching help for the Brewers. Those are the two sides of the same coin. Since the Cubs see themselves as competing for the World Series, they go all in, all the time. And since great starting pitching is the rarest commodity in MLB, you have to take a lot of chances to acquire it. You may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the prince.

 

The Cubs seem to have a lot of confidence that they know how to find hitters through the draft and internationally, so they are willing to spend them (and money) to acquire that rare commodity (starting pitching). Among other things, that's why big market teams that act like it are at a significant advantage. Imagine for a minute the position the Brewers would be in if they had signed Chatwood and Darvish over the offseason and they had performed this way.

 

When you question why Stearns hasn't done more to get more SP for the Brewers, realize that the cost of being wrong for him and his team is higher than it is for the teams he's directly competing with.

[MoreTrife]

This is just brutal to read: " He is the first pitcher since Lee Meadows in 1919 to yield one or no runs in each of his first five starts with his new team." and " He was 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA with the Rangers and getting worse, yielding a 10.23 ERA in his last five starts. He had given up 23 home runs, which still is the sixth-most in the American League. He has yet to cough up a homer to the 127 batters he has faced since joining the Cubs."

 

SUCH BS. Can't compete with luck. And yes, I know he had a good road ERA but not that good.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

This is just brutal to read: " He is the first pitcher since Lee Meadows in 1919 to yield one or no runs in each of his first five starts with his new team." and " He was 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA with the Rangers and getting worse, yielding a 10.23 ERA in his last five starts. He had given up 23 home runs, which still is the sixth-most in the American League. He has yet to cough up a homer to the 127 batters he has faced since joining the Cubs."

 

SUCH BS. Can't compete with luck. And yes, I know he had a good road ERA but not that good.

 

I agree that its a load of poppycock. Only the dang Cubs, with their horrible rotation and farm system, would luck themselves into a TOR starter for basically free.

[bill hAll Star]

 

What did he do last summer that was so bad? Swarzak was a good addition. Walker was a good addition.

 

Also way too early to say this season left a lot to be desired. Moustakas has been a good addition. Soria has been a good addition when healthy. Schoop not so much, but he still has time to salvage his time here.

 

Well this year it seemed pretty given we needed a nice solid starter, he didn’t get that. If the pitching continues to just bomb thats going to look really bad at the end of the year.

 

He just hasn’t done anything to take this team from fringe, to solid contender. Next year will be huge for him. If he turns in another fringe team in 2019 I’m going to be a bit concerned.

 

I’m pretty neutral on Stearns so far. 2019-2021 is his time to shine in my opinion. He has to put an elite team on the field.

It wasn't exactly a secret that DS went hard after pitching at last year's deadline, in the off-season and at this recent deadline. Whatever the reasons, he didn't get that done. I still believe the biggest weakness on this team is a true stopper in the rotation. It think DS agrees or he wouldn't continually be going after that elusive unicorn.

 

So far I think he's done a pretty good job with that whole thing. He might've gotten Gausman or Hamels (both I would put a massive asterisk that time will tell on those guys, it's still only 3-4 starts) and avoided landmines of beating out an offer of Eloy/Cease for Quintana, having Sonny Gray self destruct, or giving up a king's ransom for Archer.

 

At some point he'll probably have to consolidate some of our depth for a more reliable option but so far he has avoided the landmines while missing out on a handful of solid moves.

[illiniguy]

I really think Gray would have thrived for you, still has his stuff and is vary familiar with your pitching coach. I think he's getting chewed up by the insanity that is New York.

[Ennder]

Well this year it seemed pretty given we needed a nice solid starter, he didn’t get that. If the pitching continues to just bomb thats going to look really bad at the end of the year.

 

He just hasn’t done anything to take this team from fringe, to solid contender. Next year will be huge for him. If he turns in another fringe team in 2019 I’m going to be a bit concerned.

 

I’m pretty neutral on Stearns so far. 2019-2021 is his time to shine in my opinion. He has to put an elite team on the field.

 

Which is exactly what he should have done. Last year's team had no shot of going deep into the playoffs and this one probably doesn't either. It would be nice to make the wild card but making some huge move aimed at 2018 would have been a mistake, not a sign of a good GM. I almost feel like he did too much this deadline.

[danzig6767]

 

So far I think he's done a pretty good job with that whole thing. He might've gotten Gausman or Hamels (both I would put a massive asterisk that time will tell on those guys, it's still only 3-4 starts) and avoided landmines of beating out an offer of Eloy/Cease for Quintana, having Sonny Gray self destruct, or giving up a king's ransom for Archer.

 

At some point he'll probably have to consolidate some of our depth for a more reliable option but so far he has avoided the landmines while missing out on a handful of solid moves.

For as great as the Hamels pickup for the Cubs has been, Gausman has been nearly as good and the Braves have two more years of control.

[bill hAll Star]

 

So far I think he's done a pretty good job with that whole thing. He might've gotten Gausman or Hamels (both I would put a massive asterisk that time will tell on those guys, it's still only 3-4 starts) and avoided landmines of beating out an offer of Eloy/Cease for Quintana, having Sonny Gray self destruct, or giving up a king's ransom for Archer.

 

At some point he'll probably have to consolidate some of our depth for a more reliable option but so far he has avoided the landmines while missing out on a handful of solid moves.

For as great as the Hamels pickup for the Cubs has been, Gausman has been nearly as good and the Braves have two more years of control.

Reason for optimism for the Braves that they've traded for a better pitcher than he was for the O's:

 

He's throwing a lot more changeups. Maybe this is a big difference in his results.

 

Reason for pessimism that he's the same old pitcher and will regress to his inconsistent 4 FIP self:

 

He's faced the Marlins x2, Brewers (insert jokes here), Mets, and Pirates. That is a dose of what you get in the NL but he has hardly been in a tough situation.

[Thurston Fluff]

Well this year it seemed pretty given we needed a nice solid starter, he didn’t get that. If the pitching continues to just bomb thats going to look really bad at the end of the year.

 

He just hasn’t done anything to take this team from fringe, to solid contender. Next year will be huge for him. If he turns in another fringe team in 2019 I’m going to be a bit concerned.

 

I’m pretty neutral on Stearns so far. 2019-2021 is his time to shine in my opinion. He has to put an elite team on the field.

 

Which is exactly what he should have done. Last year's team had no shot of going deep into the playoffs and this one probably doesn't either. It would be nice to make the wild card but making some huge move aimed at 2018 would have been a mistake, not a sign of a good GM. I almost feel like he did too much this deadline.

 

I agree with everything you said but this. Any team that makes the playoffs has a fair shot of going deep in the playoffs. Some may have a better shot than others but every team has more than no shot.