[Purple Haize]

His first game was a flop, but since then the guy's been on base at a ridiculous clip... Like, over .700... against the Padres staff and then Burnett.
Between him and Soler, I'm not sure who has the better chance of winning Rookie of the Year.

This just in...the Cubs have moved Addison Russell to 2nd base in Iowa and could call him up in the next few days. New infield goes like this: Bryant (3rd), Castro (SS), Russell (2nd), Rizzo (1st). Okie dokie.

Russell will be playing by the end of next week at the latest with the Big Club!
I'm soooo happy. This feeling could last all the way to the All Star break!

[VAGolf]

This Kris Bryant situation is ridiculous. Always treat your talent well and enable your employees to maximize their potential. I hope he explores his options when he's eligible to be a free agent. There are better clubs who actually have respect for talent.

[01LUGrad]

This Kris Bryant situation is ridiculous. Always treat your talent well and enable your employees to maximize their potential. I hope he explores his options when he's eligible to be a free agent. There are better clubs who actually have respect for talent.

Literally every single team does the same thing. If the players don't like it (it is a stupid rule), they need to read what they are signing next time there is a CBA.

[01LUGrad]

Oh, and Russell will be in the lineup tonight!
These guys mean business this year!

[VAGolf]

This Kris Bryant situation is ridiculous. Always treat your talent well and enable your employees to maximize their potential. I hope he explores his options when he's eligible to be a free agent. There are better clubs who actually have respect for talent.

Literally every single team does the same thing. If the players don't like it (it is a stupid rule), they need to read what they are signing next time there is a CBA.

They do this with average players. Kris Bryant could be the next GREAT player. You don't give your best players the average treatment. And the current CBA isn't Kris Bryant's fault. This move is exactly why the Cubs are an awful organization and why baseball is a joke.

[adam42381]

This Kris Bryant situation is ridiculous. Always treat your talent well and enable your employees to maximize their potential. I hope he explores his options when he's eligible to be a free agent. There are better clubs who actually have respect for talent.

Literally every single team does the same thing. If the players don't like it (it is a stupid rule), they need to read what they are signing next time there is a CBA.

They do this with average players. Kris Bryant could be the next GREAT player. You don't give your best players the average treatment. And the current CBA isn't Kris Bryant's fault. This move is exactly why the Cubs are an awful organization and why baseball is a joke.

You have no clue what you're talking about here.

[VAGolf]

It's really not that complicated. Treat great players great.

[adam42381]

It's really not that complicated. Treat great players great.

It really is that complicated. Your lack of understanding shows that you don't comprehend the complexity of the situation.

[adam42381]

The Cubs are going to be a lot of fun to watch this year.

[BJWilliams]

It's really not that complicated. Treat great players great.

It really is that complicated. Your lack of understanding shows that you don't comprehend the complexity of the situation.

This. If you actually spent time in a Major League front office, you would realize all the moving parts that go into making a decision like this.

[VAGolf]

It's really not that complicated. Treat great players great.

It really is that complicated. Your lack of understanding shows that you don't comprehend the complexity of the situation.

This. If you actually spent time in a Major League front office, you would realize all the moving parts that go into making a decision like this.

Please. Elaborate on the time that you have spent in a Major League front office.

[VAGolf]

It's really not that complicated. Treat great players great.

It really is that complicated. Your lack of understanding shows that you don't comprehend the complexity of the situation.

It's not complex. Treat stars great and they stay. Treat stars bad and they leave. There is a reason as to why the Cubs have been one of they worst organizations across all sports. They don't manage personnel well. They sent him to minors for 9 games because they're an insecure organization that tries to micromanage talent. Just ridiculous.

[adam42381]

It's really not that complicated. Treat great players great.

It really is that complicated. Your lack of understanding shows that you don't comprehend the complexity of the situation.

It's not complex. Treat stars great and they stay. Treat stars bad and they leave. There is a reason as to why the Cubs have been one of they worst organizations across all sports. They don't manage personnel well. They sent him to minors for 9 games because they're an insecure organization that tries to micromanage talent. Just ridiculous.

This is 100% false. Boras clients almost always test the waters of free agencey regardless of how they're treated.

[BJWilliams]

Please. Elaborate on the time that you have spent in a Major League front office.

I haven't spent any time in a Major League front office either Sweat, but it doesn't take spending time in an organization to know that making major personnel decisions is not a simple process.

[01LUGrad]

I'm pretty sure how the organization treats Kris and Addison over the next 5 years is going to outweigh what has been (almost) universally deemed a smart business decision that affected 2 weeks of their careers in Chicago.

[Purple Haize]

Please. Elaborate on the time that you have spent in a Major League front office.

I haven't spent any time in a Major League front office either Sweat, but it doesn't take spending time in an organization to know that making major personnel decisions is not a simple process.

But you insinuated it did

. If you actually spent time in a Major League front office, you would realize all the moving parts that go into making a decision like this.

[BJWilliams]

Nice catch PH...my point was, while I have not spent time in a Major League front office (and my guess is Sweat hasn't either), I know that what you read in the newspaper, on blogs and on hear the talking heads on ESPN opine about isn't the whole story...

[VAGolf]

This is 100% false. Boras clients almost always test the waters of free agencey regardless of how they're treated.

I didn't say he wouldn't test the waters, did I? I said he would leave. Every great player tests the free agency or negotiates a new contract. Players remember how you treat them.

I'm pretty sure how the organization treats Kris and Addison over the next 5 years is going to outweigh what has been (almost) universally deemed a smart business decision that affected 2 weeks of their careers in Chicago.

Um, it absolutely effects more than two weeks of his career. The whole reason they sent him to minors for two weeks was to have control over him for an extra YEAR. In a few years, if he isn't happy with the manager or a teammate, he will absolutely remember that the Cubs didn't do everything they could to maximize his potential.

[BJWilliams]

Again, not everything you get from ESPN and talk radio and blogs is the whole story. I don't know what the discussions were in their front office meetings, you don't know either, so instead of acting like Theo Epstein being some great evil...why don't you understand that this was a business decision. We don't know what the climate will be with the team next year, much less 4-5 years down the road when his rookie contract is up

[VAGolf]

Again, not everything you get from ESPN and talk radio and blogs is the whole story. I don't know what the discussions were in their front office meetings, you don't know either, so instead of acting like Theo Epstein being some great evil...why don't you understand that this was a business decision. We don't know what the climate will be with the team next year, much less 4-5 years down the road when his rookie contract is up

BJ, I know you're favorite thing to do in life is to reiterate the same useless points on a message board, but seriously. I don't give a dang what is said on ESPN, you should always do everything you can to elevate talent...not minimize it. There are numerous topics throughout the board and I've used this principle to defend my stance numerous times. ESPN isn't to me what Fox News is to you.

It was a business decision and it was a bad one.

[BJWilliams]

Really we won't know the full effect of the decision at this point in time. Some fans (such as yourself) will decry this right now in the emotion of the moment, not knowing the discussions that took place between the Cubs and Bryant's people, but maybe that 9 days could turn into something good down the road...

[Purple Haize]

Nice catch PH...my point was, while I have not spent time in a Major League front office (and my guess is Sweat hasn't either), I know that what you read in the newspaper, on blogs and on hear the talking heads on ESPN opine about isn't the whole story...

this is where your 'stream of consciousness ' or whatever you call it, posting is a problem. If you can't even remember what you wrote a few posts ago you get into trouble. Should be an indication you need to put more thought in to it

As for the Cubs, I agree that it was a smart move. No one can predict the future and the Cubs have had their share of 'flame outs' (Kerry Wood). So I see it as them hedging their bets. If it costs them a few million down the road? So be it.

[adam42381]

As for the Cubs, I agree that it was a smart move. No one can predict the future and the Cubs have had their share of 'flame outs' (Kerry Wood). So I see it as them hedging their bets. If it costs them a few million down the road? So be it.

I'm not sure that Kerry Wood is the best example. Sure, he never lived up to his full potential, but he played 14 years in the majors including 9 full seasons with the Cubs. Mark Prior would have been a better choice.

[Purple Haize]

As for the Cubs, I agree that it was a smart move. No one can predict the future and the Cubs have had their share of 'flame outs' (Kerry Wood). So I see it as them hedging their bets. If it costs them a few million down the road? So be it.

I'm not sure that Kerry Wood is the best example. Sure, he never lived up to his full potential, but he played 14 years in the majors including 9 full seasons with the Cubs. Mark Prior would have been a better choice.

'Full' seasons might be stretching it. But yeah, Prior would be a better example.

[adam42381]

As for the Cubs, I agree that it was a smart move. No one can predict the future and the Cubs have had their share of 'flame outs' (Kerry Wood). So I see it as them hedging their bets. If it costs them a few million down the road? So be it.

I'm not sure that Kerry Wood is the best example. Sure, he never lived up to his full potential, but he played 14 years in the majors including 9 full seasons with the Cubs. Mark Prior would have been a better choice.

'Full' seasons might be stretching it. But yeah, Prior would be a better example.

Ok, maybe not full seasons. He started 21 or more games in 8 of those seasons before being converted to closer in his final year there. He was with Chicago from age 21 to age 31 - missing 2 years due to injury.