Jake

The problem with bringing back Cutler is that it means you are committing this excellent core of offensive skill players and intriguing young talent on the line to him. Whether or not the money is there, you have to decide if you want Jay Cutler to be the last QB for this offense. By the time any Cutler deal would end, you've probably seen the last of Forte, Marshall, and Bennett while also nearing the time where you have to re-up with Jeffery. We've already given Jay a contract on the premise that we wanted him to play better than he ever had. I'm not sure that I want to pay a 30 year old, oft-injured, apparently uncoachable QB on the premise that his play gets better.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 08:56 PM) As I said before, big time hype from Giants fans when he was comming up. His curve is pretty sick, great change as well. I actually think having him in the bullpen is a great idea. Might add 2-3 MPH on his fastball, (already has the frame) and he will probably have some pretty good strikeout numbers. Young, cost controlled (lefty) entering his prime.. the theme for Hahn this off-season. Can't stick him in the bullpen until you know whether he can cut it at as a starter. Has excelled at every level starting in his career so far

Surkamp was pitching in the PCL and coming directly off of TJ surgery. I don't think Dylan Axelrod won the pitching triple crown in AA.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 03:39 PM) Considering the fact the kid just slid through the entire National League before getting claimed by the White Sox, color me a bit skeptical. He's clearly not the 6'5" lefty from NC State that many of us would like to have, but he's a very worthy "lottery ticket" who deserves a shot to be our primary rotation depth for at least this coming season.

I doubt he goes in our bullpen and I honestly hope he doesn't. He's not a LH version of Dylan Axelrod because he actually has good secondary pitches and the LH equivalent of Dylan's fastball would be 79 mph. This is a guy who was solidly in SF's top 10 prospects before his injury and after what he did in AAA last year (in the PCL, for Christ's sake), he needs to be starting. He'll get a shot to make our rotation and will more likely be in AAA where he has a decent chance of pitching himself into some more MLB starts. MLB.com rated him as SF's number 12 prospect entering this season. That is seriously saying something for a guy who rarely touches 90 with his fastball and is coming off Tommy John surgery. Nobody ever thought anything of Axelrod. They could end up having similar career paths, but Surkamp has a lot more upside and I'm very glad to have him instead.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 12:24 PM) All it would have taken for the Bulls to tank is trading Deng and Hinrich and going with a PG duo of Teague and James. It is too bad they are trying to compete and wouldn't do that though. If you want to have your guys get better during your tank season, the worst position to intentionally decimate is point guard. If your point guard is completely inept, it is really difficult to develop as an offensive player

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 01:04 PM) I didnt realize Schwartz got into it with the booing fans last night(even though he is denying it today). I guess he is just going out in a blaze of glory I saw the footage that led people to say that and I don't think that's what he was doing. His screaming up towards the fans seemed to flow from the conversation he was having through his headset. I think he was looking up at the pressbox and screaming at whoever was talking to him in his ear. QUOTE (Boogua @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 01:55 PM) With the losses of Melton, Tillman, and Briggs I would guess petty bad. Maybe not this bad, but I think it's fair to say that it wouldn't be anywhere near last year. Peppers getting old hasn't helped either. While it remains a good point, I would like to give Zack Bowman some props. He went from Aaron Rodgers's personal whipping boy to a very decent corner. We really have needed Tillman's knack for turnover creation, but Bowman has really filled in admirably. I would expect him to start next year -- it's just a matter of who the other starter is.

Making the playoffs is always preferable. Always.

Phil Rogers has no insight into the feelings of the organization so I wouldn't read much into it. Ken Williams has long been openly hostile towards him and Phil has done so as well. I doubt the FO and Phil are sharing secrets

Also, I'm not on the Jeff Hoffman bandwagon. Great stuff, strangely meh production. 6.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, and 1.26 WHIP in an iffy Conference USA doesn't impress me very much. That is not very Chris Sale-like. Sale had a 10.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, and 1.2 WHIP in sophomore season. Followed that with 12 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, and .9 WHIP in his draft season with better stuff than Hoffman. Why would I draft Hoffman at 2? I need to see more promise in his college season before he's even on my radar there.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 21, 2013 -> 03:49 AM) I'm still hoping for Hoffman. Wasn't Tim Anderson pretty much the equivalent to Turner last year? Not that Anderson is bad, but last time we took a pitcher in the 1st RD, it worked out okay. I love the idea of Sale-Quintana-Hoffman-Johnson in 2016. Anderson vs Turner Speed - we'll say it's a scratch. Turner is a much more prodigious base stealing threat though due to his skill at the moment. I can't find any times for Anderson, but Turner has been clocked at 3.5 to first and a legit 6.3 60 yard dash. Turner is easily an 80-grade speed, where there is some debate about whether that is true of Anderson. Defense - serious questions existed and still do about Anderson's ability to stick at SS. Needs lots of development before we'll know. Turner is close to a lock to be a SS and many predict he'll be a top tier glove there. Has all the physical tools and actions to project very well there. If he slows down, has the frame and hands to be a 3B. Bat - Turner is a rather polished bat who makes consistent contact and has produced in a huge way at the top amateur level. They both have similar power potential, which is rather modest. Would be surprised if either develop into more than 20 HR players at any level, with 10-15 being more likely for each. Turner is closer to his power ceiling. Anderson has many more problems making contact and it is unclear if Anderson will take many walks as he moves up. Turner's patience at the plate is much more well-regarded ATM. Turner's swing mechanics are very good and most scouts don't believe he has mechanical problems that can be exploited at higher levels. Anderson is far more raw as he had just become a full time baseball player. Before Turner's high ankle sprain which "hampered" his spring production, Kiley McDaniel said he would honestly pick him first overall in the draft. He has more recently demoted him to the 3-spot in the class. His hampered sophomore year production included a 1.000 OPS, still-great defense, and a reduction in steals down to 30. I would expect Turner to break out big time in this coming season and he will be a relatively low-risk proposition. While Tim Anderson doesn't have the same ceiling as Turner, it isn't impossible that Anderson becomes a better player or otherwise very good player. Anderson just has a lot more development ahead of him as well as question marks.

I'm still excited for Bostic. He needed more time to develop and learn how to do things, a better line in front of him, and more experience around to help him out. It wouldn't surprise me to see him really turn things around next year, but I also wouldn't mind bringing back DJ Williams to compete with him for another year as well.

Murphy is a guy who IMO has a higher floor and equally high ceiling compared to all the catchers on the 40-man. At 22, it is quite reasonable to think that he is more likely to find his ceiling than any of the others as well. They have no reason to value him super highly and given his relatively modest ceiling, it makes much more sense for them to get a guy in Gillaspie who is probably going to be a similar MLBer but in a position of greater need and hits from the left side, which is always going to be useful for them. We got a top 15 prospect from a much better system for Matt Thornton, so let's not start acting like his prospect rating turns him into a god or something.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 10:52 PM) Well Cutler is that guy. Question is, can people live with him forcing the issue which can lead to bigger plays, but more turnovers. He has proven to know how to run a West coast offense with Shanahan. Trestman might have a different terminology, but it's still the same philosophy. He is the best QB the Bears have had since Luckman, but that isn't that impressive in our history. Should the Bears stay with him or Josh in a short window to win, or are they better off drafting and grooming a QB, surrounding him with more talent as the Marshalls, Fortes of the world start to age a bit, and then see what you got (with a right side, young OL and Jeffrey's potential as a #1). The latter two can be done simultaneously.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 01:36 PM) Smart move by Texas. '15 FA market doesn't look that great. Get him now. Yeah and that '19 FA market looks like s*** too!

I just don't think the joke had anything to do with the definition of Downs Syndrome. If it was meant as a criticism and thus was a joke that was made at someone's expense, I wouldn't like it. I'm not going to beat my chest about my Downs Syndrome cred but it has certainly touched my life and that comment did not strike me, even for a moment, as out of line

Yeah, finals probably just wrapped up a week or two ago and they probably brought the kid to "trial" with a regulations board/honor council something like that

Getting Briggs back made us all optimistic but he looked like as bad of a player as any other on the defense.

You could say that we had no chance to win with this defensive play and you'd be right. But you also have to concede that there is no good reason to believe that our offense looked like a group that could lead us to a win either.

Championship intrigue continues on in my league into Monday. I'm down 114-120 now with Vernon Davis as my lone player remaining and nobody for my opponent. Non-PPR league. It looked like he would blow me out with Foles and Jackson, but neither ended up with big fantasy numbers. I didn't get a ton from Brandon Marshall, but enough. It would be a blowout if I hadn't started Cousins over Dalton........

The defense is bad. Really bad. Maybe Mel Tucker should be fired. I'll let our Scout-in-Chief Emery decide whether Tucker deserves to get another year with different personnel. They lost us today's game. What we need to figure out is whether Jay Cutler is worth our investment. Not whether he is worth the franchise tag or a long-term deal. Is he worth any deal? Are we better off rolling with a mixture of McCown/rookie/cheap FA project for the long-term future or Jay Cutler? These are the choices. We have a great offensive core locked up for a few more years. Best WR tandem in the NFL. A top-5 RB. A very good TE. An OL with real potential. If you sign Cutler, you're saying that core lives and dies with him. Are you comfortable with that? These are the questions we have to sort out. Jay is not showing me he's worth the time. McCown may or may not outplay Cutler next year, but the monetary investment will be relatively small and you'll be free to open the door to the next guy if it isn't panning out/you have the next guy ready. I've been a huge Jay fan. I've been the guy DA is mocking in this thread. I don't think I believe in [the boy from] Santa Claus anymore.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 10:10 PM) Better now than next week with the division on the line The division means little. Whatever Trestman thinks is necessary to figure out who next year's QB should be is what he should be doing

This will be when McCown crashes back down to Earth

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 10:06 PM) That isn't Jay's fault. That't on Trestman. If he called a running play, that INT never would have happened. Huh?

QUOTE (chw42 @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 10:05 PM) Put in McCown? Now he's played so bad we can't pretend we're protecting his health