Cautious Epstein taking Cubs down right path
It may seem like the Cubs didn't do much in Dallas, but watching Theo Epstein work was still entertaining.
The new Cubs boss put in offers on all sorts of free agents with the intention of dipping his toes in and muddying the waters at the same time.
Epstein took fliers on several players, offering fewer years than he could possibly hope the free agents might take. But by suggesting a shorter term, he ensured that if by some fluke he did get a big name, he wouldn't be stuck forever with some of the terrible deals being thrown around by teams like the Marlins and Angels — who are going to wake up with a hangover and find a tiger in the bathroom.
In the process, Epstein took very little risk with potentially high reward, knowing that by missing out he really wasn't missing out at all.
Epstein had to be thinking that he didn't really want to tie up payroll as he begins a rebuilding process. It would generally be a waste of money to have those kinds of players here right now.
Even with Milwaukee and St. Louis weakened — so far — by defections, the Cubs are at least a year or three away from competing if they want to do it the right way. So why throw away money and hurt the long-term process?
But in the back of his mind, Epstein figured it couldn't hurt to take a shot with terms favorable to the Cubs. Under those circumstances, there was no harm in tossing something up against the wall, expecting nothing to stick.
So far, nothing has, and no harm done in the process.
It's a pragmatic approach knowing there is much work to be done in order to get the Cubs back on track.
White Sox
Ken Williams has begun the rebuilding process with the odd trade of Sergio Santos for a single big prospect, but the major moves are in the works.
John Danks is going to bring the biggest haul and that won't happen until teams desperate for starting pitching have lost out in free agency, which would lead you to believe Texas is knocking on the White Sox' door.
Williams has plenty of players to shop but no one is going to bring as big a return as Danks, and that's the one Williams has got to cash in on in a huge way.
Tebowmania
Tim Tebow can't throw a ball from me to you and I seriously can't believe he's playing QB in the NFL. With his history of concussions, you also wonder how long he can survive taking that kind of beating every Sunday.
At the same time, I'm not sure God cares if the Broncos win or lose, and find it odd that players really believe a higher power is deciding sporting events or helping complete passes.
As the Dalai Lama tweeted Thursday, “I am a man of religion, but religion alone cannot answer all our problems.”
That said, I don't dislike Tim Tebow. Don't dislike him at all. I think he's an exceptional athlete who has been a winner everywhere he's ever been and he's winning again, albeit in as ugly a fashion as one can imagine. I don't know that it's going to last, but he sure has been interesting thus far.
Furthermore, I admire someone who has such complete and total faith, and I don't find his public displays after a touchdown or victory at all disturbing, even though I generally abhor the mix of sports and religion.
I can't really explain it. I'm guessing it's because I don't think he's a phony. I think he says what he believes and believes what he says. Good for him. If we find out someday that he is a fake, then all the hatred for him will be well founded, but in the meantime there are far worse celebrations going on in the NFL every Sunday.
My point is I don't blame anyone that can't stand Tebow and thinks Tebowmania is going to collapse under a flurry of failure and scandal. I get it. But as of now, I just don't find myself disliking the man at all.
If that surprises you, rest assured it surprises me as well.
Bird brains
For all the Cardinals fans who've lost their minds over Albert Pujols leaving, it will probably take them some time to see that he did them a favor.
Pujols is going to go down as one of the best three or four right-handed hitters in history and he's got some great years left, but he'll be 32 when next season starts and the last four or five years of that deal are going to be ugly.
They lost a monster, no doubt, but the end of that contract could be a disaster. Meanwhile, the Cards have some extra money to spend.
The quote
Miami Herald's Greg Cote: “The Marlins' Jeffrey Loria inside of two years has gone from being a notoriously penurious owner publicly scolded by Major League Baseball for egregiously under-spending on player payrolls to being an owner figuratively standing on a couch in a nightclub tossing fistfuls of money into the air.”
Best tweet
Sportspickle: “This is going to get really ugly if Pujols got the Marlins pregnant.”
Best fake tweet
BogusBillyBeane: “I think I spent more time at the Moneyball premier than I did at the Winter Meetings. Gotta have your priorities and it's all about me now.”
And finally ...
Omaha World-Herald's Brad Dickson: “Brett Favre expressed no interest in signing with Houston saying, ‘I haven't thrown a pass in over a month.' To which Tim Tebow said, ‘You too?'”
brozner@dailyherald.com
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