Joining us not talk about the deal the man who put his signature on a Cubs GM. -- Boyer get this is something you guys have talked about for a while -- follows with what you did with Pedroia and other guys in Boston. How excited are you to have a piece like this locked up long term knowing what the cost will be. You know it's really important against -- -- -- for -- you look at anything to yourself I became -- wanting. I there's going to be a 26 year old free agent and that's a really dangerous thing for a club that a guy hitting free agency at age 26. So for us to get it's a four years the controls Garland we now have eight. Not just there was a no brainer to tell locked up by a young shortstop like that for three years. Hey Joseph had Phil Roger's I just wonder and it seems like this is such an era of pitching. Do you think you guys and other teams you value young hitters differently than you might have five or ten years ago. And why do you think it is such an era of pitching is that the strike zone bigger pitchers just better. What's going on. I think it's a couple things anyone one of the issues I think as it is obvious that. Hitters are a little less strong they were a couple of years ago and I think that -- we're now back to an era of normal aging curves were. Young guys' prime -- sort twice -- thirty. I don't see as many at 3536 year old guys have a great years anymore. Be that makes a big difference. You know the the aging curve for pitching has a lot different than hitting and therefore. I think that. A bigger impact on the game. Anyway when it comes a starlet or or or look any young hitter I you have to look at the position he plays. Ellis darling right now with the year he's having. Most nights we -- -- we have the best for -- up on the field. If you put it all together and has a year batting average wise like last year with power. Now we're looking at a real superstar caliber player and we're well aware that has it going this contract. Judge Brian Noonan from the time and they deal was first floated out there there was gonna get done to the time today. Very short time obviously a no brainer for the organization. Seems like it was an easy sell for starling as well. That's hard courts -- three year old kid that turned -- sixty million dollars and yeah we knew that we're gonna make it hard on them and that was our goal was to to make it really clear that now we wanted to years and we want a lane. Not that initially they were reluctant they wanted to shorter deal. Now we made it clear that our investment starlet was going to be an investment. Out through the age thirty season and now we never budged from that. Top of Garland it's a great deal -- -- lots of us for a fortune. These terrorists family and Hogan whether it's points year old kid for him maybe turned down a little bit outside the future. Thought a lot in sixty million dollars I -- I would have to say that -- point two. Agent this is Chris Carpenter being area we hear talk from time attendants are might be better suited long term as an outfielder but for the duration this contract. Is -- the Cubs shortstop. It's hard to look eight years and in the future -- certainly for the near term absolutely. I think he's gotten better this year he's shown what hard work. Thought they can get really good shortstop. That there's no doubt he's amazing on balls in the air now watch him go out for pop ups makes you wonder what did you do in the outfield. By the offense he provides us that shortstop isn't valuable. And like -- -- you are you going to a series -- going to a month that you look at that that number teams are erratic Alex Garland out there. It's pretty rare so we know we have a big night leg up on the competition at shortstop. And now out of gaullist the fill the positions the same line. Jeff we've got a tweet sent in from one of our viewers and Johnny asks what does the focus third to now for the Cubs after the waiver deadline. Do you lock up more young guys or do you start looking to what you're gonna do in the off season. -- in the latter we we may have some discussions I internally about whether we should. -- continue to lock up some guys. That we don't have the money to do right now and we want to make sure that we do not those guys up -- reasonable cost because if you look at carlin's DL. The highest guaranteed year of that deal with eleven million that gives us a lot of money to go out and I build around them which was important us. But the biggest focus is going to be the offseason. Now we'll spend most of September getting ready for the offseason. And you know sadly. Now with a October a month that we can work this year we'll we'll spent September October. And really yelled at the ground running when we when we get to November and everything really kicks off and -- in the offseason. We had the L in this Studio One day and he said look. Everything's parallel tracks but let's be honest here it's a building process for the Chicago Cubs do you say because this year has been. A rough one that maybe you guys would spend. A little more time on free agency in the winter or trades to try and be a little bit better in 2013. Rather than. Just thinking a long term. The building with all the young kids. We're always gonna think a lot of short term high as long as is not blocking our development -- young players that we want to put a good product on the field. How we wanna do that free agency and and certainly we will be a -- aggressive and free agency. Now where it makes sense of relatively we're not into anything that blocks our plan over a -- good long term so. We don't parallel tracks we got to make sure that our competitive on the field in the short term. But the most important goal is to make sure that we go a championship team -- the long term. Eight Jim had Phil Rodgers. Along not lying on the clearly it's pitching now I mean you've got some young hitters the guys that are there the guys that are coming from a ball. Not so much on the pitching side and I know you're very aggressive looking everywhere for pitchers. You see that guy did just pitch last night for the Orioles. Chien I'm not gonna perhaps I'll try his first name. Way he and -- You know I Taiwan I think and nowhere on the radar this time last year. There's birdie possibility there international guys like that out there they could come along again and get through North America have shelf life in North America. Yeah you we actually talked about Chad here internally and I get girls credit they were aggressive and Elam got them. Now we've got under we helicopter every single rocks to find pitching and you're exactly right our. Position of playing corps in the big leagues are these are playing court the minor leagues. -- a lot stronger candidly that our our pitching got core that we got to build that and every move we make has got to focus on pitching. You're not gonna win this thing about pitching it is a pitching era as you mentioned before. And I know that's going to be our focus whether -- in the draft international. Not being creative and trades. Top pitching has got to be our focus because I think we do feel a lot better about our our hitting -- Generally appreciate it take your time last Twitter question from you for you. Comes -- they -- -- -- there's been any talk with Matt Garza about a long term deal since he goes into the final year of team control or is that something you wanna wait to see what his health is like. Yeah you know we had some talks -- in spring training but how we're gonna focus on Matt's health. Thought he seems like he's doing very well right now he's you know blocker on the the training room in the dugout and it seems in good spirits but we're gonna make sure -- healthy before doing things by. -- we know a lot more guys like -- guards on this team I'm not fewer and now we'll certainly be -- talking to him now once he proves he's healthy going forward. Appreciate it's -- -- regrets on the DL talk to you soon. Great thanks guys.