Cubs Will Be Able To Add Payroll During The Season

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Despite tough economic conditions prompting many teams to scale back spending, the Cubs remain strong enough that team officials anticipate the ability to add payroll during the season, even after increasing it about 10 percent over last season.

''I would think there'll be room to make moves at the turn,'' Cubs chairman Crane Kenney said, referring to the July trading period.

Kenney said the Cubs' ticket sales are keeping pace with last season and that broadcast revenues should remain strong. The club has had a lag in sponsorship, but Kenney -- who said overall club revenues have doubled in the last five years -- said much of that has been ''backfilled with other new business.''<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[veryzer]

man thats so razzle dazzle.

FUCK YEAH CLAPP!

[Clapp]

FUCK YEAH VERYZER!

[Mikey]

FUCK YEAH VERYAPP!!!

[Destined]

Now's going to be the time to pick up contracts from $truggling teams, but what prospects do we have?? Stevens? That's really it, besides Marshall.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=24191:date=Mar 19 2009, 11:31 PM:name=Destined)-->QUOTE (Destined @ Mar 19 2009, 11:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Now's going to be the time to pick up contracts from $truggling teams, but what prospects do we have?? Stevens? That's really it, besides Marshall.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's probably a dozen arms that struggling teams would take that have a utility player we could use for example. I've really been impressed with the young arms in like the three games I've seen this Spring. Every team out there is looking to acquire young power arms and we're still loaded there. They don't all know how to "pitch", but when you've got an arm like that teams will take a chance on you. Hell, that's why Andrew Cashner was a first round pick.

[Destined]

<!--quoteo(post=24194:date=Mar 19 2009, 10:56 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Mar 19 2009, 10:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=24191:date=Mar 19 2009, 11:31 PM:name=Destined)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Destined @ Mar 19 2009, 11:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Now's going to be the time to pick up contracts from $truggling teams, but what prospects do we have?? Stevens? That's really it, besides Marshall.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's probably a dozen arms that struggling teams would take that have a utility player we could use for example. I've really been impressed with the young arms in like the three games I've seen this Spring. Every team out there is looking to acquire young power arms and we're still loaded there. They don't all know how to "pitch", but when you've got an arm like that teams will take a chance on you. Hell, that's why Andrew Cashner was a first round pick.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Guzman fits the bill. No doubt an A+ arm, but the dude can't pitch. Hopefully we can salvage something in return for him in the next couple weeks.
As for the arms, I admit I have seen just 1 game so far in ST. I had high hopes for Ascanio last year when we got him, but his lines in ST have been disappointing.
As far as Cashner goes...he's a super raw Guzman without the rare Marmolesque slide piece, a dud, but I'd take Matt Capps or for him. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif[/img]
I'm still clinging to the thought of Stevens and Marshall to SD in May or so for Peavy, when the economy really starts to sting the Padres.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=24198:date=Mar 20 2009, 12:48 AM:name=Destined)-->QUOTE (Destined @ Mar 20 2009, 12:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=24194:date=Mar 19 2009, 10:56 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Mar 19 2009, 10:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=24191:date=Mar 19 2009, 11:31 PM:name=Destined)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Destined @ Mar 19 2009, 11:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Now's going to be the time to pick up contracts from $truggling teams, but what prospects do we have?? Stevens? That's really it, besides Marshall.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's probably a dozen arms that struggling teams would take that have a utility player we could use for example. I've really been impressed with the young arms in like the three games I've seen this Spring. Every team out there is looking to acquire young power arms and we're still loaded there. They don't all know how to "pitch", but when you've got an arm like that teams will take a chance on you. Hell, that's why Andrew Cashner was a first round pick.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Guzman fits the bill. No doubt an A+ arm, but the dude can't pitch. Hopefully we can salvage something in return for him in the next couple weeks.
As for the arms, I admit I have seen just 1 game so far in ST. I had high hopes for Ascanio last year when we got him, but his lines in ST have been disappointing.
As far as Cashner goes...he's a super raw Guzman without the rare Marmolesque slide piece, a dud, but I'd take Matt Capps or for him. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif[/img]
I'm still clinging to the thought of Stevens and Marshall to SD in May or so for Peavy, when the economy really starts to sting the Padres.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah like I said some of these guys, well most of them, still don't know how to pitch. Still, say we need a Ramon Martinez type of player(I know he sucks, I'm just saying a random utility player we could use), any non-contender would take a power arm for him and hope they can teach that guy how to pitch.

But yeah to acquire a Peavy type, we lack the top notch prospects that might be required to get such deals done. That might not be the case in 4 months though, and we'll also likely have more money to work with by then. That's why I'd prefer to wait until July or so to make a deal when we have more to offer, more to spend, and a better idea of our needs.

[Scarey]

Along with the "live arms" we have, I think there's going to be some Cubs prospects that turn the corner this year and start grabbing some big time attention. Guys like Marquez Smith, Chris Carpenter, Ryan Flaherty, and the like should really start to show their value. Not to mention that we have a few very high talent players (Cashner, Hak-ju Lee) that could turn out to have top prospect value if they show a little something early on.