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You guys, I hear ya. You're probably right.
I just don't think we should invest too much money in a backup catcher, so if Bako or LaDuco come aboard, I hope it's for a half-mil or less (which is what they're worth.)
And Clappie? Miles is a scrub. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tasty.gif[/img]
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance
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<!--quoteo(post=11701:date=Jan 14 2009, 09:02 PM:name=KBwsb)-->QUOTE (KBwsb @ Jan 14 2009, 09:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->You guys, I hear ya. You're probably right.
I just don't think we should invest too much money in a backup catcher, so if Bako or LaDuco come aboard, I hope it's for a half-mil or less (which is what they're worth.)
And Clappie? Miles is a scrub. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tasty.gif[/img]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He's fine. Like I've said, I think he's the type of guy we might end up liking a lot in October and I bet he hits .290+. Switch-hitter, <i>can</i> play a few positions, fundamentally solid, plays hard, we'll like him. Plus, he annoyed the hell out of me on the Cards last year so I'm glad to have him off their team.
@TheBlogfines
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<!--quoteo(post=11702:date=Jan 14 2009, 10:08 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jan 14 2009, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=11701:date=Jan 14 2009, 09:02 PM:name=KBwsb)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KBwsb @ Jan 14 2009, 09:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->You guys, I hear ya. You're probably right.
I just don't think we should invest too much money in a backup catcher, so if Bako or LaDuco come aboard, I hope it's for a half-mil or less (which is what they're worth.)
And Clappie? Miles is a scrub. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tasty.gif[/img]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He's fine. Like I've said, I think he's the type of guy we might end up liking a lot in October and I bet he hits .290+. Switch-hitter, <i>can</i> play a few positions, fundamentally solid, plays hard, we'll like him. Plus, he annoyed the hell out of me on the Cards last year so I'm glad to have him off their team.
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Agreed. He was a fan favorite in St. Louis and it wasn't just because he's a little guy that plays hard. He's a solid player. We could do a lot worse for a utility guy. FWIW, he'll see a lot of time against left handers. His OBP is about 30 points higher for his career from the right side than it is as a left-handed hitter. Granted, he's had a little more than 1000 at bats from the left side than from the right side but he's taken 70 walks from from the left side and 53 from the right. He'll be fine, and should be a nice complement to Fontenot at 2nd when lefties are going. He's not a guy you want playing short all the time but a few games here and there and he's capable. He'll be a fine sub for Theriot when he needs a breather.
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I doubt that LoDuca asks for a lot in terms of salary. At this point, I think he'd be happy just to be on a ML roster and play a few times a month for a winning club. I'd be fine with him at around 1 mil. He'd easily be one of the best backups around, even though he's a troll douche off the field.
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<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->But general manager Jim Hendry said Wednesday that Mike Fontenot will compete with Miles for the second base job in spring training.
"Absolutely," Hendry said. "I think when we all got done, and all the things that got batted around in the last couple of months, we forget how good a player he was last year."
Fontenot hit .360 after the All-Star break and .366 in September, but he wasn't in the starting lineup the first two playoff games as manager Lou Piniella played DeRosa at second and used slumping Kosuke Fukudome in right field. Miles, a 5-foot-8-inch switch-hitter, also will get some playing time at short, spelling Ryan Theriot and playing alongside Fontenot as a pint-sized double-play combo.
"Then you could get four or five lefties in the lineup one day," Hendry said, "which I think is going to be beneficial."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Piniella has said he expects competition this spring between Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg for the closer's job, though most expect Marmol to be anointed by mid-March.
"That's really for Lou to decide," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "But Carlos has proved what kind of job he can do in that role, and I would be surprised if you run across anybody who can do it better. We're confident in what he can do, and he'll have help out there with Kevin."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Felix Pie, Ronny Cedeno and Rich Hill are out of options, meaning they will have to clear waivers if they're not on the Opening Day roster. None of them will be at this weekend's Cubs Convention, and all three figure to be with different teams by the end of spring training, if they're not dealt beforehand.
The Cubs have spoken to Rich Aurilia's agent and may offer Aurilia a one-year deal to take Cedeno's spot and back up Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee.
"We're a long ways from camp," Hendry said. "Maybe there's a potential addition we don't know about who could serve a different role in the utility situation."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Hendry will meet with the new owner of the Cubs as soon Tribune Co. completes the sale. He'll then find out whether he can find a way to fit Jake Peavy's $63 million contract into the Cubs' budget. Otherwise, the Cubs will look for a veteran starter willing to sign a one-year deal. Left-hander Randy Wolf is among the available free agents whose price tags are dropping. For now, Sean Marshall is the odds-on favorite for the fifth starter's role.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->New outfielder Joey Gathright said he no longer jumps over cars, as he did on a video made famous on YouTube. Gathright started doing the stunt during his sophomore year after high school football practice because he said he was "bored."
"I don't know why I did it," Gathright said. "It's probably a dumb thing. Still, I kept doing it. But now I'm not allowed to anymore."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Hendry said the Cubs are not planning to bring back Henry Blanco, the backup catcher who remains unsigned. Hendry is looking for a left-handed-hitting, defense-oriented catcher to compete with Koyie Hill in spring training.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Zambrano spent part of his off-season vacationing in Italy and is said to be relaxed and ready to reassert himself as the staff ace. If Zambrano, Dempster, Ted Lilly and Rich Harden perform at their usual levels, the Cubs should be playoff-bound again—not that anyone is looking ahead.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->While expressing confidence in his starting rotation and bullpen, Hendry also talked up the versatility of his lineup, to which switch-hitting outfielder Milton Bradley was added last week as a free agent. Bradley could hit fourth, between right-handed hitters Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez.
"He's definitely a middle-of-the-lineup guy," Hendry said of Bradley. That'll be up to Lou, how he and Gerald (hitting coach Perry) decide to do it at the end of camp. We feel good about the possibilities.
"Milton can hit in a lot of places, as you know. With (being) such a high-on-base-percentage guy and still with the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark, it's a nice situation. I'm sure Derrek and Ramy are two of the happier guys that we acquired him."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Various articles
@TheBlogfines
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Good updates. I've said all along that I feel good about this season, but the recent quotes bolster that feeling.
Face it, they're never gonna run the team the way I'd ideally like them to. Fontenot should have definitely started over Fuk in the playoffs, and I think Marmol's perfect job is as the 7th and 8th inning fireman, not as the guy to get the last 3 outs with nobody on base.
But what can you do? If we get into the playoffs again, there's no reason to complain.
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance
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<!--quoteo(post=11683:date=Jan 14 2009, 09:10 PM:name=KBwsb)-->QUOTE (KBwsb @ Jan 14 2009, 09:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=11682:date=Jan 14 2009, 09:07 PM:name=ColoradoCub)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ColoradoCub @ Jan 14 2009, 09:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=11681:date=Jan 14 2009, 08:06 PM:name=HTC)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (HTC @ Jan 14 2009, 08:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The other Bruce in Chicago apparently reported we have interest in Lo Duca.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought he already signed a minor league contract somewhere?
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Man, I pray that is true. LoDuca personifies the "Bloomquist-type" player we were taling about: great hustle, great clubhouse guy, poor on-field performance.
But he'll be 37 next year, and that's not old for a catcher, is it? Plus, he had that kick-ass 63 OPS+ last season. Sign his ass.
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He's also likely a steroid case, and an insane party animal...which got him kicked out of New York.
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<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Face it, they're never gonna run the team the way I'd ideally like them to.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Good.
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<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Felix Pie, Ronny Cedeno and Rich Hill are out of options, meaning they will have to clear waivers if they're not on the Opening Day roster. None of them will be at this weekend's Cubs Convention, and all three figure to be with different teams by the end of spring training, if they're not dealt beforehand.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Obviously Hill won't be on the MLB roster, but it's not a forgone conclusion that Cedeno and Pie are gone.
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<!--quoteo(post=11733:date=Jan 15 2009, 07:56 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jan 15 2009, 07:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->Felix Pie, Ronny Cedeno and Rich Hill are out of options, meaning they will have to clear waivers if they're not on the Opening Day roster. None of them will be at this weekend's Cubs Convention, and all three figure to be with different teams by the end of spring training, if they're not dealt beforehand.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Obviously Hill won't be on the MLB roster, but it's not a forgone conclusion that Cedeno and Pie are gone.
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i hope it is though. i'm thinking they could be included in a trade for peavy.
Wang.
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I don't know where else Pie is going to fit in. I mean are we going to let Gathright go over him? Probably not. We aren't going to keep five OF's on the roster.
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<!--quoteo(post=11736:date=Jan 15 2009, 08:28 AM:name=Quinn)-->QUOTE (Quinn @ Jan 15 2009, 08:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't know where else Pie is going to fit in. I mean are we going to let Gathright go over him? Probably not. We aren't going to keep five OF's on the roster.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We had at least 5 OFers on the roster the entire season last year. Johnson, Fukudome, Soriano, Edmonds, Ward (sorta), Pie were all on the roster at the same time. They could find room for Pie, if need be.
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<!--quoteo(post=11767:date=Jan 15 2009, 09:49 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jan 15 2009, 09:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=11736:date=Jan 15 2009, 08:28 AM:name=Quinn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Quinn @ Jan 15 2009, 08:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't know where else Pie is going to fit in. I mean are we going to let Gathright go over him? Probably not. We aren't going to keep five OF's on the roster.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We had at least 5 OFers on the roster the entire season last year. Johnson, Fukudome, Soriano, Edmonds, Ward (sorta), Pie were all on the roster at the same time. They could find room for Pie, if need be.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We already have Bradley, Soriano, Johnson, Fukudome and Gathright. Pie would be 6. Plus, Hoff is gonna take Ward's spot, unless we sign Aurilia or someone similar. Pie's gone.
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<!--quoteo(post=11769:date=Jan 15 2009, 09:55 AM:name=sleepyhead)-->QUOTE (sleepyhead @ Jan 15 2009, 09:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=11767:date=Jan 15 2009, 09:49 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jan 15 2009, 09:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=11736:date=Jan 15 2009, 08:28 AM:name=Quinn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Quinn @ Jan 15 2009, 08:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't know where else Pie is going to fit in. I mean are we going to let Gathright go over him? Probably not. We aren't going to keep five OF's on the roster.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We had at least 5 OFers on the roster the entire season last year. Johnson, Fukudome, Soriano, Edmonds, Ward (sorta), Pie were all on the roster at the same time. They could find room for Pie, if need be.
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We already have Bradley, Soriano, Johnson, Fukudome and Gathright. Pie would be 6. Plus, Hoff is gonna take Ward's spot, unless we sign Aurilia or someone similar. Pie's gone.
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I don't think it's a given that Hoffpauir is on the roster. If the only deal that's out there is a deal to dump Pie for basically nothing in return, I don't think it happens. We had the same situation with Cedeno last year and we didn't dump him for nothing, I don't see Pie (who's more valuable than Cedeno) being dumped for no return.
That being said, I think something probably materializes before the end of ST and Pie gets dealt.
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I think for this team the way it's built, Cedeno has more value than Pie as a backup IF, especially since Gathright makes Pie expendable. I'd be shocked if both are still with the organization at the end of ST.
Hill is just a lost cause. He might be given a chance to make the team again, but he also might accept another demotion to try to work out his problems. I don't seem him turning his career around though. He just doesn't have the marbles.
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