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<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->The Phillies have agreed to a three-year contract with free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez, pending a physical. The deal is believed to be worth $30 million over three years.
The 36-year-old Ibanez will become the Phillies' new every-day leftfielder, and his signing means the Phillies no longer will pursue their long-time leftfielder, Pat Burrell, who is also a free agent.
Ibanez had drawn significant interest from a number of teams, including the Cubs, Mets, Angels and Braves. But he had been sending signals through friends that the Phillies were his first choice. And the Phillies stepped up their efforts to sign him Thursday after it became known that the Angels were also negotiating the parameters of a deal with Ibanez as their No. 1 alternative if they lost out in efforts to sign Mark Teixeira.
Ibanez, who turns 37 next June, has spent the past five seasons with the Mariners, where he was a long-time favorite of outgoing Phillies GM Pat Gillick. He hit .293 this season, with 23 homers, 110 RBIs, a .358 on-base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage. He is one of just five outfielders who have driven in at least 100 runs in each of the last three seasons. The others: Carlos Beltran, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Lee and Bobby Abreu.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This should start to speed things up, I would think.
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I guess Bradley really is our target.
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<!--quoteo(post=4166:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:19 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 12 2008, 07:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I guess Bradley really is our target.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Or we shyed away from the Peavy deal because we're trying to use some of those pieces to get a RF.
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<!--quoteo(post=4166:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:19 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 12 2008, 07:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I guess Bradley really is our target.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Still could be Abreu.
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As much as I want Bradley, I would have hoped the Cubs could have signed their bat before anyone else signed theirs. Losing one guy off the market can only be bad for the Cubs.
I hope we sign Bradley today.
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<!--quoteo(post=4173:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM:name=Scarey)-->QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->As much as I want Bradley, I would have hoped the Cubs could have signed their bat before anyone else signed theirs. Losing one guy off the market can only be bad for the Cubs.
I hope we sign Bradley today.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
you're very dramatic.
Wang.
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<!--quoteo(post=4174:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM:name=veryzer)-->QUOTE (veryzer @ Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4173:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM:name=Scarey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->As much as I want Bradley, I would have hoped the Cubs could have signed their bat before anyone else signed theirs. Losing one guy off the market can only be bad for the Cubs.
I hope we sign Bradley today.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
you're very dramatic.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ibanez was always going to go first because he was the no. 1 option for a lot of teams, so he had to set the market. Bradley and Abreu should fall soon.
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<!--quoteo(post=4176:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:53 AM:name=sleepyhead)-->QUOTE (sleepyhead @ Dec 12 2008, 07:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4174:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM:name=veryzer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (veryzer @ Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4173:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM:name=Scarey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->As much as I want Bradley, I would have hoped the Cubs could have signed their bat before anyone else signed theirs. Losing one guy off the market can only be bad for the Cubs.
I hope we sign Bradley today.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
you're very dramatic.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ibanez was always going to go first because he was the no. 1 option for a lot of teams, so he had to set the market. Bradley and Abreu should fall soon.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, actually I think Ibanez setting the market at 3/$30M is a good thing for the Cubs.
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<!--quoteo(post=4177:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:58 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Dec 12 2008, 07:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4176:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:53 AM:name=sleepyhead)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (sleepyhead @ Dec 12 2008, 07:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4174:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM:name=veryzer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (veryzer @ Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4173:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM:name=Scarey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->As much as I want Bradley, I would have hoped the Cubs could have signed their bat before anyone else signed theirs. Losing one guy off the market can only be bad for the Cubs.
I hope we sign Bradley today.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
you're very dramatic.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ibanez was always going to go first because he was the no. 1 option for a lot of teams, so he had to set the market. Bradley and Abreu should fall soon.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, actually I think Ibanez setting the market at 3/$30M is a good thing for the Cubs.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Me too, because Bradley won't get the money or the years (especially not both). I think the 2 years/$8-10 per number is pretty accurate.
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<!--quoteo(post=4178:date=Dec 12 2008, 09:01 AM:name=sleepyhead)-->QUOTE (sleepyhead @ Dec 12 2008, 09:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4177:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:58 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Dec 12 2008, 07:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4176:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:53 AM:name=sleepyhead)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (sleepyhead @ Dec 12 2008, 07:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4174:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM:name=veryzer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (veryzer @ Dec 12 2008, 07:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=4173:date=Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM:name=Scarey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 12 2008, 07:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->As much as I want Bradley, I would have hoped the Cubs could have signed their bat before anyone else signed theirs. Losing one guy off the market can only be bad for the Cubs.
I hope we sign Bradley today.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
you're very dramatic.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ibanez was always going to go first because he was the no. 1 option for a lot of teams, so he had to set the market. Bradley and Abreu should fall soon.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, actually I think Ibanez setting the market at 3/$30M is a good thing for the Cubs.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Me too, because Bradley won't get the money or the years (especially not both). I think the 2 years/$8-10 per number is pretty accurate.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think you'll be surprised about what Bradley can make on a contract. The only reason I think he'd take a 2 year for $20 mill deal is if he just wants to get into a big market and show that he's a excellent, mentally stable player for his next contract.
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I'm not that upset by this aside from the fact that it makes one of our biggest threats in the NL stronger, but the part of it that bugs me is that it leaves us with only 2 FA options for RF and I have a feeling that Abreu will be off the market soon as well. So, if we're left with Bradley, we'd better get him. I don't see how many of the trade options out there make us that much better, and we may not have enough to get a deal done.
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It will be interesting to see how this will now play out.
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With one-third of the legit options for our "Lefty OF" now gone, we sure as hell better put the Winter meetings behind us, and get back to work on priority #1.
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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That said, Ibanez was a distant third place (in my heart) of the 3 options. Like rok said, I do hate to see the Phils get stronger.
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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