MLB News & Notes (other than Cubs or Sox)

[rok]

I'm still loyal. That will never change. I've just become more cynical, and it's made me expect less and less, so it's all easier to swallow.

[VanSlawAndCottoCheese]

<!--quoteo(post=123334:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:27 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 14 2010, 02:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The money, even though most of it is backloaded to 2012, was never the issue. Length of contract isn't either. It's just the fact that up to this point we're trying to patch up a 75 win team with other teams' hot rubbish (Pena and possibly Webb) symbolically means very little in the grand scheme of things and just feels like a half-assed attempt at tinkering with a mess of a team.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I dunno. What moves do you want them to make? Trading Demp or Ramirez, perhaps, but anyone else is either young enough or weighed down by too much money to be worth it. Signing Webb--again, depending on money and contact length-- is exactly the type of move this team can do right now: something somewhat risky with a potential for a huge payoff.

[Coldneck]

I think Hendry should call up Texas and NYY and see if they're interested in Zambrano or Dempster. Perhaps we could net some useful prospects in a deal and get out of our obligations to pay them at the same time. Z would probably nix a deal for him with his NTC though.

[satchel]

<!--quoteo(post=123300:date=Dec 14 2010, 10:22 AM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 14 2010, 10:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123299:date=Dec 14 2010, 10:10 AM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 10:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->This sucks simply because a national league team with less revenue than the cubs does anything and everything it wants to get championships. Yet the cubs sign .196 hitters and 84 MPH pitchers (so they hope) and trot out everyone else from a 5th place team again next year. Being a cub fan sucks.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is why more and more I'd lean toward blowing shit up and starting over, even though it will never happen. This team isn't beating the Reds and Tards let alone the Phillies of the world anytime soon. Two to three moves away from competing, my ass.

That said I'd still be on board for Garza because it is good for the present and future.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

But what is blowing it up? trading aram? because that is the only valuable veteran starter on the team, fuk and soriano wont net you anything and fuk comes off the board next year.

Dempster might net something good around the trade deadline if he is putting up similar numbers maybe byrd also, but after that who?

Soto imo is too young to trade he has 4-5 good years left(possibly more) he can certainly be a center piece along with Castro. Its not a marlins situation where they actually had something to blow up, you cant really trade away the team when there is only a few valuable players to trade.

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=123339:date=Dec 14 2010, 01:42 PM:name=VanSlawAndCottoCheese)-->QUOTE (VanSlawAndCottoCheese @ Dec 14 2010, 01:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123334:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:27 PM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Dec 14 2010, 02:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The money, even though most of it is backloaded to 2012, was never the issue. Length of contract isn't either. It's just the fact that up to this point we're trying to patch up a 75 win team with other teams' hot rubbish (Pena and possibly Webb) symbolically means very little in the grand scheme of things and just feels like a half-assed attempt at tinkering with a mess of a team.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I dunno. What moves do you want them to make? Trading Demp or Ramirez, perhaps, but anyone else is either young enough or weighed down by too much money to be worth it. Signing Webb--again, depending on money and contact length-- is exactly the type of move this team can do right now: something somewhat risky with a potential for a huge payoff.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't know exactly. There's no way we could have done something as bold as signing Lee and trading for Gonzalez, but here we are in year 2 of the Ricketts regime, and we're still spinning our tires and stuck in the mud. I'm fine with the long-term approach, but as a fan who doesn't look forward to this team getting spanked regularly for the next 2-3 years with no end in sight, it's just hard for me to feel anything for this organization other than sad.

[willis]

The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.

[willis]

<!--quoteo(post=123340:date=Dec 14 2010, 01:50 PM:name=Coldneck)-->QUOTE (Coldneck @ Dec 14 2010, 01:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I think Hendry should call up Texas and NYY and see if they're interested in Zambrano or Dempster. Perhaps we could net some useful prospects in a deal and get out of our obligations to pay them at the same time. Z would probably nix a deal for him with his NTC though.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

That is a pretty damn good idea if they whiff on Greinke. Both are going to want/need pitching.

[vitaminB]

<!--quoteo(post=123343:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM:name=willis)-->QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So are we a WS team with Gonzalez instead of Pena? No. So then we're stuck with a rented player and down three prospects on a team that didn't win a WS.

[willis]

<!--quoteo(post=123346:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM:name=vitaminB)-->QUOTE (vitaminB @ Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123343:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So are we a WS team with Gonzalez instead of Pena? No. So then we're stuck with a rented player and down three prospects on a team that didn't win a WS.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

No...not this coming year. A contender in the division with him? Yes. And I think if they would have given up quality prospects, they wouldn't have without an extension, so it wouldn't have been a rented player.

[vitaminB]

<!--quoteo(post=123347:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:52 PM:name=willis)-->QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123346:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM:name=vitaminB)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vitaminB @ Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123343:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So are we a WS team with Gonzalez instead of Pena? No. So then we're stuck with a rented player and down three prospects on a team that didn't win a WS.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

No...not this coming year. A contender in the division with him? Yes. And I think if they would have given up quality prospects, they wouldn't have without an extension, so it wouldn't have been a rented player.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So you would have rather given up quality prospects (Jackson, Lee, Cashner) and then signed a multi-million dollar deal to a guy coming off shoulder surgery?

I think if we're building for this 2012 push then we're doing it the right way. We have a ton of young talent coming through the system right now. We just need to get through this clog at the major league level so they have somewhere to play.

[The Dude]

clearly Hendry just needs to sign more guys to play 2B. We have a severe shortage by his standards.

[Coldneck]

<!--quoteo(post=123343:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM:name=willis)-->QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
With the exception of Sarlin Castro we don't have a prospect near as good as the pitcher (top 10 in baseball) SD got from Boston. We even tried to make a deal with SD, but Boston had a better offer.

[Bricklayer]

<!--quoteo(post=123347:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:52 PM:name=willis)-->QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 02:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123346:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM:name=vitaminB)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vitaminB @ Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123343:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So are we a WS team with Gonzalez instead of Pena? No. So then we're stuck with a rented player and down three prospects on a team that didn't win a WS.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

No...not this coming year. A contender in the division with him? Yes. And I think if they would have given up quality prospects, they wouldn't have without an extension, so it wouldn't have been a rented player.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I don't think I understand your logic. What does the quality of the prospects have to do with an extension?

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=123365:date=Dec 14 2010, 04:21 PM:name=Bricklayer)-->QUOTE (Bricklayer @ Dec 14 2010, 04:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123347:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:52 PM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 02:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123346:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM:name=vitaminB)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vitaminB @ Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123343:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So are we a WS team with Gonzalez instead of Pena? No. So then we're stuck with a rented player and down three prospects on a team that didn't win a WS.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

No...not this coming year. A contender in the division with him? Yes. And I think if they would have given up quality prospects, they wouldn't have without an extension, so it wouldn't have been a rented player.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I don't think I understand your logic. What does the quality of the prospects have to do with an extension?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think what he's saying is the Cubs wouldn't have given up highly rated prospects without an assurance (or at least plenty of confidence) that an extension would happen.

[willis]

<!--quoteo(post=123368:date=Dec 14 2010, 04:30 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Dec 14 2010, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123365:date=Dec 14 2010, 04:21 PM:name=Bricklayer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bricklayer @ Dec 14 2010, 04:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123347:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:52 PM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 02:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123346:date=Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM:name=vitaminB)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vitaminB @ Dec 14 2010, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=123343:date=Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM:name=willis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (willis @ Dec 14 2010, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The team could have traded for Gonzalez. The pieces are there and he isn't making dick this year. In fact, the cubs will be paying (I know deferred) Pena more money than it would have cost for Gonzalez. So I don't consider that too bold to pull off. Bold-absolutely. Awesome-yes. But they could have done it. The problem is that this team is afraid to pull the trigger because Hendry has Ricketts convinced a tinker here and a tinker there gets it done. The real is they are going to run out a bunch of overpaid vets detined to finish behind a medium market team and 4 small market teams.

Well maybe 3 small market teams because the Pirates are eternally garbabge...since 1992 at least.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So are we a WS team with Gonzalez instead of Pena? No. So then we're stuck with a rented player and down three prospects on a team that didn't win a WS.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

No...not this coming year. A contender in the division with him? Yes. And I think if they would have given up quality prospects, they wouldn't have without an extension, so it wouldn't have been a rented player.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I don't think I understand your logic. What does the quality of the prospects have to do with an extension?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think what he's saying is the Cubs wouldn't have given up highly rated prospects without an assurance (or at least plenty of confidence) that an extension would happen.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yep...no way they would have thrown all the gems at the Padres without an extension. That's my point. I agree with the initial point of not trading a bunch of valuable future pieces for a rental.