Peavy Talk

[ruby23]

Because of the pitching and defense, the entire team was up there trying to hit 5 run homers. The offense was bad, but it started with bad pitching, which was then amplified by horrible defense, and then spread to the offense. In order of postseason failure, it was :

poor SP > poor infield defense > anti-clutch hitting

[bz]

Dempster chokes > everyone freaks out > all the infielders shit their pants > Zambrano shits his pants > all the fans swallow their vomit > end of season

[bz]

Although everyone here doesn't believe in intangibles because they can't be proven by self-deprecating means, let's look at two intangibles that this team lacks: leadership and fortitude. If we had either last season we wouldn't have shit the bed in round 1. If everyone could quit spazzing out and if Lou didn't sit on his hands we could be talking about something else. The defense, offense and pitching all sucked. The TEAM sucked. And that's because they lacked fortitude and leadership.

[rok]

Z never shit his pants. He would have pitched a great game had our IF not given the Dodgers 8 outs in a single inning. His stuff was sick in game 2 and he deserved better.

[Clapp]

Olney thinks we'll get a deal done with the Padres with Vitters being the main piece.

[mindbodyspirit]

<i><b>If we can upgrade our offense AND land Peavy, I'm all for it. If it's one or the other, we need a RFer way more than another SP</b>.</i>

A key issue here is that the Peavy deal is available, and it insures we'd have 2 ace-quality starters for the next several years to go with Dempster (and Lilly for 2 more years). Having a solid 1-3/1-4 in the rotation is crtitical. The current state of things economically mandates that JH play a waiting game on the FA LH OF's (Ibanez, Abreu, Bradley, and even Dunn). If nobody is biting, or at very most, teams are offering tepid contracts, JH may be able to land one of those guys with a 1 year deal or a 2 year offer. I think the key to us signing any of those guys is years, not salary in 2009. I think a new owner would be happy to sweat payroll a touch to see an IMPROVED 97 win team fielded for the 2009 Cubs. I'm content to get what we can and wait & see. JH makes very, very few personnel mistakes.

<b><i>Olney thinks we'll get a deal done with the Padres with Vitters being the main piece.</i> </b>

Vitters being the centerpiece is fine, but it will take a lot more than that, as Vitters is likely 3-4 years away. I'd be surprised if Colvin/Thomas & a catcher like Mark Reed/Welington Castillo, along with Cedeno and Marshall, wouldn't be included with Vitters. If the deal shaped up as Vitters, Thomas, Reed, Cedeno, and Marshall for Peavy... it would be good for both teams. The Pads don't get their pitching, but they do get some fine prospects that could fortify their franchise for the next decade. And it would likely end up as a better deal than what the Twins got for Santana or the Indians got for Sabathia (an All-Star bat for a DH is still a DH).

[dk123]

<!--quoteo(post=1383:date=Dec 4 2008, 11:46 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Dec 4 2008, 11:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Olney thinks we'll get a deal done with the Padres with Vitters being the main piece.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'd do that.

[leonardsipes]

<!--quoteo(post=1381:date=Dec 4 2008, 11:21 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 4 2008, 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Z never shit his pants. He would have pitched a great game had our IF not given the Dodgers 8 outs in a single inning. His stuff was sick in game 2 and he deserved better.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I agree. Not only did Z pitch great, he did not blow his cool when the defense blew 3 straight double play grounders. Zambrano has fortitude and leadership. He should have been the game one starter.

[savant]

Sipes that is a good point. After the way that Z has pitched in the last two playoffs I fell that he has earned the right to be our Ace.

[HTC]

Didn't see this posted.

[Clapp]

WELL FUCK YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH BOYS AND GIRLS! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butch.gif[/img]

[PcB]

If we get Peavy, I'm sperminating all over the place.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Hendry, who is said to be drawing up offseason transaction scenarios even more creative than usual for him, might still have to move salary to make Peavy and his $11 million salary next season fit the Cubs' plans while leaving room to add at least one significant hitter.

But money does not appear to be the primary obstacle to a Peavy deal that it was thought to be. And insiders say the Cubs are willing to eat perhaps as much as $4 million of pitcher Jason Marquis' 2009 salary of $9.875 million as part of the trade to clear more room.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->With increases due to players already under contract, along with projected increases for other players under club control, the Cubs would figure to open the season with a payroll of roughly $133 million if they made no changes.

Adding Peavy and moving about $6 million of Marquis' salary would bring that total to about $138 million. If the payroll budget is in the mid-$140 millions, that would leave enough for what could be a strong offer for a hitter in a seemingly skittish free-agent market.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So if adding Peavy and moving Marquis put it to 138, how do we have much more money to get a hitter like he says? They'd still like to keep Blanco which will cost at least a million, and another lefty is needed if they're putting Marshall in this deal. What hitters worth picking up will be that cheap? I can't think of any. Might have to be a trade. Then again, we'll probably be getting rid of a couple more million with the other players in the deal. I'm too tired and still a little drunk to figure this out. And before you ask, Roberts is making 8 million in 09 so yes, that could be very possible. However, Lou would prefer a middle of the order left-handed hitter.
Linkage(Sun-Times)

[Ace]

Glad to hear that financially, Peavy and Roberts is possible, but trade-piece-wise, I just don't see how it is.

[HTC]

This is a couple of days old but I haven't seen it posted either.

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Now, they'll turn their attention back to dealing away ace Jake Peavy: Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he expects to speak with his Chicago Cubs counterpart, Jim Hendry, about Peavy at the winter meetings in Las Vegas next week.

"Things usually always heat up when you can talk face-to-face," Towers said Thursday evening. "I've had ongoing dialog with Jim Hendry, and we plan on getting together in Las Vegas and furthering our conversations.

"We've identified a couple of clubs that could work as third teams (to help facilitate a Peavy deal between the Padres and Cubs).

"After they re-signed (Ryan) Dempster it probably became more difficult, but Jim has assured me he'll do everything he can to make it happen. Maybe it's more complicated now (with Dempster having re-signed)."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Whether Peavy is still around by then remains doubtful. While Towers said that subtracting Greene's salary means that the ace pitcher could still fit into the opening day payroll, that clearly is not Plan A.

Indications are that, if he is to be traded, Peavy is doing what he can to steer that ship toward Chicago.

"It's the one place I don't think they're looking for a lot of concessions on a deal," Towers said of Peavy and his agent, Barry Axelrod. "If it was to the East Coast, they may look for his option to be picked up or the deal to be re-done.

"Chicago's a good ballclub, a good market, and they're in a good division. That seems to be attractive to Jake. Hendry is a good guy to deal with.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Link.