All his eggs in one basket?

[NoDak]

I have read in several posts on here that--and I am paraphrasing here--JH puts "all of his eggs into one basket."

 

I have three problems with this:

1. Depending on what/who that basket is, I don't know that I would have any trouble with it.

 

2. I don't know that it is true.

 

My reasoning is simple. I have not read ANY posts from anyone who can really convince me that they have talked to him. All we have to go on is news reports saying that CHC was really after ... (fill in the blank). It is the job of newspapers to find out where there is interest and the speculate on options. Now all of a sudden we are hearing that JH wants Pierre. The fact is that Pierre, while not spectacular, would likely be an improvement over what we have had in CF over the past several years with the exception of 2003. We don't know that JH has put all (or any) eggs into that basket though.

 

3. I wish he did put all of his eggs in one basket. I wish he would have been so obsessed with acquiring Furcal that he would have "oopsed" and allowed Jim Bowden to have a press conference where he hands a grinning Neifi Perez a Nationals uniform. Then make the traditional speech:

"Today is an exciting day for our organization. We have acquired an award winning veteran at a very important position. Mr. Perez is excited to contribute his abilities to help with one of our problems last year, offense from the SS position." (pause for laughter) "No, really, did you see what we had last year?"

 

Just because the papers say that this or that player is who Hendry is after does not mean that it is true, or that he is so single minded in his approach. While Hendry does have weaknesses (like evaluating FA talent) I don't know that "putting all his eggs in one basket" is one of them. I think a lot will still happen this off-season.

[goonys evil twin]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

[cubbyvirus00]

He has no eggs. He hasen't done a thing except sign a couple of bullpen pitchers.

 

Our offense remains the same, and I highly doubt D-Lee puts up another MVP year.

[wade]

5/50 on one guy is kind of putting all your eggs in one basket. I think he said himself Furcal was the number one target. Myself, I'm afraid that the tunnelvision on Furcal may have cost the Cubs Brian Giles, who was way more needed than Furcal, in my opinion.

[wade]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

 

I've got to start typing faster.

[cubbyvirus00]

Giles wanted to stay in SD. There is no denying that.

[wade]

Giles wanted to stay in SD. There is no denying that.

 

That's a valid point. If I were G.M. I woulda liked to see what he'd say to 3 years and 35 million. I don't know if the other published offers were really that high or if he didn't want to go there. But, I would have tried, nonetheless.

[goonys evil twin]

Giles wanted to stay in SD. There is no denying that.

 

So. At the very least, if the Cubs got involved, they could have upped the price a little, and taken away money for San Diego to play elsewhere. From all accounts, the Cubs didn't even come close to talking seriously with Giles. There is no telling what they would have had to do to get him back, but at several points it looked like SD had no chance. Before Schilling when to Boston there were several reports about how he had no desire to play in Boston. When a GM actually recruits a player, anything can happen. You have to try instead of just assuming, even when you are shot down at first, try harder.

[nick23]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

[goonys evil twin]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

 

It's very hard for me to accept that Hendry apparantly didn't even try to talk him into the move, like other GMs have done with players who used to be against playing for that team.

[nick23]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

 

It's very hard for me to accept that Hendry apparantly didn't even try to talk him into the move, like other GMs have done with players who used to be against playing for that team.

Like I asked before, How exactly do you know this?

[goonys evil twin]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

 

It's very hard for me to accept that Hendry apparantly didn't even try to talk him into the move, like other GMs have done with players who used to be against playing for that team.

Like I asked before, How exactly do you know this?

 

Well, we didn't get Giles, so that alone says he didn't do enough.

 

But no, I don't know this as fact. None of this crap we talk about is known as fact. But any reasonable person who has read up on the situation would have to come to the conclusion that Hendry didn't really try hard to get Giles. If you disagree with that statement, or the statement that he did try really hard to get Furcal, than go right ahead and say it. But don't ask me to prove every statement, or else make sure you do that to every other poster who makes an educated assumption based on several reports by many baseball media outlets.

[YearofDaCubs]

Hendry will need to pull off some major trades if he wants us to compete in 2006. People can fault the pitching all they want but in my eyes the offense was the bigger problem. Very inconsistent, and zero fundamentals. One day we would put up 8 runs and another be shut out. On paper the final stats of the offense looked ok but watching the games to me at least the offense was the biggest problem. Dusty sure didn't help by leaving Neifi and other terrible options in the 1-2 hole either. Why is Dusty still here? The man failed us the past two years. Any other organization and he would've been out of here long time ago.

[mg420]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

 

It's very hard for me to accept that Hendry apparantly didn't even try to talk him into the move, like other GMs have done with players who used to be against playing for that team.

Like I asked before, How exactly do you know this?

 

Well, we didn't get Giles, so that alone says he didn't do enough.

 

But no, I don't know this as fact. None of this crap we talk about is known as fact. But any reasonable person who has read up on the situation would have to come to the conclusion that Hendry didn't really try hard to get Giles. If you disagree with that statement, or the statement that he did try really hard to get Furcal, than go right ahead and say it. But don't ask me to prove every statement, or else make sure you do that to every other poster who makes an educated assumption based on several reports by many baseball media outlets.

 

maybe he didnt try "hard enough" because he knew giles wanted to stay in san deigo. that is as valid of an argument as hendry not offering enough to get giles.

[Keener98]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

 

It's very hard for me to accept that Hendry apparantly didn't even try to talk him into the move, like other GMs have done with players who used to be against playing for that team.

Like I asked before, How exactly do you know this?

 

Maybe because there were various reports in the Chicago papers and radio that Hendry was not interested in Giles because of his age. How exactly do you know that Goony is wrong? You dont its called an educated assumption from reading various reports and making a conclusion. Can you make an educated assumption for the other way?

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

I don't know about putting eggs in baskets, but Hendry is starting to look a lot like Humpty Dumpty.

[badger1679666666]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

 

It's very hard for me to accept that Hendry apparantly didn't even try to talk him into the move, like other GMs have done with players who used to be against playing for that team.

Like I asked before, How exactly do you know this?

 

Well, we didn't get Giles, so that alone says he didn't do enough.

 

But no, I don't know this as fact. None of this crap we talk about is known as fact. But any reasonable person who has read up on the situation would have to come to the conclusion that Hendry didn't really try hard to get Giles. If you disagree with that statement, or the statement that he did try really hard to get Furcal, than go right ahead and say it. But don't ask me to prove every statement, or else make sure you do that to every other poster who makes an educated assumption based on several reports by many baseball media outlets.

 

Isn't it at all possible, even probable, that Hendry did look into Giles, but realized from what he was hearing that it looked like a lost cause/very difficult so rather than waste time with a player that was 95% staying in SD, he went after a player he thought he had a better chance of getting (Furcal)? Maybe he, the General Manager of the Chicago Cubs had more information than us, fans of the Chicago Cubs?

[nick23]

He did put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket, but lucked out when somebody else overpaid.

 

He didn't put enough eggs in the Giles basket.

How exactly do you know this? Is it that hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, Giles didn't want to play for Chicago?

 

It's very hard for me to accept that Hendry apparantly didn't even try to talk him into the move, like other GMs have done with players who used to be against playing for that team.

Like I asked before, How exactly do you know this?

 

Well, we didn't get Giles, so that alone says he didn't do enough.

 

But no, I don't know this as fact. None of this crap we talk about is known as fact. But any reasonable person who has read up on the situation would have to come to the conclusion that Hendry didn't really try hard to get Giles. If you disagree with that statement, or the statement that he did try really hard to get Furcal, than go right ahead and say it. But don't ask me to prove every statement, or else make sure you do that to every other poster who makes an educated assumption based on several reports by many baseball media outlets.

I just don't think you know what you're talking about. That's all. You claimed Hendry didn't put enough eggs in Giles's basket. I was just wondering how you knew this.

[goonys evil twin]

Isn't it at all possible, even probable, that Hendry did look into Giles, but realized from what he was hearing that it looked like a lost cause/very difficult so rather than waste time with a player that was 95% staying in SD, he went after a player he thought he had a better chance of getting (Furcal)? Maybe he, the General Manager of the Chicago Cubs had more information than us, fans of the Chicago Cubs?

 

It's possible, but still not a good enough explanation for me.

 

My personal view of the situation is that Hendry didn't prioritize Giles at all. He did not value Giles skillset or realize just how big a hole RF is right now. Hendry has a thing for guys like Encarnacion, Wilson, Jones and Burnitz, so he was more than happy to wait on RF, and pretty much ignored Giles and his .400+ OBP. Considering he was offering 5/50 and maybe more, for Furcal, 3/30 for Giles was more than fair to the Cubs, but I don't think he even tried to negotiate there.

[ThePenguin11]

I prefer my eggs scrambled on toast, but I think it's Jim's right to have as many as he wants in a basket.

[goonys evil twin]

I just don't think you know what you're talking about. That's all. You claimed Hendry didn't put enough eggs in Giles's basket. I was just wondering how you knew this.

 

Here we go again. It's not okay to question Hendry, instead, let's just bash the people on this board who don't like Hendry's moves.

 

I know what I'm talking about, and I feel very comfortable stating that he put a lot of eggs in the Furcal basket and not enough in the Giles basket. If there were some secret backdoor negotiations that no media outlet picked up on or felt were worth reporting, where Hendry repeatedly tried to convince Giles and his agent to talk to the Cubs in the neighborhood of 3/30 or a little more, then I will admit I was wrong on this one. But I highly doubt that's the case.

 

Instead of just attacking me, why don't you offer up your take on the subject with some sort of logical explanations based on what information is out there? It's not like I just pulled some wild conspiracy theory out of my butt with nothing to base it on. Why are you so interested in what other fans think about the Cubs, instead of what the Cubs are actually doing, or not doing?

[YearofDaCubs]

I personally think Hendry did not look at Giles as an option. To me, Giles' age was a concern to Hendry and really it is. I would have liked to have Giles but no more than a 3 year deal. That being said as it stands right now Hendry has done nothing to improve the offense. He wanted one guy really bad and he missed out. Who else is he going to miss on? When you try and trade with other teams and you are the one who has needs the other teams are going to try and get everything valuable you have. Nothing comes free and if you are the ones trying to initiate the convo guess what the price on what you are looking for just went up. Hendry needs to pull a miracle or sell the entire farm system if he want to make the moves necessary to get us to the playoffs.

[badger1679666666]

Isn't it at all possible, even probable, that Hendry did look into Giles, but realized from what he was hearing that it looked like a lost cause/very difficult so rather than waste time with a player that was 95% staying in SD, he went after a player he thought he had a better chance of getting (Furcal)? Maybe he, the General Manager of the Chicago Cubs had more information than us, fans of the Chicago Cubs?

 

It's possible, but still not a good enough explanation for me.

 

My personal view of the situation is that Hendry didn't prioritize Giles at all. He did not value Giles skillset or realize just how big a hole RF is right now. Hendry has a thing for guys like Encarnacion, Wilson, Jones and Burnitz, so he was more than happy to wait on RF, and pretty much ignored Giles and his .400+ OBP. Considering he was offering 5/50 and maybe more, for Furcal, 3/30 for Giles was more than fair to the Cubs, but I don't think he even tried to negotiate there.

 

Fair enough, I would have liked Giles too. It just seems with the way things went on with Giles, that he really wanted to stay in SD.

 

Now I want Lugo, Wilkerson, Huff, and/or Bradley. I think Hendry can still have a very effective off-season if he can't several of those.

 

Lugo

2/3 of Huff/Bradley/Wilkerson.

[YearofDaCubs]

Isn't it at all possible, even probable, that Hendry did look into Giles, but realized from what he was hearing that it looked like a lost cause/very difficult so rather than waste time with a player that was 95% staying in SD, he went after a player he thought he had a better chance of getting (Furcal)? Maybe he, the General Manager of the Chicago Cubs had more information than us, fans of the Chicago Cubs?

 

It's possible, but still not a good enough explanation for me.

 

My personal view of the situation is that Hendry didn't prioritize Giles at all. He did not value Giles skillset or realize just how big a hole RF is right now. Hendry has a thing for guys like Encarnacion, Wilson, Jones and Burnitz, so he was more than happy to wait on RF, and pretty much ignored Giles and his .400+ OBP. Considering he was offering 5/50 and maybe more, for Furcal, 3/30 for Giles was more than fair to the Cubs, but I don't think he even tried to negotiate there.

 

Fair enough, I would have liked Giles too. It just seems with the way things went on with Giles, that he really wanted to stay in SD.

 

Now I want Lugo, Wilkerson, Huff, and/or Bradley. I think Hendry can still have a very effective off-season if he can't several of those.

 

Lugo

2/3 of Huff/Bradley/Wilkerson.

IF we can get those players you mentioned it would be a successful offseason. We'll see what Hendry can do but getting those players isn't cheap and will probably cost us our best prospects.

[NoDak]

WOW, I didn't realize this would be such a hot topic, but some of the posts on here are what I am talking about.

 

1. Thanks for the graphic with Dusty's dice (Neife/Macias on one, various random positons on the other...that was great!)

 

2. I think nick23 makes the same point that I am making. We don't really "know" any of this. While I agree that Giles would have been wonderful and RF is more of a problem than SS/lead-off, we don't know. It could be that Hendry did inquire about Giles and was told to "buzz off" in which case, wouldn't it have been foolish to continue the pursuit?

 

If people don't like the decision that was made, that is a fine and valid argument. I am not sold on Scott Eyre either. However, I think it is overgeneralizing to say that he is "putting all his eggs in one basket" and pursues players with a single minded devotion. As I said in reason 1, I really wouldn't mind if he chose the right basket. My condemnation is in his choice of FA baskets, not his style as a GM.

 

I do think that Hendry is a solid GM, just not a good judge of FA talent.