Would it be all that bad to punt 2006 and look toward 2007?

[ThePenguin11]

Nobody just closes shop and gives up.

Pay no attention to the marlins behind the curtain

 

Pay no attention to their 2 World Series trophies!!!

[Careless]

Nobody just closes shop and gives up.

Pay no attention to the marlins behind the curtain

 

Pay no attention to their 2 World Series trophies!!!

:lol: I wonder if you realize that you just argued against yourself

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Nobody just closes shop and gives up.

Pay no attention to the marlins behind the curtain

 

Pay no attention to their 2 World Series trophies!!!

 

What? So it's okay to give up if you've won a World Series recently?

[YearofDaCubs]

Hendry needs to pull tough trades to get us into the playoffs as far as I'm concerned. Chances are it might be 2007 no matter what approach the Cubs take.

 

That's crap. Then you pull 'tough' trades. Did you guys think the White Sox had any chance last year to win the WS? Think back to hot stove season...Anyone? Anyone? You make the best moves to improve your team in the best ways possible. Nobody just closes shop and gives up. Hendry wouldn't even consider it. That's a joke.

Of course he won't consider it and I'm not saying I'm for it either but when the Cubs are the team which has a need and wants to initiate trade talks what do you think is going to happen? You think the teams will give you whomever you want? Heck no!! It's not exactly easy trading for IF, 2 OF positions and possibly another starter.

[rawaction]

Nobody just closes shop and gives up.

Pay no attention to the marlins behind the curtain

 

Pay no attention to their 2 World Series trophies!!!

:lol: I wonder if you realize that you just argued against yourself

 

That's what I was thinking.

[ThePenguin11]

Nobody just closes shop and gives up.

Pay no attention to the marlins behind the curtain

 

Pay no attention to their 2 World Series trophies!!!

 

What? So it's okay to give up if you've won a World Series recently?

 

No. They are a small/mid market team who has to make a run for it and unload for young talent when they get over budget. They work with a different system from ours. For a major market team to act like a small market team is irresponsible in fairness to the fans. Unless of course, your fans enable quitting.

[ThePenguin11]

This thread should probably be locked, it's an insult to the game of baseball.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Nobody just closes shop and gives up.

Pay no attention to the marlins behind the curtain

 

Pay no attention to their 2 World Series trophies!!!

 

Not like their second WS wasn't directly tied to them closing up shop after their first one.

[ThePenguin11]

They had to close up shop because they had a SMALL budget. They traded their stars for prospects and the process repeated itself. But they were real bad for a while and didn't have the luxury of adding All-stars for young players in their minor leagues. The Cubs are different. They have the money to go for it every year.

 

This argument is stupid. BTW, Vance is in another thread posting new trade ideas for the Cubs, so I guess that didn't last very long.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

They had to close up shop because they had a SMALL budget. They traded their stars for prospects and the process repeated itself. But they were real bad for a while and didn't have the luxury of adding All-stars for young players in their minor leagues. The Cubs are different. They have the money to go for it every year.

 

This argument is stupid. BTW, Vance is in another thread posting new trade ideas for the Cubs, so I guess that didn't last very long.

 

Just because I can propose one idea doesn't mean I can't propose another one that would improve the team.

 

If we could get Bradley and Wilkerson, or Dunn and Pierre, or Abreu and Lugo...great!

 

On the other hand, if those deals are too costly or don't materialize, I'd rather punt than see Juan Encarnacion signed to a 3/26 deal that we'll have to live with for two seasons beyond 2006.

 

But if punting in 2006 would set up a team that could dominate 2007-2009, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[AramisRamirez]

first of all, look at my sig. we got 2 cornerstone players, not to mention zambrano and prior. you dont punt the season away. infact, you work your ass to get us in the playoffs THIS YEAR or you get fired. if we dont make the playoffs this year, both hendry and dusty should be fired and banned from the city of chicago. actually dusty should just be beaten.

 

we lost furcal so hendry better get cracking and find us some help. if its pierre and milton bradley, fine. but get us what we need because chicago is way way too big to blow of a year. id take lugo and jacque jones, just get some [expletive] help!!

 

what would be blowing off a year accomplish? we'd be less attractive to FA's than we already are. blowing off the year would mean no more moves accept the re-signing of burnitz. if thats the case i will organize a boycott of the cubs.

[Blueheart05]

This thread needs John Belushi (Blutarski), because it's the most cowardly conversation topic in the history of Cubdom.

 

Should we just give up now?

 

Why? So Cubs baseball can suck and be totally unwatchable for a whole year? Give me a break. Just because Hendry doesn't have all the free agents in the world to choose from, doesn't mean he can't still pull something off with trades. There are still a few free agent SP's available. Man, it's like Hendry can't do anything right for some fans here. The only reason the Cubs have been alive in Chicago the past 4 or 5 years is because of him.

 

Should give up and start investing in 2007? No. Never. Be a fan of another team if that's how you feel.

 

I think you're overreacting. Not overpaying for the swill that's left out there is probably the smartest thing to do at this point. Now, I don't think we should give up on the big trade or two, but I don't want to see Hendry go on a bum spending spree because he's got payroll to spend and no one to spend it on. Why not give it to our current players who do produce (Lee, Z, etc.) in the hopes we can keep them longer?

 

What's the use of keeping our good players without working to surround them with other good players (and role players)? DLee, Aramis, and Barrett had nice offensive years, this past season, but without key people to get on base infront of them it's hard to score much less win. There is time to fill the holes in the lineup..

 

Like someone said earlier, who knew Scott Podsednik, and bunch, would win a WS? Their fans were outraged with Kenny Willams. I also recall Williams trading away Miguel Olivo in 2004 to net Freddie Garcia. The Sox fans screamed about how Olivio was to be the next Pudge. He's now working on his third team and struggling to stay in the Major Leagues.

 

Personally, I'm ready for some bold moves! I'm not going to overly covet prospects. If the right deal comes along I think we should make a trade (even if that mean Pie, Cedeno, Murton, Nolasco, Pinto, Hill, et al are involved). I'm not saying that we should give away the farm but at least be open to the idea. I'm sure the Cubs passed up on a few opportunities because they didn't trade Corey sooner when they had lots of teams knocking on their door. I hope Felix doesn't fit that mold because he's also quite the free swinger.

 

I'm tired of waiting, I'm confident that Hendry is working hard to improve this team. There's a lot at stake for him this year.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I'm tired of waiting

 

Amen, sister. A-friggin-men.

[Cubzfan64]

I'm always of the opinion that if a deal can be made that improves the team, then NOBODY is off limits for trades - and that means Lee, Prior, Zambrano or Ramirez. Now granted it would take me alot to move those guys, but I entertain any and all offers and see what happens.

 

I'm also of the opinion that if a team thinks they are 1 or 2 players away from truly fielding a WS caliber team for the next 2-3 years, then any and all minor league prospects are also on the block - again for the right trade.

 

My problem with the Cubs has always been that I mistrust our "braintrust" to evalute both our organizational talent and that of other clubs (with Aram being an exception at this point).

 

I'll wait until spring training starts to evaluate our offseason moves and make any bold predictions for 2006, but as of right now in general I'm not too impressed with most of the names I hear in trade rumors possibly coming to us.

 

*sigh* - life as a Cub fan is truly an effort at times.

 

Oh - by the way, I'm sure this has been answered before, but Is_Pedro_There, who in the world is that amazingly attractive woman you have in your sig!!???

[Careless]

first of all, look at my sig. we got 2 cornerstone players, not to mention zambrano and prior. you dont punt the season away. infact, you work your ass to get us in the playoffs THIS YEAR or you get fired. if we dont make the playoffs this year, both hendry and dusty should be fired and banned from the city of chicago. actually dusty should just be beaten.

 

we lost furcal so hendry better get cracking and find us some help. if its pierre and milton bradley, fine. but get us what we need because chicago is way way too big to blow of a year. id take lugo and jacque jones, just get some [expletive] help!!

 

what would be blowing off a year accomplish? we'd be less attractive to FA's than we already are. blowing off the year would mean no more moves accept the re-signing of burnitz. if thats the case i will organize a boycott of the cubs.

So you want to panic, sign bad players to contracts that will A) not get us into the playoffs and B) keep us from going there in the future? Jacque jones is not the answer.

[snoodmonger]

This thread needs John Belushi (Blutarski), because it's the most cowardly conversation topic in the history of Cubdom.

 

Should we just give up now?

 

Why? So Cubs baseball can suck and be totally unwatchable for a whole year? Give me a break. Just because Hendry doesn't have all the free agents in the world to choose from, doesn't mean he can't still pull something off with trades. There are still a few free agent SP's available. Man, it's like Hendry can't do anything right for some fans here. The only reason the Cubs have been alive in Chicago the past 4 or 5 years is because of him.

 

Should give up and start investing in 2007? No. Never. Be a fan of another team if that's how you feel.

 

I think you're overreacting. Not overpaying for the swill that's left out there is probably the smartest thing to do at this point. Now, I don't think we should give up on the big trade or two, but I don't want to see Hendry go on a bum spending spree because he's got payroll to spend and no one to spend it on. Why not give it to our current players who do produce (Lee, Z, etc.) in the hopes we can keep them longer?

 

What's the use of keeping our good players without working to surround them with other good players (and role players)? DLee, Aramis, and Barrett had nice offensive years, this past season, but without key people to get on base infront of them it's hard to score much less win. There is time to fill the holes in the lineup..

 

Like someone said earlier, who knew Scott Podsednik, and bunch, would win a WS? Their fans were outraged with Kenny Willams. I also recall Williams trading away Miguel Olivo in 2004 to net Freddie Garcia. The Sox fans screamed about how Olivio was to be the next Pudge. He's now working on his third team and struggling to stay in the Major Leagues.

 

Personally, I'm ready for some bold moves! I'm not going to overly covet prospects. If the right deal comes along I think we should make a trade (even if that mean Pie, Cedeno, Murton, Nolasco, Pinto, Hill, et al are involved). I'm not saying that we should give away the farm but at least be open to the idea. I'm sure the Cubs passed up on a few opportunities because they didn't trade Corey sooner when they had lots of teams knocking on their door. I hope Felix doesn't fit that mold because he's also quite the free swinger.

 

I'm tired of waiting, I'm confident that Hendry is working hard to improve this team. There's a lot at stake for him this year.

 

I think you just agreed with me. I said pursue trades, but don't go spending money on bad FA just to spend it.

[HoopsCubs]

I've spent most of the day mulling this idea over in my head.

 

The 2006 FA class stunk. Other than at closer, it had three players worth spending big money on.

 

The Cubs have a ton of money available, but there's really no one worth spending it on. The teams with players to trade are asking way too much for the guys they will trade.

 

I know this won't be a popular suggestion, but what if the Cubs decided to use 2006 to set the stage for 2007.

 

The additional payroll could be used to front-load some contracts to Lee, Prior, and Zambrano. Giving those three more money in 2006 might make them a little cheaper in 2007-2009.

 

Secondly, the Cubs could move players that don't fit into the long range plan. But instead of moving them for one or two year rentals like Pierre or Abreu, they could look to acquire players more likely to help them in the future. Trades involving Wood and Maddux (if they would waive the NTC) could be explored to put the Cubs on sound footing for the next three to four years.

 

I'm just weary the Cubs will make stupid moves that won't help the team in 2006 and will hamper efforts to improve down the road.

 

Did you think the White Sox would win the World Series 12 months ago?

Did you think they'd even be in the World Series 6 months ago?

You just can't predict anything in this game anymore. We're 2 players and good health away from making a run.