Hendry needs to acquire a pitcher

[Win for Santo]

Interested in some feedback on this...

 

I think our two biggest weaknesses right now are (obviously) the hole that is right field and the back-end our rotation, especially if Wood is injured. Adding a pitcher addresses the 2nd weakness, but also helps with the first...since our natural trading partners (e.g., Texas for Wilkerson, LA for Bradley, even Baltimore for Tejada at SS) need pitching. Unfortunately, in a year in which we have money burning a hole in Hendry's pocket, we can't use it to acquire a RF, given the dearth of FAs at that position.

 

All of this points to using our money to get 1 or 2 strong starters (e.g., Millwood, Weaver) and using our new pitchers to shore up our rotation against injury risk and to make it easier to send our valuable/cheap pitchers (e.g., Williams, who I really like) to another team for the RFer we need.

 

Thoughts?

[stitchface]

Kind of seems all those guys are overpriced. I don't like Weaver at all and am not convinced washburn is much better than what we have. Millwood with the right deal I could live with. Definitely the cubs need to either shore up the rotation or improve the offense though.

[rawaction]

Going into the offseason, the Cubs had 2 simple ways to improve the team. Sign a FA for RF (Giles) or sign a top SP and trade young pitching to fill offensive holes. With Giles off the table, the only way for the Cubs to significantly improve RF is to trade their minor league pitching, thus creating a hole in the rotation this year and in future years. It should also be noted that Kerry Wood and Greg Maddux may very well not be Cubs after 06. If the Cubs trade young pitching (which they should to fill RF), I believe they need a starter in the rotation to pick up the slack, and to give them leverage to deal young pitching and/or to allow Maddux and/or Wood to walk after the season.

 

I like Weaver and Millwood, but Millwood is seemingly going out of the price range I feel comfortable offering him. If Weaver doesn't accept arbitration with LA, I'd see if he's still around in January and jump on him.

[indifferent]

A player is mostly overpriced when a team has no need, only a luxury, to add them, i.e. any starting pitcher to the Cards or the Cubs. A Millwood, Morris, or a Weaver is simply an afterthought, thus the overpaid tag.

[stitchface]

a player is also overpriced if you can get more wins from a cheaper player. morris or weaver probably fall into that category.

[indifferent]

a player is also overpriced if you can get more wins from a cheaper player. morris or weaver probably fall into that category.

 

And Millwood definitely falls into that category if you're talking about the right team. Millwood will make out with the most cash, do you honestly think he's worth it? He's truly capable of a season similar to his 04 with the Phillies.

[stitchface]

I have more faith in millwood than morris or weaver - though you are probably right about him being overpriced.