Why not Zito??

[Ram1380]

Walker is a Bean type of player, Hendry is hell-bent on getting rid of him, how about try and make a DIFFERENCE for once.

 

Walker

Murton

Hill/Williams

Ryu

$$$

I'd rather do that then throwing big $$$ at Millwood etc...

 

Gives you a hopeful rotation of:

 

Zambrano

Zito

Prior

Maddux

Wood/Rusch

 

Move Jones back over to left where he belongs, and is a plus defensively, platoon him with an Eduardo Perez, then get back to trying to find an acceptable rightfielder........

 

 

.....Or try and still get Tejada with whats left (Cedeno+Williams/Hill+Pie+Guz???), then going cheap in right(Hidalgo...Corey)

[PieOnMyHands]

Problem with this is that next offseason, you're going to have to give Zito a huge contract worth $12 million a year.

 

Can the Cubs afford that after raises in arbitration to Prior and Zambrano? (not really sure what the financial situation looks like... anyone care to provide an explanation?)

[Gunned]

 

Can the Cubs afford that after raises in arbitration to Prior and Zambrano? (not really sure what the financial situation looks like... anyone care to provide an explanation?)

 

Sure.

 

The Cubs have a ton of money, and refuse to spend it on difference makers.

[Ram1380]

Problem with this is that next offseason, you're going to have to give Zito a huge contract worth $12 million a year.

 

Can the Cubs afford that after raises in arbitration to Prior and Zambrano? (not really sure what the financial situation looks like... anyone care to provide an explanation?)

 

They can afford it, dependent upon what/if anything else transpires.

 

Wood is off the books after this season as well.

[professahesse]

As is Maddux, no?

[treebird]

the a's have mark ellis at second, and swisher and johnson at 1b/dh. i don't know why they'd want walker.

[YearofDaCubs]

So basically you want us to throw all of our valuable chips to get Zito who is due a huge contract next year with Prior and Z coming up as well and after trading all of our valuable chips, try and acquire another RFer when we couldn't even find one before? Sorry, I don't see it happening.

[rawaction]

I would go after Zito, but just to move him to another team. I'd move Murton, Hill OR Williams, and a solid pitching prospect (probably not Guzman, Marshall or Marmol) for Zito if it meant spinning him off for Abreu.

[Derwood]

a4d just sent me this photo:

 

 

http://www.simleaguebaseball.com/talltales/zito.jpg

 

 

 

/joke recycle

[Lefty]

Check out the Cub Reporter at all-baseball.com. It spins the Jones signing as a way to trade Murton as part of a package for Zito who would then be part of a package for Abreu or Tejada. It's the silver lining approach to the Jones signing.

[Ram1380]

Check out the Cub Reporter at all-baseball.com. It spins the Jones signing as a way to trade Murton as part of a package for Zito who would then be part of a package for Abreu or Tejada. It's the silver lining approach to the Jones signing.

 

 

I personally would keep Zito. A top 3 of Z-Zito-Prior would be awfully intimidating, and if healthy, would nearly keep you in the race on their own. Put Jones back in left, sign Hidalgo and let he and Corey battle it out for playing time in Right. At the very least an outfield of LF- Jones, C-Pierre, RF-Hidalgo/CPunk would be fantastic defensively. If neither is panning out come June or so, THEN look to acquire a bat for rightfield again at that point(small market team looking to unload..ala ARam, Lee)

 

Zambrano

Zito

Prior

Wood

Maddux

 

Best case.....whoa

[RockTheIvy]

Check out the Cub Reporter at all-baseball.com. It spins the Jones signing as a way to trade Murton as part of a package for Zito who would then be part of a package for Abreu or Tejada. It's the silver lining approach to the Jones signing.

 

 

I personally would keep Zito. A top 3 of Z-Zito-Prior would be awfully intimidating, and if healthy, would nearly keep you in the race on their own. Put Jones back in left, sign Hidalgo and let he and Corey battle it out for playing time in Right. At the very least an outfield of LF- Jones, C-Pierre, RF-Hidalgo/CPunk would be fantastic defensively. If neither is panning out come June or so, THEN look to acquire a bat for rightfield again at that point(small market team looking to unload..ala ARam, Lee)

 

Zambrano

Zito

Prior

Wood

Maddux

 

Best case.....whoa

 

Is Zito better than Jerome Williams? Not looking for a fight, but just asking.

[jtownie]

Next year Wood and Maddux will be off the books...a total of 21M not including buy-outs.

 

THat's basically Zito's salary plus left-over money to put towards Prior/Zambrano.

 

I know Prior will probably file for arbitration but I wonder if maybe he and his agent would be willing to just change the current contract so that it is just fora few more million per year. That would help us regulate prior's money the next few years instead of going to arbitration each year as we will have to do with Zambrano since he is a Boras client.

[Derwood]

 

Is Zito better than Jerome Williams? Not looking for a fight, but just asking.

 

Um....

 

Zito: 86-53, 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 461 BB, 945 K's, 1209 IP

 

Williams: 23-22, 3.92 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 142 BB, 238 K's, 383 IP

 

 

I'd say yes, Zito is better. That said, Jerome is 3 years younger and nearly $5.5 million cheaper (and not a free agent next year)

[JeffH]

 

Is Zito better than Jerome Williams? Not looking for a fight, but just asking.

 

Um....

 

Zito: 86-53, 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 461 BB, 945 K's, 1209 IP

 

Williams: 23-22, 3.92 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 142 BB, 238 K's, 383 IP

 

 

I'd say yes, Zito is better. That said, Jerome is 3 years younger and nearly $5.5 million cheaper (and not a free agent next year)

 

He'll actually be more than $8 million cheaper next season.

[RockTheIvy]

 

Is Zito better than Jerome Williams? Not looking for a fight, but just asking.

 

Um....

 

Zito: 86-53, 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 461 BB, 945 K's, 1209 IP

 

Williams: 23-22, 3.92 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 142 BB, 238 K's, 383 IP

 

 

I'd say yes, Zito is better. That said, Jerome is 3 years younger and nearly $5.5 million cheaper (and not a free agent next year)

 

That being said, considering that he's cheaper and we have Hill, I'd rather just stick with what we have, and try to upgrade at 2B and possibly SS.

[Ram1380]

Check out the Cub Reporter at all-baseball.com. It spins the Jones signing as a way to trade Murton as part of a package for Zito who would then be part of a package for Abreu or Tejada. It's the silver lining approach to the Jones signing.

 

 

I personally would keep Zito. A top 3 of Z-Zito-Prior would be awfully intimidating, and if healthy, would nearly keep you in the race on their own. Put Jones back in left, sign Hidalgo and let he and Corey battle it out for playing time in Right. At the very least an outfield of LF- Jones, C-Pierre, RF-Hidalgo/CPunk would be fantastic defensively. If neither is panning out come June or so, THEN look to acquire a bat for rightfield again at that point(small market team looking to unload..ala ARam, Lee)

 

Zambrano

Zito

Prior

Wood

Maddux

 

Best case.....whoa

 

Is Zito better than Jerome Williams? Not looking for a fight, but just asking.

 

 

 

I certainly believe so, Zito is a horse, as well as being electric when really on, and can throw a lineup off for days(especially sandwiched between to righthanded fireballers)

 

86 wins...5 straight 200+inning seasons...3.50/1.22 career #'s in the AL.....CY Young.......post season experience.

 

 

 

I like Williams, don't get me wrong, especially for the $$$.

[RockTheIvy]

Check out the Cub Reporter at all-baseball.com. It spins the Jones signing as a way to trade Murton as part of a package for Zito who would then be part of a package for Abreu or Tejada. It's the silver lining approach to the Jones signing.

 

 

I personally would keep Zito. A top 3 of Z-Zito-Prior would be awfully intimidating, and if healthy, would nearly keep you in the race on their own. Put Jones back in left, sign Hidalgo and let he and Corey battle it out for playing time in Right. At the very least an outfield of LF- Jones, C-Pierre, RF-Hidalgo/CPunk would be fantastic defensively. If neither is panning out come June or so, THEN look to acquire a bat for rightfield again at that point(small market team looking to unload..ala ARam, Lee)

 

Zambrano

Zito

Prior

Wood

Maddux

 

Best case.....whoa

 

Is Zito better than Jerome Williams? Not looking for a fight, but just asking.

 

 

 

I certainly believe so, Zito is a horse, as well as being electric when really on, and can throw a lineup off for days(especially sandwiched between to righthanded fireballers)

 

86 wins...5 straight 200+inning seasons...3.50/1.22 career #'s in the AL.....CY Young.......post season experience.

 

 

 

I like Williams, don't get me wrong, especially for the $$$.

 

I suppose I'd rock with Zito for next year, then, depending on the Wood situation, and how Hill and Williams develop, reevaluate if I'd sign him long term.

[abuck1220]

why would oakland want to sell off zito when they have the best team in the west, and one of the best teams in the AL?

 

the cubs need a big bat more than they need a #3 starter.

[TB_11]

why would oakland want to sell off zito when they have the best team in the west, and one of the best teams in the AL?

 

the cubs need a big bat more than they need a #3 starter.

 

Exactly. Beane knows the price of starting pitching is very high right now, and will demand more than what one season of Zito is worth. I'd love to have him in Wrigley, but not at the price Beane will demand.

[Backtobanks]

Walker is a Bean type of player, Hendry is hell-bent on getting rid of him, how about try and make a DIFFERENCE for once.

 

Walker

Murton

Hill/Williams

Ryu

$$$

I'd rather do that then throwing big $$$ at Millwood etc...

 

Gives you a hopeful rotation of:

 

Zambrano

Zito

Prior

Maddux

Wood/Rusch

 

Move Jones back over to left where he belongs, and is a plus defensively, platoon him with an Eduardo Perez, then get back to trying to find an acceptable rightfielder........

 

 

.....Or try and still get Tejada with whats left (Cedeno+Williams/Hill+Pie+Guz???), then going cheap in right(Hidalgo...Corey)

 

With those 2 deals you mentioned, you must be looking to replace Rogers or Sullivan at the Tribune.

[ConstableRabbit]

I've always been a Zito fan, a lot of people tend to underestimate him and then he ends up surprising them.

 

That being said, I don't think the Cubs will bring him to Chicago because of Dusty. See, everyone on the team needs a nickname. "Big Z" is already taken and "Zito-y" makes no sense.

[CUBZ99]

WGN radio is reporting that Hendry is making a serious push to acquire Zito. Don't know if that means anything, due to his inability to make most deals this winter, but it was interesting to hear.

[erik316wttn]

WGN radio is reporting that Hendry is making a serious push to acquire Zito. Don't know if that means anything, due to his inability to make most deals this winter, but it was interesting to hear.

 

Interesting.

[CP_414]

WGN radio is reporting that Hendry is making a serious push to acquire Zito. Don't know if that means anything, due to his inability to make most deals this winter, but it was interesting to hear.

 

I think we are all happy about the bolded part. I know I am.