[RynoRules]

And another thing: with Miggy on bd., does Cedeno start at second and Walker become prime trade-bait to snag an established vet. pitcher? And who might that pitcher be?

 

Good question. Who does San Diego have playing 2B now that Loretta has been dealt? Walker for Chan Ho Park and plenty of cash?

 

By the way, did anyone get non-tendered, who has any decent upside? I saw names like Fogg and Franklin, but they do nothing for me.

 

I thought about SD also, but they just boarded the Horny Wagon (a/k/a, Mark Bellhorn), if memory serves.

 

The Twins got Castillo. Could Walker DH and play some 1B? (probably not)

 

The Mutts? Get "Trachs" back? Benson and a bunch of cash?

 

Who else?

[RynoRules]

And another thing: with Miggy on bd., does Cedeno start at second and Walker become prime trade-bait to snag an established vet. pitcher? And who might that pitcher be? Who has a hole at 2B or DH?

 

I was wondering that myself, especially the pitching part. If they get Tejada, I wouldn't mind seeing what Walker or Cedeno could get as far as a pitcher in that situation. They could also sign Weaver I guess too, though I don't think they can afford him after the Millwood contract.

 

Yeah, I think JH is done with overpriced FAs this year. If it were to happen, it would ikely be through a trade.

[BigbadB]

Who does San Diego have playing 2B now that Loretta has been dealt? Walker for Chan Ho Park and plenty of cash?

 

The Padres have "The Horn". OBP extraordinaire. Backing up "The Horn" will be Geoff Blum. Josh Barfield could win the job in Spring Training.

 

Oh, and Bobby Hill is San Diego's other utility infielder. They could throw Eric Young there also, in a pinch.

 

Chan Ho Park? Can you even begin to imagine how horrible he would be in the hitter friendly NL Central?

[goonys evil twin]

i just dont see a package of prospects from the cubs that could net tejada. i think that pie is the only real stud prospect we have. hill is old for a prospect, guzman cant stay healthy, dopirak cooled off this year. cedeno is a decent prospect but not a true stud. i am curious as to what kind of package you think the O's should take from the cubs for miggy.

 

If they are going to ask for prospects, they should ask for Pie, Hill or Williams, Guzman, Cedeno, Harvey or Dopirak and then maybe Gallagher or Marshall. They also might as well ask for Corey, on the off chance that he could have a resurgent year. That's 6 prospects and a major leaguer, and by far and away more than established veterans usually get traded for, even really good ones. They should be happy if they can get Pie, Hill, Guzman, Cedeno/Harvey/Dopirak (depending on their current plans for SS), and another arm. That's 3 pitchers and 2 position prospects, anywhere from major league ready to 2-3 years away. They run the risk of falling from 4th to 5th this year (big deal), but are positioned to be aggressive buyers over the next several years, and have a pretty solid prospect base to add to their own supply.

[cubsfromMD]

This is just crazy. If the trade goes through we will regret the trade ever happened.

 

Prior will win at LEAST 2 Cy's in Baltimore. At least.

 

Leave it to Hendry to make the rotation a strength, then make it a glaring weakness at the expense of a 30 year old shortstop on the downturn.

 

 

Am I the only one that is curious what Prior would do with Leo Mazzone as his pitching coach. I will be interested to see what Baltimores young staff does with that guru teaching them the force.

[ThePenguin11]

This is just crazy. If the trade goes through we will regret the trade ever happened.

 

Prior will win at LEAST 2 Cy's in Baltimore. At least.

 

Leave it to Hendry to make the rotation a strength, then make it a glaring weakness at the expense of a 30 year old shortstop on the downturn.

 

 

Am I the only one that is curious what Prior would do with Leo Mazzone as his pitching coach. I will be interested to see what Baltimores young staff does with that guru teaching them the force.

 

Yes, just like I'm curious to see if my girlfriend would like to sleep with other chicks. But I'm not willing make her a lesbian.

[CubfaninCA]

Is this deal imminent??? Am sure getting that perception from some of the posts here.

[Connor McConnor]

This is just crazy. If the trade goes through we will regret the trade ever happened.

 

Prior will win at LEAST 2 Cy's in Baltimore. At least.

 

Leave it to Hendry to make the rotation a strength, then make it a glaring weakness at the expense of a 30 year old shortstop on the downturn.

 

 

Am I the only one that is curious what Prior would do with Leo Mazzone as his pitching coach. I will be interested to see what Baltimores young staff does with that guru teaching them the force.

 

Prior needs a pitching coach like Mozart needed a music teacher. The idea that Pro players improve their performance by listening to "coaches" (retired ex-players...for the most part)....is WAY overrated.

[BigbadB]

Is this deal imminent??? Am sure getting that perception from some of the posts here.

 

"Word on the street" is that the Cubs have this offer out to Baltimore to reject or accept.

[soapy]

Is this deal imminent??? Am sure getting that perception from some of the posts here.

 

I'm not sure about imminent, but it seems pretty certain that Hendry has offered Prior + (supposedly different packages) for Tejada + Bedard. Just the fact that Hendry has even offered I think warrants some of the critisism he is receiving in this thread.

 

If Hendry knows something about Prior (injury or willingness to stay with the club, etc.) I might feel differently. As it stands now, this deal is bad IMO.

Edited December 27, 2005 by soapy

[ctcf]

Whats the offer exactly?

[Laura]

 

Thanks.

 

Also, I think its worth throwing around the notion that Prior has no intention of staying here once he hits his walk year. Could he be Giles-like in that he will be headed back to So Cal no matter what? Its possible, I guess, that JH knows this or strongly suspects it and therefore is trying to trade Prior before his bargaining position becomes weak or desperate (the opposite of what he did with Sammy).

 

Prior's walk year is three seasons away. It would seem premature to trade him now based on the suspicion he'd walk 3 years from now.

 

As others have noted, Z's walk year is two season away and Boras is his agent. The likelihood that he will test free agency sooner seems higher. I still wouldn't trade either unless the return blew me out of the water and I was dead certain neither was interested in staying.

 

I'd be more concerned with that issue about trading for Tejada, who -- if traded -- will be able to demand a trade after one season.

[E.J.]

Whats the offer exactly?

 

Prior, Hill, Cpatt for Tejada and Bedard

[RynoRules]

Is this deal imminent??? Am sure getting that perception from some of the posts here.

 

Bruce Levine has essentially said that the Cubs have made the offer and are waiting for the O's to respond.

 

In other news, Goony has been seen walking on N. Michigan Ave. near the Trib Tower, mumbling to himself.

 

:protest:

[Connor McConnor]

Baltimore sucks, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

The Cubs also sucked last year (and the year before that). We had five more wins than they did (with our much heralded pitching staff). Both teams finished 21! games out of first in their respective divisions.

 

Our team needs shaking up just as much as thiers does.

[SeldomSeen]

Yes, just like I'm curious to see if my girlfriend would like to sleep with other chicks. But I'm not willing make her a lesbian.

 

Post of the year.

[RynoRules]

 

Thanks.

 

Also, I think its worth throwing around the notion that Prior has no intention of staying here once he hits his walk year. Could he be Giles-like in that he will be headed back to So Cal no matter what? Its possible, I guess, that JH knows this or strongly suspects it and therefore is trying to trade Prior before his bargaining position becomes weak or desperate (the opposite of what he did with Sammy).

 

Prior's walk year is three seasons away. It would seem premature to trade him now based on the suspicion he'd walk 3 years from now.

 

As others have noted, Z's walk year is two season away and Boras is his agent. The likelihood that he will test free agency sooner seems higher. I still wouldn't trade either unless the return blew me out of the water and I was dead certain neither was interested in staying.

 

I'd be more concerned with that issue about trading for Tejada, who -- if traded -- will be able to demand a trade after one season.

 

Point well taken. May be one of them has to go and JH thinks he has a better shot w/ Z and Boras. I dunno - just speculating.

 

When JH contemplates these moves, I find it most interesting to try and understand what his thinking is. In this case - as I noted above - I think it may be a last ditch effort by a desperate man.

[Laura]

If we are going to give up that much talent (while at the same time taking on Miggy's payroll) I'd rather keep Cedeno and trade for a RF or a good young second baseman. Although there are ZERO facts to back this up I still don't think Miggy will be that much of an upgrade over Cedeno to constitute the extra 11.7 million dollars we'd be investing in the position. At some point we are going to HAVE to play some of our young players and Cedeno is the BEST of the bunch. There's a reason EVERYBODY brings his name up in trades and its NOT because they think the Cubs want to get rid of him.

 

The Cubs have devoted large chunks of the off-season to pursuing other shortstops, and one of their very first signings was of Neifi, whose primary position recently has been SS. Despite whatever Hendry says about the intentions of Cedeno getting playing time at SS or 2B, the actions of the Cubs don't match the rhetoric.

[goonys evil twin]

Baltimore sucks, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

The Cubs also sucked last year (and the year before that). We had five more wins than they did (with our much heralded pitching staff). Both teams finished 21! games out of first in their respective divisions.

 

Our team needs shaking up just as much as thiers does.

 

The Cubs won 89 games in 2004. They were disappointing, and failed to live up to expectations. And weren't as good as their payroll should have made them, but they didn't suck. They've been much better than Baltimore over the past 3 years, and are positioned to be better over the next 2-3. Baltimore has 8 straight seasons with a sub .500 record, and has gone from the top payroll in the league to a middle of the road payroll over that time. The Cubs payroll keeps growing and has been consistently top 5 for about 4 years now. Nobody would be shocked if the Cubs won 90 games next year and battled for the division. Baltimore is not going to do that.

[ltb]

well, if this trade goes through, my time devoted to the cubs is going to plummet to almost nothing.

 

a's in 2006!

[ThePenguin11]

 

Thanks.

 

Also, I think its worth throwing around the notion that Prior has no intention of staying here once he hits his walk year. Could he be Giles-like in that he will be headed back to So Cal no matter what? Its possible, I guess, that JH knows this or strongly suspects it and therefore is trying to trade Prior before his bargaining position becomes weak or desperate (the opposite of what he did with Sammy).

 

Prior's walk year is three seasons away. It would seem premature to trade him now based on the suspicion he'd walk 3 years from now.

 

As others have noted, Z's walk year is two season away and Boras is his agent. The likelihood that he will test free agency sooner seems higher. I still wouldn't trade either unless the return blew me out of the water and I was dead certain neither was interested in staying.

 

I'd be more concerned with that issue about trading for Tejada, who -- if traded -- will be able to demand a trade after one season.

 

Point well taken. May be one of them has to go and JH thinks he has a better shot w/ Z and Boras. I dunno - just speculating.

 

When JH contemplates these moves, I find it most interesting to try and understand what his thinking is. In this case - as I noted above - I think it may be a last ditch effort by a desperate man.

 

I think that Prior's involvement in this deal was part of a 'bait and switch' gone wrong. I think he wanted to use him as a conversation starter, much like I do with my fantasy football team every year to get the attention of other GM's only to work your way down the ranks with package deals. I could be wrong, however I have won more fantasy championships (2) in the last two years than the Cubs have in the last 97 years (But I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night FWIW).

[RynoRules]

Baltimore sucks, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

The Cubs also sucked last year (and the year before that). We had five more wins than they did (with our much heralded pitching staff). Both teams finished 21! games out of first in their respective divisions.

 

Our team needs shaking up just as much as thiers does.

 

The Cubs won 89 games in 2004. They were disappointing, and failed to live up to expectations. And weren't as good as their payroll should have made them, but they didn't suck. They've been much better than Baltimore over the past 3 years, and are positioned to be better over the next 2-3. Baltimore has 8 straight seasons with a sub .500 record, and has gone from the top payroll in the league to a middle of the road payroll over that time. The Cubs payroll keeps growing and has been consistently top 5 for about 4 years now. Nobody would be shocked if the Cubs won 90 games next year and battled for the division. Baltimore is not going to do that.

 

I think some of the membership herein would beg to differ. Some of us are ready to pack up the tents and swear alliegance to other teams.

[TheDude]

This saga is tough to follow for someone who has been out of the news loop for the past week.

 

Can anyone summarize the 'reported' deals? I've read at least 4 different flavors of this Tejada/Prior thing, and I haven't been able to distinguish the fan suggestions from reported names and offers.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Roast]

This saga is tough to follow for someone who has been out of the news loop for the past week.

 

Can anyone summarize the 'reported' deals? I've read at least 4 different flavors of this Tejada/Prior thing, and I haven't been able to distinguish the fan suggestions from reported names and offers.

 

Thanks in advance.

I'm in the same boat as you. But I just got done reading over the last 5-10 pages. Basically Levine reported this morning that The cubs have given the O's a definative offer, and it is up to the O's to accept or reject. That deal being Tejada and Bedard for Prior, hill, and patterson.

 

Now, I am busy getting my riot gear together.

[RynoRules]

This saga is tough to follow for someone who has been out of the news loop for the past week.

 

Can anyone summarize the 'reported' deals? I've read at least 4 different flavors of this Tejada/Prior thing, and I haven't been able to distinguish the fan suggestions from reported names and offers.

 

Thanks in advance.

I'm in the same boat as you. But I just got done reading over the last 5-10 pages. Basically Levine reported this morning that The cubs have given the O's a definative offer, and it is up to the O's to accept or reject. That deal being Tejada and Bedard for Prior, hill, and patterson.

 

Now, I am busy getting my riot gear together.

 

Like I said earlier:

 

 

Bruce Levine has essentially said that the Cubs have made the offer and are waiting for the O's to respond.

 

In other news, Goony has been seen walking on N. Michigan Ave. near the Trib Tower, mumbling to himself.

 

:protest: