State of the ballclub, what's next??

[CubinNY]

why is this surprising? this is exactly what has gone on the last 3 years.

 

Do you mean to say that Hendry has picked up a crucial piece of the puzzle for the offense? I agree.

 

Yes, and when all the pieces are put together it looks like about like a .500 ball club.

 

I agree Pierre and Jones are crucial to the Cubs finishing anywhere from 3rd to 5th.

[wastra]

a lot of people on here are complaining that hendry didn't land a big bopper, etc., but i ask WHO SHOULD HE HAVE LANDED?

 

how many big bopping LF, RF and SS have been available this offseason? he went after furcal hard but chose not to overpay for him and i'm glad he didn't. i don't think furcal is worth $12.5 million more than cedeno.

 

so i ask, what LF or RF should hendry have gotten? yes, he is involved in the tejada talks, but it's not like he can snap his fingers and add tejada without giving up something significant in return. is anyone on this board comfortable with Z being exchanged for tejada?

 

i'm not saying he's done a great job, but some on here act like his job was as simple as going to the grocery store to pick up a SS, LF and RF.

 

face it, this year's crop of FAs wasn't that great.

 

 

My sentiments exactly.

 

You've got a vailid point, but for me, it's not just this year. We're how many years into the Hendry administration? I wonder how much money we've spent on FA in that time and who do we have to show for it? Neifi? We've passed on Vlad, Tejeda, Beltran, and Giles. Vlad sure would look sweet in RF right now for 5/75.

 

Lee, Aram, and Barrett are to Hendry's credit. I'm still crossing my fingers that I get on NSBB and see we got Abreu. Trades are where Hendry excels, so I'm staying optomistic.

 

Obviously, Hendry has done ab etter job with deadline deals than anything else, and offseason trades have been a definite plus as well. However, He doesn't get a free pass for the lack of FA hitters this year. We're not looking for a big hitter because of a sudden retirement or defection, we're looking for one because 2 years ago, hendry screwed up the outfield and tried to fix it by signing Burnitz- a very Jaque Jones-esque hitter.

 

So Hendry doesn't geta a free pass on the lack of a signing this year- we're in the pickle due to his horrid mismanagement of the payroll and roster in the first place.

 

I don't care what teh free agent crop looks like this year. With the highest/nearly the highest payroll in the NL for at least 2 straight years, there's no excuse to field this mediocre team AGAIN. We shold be pencilled in to win our division, or at least go head to head with the Cards, who've built a great roster the past few year, EVERY year with this payroll. Being talked about to finish 3rd with this is UNACCEPTIBLE.

[Soul]

The nuclear option has been exercised. Grissom a Cub 8)

 

There will be no one to stop us now.

[CubinNY]

I wouldn't get too worked up over Grissom. It is more than likely that ST is his audition for another team.

[goonys evil twin]

I wouldn't get too worked up over Grissom. It is more than likely that ST is his audition for another team.

 

More than likely? I'd say he's a clear-cut favorite to make the Cubs. There's a slight chance ST would be an audition for another team, but I can't see it as "more than likely".

[CubinNY]

I wouldn't get too worked up over Grissom. It is more than likely that ST is his audition for another team.

 

More than likely? I'd say he's a clear-cut favorite to make the Cubs. There's a slight chance ST would be an audition for another team, but I can't see it as "more than likely".

 

We shall see. To me he is at best a 5th outfielder.

 

Peirre

Jones

Murton

Patterson

Marbury

Hairston

Grissom

 

If the Cubs the Cubs get rid of Patterson, slide everyone up. He still won't make the team.

 

Teams do this kind of stuff every year.

[goonys evil twin]

I wouldn't get too worked up over Grissom. It is more than likely that ST is his audition for another team.

 

More than likely? I'd say he's a clear-cut favorite to make the Cubs. There's a slight chance ST would be an audition for another team, but I can't see it as "more than likely".

 

We shall see. To me he is at best a 5th outfielder.

 

Peirre

Jones

Murton

Patterson

Marbury

Hairston

Grissom

 

If the Cubs the Cubs get rid of Patterson, slide everyone up. He still won't make the team.

 

Teams do this kind of stuff every year.

 

Once Walker is traded, Hairston will be considered an IF. Corey will likely be gone as well. That leaves Pierre, Jones, Murton, Mabry and Grissom. Mabry is already considered a OF/IF to a degree.

 

As of now the bench is Blanco, Neifi/Cedeno, Hairston, Patterson, Mabry and Grissom. If the more veteran bullpen gives them confidence to go with just 11 pitchers, those 6 are in the lead. That's 2 MI, 1 corner IF/corner OF, 2 OF and 1 C. Teams do sign veterans to NRI all the time. And the Cubs happen to give those guys jobs all the time. The Cubs have 2 guys on their roster right now who they have openly talked about getting rid of, and they don't have enough other bench guys to push Grissom into a AAA spot. They still need bench help, not to mention a real starting corner OF or other bat, and starting pitching help.

[biittner77]

As of now the bench is Blanco, Neifi/Cedeno, Hairston, Patterson, Mabry and Grissom. If the more veteran bullpen gives them confidence to go with just 11 pitchers, those 6 are in the lead.

 

I could see the Cubs going with 11 pitchers to start the season.

 

SP: Prior, Zambrano, Maddux, Williams, Rusch (until Wood)

 

CL: Dempster

 

Howry and Williamson are locks from the right side. Eyre and Ohman are lock and near locks respectively (Ohman since he's LH and Baker will want more than one) That leaves Wuertz and Novoa to battle for the 11th spot.

 

But what happens when Wood comes back or if he starts the season in the pen? Probably they carry 12 pitchers again. In any case given Baker's tendancy to micromanage the pen, I believe he'll want that extra pitcher anyway.

[CubinNY]

I wouldn't get too worked up over Grissom. It is more than likely that ST is his audition for another team.

 

More than likely? I'd say he's a clear-cut favorite to make the Cubs. There's a slight chance ST would be an audition for another team, but I can't see it as "more than likely".

 

We shall see. To me he is at best a 5th outfielder.

 

Peirre

Jones

Murton

Patterson

Marbury

Hairston

Grissom

 

If the Cubs the Cubs get rid of Patterson, slide everyone up. He still won't make the team.

 

Teams do this kind of stuff every year.

 

Once Walker is traded, Hairston will be considered an IF. Corey will likely be gone as well. That leaves Pierre, Jones, Murton, Mabry and Grissom. Mabry is already considered a OF/IF to a degree.

 

As of now the bench is Blanco, Neifi/Cedeno, Hairston, Patterson, Mabry and Grissom. If the more veteran bullpen gives them confidence to go with just 11 pitchers, those 6 are in the lead. That's 2 MI, 1 corner IF/corner OF, 2 OF and 1 C. Teams do sign veterans to NRI all the time. And the Cubs happen to give those guys jobs all the time. The Cubs have 2 guys on their roster right now who they have openly talked about getting rid of, and they don't have enough other bench guys to push Grissom into a AAA spot. They still need bench help, not to mention a real starting corner OF or other bat, and starting pitching help.

You paint a dark but not unrealistic pitcher there goon man. I hope it doesn't come to that.

[wastra]

IMO, Mabry will see as much time backing up 3B and resting Aramis as he will in RF. (This assumes Dusty doesn't start him in left, which I sadly fully expect :roll: )

 

 

So you'll see the OF being:

Pierre

Murton

Jones

Patterson (unless he's traded)

Grissom

 

Since both Mabry and Hairston play IF positions also, it's not redundant to have them on the roster.

 

Our IF will be:

 

Perez MIF

Cedeno MIF

Lee IF

RAmirez IF

Mabry 1B/3B

Hairston MIF

 

 

With Blanco and Barret, that's 13, leaving us with 12 pitchers (again).

 

 

If walker returns, we'd have to carry the standard 11 pitchers in a very anti-dusty fashion, but with a veteran pen, he might not put up too much of a fight.