Barry Zito

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think Oakland would bite on something like Williams, Aardsma, Epatt.

 

Of course they would, because they would be hardcore fleecing us. Forget Aardsma and EPatt, Williams for Zito is a deal you may not want to make.

 

If it's the difference between us making or missing the playoffs, I'd do it.

 

A marginal starting pitching upgrade(if that, and forgetting the financial/service time disadvantages) isn't going to be what keeps us out of the playoffs. Adding in Aardsma and EPatt makes it highway robbery.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

Let the Red Sox, Mets, or the Yankees do something stupid for Zito. We have plenty of solid near ML ready left handed options...who aren't going to be commanding top dollar any time soon.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Unless Wood, Prior and Miller all suffer extreme setbacks, I can't see us making a deal for pitching.

 

We already have a number of starting candidates. First there's Zambrano, Maddux, Wood, Prior, and Miller. That's five starters there. Then there's Williams and Rusch. If more are needed, we have Marshall, Hill, Guzman, and Ryu. The depth is outstanding, provided at least one of Wood, Prior or Miller is healthy and effective.

 

If we're going to make a deal, we need to find something to fill the enormous offensive void in rightfield.

 

Shawn Green, Bobby Abreu, Milton Bradley and others would be where we will focus our attention.

[srbin84]

I wouldn't quite say we have an "enormous" void in RF.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I wouldn't quite say we have an "enormous" void in RF.

 

The numbers seem to disagree with you: 220/245/300/545

[srbin84]

I wouldn't quite say we have an "enormous" void in RF.

 

The numbers seem to disagree with you: 220/245/300/545

 

Well, I'm not counting on Jones putting up a line like that over a full season.

[Chocolate Milk]

I wouldn't quite say we have an "enormous" void in RF.

 

The numbers seem to disagree with you: 220/245/300/545

 

Well, I'm not counting on Jones putting up a line like that over a full season.

 

Yeah, he'd have to show substantial improvement to put up those kind of numbers.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I wouldn't quite say we have an "enormous" void in RF.

 

There's an .071 avg that begs to differ.

 

I'd say it is an enormous void. I'm starting to worry that Jones, if he's lucky, will hit like he did the last two years, in which case we're looking at a 250 avg with a 300 or worse OBP.

 

That's a huge void. I'm hoping that the issue will be addressed sooner rather than later.

[srbin84]

Jones isn't very old and he's been consistent to some degree with what he does, which isn't all that great, but solid. He'll turn it around into a decent year, look at Chavez and Drew last year. Better players, but they were in much bigger holes and recovered. I'd love to replace him with Abreu, but I don't see the Cubs doing it, and I also think it would take Prior and most people on this board don't want to do that.

[Big Z 38]

Sounds like Damon is recruiting him and Tori Hunter to go to New York next season.

 

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060417/SPORTS01/604170347/1108

 

 

Why? Does Damon want to play LF? Hunter's much better defensively in CF than Damon.

 

damon said he'd move to rf if they got hunter.

 

Johnny Damon doesn't seem to have received the memo that he has the arm of a 65-year-old. Put him in right field and baserunners would take extra bases on him ad nauseum. Put Damon in left, Hunter in center, Matsui in right, and Sheffield to DH, though, and you might have something there. The only question that raises is what they would do with Giambi when he needs days off from the field.

You rotate thru, or convert one of those OF to 1B

[Geech]

Jones isn't very old and he's been consistent to some degree with what he does, which isn't all that great, but solid. He'll turn it around into a decent year, look at Chavez and Drew last year. Better players, but they were in much bigger holes and recovered. I'd love to replace him with Abreu, but I don't see the Cubs doing it, and I also think it would take Prior and most people on this board don't want to do that.

 

Jones is solid if he's playing center, perhaps, but he's our rightfielder. His production is atrocious for a rightfielder.

[Danny82]

Do you think we could swing Williams for Zito at the deadline? Oakland has a rotation 6-deep w/o Zito, and Williams is under team control for 4 more years after this. It would fit the moneyball scheme perfectly for Beane.

 

"Moneyball scheme"?

[srbin84]

Jones isn't very old and he's been consistent to some degree with what he does, which isn't all that great, but solid. He'll turn it around into a decent year, look at Chavez and Drew last year. Better players, but they were in much bigger holes and recovered. I'd love to replace him with Abreu, but I don't see the Cubs doing it, and I also think it would take Prior and most people on this board don't want to do that.

 

Jones is solid if he's playing center, perhaps, but he's our rightfielder. His production is atrocious for a rightfielder.

 

I've said before that I would do the Prior-Abreu trade. You have to give something to get something. They aren't going to take prospects just because we want them to. Yeah, Prior is younger, but for the next three years, is this team better with Prior and Jones or Abreu?

Edited April 18, 2006 by srbin84

[Geech]

I've said before that I would do the Prior-Abreu trade. You have to give something to get something. They aren't going to take prospects just because we want them to. Yeah, Prior is older, but for the next three years, is this team better with Prior and Jones or Abreu?

 

Probably Abreu.

[srbin84]

Even if you think Zito isn't as good as his early career numbers and the league just caught up to him to an extent, he'd still probably be a Randy Johnson Astros type acquistion since we are in the NL, especially with all of the left hitters in our division. Of course it didn't work out for Houston because the Astros stunk in the playoffs. Zito has very good playoff numbers. I'd hate to give up a Garcia and Guillen for him, but I don't see Williams having a career like Garcia's and it wouldn't be the worst thing to make a move to go for the world series even if it is short sighted.

[Clogged Basepaths]

Even if you think Zito isn't as good as his early career numbers and the league just caught up to him to an extent, he'd still probably be a Randy Johnson Astros type acquistion since we are in the NL, especially with all of the left hitters in our division. Of course it didn't work out for Houston because the Astros stunk in the playoffs. Zito has very good playoff numbers. I'd hate to give up a Garcia and Guillen for him, but I don't see Williams having a career like Garcia's and it wouldn't be the worst thing to make a move to go for the world series even if it is short sighted.

 

Please show me the #'s that somehow equate Zito to Randy Johnson. And, as for his playoff #'s - small sample size? Anyone?

 

No thank you to mediocre, expensive starters.

[BigbadB]

I think there are too many things up in the air right now to go and spend a lot to acquire a big dollar starter. Heck, Hendry was toying with the idea of throwing a bunch of money at Millwood this past offseason, but I'd venture to guess one of the reasons he thought against it is because of the size and length of the contract.

 

At that time, they didn't know what Lee was going to be making when they got him locked down. Zambrano and Prior are nowhere near what they will eventually be making. Maddux and Wood aren't guaranteed roster evacuees next year. The same could be said about Pierre. I don't know Barrett's contract status, but given his new nickname "best catcher in the NL", his next contract won't be anything like the one he's finishing up. Jones, Dempster, Eyre and Howry are locked down. How much money will the team have to spend? And not just this year, but for the life of the contract Zito would sign. Just as it didn't appear to be realistic to go after Millwood this past offseason, I don't think they'll go after Zito either.

 

He's not going to be cheap.

[srbin84]

Even if you think Zito isn't as good as his early career numbers and the league just caught up to him to an extent, he'd still probably be a Randy Johnson Astros type acquistion since we are in the NL, especially with all of the left hitters in our division. Of course it didn't work out for Houston because the Astros stunk in the playoffs. Zito has very good playoff numbers. I'd hate to give up a Garcia and Guillen for him, but I don't see Williams having a career like Garcia's and it wouldn't be the worst thing to make a move to go for the world series even if it is short sighted.

 

Please show me the #'s that somehow equate Zito to Randy Johnson. And, as for his playoff #'s - small sample size? Anyone?

 

No thank you to mediocre, expensive starters.

 

Johnson had a career ERA of 3.46 at the time of the trade, Zito has a career ERA of 3.50.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Even if you think Zito isn't as good as his early career numbers and the league just caught up to him to an extent, he'd still probably be a Randy Johnson Astros type acquistion since we are in the NL, especially with all of the left hitters in our division. Of course it didn't work out for Houston because the Astros stunk in the playoffs. Zito has very good playoff numbers. I'd hate to give up a Garcia and Guillen for him, but I don't see Williams having a career like Garcia's and it wouldn't be the worst thing to make a move to go for the world series even if it is short sighted.

 

Please show me the #'s that somehow equate Zito to Randy Johnson. And, as for his playoff #'s - small sample size? Anyone?

 

No thank you to mediocre, expensive starters.

 

Johnson had a career ERA of 3.46 at the time of the trade, Zito has a career ERA of 3.50.

 

Johnson's ERA's in recent years were similar to Zito's, and he gave up fewer baserunners while striking out a bajillion more hitters. They aren't on the same plane.

[Hosak8]

I wouldn't quite say we have an "enormous" void in RF.

 

There's an .071 avg that begs to differ.

 

I'd say it is an enormous void. I'm starting to worry that Jones, if he's lucky, will hit like he did the last two years, in which case we're looking at a 250 avg with a 300 or worse OBP.

 

That's a huge void. I'm hoping that the issue will be addressed sooner rather than later.

 

And you think Shawn Green is the answer? Or, do you just think Shawn Green is the direction we'll look?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I wouldn't quite say we have an "enormous" void in RF.

 

There's an .071 avg that begs to differ.

 

I'd say it is an enormous void. I'm starting to worry that Jones, if he's lucky, will hit like he did the last two years, in which case we're looking at a 250 avg with a 300 or worse OBP.

 

That's a huge void. I'm hoping that the issue will be addressed sooner rather than later.

 

And you think Shawn Green is the answer? Or, do you just think Shawn Green is the direction we'll look?

 

I think Green is a better answer than what we currently have. At this point, it's hard to tell what direction we'll take. Jose Guillen of Washington could be available as well.

[rjchapma]

Even if you think Zito isn't as good as his early career numbers and the league just caught up to him to an extent, he'd still probably be a Randy Johnson Astros type acquistion since we are in the NL, especially with all of the left hitters in our division. Of course it didn't work out for Houston because the Astros stunk in the playoffs. Zito has very good playoff numbers. I'd hate to give up a Garcia and Guillen for him, but I don't see Williams having a career like Garcia's and it wouldn't be the worst thing to make a move to go for the world series even if it is short sighted.

 

Please show me the #'s that somehow equate Zito to Randy Johnson. And, as for his playoff #'s - small sample size? Anyone?

 

No thank you to mediocre, expensive starters.

 

Im sorry buddy but Zito is not mediocre. A comparison of him and Randy Johnson is pretty far fetched, but someone who has one a cy young and has a career era in the threes is not shabby.

[rjchapma]

As for Green or Guillen. Id like to have Green over Jones. Guillen on the other hand is nuts and throws chairs at fans. Id rather have a sane RF then a nuts who is not that much better.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

As for Green or Guillen. Id like to have Green over Jones. Guillen on the other hand is nuts and throws chairs at fans. Id rather have a sane RF then a nuts who is not that much better.

 

Looking at the last three years, Guillen posted 295/349/515 line while Jones 268/322/443. I think that is quite a bit better.

 

Furthermore, I don't think Guillen ever threw a chair at a fan. If you have a link, please provide, but you are confusing him with Cordero of the Rangers. Guillen has had some behavior issues, especially with the Angels. But please don't exaggerate or lie about him just to make a stronger point.

[rjchapma]

My bad yeah it was Cordero. I just know that Guillen has had a lot of problems in the clubhouse when he was on the angels. I remember he had to sit out the playoffs one year because of his attitude. Sorry about the numbers too. I think Green is the best of the three though.