Cubs need to trade for Cabrera, whatever it takes

[JWCUB]

You could do all kinds of things in the future if you had Cabrera. I think he could play 2nd as well, though I would not move him there for Jones.

 

Where would Cabrera be playing now though? I'm all for it just as you are. I just don't see it as a "Jim Hendry" type of move.

 

He's played SS, 3B, LF and RF. I think he can play 1B now. Move him to LF when Lee returns and platoon Murton with Jones (although I'd just bench Jones if he still sucks).

 

I'd just put him in RF after Lee is back and trade Jones. Because Murton is probably going to be a great player, it would be wise to keep him for several years anchoring LF. Then IF Ramirez can't be signed after his contract is up, you have your new 3B.

 

Very logical.

[A New Era]

You could do all kinds of things in the future if you had Cabrera. I think he could play 2nd as well, though I would not move him there for Jones.

 

Where would Cabrera be playing now though? I'm all for it just as you are. I just don't see it as a "Jim Hendry" type of move.

 

He's played SS, 3B, LF and RF. I think he can play 1B now. Move him to LF when Lee returns and platoon Murton with Jones (although I'd just bench Jones if he still sucks).

 

I'd just put him in RF after Lee is back and trade Jones. Because Murton is probably going to be a great player, it would be wise to keep him for several years anchoring LF. Then IF Ramirez can't be signed after his contract is up, you have your new 3B.

 

Very logical.

 

Too bad Jim can't be as logical eh? :lol:

 

If it gives anybody any hope, on Friday's archives Stone brought up Cabrera's name. Said he'd put him at 1st, and he certainly would like to have the "problem" of where do you play him after Lee is back? I'm sure Hendry is giving Florida a call.

 

And something else that made me feel a little better. He mentioned the schedule. After the Cardinals the Cubs play Florida, Brewers, Pirates, Diamondbacks (I think), and Padres. All sub .500 teams. And when that strectch is over, it's May 8th already and you "probably" have Wood back by then. It doesn't look to bleak atleast we can watch the Next couple of weeks knowing very well that the Cubs have the talent to win those upcoming series. I'd sure like to see Jim invigorate this team by adding a force like Cabrera though. After this devistating blow it would bring hope and happiness back into Cubs fans hearts. .

[Warpticon]

People need to stop teasing me with this talk so I can stop fantasizing about a Cabrera/Pie/Murton outfield next year, with a Ramirez/Cedeno/Patterson/Lee/Barrett infield.

[JWCUB]

People need to stop teasing me with this talk so I can stop fantasizing about a Cabrera/Pie/Murton outfield next year, with a Ramirez/Cedeno/Patterson/Lee/Barrett infield.

 

It is something that needs to be done. It would be a MAJOR move in the right direction, IMO. It would show the fans and TEAM that this organization is committed to winning. Would our farm system take a hit? Sure. But on the other hand, you need to look at the ages of the players on the Cubs starting line-up. VERY young and very good. If you can keep the core of these young guys around, and there is no reason why you cant, then your looking at 3,4 or 5 years to restock the farm. It's a no brainer for me. But the question is does Hendry have the stones to do it? My guess is no. And that is a shame. I hope he proves me wrong.

[Warpticon]

People need to stop teasing me with this talk so I can stop fantasizing about a Cabrera/Pie/Murton outfield next year, with a Ramirez/Cedeno/Patterson/Lee/Barrett infield.

 

It is something that needs to be done. It would be a MAJOR move in the right direction, IMO. It would show the fans and TEAM that this organization is committed to winning. Would our farm system take a hit? Sure. But on the other hand, you need to look at the ages of the players on the Cubs starting line-up. VERY young and very good. If you can keep the core of these young guys around, and there is no reason why you cant, then your looking at 3,4 or 5 years to restock the farm. It's a no brainer for me. But the question is does Hendry have the stones to do it? My guess is no. And that is a shame. I hope he proves me wrong.

 

I think it's a stretch to say it needs to be done. It would be nice to do, though. It is, as all trades are, a balancing act of potential progress versus loss. The Cubs aren't in a great negotiating position because everybody knows they want somebody who can fill in for Lee's absent bat, and the Marlins are under no obligation to trade Cabrera. In addition, they just got a starter and 2 prospects for Pierre--a more expensive and far inferior player--so there's a chance for an enormous hit to a farm system that is just now starting to rebuild.

[JWCUB]

People need to stop teasing me with this talk so I can stop fantasizing about a Cabrera/Pie/Murton outfield next year, with a Ramirez/Cedeno/Patterson/Lee/Barrett infield.

 

It is something that needs to be done. It would be a MAJOR move in the right direction, IMO. It would show the fans and TEAM that this organization is committed to winning. Would our farm system take a hit? Sure. But on the other hand, you need to look at the ages of the players on the Cubs starting line-up. VERY young and very good. If you can keep the core of these young guys around, and there is no reason why you cant, then your looking at 3,4 or 5 years to restock the farm. It's a no brainer for me. But the question is does Hendry have the stones to do it? My guess is no. And that is a shame. I hope he proves me wrong.

 

I think it's a stretch to say it needs to be done. It would be nice to do, though. It is, as all trades are, a balancing act of potential progress versus loss. The Cubs aren't in a great negotiating position because everybody knows they want somebody who can fill in for Lee's absent bat, and the Marlins are under no obligation to trade Cabrera. In addition, they just got a starter and 2 prospects for Pierre--a more expensive and far inferior player--so there's a chance for an enormous hit to a farm system that is just now starting to rebuild.

 

You are right Warp. I guess I need to replace the word need with should. The move should be made. You also bring up some valid points on the Pierre front. However, Pierre is a leadoff hitter. As many would say, a pretty good one. Pretty good leadoff hitters are hard to come by. The Cubs can attest to that. Pierres demand was high. The ol' supply and demand theory. And you are right, you cant compare Pierre and Cabrera as players per say. Anyway, I think you can see what I mean. At least I hope so. :lol: I think I'm starting to confuse myself. I know what I want to say, but its hard to put into words. I just feel that if the Cubs have enough to get Cabrera, then they should.

[srbin84]

It will take a number of top prospects, but sometimes it's a good idea to trade some lottery tickets for a bag of cash.

[BigbadB]

It will take a number of top prospects, but sometimes it's a good idea to trade some lottery tickets for a bag of cash.

 

Without a winning ticket, all the lottery tickets in the world won't get you a bag of cash. :wink:

[CubinNY]

People need to stop teasing me with this talk so I can stop fantasizing about a Cabrera/Pie/Murton outfield next year, with a Ramirez/Cedeno/Patterson/Lee/Barrett infield.

 

It is something that needs to be done. It would be a MAJOR move in the right direction, IMO. It would show the fans and TEAM that this organization is committed to winning. Would our farm system take a hit? Sure. But on the other hand, you need to look at the ages of the players on the Cubs starting line-up. VERY young and very good. If you can keep the core of these young guys around, and there is no reason why you cant, then your looking at 3,4 or 5 years to restock the farm. It's a no brainer for me. But the question is does Hendry have the stones to do it? My guess is no. And that is a shame. I hope he proves me wrong.

 

I think it's a stretch to say it needs to be done. It would be nice to do, though. It is, as all trades are, a balancing act of potential progress versus loss. The Cubs aren't in a great negotiating position because everybody knows they want somebody who can fill in for Lee's absent bat, and the Marlins are under no obligation to trade Cabrera. In addition, they just got a starter and 2 prospects for Pierre--a more expensive and far inferior player--so there's a chance for an enormous hit to a farm system that is just now starting to rebuild.

 

Florida needs a 2nd baseman. I'd think they would want Patterson in the deal.

 

I'd give them almost whatever they want (no Z or Prior, but any group of minor leaguers)

[JWCUB]

People need to stop teasing me with this talk so I can stop fantasizing about a Cabrera/Pie/Murton outfield next year, with a Ramirez/Cedeno/Patterson/Lee/Barrett infield.

 

It is something that needs to be done. It would be a MAJOR move in the right direction, IMO. It would show the fans and TEAM that this organization is committed to winning. Would our farm system take a hit? Sure. But on the other hand, you need to look at the ages of the players on the Cubs starting line-up. VERY young and very good. If you can keep the core of these young guys around, and there is no reason why you cant, then your looking at 3,4 or 5 years to restock the farm. It's a no brainer for me. But the question is does Hendry have the stones to do it? My guess is no. And that is a shame. I hope he proves me wrong.

 

I think it's a stretch to say it needs to be done. It would be nice to do, though. It is, as all trades are, a balancing act of potential progress versus loss. The Cubs aren't in a great negotiating position because everybody knows they want somebody who can fill in for Lee's absent bat, and the Marlins are under no obligation to trade Cabrera. In addition, they just got a starter and 2 prospects for Pierre--a more expensive and far inferior player--so there's a chance for an enormous hit to a farm system that is just now starting to rebuild.

 

Florida needs a 2nd baseman. I'd think they would want Patterson in the deal.

 

I'd give them almost whatever they want (no Z or Prior, but any group of minor leaguers)

 

Yep yep. It would be nice to see the Cubs make a BOLD move for a change.

[srbin84]

I'm glad to see there are others that support the idea of using the prospects to improve the club. Who cares what Pie, Pawalek, Epatt, Hill become. Cabrera is Cabrera.

[JWCUB]

I'm glad to see there are others that support the idea of using the prospects to improve the club. Who cares what Pie, Pawalek, Epatt, Hill become. Cabrera is Cabrera.

 

Indeed. And by looking at this offense, we need Cabrera. We need someone to protect Aramis. We just need more offense period. Go get Cabrera.

[Fro]

We only have 2 more seasons after this of "cheap" Prior and Z, so it's time to make a big splash. The window is closing.

 

We'd be set up to be scary good with Cabrera for 2007 and 2008 if we got him.

[srbin84]

We only have 2 more seasons after this of "cheap" Prior and Z, so it's time to make a big splash. The window is closing.

 

We'd be set up to be scary good with Cabrera for 2007 and 2008 if we got him.

 

Good point. I have no idea why some people would rather wait for the prospects to develop and hope we get lucky and have a top team that way. We tried that strategy for about 100 years. Let's try something else, just once.

[nilodnayr]

We only have 2 more seasons after this of "cheap" Prior and Z, so it's time to make a big splash. The window is closing.

 

We'd be set up to be scary good with Cabrera for 2007 and 2008 if we got him.

 

Good point. I have no idea why some people would rather wait for the prospects to develop and hope we get lucky and have a top team that way. We tried that strategy for about 100 years. Let's try something else, just once.

 

Maybe there are some people who are realistic to the fact that there are at least a half dozen teams who have significantly better talent in their farm systems to get a deal done. I echo BBBs sentiment. There are numerous threads on this subject. Its already been proven that Cabrera currently is not available taboot.

[srbin84]

Maybe. I'm of the opinion that every player is available if you are willing pay enough. I think if we offered Florida 5-10 guys from our Baseball America top 10, at some point they would say yes. Now, I know a lot of people will say "Good thing you aren't the GM", etc. Fact is though, the team would actually have a good chance at a championship for the next few years for once.

[Warpticon]

Good point. I have no idea why some people would rather wait for the prospects to develop and hope we get lucky and have a top team that way. We tried that strategy for about 100 years. Let's try something else, just once.

 

We did?

 

I recall the Cubs, for as long as I've been watching them until recently, spend money on veterans and have horrible farm systems taht had mediocre prospects projected to be superstars because they didn't completely suck. I sure don't remember what *you're* talking about.

 

Just keep in mind which team in the NL has been the most consistently good over the last decade plus, and which team has been the most consistently near the top in player development. Hint: they're both the same team.

 

I suspect getting Cabrera would cost at *least* Patterson and Pie, plus young pitching (probably some combination of Hill, Guzman, and Pawelek). And that's just to keep up with what other teams with better systems would be able to offer. If the farm system were in better overall shape, I could get behind that deal, but I'm not sure now. That would decimate the system, and let's say one of the big three (now including Cabrera) gets hurt again. It's not like there'll be anything left to offer for another player at that point.

[nilodnayr]

Good point. I have no idea why some people would rather wait for the prospects to develop and hope we get lucky and have a top team that way. We tried that strategy for about 100 years. Let's try something else, just once.

 

We did?

 

I recall the Cubs, for as long as I've been watching them until recently, spend money on veterans and have horrible farm systems taht had mediocre prospects projected to be superstars because they didn't completely suck. I sure don't remember what *you're* talking about.

 

Just keep in mind which team in the NL has been the most consistently good over the last decade plus, and which team has been the most consistently near the top in player development. Hint: they're both the same team.

 

I suspect getting Cabrera would cost at *least* Patterson and Pie, plus young pitching (probably some combination of Hill, Guzman, and Pawelek). And that's just to keep up with what other teams with better systems would be able to offer. If the farm system were in better overall shape, I could get behind that deal, but I'm not sure now. That would decimate the system, and let's say one of the big three (now including Cabrera) gets hurt again. It's not like there'll be anything left to offer for another player at that point.

 

Hmmm, the land of the free and the home of the..._____(s)

[nilodnayr]

Good point. I have no idea why some people would rather wait for the prospects to develop and hope we get lucky and have a top team that way. We tried that strategy for about 100 years. Let's try something else, just once.

 

We did?

 

I recall the Cubs, for as long as I've been watching them until recently, spend money on veterans and have horrible farm systems taht had mediocre prospects projected to be superstars because they didn't completely suck. I sure don't remember what *you're* talking about.

 

Just keep in mind which team in the NL has been the most consistently good over the last decade plus, and which team has been the most consistently near the top in player development. Hint: they're both the same team.

 

I suspect getting Cabrera would cost at *least* Patterson and Pie, plus young pitching (probably some combination of Hill, Guzman, and Pawelek). And that's just to keep up with what other teams with better systems would be able to offer. If the farm system were in better overall shape, I could get behind that deal, but I'm not sure now. That would decimate the system, and let's say one of the big three (now including Cabrera) gets hurt again. It's not like there'll be anything left to offer for another player at that point.

 

And not to mention that we need those guys to step up because we wouldnt be able to afford all the 10M plus players in a couple years.

[nilodnayr]

Maybe. I'm of the opinion that every player is available if you are willing pay enough. I think if we offered Florida 5-10 guys from our Baseball America top 10, at some point they would say yes. Now, I know a lot of people will say "Good thing you aren't the GM", etc. Fact is though, the team would actually have a good chance at a championship for the next few years for once.

 

2 guys from LAA/LAD/AZ top 10 = 5 guys from our top 10

 

Of course it all depends on the guys you chose, but thats not an unfair statement. Point is, the cubs may have quantity, but we dont have top notch quality in the farm outside of Paw and Pie.

[Rooftop Bum]

Oh well with the Cubs luck we would get Cabrera and he'd get injured in a fluke play or just plain injured. Like Nomar and Lee and Wood and Prior. It's the curse I tell ya :)

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

We'd have just as much chance if not more of getting Dunn as we would Cabrera.

[srbin84]

We'd have just as much chance if not more of getting Dunn as we would Cabrera.

 

Either way, when it comes to top players like Dunn and Cabrera, I think we should give them whatever they want from us in prospects, no matter how ridiculous it might seem.

 

And yeah, the Cubs always had "bad" farm systems before, but they always trusted those players to start and make key contributions instead of trading them when they had value.

[erik316wttn]

I don't think a move for Cabrera at this point would be wise.

 

Now, before you trace my IP address and come after me with torches and pitchforks, let me tell you why...

 

Right now, we're desperate. Every team in the league knows that if Jim tests the waters, he'd be willing to pay far more than he would otherwise. It would cost us far more than it normally would to get Cabrera. It would cost about the price of Cabrera and Willis just to get Miguel here.

 

If we get Cabrera, we can say goodbye to our farm system. He's just not worth it.

 

Stick it out for a few weeks yet and then re-evaluate. But anything at this point would be a quick fix, and a knee-jerk reaction.

[srbin84]

Well, if you think this team is gonna play alright the next few weeks+, I understand that and wish I was as optimistic. I think the current roster is good enough to win 40% of their games. If Wood, Prior and Miller were coming back soon, I'd agree with you about waiting to see what happens.