Back up the truck

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I don't agree with the backup the truck philosophy with this team. It would not be difficult to make the 2007 team a real contender. The window is closing, but it's not yet closed. Hendry and Baker have screwed up this opportunity so far, but as long as they are both still here there is no reason to think about an overhaul. They couldn't get it right anyway. Might as well stick with the best players and try to add a good difference maker or two, and take their chances.

 

Unlike the vast majority of teams the Cubs have the financial resources to make significant upgrades without dumping all their current studs.

 

Bingo. Make the moves that will improve you for '07, since '06 is pretty much shot. Almost like an extended offseason, except some attention has to be given to make sure the current roster is feasible.

[Fro]

They need to back up the truck for Pierre, Maddux, and Wood, who aren't under contract for next year.

 

The core of this team is fine, and trading a guy like Aram since he's started out in a slump is stupid.

[CuseCubFan69]

I don't agree with the backup the truck philosophy with this team. It would not be difficult to make the 2007 team a real contender. The window is closing, but it's not yet closed. Hendry and Baker have screwed up this opportunity so far, but as long as they are both still here there is no reason to think about an overhaul. They couldn't get it right anyway. Might as well stick with the best players and try to add a good difference maker or two, and take their chances.

 

Unlike the vast majority of teams the Cubs have the financial resources to make significant upgrades without dumping all their current studs.

 

Bingo. Make the moves that will improve you for '07, since '06 is pretty much shot. Almost like an extended offseason, except some attention has to be given to make sure the current roster is feasible.

 

The moves would have to be tailor made so the two geniuses that run this team can't screw it up. Hendry could put the best team out there and Baker would throw Perez at the 2 spot. IMO the players would have to be solid by the book players and do what Hendry and Baker think they should be capable of. Personally I don't trust Hendry to get the right players and I don't have any confidence in Baker in any way to use them correctly.

[Sammy Sofa]

Hendry could put the best team out there and Baker would throw Perez at the 2 spot.

 

I love bashing Dusty as much as the next guy, but come on. He would not.

[CuseCubFan69]

Hendry could put the best team out there and Baker would throw Perez at the 2 spot.

 

I love bashing Dusty as much as the next guy, but come on. He would not.

 

If Hendry had a decent amount of good hitters I have no doubt that Baker would put the glovey/contact hitter Perez in the lineup at the 2 spot. I suppose we will have to disagree on this. Baker put Perez in the 2 hole even with Womach hitting 360 or so and on a hot streak.

[Sammy Sofa]

Hendry could put the best team out there and Baker would throw Perez at the 2 spot.

 

I love bashing Dusty as much as the next guy, but come on. He would not.

 

If Hendry had a decent amount of good hitters I have no doubt that Baker would put the glovey/contact hitter Perez in the lineup at the 2 spot. I suppose we will have to disagree on this. Baker put Perez in the 2 hole even with Womach hitting 360 or so and on a hot streak.

 

Because Tony Womack is Tony Womack. When you say "good hitters," that typically means about as far away from Tony Womack as possibly. Would you have been as defensive of Neifi last year if he was bumped for a player doing worse at the moment when he had his hot streak last year? Basically, the implication that if Dusty has a team where he has everyday good hitters in all the positions and he's still going to start Neifi on a regular basis is flat out absurd. Of course Neifi's going to get a few starts. All the bench guys are, except if they have cool nicknames like "The Riot." But Dusty would not start him if he had everyday "good players" playing uninjured in those spots.

[Soul]

ARod wouldn't make sense if you're giving up Lee. That's just trading one star for another. It doesn't really get you anywhere.

 

Who has brought up getting rid of Lee or trading him for A-Rod? Everyone's brought up Aramis in that trade...in my case, packaged with Wood, Jones and a reliever. Aramis benefist NY because he's showing he needs to be behind or surrounded by big hitters to pound the ball. Bam, easily done in NY. He also replaces A-Rod at 3rd. They need a starter, they need the OF help, and they need the bullpen help, badly. I think A-Rod would thrive on a team like the Cubs, where there are very few superstar players compared to the Yankees. He's much more consistent than Aramis, would be able to carry on offensively if Lee gets hurt, and misses little time himself.

 

I think you overestimate their needs. They are in first place. I didn't mention ARam because I don't think he rises to the kind of value that the Yanks would want for ARod. We're a team with many holes. Packing up several players to acquire one doesn't strike me as a terribly productive approach for a club that is missing quite a few pieces.

[Sammy Sofa]

ARod wouldn't make sense if you're giving up Lee. That's just trading one star for another. It doesn't really get you anywhere.

 

Who has brought up getting rid of Lee or trading him for A-Rod? Everyone's brought up Aramis in that trade...in my case, packaged with Wood, Jones and a reliever. Aramis benefist NY because he's showing he needs to be behind or surrounded by big hitters to pound the ball. Bam, easily done in NY. He also replaces A-Rod at 3rd. They need a starter, they need the OF help, and they need the bullpen help, badly. I think A-Rod would thrive on a team like the Cubs, where there are very few superstar players compared to the Yankees. He's much more consistent than Aramis, would be able to carry on offensively if Lee gets hurt, and misses little time himself.

 

 

I think you overestimate their needs. They are in first place. I didn't mention ARam because I don't think he rises to the kind of value that the Yanks would want for ARod. We're a team with many holes. Packing up several players to acquire one doesn't strike me as a terribly productive approach for a club that is missing quite a few pieces.

 

This season and team are a wash. Aramis, IMO, is always going to be a bust unless he's paired or surrounded by big hitters he can draw the pitches he can hit off of. Wood is Wood...either he picks it up as a starter or they start showing him as a bullpen guy. Wood is the past, and the past stinks. He's not a solution to the starting rotation. Jones is Jones...trading him while he's hot for a proven player would be the greatest thing he's accomplishd baseball-wise. Is it really a big deal if grabbing a stud as a step in the right direction opens up or leaves a couple of holes unfixed? Last place instead of second to last? I'm sick of these stopgap "solutions" that accomplish diddly squat. Go for broke and get things done.

[CubfaninCA]

Ramirez & K. Wood for Ervan Santana, B. Wood & McPherson.

 

Of course, Kerry probably won't pitch well enough to warrant a trade.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yeah. I think Wood needs to be given a 15 day DL stint to heal up a bit more and then showcased in the bullpen. Offer him to teams as a lights out setup man or closer.

[Backtobanks]

Ramirez & K. Wood for Ervan Santana, B. Wood & McPherson.

 

Of course, Kerry probably won't pitch well enough to warrant a trade.

 

The sad part is that he probably won't pitch well enough to warrant a trade, but then someone will offer him $60 million over 4 years and he will be healthy and pitch like we hoped he would.

[Soul]

ARod wouldn't make sense if you're giving up Lee. That's just trading one star for another. It doesn't really get you anywhere.

 

Who has brought up getting rid of Lee or trading him for A-Rod? Everyone's brought up Aramis in that trade...in my case, packaged with Wood, Jones and a reliever. Aramis benefist NY because he's showing he needs to be behind or surrounded by big hitters to pound the ball. Bam, easily done in NY. He also replaces A-Rod at 3rd. They need a starter, they need the OF help, and they need the bullpen help, badly. I think A-Rod would thrive on a team like the Cubs, where there are very few superstar players compared to the Yankees. He's much more consistent than Aramis, would be able to carry on offensively if Lee gets hurt, and misses little time himself.

 

 

I think you overestimate their needs. They are in first place. I didn't mention ARam because I don't think he rises to the kind of value that the Yanks would want for ARod. We're a team with many holes. Packing up several players to acquire one doesn't strike me as a terribly productive approach for a club that is missing quite a few pieces.

 

This season and team are a wash. Aramis, IMO, is always going to be a bust unless he's paired or surrounded by big hitters he can draw the pitches he can hit off of. Wood is Wood...either he picks it up as a starter or they start showing him as a bullpen guy. Wood is the past, and the past stinks. He's not a solution to the starting rotation. Jones is Jones...trading him while he's hot for a proven player would be the greatest thing he's accomplishd baseball-wise. Is it really a big deal if grabbing a stud as a step in the right direction opens up or leaves a couple of holes unfixed? Last place instead of second to last? I'm sick of these stopgap "solutions" that accomplish diddly squat. Go for broke and get things done.

 

I agree with everything except packing up a whole bunch of guys to pick up one player.

 

ARod was a step in right direction for Texas too, right? He took up a ton of their payroll and they sat at the bottom of the division unable to put pieces around him.

 

Look. ARod's not God. He's just one position player. He didn't save Texas. And frankly, he hasn't saved NY either. If you could find a way to acquire him with less of an impact, then I'd say go. But the players you mentioned-----I think we'd be better off selling them off for more than 1 piece of our ever-growing puzzle.

[Sammy Sofa]

But I don't expect him to save the team all by himself. I've never said that. I have repeatedly said, he's a step...a BIG step, granted, but even if they got him, they need to pick up another quality, reliable starter and find another bat for the outfield. In my perfect world (the reasonable one) at this point, the Cubs trade for A-Rod and Craig Wilson and sign Carlos Lee as a FA after this year. Trust me, I wouldn't want the Cubs to trade for A-Rod if he was the ONLY significant upgrade or change they were going for. But I do thing a huge move like that among making other serious steps forward would go a long way to boosting this team on a number of levels. I'm tired of seeing signings and trades that "might fix things" if the wind blows or a certain way, or certain people don't get hurt, or the magical luck factor increases, or whatever excuse is trotted out by McHendust this week. Just once, ONCE, I want the sure thing in a player. It would be a nice change of pace.

[Sammy Sofa]

And just to go off on a tangent, here's why I REALLY want to see the Cubs man up for once and shell out for a guy like A-Rod. The way this team is set up and has been set up recently, they NEED 2 big bats in the lineup. Guys that consistently hit and have pop...one goes down, the other still hits. They don't have that right now. I'm not even sure they have one. Lee's year last year was phenomenal, and I know he started decently and in the WBC, but he's no sure thing. Now that he's hurt, it's even more questionable with the type of injury he has. Aramis has proved abundantly that without another batter ahead of him that he can draw decent pitches off of, he's average at best. He's a hitter almost tailor-made for teams like the Cards or Red Sox or Yankees. Plug him in between some big bombers, my God, it would be spectacular. But realize we're NEVER GOING TO HAVE THAT ON THE CUBS. Ever. Not as long as the current regime of mediocrity holds sway. Bite the bullet and get at least ONE guy that has a history of playing like an allstar and missing next to no time. Lee fit the latter, but the former ain't exactly true with his career numbers. I'm sick of settling.

[goonys evil twin]

The way this team is set up and has been set up recently, they NEED 2 big bats in the lineup.

 

They need 3. The really good teams need 3 really big threats. Not necessarily 3 superstars, but 3 legit threats, like a Ramirez, Lee, somebody kind of thing.

[CubbieRich]

The Indians did a study a few years ago that teams with one player who makes 17-18% of their payroll had never won the World Series. I know that ARod is often criticized as not having won it all, but he is a special player. Be fun to see what a DLee-ARod-CLee lineup could do.

 

Funny how teams have changed in the last 10 years or so, putting their top power guy #3 in the lineup rather than 4th.

[CuseCubFan69]

I don't know why so many people like CLee. Is it the 270 average and the 25 HR's along with horrible D? Edited June 7, 2006 by CuseCubFan69

[BigbadB]

The Indians did a study a few years ago that teams with one player who makes 17-18% of their payroll had never won the World Series. I know that ARod is often criticized as not having won it all, but he is a special player. Be fun to see what a DLee-ARod-CLee lineup could do.

 

Funny how teams have changed in the last 10 years or so, putting their top power guy #3 in the lineup rather than 4th.

 

I like that the top power hitter hits #3. However, I also like when guys who hit 1st and 2nd get on base better than just a .300 rate.

[Sammy Sofa]

The way this team is set up and has been set up recently, they NEED 2 big bats in the lineup.

 

They need 3. The really good teams need 3 really big threats. Not necessarily 3 superstars, but 3 legit threats, like a Ramirez, Lee, somebody kind of thing.

 

In a perfect world? Damn right. Right now, I'd settle for having 2 instead of just 1 we lucked into and may or may not ever be able to be in that role ever again.

[CubfaninCA]

Ramirez & K. Wood for Ervan Santana, B. Wood & McPherson.

 

Of course, Kerry probably won't pitch well enough to warrant a trade.

 

The sad part is that he probably won't pitch well enough to warrant a trade, but then someone will offer him $60 million over 4 years and he will be healthy and pitch like we hoped he would.

 

He'll sign w/ St. Louis for 2 & $12 million and become Cris Carpenter. That Cardinal jersey has magical powers. :x