Will Carroll Source: Prior's 2006 Injury = Wood's 2005

[baseball7897]

No, thank you on Zito. Schmidt, please.

 

Your going to be very upset when Schmdit lands on the DL in the first month with shoulder problems.

 

Zito is the best pitcher on the FA list.

[YearofDaCubs]

No, thank you on Zito. Schmidt, please.

I too would rather have Schmidt but I can't justify the signing for longer than 2 years. He's an injury risk and is getting older. Say no to Zito.

[Soriano12]

No, thank you on Zito. Schmidt, please.

Say no to Zito.

 

Why?

[baseball7897]

Schmidt, has been abused by Busty Faker, and Felipe Alou.

 

SIGN HIM UP!!!

[RynoRules]

Now that this story leaked, you can forget any hopes of trading Mark. Zero value.

[C.C.]

Now that this story leaked, you can forget any hopes of trading Mark. Zero value.

 

He didn't have value before this...

[illiniguy]

Wow.

Hearing all this about Prior is just, well depressing. Although I think most of us have now accepted that he will never be what he once was for us.

 

Where is the moment when we need it the most

You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost

They tell me your blue sky's faded to grey

They tell me your passion's gone away

And I don't need no carrying on

 

You stand in the line just to hit a new low

You're faking a smile with the coffee to go

You tell me your life's been way off line

You're falling to pieces every time

And I don't need no carrying on

 

Cause you had a bad day

You're taking one down

You sing a sad song just to turn it around

You say you don't know

You tell me don't lie

You work at a smile and you go for a ride

You had a bad day

The camera don't lie

You're coming back down and you really don't mind

You had a bad day

You had a bad day

[Rob]

If you're Zito and you can pick between teams that are run well, have won recently, and haven't had many injured pitchers...and the Cubs, would you take the Cubs? (Assume you're not a die-hard Cubs fan like we are.)

 

 

Money still talks in this game. We would have to overpay.

 

If the Muts offered 14/season the Cubs would have to offer 16-17/season.

 

What other choice do the Cubs have at this point? Hendry has put the Cubs

in this position. Now going into 2007 the Cubs have a gaping whole in that rotation. I would rather overpay with $$$$ than prospects(see the Juan Pierre trade)

 

Actually, you'd only have to offer another penny...

 

If memory serves me correctly, in an open bidding war... no Boras client has ever signed with the team that offered less money.

[pete the dog]

Don't forget about the Bosox, who also will be major players for starting pitchers in the offseason. Zito & Schmidt are going to make a freaking fortune, given the teams that are desperate for starting pitching.

[soccer10k]

If you're Zito and you can pick between teams that are run well, have won recently, and haven't had many injured pitchers...and the Cubs, would you take the Cubs? (Assume you're not a die-hard Cubs fan like we are.)

 

 

Money still talks in this game. We would have to overpay.

 

If the Muts offered 14/season the Cubs would have to offer 16-17/season.

 

What other choice do the Cubs have at this point? Hendry has put the Cubs

in this position. Now going into 2007 the Cubs have a gaping whole in that rotation. I would rather overpay with $$$$ than prospects(see the Juan Pierre trade)

 

Actually, you'd only have to offer another penny...

 

If memory serves me correctly, in an open bidding war... no Boras client has ever signed with the team that offered less money.

 

That's what I was going to say as well. Zito will go to the team that offers him the most money. I don't think the Cubs will offer him the most money.

[Yestheydo]

 

......You had a bad day

 

I think for Prior these lyrics may be more appropriate:

 

Do you have a Band-Aid?

It's just what I need

To patch up these spots

Where my bullet holes bleed

And one for each cheek

I caught on barbed wire

And third-degree burns

From my hair catching fire

I need a Band-Aid

I'm sure it will heal

My leg that got crushed

By your automobile

I caught a grenade:

 

I need a Band-Aid

[Yestheydo]

 

If Hendry counts on Prior for the top end of the rotation he is a moron.

 

Oh, never fear. Between Prior and Wade Miller, he's sure to have that #2 spot covered. Just watch.

[Laura]

I've been worried that might be the case for awhile now. The repeated trips to the DL with amorphous elbow / shoulder / side pains seemed really similar to what Wood went through last year.

 

It really sucks.

 

A big thank you to Marcus Giles, Brad Hawpe, and most importantly, Dusty Baker. Without you ruining Prior wouldn't have been possible.

 

No flames please, just going to throw out another potential factor: steroids and/or HGG.

 

There is certainly some circumstantial evidence: Prior's longtime association with Tom House and Tom House's admitted substance use.

 

As I said, no flames. I'm not asserting he did or didn't, but the evidence is worth addressing. Thoughts anyone?

 

No one is above suspicion. If Prior and Wood both go down with the same injuries after both were pitched as they were in '03 (and Prior for parts of '04), I guess I'd be more inclined to look at the similarities in their use before the injuries than to assume one or both were on 'roids.

 

We can speculate who on the Cubs is on illegal performance enhancers now; unfortunately, it is what it is and absent stringent testing and controls, there's no way to know for certain.

[bc2k]

A big thank you to Marcus Giles, Brad Hawpe, and most importantly, Dusty Baker. Without you ruining Prior wouldn't have been possible.

 

No flames please, just going to throw out another potential factor: steroids and/or HGG.

 

There is certainly some circumstantial evidence: Prior's longtime association with Tom House and Tom House's admitted substance use.

 

As I said, no flames. I'm not asserting he did or didn't, but the evidence is worth addressing. Thoughts anyone?

 

What's HGG?

[FergieJ31]

What's HGG?

 

Sorry, typo - HGH (human growth hormone)

[LeftCoastCubFan]

What's HGG?

Human Growth Goo. Barry testified he thought it was chocolate pudding.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

What is the obsession with Zito?

 

He's a homer prone, high walk, fly ball pitcher. The thing he'd give us is innings and if we want an expensive overrated lefty to do that we could trade for Eric Milton or someone.

 

I can't even think of a pitcher I want on the FA market but if a gun is to my head I'd give it to Schmidt. Thats between the two big name guys though...no clue who else is out there.

 

And I still refuse to quit on Prior. This seems too preliminary for me, not going to jump the gun yet.

[TruffleShuffle]

If the Muts offered 14/season the Cubs would have to offer 16-17/season.

 

LOL! No way, no how would the Cubs pay Zito 16-17 a year! We are talking the Cubs here...

 

Nor should they. Zito isn't worth that much. Paying him more than $10m per is a stretch.

 

First things first, lock down Z for the next 4 years and make sure RAM doesn't opt out of his contract...Zito will get more the 10 million a year for sure. He'll top out at 14-15 a year...

 

Which means you look elsewhere to bolster your rotation. Zito and Schmidt may be the biggest names on the FA market, but they aren't necessarily the best values.

 

This attitude basically means the Cubs would never land a top 5 free agent. Those guys are always going to have the Yankees, Red Sox, Mutts, Dodgers, and any other big-market team in the mix. If you're not willing to overpay for the top guys, you won't get them. And in Cub world, that means you get Jacque Jones as your RF.

[Soriano12]

What is the obsession with Zito?

 

He's a homer prone, high walk, fly ball pitcher. The thing he'd give us is innings and if we want an expensive overrated lefty to do that we could trade for Eric Milton or someone.

 

I can't even think of a pitcher I want on the FA market but if a gun is to my head I'd give it to Schmidt. Thats between the two big name guys though...no clue who else is out there.

 

And I still refuse to quit on Prior. This seems too preliminary for me, not going to jump the gun yet.

 

I find it funny someone with the screen name "wegotwood98" would

bag on a Zito.

[USSoccer]

If the Muts offered 14/season the Cubs would have to offer 16-17/season.

 

LOL! No way, no how would the Cubs pay Zito 16-17 a year! We are talking the Cubs here...

 

Nor should they. Zito isn't worth that much. Paying him more than $10m per is a stretch.

 

First things first, lock down Z for the next 4 years and make sure RAM doesn't opt out of his contract...Zito will get more the 10 million a year for sure. He'll top out at 14-15 a year...

 

Which means you look elsewhere to bolster your rotation. Zito and Schmidt may be the biggest names on the FA market, but they aren't necessarily the best values.

 

This attitude basically means the Cubs would never land a top 5 free agent. Those guys are always going to have the Yankees, Red Sox, Mutts, Dodgers, and any other big-market team in the mix. If you're not willing to overpay for the top guys, you won't get them. And in Cub world, that means you get Jacque Jones as your RF.

 

Do you believe Zito is the kind of pitcher worthy of a $14-17m/yr contract?

[C.C.]

If the Muts offered 14/season the Cubs would have to offer 16-17/season.

 

LOL! No way, no how would the Cubs pay Zito 16-17 a year! We are talking the Cubs here...

 

Nor should they. Zito isn't worth that much. Paying him more than $10m per is a stretch.

 

First things first, lock down Z for the next 4 years and make sure RAM doesn't opt out of his contract...Zito will get more the 10 million a year for sure. He'll top out at 14-15 a year...

 

Which means you look elsewhere to bolster your rotation. Zito and Schmidt may be the biggest names on the FA market, but they aren't necessarily the best values.

 

This attitude basically means the Cubs would never land a top 5 free agent. Those guys are always going to have the Yankees, Red Sox, Mutts, Dodgers, and any other big-market team in the mix. If you're not willing to overpay for the top guys, you won't get them. And in Cub world, that means you get Jacque Jones as your RF.

 

Do you believe Zito is the kind of pitcher worthy of a $14-17m/yr contract?

 

I don't see much of Zito, but isn't he a fly-ball type of pitcher? High salary Fly-Ball pitcher in Wrigley Field does not sound like a good allocation of the team salary to me?

[TruffleShuffle]

Do you believe Zito is the kind of pitcher worthy of a $14-17m/yr contract?

 

No, but I don't believe Manny Ramirez is worth $20M per year and I don't believe Carlos Beltran is worth $17M per year. You either overpay for top talent, or you settle for second-tier players. The Cubs are apparently content doing the latter.

[C.C.]

Do you believe Zito is the kind of pitcher worthy of a $14-17m/yr contract?

 

No, but I don't believe Manny Ramirez is worth $20M per year and I don't believe Carlos Beltran is worth $17M per year. You either overpay for top talent, or you settle for second-tier players. The Cubs are apparently content doing the latter.

 

It depends if you consider Zito one of the elite pitching talents out there?

[USSoccer]

Do you believe Zito is the kind of pitcher worthy of a $14-17m/yr contract?

 

No, but I don't believe Manny Ramirez is worth $20M per year and I don't believe Carlos Beltran is worth $17M per year. You either overpay for top talent, or you settle for second-tier players. The Cubs are apparently content doing the latter.

 

Manny Ramirez is a top 5 offensive player. Barry Zito isn't a top 5 pitcher. I'd struggle to put him in the top 20. It's one thing to overpay a guy who's clearly in the top tier at his position. Zito isn't close to being a top pitcher.

[goonys evil twin]

Do you believe Zito is the kind of pitcher worthy of a $14-17m/yr contract?

 

No, but I don't believe Manny Ramirez is worth $20M per year and I don't believe Carlos Beltran is worth $17M per year. You either overpay for top talent, or you settle for second-tier players. The Cubs are apparently content doing the latter.

 

Manny Ramirez is a top 5 offensive player. Barry Zito isn't a top 5 pitcher. I'd struggle to put him in the top 20. It's one thing to overpay a guy who's clearly in the top tier at his position. Zito isn't close to being a top pitcher.

 

Yeah, Ramirez and Beltran are elite. Zito isn't elite. I'm all for overpaying superstars, Zito is not a superstar.