Winter Meetings Thread (Merged)

[TruffleShuffle]

Is there another 4th OF type you have in mind?

 

Sign Lofton and trade for Church.

 

Which one is the 4th OF?

 

doesn't really matter to me - Lofton is old so he'll need time off, and Church can play LF and CF. Let them split time in CF. Neither guy is going to get pissed off if he isn't playing more than half the time.

[fromthestretch]

How about Jones+40 man roster player for Church+Jon Rauch? Put Rauch in the rotation

 

I still don't understand how the Nats justified giving starts to guys like Ramon Ortiz and Pedro Astacio when Rauch most likely could have outperformed both of them as a starter.

[goonys evil twin]

Is there another 4th OF type you have in mind?

 

Sign Lofton and trade for Church.

 

Which one is the 4th OF?

 

doesn't really matter to me - Lofton is old so he'll need time off, and Church can play LF and CF. Let them split time in CF. Neither guy is going to get pissed off if he isn't playing more than half the time.

 

It would be a decent offensive OF.

[TheDude]

How about Jones+40 man roster player for Church+Jon Rauch? Put Rauch in the rotation

 

I still don't understand how the Nats justified giving starts to guys like Ramon Ortiz and Pedro Astacio when Rauch most likely could have outperformed both of them as a starter.

 

Frank Robinson.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cubs add Lofton and Church.

[TruffleShuffle]

How about Jones+40 man roster player for Church+Jon Rauch? Put Rauch in the rotation

 

I still don't understand how the Nats justified giving starts to guys like Ramon Ortiz and Pedro Astacio when Rauch most likely could have outperformed both of them as a starter.

 

Frank Robinson.

 

hence Ryan Church never really getting a chance there either

[NorthsideAvenger]

The Cubs are talking to the Nationals about Ryan Church, who could be an option to platoon with Matt Murton.

 

The Nationals will want pitching back, which could mean Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall or Carlos Marmol. The Cubs surely won't consider parting with Sean Hill for the 28-year-old.

 

Heck, I'd give em Sean Hill, Felix Patterson, and Donnie Marshall (go Malph!) for Church. j/k :P

 

Heck, I'd thrown in Brian Pawelek, and Mark Dopirak, if they want.

[Jehrico]

How does Pie deserve a shot? He really has to work on his OBP before we give him a shot

 

He pounded the ball in the second half, and his .060 IsoD is far from a disaster.

Did Pie participate in any of the winter leagues? If so, how did he do?

 

He did, and he has under a .600 OPS in it.

 

in other words, he made ronny cedeno look like a solid hitter

 

Was he working on changing his swing or anything like that over the winter that could account for his production?

[NorthsideAvenger]

The possibility of having "The Church of Baseball" (thx Bull Durham) at Wrigley Field, is most definately an intriguing possibility.

[TheDude]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cubs add Lofton and Church.

 

Me either, though they would still need a right-handed option to occasionally play CF, which is probablly where the experimental options come in (bring up Pie, tryout Theriot, etc.)

[RynoRules]

The Cubs are talking to the Nationals about Ryan Church, who could be an option to platoon with Matt Murton.

 

The Nationals will want pitching back, which could mean Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall or Carlos Marmol. The Cubs surely won't consider parting with Sean Hill for the 28-year-old.

 

Dude, you got a cite for this stuff?

[Drew Doughty]

The Cubs are talking to the Nationals about Ryan Church, who could be an option to platoon with Matt Murton.

 

The Nationals will want pitching back, which could mean Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall or Carlos Marmol. The Cubs surely won't consider parting with Sean Hill for the 28-year-old.

 

Dude, you got a cite for this stuff?

 

that was pulled off of rotoworld

[RynoRules]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cubs add Lofton and Church.

 

That would be fine with me.

[goonys evil twin]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cubs add Lofton and Church.

 

Me either, though they would still need a right-handed option to occasionally play CF, which is probablly where the experimental options come in (bring up Pie, tryout Theriot, etc.)

 

Not sure how Pie fits into the RH options experiment.

 

But that's what I initially thought. Then, I asked myself why. Why would they need a RH option to play some center. I say you'd bat Lofton/Church in the 2 hole against RHP, and then DeRosa in the 2 hole against LHP. But I could live with one of Lofton/Church hitting 8th even against LHP. It would be nice to have a guy like Michaels subbing in at times, but I'm not sure it's really necessary.

[Mephistopheles]

How does Pie deserve a shot? He really has to work on his OBP before we give him a shot

 

its pretty simple. izturis sucks a lot more than he does.

[Derwood]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cubs add Lofton and Church.

 

That would be fine with me.

 

if it eliminated Floyd from the picture, sign me up

[Flames24Rulz]

Will Carroll speculating the Cubs have some prospects and ability to make a deal with a with a team for pitching "just south of them."

 

Hmm....

 

It really does make sense. They have a surplus at an area where we need and we have a surplus (bullpen arms) that they need.

[TruffleShuffle]

I think Church is better against LHP than Lofton, but I'm not positive. Either way, I don't think they'd have a situation like Trot Nixon, where the guy is just useless against LHP.

[Abe Frohman]

I hope we can ink Lofton. However, we need a BIG bat in the OF with Murton and Soriano in order to make playing Izturis at SS make sense. I am warming to the idea of Soriano leading off, but with the offense as it is - I think the Cubs would be better served with Soriano in the middle of the order. Still don't have a legit #5 hitter if Soriano is batting leadoff.

 

Pie needs AT LEAST another season to grasp plate discipline, from what I know. With a guy like Lofton in CF, he is going to need some help, and it doesn't make sense to cut into Pie's developement to bring him up to split time or back up anyone.

[TruffleShuffle]

I hope we can ink Lofton. However, we need a BIG bat in the OF with Murton and Soriano in order to make playing Izturis at SS make sense.

 

I dunno if it's doable this offseason. I'd like to see them sign Carlos Guillen at SS next offseason, if the Tigers don't extend him.

[goonys evil twin]

Did I just hear Steve Stone say the Sox might be able to trade Contreras and get back Lackey?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

How does Pie deserve a shot? He really has to work on his OBP before we give him a shot

 

He pounded the ball in the second half, and his .060 IsoD is far from a disaster.

Did Pie participate in any of the winter leagues? If so, how did he do?

 

In 121 ABs, including yesterday's game: .223/.271/.281/.552, 1 HBP, 7 BB, 23 K, 1 HR, 4 2B, 5/5 SB

[baseball7897]

Did I just hear Steve Stone say the Sox might be able to trade Contreras and get back Lackey?

 

That deal makes very little sense.

[YearofDaCubs]

Did I just hear Steve Stone say the Sox might be able to trade Contreras and get back Lackey?

Stone doesn't have a clue.

[Flames24Rulz]

Did I just hear Steve Stone say the Sox might be able to trade Contreras and get back Lackey?

 

That deal makes very little sense.

 

I'm not sure if I understand it either.