Winter Meetings Thread (Merged)

[goonys evil twin]

Honestly I'm shocked we got this far.

 

But all said, I think we're still somewhere around a .500 ballclub. There would have to be an additional starter and a real LH bat to be competitive.

 

Barring miracles, of course. Which seem to come our way once every decade.

 

How far did we get? We replaced last year's $9m pitcher, Maddux, with a $10m Lilly, and added a utility player who takes on part of the Walker/Perez money, and Soriano. They've added Soriano. It's really not very far.

 

Agreed it's not far, but there are a couple of other things that will help (overall, I think as-constructed this is a .500 team right now, no better):

 

1. No Dusty Baker.

2. Healthy Derrek Lee for 150+ games

3. Izturis sucks, but he's better than Cedeno

4. No Neifi freaking Perez, John Mabry, Freddie Bynum or other assorted stiffs.

5. Lilly > 2006 Greg Maddux

6. Additional year of experience and maturity for Marshall, Guzman and friends.

 

Cubs need a bonafide #2 starter (Hudson or Penny are all I see out there) and a bat improvement in the OF or SS, then they could have a legitimate shot at a 85+ win season and a postseason chance.

 

That seems about right. With a healthy Dlee and by some miracle Prior comes back then we are right there in the thick of things.

 

You might be right on most of that, but I'm not all the happy with counting on things to go right in order to get a shot at 85 wins.

[Soul]

'Then Lilly, who I view as better than Guz/Marshall/Mateo/Marmol'

 

I agree at this point Lilly is better than those listed but in terms of stuff and ceilings Guzman and Marmol may have the chance to make Ted look like a little league pitcher.

 

If either of those guys figure it out, then that's just cream on top.

[goonys evil twin]

'Then Lilly, who I view as better than Guz/Marshall/Mateo/Marmol'

 

I agree at this point Lilly is better than those listed but in terms of stuff and ceilings Guzman and Marmol may have the chance to make Ted look like a little league pitcher.

 

If either of those guys figure it out, then that's just cream on top.

 

That doesn't sound right.

[C.C.]

Honestly I'm shocked we got this far.

 

But all said, I think we're still somewhere around a .500 ballclub. There would have to be an additional starter and a real LH bat to be competitive.

 

Barring miracles, of course. Which seem to come our way once every decade.

 

How far did we get? We replaced last year's $9m pitcher, Maddux, with a $10m Lilly, and added a utility player who takes on part of the Walker/Perez money, and Soriano. They've added Soriano. It's really not very far.

 

Agreed it's not far, but there are a couple of other things that will help (overall, I think as-constructed this is a .500 team right now, no better):

 

1. No Dusty Baker.

2. Healthy Derrek Lee for 150+ games

3. Izturis sucks, but he's better than Cedeno

4. No Neifi freaking Perez, John Mabry, Freddie Bynum or other assorted stiffs.

5. Lilly > 2006 Greg Maddux

6. Additional year of experience and maturity for Marshall, Guzman and friends.

 

Cubs need a bonafide #2 starter (Hudson or Penny are all I see out there) and a bat improvement in the OF or SS, then they could have a legitimate shot at a 85+ win season and a postseason chance.

 

That seems about right. With a healthy Dlee and by some miracle Prior comes back then we are right there in the thick of things.

 

You might be right on most of that, but I'm not all the happy with counting on things to go right in order to get a shot at 85 wins.

 

I know every team has "If's" and dammit we are so due for a break!

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I don't think this is the roster we head to spring training with. First of all, we still have too many arms for the bullpen. Someone is going to have to be moved or exposed to waivers. Secondly, we still need to answer the CF question, and third we have to decide what to do with Jacque Jones. Added to all of that, I wouldn't be surprised to see the bench and rotation augmented.

 

Looking at the roster, I think these guys make the team as position players:

 

C: Barrett, Blanco

1b: Lee, Ward

2b: DeRosa, Theriot

3b: Ramirez

SS: Izturis

OF: Soriano, Murton, Jones

 

That's eleven guys, so there are likely three more bench spots if we have an 11-man pitching staff, two if we go with a 12-man staff.

 

On the pitching side things look a little more convoluted.

 

SP's: Zambrano, Lilly, Hill, Prior, Miller. (Unless one of those opens on the DL, only Hill has options left.)

 

Bullpen: Dempster, Howry, Eyre, Ohman, Cotts, Novoa, Wuertz, Wood. That's eight guys and I don't think any of those have options remaining. Novoa might, but I don't think so. At least one and maybe two of those will need to be moved.

 

Added to this logjam will be a decision on Rusch who will likely be DL'ed as soon as that becomes possible.

 

The Cubs are going to have problems rostering any more FA's if they don't make some moves soon.

 

I'm convinced that some changes will be made shortly to resolve some of these issues. My guess is that a bullpen arm or two along with Jones will be traded before the offices close for Christmas.

[JWCUB]

I don't think this is the roster we head to spring training with. First of all, we still have too many arms for the bullpen. Someone is going to have to be moved or exposed to waivers. Secondly, we still need to answer the CF question, and third we have to decide what to do with Jacque Jones. Added to all of that, I wouldn't be surprised to see the bench and rotation augmented.

 

Looking at the roster, I think these guys make the team as position players:

 

C: Barrett, Blanco

1b: Lee, Ward

2b: DeRosa, Theriot

3b: Ramirez

SS: Izturis

OF: Soriano, Murton, Jones

 

That's eleven guys, so there are likely three more bench spots if we have an 11-man pitching staff, two if we go with a 12-man staff.

 

On the pitching side things look a little more convoluted.

 

SP's: Zambrano, Lilly, Hill, Prior, Miller. (Unless one of those opens on the DL, only Hill has options left.)

 

Bullpen: Dempster, Howry, Eyre, Ohman, Cotts, Novoa, Wuertz, Wood. That's eight guys and I don't think any of those have options remaining. Novoa might, but I don't think so. At least one and maybe two of those will need to be moved.

 

Added to this logjam will be a decision on Rusch who will likely be DL'ed as soon as that becomes possible.

 

The Cubs are going to have problems rostering any more FA's if they don't make some moves soon.

 

I'm convinced that some changes will be made shortly to resolve some of these issues. My guess is that a bullpen arm or two along with Jones will be traded before the offices close for Christmas.

 

 

Do the Dodgers need BP help? Jones plus the extra Pen arms for Penny?

[Butterscup1679666578]

I don't think this is the roster we head to spring training with. First of all, we still have too many arms for the bullpen. Someone is going to have to be moved or exposed to waivers. Secondly, we still need to answer the CF question, and third we have to decide what to do with Jacque Jones. Added to all of that, I wouldn't be surprised to see the bench and rotation augmented.

 

Looking at the roster, I think these guys make the team as position players:

 

C: Barrett, Blanco

1b: Lee, Ward

2b: DeRosa, Theriot

3b: Ramirez

SS: Izturis

OF: Soriano, Murton, Jones

 

That's eleven guys, so there are likely three more bench spots if we have an 11-man pitching staff, two if we go with a 12-man staff.

 

On the pitching side things look a little more convoluted.

 

SP's: Zambrano, Lilly, Hill, Prior, Miller. (Unless one of those opens on the DL, only Hill has options left.)

 

Bullpen: Dempster, Howry, Eyre, Ohman, Cotts, Novoa, Wuertz, Wood. That's eight guys and I don't think any of those have options remaining. Novoa might, but I don't think so. At least one and maybe two of those will need to be moved.

 

Added to this logjam will be a decision on Rusch who will likely be DL'ed as soon as that becomes possible.

 

The Cubs are going to have problems rostering any more FA's if they don't make some moves soon.

 

I'm convinced that some changes will be made shortly to resolve some of these issues. My guess is that a bullpen arm or two along with Jones will be traded before the offices close for Christmas.

 

 

Do the Dodgers need BP help? Jones plus the extra Pen arms for Penny?

 

I don't think they need Jones since they just added Gonzalez and Pierre, while still having Ethier, Kemp, and Loney.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Jennings is still an option, per Rotoworld

 

Jason Jennings turned down the Rockies' improved three-year, $24 million contract offer, making it more likely that he'll be traded.

Jennings could go to the Astros, with the Rockies looking at Willy Taveras, Dan Wheeler or Jason Hirsh. The Blue Jays and Mets are also believed to have interest, with the Jays perhaps offering Reed Johnson. Teams previously mentioned in connection with Jennings include the Twins, Rangers and Cubs.

[TruffleShuffle]

Looking at the roster, I think these guys make the team as position players:

 

C: Barrett, Blanco

1b: Lee, Ward

2b: DeRosa, Theriot

3b: Ramirez

SS: Izturis

OF: Soriano, Murton, Jones

 

No Pagan? I'm not saying I'd be upset if he didn't make it, but right now it seems assumed he'll be one of the extra OF.

[Mephistopheles]

I don't think he was saying those were the only ones, just the sure things.

[Backtobanks]

Honestly I'm shocked we got this far.

 

But all said, I think we're still somewhere around a .500 ballclub. There would have to be an additional starter and a real LH bat to be competitive.

 

Barring miracles, of course. Which seem to come our way once every decade.

 

How far did we get? We replaced last year's $9m pitcher, Maddux, with a $10m Lilly, and added a utility player who takes on part of the Walker/Perez money, and Soriano. They've added Soriano. It's really not very far.

 

Agreed it's not far, but there are a couple of other things that will help (overall, I think as-constructed this is a .500 team right now, no better):

 

1. No Dusty Baker.

2. Healthy Derrek Lee for 150+ games

3. Izturis sucks, but he's better than Cedeno

4. No Neifi freaking Perez, John Mabry, Freddie Bynum or other assorted stiffs.

5. Lilly > 2006 Greg Maddux

6. Additional year of experience and maturity for Marshall, Guzman and friends.

 

Cubs need a bonafide #2 starter (Hudson or Penny are all I see out there) and a bat improvement in the OF or SS, then they could have a legitimate shot at a 85+ win season and a postseason chance.

 

That seems about right. With a healthy Dlee and by some miracle Prior comes back then we are right there in the thick of things.

 

You might be right on most of that, but I'm not all the happy with counting on things to go right in order to get a shot at 85 wins.

 

With DLee healthy and a Prior comeback, I would think this team would win 90 games. I'm not saying it would happen, but a healthy Prior is your #2 starter, pushing Hill & Lilly to #3 & #4 with Miller/Marshall/Guzman as #5. That's a very good rotation. With Wuertz, Howry, Ohman, Eyre, and Wood in the bullpen. Very solid. I still think there may be a move with some of the "extra" players......JJones, Cedeno, Dempster, Mateo/Marmol/Marshall/Guzman. There are some question marks, but I don't see very many teams in the NL (and especially in the NL Central) that don't have a lot of question marks.

[cheapseats]

 

No Pagan? I'm not saying I'd be upset if he didn't make it, but right now it seems assumed he'll be one of the extra OF.

 

Yeah, unfortunately, judging by Sweet Lou's recent comments, it looks like you're right. Pencil in Pagan for some .700 OPS off the bench shenanigans next season.