What is Kenny Williams Up To?

[jjgman21]

 

And how about going into the season knowing Prior and Wood weren't ready and not having a backup plan?

 

the hope of course was a rotation of Z, Prior, Wood, Maddux and one of Williams or Hill, but more realistically Wood could not be counted on early in the season pushing both Williams and Hill into the rotation. Prior made 15 post ASB starts with a 3.89 ERA in 2005. there was little reason to think he would come to camp and once again have a bum wing. so what do you at that point? magically conjure a #2 starter out of thin air?

 

there was a backup plan. unfortunately it, like just about everything the past three years, was a fricken disaster. Williams couldn't even win a starters job in ST. swingman Rusch was forced into starting duty out of ST and fell far below most people's worst case scenerio. the bevy of good major league arms amounted to crap until Hill came on strong late in the year. Miller and Wood never were useful because of injury.

 

many individual transactions and what to me seems more of a lack of philosophy than wrong philosophy have really pissed me off, but I think it incredibly short sited to not see Hendry at least in part as a victim of circumstances not of his own making. people can throw "$95M payroll" around all they want, but we all know the Cubs have not put $95M in players on the field for the better part of the last two years and there was little Hendry could have done to change that other than develope a magic healing potion in his spare time.

[Derwood]

people can throw "$95M payroll" around all they want, but we all know the Cubs have not put $95M in players on the field for the better part of the last two years and there was little Hendry could have done to change that other than develope a magic healing potion in his spare time.

 

I tend to agree with you here. There wasn't $95 million worth of talent on the field for most of 2006

[DiamondMind]

Would people still call him "creative" if the White Sox didn't win the WS in 05?

 

Yes.

[jjgman21]

people can throw "$95M payroll" around all they want, but we all know the Cubs have not put $95M in players on the field for the better part of the last two years and there was little Hendry could have done to change that other than develope a magic healing potion in his spare time.

 

I tend to agree with you here. There wasn't $95 million worth of talent on the field for most of 2006

 

not that he got the most out of what he could have gotten for what he spent, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to dollars on the DL.

[CubsInNC]

I don't like the team, I don't like the guy, but I admire his boldness and creativity.

 

He dumped $10M in salary by trading Garcia. He could dump another $10M if the Garland deal does go through.

 

If so, he could suddenly have $20M and some good young arms. And his weak links are SS, CF and LF. He's up to something. You have to wonder if something big is about to happen with any of the usual suspects: Manny, ARod, Tejada, Burrell, Vernon Wells, Andruw Jones, etc...

 

As a baseball fan, it's intriguing to watch. There could be 2 deals or a 3-way deal in the works.

 

My question is who is going to pitch for the WS NEXT year. Trading for the usual suspects (many of whom are free agents to be) won't do much good if you don't have the pitching to compete. Don't forget Dye will be leaving after 2007 and Thome is getting older and injury prone.

 

3-Way Deal?

 

Sox get: Penny, Hudson, A. Jones

Braves get: Garland, Fields, Loney/Kemp/Ethier

Dodgers get: Aardsma, Buehrle, Braves prospect

 

Could work out well for all involved. Not likely though. Could then try to spin Hudson or Penny for Tejada.

[Abe Frohman]

 

And how about going into the season knowing Prior and Wood weren't ready and not having a backup plan? How about acquiring Pierre and Jones knowing their bats weren't all that solid in the first place? Neifi Perez is as overrated as they come defensively. He's solid but no savior, around average last I knew. There aren't enough late inning close games where Neifi's glove would have saved the team over anyone else's to give him a roster spot in the first place, let alone at 2.5 million.

 

If I remember correctly, going into Spring Training:

 

*Wood was shakey, but there was hope. We know better now.

 

*Prior was going to bounce back, but the Cubs broke camp not knowing that he was not going to contribute much in 2006. It's hard for Hendry to make up for that loss so close to Opening Day.

 

*Pierre was coming off a bad year, but he was one of the best leadoff men in the game, and the Cubs DESPERATELY needed a leadoff man. Pierre was a solid acquisition. There was no way to forsee his pathetic start.

 

*Jacque Jones was also a solid signing, but he was not a really good #5 hitter. He started slowly (as we all know) but he really did have a solid year offensively. The Cubs never did go into the year with a true #5 guy to protect Aramis Ramirez in the lineup. We Derrek Lee went down, it really was the coup-de-grace.

 

Neifi Perez, in my opinion, is a VERY solid defender up the middle who can play 2B, SS, & 3B with anyone. When Baker fell in love with him in the #2 spot in the order, that is when you heckle the manager, not the player. Neifi is a bench player whose value is his defense, not his hitting/baserunning. I don't know what Hendry was thinking when they gave him 2.5 million. He would have signed for 500K.

[Backtobanks]

I don't like the team, I don't like the guy, but I admire his boldness and creativity.

 

He dumped $10M in salary by trading Garcia. He could dump another $10M if the Garland deal does go through.

 

If so, he could suddenly have $20M and some good young arms. And his weak links are SS, CF and LF. He's up to something. You have to wonder if something big is about to happen with any of the usual suspects: Manny, ARod, Tejada, Burrell, Vernon Wells, Andruw Jones, etc...

 

As a baseball fan, it's intriguing to watch. There could be 2 deals or a 3-way deal in the works.

 

My question is who is going to pitch for the WS NEXT year. Trading for the usual suspects (many of whom are free agents to be) won't do much good if you don't have the pitching to compete. Don't forget Dye will be leaving after 2007 and Thome is getting older and injury prone.

 

3-Way Deal?

 

Sox get: Penny, Hudson, A. Jones

Braves get: Garland, Fields, Loney/Kemp/Ethier

Dodgers get: Aardsma, Buehrle, Braves prospect

 

Could work out well for all involved. Not likely though. Could then try to spin Hudson or Penny for Tejada.

 

Did you forget that Reinsdorf owns the White Sox? The Sox are cutting costs and are looking to get young and cheap players. Maybe Williams is going to go after one of the big names, but for them to add the contracts of Penny, Hudson, and A.Jones is incredible. Also, I'm sure the plan is to dump Crede's salary in the next year, so I don't think they would be getting rid of his young and cheap replacement (Fields).

[soapy]

I still think he's going after Manny or Cabrera. Throwing a bunch of prospects at the Yankees for Arod doesn't make as much sense to me.

[C.C.]

I still think he's going after Manny or Cabrera. Throwing a bunch of prospects at the Yankees for Arod doesn't make as much sense to me.

 

Manny? Are you serious? No way, no how, would Ozzie or Kenny go for Manny for the same reasons they got rid of Mags and Clee.

[Backtobanks]

I still think he's going after Manny or Cabrera. Throwing a bunch of prospects at the Yankees for Arod doesn't make as much sense to me.

 

KW would have to trade Garland, Crede, Buerhle, and Konerko for enough prospects to get Cabrera.

[BigbadB]

I still think he's going after Manny or Cabrera. Throwing a bunch of prospects at the Yankees for Arod doesn't make as much sense to me.

 

KW would have to trade Garland, Crede, Buerhle, and Konerko for enough prospects to get Cabrera.

 

Nah. I think Sweeney, Fields and McCarthy would probably get it done.

[UMFan83]

I don't like the team, I don't like the guy, but I admire his boldness and creativity.

 

He dumped $10M in salary by trading Garcia. He could dump another $10M if the Garland deal does go through.

 

If so, he could suddenly have $20M and some good young arms. And his weak links are SS, CF and LF. He's up to something. You have to wonder if something big is about to happen with any of the usual suspects: Manny, ARod, Tejada, Burrell, Vernon Wells, Andruw Jones, etc...

 

As a baseball fan, it's intriguing to watch. There could be 2 deals or a 3-way deal in the works.

 

My question is who is going to pitch for the WS NEXT year. Trading for the usual suspects (many of whom are free agents to be) won't do much good if you don't have the pitching to compete. Don't forget Dye will be leaving after 2007 and Thome is getting older and injury prone.

 

3-Way Deal?

 

Sox get: Penny, Hudson, A. Jones

Braves get: Garland, Fields, Loney/Kemp/Ethier

Dodgers get: Aardsma, Buehrle, Braves prospect

 

Could work out well for all involved. Not likely though. Could then try to spin Hudson or Penny for Tejada.

 

Did you forget that Reinsdorf owns the White Sox? The Sox are cutting costs and are looking to get young and cheap players. Maybe Williams is going to go after one of the big names, but for them to add the contracts of Penny, Hudson, and A.Jones is incredible. Also, I'm sure the plan is to dump Crede's salary in the next year, so I don't think they would be getting rid of his young and cheap replacement (Fields).

 

There is no way the Sox are trading Fields with Crede (in the form of Boras) looming

[Backtobanks]

I still think he's going after Manny or Cabrera. Throwing a bunch of prospects at the Yankees for Arod doesn't make as much sense to me.

 

KW would have to trade Garland, Crede, Buerhle, and Konerko for enough prospects to get Cabrera.

 

Nah. I think Sweeney, Fields and McCarthy would probably get it done.

 

I don't think so, maybe a month before Cabrera becomes a free agent, but not now.