It's ok to stand pat

[weis21]

Teams like Cincy and Washington drive me nuts. They both are terrible organizations and instead of unloading players that could net them some good prospects they sit on their hands and do nothing. I'm upset that it seems Hendry didn't get anything done, but I'd be furious if I were a fan of one of these teams.

 

those were my thoughts exactly. griffey...ok...he puts people in the seats thats fine. but why on earth do you not trade dunn when he's just going to walk this offseason? The nats did that last year with soriano, it's just so stupid. Why don't the nats trade cordero when RP is so highly regarded this year?

[jersey cubs fan]

Plus, the whole "contend within the division" theory didn't really work out well under MacPhail. I don't believe in setting goals that low. Set them for the highest, build the best team you can, and then see how it plays out.

 

Right, but isn't the real deficiency in how the team was built before the season? .

 

Again, I'm not interested in letting Hendry's past failures be the excuse for not being able to fix them.

[J.R.]

Teams like Cincy and Washington drive me nuts. They both are terrible organizations and instead of unloading players that could net them some good prospects they sit on their hands and do nothing. I'm upset that it seems Hendry didn't get anything done, but I'd be furious if I were a fan of one of these teams.

 

that's true

 

I can't believe the Reds kept Dunn and Griffey. Both should have been dealt.

[ConstableRabbit]

It's one thing for an up and coming team like Milwaukee to stand pat. Their future is bright and secure; their core is all pre prime and cheap.

 

Our core is in the middle-end of their primes. We're an older, expensive team. We have no reason to play for 2009. If it took dealing Pie or Holliman, or whatever, to get an impact player, or if it required Hendry get creative, so be it. 99 years is enough time to wait.

 

If we're older and expensive, then we're trading good young talent to improve the team. That basically gives this team a one-year window to win a championship, and oh by the way there are a lot of other really good teams (a.k.a. American League) who we'd have to beat to win. If you don't do it, you've got an old team with no major-league ready prospects and you've just thrown a few more years into the crapper.

 

Right. The playoffs are such a crapshoot too. Why not just make a team good enough to get into the playoffs for the next 3 years? We'd have a much better chance of winning that way then putting all of our eggs in one basket, imo.

 

I think the playoffs crapshoot angle is overplayed. It's true that any team can get in. But it's still true that the better teams have a better chance of making it. I'd rather not just settle for trying to get in. I still think it's best to create the best team possible, regardless of division. Sure, the Cubs are lucky to have a relatively easy road to the playoffs, that doesn't mean they will definitely make it.

 

Plus, the whole "contend within the division" theory didn't really work out well under MacPhail. I don't believe in setting goals that low. Set them for the highest, build the best team you can, and then see how it plays out.

 

I was responding to a post that essentially put the upcoming seasons on the backburner in order to "win now"

 

If you had a choice between winning 95 games and being the #1 seed in the NL and then missing the playoffs the next 2 years

 

or

 

Winning the division this year (we will) and the division or the wildcard the next 2 years

 

 

I would take the latter because I think that more playoff appearances will do us more good than trading away the likes of Marmol, Pie, and others for big name rentals that would allow us to "win now"

[Bote McBoteface]

Teams like Cincy and Washington drive me nuts. They both are terrible organizations and instead of unloading players that could net them some good prospects they sit on their hands and do nothing. I'm upset that it seems Hendry didn't get anything done, but I'd be furious if I were a fan of one of these teams.

 

those were my thoughts exactly. griffey...ok...he puts people in the seats thats fine. but why on earth do you not trade dunn when he's just going to walk this offseason? The nats did that last year with soriano, it's just so stupid. Why don't the nats trade cordero when RP is so highly regarded this year?

 

Isn't Dunn signed through next season, but if he's traded he can choose to walk out on it or something like that?

[jersey cubs fan]

If you had a choice between winning 95 games and being the #1 seed in the NL and then missing the playoffs the next 2 years

 

or

 

Winning the division this year (we will) and the division or the wildcard the next 2 years

 

 

I would take the latter because I think that more playoff appearances will do us more good than trading away the likes of Marmol, Pie, and others for big name rentals that would allow us to "win now"

 

That's a false choice.

[JeffH]

His contract has a team option for 2008, which goes away if he is traded.

[ConstableRabbit]

If you had a choice between winning 95 games and being the #1 seed in the NL and then missing the playoffs the next 2 years

 

or

 

Winning the division this year (we will) and the division or the wildcard the next 2 years

 

 

I would take the latter because I think that more playoff appearances will do us more good than trading away the likes of Marmol, Pie, and others for big name rentals that would allow us to "win now"

 

That's a false choice.

 

Care to explain why you think so?

[TruffleShuffle]

Plus, the whole "contend within the division" theory didn't really work out well under MacPhail. I don't believe in setting goals that low. Set them for the highest, build the best team you can, and then see how it plays out.

 

Right, but isn't the real deficiency in how the team was built before the season? .

 

Again, I'm not interested in letting Hendry's past failures be the excuse for not being able to fix them.

 

okay, then thoughts on the rest of what i wrote? (the problem with trading the young, almost-ML-ready talent on the team)

[Keener98]

Well since we stood pat, can we call up Soto and let him play?

[NCCubFan]

Isn't Dunn signed through next season, but if he's traded he can choose to walk out on it or something like that?

I believe the way it works is there is a team option for next year, and if Dunn is traded the option is voided. The end result is the same as you said.

[E.J.]

His contract has a team option for 2008, which goes away if he is traded.

 

It's a $13 million dollar team option for 2008, which will be about 1/6th of their payroll.

[Sarcastic]

If you had a choice between winning 95 games and being the #1 seed in the NL and then missing the playoffs the next 2 years

 

or

 

Winning the division this year (we will) and the division or the wildcard the next 2 years

 

 

I would take the latter because I think that more playoff appearances will do us more good than trading away the likes of Marmol, Pie, and others for big name rentals that would allow us to "win now"

 

That's a false choice.

 

It is a hypothetical. Not a completely accurate hypothetical, but not completely off the mark either. The Cubs were not going to get top talent that would have made them the best bet in the MLB without giving away most of the farm though.

[badger1679666666]

Well since we stood pat, can we call up Soto and let him play?

 

When our catcher collectively drop under. 100, yes.

 

Lord knows we can't send Koyie down. someone might snatch him and his .150/.180/.230 up.

[Keener98]

Well since we stood pat, can we call up Soto and let him play?

 

When our catcher collectively drop under. 100, yes.

 

so you are saying pretty soon then right? :D

[JC]

I fall in the "Should've gotten Griffey if you could without giving up Pie" camp. While an upgrade at catcher would be nice offensively, Hendry needs to live with the mess he has made. I think he gave up on (or didn't give a chance to) Soto too quickly this season. Between Hill, Soto and Bowen, I would have been happy with the defense. Kendall's arm looks more and more like Johnny Damon's these days.

 

While I'm not a Dempster fan, I think Howry, Marmol or (gulp) Wood could step in if Ryan continues to play hide and seek with the plate.

 

I like the idea of Griffey because he is an everyday player. I hate when Lou (like his predecessor) stacks the lineup full of righties when there is a lefty on the mound. I think you still need those left handed bats in a lineup to shift a pitcher's approach and point of focus. If he just sees a steady diet of right handed hitters, no matter how good they may be, I submit that the pitcher gets into a rhythm a little more easily. Griffey's presence would have helped avoid the inevitable "stacking" theory.

[TruffleShuffle]

i'll be interested to hear whether the cubs were limited in how much payroll they could take on next year or in future years. If they couldn't take on future money, then a Griffey deal was never really viable.

[CubinNY]

I fall in the "Should've gotten Griffey if you could without giving up Pie" camp. While an upgrade at catcher would be nice offensively, Hendry needs to live with the mess he has made. I think he gave up on (or didn't give a chance to) Soto too quickly this season. Between Hill, Soto and Bowen, I would have been happy with the defense. Kendall's arm looks more and more like Johnny Damon's these days.

 

While I'm not a Dempster fan, I think Howry, Marmol or (gulp) Wood could step in if Ryan continues to play hide and seek with the plate.

 

I like the idea of Griffey because he is an everyday player. I hate when Lou (like his predecessor) stacks the lineup full of righties when there is a lefty on the mound. I think you still need those left handed bats in a lineup to shift a pitcher's approach and point of focus. If he just sees a steady diet of right handed hitters, no matter how good they may be, I submit that the pitcher gets into a rhythm a little more easily. Griffey's presence would have helped avoid the inevitable "stacking" theory.

Hay JC! :wave:

 

I agree by the way

[OleMissCub]

Well since we stood pat, can we call up Soto and let him play?

 

I sure hope so. He's got 4 homers, 2 triples, and 10 rbi's in his last 10 games.

[JC]

i'll be interested to hear whether the cubs were limited in how much payroll they could take on next year or in future years. If they couldn't take on future money, then a Griffey deal was never really viable.

 

If they couldn't take on money, then its just the Tribune's one, final kick to the collective groin of Cub fans.

 

I still don't understand how not signing Zambrano, one of the objectively best pitchers in baseball, helps to sell the team. With the dollars that are being leaked, Z's contract is not that significant. I admittedly am no corporate acquisition specialist, but common sense seems to be getting placed on the back burner. To that end, if taking on the remainder of Griffey's contract will substantially help a playoff run (which, in turn, creates more revenue), then you do it, IMO.

[E.J.]

That was a pretty lame trading deadline, by the way.

[JC]

That was a pretty lame trading deadline, by the way.

 

What are you talking about? The Garnett trade was HUGE!

[rickrolled]

I just don't see the Cubs keeping up the pace they have been at since the beginning of June with the lineup we have. Floyd/Murton in RF? Pagan/Jacque in CF? Kendall at catcher? Mediocre production from SS? We have four big holes in our lineup and JH did nothing to solve those. If we had gotten someone like Dye or Church I would have been satisfied. Maybe the asking price was just too much, but if we could have gotten one of those guys without giving up Pie, Jim should have done it.

[jersey cubs fan]

That was a pretty lame trading deadline, by the way.

 

There were several deals. When a guy like Teixeira is traded, a 27 YO everyday player who consistently produces, that's as big as any name you'll find in a busy year. There were multiple starting 2B that moved teams, a few big name relievers.

 

It was only perceived as lame because the Yankees didn't do anything big and, by us, because the Cubs did nothing.

[Mephistopheles]

It's not okay to stand pat. The Cubs aren't a very good club once over performers return to their true level. For the most part a lot of guys are overachieving. The only guys who aren't are stuck between just two positions.