Our Free Agents

[Vanilla Ice]

The Chicago Cubs will have immediate decisions to make on Kerry Wood, Cliff Floyd and Daryle Ward, all of whom will become free agents in November.

 

They already are expected to wave goodbye to Jason Kendall, Steve Trachsel and Craig Monroe, the three in-season pickups Hendry made who didn't pan out. Mark Prior is also a question mark, and whether the Cubs will trade Will Ohman, who makes $1.6 million in '08, and Jacque Jones, who's due $5 million, remains to be seen.

 

Hallelujah!!!!

[Soul]

Keep Woody & Daryle. The others: buh-bye.

[anabiono]

how old is ward?

 

keep woody at all costs...

 

please tell me that some ignorant GM will want marquis?

[Vanilla Ice]

Keep Woody & Daryle. The others: buh-bye.

[Guest]

Keep Woody & Daryle. The others: buh-bye.

 

And Prior (on the cheap).

[Soul]

Keep Woody & Daryle. The others: buh-bye.

 

And Prior (on the cheap).

 

Agreed. Your av is funny. Glad you didn't slit your wrists last night 8-)

[hardcorecubfan]

I love that term "free agent" nothing free about them.

[Master Shake]

I love that term "free agent" nothing free about them.

Heh.. The first thing I thought of was the "FREE LAPTOP!* *with completion of five paid offers" spam emails I get...

[Irrelevant Dude]

how old is ward?

 

keep woody at all costs...

 

please tell me that some ignorant GM will want marquis?

Ward is 32 and would be a huge loss if the Cubs aren't able to re-sign him. Hopefully the Cubs can also work out a conservative multi-year deal with Wood, let Floyd go, and find a trading partner for Jones. 1 year @ $6.33 million isn't extremely unreasonable for a .285 hitter, so he shouldn't be nearly as untradeable as he has been in the past.

[Mizzou]

I'm pretty positive that the Cubs have a very reasonable option on Ward. I'd be shocked if they don't pick it up. I hope Wood and Prior are retained. Everyone else out of that bunch can go retire for all I care.

[RynoRules]

I'm pretty positive that the Cubs have a very reasonable option on Ward. I'd be shocked if they don't pick it up. I hope Wood and Prior are retained. Everyone else out of that bunch can go retire for all I care.

 

Agreed on all counts.

 

And peddle Jones and Blanco if at all possible.

[dalgreen]

I'm pretty positive that the Cubs have a very reasonable option on Ward. I'd be shocked if they don't pick it up. I hope Wood and Prior are retained. Everyone else out of that bunch can go retire for all I care.

 

Agreed on all counts.

 

And peddle Jones and Blanco if at all possible.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing Blanco in a backup and mentor role for Soto. I don't see any GM taking Jones prior to the '08 season unless the Cubs pick up a significant portion of his salary. As I stated in another thread in Hendry's typical fashion of not knowing the true market value of players, I fully expect Hendry to offer Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter a 15 year/ $1 billion contract.

[inari]

I'm pretty positive that the Cubs have a very reasonable option on Ward. I'd be shocked if they don't pick it up. I hope Wood and Prior are retained. Everyone else out of that bunch can go retire for all I care.

 

Agreed on all counts.

 

And peddle Jones and Blanco if at all possible.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing Blanco in a backup and mentor role for Soto. I don't see any GM taking Jones prior to the '08 season unless the Cubs pick up a significant portion of his salary. As I stated in another thread in Hendry's typical fashion of not knowing the true market value of players, I fully expect Hendry to offer Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter a 15 year/ $1 billion contract.

 

I'm with you on Blanco. There's no need to try and get rid of him, he's a solid backup. He costs too much, but we're not unloading his contract on anyone, so we might as well keep him as a mentor for Soto.

[UMFan83]

 

please tell me that some ignorant GM will want marquis?

 

Jim Hendry might attempt to trade himself Marmol, Hart and Pie for him until he realizes that Pie is a player and not a dessert

 

 

OMG A HENDRY FAT JOKE!!!!!

[Brian]

he'll want Cherry back to put on that Pie !!

[CuseCubFan69]

he'll want Cherry back to put on that Pie !!

 

How long have you been holding that joker...er I mean Ace in the hand? That was almost as bad as one of my jokes.

 

I like Ward, Blanco (as a backup 30 game guy) and Wood and Prior (if they're reasonable). If Woody wants to sign a 3 year 12 as a reliever or gets a deal to start somewhere else I wish him well. I'm not sure he would sign another 1 year deal because he's a time bomb and investing in him for a multi year deal may be extremely risky.

 

I'm worried that the Cubs (Hendry) will think they are good and make the same mistakes they made in 2004 instead of getting impact players and giving Pie the CF job. I'm curious on how much Lou really likes Jones in CF. I don't.

[nilodnayr]

Gotta love Jones' 5.6% HR/FB rate. If EVERY ball he put into play was a fly ball, he would have had 21 HRs with that rate. PATHETIC.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Keep Wood and Ward.

 

Also keep Prior wround for one more season. They've sure as hell put enough money into him.

 

Also, Keep Jones. We already have him, and I cant see us being able to get enough in return to make it worht moving him.

[SouthSideRyan]

I really like Jones on a personal level. If we can dump his salary we have to.