MacPhail: Deal is dead (p. 297), stop posting, go outside

[17 Seconds]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

[rawaction]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

 

Ok? And what does that have to do with today? Renteria is not available. Roberts likely is. Do you not improve the team because you can't improve it as good as you could have 5 months ago? That makes no sense.

[17 Seconds]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

 

Ok? And what does that have to do with today? Renteria is not available. Roberts likely is. Do you not improve the team because you can't improve it as good as you could have 5 months ago? That makes no sense.

 

Huh? Aren't we discussing ways Hendry could have made this team better in the offseason? Renteria was available after the season was over, when it was clear we needed a shortstop.

[CubColtPacer]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

 

Ok? And what does that have to do with today? Renteria is not available. Roberts likely is. Do you not improve the team because you can't improve it as good as you could have 5 months ago? That makes no sense.

 

Huh? Aren't we discussing ways Hendry could have made this team better in the offseason? Renteria was available after the season was over, when it was clear we needed a shortstop.

 

No, we're talking about ways that Hendry can make the team better today. Right now, the only options seem to be a Roberts trade or to go into the season with the current team. Renteria isn't an option, and it doesn't look like any other quality SS's are either. Given those limitations, does making the Roberts trade make the team better than standing pat and playing with the current team?

[17 Seconds]

And just because shortstops might not be avilable right now (which again, I think is probably untrue), that doesn't mean they won't be available at the deadline. I'm afraid that Hendry will overpay for Roberts, leaving him no no decent pieces to use for trades later on. What happens when July rolls around and Theriot is still not getting it done? Or the back of the rotation is a mess? Or we need bullpen help? Or we have big injury problems? Those are all very realistic possibilities and we'll have very little to offer in trades because Hendry will have used it all to fill a position that is already full. Every team has a certain limited amount of resources. It doesn't make any sense to me to use a good chunk of them on something that is not a big need. I'm just saying, if we get Roberts, and then July rolls around and we need upgrading somewhere else but don't have the resources, don't complain.

[17 Seconds]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

 

Ok? And what does that have to do with today? Renteria is not available. Roberts likely is. Do you not improve the team because you can't improve it as good as you could have 5 months ago? That makes no sense.

 

Huh? Aren't we discussing ways Hendry could have made this team better in the offseason? Renteria was available after the season was over, when it was clear we needed a shortstop.

 

No, we're talking about ways that Hendry can make the team better today. Right now, the only options seem to be a Roberts trade or to go into the season with the current team. Renteria isn't an option, and it doesn't look like any other quality SS's are either. Given those limitations, does making the Roberts trade make the team better than standing pat and playing with the current team?

 

Read my above post. If I had the choice of either getting Roberts right now (for a package that we can expect based on what we've heard), or stand pat and save our guys for later....... then yes, I definitely stand pat. We're going to need ugprades at the deadline.

[rawaction]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

 

Ok? And what does that have to do with today? Renteria is not available. Roberts likely is. Do you not improve the team because you can't improve it as good as you could have 5 months ago? That makes no sense.

 

Huh? Aren't we discussing ways Hendry could have made this team better in the offseason? Renteria was available after the season was over, when it was clear we needed a shortstop.

 

No, we're talking about ways that Hendry can make the team better today. Right now, the only options seem to be a Roberts trade or to go into the season with the current team. Renteria isn't an option, and it doesn't look like any other quality SS's are either. Given those limitations, does making the Roberts trade make the team better than standing pat and playing with the current team?

 

Exactly. If we're talking about how he could have made the team better in the offseason, there's a lot bigger fish to fry than Renteria. Arod and Andruw were both available for cash. Cabrera was available in a trade. Haren, Bedard, Santana were available. Granted those most of those weren't likely, but neither was a Renteria trade considering it was done like 2 days after the Series.

[rawaction]

And just because shortstops might not be avilable right now (which again, I think is probably untrue), that doesn't mean they won't be available at the deadline. I'm afraid that Hendry will overpay for Roberts, leaving him no no decent pieces to use for trades later on. What happens when July rolls around and Theriot is still not getting it done? Or the back of the rotation is a mess? Or we need bullpen help? Or we have big injury problems? Those are all very realistic possibilities and we'll have very little to offer in trades because Hendry will have used it all to fill a position that is already full. Every team has a certain limited amount of resources. It doesn't make any sense to me to use a good chunk of them on something that is not a big need. I'm just saying, if we get Roberts, and then July rolls around and we need upgrading somewhere else but don't have the resources, don't complain.

 

Well, that's not gonna happen. Getting Roberts isn't gonna gut the system. Granted, it's not desirable, but by July guys like Donaldson, Thomas, and Vitters can be available. All indications the Cubs will still have Ceda, Szamardija, Colvin, and either Hart/Veal still left in their top 10 prospects.

[CubColtPacer]

And just because shortstops might not be avilable right now (which again, I think is probably untrue), that doesn't mean they won't be available at the deadline. I'm afraid that Hendry will overpay for Roberts, leaving him no no decent pieces to use for trades later on. What happens when July rolls around and Theriot is still not getting it done? Or the back of the rotation is a mess? Or we need bullpen help? Or we have big injury problems? Those are all very realistic possibilities and we'll have very little to offer in trades because Hendry will have used it all to fill a position that is already full. Every team has a certain limited amount of resources. It doesn't make any sense to me to use a good chunk of them on something that is not a big need. I'm just saying, if we get Roberts, and then July rolls around and we need upgrading somewhere else but don't have the resources, don't complain.

 

Two of the Cubs pieces in the supposed Roberts trade (Murton and Cedeno) will be worth less and less every day they sit on the Cubs bench.

 

What good SS is on a team that won't be in contention at the deadline? There is very likely not going to be any upgrade available for Theriot.

 

Bullpen help will be needed even less that the upgrade from DeRosa to Roberts. The Cubs already have plenty of people in the bullpen, and even if a reliever or two goes down that will still be the case.

 

Injury problems are a big concern, but DeRosa moving to the bench is a preemptive measure to protect against big injuries to most of the position players. Basically you're solving the problem before it even starts.

 

Also, the Cubs will still have resources. By July the Cubs will have a better idea if Pie is going to be the long-term answer. If he is, then Colvin is expendable in a deal. The Cubs also have several 2007 draftees that many other fans have already found interesting, and they will be available to be dealt by the deadline (I believe everybody but Vitters, who wouldn't be available to be traded until August).

 

Now if the Cubs suffer a long-term injury or two to one of their top 3 starters, then there might not be enough resources to replace them. That would be the biggest risk of this move.

[rawaction]

And just because shortstops might not be avilable right now (which again, I think is probably untrue), that doesn't mean they won't be available at the deadline. I'm afraid that Hendry will overpay for Roberts, leaving him no no decent pieces to use for trades later on. What happens when July rolls around and Theriot is still not getting it done? Or the back of the rotation is a mess? Or we need bullpen help? Or we have big injury problems? Those are all very realistic possibilities and we'll have very little to offer in trades because Hendry will have used it all to fill a position that is already full. Every team has a certain limited amount of resources. It doesn't make any sense to me to use a good chunk of them on something that is not a big need. I'm just saying, if we get Roberts, and then July rolls around and we need upgrading somewhere else but don't have the resources, don't complain.

 

Two of the Cubs pieces in the supposed Roberts trade (Murton and Cedeno) will be worth less and less every day they sit on the Cubs bench.

 

What good SS is on a team that won't be in contention at the deadline? There is very likely not going to be any upgrade available for Theriot.

 

Bullpen help will be needed even less that the upgrade from DeRosa to Roberts. The Cubs already have plenty of people in the bullpen, and even if a reliever or two goes down that will still be the case.

 

Injury problems are a big concern, but DeRosa moving to the bench is a preemptive measure to protect against big injuries to most of the position players. Basically you're solving the problem before it even starts.

 

Also, the Cubs will still have resources. By July the Cubs will have a better idea if Pie is going to be the long-term answer. If he is, then Colvin is expendable in a deal. The Cubs also have several 2007 draftees that many other fans have already found interesting, and they will be available to be dealt by the deadline (I believe everybody but Vitters, who wouldn't be available to be traded until August).

 

Now if the Cubs suffer a long-term injury or two to one of their top 3 starters, then there might not be enough resources to replace them. That would be the biggest risk of this move.

 

If the Cubs suffer major injuries, they aren't gonna compete anyway, no need to make a deadline trade.

[17 Seconds]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

 

Ok? And what does that have to do with today? Renteria is not available. Roberts likely is. Do you not improve the team because you can't improve it as good as you could have 5 months ago? That makes no sense.

 

Huh? Aren't we discussing ways Hendry could have made this team better in the offseason? Renteria was available after the season was over, when it was clear we needed a shortstop.

 

No, we're talking about ways that Hendry can make the team better today. Right now, the only options seem to be a Roberts trade or to go into the season with the current team. Renteria isn't an option, and it doesn't look like any other quality SS's are either. Given those limitations, does making the Roberts trade make the team better than standing pat and playing with the current team?

 

Exactly. If we're talking about how he could have made the team better in the offseason, there's a lot bigger fish to fry than Renteria. Arod and Andruw were both available for cash. Cabrera was available in a trade. Haren, Bedard, Santana were available. Granted those most of those weren't likely, but neither was a Renteria trade considering it was done like 2 days after the Series.

 

That's a poor comparison. What does Renteria being traded 2 days after the season have anything to do with how likely it was to get him. We had just as good of a chance as the Tigers to get him. I'd like to think that Hendry is aware of how the business works. Anyways, we didn't have a realistic shot at Arod, Andruw for 2/36 is not appealing at all (and we couldn't afford it anyways), we didn't have what it took to get Cabrera (and we don't have a position for him anyways), Santana wouldn't accept a trade to the Cubs (plus we couldn't extend him), and Haren/Bedard got more in trade than we could realistically offer. Renteria was very realistic and was had for relatively cheap.

[17 Seconds]

Two of the Cubs pieces in the supposed Roberts trade (Murton and Cedeno) will be worth less and less every day they sit on the Cubs bench.

 

Great. If you can swing a deal where all you give up is Murton and Cedeno, then I'm all for it. Anyways, I think giving up Cedeno could hurt this team a lot more than people think. I'm not at all saying I'm a fan of Ronny, but entering the season without a real backup plan for Theriot is a very frightening thought.

 

What good SS is on a team that won't be in contention at the deadline? There is very likely not going to be any upgrade available for Theriot.

 

There are always guys available. I'm not saying we need Jimmy Rollins or something. It's not hard to find an upgrade over someone like Theriot

 

Bullpen help will be needed even less that the upgrade from DeRosa to Roberts. The Cubs already have plenty of people in the bullpen, and even if a reliever or two goes down that will still be the case.

 

I'm not as sold on the bullpen as everyone is. Seems like a lot of quesiton marks. Can Wood stay healthy? Can Marmol continue his torrid pace? Can Howry continue to pitch well? Relievers his age aren't exactly a sure thing. I think it's entirely with the realm of possibilty that we end up needing bullpen help.

Edited February 12, 2008 by 17 Seconds

[CubColtPacer]

I think the point is not whether Roberts is an upgrade from DeRosa-he clearly is an upgrade. However, the Cubs need to consider whether or not the upgrade at 2B worth the downgrading of depth at SP, OF, and (most importantly) SS.

 

IF Piniella was committed to starting DeRosa at SS and Roberts at 2B, this trade looks much better. But upgrading a position of relative strength, relegating a solid player to the bench (DeRosa) while still maintaining a MASSIVE hole in the lineup at SS and sacrificing the one player who could provide (potentially) acceptable numbers at the SS position in the trade (Cedeno) just flat out doesn't make sense.

 

Offensive priority #1 should be removing Ryan Theriot from the everyday lineup. A trade for Brian Roberts does nothing to help this gaping hole, and at the very least should be relegated to the status of "nice luxury." By NO means should this be a priority.

 

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Renteria over Theriot would have been a much bigger upgrade than Roberts over Derosa.

 

Ok? And what does that have to do with today? Renteria is not available. Roberts likely is. Do you not improve the team because you can't improve it as good as you could have 5 months ago? That makes no sense.

 

Huh? Aren't we discussing ways Hendry could have made this team better in the offseason? Renteria was available after the season was over, when it was clear we needed a shortstop.

 

No, we're talking about ways that Hendry can make the team better today. Right now, the only options seem to be a Roberts trade or to go into the season with the current team. Renteria isn't an option, and it doesn't look like any other quality SS's are either. Given those limitations, does making the Roberts trade make the team better than standing pat and playing with the current team?

 

Exactly. If we're talking about how he could have made the team better in the offseason, there's a lot bigger fish to fry than Renteria. Arod and Andruw were both available for cash. Cabrera was available in a trade. Haren, Bedard, Santana were available. Granted those most of those weren't likely, but neither was a Renteria trade considering it was done like 2 days after the Series.

 

That's a poor comparison. What does Renteria being traded 2 days after the season have anything to do with how likely it was to get him. We had just as good of a chance as the Tigers to get him. I'd like to think that Hendry is aware of how the business works. Anyways, we didn't have a realistic shot at Arod, Andruw for 2/36 is not appealing at all (and we couldn't afford it anyways), we didn't have what it took to get Cabrera (and we don't have a position for him anyways), Santana wouldn't accept a trade to the Cubs (plus we couldn't extend him), and Haren/Bedard got more in trade than we could realistically offer. Renteria was very realistic and was had for relatively cheap.

 

The timing meant that the Cubs may not have had a chance for Renteria. Atlanta by trading him as quickly as they did and for as little as he was traded for implies that Atlanta was desperate to get rid of him. Atlanta may have targeted Detroit as a potential trade partner and finalized the deal before others figured out why Atlanta was so desperate.

 

The World Series ended on a Sunday night, the trade was made on Monday afternoon. From all you've seen from the Braves organization, do you think they're that dumb to trade Renteria for so little so quickly? Surely somebody would have given them more if they had waited, but for some reason they traded him without letting teams negotiate for him. That trade is about as fishy as they come for involving something that we as fans just don't know about.

[CubColtPacer]

Two of the Cubs pieces in the supposed Roberts trade (Murton and Cedeno) will be worth less and less every day they sit on the Cubs bench.

 

Great. If you can swing a deal where all you give up is Murton and Cedeno, then I'm all for it. Anyways, I think giving up Cedeno could hurt this team a lot more than people think. I'm not at all saying I'm a fan of Ronny, but entering the season without a real backup plan for Theriot is a very frightening thought.

 

Entering the season without a real backup plan for Theriot makes Lou more desperate. We saw last season that when he gets desperate, he gets creative, and no clear backup for Theriot gives a decent shot that DeRosa would get more at-bats at SS, which would help even more than Cedeno would there.

[ConstableRabbit]

He wouldn't be stellar, but couldn't DeRosa just play SS if Theriot got hurt or if Lou finally realizes that he sucks? It's not like he's never played there before...

[17 Seconds]

Two of the Cubs pieces in the supposed Roberts trade (Murton and Cedeno) will be worth less and less every day they sit on the Cubs bench.

 

Great. If you can swing a deal where all you give up is Murton and Cedeno, then I'm all for it. Anyways, I think giving up Cedeno could hurt this team a lot more than people think. I'm not at all saying I'm a fan of Ronny, but entering the season without a real backup plan for Theriot is a very frightening thought.

 

Entering the season without a real backup plan for Theriot makes Lou more desperate. We saw last season that when he gets desperate, he gets creative, and no clear backup for Theriot gives a decent shot that DeRosa would get more at-bats at SS, which would help even more than Cedeno would there.

 

Derosa as a backup plan for shortstop? Yeah, that sounds like a terrible idea.

[17 Seconds]

He wouldn't be stellar, but couldn't DeRosa just play SS if Theriot got hurt or if Lou finally realizes that he sucks? It's not like he's never played there before...

I *really* don't think Derosa can be an adequate shortstop at this stage of his career. Not a crack on Derosa, just saying.

[UK1679666180]

He wouldn't be stellar, but couldn't DeRosa just play SS if Theriot got hurt or if Lou finally realizes that he sucks? It's not like he's never played there before...

 

If they would've considered this even a remote possibility, they would've looked into it more. I think them not even looking into it speaks volumes as far as whether or not they feel Derosa could play SS in other than an emergency/give Theriot a day off type of role (assuming Cedeno isn't avail).

[Rob]

What good SS is on a team that won't be in contention at the deadline? There is very likely not going to be any upgrade available for Theriot.

 

Well, the basic list of guys better than Theriot whose teams wont be competing...

 

Jack Wilson

Jason Bartlett

Brendan Harris

 

But as I'm sure you know, teams don't have to be out of it to trade their SS away, they just have to have a ready replacement. So, depending on how everything else is looking, some of these guys might be available...

 

Jhonny Peralta / Asdrubal Cabrera

Yunel Escobar / Brent Lillibridge

Rafael Furcal / Chin-Lung Hu

Alex Gonzalez / Jeff Keppinger

 

Edit:

 

Also, depending on some variables, I could see Orlando Cabrera or Khalil Greene becoming available. Neither scenario is bloody likely, but they are both possible... Cabrera moreso.

[CubColtPacer]

What good SS is on a team that won't be in contention at the deadline? There is very likely not going to be any upgrade available for Theriot.

 

Well, the basic list of guys better than Theriot whose teams wont be competing...

 

Jack Wilson

Jason Bartlett

Brendan Harris

 

But as I'm sure you know, teams don't have to be out of it to trade their SS away, they just have to have a ready replacement. So, depending on how everything else is looking, some of these guys might be available...

 

Jhonny Peralta / Asdrubal Cabrera

Yunel Escobar / Brent Lillibridge

Rafael Furcal / Chin-Lung Hu

Alex Gonzalez / Jeff Keppinger

 

Edit:

 

Also, depending on some variables, I could see Orlando Cabrera or Khalil Greene becoming available. Neither scenario is bloody likely, but they are both possible... Cabrera moreso.

 

The only 3 I disagree with are Harris, Furcal, and Gonzalez. Tampa Bay finally figured out what everybody else already knew that Harris simply couldn't play SS, and had to move him to second by the second half of the year. Furcal and Gonzalez have management (one the GM and the other the manager) that won't get rid of them mid-year because of their veteran status. No way Coletti or Baker lets a less experienced player take over in July unless their team is more than 10 games out.

 

Bartlett and Wilson will likely be available, but are very inconsistent and would be bad deadline moves (if they are having a good season, the Cubs will overpay for an average to bad player).

Peralta is the most likely option, but the Cubs would likely have to give up significant talent in another area in order to fill the Indians needs in their run for the playoffs. Escobar could be traded, but Atlanta is very high on him.

 

If Cabrera or Greene become available, that would be the best solution. It would just be rolling the dice to see if that happens though.

[RynoHawk23]

Jose Uribe is available. Not great but not the worst.

 

Alex Cintron has about a 99.9% chance of being a Cub - classic Hendry move.

 

Neifi Perez should be available by the all-star break after his 50 game suspension. :)

[WilcoFan]

Again, it would be great to fill the SS hole, but who, how and where? It's not a luxury to have another good baseball player on the team, which Roberts is. The way I see it, Derosa is always a possibility to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers, which are not good. Roberts is a much better bet to be a real good player, thus making the hole from Theriot's lack of production less of a burden.

 

Its a luxury to trade potentially three necessary contributors at positions of greater need for one upgrade at a possition of relative strength.

 

This is about weighing the upgrade that Roberts would provide against the holes created by trading, say, Murton, Cedeno, and Gallagher.

 

And, btw, I think two years of effective contributions from DeRosa should be enough to convince you that, at the very least, he's not going to fall back into his pre-Texas numbers.

[Rob]

The only 3 I disagree with are Harris, Furcal, and Gonzalez. Tampa Bay finally figured out what everybody else already knew that Harris simply couldn't play SS, and had to move him to second by the second half of the year.

 

And yet it still speaks volumes that he's definately a better option than Theriot.

 

Furcal and Gonzalez have management (one the GM and the other the manager) that won't get rid of them mid-year because of their veteran status. No way Coletti or Baker lets a less experienced player take over in July unless their team is more than 10 games out.

 

They don't necessarily have to take over in July. If Furcal or Gonzalez was injured earlier in the season, and Hu or Keppinger came up and raked as the replacement, I could definately see the GMs trading their now-expendable starting SS off once they've come back and shown they are healthy in limited PT.

 

Bartlett and Wilson will likely be available, but are very inconsistent and would be bad deadline moves (if they are having a good season, the Cubs will overpay for an average to bad player).

 

I'm not huge on either one, personally. To be honest, the fact that we're discussing them makes me want to vomit. But again, they're still very likely to be better than Theriot, and if the price is right, you gotta pull that trigger.

 

Peralta is the most likely option, but the Cubs would likely have to give up significant talent in another area in order to fill the Indians needs in their run for the playoffs. Escobar could be traded, but Atlanta is very high on him.

 

It's just as likely Asdrubal Cabrera or Brent Lillibridge are blocked by those guys and are available instead. And I could definately see the Braves and Cubs matching up pretty well in a trade. Considering the relative fragility of their rotation, and all the spare pieces in ours... plus the complete potential for Diaz to implode when those BABIPs come back to earth... Well, Gallagher and Murton for Lilllibridge and a lower prospect would be amazing for me at the deadline. But we can't really make that deal if we've traded those boys off for Roberts, can we?

 

If Cabrera or Greene become available, that would be the best solution. It would just be rolling the dice to see if that happens though.

 

Agreed. It is completely unacceptible that Hendry has allowed such a huge hole to remain on our "competitive" squad this far into the offseason.

[UK1679666180]

Jose Uribe is available. Not great but not the worst.

 

Alex Cintron has about a 99.9% chance of being a Cub - classic Hendry move.

 

Neifi Perez should be available by the all-star break after his 50 game suspension. :)

 

I'm assuming Juan Uribe and not former Giant SS Jose Uribe. :wink:

 

His contract is expensive but he's a better defensive SS while being one of the more frustrating players to watch at the plate, despite having some pop.

 

It would be a tough decision between Theriot and Uribe, although I would lean towards keeping Theriot.

[Rob]

Jose Uribe is available. Not great but not the worst.

 

Alex Cintron has about a 99.9% chance of being a Cub - classic Hendry move.

 

Neifi Perez should be available by the all-star break after his 50 game suspension. :)

 

I'm assuming Juan Uribe and not former Giant SS Jose Uribe. :wink:

 

His contract is expensive but he's a better defensive SS while being one of the more frustrating players to watch at the plate, despite having some pop.

 

It would be a tough decision between Theriot and Uribe, although I would lean towards keeping Theriot.

 

Of the two, it'd be a real close call... But Uribe has an edge of at least 10-15 runs with the glove. Can Theriot real make it up with the bat?