Let's think of deals with Oakland

[RammyFanny]

Where Beane doesn't uber-own us :D

 

Blanton (who Kaplan said the Cubs are interested in) and Street are two guys that Hendry figures to be interested in, so post some of your proposed deals or reasons against trading for these guys. Possibly one or the other, or maybe even a big package for both though I wouldn't trust Hendry with dealing all of those prospects to Billy. Blanton makes alot of sense as a #3 who gives alot of innings, a pretty good WHIP, and is still young and cheap. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem like Dempster will be the closer, so Street would make alot of sense being young and one of the best in the game, and also gives us insurance for next season when Howry, Eyre, Wood, and Dempster will be FA's (and hopefully majority will go so we get some very nice draft picks). I'd imagine Murton would be of some interest to them, unless Beane sees a little more in Sweeney than the rest of us.

[rawaction]

Forget about Street, no need to give up prospects when you already have about 8 RH relievers. Blanton, though, would be a no-brainer to go after. Have no idea what Oakland would want, but I would imagine it would include some young talent that's not necessarily ML ready. Maybe something like Hart, Veal and Burke with them throwing a prospect back the Cubs way also.

[Backtobanks]

Where Beane doesn't uber-own us :D

 

Blanton (who Kaplan said the Cubs are interested in) and Street are two guys that Hendry figures to be interested in, so post some of your proposed deals or reasons against trading for these guys. Possibly one or the other, or maybe even a big package for both though I wouldn't trust Hendry with dealing all of those prospects to Billy. Blanton makes alot of sense as a #3 who gives alot of innings, a pretty good WHIP, and is still young and cheap. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem like Dempster will be the closer, so Street would make alot of sense being young and one of the best in the game, and also gives us insurance for next season when Howry, Eyre, Wood, and Dempster will be FA's (and hopefully majority will go so we get some very nice draft picks). I'd imagine Murton would be of some interest to them, unless Beane sees a little more in Sweeney than the rest of us.

 

While Blanton and Street might be very good additions, they are not necessarily positions of need for the Cubs. The first priority seems to be getting Roberts and that would take some of the prospects that would go to Oakland for one of their pitchers. After using Gallagher, Murton, and Patterson (as rumored), Beane would have to take lower level prospects (Colvin, Veal, etc.)

[RammyFanny]

Forget about Street, no need to give up prospects when you already have about 8 RH relievers. Blanton, though, would be a no-brainer to go after. Have no idea what Oakland would want, but I would imagine it would include some young talent that's not necessarily ML ready. Maybe something like Hart, Veal and Burke with them throwing a prospect back the Cubs way also.

Doubt that comes close IMO. Probably more along the lines of Gallagher, Ceda, Murton, Burke I would think. I'm sure the Mets will be in there as well offering alot.

[jersey cubs fan]

First off, I think you have to wonder who the Cubs have that he'd be interested in. What type of prospects do they have that have been putting up solid minor league numbers at age appropriate levels. I imagine Beane also would be looking for somebody who could throw him some solid innings in 2008, because while it's fine to go young and play for the future, you don't want to get into a situation where 8 or 9 guys are needed to fill out the rotation over the year.

 

Guys like Gallagher, Hart, Marshall, Cedeno, Patterson and Wuertz might be of interest to Beane.

 

I'm not sure Murton, who is a year off from making arbitration money, is somebody he would like, unless he feels he can turn around and trade Matt in a year for significantly more than he paid for him. Given how the Cubs seem to be undervaluing Murton, that may be possible.

 

It's possible Beane could hold some value in a guy like Chirinos. What are Matt Craig and Jake Fox's status? Neither is a blue chipper, but both may be able to put up decent major league numbers for a bit of time (and therefore possibly increase their trade value down the line). Kevin Hart and Mark Holliman may be of interest. I also wonder if he'd have any interest in Kyler Burke.

[Mephistopheles]

of course he wouldnt be interested in burke.

 

 

 

crosby would be an interesting target

[jersey cubs fan]

Forget about Street, no need to give up prospects when you already have about 8 RH relievers. Blanton, though, would be a no-brainer to go after. Have no idea what Oakland would want, but I would imagine it would include some young talent that's not necessarily ML ready. Maybe something like Hart, Veal and Burke with them throwing a prospect back the Cubs way also.

 

I don't see them having interest in Veal, whose value lies in hope and promise, rather than accomplishment.

 

Given how the Cubs seem so wishy-washy with Wuertz, who has done nothing but perform, I could see them being willing to move him (obviously with others) in the part of the package it would take to get Street. It would be a terribly innefficient use of resources, but that's what Hendry's Cubs are all about. You might as well get as much so-called assured production as you can get if you are going to run the team the way they've run it.

[jersey cubs fan]

of course he wouldnt be interested in burke.

 

As a non 40-man roster guy who is a long way away from ever making any money, and who seemingly turned his career around (if only a little) as a 19-year old in A ball, I could see Beane having interest. If Burke was overvalued, and therefore unattractive to Beane, because he was highly touted for physical tools and due money he probably wasn't worth at draft time, maybe now he's more properly valued. Now that he's just another low-paid prospect whose star has faded, Beane might find it attractive to get a guy like Burke thrown into a trade. Even if he doesn't envision him playing for the A's in the future, Beane knows Hendry is playing for 2008, while Oakland is not. Burke does nothing for the 2008/2009 Cubs, unless he's traded. If he's worth 35 cents, maybe Beane can get him for a quarter and trade him 2-3 years from now for a dollar.

[rawaction]

Forget about Street, no need to give up prospects when you already have about 8 RH relievers. Blanton, though, would be a no-brainer to go after. Have no idea what Oakland would want, but I would imagine it would include some young talent that's not necessarily ML ready. Maybe something like Hart, Veal and Burke with them throwing a prospect back the Cubs way also.

Doubt that comes close IMO. Probably more along the lines of Gallagher, Ceda, Murton, Burke I would think. I'm sure the Mets will be in there as well offering alot.

 

That's basically the same deal with Murton added in. Hart/Gallagher may be just a matter of preference. Same with Ceda/Veal.

[RammyFanny]

Forget about Street, no need to give up prospects when you already have about 8 RH relievers. Blanton, though, would be a no-brainer to go after. Have no idea what Oakland would want, but I would imagine it would include some young talent that's not necessarily ML ready. Maybe something like Hart, Veal and Burke with them throwing a prospect back the Cubs way also.

Doubt that comes close IMO. Probably more along the lines of Gallagher, Ceda, Murton, Burke I would think. I'm sure the Mets will be in there as well offering alot.

 

That's basically the same deal with Murton added in. Hart/Gallagher may be just a matter of preference. Same with Ceda/Veal.

Hart is 3 years older and just flat out not in Gallaghers league. Gally has pretty much dominated everywhere he has been sent to (while being young for the league). Gallagher has a grand total of one season with an ERA above 3 (his first year in AA which was still a very good year for his age), the rest are in the 2's. Hart's never had a season with an ERA under 4 outside of high A ball (where he still wsan't great), unless you consider his spurt with Iowa. Hart was a 22 year old in A ball when he got promoted after having a 4.6 ERA. His ERA at AA was about 4.4, and his only season with an ERA under 4 was in a short spurt with AAA Iowa, where his WHIP was still over 1.40. His best year was still worse than Gallaghers worst year. He has He has added the cutter to his arsenal that has made him a better pitcher in the minors and in his brief stint in the majors, but I don't think it catapaults him over Gallagher. I can see Hart as a successfull reliever, and that's pretty good considering we got him for Boom Boom. As a starter he won't be more than a 4 in a best case scenario, and likely a number 5.

[Backtobanks]

Forget about Street, no need to give up prospects when you already have about 8 RH relievers. Blanton, though, would be a no-brainer to go after. Have no idea what Oakland would want, but I would imagine it would include some young talent that's not necessarily ML ready. Maybe something like Hart, Veal and Burke with them throwing a prospect back the Cubs way also.

 

Assuming the Roberts deal happens, I would think that before the Cubs would get involved with trading for a pitcher (Blanton, Nathan, Street,etc.) Hendry would have to reload with prospects by trading someone like Marquis or Dempster. I suppose this kind of deal might happen in spring training when teams have a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses.

[RammyFanny]

Forget about Street, no need to give up prospects when you already have about 8 RH relievers. Blanton, though, would be a no-brainer to go after. Have no idea what Oakland would want, but I would imagine it would include some young talent that's not necessarily ML ready. Maybe something like Hart, Veal and Burke with them throwing a prospect back the Cubs way also.

 

Assuming the Roberts deal happens, I would think that before the Cubs would get involved with trading for a pitcher (Blanton, Nathan, Street,etc.) Hendry would have to reload with prospects by trading someone like Marquis or Dempster. I suppose this kind of deal might happen in spring training when teams have a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses.

 

You're not going to get any worthwhile prospect for Marquis or Dempster. It's going to be a C prospect with you eating a portion of the contract. And don't trade Dempster, assuming we'd just leave him in the pen we can most likely get a supplemental for him with an outside chance at a first and a supp.

 

We'll be just fine reloading with prospects in the 09 draft when hopefully Howry, Dempster, outside chance at Eyre, and even Wood (if someone offers him a bunch) can all bring us at the least supplementals with two of those guys giving us a good chance at type A (which would either give us a first and supplemental or two supplementals depending on who signed them). The 09 draft can reload our farm a bunch (which gives room for a couple of prospect trades) assuming Hendry doesn't blow this chance with stupid decisions like resigning these guys (outside of possibly Wood) when he can replace them with in house candidates like Shark, Petrick, Roquet, Piggy, Hart, Lambert, Jose Ascansio, Lahey, Ceda, Maestri, Veal if they put him in the pen, etc.

 

Obviously there are some things in the above scenario that aren't perfectly predictable, but as of now it seems highly possible that at least a few of those guys should be able to hold there own in the pen. Or we could just not make these prospect trades, still do the above, and have an excellent farm in a year or two.

[rawaction]

The Roberts trade doesn't involve any real prospects, outside of Gallagher. But everyone in that proposed deal is ML ready and hanging around AAA (or the bench in Murton's case), so it's not like the farm system would be depleted. You can still get a good arm by trading actual prospects (young players not ML ready).

[apete6]

of course he wouldnt be interested in burke.

crosby would be an interesting target

 

I agree about Crosby. How much worse can he be than Theriot? And when he gets hurt, then you get Theriot or Cedeno in to play.

 

But, my god, his last 2 years (96 and 93 games) have been putrid. 636 and 619 OPS. Yikes. Can we turn him around?

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Cubs get: Billy Beane

 

A's get: Jim Hendry

[nilodnayr]

of course he wouldnt be interested in burke.

 

As a non 40-man roster guy who is a long way away from ever making any money, and who seemingly turned his career around (if only a little) as a 19-year old in A ball, I could see Beane having interest. If Burke was overvalued, and therefore unattractive to Beane, because he was highly touted for physical tools and due money he probably wasn't worth at draft time, maybe now he's more properly valued. Now that he's just another low-paid prospect whose star has faded, Beane might find it attractive to get a guy like Burke thrown into a trade. Even if he doesn't envision him playing for the A's in the future, Beane knows Hendry is playing for 2008, while Oakland is not. Burke does nothing for the 2008/2009 Cubs, unless he's traded. If he's worth 35 cents, maybe Beane can get him for a quarter and trade him 2-3 years from now for a dollar.

 

You mean Low A ball,

Boise---LD%=10.45, BABIP=.317

 

And in Hawaii IIRC he finished with a BABIP around 600

 

Sure, Beane might take Burke, but hes nothing more than a throw in until he can prove that his #s are real.

[jersey cubs fan]

of course he wouldnt be interested in burke.

 

As a non 40-man roster guy who is a long way away from ever making any money, and who seemingly turned his career around (if only a little) as a 19-year old in A ball, I could see Beane having interest. If Burke was overvalued, and therefore unattractive to Beane, because he was highly touted for physical tools and due money he probably wasn't worth at draft time, maybe now he's more properly valued. Now that he's just another low-paid prospect whose star has faded, Beane might find it attractive to get a guy like Burke thrown into a trade. Even if he doesn't envision him playing for the A's in the future, Beane knows Hendry is playing for 2008, while Oakland is not. Burke does nothing for the 2008/2009 Cubs, unless he's traded. If he's worth 35 cents, maybe Beane can get him for a quarter and trade him 2-3 years from now for a dollar.

 

You mean Low A ball,

Boise---LD%=10.45, BABIP=.317

 

And in Hawaii IIRC he finished with a BABIP around 600

 

Sure, Beane might take Burke, but hes nothing more than a throw in until he can prove that his #s are real.

 

Yeah, I was trying to think of names that could be throw-ins after the better prospects who have actually done stuff. I don't really see a match myself, but if somebody is trying to find a deal for Blanton and Street.