Re: Peavy High on Cubs Wish List

[Mephistopheles]

you can also way we traded Wood for Gregg and Vizcaino

 

No, because that five mil saved probably goes to increases we already had on the books.

[Mephistopheles]

Everyone seems fixated on signing Bradley and trading for Peavy.

 

What if Hendry goes a complete different direction by signing Lowe or Sheets, and trading for Hermida or Scott?

 

Naturally that would contradict the Levine intel that Bradley is a done deal, but still interesting to consider. Cheaper too (in $$$ and players).

 

We're not doing this because we're not in a position to go bidding against the Yankees for pitching: Lowe.

Who's got the Yankees in on Lowe?

 

AFAIK so far the Mets are Lowe's only serious pursuer.

 

yankees/mets same thing. you know what i mean. his market is bigger. there is no corner outfield market.

[Derwood]

you can also way we traded Wood for Gregg and Vizcaino

 

No, because that five mil saved probably goes to increases we already had on the books.

 

i wasn't matching money, just stating the swap at position

[Mephistopheles]

well there was no way we could keep wood. there was a way we could keep derosa and marquis. namely not signing bradley

[davearm2]

One thing that seems to be getting lost in all of this is that Hendry reportedly walked away from the Peavy deal because Towers' demands were apparently through the roof. That's one version of the story anyway.

 

Do we have any reason to believe that rather critical component of the equation has changed at all?

 

If not, then all of this speculation is rather meaningless IMO.

[Mephistopheles]

well the uncertainty surrounding cubs ownership and the economy could have changed the budget significantly in the matter of weeks. that is THE critical part of the equation.

[davearm2]

Everyone seems fixated on signing Bradley and trading for Peavy.

 

What if Hendry goes a complete different direction by signing Lowe or Sheets, and trading for Hermida or Scott?

 

Naturally that would contradict the Levine intel that Bradley is a done deal, but still interesting to consider. Cheaper too (in $$$ and players).

 

We're not doing this because we're not in a position to go bidding against the Yankees for pitching: Lowe.

Who's got the Yankees in on Lowe?

 

AFAIK so far the Mets are Lowe's only serious pursuer.

 

yankees/mets same thing. you know what i mean. his market is bigger. there is no corner outfield market.

The Yankees ($88M coming off the books) and the Mets (owner just lost $500M or whatever) are the same thing? Hardly. The Mets are bargain-hunting much like the rest of baseball.

[Mephistopheles]

actually i was thinking "new york" more than anything. my point was more or less is that there are teams out there looking for pitching like lowe, whether it be the mets or yankees. are there teams out there looking at corner OFs? Because there doesn't appear to be any big players for pat burrell, adam dunn or, outside of us, milton bradley. not to mention manny ramirez... raul ibanez signed, but he was the cheapest of the four, probably, and went to a major market team (though philly doesnt have a tone of money laying around).

[JWCUB]

CUBS MAKING BIG MOVES.....DEROSA TRADED!

The Cubs are making moves left and right! Here's the latest:

 

 

The Cubs have signed switch hitting infielder Aaron Miles to a 2 year deal. Miles is 32 years old, batted .317 with 15 doubles, 4 HR, and 31 RBIs in 2008 for the Cardinals. Miles can play tons of positions. He appeared in 7 different ones last year: 85 games at second, 27 at shortstop, 11 games at 3rd, 4 in left, 1 in center and 1 in right. Miles played for the White Sox and Rockies before becoming a Cardinal in 2006.

Bad News if you like Mark DeRosa; the Cubs have traded him to the Clevland Indians for Jeff Stevens, John Gaub, and Chris Archer. All 3 are minor league pitchers.

Here's the stats for Stevens, Gaub, and Archer.

The Marquis trade to the Rockies for Vizcaino is a done deal and will be announced sometime over the next few days according to sources including Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio and David Kaplan of Comcast Sports Net.

Levine thinks that with the money the Cubs will save in the Marquis deal they will end up using on Milton Bradley and goes as far as calling it a "done deal".

I'm also hearing the the Cubs will rework the Peavy talks using the players they got in the DeRosa deal and adding other prospects.

I don't know what to think about the DeRosa deal. I really like DeRo, but if it is what the Cubs have to deal to end up with Bradley and Peavy than that's fine. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. I expect either Fontenot or Miles will be the starting second baseman in 2009.

 

I'll keep you posted.

 

UPDATE 2:25 CT- David Kaplan says that he thinks bringing in prospects for the DeRosa is the start of the getting the Jake Peavy deal set up. He also reports that the Marquis deal is not done yet because Jason is out of the country.

 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that since the Cubs have traded for 3 pitching prospects and traded away our 5th started, the Peavy deal could be back on.

 

Kap had Paul Sullivan on the show to talk about the Cubs news.

 

Sullivan says that he thinks it's amazing how everything is happening at once.

Sully says it seems that Miles could move into the leadoff spot.

He hates to see DeRosa go.

Kap asked about Milton Bradley. Paul said that he talked to Frank Thomas and Frank said he was intense and smart and just needs to be left alone. If Bradley can stay healthy and out of trouble this could work out good. Paul is willing to give Bradley the benefit of the doubt.

Paul says he sees no need for Rich Aurillia. He thinks Pie and Cedeno will be traded and would like to see another lefty in the bullpen.

The Cubs have a conference call coming up, so I'll keep you posted.

 

 

http://cubsblog-cubbiefan07.blogspot.com/2008/12/cubs-making-big-movesderosa-traded.html

[RedFlash]

Sully says it seems that Miles could move into the leadoff spot.

 

:roll:

:banghead:

[Little Slide Rooter]

Sully says it seems that Miles could move into the leadoff spot.

 

:roll:

:banghead:

 

Im not sure where there getting the Miles for leadoff theory. His career .289 avg. looks good for a leadoff hitter, but the career .329 OPB leaves much to be desired, especially for a spot whose job it is just to get on base.

[DiamondMind]

Sully says it seems that Miles could move into the leadoff spot.

 

:roll:

:banghead:

 

Im not sure where there getting the Miles for leadoff theory. His career .289 avg. looks good for a leadoff hitter, but the career .329 OPB leaves much to be desired, especially for a spot whose job it is just to get on base.

 

If he's platooning with Fontenot at all, he did have a .377 OBP against LHP last year. Small sample size however, only 111 AB's

[Monco]

Sully says it seems that Miles could move into the leadoff spot.

 

:roll:

:banghead:

 

Im not sure where there getting the Miles for leadoff theory. His career .289 avg. looks good for a leadoff hitter, but the career .329 OPB leaves much to be desired, especially for a spot whose job it is just to get on base.

 

Wow, hes got the same career obp as Soriano !

[17 Seconds]

Asked if Hendry’s dealings meant talks with the Cubs regarding Peavy might reopen, Padres GM Kevin Towers responded with a one-word email: “Doubtful.”

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=ArSSbMBzs281YXsFnKArpt0RvLYF?slug=ti-peavy123108&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[soonercub]

Based on how Towers leaked information in Vegas and the around about scolding he got from Hendry I doubt we hear Tower say anything until......"Today we are announcing the trade of Jake Peavy to the Chicago Cubs."

[17 Seconds]

Based on how Towers leaked information in Vegas and the around about scolding he got from Hendry I doubt we hear Tower say anything until......"Today we are announcing the trade of Jake Peavy to the Chicago Cubs."

 

except that he just did say something

[Sosa21MVP]

I find it hard to believe that the Cubs are moving Jason Marquis and Mark DeRosa for the sole purpose of clearing cap space for Milton Bradley. I know Meph has both an Excel spreadsheet and Access database prepared to make me feel silly but.........this is how I feel. If the Cubs were in pure budget cut mode then I think they would just keep Marquis & DeRosa and not even bother with Bradley and Aaron Miles.

[Mephistopheles]

I find it hard to believe that the Cubs are moving Jason Marquis and Mark DeRosa for the sole purpose of clearing cap space for Milton Bradley. I know Meph has both an Excel spreadsheet and Access database prepared to make me feel silly but.........this is how I feel. If the Cubs were in pure budget cut mode then I think they would just keep Marquis & DeRosa and not even bother with Bradley and Aaron Miles.

 

except that leaves fontenot on the bench and someone like hoff in right.

[17 Seconds]

I find it hard to believe that the Cubs are moving Jason Marquis and Mark DeRosa for the sole purpose of clearing cap space for Milton Bradley. I know Meph has both an Excel spreadsheet and Access database prepared to make me feel silly but.........this is how I feel. If the Cubs were in pure budget cut mode then I think they would just keep Marquis & DeRosa and not even bother with Bradley and Aaron Miles.

 

I don't find it hard to believe at all. Since day 1 of the offseason Hendry and especially Lou have pretty much made it clear that they're obsessed with adding a LH bat to play RF, for better or worse. It was never a "we'll see if we can find somebody we like" thing, it was always a "we're going to get a left handed right fielder we like, period" thing.

[cubsfan26]

Hendry said "hopefully we will make a couple of deals in the next couple of weeks." Maybe add a bat in right field in next seven to ten days with maybe a pitcher after that. Hendry feels good about the pen going into next season. He likes Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg and mentioned Sean Marshall by name when he talked about the pen, along with Neal Cotts and Angel Guzman. He thinks Jeff Stevens will be in the mix.

 

 

Hendry said he has a payroll number to work with until the new ownership is in place.

Hendry said if he can make one or two more significant pieces/additions to the roster he would consider this a good off-season.

 

 

http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2008/12/cubsrumors1231.php#more

 

 

It sounds like the Cubs plan to add another SP, so even if they don't get Peavy. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs don't look at Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe and others. But it sounds like we will have to wait until we get a new owner before we can get that potential boost in payroll.

[17 Seconds]

Hendry feels good about the pen going into next season. He likes Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg and mentioned Sean Marshall by name when he talked about the pen

 

This part is interesting. So who will be the 5th starter? Either he's planning on adding somebody or planning on going with Samardzija. Hopefully it's the former.

[cubsfan26]

Based on conversations with several sources, the flexibility to pursue another starting pitcher -- especially if it's Peavy -- likely hinges on the Cubs' ownership transition taking clearer shape in the coming weeks. A key timeframe might be the quarterly owners meetings Jan. 13-15 in Phoenix.

 

The Cubs and Padres haven't discussed a Peavy trade since the Cubs pulled out of negotiations more than two weeks ago at the winter meetings.

 

''We certainly wouldn't close the door on anything,'' general manager Jim Hendry said when asked about the desire to replace the starting pitcher he might lose in a trade. ''Once we add the outfielder we want to add, we'll take a good look where we're at. The pen is getting deeper and deeper. We'll see how we want to shape up the starting situation, whether we pursue somebody else or use somebody internally in that role.''

 

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/1357968,CST-SPT-cub01.article

 

 

Again to me it sounds like if they can get a payroll boost from the new owner(which it seems they believe they can), they will look into adding another starting pitcher. But adding that depends on if they can get a Peavy deal worked out or if their is still good remaining free agent pitchers on the market. If they don't get a payroll boost, or can't add a good pitcher in a trade or free agent, then I think they will let Gaudin, Marshall and Samardzija battle it out in spring training. But I still think Hendry would like to add another good starting pitcher this offseason.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Peavy To Cubs Unlikely

By Tim Dierkes [January 1 at 8:55am CST]

Yahoo's Tim Brown asked Padres GM Kevin Towers whether the Cubs' talks for Jake Peavy might reopen now that they've freed up cash. Towers' reply: "Doubtful."

[21stCenturyChamp]

I have a very good friend who is in the front office of another N.L. club. I asked him yesterday if the Indians trade was a precursor to a trade with San Diego that would send Peavy to Chicago. He replied, "100 percent." Now, he said it might be close to spring training and that the Cubs would have to deal with getting approval from ownership/prospective new ownership, but he said that no matter what anybody on either side says, everyone in both organizations expects and wants to get a Peavy deal done before spring training. Fire away all you want, but if a mod wants, I'll tell him my source privately. Happy New Year.

[mcgoobs]

Sully says it seems that Miles could move into the leadoff spot.

 

:roll:

:banghead:

 

Im not sure where there getting the Miles for leadoff theory. His career .289 avg. looks good for a leadoff hitter, but the career .329 OPB leaves much to be desired, especially for a spot whose job it is just to get on base.

 

Sullivan has Miles starting over Fontenot, and has Gathright as our starting CF, instead of Fukudome/Johnson platoon. Looks like he wrote his article after one too many champagnes last night.