Olney on the Cubs

[SouthSideRyan]

You know, DeRosa sounds pretty awesome, but he's been flatout not good as a Cardinal. He's bound to get overpaid and I'm not sure we're going to see that 08 or even 07 DeRosa again.

 

That's why I'm hoping he'd come cheaply.

[davell]

You guys see the O's shopping Roberts again? I don't see it personally, as MacPhail seems like he is ready to add a middle of the order hitter. Plus, they have their 3rd baseman of the future in Josh Bell now, so it kind of makes Vitters useless to them and they have their rotation of the future fairly well set as well with Tillman, Matusz, Bergsen, Arrieta, and Guthrie/Hernandez/Berken as their 5th guy. Which makes me wonder if they'd have any true need for Cashner/Carpenter/Jackson either. I'm sure they'd love Castro, but I don't see a fit with them, as I'm sure they would want a lot more than just him and I don't see Hendry wanting to trade him anyway, as he's Theriot's eventual replacement. So, in the end, I don't see them shopping Roberts to begin with, but even if they did, I think we're a bad fit.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I wonder if that mess of a team in Canada would have any interest in trading Aaron Hill for the right package. They game him a 4 year extension at 12 mil, which is a great deal for them, so theyd ask for a hell of a lot in return, but I cant see them competing any time soon.

[sneakypower]

I wonder if that mess of a team in Canada would have any interest in trading Aaron Hill for the right package. They game him a 4 year extension at 12 mil, which is a great deal for them, so theyd ask for a hell of a lot in return, but I cant see them competing any time soon.

they'd likely demand more in return for him than Halladay, even

[Backtobanks]

My nightmare scenario:

 

Cubs sign Jason Varitek to push Soto, Soto winds up getting about 300 PAs because Tek is a good "game caller"

 

Cubs trade Milton Bradley + a dump truck full of cash for a couple of relief prospects.

 

Cubs trade Zambrano for Magglio Ordonez

 

With all the money saved, the Cubs sign Chone Figgins to a 5/60 deal.

 

With the bump in payroll Cubs sign Jon Garland/Joel Pineiro/Randy Wolf to 4/44.

 

 

What the Cubs should do:

 

Re-sign Rich Harden.

 

Explore a Roberts deal without giving up elite prospects or a Reyes deal while giving up an elite prospect.

 

Kick the tires on DeRosa or Hudson for a 2 year deal. If none of these work stick with what you've got and figure out what you need in the summer.

 

DFA Miles

 

What makes you think the O's or Mets are going to give up all-star calibre players for non-elite prospects?

[SouthSideRyan]

My nightmare scenario:

 

Cubs sign Jason Varitek to push Soto, Soto winds up getting about 300 PAs because Tek is a good "game caller"

 

Cubs trade Milton Bradley + a dump truck full of cash for a couple of relief prospects.

 

Cubs trade Zambrano for Magglio Ordonez

 

With all the money saved, the Cubs sign Chone Figgins to a 5/60 deal.

 

With the bump in payroll Cubs sign Jon Garland/Joel Pineiro/Randy Wolf to 4/44.

 

 

What the Cubs should do:

 

Re-sign Rich Harden.

 

Explore a Roberts deal without giving up elite prospects or a Reyes deal while giving up an elite prospect.

 

Kick the tires on DeRosa or Hudson for a 2 year deal. If none of these work stick with what you've got and figure out what you need in the summer.

 

DFA Miles

 

What makes you think the O's or Mets are going to give up all-star calibre players for non-elite prospects?

 

You're criticizing a trade proposal?

 

I don't think it's likely that either can be pried, but the Mets are broke, and scapegoating everyone, I wouldn't be shocked to see Reyes go for a less than optimal package. Like I said, you explore the possibility, if it doesn't work out it doesn't work out.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

DeRosa needs wrist surgery in the offseason. Stay away from him.

[SouthSideRyan]

DeRosa needs wrist surgery in the offseason. Stay away from him.

 

Then cross him off.

[Halman]

if the mets are scapegoating people. I want to blame David Wright.

 

I'd be willing to throw the entire farm at the mets for him.

[SouthSideRyan]

if the mets are scapegoating people. I want to blame David Wright.

 

I'd be willing to throw the entire farm at the mets for him.

 

Wright manned up and played meaningless games shortly after a concussion. He's fine.

[jersey cubs fan]

if the mets are scapegoating people. I want to blame David Wright.

 

I'd be willing to throw the entire farm at the mets for him.

 

Wright manned up and played meaningless games shortly after a concussion. He's fine.

 

And the chicks love him.

[Sammy Sofa]

And he's white.

[SouthSideRyan]

And he's white.

 

That's a negative for Minaya but a positive for the media so it's zero sum.

[jersey cubs fan]

And he's white.

 

That's a negative for Minaya but a positive for the media so it's zero sum.

 

But a positive for those chicks so that's a +1 in sum.

[Exile on Waveland]

My nightmare scenario:

 

Cubs sign Jason Varitek to push Soto, Soto winds up getting about 300 PAs because Tek is a good "game caller"

 

Cubs trade Milton Bradley + a dump truck full of cash for a couple of relief prospects.

 

Cubs trade Zambrano for Magglio Ordonez

 

With all the money saved, the Cubs sign Chone Figgins to a 5/60 deal.

 

With the bump in payroll Cubs sign Jon Garland/Joel Pineiro/Randy Wolf to 4/44.

 

 

What the Cubs should do:

 

Re-sign Rich Harden.

 

Explore a Roberts deal without giving up elite prospects or a Reyes deal while giving up an elite prospect.

 

Kick the tires on DeRosa or Hudson for a 2 year deal. If none of these work stick with what you've got and figure out what you need in the summer.

 

DFA Miles

 

What makes you think the O's or Mets are going to give up all-star calibre players for non-elite prospects?

 

He specifically said an elite prospect for Reyes.

[Flames24Rulz]

Adding onto the DeRosa comments, STL fans seem very confident that he will take a short-term deal to remain a Cardinal this offseason as well.

 

Get me the O-Dawg.

[SouthSideRyan]

Adding onto the DeRosa comments, STL fans seem very confident that he will take a short-term deal to remain a Cardinal this offseason as well.

 

Get me the O-Dawg.

 

Cardinal fans are idiots though.

[Keener98]

Adding onto the DeRosa comments, STL fans seem very confident that he will take a short-term deal to remain a Cardinal this offseason as well.

 

Get me the O-Dawg.

 

Cardinal fans are idiots though.

 

Yea they think everyone who plays for Stl will give them the "Stl discount" and in this case I hope DeRosa does. We seen how long it took Lee to get over a wrist injury, and he was younger than DeRo. I want no part of an aging, wrist hurting, DeRosa.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Looking at Bobby Scales, Andres Blanco, Micah Hoffpauir, and Jake Fox, I really hope that they dont sign any more utility guys in the off season. Between these 4, they can cover a lot of positions. 3 of them deserve to make up the bench, along with a backup CF, maybe Fuld, maybe Reed Johnson and a backup catcher, probably Koyie Hill. Theres no reason for another Aaron Miles or Joey Gathright. Scales, Hoff, Fox, Blanco, and Fuld all deserve to be major league players, or at least on a team where they have a chance to make the opening day roster. They may never be all stars, they may never be starters but they deserve a chance to play somewhere, not where management decides to go with bad veteran free agents instead.

 

As said earlier, if they want to go after O Dog or Brian Roberts, thats good, but I really see them signing someone like a Placido Polanco, Felipe Lopez, or Orlando Cabrera type for the middle infield, when that may or may not be an upgrade over the Font/Baker platoon. That sure fielding shortstop who can hit probably wont be available, because there are really only a handfull of them out there. Were not the Yankees, so I hope that the learn that we dont need a new toy every off season unless its something we really need.

[Lefty]

Figgins interests me, but not at that price.

 

Agreed. $11-12 mill per for a player who has very little power? No thanks. Figgins seems to be the Juan Pierre of this yr's class.

 

He's better than Pierre because he has a better OBP and better patience. But I wouldn't give him $11-12 a year.

 

I prefer the other potential 2b FA that plays in the LA area.

 

That would be so Hendry-esque. We got nothing from 2B this year, and many of us saw that coming, and the Dodgers paid, what, Hudson $3 million for this year? Then we'll go out and give him a 3/$20 million contract.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Figgins interests me, but not at that price.

 

Agreed. $11-12 mill per for a player who has very little power? No thanks. Figgins seems to be the Juan Pierre of this yr's class.

 

He's better than Pierre because he has a better OBP and better patience. But I wouldn't give him $11-12 a year.

 

I prefer the other potential 2b FA that plays in the LA area.

 

That would be so Hendry-esque. We got nothing from 2B this year, and many of us saw that coming, and the Dodgers paid, what, Hudson $3 million for this year? Then we'll go out and give him a 3/$20 million contract.

 

This is all nonsense. We all know that JIm will sign Placido Polanco to a 4 year/$60 million deal.

[hossdriver]

You gotta chalk 2009 up to underachievement and injury...

 

Yeah, I get that injuries are part of the game and all. How DEEP do you have to be when you lose Ramirez for 2 months and Soriano hobbles around on one leg all season?

 

What about losing EVERY starter expect Randy Wells to some kind of injury during the year?

 

Cubs still have a winning record, and still have an outside shot at the Wild Card if they sucked it up and tried to finish strong.

 

With the current roster healthy, they contend for the division. To upgrade, you get a solid 3B, corner infield bench player. If that means trading away some of your AAA scraps and bench players to make roster room, so be it. Make a move for an everyday 2Bman.

 

Forget the LH hitter crap. You like balance, but you won 97 games two seasons ago without it. Keep Soriano out of the leadoff spot (where he's killed you in the playoffs) and put a table-setter up there (preferably the scrappy FA 2Bman you just picked up)...