Its awfully quiet ...

[questionmarkgrace]

for a team that needs to make a lot of improvements. It seems like the most desirable guys that teams want: Aramis, Dempster, Garza, Jeff Baker, and Sean Marshall; hendry is not willing to part with. The big salary guys they do want to move are on a tailspin. Soriano, Fukudome, and Big Z have been terrible as of late.

 

We may be looking at the possibility that Pena and Byrd are the only cubs who get traded.

[jersey cubs fan]

Quade having a dust up with Dempster and then going off on the umpires the way he did, along with guys like Kerry Wood following suit makes me think things won't be so quiet for very long.

[pitchcs]

I think Grabow, Aramis, Reed, Byrd, Pena and Baker all get moved.

[BeerHere]

I think Grabow, Aramis, Reed, Byrd, Pena and Baker all get moved.

I hope you're right and I would add in one of Dempster and Zambrano.

[Elwood]

I think Grabow, Aramis, Reed, Byrd, Pena and Baker all get moved.

I hope you're right and I would add in one of Dempster and Zambrano.

 

Why would you want to trade Dempster? Who's going to pitch next season?

[erik316wttn]

I think Grabow, Aramis, Reed, Byrd, Pena and Baker all get moved.

I hope you're right and I would add in one of Dempster and Zambrano.

 

Why would you want to trade Dempster? Who's going to pitch next season?

 

Who needs Dempster when you can pick up value off the scrap heap?

[SouthSideRyan]

I think Grabow, Aramis, Reed, Byrd, Pena and Baker all get moved.

I hope you're right and I would add in one of Dempster and Zambrano.

 

Why would you want to trade Dempster? Who's going to pitch next season?

 

Because we're not competing again til 2022 at the earliest.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

FWIW, Ken Rosenthal is tweeting that the Angels have interest in A-Ram to plug their chasm at third base.

[pitchcs]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-big-z-aram-could-fill-tigers-needs-20110718,0,1424259.story

 

Talks about Andy Oliver and Brandon Inge as possibilities from the Tigers.

[Little Slide Rooter]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-big-z-aram-could-fill-tigers-needs-20110718,0,1424259.story

 

Talks about Andy Oliver and Brandon Inge as possibilities from the Tigers.

 

Inge is in the back of the line behind Flaherty, LeMahieu, Vitters, Smith, Baker, and DeWitt for our 2012 3B, and looking at that Oliver guy on BBR, I have 0 interest. Next.

[Little Slide Rooter]

FWIW, Ken Rosenthal is tweeting that the Angels have interest in A-Ram to plug their chasm at third base.

 

And I have interest in Mark Trumbo. Lets talk.

[TruffleShuffle]

yeah a first baseman with an OBP just barely over .300, let's get our hands on him!!!

[Little Slide Rooter]

yeah a first baseman with an OBP just barely over .300, let's get our hands on him!!!

 

Hes also 25, plays OF, has 18 HR and a .477 SLG. If the plan is to let Aramis walk after this year, Id be very happy to get him.

[TruffleShuffle]

yeah a first baseman with an OBP just barely over .300, let's get our hands on him!!!

 

Hes also 25, plays OF, has 18 HR and a .477 SLG. If the plan is to let Aramis walk after this year, Id be very happy to get him.

 

i wouldn't. he'd be a terrible corner outfielder and he strikes me as a guy who will get worse as pitchers around the league see him more and exploit his lack of discipline. basically his glove could play as average at 1B, but i'd rather go after pujols or fielder than settle for a guy like trumbo there.

[idakepps]

At some point I'd have to wonder if the lack of activity is due to Rickets restricting Hendry because he's not going to be the one at the helm next season.

[questionmarkgrace]

FWIW, Ken Rosenthal is tweeting that the Angels have interest in A-Ram to plug their chasm at third base.

 

yeah but he also said that Aramis still has no desire to be moved. Maybe its a ploy for leverage but he and his agent have been pretty consistent in saying this for the last two months.

 

 

per rotoworld:

The Angels are interested in Aramis Ramirez, but he's adamant that he will not waive his no-trade clause, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

[questionmarkgrace]

At some point I'd have to wonder if the lack of activity is due to Rickets restricting Hendry because he's not going to be the one at the helm next season.

 

if this is the case then he should have gotten rid of Hendry last year. that would really make no sense to let him be the gm this year and then tie his hands when effectively screwing yourself for next year. While I'm not a big fan of Ricketts and I dont think he is a very savy team owner, I doubt that he would be so short sighted.

 

I really think that it comes down to the fact that the guys we want to trade no one really wants because they havent been playing well, carry enormous contracts, and perceived baggage.

[idakepps]

At some point I'd have to wonder if the lack of activity is due to Rickets restricting Hendry because he's not going to be the one at the helm next season.

 

if this is the case then he should have gotten rid of Hendry last year. that would really make no sense to let him be the gm this year and then tie his hands when effectively screwing yourself for next year. While I'm not a big fan of Ricketts and I dont think he is a very savy team owner, I doubt that he would be so short sighted.

 

I really think that it comes down to the fact that the guys we want to trade no one really wants because they havent been playing well, carry enormous contracts, and perceived baggage.

 

Well, unless Rickets thought he was going to go with Hendry next year as well. I think the idea was to compete for a playoff spot in 2011, hence the prospects for Garza deal. But with a 100 loss season on the horizon, Rickets might have changed his mind.

 

I'm just looking for indicators into what Rickets is thinking. I don't think any of these guys expected this year's team to be as bad as it is. Rickets is new to the business, so you have to assume he's learning a lot of this from Hendry, Bush, Flieta etc. They're probably telling him how great they're doing -- how the team is just an ace starting pitcher away from contending in 2011, how the farm system is packed with prospects...but when you lose 100 games and have a system by most estimations is middle of the road, you have to start considering changes. Rickets may have decided that sometime in June, or is even realizing it now. So he may be in damage control now.

[dew1679666265]

At some point I'd have to wonder if the lack of activity is due to Rickets restricting Hendry because he's not going to be the one at the helm next season.

 

If teams were interested in players like Pena, Kosuke, and Grabow who almost certainly won't be back next year, it'd be a really bad idea for Ricketts to not allow Hendry to negotiate a trade. Even if he negotiates a bad trade, it's still better than letting those guys walk for nothing at season's end while still having to pay them the rest of the season.

 

My thought on the lack of activity is that it's simply still nearly two weeks until the trading deadline and we're not dangling out the big fish that teams might really want - Marmol, Dempster, Marshall, Soto - and Aramis and Z may not waiver their 10/5 rights. Guys like Pena, Kosuke, Grabow, Byrd, and others are not in high demand and, thus, teams will wait it out until right around the deadline to pull the trigger hoping that the price drops if Hendry gets desperate to move the contracts. It's basically a game of chicken at this point and both sides are seeing who gives in first.

[pitchcs]

At some point I'd have to wonder if the lack of activity is due to Rickets restricting Hendry because he's not going to be the one at the helm next season.

 

 

Highly doubt it

[Sammy Sofa]

At some point I'd have to wonder if the lack of activity is due to Rickets restricting Hendry because he's not going to be the one at the helm next season.

 

if this is the case then he should have gotten rid of Hendry last year. that would really make no sense to let him be the gm this year and then tie his hands when effectively screwing yourself for next year. While I'm not a big fan of Ricketts and I dont think he is a very savy team owner, I doubt that he would be so short sighted.

 

I really think that it comes down to the fact that the guys we want to trade no one really wants because they havent been playing well, carry enormous contracts, and perceived baggage.

 

What "enormous contracts?" Why do some people talk about this team like it's riddled with Soriano-esque contracts, yet only Soriano has a Soriano-esque contract?

[questionmarkgrace]

cubs.com is also now reporting that Aramis is not interested in being traded. He says he doesnt want to move his family. But for those looking for something to go on he may have cracked the door open by saying "right now, I'm not interested in any trade"

 

still it doesnt sound like he is interested unless the perfect situation arises.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110718&content_id=21957962&notebook_id=21959486&vkey=notebook_chc&c_id=chc

[Sammy Sofa]

I'm really not set on the Cubs trading Aramis if it means they can sign him back for, say, an affordable 2-year-contract. If him staying makes that more likely, eh, so be it, because they'll [expletive] need him next year.

[TruffleShuffle]

yeah given how low the bar is for 3b offense right now, and since it looks like he's now still good, the option for next year actually might be worth picking up (really it's only for a $14m salary, since the buyout is $2m). plus if the cubs suck come next june or july, he might fetch a good return.

[Sammy Sofa]

What FA options at 3B will be out there after the 2012 season? If it looks pretty desolate I'd rather try and sign him for something like 2 years /$20 million total.