Nomar looking to stay next season

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

We also save about 6 million with the Borowski and Hawkins contracts coming off the books.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

next season is looking good, money wise. i'm hoping for this year though. call me stupid, but this team will succeed despite dusty's best efforts to sabotage our lineups.

[treebird]

Everything is cool, so long as the Tribune doesn't cut payroll, which Hoops has said is a legit possibility.

 

If he wanted to drop in and say that was no longer a possibility, I surely wouldn't complain.

[1908]

Hideki Matsui, is not under contract beyond 2005, but I forget if he's considered a free agent, or if he's arbitration eligible.

He has a clause in his contract that makes him a free agent after this season.

 

Yanks will do their best to keep him. He is a solid player that brings in many times the $ that it cost them to sign him since they sealed a Japanese cable contract after signing Matsui.

I'm pretty sure overseas TV broadcasting rights belong to MLB as a whole. But I agree the Yankees will do their best to keep him and, more importantly, I think Hideki wants to stay.

[Illini Iceman]

I've said all year that I want Nomar back for about $4M plus incentives. I don't want Furcal anymore. Best case scenario, you have one of the game's best SS's and another huge bat in the lineup. Worst case scenario, he gets hurt again. But you don't waste as much money as you would with Furcal. You get Cedeno some valuable playing time.

 

If someone offers Nomar a long-term deal, let him have it and go with Cedeno at SS and upgrade OF.

 

I can live with that scenario. However, OF needs to be addressed regardless of what happens with SS. Holly/Dubois, Patterson, Burnitz was blatant negligence going into this season. They have to find an impact bat out there, somewhere, even if they do bring Nomar back.

 

Sorry. I actually meant upgrade OF MORE. Maybe go out and get a couple corner OFs instead of just 1 and go with Cedeno at SS.

 

We should have some wiggle room with Sammy's contract off the books for next year.

 

Forgot about that. But raises will go to Wood, Maddux, Prior, Z, Lee, Ramirez, Barrett, and possibly Patterson next year to basically wipe out that amount. The Cubs do have the potential to go league minimum at SS, CF, or LF next year.

 

How much of a raise is Lee getting?

 

And we can have Murton in left, and Cedeno somewhere (hopefully on the bench, not that I don't like him, but I want to hang on to Nomar and Walker).

 

Will Remmy be off the books? There's another 4 million right there.

 

I think I will need to wait and see a little bit more before I feel comfortable with the Cubs penciling in Murton as the starting LF next year.

[biittner77]

The Cubs cutting payroll might not be as bad as it sounds. Really what they'd be doing is replacing expensive vets with cheap young guys. As far as FAs go its a pretty lean year once the AJ Burnett sweepstakes are over.

So if 2007 looks to be a better FA class then it makes sense for the Cubs to start the year with Murton or Dubois in LF. If they falter then a deal will be easier to reach. All the better if they succeed. That's better than throwing a bunch of money at a player that doesn't warrant it.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The Cubs cutting payroll might not be as bad as it sounds. Really what they'd be doing is replacing expensive vets with cheap young guys. As far as FAs go its a pretty lean year once the AJ Burnett sweepstakes are over.

So if 2007 looks to be a better FA class then it makes sense for the Cubs to start the year with Murton or Dubois in LF. If they falter then a deal will be easier to reach. All the better if they succeed. That's better than throwing a bunch of money at a player that doesn't warrant it.

 

The Cubs could be major players in the Free Agent and Trade market this offseason, add several players, and still technically cut payroll.

[shnsajax]

The Cubs cutting payroll might not be as bad as it sounds. Really what they'd be doing is replacing expensive vets with cheap young guys. As far as FAs go its a pretty lean year once the AJ Burnett sweepstakes are over.

So if 2007 looks to be a better FA class then it makes sense for the Cubs to start the year with Murton or Dubois in LF. If they falter then a deal will be easier to reach. All the better if they succeed. That's better than throwing a bunch of money at a player that doesn't warrant it.

 

The Cubs could be major players in the Free Agent and Trade market this offseason, add several players, and still technically cut payroll.

 

In terms of the OF in the FA market you have to get either Damon, Matsui, or Giles to make it even worth it. Damon will probably get to many years, Matsui will probably be a Yankee still, and Giles is a nice question mark.

 

Hopefully the Phillies will realize they are better off without Abreu.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The Cubs cutting payroll might not be as bad as it sounds. Really what they'd be doing is replacing expensive vets with cheap young guys. As far as FAs go its a pretty lean year once the AJ Burnett sweepstakes are over.

So if 2007 looks to be a better FA class then it makes sense for the Cubs to start the year with Murton or Dubois in LF. If they falter then a deal will be easier to reach. All the better if they succeed. That's better than throwing a bunch of money at a player that doesn't warrant it.

 

The Cubs could be major players in the Free Agent and Trade market this offseason, add several players, and still technically cut payroll.

 

In terms of the OF in the FA market you have to get either Damon, Matsui, or Giles to make it even worth it. Damon will probably get to many years, Matsui will probably be a Yankee still, and Giles is a nice question mark.

 

Hopefully the Phillies will realize they are better off without Abreu.

 

My point is that even if the Trib decides to cut payroll, it won't restrict the construction of our roster as much as some might think.