Phillies: Trade Howard or Thome in the offseason?

[cubweiser03]

What are the Phillies going to do this offseason with Thome and Ryan Howard, will they look to trade either? Thome, at age 35, has 3 years left on his contract. $12.5M in 2006 and $14M in 2007-08. They cant go in the direction of having Howard on the bench behind Thome for 3 more years. Do they trade Howard or dump Thome now to a big market team? NYY and Boston could use a first basemen like Thome, NYY more probable. Also the Dodgers could use some power at 1b. Phillies could eat some money and still save a boatload on Howard. Having Thome on the market would be interesting.

[UK1679666180]

I'd unload Thome if I was Philly, it would be a great accomplishment to get rid of his contract.

 

I actually like Thome, he's one of the better people in the game, I know the reg. supervisor who signed him and he's said nothing but positives about his character.

[USSoccer]

Here's a thought: If you could work a deal for Lee out where you get a stud OF, do you make a play for Thome if the Phils pick up half the salary?

[nilodnayr]

Here's a thought: If you could work a deal for Lee out where you get a stud OF, do you make a play for Thome if the Phils pick up half the salary?

 

What am I, a doctor? :D Yay for merging threads! But seriously, if a doctor says he will be ok, then Id take the risk, but there are better options that available as the aformentioned Overbay.

[CuseCubFan69]

Here's a thought: If you could work a deal for Lee out where you get a stud OF, do you make a play for Thome if the Phils pick up half the salary?

 

Depends on the stud and Thome's back.

[USSoccer]

Here's a thought: If you could work a deal for Lee out where you get a stud OF, do you make a play for Thome if the Phils pick up half the salary?

 

Depends on the stud and Thome's back.

 

Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora.

[CuseCubFan69]

Here's a thought: If you could work a deal for Lee out where you get a stud OF, do you make a play for Thome if the Phils pick up half the salary?

 

Depends on the stud and Thome's back.

 

Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora.

 

Mora...isn't he an O?

[USSoccer]

Here's a thought: If you could work a deal for Lee out where you get a stud OF, do you make a play for Thome if the Phils pick up half the salary?

 

Depends on the stud and Thome's back.

 

Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora.

 

Mora...isn't he an O?

 

Isn't Markakis an O?

[USSoccer]

Mora could spell Thome and ARam at 1st and 3rd, play some OF...Markakis would give us a legit OF prospect that's ML ready.

[katway]

No thanks... Thome is tailor made for the AL. He is below average defensively and needs a day off from the position every week to remain healthy. He has much more value to an AL team. Hendry understood this and made the decision not to go after him as a free agent a couple years ago even though Thome had lunch with Hendry to express his desire to be a Cub.

[USSoccer]

No thanks... Thome is tailor made for the AL. He is below average defensively and needs a day off from the position every week to remain healthy. He has much more value to an AL team. Hendry understood this and made the decision not to go after him as a free agent a couple years ago even though Thome had lunch with Hendry to express his desire to be a Cub.

 

But the Cubs were in a much different position going into 2003. They figured on Choi being the 1B of the future, and thought they were gearing up for a serious run in 2004/5.

 

Now that our window is closing more rapidly, Hendry might feel differently, especially if Philly picks up salary.

[AAApittsburgh]

No thanks... Thome is tailor made for the AL. He is below average defensively and needs a day off from the position every week to remain healthy. He has much more value to an AL team. Hendry understood this and made the decision not to go after him as a free agent a couple years ago even though Thome had lunch with Hendry to express his desire to be a Cub.

If you can turn one good player (Lee) into 2 good players, I think you have to do it with this terrible FA market. Trades are the only way the Cubs are going to get anything of value this offseason IMO. Thome's defense is not that bad. He's about average. Plus, it's 1B.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

The only way the Phillies get rid of Thome is if they either eat a huge chunk of that salary or if they take a really bad contract back in return.

 

I really want no part of Thome. He's old and likely to continue to decline. I've always liked Thome, but I just believe his productive years are now behind him.

[reggiemiller rules]

I think Thome could be a met, they need a first baseman and the Phillies could use a CF why not trade Thome to the Mets for Cameron and a prospect and pick up some contract. The Mets have Diaz so they dont really need Cameron. This trade makes sense for both teams. Plus Cameron has a somewhat big contract so they wouldnt have to pick up as much money as for just prospects.

[Outshined_One]

If the Phillies are dumb enough to trade Ryan Howard, I'd pray the Cubs get in on it and then move him to LF. I don't care how bad he'd be there; we put up with Moises and his atrocious defense there for three seasons (not all of them full). We could put up with crummy defense with the numbers he could put up.

[NorthsideAvenger]

If the Phillies are dumb enough to trade Ryan Howard, I'd pray the Cubs get in on it and then move him to LF. quote]

 

Sorry, the Phillies already tried that, and MOST baseball people believe that Howard should remain at 1st base, PERIOD. He makes Pat Burrell a GG. I would look for the Phillies to move Thome to a team like Detroit.

[cubweiser03]

Ah the Tigers. They are getting out from under the Higginson and Dmitri contracts this year. Thats about $18M right there. They have been liking to make a big splash in the offseason the last 2 years and are not afraid to overpay so they might be willing to eat a lot of Thomes contract. They could trade Craig Monroe to the Phillies to play CF or Nook Logan. Shelton at 1B and Thome DH/1B.

 

Thome to the Mets would seem to make sense but would divisional rivals do such a thing. It would benefit both.

 

Even though the Phillies are the not the Cubs divisional rivals, with the wild card there is a competive issue. Id like to see the Phillies trade Howard :-)

[ConstableRabbit]

I don't know why everyone is always knocking Thome... According to Dave Otto, he's "country strong". :lol:

[goonys evil twin]

The White Sox should try to get him with Philly paying as much as possible. They need the offense.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I don't know why everyone is always knocking Thome... According to Dave Otto, he's "country strong". :lol:

 

That's what Todd Walker once said about Jason Dubois. :cry:

[ConstableRabbit]

I don't know why everyone is always knocking Thome... According to Dave Otto, he's "country strong". :lol:

 

That's what Todd Walker once said about Jason Dubois. :cry:

 

More important than his country strength was is inability to hit ye old country breaking ball.

 

 

Edited 15 sec later for terrible grammar.

[biittner77]

Where are all the people that thought the Cubs should sign Thome back when he was a FA? Why aren't they clamoring for a trade?

 

Any team would be foolish to give up any talent for Thome unless the Phillies pay the majority of his contract.

[ltb]

Ah the Tigers. They are getting out from under the Higginson and Dmitri contracts this year. Thats about $18M right there.

 

dmitri young's $8m option for 2006 vested last night.

[katway]

No thanks... Thome is tailor made for the AL. He is below average defensively and needs a day off from the position every week to remain healthy. He has much more value to an AL team. Hendry understood this and made the decision not to go after him as a free agent a couple years ago even though Thome had lunch with Hendry to express his desire to be a Cub.

If you can turn one good player (Lee) into 2 good players, I think you have to do it with this terrible FA market. Trades are the only way the Cubs are going to get anything of value this offseason IMO. Thome's defense is not that bad. He's about average. Plus, it's 1B.

 

Who is foolish enough to give up two proven good players for one proven good player and is in a position to win next year if they only had a 1st baseman? IMO, trading Lee for anything less than proven players and instead for "potential" would be a mistake.