Your offseason wish list

[Neuby]

Sign Dotel to a deal similar to Dempster and Williamson.

Sign one of Mota, Howry, BJ Ryan to shore up the pen.

Pick up Williamson's option at 2 million he's worth the gamble.

Sign Nomar for under 4 million base to play second base.

Sign Burnett ,Millwood, Weaver in that order for the fourth starter role.

Sign Furcal to play short Cedeno backing up three infield postions.

Sign Giles to play right field.

 

Use Patterson,Willams, Walker, Hairston, Mitre, Welly to net us another big time stick for the outfield. If possible keep Walker as a backup and use as he was intended in 2003 backing up first, second, third, left field.

[BigbadB]

Nice list. But, there are 29 other teams in the league. :D

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

Nice list. But, there are 29 other teams in the league. :D

 

the size of that list scares me.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

My list is simple and realistic.

 

1. Sign Brain Giles. (This is priority one, two, three, and four!)

2. Re-sign Nomar for SS. Pick-up Walker's option. This is the middle infield unless a trade for Castillo or Giles develops which is unlikely.

Cedeno backs up both positions.

3. Sign Dotel for the pen.

4. If Castillo isn't traded for, sign Kenny Lofton to one year deal.

 

My line-up:

 

Lofton

Murton

Lee

Giles

Ramirez

Walker

Garciaparra

Barrett

 

Pitching staff:

Zambrano

Prior

Wood

Maddux

Williams

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Dotel

Ohman

Wuertz

Novoa

Hill

 

Bench:

Cedeno

Hairston

Theriot

Blanco

Cruz Jr.

Grieve

[RockTheIvy]

My list is simple and realistic.

 

1. Sign Brain Giles. (This is priority one, two, three, and four!)

2. Re-sign Nomar for SS. Pick-up Walker's option. This is the middle infield unless a trade for Castillo or Giles develops which is unlikely.

Cedeno backs up both positions.

3. Sign Dotel for the pen.

4. If Castillo isn't traded for, sign Kenny Lofton to one year deal.

 

My line-up:

 

Lofton

Murton

Lee

Giles

Ramirez

Walker

Garciaparra

Barrett

 

Pitching staff:

Zambrano

Prior

Wood

Maddux

Williams

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Dotel

Ohman

Wuertz

Novoa

Hill

 

Bench:

Cedeno

Hairston

Theriot

Blanco

Cruz Jr.

Grieve

 

I loveD Dotel, but will he be ready next year? Or are looking at midseason?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

My list is simple and realistic.

 

1. Sign Brain Giles. (This is priority one, two, three, and four!)

2. Re-sign Nomar for SS. Pick-up Walker's option. This is the middle infield unless a trade for Castillo or Giles develops which is unlikely.

Cedeno backs up both positions.

3. Sign Dotel for the pen.

4. If Castillo isn't traded for, sign Kenny Lofton to one year deal.

 

My line-up:

 

Lofton

Murton

Lee

Giles

Ramirez

Walker

Garciaparra

Barrett

 

Pitching staff:

Zambrano

Prior

Wood

Maddux

Williams

 

Bullpen:

Dempster

Dotel

Ohman

Wuertz

Novoa

Hill

 

Bench:

Cedeno

Hairston

Theriot

Blanco

Cruz Jr.

Grieve

 

I loveD Dotel, but will he be ready next year? Or are looking at midseason?

 

Whenever he's ready. I'd give him a two year deal with lots of incentives.

 

We have additional arms we can use in the pen if he's not going to be ready for awhile.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Wish List:

 

Jim Tracy

Brian Giles

 

 

Anything else is an added bonus.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I found this information on Dotel.

 

Octavio Dotel (elbow) is hoping to return from Tommy John surgery for Opening Day 2006.

''Dr. Andrews said, 'Hey, you're going to be fine. If you were throwing 94-95 mph before this, you're going to be really good now,' '' Dotel said. ''He said, 'If you do all your rehab, you'll be pretty much ready for spring training.'''

 

Unless something has changed since June, apparently they believe he'll be ready. My guess is that if things go slowly, he could be looking at being ready around the All-Star Break.

 

Either way, a Dotel-Dempster back-end of the bullpen would be very nice.

[RockTheIvy]

I found this information on Dotel.

 

Octavio Dotel (elbow) is hoping to return from Tommy John surgery for Opening Day 2006.

''Dr. Andrews said, 'Hey, you're going to be fine. If you were throwing 94-95 mph before this, you're going to be really good now,' '' Dotel said. ''He said, 'If you do all your rehab, you'll be pretty much ready for spring training.'''

 

Unless something has changed since June, apparently they believe he'll be ready. My guess is that if things go slowly, he could be looking at being ready around the All-Star Break.

 

Either way, a Dotel-Dempster back-end of the bullpen would be very nice.

 

Sweet! An added bonus in my mind would be having Dotel in the 8th inning where I think he is more comfortable...like Latroy was supposed to do. Now we just gotta pray Dempster doesn't do JoBo...

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

my list:

 

1. sign an impact bat in the OF (via FA or trade)

2. solid starting pitcher acquisition (Millwood, Weaver type)

3. beat the meaning of OBP into Dusty's empty skull

[Sabermetrician]

RF: Sign Giles

CF: Either Jason Michaels by trade or Randy Winn by trade/free agency

LF: Murton

3B: Ramirez

SS: Ideally Nomar at a low cost with incentives, otherwise Furcal or Cedeno

2B: First option is Castillo, otherwise just keep Walker; I don't think Giles will be dealt.

1B: Lee

C: Barrett

[RockTheIvy]

Here's my team:

 

CF: Lofton

RF: Giles

LF: Murton

SS: Nomar

3B: Ramirez

1B: Lee

C: Barrett

2B: BILL MUELLER!!!

 

SP: Prior

SP: Z

SP: Maddux

SP: Williams/Wood

SP: Burnett

 

RP: Williams/Wood

RP: Dotel

RP: Ohman

RP: Wuertz

RP: Dempster

RP: Chad Bradford

 

Bench

Hairston 2B/CF

Cedeno SS/2B

Grieve OF

Cruz Jr. OF (though that might be tough, he had a great year)

Blanco

Branyan

[AAApittsburgh]

Here's my team:

 

CF: Lofton

RF: Giles

LF: Murton

SS: Nomar

3B: Ramirez

1B: Lee

C: Barrett

2B: BILL MUELLER!!!

 

SP: Prior

SP: Z

SP: Maddux

SP: Williams/Wood

SP: Burnett

 

RP: Williams/Wood

RP: Dotel

RP: Ohman

RP: Wuertz

RP: Dempster

RP: Chad Bradford

 

Bench

Hairston 2B/CF

Cedeno SS/2B

Grieve OF

Cruz Jr. OF (though that might be tough, he had a great year)

Blanco

Branyan

And people complain about Walker's D. :shock:

[CubsWin]

How realistic are we being with some of these wish lists? I mean I realize that its a wish list, but its not like Hendry is actually a genie.

 

To my understanding the Cubs have about 30-35 million to spend on big FA signings with some left over to fill out the pen and bench.

 

With that money, I am wishing for the Cubs to land...

 

Giles - 11 million

Millwood - 8 million

Nomar - 5 million plus incentives

Lofton - 2.5 million

Walker - 2.5 million (option picked up)

 

That's 29 million right there. With what ever margin is left over, spend it on the best reliever you can get.

 

Hoops or anyone, are my numbers accurate? I want my wishlist to be firmly grounded in reality. If they're off, I've got to start all over. :wink:

 

If those numbers are correct, then the Cubs would look something like this next year:

 

Lofton

Nomar

Giles

Lee

Ramirez

Walker

Murton

Barrett

 

Prior

Zambrano

Millwood

Maddux

Wood or Williams

 

Dempster

The best FA reliever the Cubs can afford

Wood or Williams

Williamson

Ohman

Novoa

Wuertz/Van Buren/Would there be enough $ left for Rusch?

 

Blanco

Hairston

Cedeno

Patterson?

?

[SouthSideRyan]

Murton

Nomar

Giles

Lee

Ramirez

Walker

Barrett

Patterson

 

Zambrano

Prior

Wood

Maddux

Williams

 

Dempster

Williamson

Ohman

Novoa

Wuertz

Hill

Mitre/Wellemeyer

 

Cedeno

Greenberg

Blanco

Hairston

Sing

[CuseCubFan69]

My wish is that Hendry realizes that Baker is the wrong manager for this team and fires him. Even if the Cubs get Giles, Dotel, Furcal and Burnett/Millwood Baker will still trot out the worst possible lineups, pinch hit his boytoys and misuse the pen. I just want a manager that will give the Cubs the best chance to win.

[Neuby]

I don't think Nomar gets more than 4 million he's been injured the last two seasons and says he'll "whatever" possible to return to the Cubs next year I think that means taking an make good contract.

 

I really hope the Cubs think outside the Box and get Furcal to play short and Nomar at second.

 

Furcal

Lofton/Hairston/Pie

Lee

Giles

Ramirez

Nomar

Murton

Barrett

If Walker is too pricey for a back up you ship him off for prospects. Cedeno can back up three infield postions.

Will a guy like Howry ,Mota, Chad Bradford get more than 3 million a season? Can Dotel command more than the 2 million Williamson and Dempster got coming off injuries.

 

Could you gamble on Dotel and let Williamson go?

 

Say Dotel and Howry cost 6 million total.

Lofton at 2 million

Nomar at 4

Furcal at 9 million

Giles 12 million.

Could the Cubs afford a big name starting pitcher ?

Will there Payroll stay at 100 million or will they stretch it to 105 -110 range with exspansion and ticket price increases.

[Neuby]

I don't think Nomar gets more than 4 million he's been injured the last two seasons and says he'll "whatever" possible to return to the Cubs next year I think that means taking an make good contract.

 

I really hope the Cubs think outside the Box and get Furcal to play short and Nomar at second.

 

Furcal

Lofton/Hairston/Pie

Lee

Giles

Ramirez

Nomar

Murton

Barrett

If Walker is too pricey for a back up you ship him off for prospects. Cedeno can back up three infield postions.

Will a guy like Howry ,Mota, Chad Bradford get more than 3 million a season? Can Dotel command more than the 2 million Williamson and Dempster got coming off injuries.

 

Could you gamble on Dotel and let Williamson go?

 

Say Dotel and Howry cost 6 million total.

Lofton at 2 million

Nomar at 4

Furcal at 9 million

Giles 12 million.

Could the Cubs afford a big name starting pitcher ?

Will there Payroll stay at 100 million or will they stretch it to 105 -110 range with exspansion and ticket price increases.

The name on this list that will the hardest to nab will be Giles.

[Mizzou]

All that I REALLY want to happen:

 

Bring back Walker and Nomar.

Sign Giles.

Dump Neifi and Macias.

Sign Lofton.

And most importantly, FIRE BAKER!

 

Lofton

Murton

Giles

Aram

Lee

Nomar

Walker

Barrett

 

That's a winner!

[XZero771679666304]

I won't say what my wish list is, becvause it would be too far fetched. A more likely but somewhat far fetched scenario I could handle is:

 

Sign Brian Giles

Trade Patterson for the most we can get for him

Sign Furcal

Sign Nomar and play him @ 2B

Sign Howry and pick up Williamson's option

Sign Randy Winn to play CF

Sign Millwood or Weaver

Sign a guy like Conine or Mark Sweeney to back up 1b and the corners

 

Then you have

 

1.Furcal SS

2.Murton LF

3.Lee 1B

4.Ramirez 3B

5.Giles RF

6.Garciaparra 2B

7.Winn CF

8.Barrett C

 

Blanco

Cedeno

Macias (you know he will be back :( )

Conine/Sweeney

Greenberg

 

 

Zambrano

Prior

Wood

Maddux

Williams

Weaver/Millwood

 

 

 

Novoa

Wuertz

Williamson

Ohman

Howry

Dempster

[UBlink]

If Walker is too pricey for a back up you ship him off for prospects.

 

The problem with prospects is that since we can already anticipate having Rule 5 problems with the 40 man roster, adding additional prospects with a value equal to Walker would just create more problems.

[DivineBovine]

Regarding the offense, my wish list-

 

1) Forget Furcal

2) Keep Walker

3) Keep Nomar for SS. If you let him walk, then let Cedeno have the job and invest extra money in the OF.

4) THROW MONEY AT THE OF.

 

I think we must keep TWalk. He's one of the best offensive 2B in the league, and he's cheap. I can't believe the lose TWalk talk. Any marginal improvement a Furcal has to offer is sooo much better spent in the OF.

 

I only see one real outfielder on the team for next year, and his name is Murton. I'm happy to see Murton in the OF, but the rest of it is a disaster. OF is the place where you are supposed to have offense, and where offense can be had for the best value.

 

If we continue to have CPatt/Hollandsworth-like production in the OF, we are screwed again.

[rawaction]

I've come to grips with the fact that the lineup will be:

 

SS- Furcal

CF-

1B-Lee

RF-

3B-Ramirez

C-Barrett

LF-Murton

2B-Cedeno

 

Can only hope Bradley and Giles are the names that fill in the blank.

[iowacub]

My roster...

 

1) furcal ss Free Agent

2) lofton cf Free Agent

3) lee 1b

4) ramirez 3b

5) giles rf Free Agent

6) soriano 2b Trade

7) murton lf

8) barrett c

 

BENCH

c blanco

if perez

mif cedeno

util hairston

of (a left handed bat)

 

ROTATION

1) zambrano

2) prior

3) vazquez Trade

4) wood

5) maddux

 

closer dempster

lr williams

mr wuertz

mr ohman

mr williamson

set eyre Free Agent

set howry Free Agent

[UK1679666180]

Off-season wish list...

 

Michaels-CF

Giles-RF

Daisuke Matsuzaka-SP

Gordon/Howry-BP (set-up)

Sauerbeck-BP (loogy)

 

Bring on the Gyro!

 

(That includes bringing back Nomar and Walker)