Official Damon Thread

[Balsa]

What is he asking for this offseason?

 

Would he really be that bad for our team?

 

Could he play RF?

 

Will our hero see the Bruce signal in time?

[E.J.]

NO to Damon. We don't need him in CF for 3 years with Pie coming up in the next year or so. Can't move him to LF or RF because he won't provide enough production from either spot. Plus, having his arm in RF would be terrible. I will be seriously dissappointed if the Cubs sign Damon. No Thanks!!!

[scs_paradise]

NO to Damon. We don't need him in CF for 3 years with Pie coming up in the next year or so. Can't move him to LF or RF because he won't provide enough production from either spot. Plus, having his arm in RF would be terrible. I will be seriously dissappointed if the Cubs sign Damon. No Thanks!!!

 

I can't stand this sentiment. Pie is a prospect. Damon is a known commodity. Who says Pie will even be able to smell Damon's jock in three years? Why bet on something when you can guarantee it....

[ltb]

Could he play RF?

 

damon needs a cutoff man to get the ball to the cutoff man. no way he could handle right field.

[rawaction]

NO to Damon. We don't need him in CF for 3 years with Pie coming up in the next year or so. Can't move him to LF or RF because he won't provide enough production from either spot. Plus, having his arm in RF would be terrible. I will be seriously dissappointed if the Cubs sign Damon. No Thanks!!!

 

I can't stand this sentiment. Pie is a prospect. Damon is a known commodity. Who says Pie will even be able to smell Damon's jock in three years? Why bet on something when you can guarantee it....

 

Why pay $10M a year for something that you could possibly get for 400K? Pie is right around the corner. Damon may be more of a sure thing, but I'd be willing to bet that he won't be worth anywhere near what he'll get paid.

[Wheelimus]

Hmm

 

Damon -

 

Kenny Lofton .335/.392/.420/.812

Johnny Damon .316/.366/.439/.805

 

Damon will comand 3 years at 8 to 10 million. Lofton will command 1 year at 3 to 5 million...and not block Pie.

 

Give me Lofton. Yes, I know, he will regress. but even .280/.350/.400/.750 is perfectly acceptable in center, especially with adequate backup (Patterson/Hairston/Pie)

[UBlink]

Hmm

 

Damon -

 

Kenny Lofton .335/.392/.420/.812

Johnny Damon .316/.366/.439/.805

 

Damon will comand 3 years at 8 to 10 million. Lofton will command 1 year at 3 to 5 million...and not block Pie.

 

Give me Lofton. Yes, I know, he will regress. but even .280/.350/.400/.750 is perfectly acceptable in center, especially with adequate backup (Patterson/Hairston/Pie)

 

I'll have what he's having.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Hmm

 

Damon -

 

Kenny Lofton .335/.392/.420/.812

Johnny Damon .316/.366/.439/.805

 

Damon will comand 3 years at 8 to 10 million. Lofton will command 1 year at 3 to 5 million...and not block Pie.

 

Give me Lofton. Yes, I know, he will regress. but even .280/.350/.400/.750 is perfectly acceptable in center, especially with adequate backup (Patterson/Hairston/Pie)

 

I think that lower line for Lofton is very generous.

[scs_paradise]

NO to Damon. We don't need him in CF for 3 years with Pie coming up in the next year or so. Can't move him to LF or RF because he won't provide enough production from either spot. Plus, having his arm in RF would be terrible. I will be seriously dissappointed if the Cubs sign Damon. No Thanks!!!

 

I can't stand this sentiment. Pie is a prospect. Damon is a known commodity. Who says Pie will even be able to smell Damon's jock in three years? Why bet on something when you can guarantee it....

 

Why pay $10M a year for something that you could possibly get for 400K? Pie is right around the corner. Damon may be more of a sure thing, but I'd be willing to bet that he won't be worth anywhere near what he'll get paid.

 

 

Why make the playoffs when we can keep filling seats for a .500 club?

 

I agree it would be great if Pie pans out for 400k, but we haven't had very good luck with homegrown position players. If the missing piece is a leadoff guy why wouldn't we spend the money to get it this year instead of hoping for next year. There is a reason they are called prospects and not sure things....Hill, Choi, Patterson didn't do anything for us, thank God we traded two of them for productivity.

 

If Pie is everything he's supposed to be then we can trade Damon or Pie for whatever we need to fill holes at that time.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

Does anyone think Damon's personality belongs in the Wrigley clubhouse? For the most part we have family men and responsible adults, not the rockstar, cheat on your wife hippies.

 

Performance wise, he doesn't belong in cubbie blue anyways, but we know how much value Hendry places on character.

[Wheelimus]

Hmm

 

Damon -

 

Kenny Lofton .335/.392/.420/.812

Johnny Damon .316/.366/.439/.805

 

Damon will comand 3 years at 8 to 10 million. Lofton will command 1 year at 3 to 5 million...and not block Pie.

 

Give me Lofton. Yes, I know, he will regress. but even .280/.350/.400/.750 is perfectly acceptable in center, especially with adequate backup (Patterson/Hairston/Pie)

 

I think that lower line for Lofton is very generous.

 

Riiight, because how many times since 1992 has be posted an OBP of lower than 350?

 

Twice..., .322 in 2001 and .346 in 2004.

 

I do not doubt for a second that Lofton would be every bit as valuable in 2006 as Johnny Damon.

[MPrior]

The reason people don't want Damon is not just because he would block Pie. That's the first thing to understand. Yes, that's part of the equation, but if a CF who was worth it came along at the right price, I bet ya people here would be all over it.

 

The reason people don't want Damon is that the contract he will demand will be WAY more expensive than he's worth, for WAY longer than he will be effective. His OBP is relatively AVG-inflated (although not terribly), so when his bat speed inevitably declines, so will his OBP. Yes, we have a lot of money to spend, but why blow so much of it on a guy who will not contribute as much to the team as someone like Brian Giles (or others of his ilk) will? Especially if it hurts our chances to make those big signings or trades. And even more especially if there is a much cheaper alternative that will come at least close in terms of production (Lofton, others). And only then comes the consideration that he will block Pie.

 

After all that, I see very little reason to sign Damon.

[Warpticon]

NO to Damon. We don't need him in CF for 3 years with Pie coming up in the next year or so. Can't move him to LF or RF because he won't provide enough production from either spot. Plus, having his arm in RF would be terrible. I will be seriously dissappointed if the Cubs sign Damon. No Thanks!!!

 

I can't stand this sentiment. Pie is a prospect. Damon is a known commodity. Who says Pie will even be able to smell Damon's jock in three years? Why bet on something when you can guarantee it....

 

Pie looks to be .5 to 1.5 years away from being an everyday major leaguer. he's one of the top three dozen prospects in the game, according to many sources. Proven commodities are good, but Damon isn't proven to be *that* good, and Pie still could be. Maybe he won't pan out, but how do you ever find out if you always go for the "proven commodity?" And it's not like *those* ever backfire, either, by the way. Right, Free Agents Beltr*?

[Warren Brusstar]

NO to Damon. We don't need him in CF for 3 years with Pie coming up in the next year or so. Can't move him to LF or RF because he won't provide enough production from either spot. Plus, having his arm in RF would be terrible. I will be seriously dissappointed if the Cubs sign Damon. No Thanks!!!

 

I can't stand this sentiment. Pie is a prospect. Damon is a known commodity. Who says Pie will even be able to smell Damon's jock in three years? Why bet on something when you can guarantee it....

 

Why pay $10M a year for something that you could possibly get for 400K? Pie is right around the corner. Damon may be more of a sure thing, but I'd be willing to bet that he won't be worth anywhere near what he'll get paid.

 

 

Why make the playoffs when we can keep filling seats for a .500 club?

 

I agree it would be great if Pie pans out for 400k, but we haven't had very good luck with homegrown position players. If the missing piece is a leadoff guy why wouldn't we spend the money to get it this year instead of hoping for next year. There is a reason they are called prospects and not sure things....Hill, Choi, Patterson didn't do anything for us, thank God we traded two of them for productivity.

 

If Pie is everything he's supposed to be then we can trade Damon or Pie for whatever we need to fill holes at that time.

 

If acquiring Johnny Damon (and as a result not using that $10 million/year to address other holes) would significantly aid the Cubs in getting to the playoffs, you might actually have a point.

 

I'd rather use the $10 million/year on something that, you know, is actually worth $10 million/year

[CubfaninCA]

Considering Pie's not too far away and all the other cf options who are avaiable or may be (Pierre, Lofton, Hunter, Cameron, P. Wilson), I doubt the Cubs have much interest in Damon. It's probably just some Trib pr spin to make it appear that the Cubs are REALLY trying. Can see them having more interest in Brian Giles and Burnett.

[HoopsCubs]

What is he asking for this offseason?

 

Would he really be that bad for our team?

 

Could he play RF?

 

Will our hero see the Bruce signal in time?

 

Unless he's willing to sign a 1-year deal with a team option for the 2nd year, I would pass.

[David]

The funny thing is, I'm not sure we've had an official Giles thread even though he's almost everyone's #1 choice here.

 

Of course, everythread ends up a Giles thread somehow.. :lol:

[NorthsideAvenger]

I would as high as 2 yrs, with a mutual option for a 3rd, at around $8.5, but knowing HIM (and remember he puts butts in the seats, you know :roll: ) and I believe his agent, I doubt that get it down.

Outside of that, I wouldn't even take a phone all from his camp.

[Balsa]

Is his agent Boras?

[scs_paradise]

NO to Damon. We don't need him in CF for 3 years with Pie coming up in the next year or so. Can't move him to LF or RF because he won't provide enough production from either spot. Plus, having his arm in RF would be terrible. I will be seriously dissappointed if the Cubs sign Damon. No Thanks!!!

 

I can't stand this sentiment. Pie is a prospect. Damon is a known commodity. Who says Pie will even be able to smell Damon's jock in three years? Why bet on something when you can guarantee it....

 

Pie looks to be .5 to 1.5 years away from being an everyday major leaguer. he's one of the top three dozen prospects in the game, according to many sources. Proven commodities are good, but Damon isn't proven to be *that* good, and Pie still could be. Maybe he won't pan out, but how do you ever find out if you always go for the "proven commodity?" And it's not like *those* ever backfire, either, by the way. Right, Free Agents Beltr*?

 

My point is that alot of folks talk about Pie like the second coming. I'm just saying he hasn't earned anything yet. But almost every post about center field has, keep it warm for Pie or until Pie is ready, somewhere in the post. We've been down this road before and we've seen the ending...

[Bgbird68]

I believe yesterday Stone said he talked to a "baseball executive" who said that it looks like Damon will not get the huge payday he's expecting. FWIW.

[Wheelimus]

don't get me wrong, if Damon would sign a 1 year contract at 6 or 7 million with a 2nd year option, i'd take it. But 3 years? No freaking way...