Is Furcal the only 'impact ' player we're looking at???

[WrigleyinEngland]

Ok i'm not in panic mode....yet, however if we fail to get furcal are we realistically looking at either Neifi or AGon 2 as SS? This with a combination of Mench or Jaque Jones/ Encarnacion etc would make me puke and not help the team in anyway. In fact you could argue that Hendry will significantly hurt the team with these moves. On a similar topic could it be possible we aquaire Mench/ Soriano and then flip them somewhere else for something really tasty?? How about Pie , soriano and Mench to Cincy for Dunn and Griffey JR?. I know Griffey is a risk but you have to think of money when dealing soriano to another team.

[RockTheIvy]

Ok i'm not in panic mode....yet, however if we fail to get furcal are we realistically looking at either Neifi or AGon 2 as SS? This with a combination of Mench or Jaque Jones/ Encarnacion etc would make me puke and not help the team in anyway. In fact you could argue that Hendry will significantly hurt the team with these moves. On a similar topic could it be possible we aquaire Mench/ Soriano and then flip them somewhere else for something really tasty?? How about Pie , soriano and Mench to Cincy for Dunn and Griffey JR?. I know Griffey is a risk but you have to think of money when dealing soriano to another team.

 

I don't think so. Even if Hendry doesn't agree with many of us about OBP being the chief concern with the offense, he has to at least see that after 2004, the team lost two talented hitters (Sosa and Alou) and finished with a record that was abysmal. While Furcal might be the only free agent signed, I think Hendry knows he has to improve the offense, and I think he knows that to compete in the division he needs to makea bigger splash than Juan Encarnacion. At least I hope so.

[WrigleyinEngland]

I totally agree with what you said but doesn't it worry you that he saw what happened 'just down the road' and now thinks everyone has a chance to win the WS by getting guys who can ' catch the ball!!!!!'. I want to win this division and the WS more than anyone but i want to watch a talented and offensively capable team do it.

[RockTheIvy]

I totally agree with what you said but doesn't it worry you that he saw what happened 'just down the road' and now thinks everyone has a chance to win the WS by getting guys who can ' catch the ball!!!!!'. I want to win this division and the WS more than anyone but i want to watch a talented and offensively capable team do it.

 

Yes it worries me tremendously! Hopefully if he botches this offseason, he'll be gone next year and we will get someone who can spend 40 million bucks properly.

[WrigleyinEngland]

Looks like he's spending some more $$$ on eyre oh for some offence!!!!!

[Wheelimus]

We've got the talent wasting away in the minors and/or underused players to get us what we need in a trade. So long as Hendry gets Furcal, which should make sure Neifi doesn't start, i'm fine with that being the major offensive free agent signing. So long as a trade brings us someone impactful for right field. Kevin Mench doesn't do it for me, unless we upgrade another position (center field or something).

[WrigleyinEngland]

Ok not to get on Hendry too much but in the 2003 season our OF was Sosa, Alou and a productive Cpatt/ Lofton . If he expects me to buy in to Murton C Patt and Mench he is crazier than i thought.

[E.J.]

Ok not to get on Hendry too much but in the 2003 season our OF was Sosa, Alou and a productive Cpatt/ Lofton . If he expects me to buy in to Murton C Patt and Mench he is crazier than i thought.

 

There's absolutely no way Hendry goes into next season with an outfield of Murton, Mench, and Cpatt. This is a huge offseason for Hendry if he wants to keep his job. The pressure is on him big time and the money is there for him to field an excellent team. If he goes into 2006 with an outfield of Murton, Mench, and Cpatt or Pierre, then Hendry has no right being a GM and should be fired immediately.

[goonys evil twin]

I honestly think that Hendry believes last year's team was fine, and that he doesn't need any sort of overhaul to improve the squad, just a tweak here or there. That being said, I don't think he feels the need to go after impact players. My assumption is he believes he has the impact guys in Ramirez and Lee, and that everybody else just needs to show up and catch the ball, and they'll win. Hendry has his beliefs, and I don't think he feels he's been proven wrong yet. He's sticking with Baker, he's sticking with guys like Rusch, Neifi and probably Macias, overpaying for all of them. He's in fine-tuning mode, not change the direction of this failing and falling ballclub mode.

[Lefty]

I honestly think that Hendry believes last year's team was fine, ... he's sticking with guys like Rusch, Neifi and probably Macias, overpaying for all of them.

 

On most issues there are two sides. But how can any rational person defend Macias? If he is resigned, you really have to question Hendry's competence, even if Macias is the 25th man.

[YearofDaCubs]

I honestly think that Hendry believes last year's team was fine, and that he doesn't need any sort of overhaul to improve the squad, just a tweak here or there. That being said, I don't think he feels the need to go after impact players. My assumption is he believes he has the impact guys in Ramirez and Lee, and that everybody else just needs to show up and catch the ball, and they'll win. Hendry has his beliefs, and I don't think he feels he's been proven wrong yet. He's sticking with Baker, he's sticking with guys like Rusch, Neifi and probably Macias, overpaying for all of them. He's in fine-tuning mode, not change the direction of this failing and falling ballclub mode.

I wouldn't be surprised one bit if that's how Hendry thinks.

[abuck1220]

furcal's an impact player?

[rawaction]

furcal's an impact player?

 

Of course, he's won a division title in every season of his career.

[abuck1220]

furcal's an impact player?

 

Of course, he's won a division title in every season of his career.

 

and you can be damn sure that he catches the crap out of that ball.

[rawaction]

furcal's an impact player?

 

Of course, he's won a division title in every season of his career.

 

and you can be damn sure that he catches the crap out of that ball.

 

Winning and catching are contagious. Furcal is a winner and a catcher. That reeks of impactness.

[imb]

i prefer "impactocity"

[wastra]

Impacrity.

 

 

 

 

Seriously, if Furcal is our biggest offensive upgrade, we're in for a longer 2006 than 2005.

 

 

Furcal is a decent player, but he's not an offensive difference maker in the least. He doesn't have a paritcularly high OBP (for leadoff), OPS (for any spot in the order), or even average. The only thing he does real well offensively is steal bases.

 

 

It was painfully obvious at the end of last season that Furcal was this year's "Hendry Hard-on"- that guy Jim seemed to really have a craving for and we'd go balls-out to acquire over the winter all else be damned.