Marlins Firesale?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

According to this, the only way to get Beckett is to take Lowell.

 

The Marlins have offered Beckett to a number of teams but only under the condition that Lowell be included in the deal. Lowell is owed $18 million over the next two seasons, and the Marlins want to cut payroll since they are losing significant amounts of money and have not been able to get a new ballpark built.

 

The Rangers and the Boston Red Sox have emerged as the most serious teams involved.

 

 

Could the Cubs trade a group of prospects and Walker for Castillo, Beckett and Lowell. Then, we could flip Lowell and say 4 million to the Dodgers for Bradley.

[Tim]

Beckett isn't going to be had for some minor league talent. We'd have to give up Ramirez, Lee, Prior, or Z to get him.

 

Blalock and top pitching prospect for Burnett and Lowell (who has negative trade value).

 

We're not going to get him with some combo of minor league pitching, Corey Patterson, and Todd Walker. I can't imagine Hendry trading away one of our studs for Beckett, who has injury concerns.

Boston was offering two minor leaguers for him.

[Bluescale]

I'd offer Pie & Hill for Beckett.

 

I'd rather save Pie and Hill for a Dunn, Abreu, Burrell type player. That sort of player will have more impact on the Cubs than a starting pitcher, I would think.

 

Not that I wouldn't be delighted to get Beckett for those guys, even if it meant taking on part of Lowell's contract. At all of Lowell's contract, I'd hesitate sending our two best prospects.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'd offer Pie & Hill for Beckett.

 

Why? Sure Beckett's only 25, but he's never thrown 180 innings, and he's only had an ERA+ over 120 once in his career, and it was two years ago. Add in the fact that we don't have a hole in the rotation, and several of our better prospects are approaching the majors(including Hill), I don't see why we'd want to pay such an extravagant price for Beckett.

[Tim]

I'd offer Pie & Hill for Beckett.

 

Why? Sure Beckett's only 25, but he's never thrown 180 innings, and he's only had an ERA+ over 120 once in his career, and it was two years ago. Add in the fact that we don't have a hole in the rotation, and several of our better prospects are approaching the majors(including Hill), I don't see why we'd want to pay such an extravagant price for Beckett.

From a pure stuff perspective, Beckett is one of the top pitchers in the game. He's been limited not by arm injuries, but by blisters. I believe he'll outgrow that and will be better off in the long run for not having run up the innings at a young age. To borrow a phrase from Will Carroll, he's through the injury nexus at this point and should be more reliable from here on out. Everyone has had him pegged for a huge breakout for a while now. I think his time has come.

 

As for the fact that the rotation is already full...I'd still advocate signing Burnett, too (though it is obviously one or the other). I love Z, Prior, Wood in our rotation. I believe it is fairly weak after those guys, though. It hurts me to say that about Maddux, but he's nothing more than a bottom of the rotation innings eater at this point. I think Williams is going to get traded. I don't have that much faith in Glendon, either.

 

BTW - does anyone know if Rusch actually filed for free agency? If he never filed, the Cubs can trade him at any time. If he filed, they have to wait until June 15th.

[kroth1342]

 

Beinfest is a very good GM & Loria is a very good owner. The problem is the support the Marlins is awful. Loria has lost money every year b/c they were spending like a mid-level payroll team & had the income of a low-level payroll team. I don't blame Loria for doing what he is doing. Also, the future of the Marlins in S.FL looks more dim every day. If they don't get a stadium deal very soon, I expect them to pack their bags in the next year or so.

 

I don't know if I'd consider Loria a "good" owner, considering how him and David Samson treated the Expos with such malice. Read the Baseball America expose on them both and then tell me he's a good owner.

[cubweiser03]

BTW - does anyone know if Rusch actually filed for free agency? If he never filed, the Cubs can trade him at any time. If he filed, they have to wait until June 15th.

 

I dont think he did because the Cubs had the option to pick up this year. Until they declined his option, which i dont remember hearing about, he couldnt file for FA.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

BTW - does anyone know if Rusch actually filed for free agency? If he never filed, the Cubs can trade him at any time. If he filed, they have to wait until June 15th.

 

I dont think he did because the Cubs had the option to pick up this year. Until they declined his option, which i dont remember hearing about, he couldnt file for FA.

 

He can still file before the option was decided on. The option was a Player option anyways. I remember Burnitz filed, and I think Rusch filed too.

[Wheelimus]

Actually, Glendon had the option, but he never declined it and never filed for free agency. He's ours to do with as we please.

 

On that front (but off topic) did Neifi actually file for free agency? If not he's another tradeable player (not that anyone will want him).

[Drew Doughty]

Neifi filed.

 

And plenty of people would want him. He is a great bench guy. He's not a guy I want starting everyday. Getting any kind of value in return would be tough though.

[USSoccer]

Neifi filed.

 

And plenty of people would want him. He is a great bench guy. He's not a guy I want starting everyday. Getting any kind of value in return would be tough though.

 

Not trying to hijack the thread, but at his new contract there are far fewer team that would want him. He's ours for a couple of years now.

[Drew Doughty]

Yeah, I forgot about his contract. Plenty of people like his type of play though.

[USSoccer]

Yeah, I forgot about his contract. Plenty of people like his type of play though.

 

Does he have a big family? :P

 

Seriously, though, chasing after Beckett has merit. I'd see what a Beckett/Castillo package would cost. Certainly it would likely start at Pie and Pinto. Maybe Williams as well.

 

Would Walker/Williams/Pie and Pinto get it done?

[Drew Doughty]

Yeah, I forgot about his contract. Plenty of people like his type of play though.

 

Does he have a big family? :P

 

lol

 

He's a great guy to have on the bench. Not for 5 million dollars over two years, but he is a good bench guy.

[frostwyrm]

Kerry and Maddux are gone after 2006, so picking up Beckett now would just mean we're moving up the replacement timetable one year, which IMO is advisable given the shaky health of Kerry and Prior, and also the fact that a talent like Beckett doesn't come on the market every day.

[USSoccer]

Kerry and Maddux are gone after 2006, so picking up Beckett now would just mean we're moving up the replacement timetable one year, which IMO is advisable given the shaky health of Kerry and Prior, and also the fact that a talent like Beckett doesn't come on the market every day.

 

So, again, what does it take to get him?

[imb]

Beckett on the Cubs would be like a wet dream come true.

[frostwyrm]

Kerry and Maddux are gone after 2006, so picking up Beckett now would just mean we're moving up the replacement timetable one year, which IMO is advisable given the shaky health of Kerry and Prior, and also the fact that a talent like Beckett doesn't come on the market every day.

 

So, again, what does it take to get him?

 

Depends on what the other bidders are offering, but I would offer Hill and Cedeno to start. Furcal+Neifi means Cedeno will not get a fair chance with the Cubs until 2008 at the earliest. I'd rather sell him while his value is high. I would also trade Hill+Pie for Beckett, but I'd much prefer moving Cedeno before Pie.

[Roast]

I dont know what Dontrelle's contract looks like. I'm assuming its still quite minute. If not, would he be available? I really doubt he is. Just wondering.

 

Also, do they have any solid releivers? I dont really remember. Too bad they had to trade Mota...

[USSoccer]

Kerry and Maddux are gone after 2006, so picking up Beckett now would just mean we're moving up the replacement timetable one year, which IMO is advisable given the shaky health of Kerry and Prior, and also the fact that a talent like Beckett doesn't come on the market every day.

 

So, again, what does it take to get him?

 

Depends on what the other bidders are offering, but I would offer Hill and Cedeno to start. Furcal+Neifi means Cedeno will not get a fair chance with the Cubs until 2008 at the earliest. I'd rather sell him while his value is high. I would also trade Hill+Pie for Beckett, but I'd much prefer moving Cedeno before Pie.

 

I think it would take Williams and Pie to start. IF they offered Castillo, I would also give them Walker and one other P.

[Keener98]

I dont know what Dontrelle's contract looks like. I'm assuming its still quite minute. If not, would he be available? I really doubt he is. Just wondering.

 

Also, do they have any solid releivers? I dont really remember. Too bad they had to trade Mota...

 

These sources have said that Willis and Cabrera are the only 2 untouchables on that team, everybody else is fair game.

[Warpticon]

I wouldn't have a problem with Furcal-Pierre-Castillo all on the team. It would be a departure from what we have, but if we add the right player in RF, we could have enough power.

 

I'd probably use this as my line-up:

 

SS Furcal

2b Castillo

1b Lee

3b Ramirez

RF ?

LF Murton

CF Pierre

C Barrett

P

 

I think power is overrated. That lineup would score runs. Runs win baseball games.

 

I agree with that. I always look back to the "go-go" Cards of the mid-80s. The only guy who hit more than 15 Dongs on that team was the universally beloved Jack Clark. They had Oz, Coleman, McGee, Herr, etc. High-OBP team. Here is the 85' team:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/STL/1985.shtml[/url]

 

But you have to take context into consideration. Even though they weren't hitting a lot of homers, they were still middle-of-the-pack in power in the league. Next to last in homers, but the difference was made up elsewhere. And I don't know if a Cubs team in 2006 sacrificing that much power in a much more powerful era could have the same success.

[CardsFanInChiTown]

Kerry and Maddux are gone after 2006, so picking up Beckett now would just mean we're moving up the replacement timetable one year, which IMO is advisable given the shaky health of Kerry and Prior, and also the fact that a talent like Beckett doesn't come on the market every day.

 

So, again, what does it take to get him?

 

Depends on what the other bidders are offering, but I would offer Hill and Cedeno to start. Furcal+Neifi means Cedeno will not get a fair chance with the Cubs until 2008 at the earliest. I'd rather sell him while his value is high. I would also trade Hill+Pie for Beckett, but I'd much prefer moving Cedeno before Pie.

 

I think it would take Williams and Pie to start. IF they offered Castillo, I would also give them Walker and one other P.

 

Any deal for Beckett is going to have Lowell attached to it.

[USSoccer]

Kerry and Maddux are gone after 2006, so picking up Beckett now would just mean we're moving up the replacement timetable one year, which IMO is advisable given the shaky health of Kerry and Prior, and also the fact that a talent like Beckett doesn't come on the market every day.

 

So, again, what does it take to get him?

 

Depends on what the other bidders are offering, but I would offer Hill and Cedeno to start. Furcal+Neifi means Cedeno will not get a fair chance with the Cubs until 2008 at the earliest. I'd rather sell him while his value is high. I would also trade Hill+Pie for Beckett, but I'd much prefer moving Cedeno before Pie.

 

I think it would take Williams and Pie to start. IF they offered Castillo, I would also give them Walker and one other P.

 

Any deal for Beckett is going to have Lowell attached to it.

 

Okay, so you deal for Beckett and Lowell, and give up Williams, Moore and Hill. Then you can spin Lowell and Nolasco to TEX for Mench?

 

If taking Lowell is the only way to get Beckett, then it would give me a little pause. It will be hard to move Lowell. But why couldn't Florida attach Lowell to Pierre or Castillo?

[CardsFanInChiTown]

But why couldn't Florida attach Lowell to Pierre or Castillo?

 

Because Beckett has a lot more trade value and Lowell's contract is horrible.