Bruce Levine Update at 10:00

[CubsWin22]

Cubs will look to sign a big bat off the bench, someone like Mark Sweeney.

Cubs will make final push for Furcal before the winter meetings, look for a deal in the area of 4/38.

JH has serious interest in Juan Pierre

Also has some serious interest in Milton Bradley

The cubs will look to sign another starting pitcher, someone like Kevin Brown.

[UMFan83]

Who is going to play OF other then Pierre?

 

4/38? You are dreaming JH

[Transmogrified Tiger]

YES, Bradley please. This isn't the first report that have linked the Cubs to Bradely. Good to see that Hendry doesn't appear to have reservations about getting Milton.

[rawaction]

Kevin Brown? Yeah, that's a good idea.

[Jehrico]

I don't think it's really a matter of Hendry being interested in Bradley, but rather an indication of his resolve to replace Patterson, that him acquiring Bradley is a more likely possibility for next season than Patterson being our starting CFer next year. I think Bradley is like option R, while Patterson would be option S.

[treebird]

kevin brown's going play for the minimum, right?

 

oh.

[CubsWin22]

Let's not forget Brown's line from a few years ago:

2003 LA 32 32 14 9 0 211.0 184 67 56 56 185 0 0 2.39 1.14

Didn't he win Cy Young that year, or not?

 

Yes, I know his last 2 yrs have been crappy, but if we could get him real cheap, may not be a bad option.

 

Edited for language.

[HoopsCubs]

Who is going to play OF other then Pierre?

 

Pierre-CF

Furcal-SS

Lee-1B

Ramirez-3B

Bradley-RF

Barrett-C

Murton-LF

Cedeno-SS

Edited November 25, 2005 by HoopsCubs

[Jehrico]

kevin brown's going play for the minimum, right?

 

oh.

 

I wouldn't mind someone LIKE Kevin Brown (in his prime, without the injuries, or the 9 figure contract), but not Kevin Brown himself. Thanks, but no thanks. He'll be 41 by the time the season starts.

[HoopsCubs]

kevin brown's going play for the minimum, right?

 

oh.

 

I wouldn't mind someone LIKE Kevin Brown (in his prime, without the injuries, or the 9 figure contract), but not Kevin Brown himself. Thanks, but no thanks. He'll be 41 by the time the season starts.

 

I could see Hendry signing Esteban Loaiza if it's late Jan./early Feb., and he hasn't been signed yet.

[LuckyPup]

kevin brown's going play for the minimum, right?

 

oh.

 

I wouldn't mind someone LIKE Kevin Brown (in his prime, without the injuries, or the 9 figure contract), but not Kevin Brown himself. Thanks, but no thanks. He'll be 41 by the time the season starts.

 

I could see Hendry signing Esteban Loaiza if it's late Jan./early Feb., and he hasn't been signed yet.

that would be such a "Cub" move- I'm sorry Hoops but so far Hendry is not getting it done for me- I like the Howry & Eyre deals but the Rusch and Perez deals coupled with no mention of interest in the BEST OF available in Giles and the lagging on the Furcal deal are making me lose faith-please tell me I shouldn't be a doubter and Hendry is just bidding his time.......please.........waiting......please........

[brinoch]

Let's not forget Brown's line from a few years ago:

2003 LA 32 32 14 9 0 211.0 184 67 56 56 185 0 0 2.39 1.14

Didn't he win Cy Young that year, or not?

 

Yes, I know his last 2 yrs have been crappy, but if we could get him real cheap, may not be a bad option.

 

Let's tone down the language, please. This is a family site, and swearing is generally not accepted. Thanks!

[radarluv1]

Let's not forget Brown's line from a few years ago:

2003 LA 32 32 14 9 0 211.0 184 67 56 56 185 0 0 2.39 1.14

Didn't he win Cy Young that year, or not?

 

Yes, I know his last 2 yrs have been crappy, but if we could get him real cheap, may not be a bad option.

 

Let's tone down the language, please. This is a family site, and swearing is generally not accepted. Thanks!

 

is that a swear word? or already edited

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Let's not forget Brown's line from a few years ago:

2003 LA 32 32 14 9 0 211.0 184 67 56 56 185 0 0 2.39 1.14

Didn't he win Cy Young that year, or not?

 

Yes, I know his last 2 yrs have been crappy, but if we could get him real cheap, may not be a bad option.

 

Let's tone down the language, please. This is a family site, and swearing is generally not accepted. Thanks!

 

is that a swear word? or already edited

 

already edited.

[brinoch]

Let's not forget Brown's line from a few years ago:

2003 LA 32 32 14 9 0 211.0 184 67 56 56 185 0 0 2.39 1.14

Didn't he win Cy Young that year, or not?

 

Yes, I know his last 2 yrs have been crappy, but if we could get him real cheap, may not be a bad option.

 

Let's tone down the language, please. This is a family site, and swearing is generally not accepted. Thanks!

 

is that a swear word? or already edited

 

I edited out the swear word.

[bhogg]

"crappy" is not allowed?

[brinoch]

"crappy" is not allowed?

 

Read the thread. Crappy is fine. Swear words are not. I edited out his choice of language.

[craig]

Cubs will look to sign a big bat off the bench, someone like Mark Sweeney.

Cubs will make final push for Furcal before the winter meetings, look for a deal in the area of 4/38.

JH has serious interest in Juan Pierre

Also has some serious interest in Milton Bradley

The cubs will look to sign another starting pitcher, someone like Kevin Brown.

 

Heh.

-Mark Sweeney is 36, and never hit more than 3 HR's in any season before 2004. Sweeney and Mabry aren't exactly what I'd refer to as "big bats". But interesting if that is the class of reserve outfielder that Hendry is looking at, and that Murton will need to beat out for playing time.

-Furcal numbers are always how you look at them. I'd think the area of 4/38 is not that unrealistic. From the club side, guaranteed. I'd think the $50/5 that agent talks could be also accurate... if the guy hits incentives and a 5th year option kicks in.

-Bradley, interesting. As noted, probably at best a backup contingency plan in case Pierre doesn't happen. As noted, probably a reminder that even as unlikely as Milton might be, that Corey or Hairston starting in Center is even less in Hendry's plan. The prospect of adding both Pierre and Bradley, with Bradley playing right, would fit the emphasis on defense and catching the ball (Bradley is a good outfielder). But that seems too unlikely to merit real consideration. Bradley for RF would certainly fit the budget and not cost too much in talent, though.

-Kevin Brown, that's an instinctive "gimme a break" suggestion. And like Bradley, he'd be another name that seems radically contrary to Hendry's group of "quality, quality guy"s.

 

That said, Brown might actually be kind of interesting. He's a groundball guy,which Hendry always likes. He's been on champions, so it's not like pressure crumbles him. He had a lousy 2005, but was above average in each of the previous two years. Even last year he remains strongly anti-HR and anti-walk. Saber guys might like him: To have given up 102 hits on balls-in-play last year in only 73 innings with 50 K's, that's pretty hard to do. I don't know where you get the exact numbers, but that looks to me like he allowed a BABIP of over .370 last season! While Howry's is impossible-to-sustain good, Brown's is impossible-to-sustain bad. If he came backk with the same K/BB/HR rate, but got the BABIP back to normal, you might possibly be right back to having a servicable pitcher.

 

Not that I want him, by any means. I'd forget about getting rotation pitchers, unless they are obviously good or else are non-roster non-guaranteed guys.

[Jehrico]

..double post Edited November 25, 2005 by Jehrico

[Jehrico]

kevin brown's going play for the minimum, right?

 

oh.

 

I wouldn't mind someone LIKE Kevin Brown (in his prime, without the injuries, or the 9 figure contract), but not Kevin Brown himself. Thanks, but no thanks. He'll be 41 by the time the season starts.

 

I could see Hendry signing Esteban Loaiza if it's late Jan./early Feb., and he hasn't been signed yet.

that would be such a "Cub" move- I'm sorry Hoops but so far Hendry is not getting it done for me- I like the Howry & Eyre deals but the Rusch and Perez deals coupled with no mention of interest in the BEST OF available in Giles and the lagging on the Furcal deal are making me lose faith-please tell me I shouldn't be a doubter and Hendry is just bidding his time.......please.........waiting......please........

 

And the lagging of the Furcal deal? How often to the best FAs of the class sign during November? Very, very, rarely do they. They usually wait until closer to the winter meetings or later as they've had better opportunities to allow the market to develop and guage their value.

[Jehrico]

Heh.

-Mark Sweeney is 36, and never hit more than 3 HR's in any season before 2004.

 

Career .356 OBP (.377 and .395 the last two years) off of the bench sounds like a stellar PH to me. I'd love to have him coming off of the bench for us.

[Flames24Rulz]

Heh.

-Mark Sweeney is 36, and never hit more than 3 HR's in any season before 2004.

 

Career .356 OBP (.377 and .395 the last two years) off of the bench sounds like a stellar PH to me. I'd love to have him coming off of the bench for us.

 

seconded. Good to see Hendry actually trying to work on our bench, ours had to have been one of the weakest in the majors last year. Hopefully dumping Macias is in the cards as well.

 

I liked everything in that report except the Brown thing. Cmon Jim you can't be serious especially since we already have one guy in the rotation pushing 40 as it is.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

1. Like the pursuit of Sweeney, if true, for the bench. Combined with Mabry, Neifi, Hairston and Blanco, that would be an acceptable bench for once.

 

2. 4/38 is the sweet spot for Furcal, those are the numbers I predicted months ago. Cabrera got 4/36 and Furcal is better than him; Renteria got 4/40 and Furcal is probably as good. Call it 4/38, give him a 5th year option with lucrative buyout, and call it a deal.

 

3. Like the sound of Pierre or Bradley for CF very much.

 

4. Kevin Brown idea is intriguing. He'd be cheap insurance, and if at all healthy, is certainly a better pitcher than either Rusch or Williams. Better: Brown would definitely make Williams expendable, and Jerome has trade value. Why, one could even revive my Jerome + Novoa + Pie for Abreu + cash idea....

 

5. These things go down, and only RF is left unsolved. And Hendry would be a hero in my book.

 

Patience, grasshopper???.....

[craig]

Probably Sweeney and Mabry are for the same role. The two would be mutually exclusive.

 

Miles phrasing yesterday notwithstanding, I assume that Furcal and Abreu (or Giles) are probably mutually exclusive as well. One big contract, not two....

 

Brown was healthy enough to pitch 73 innings with an ERA of 6.50 last season. I wouldn't count on him being better than williams or Rusch. If really healthy he might be. But lots of veterans pitch without being fully healthy. The situation where a guy doesn't admit enough bad health to be disabled, but at the same time is too messed up to actually pitch well, happens all the time. And certainly with all his grizzle, Dusty couldn't ever consider replacing Brown with Hill or Guzman or Nolasco unless his arm was almost falling off.

[SouthSideRyan]

 

5. These things go down, and only RF is left unsolved. And Hendry would be a hero in my book.

 

Patience, grasshopper???.....

 

Well he'd be a hero if he actually wound up resolving RF after that. I'm less than optimistic.