Bruce Levine Reporting on Hendry's Priorities

[Andy]

The question about targeting a shortstop is a fair one. I think they're fine there, and maybe the Furcal thing will be a blessing in disguise. I think Hendry made a very fair offer. I'd be happy with Cedeno starting. Got to head across the street to the winter meetings hotel. Maybe I'll even check out the doughnuts.

Ok, but be careful. I hear that Kenny Williams will be trying to unload some of his overpriced doughnuts for some young, more promising ones. Don't fall for it.

[Balsa]

The question about targeting a shortstop is a fair one. I think they're fine there, and maybe the Furcal thing will be a blessing in disguise. I think Hendry made a very fair offer. I'd be happy with Cedeno starting. Got to head across the street to the winter meetings hotel. Maybe I'll even check out the doughnuts.

 

:lol: :lol:

 

Good luck Mr. Miles.

[Mark Priors Calves]

We all talk about the trading and signings that happen this week but what is the purpose of these meetings? What is being discussed in the actuall meetings themselves. I can't imagine everybody heads to Dallas with the sole purpose of making trades.

[YearofDaCubs]

The question about targeting a shortstop is a fair one. I think they're fine there, and maybe the Furcal thing will be a blessing in disguise. I think Hendry made a very fair offer. I'd be happy with Cedeno starting. Got to head across the street to the winter meetings hotel. Maybe I'll even check out the doughnuts.

 

It's a fair one, if they end up getting somebody of the caliber of Lugo, and then push Neifi to strictly a bench role. Whatever direction they go, if they end up with Neifi starting 100 games this year, they screwed up.

I fume every time I think of Neifi being a starter on this team. I personally think having Neifi as a starter in 2006 is a very bad thing. What's the point? We have Cedeno and as of now Walker. Walker is making the same amount of money as Neifi!! We should have never signed Neifi if you ask me.

[JeffH]

I could be wrong, but I don't believe these are actual "meetings" that are gavelled into session. It's just a gathering of agents and executives in one place to facilitate discussions leading to transactions.

[BigbadB]

The question about targeting a shortstop is a fair one. I think they're fine there, and maybe the Furcal thing will be a blessing in disguise. I think Hendry made a very fair offer. I'd be happy with Cedeno starting. Got to head across the street to the winter meetings hotel. Maybe I'll even check out the doughnuts.

 

:lol: :lol:

 

Good luck Mr. Miles.

 

Good luck getting a doughnut? With Cashman around, it shouldn't be too hard. He probably ridiculously overpaid for the doughnuts just to have them all to himself, and will now pay you to take the doughnut and give you free coffee to go with it. :wink:

[bc2k]

8:40 AM CST Sportscenter update:

 

Bruce said Hendry has 4 goals for the offseason now that the bullpen has been addressed:

SS

CF

RF

Starting Pitcher

 

Why and why?

[XZero771679666304]

8:40 AM CST Sportscenter update:

 

Bruce said Hendry has 4 goals for the offseason now that the bullpen has been addressed:

SS

CF

RF

Starting Pitcher

 

Why and why?

 

Dusty and Kerry.

[RynoRules]

8:40 AM CST Sportscenter update:

 

Bruce said Hendry has 4 goals for the offseason now that the bullpen has been addressed:

SS

CF

RF

Starting Pitcher

 

Why and why?

 

Dusty and Kerry.

 

OK, if this is just the way it is, here is my shopping list:

 

Lugo

Pierre

Abreu

Burnett or Milwood

 

How's this for a lineup?:

 

Pierre

Lugo

Abreu

Lee

Ramirez

Murton

Barrett

Cedeno (2B - Just say no to Neifi!)

 

Prior

Z

Woody

Burnett / Milwood

Maddux

 

=P~

[jjgman21]

I fume every time I think of Neifi being a starter on this team. I personally think having Neifi as a starter in 2006 is a very bad thing. What's the point? We have Cedeno and as of now Walker. Walker is making the same amount of money as Neifi!! We should have never signed Neifi if you ask me.

 

I fume every time I hear about Walker possibly/probably being traded. we have one fee agent, ONE, over the 30 years I have followed baseball that took less money because he wanted to be a Cub. and he's a fine player, and exactly what the team needs.

 

so we send him packing.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

8:40 AM CST Sportscenter update:

 

Bruce said Hendry has 4 goals for the offseason now that the bullpen has been addressed:

SS

CF

RF

Starting Pitcher

 

Why and why?

 

Dusty and Kerry.

 

OK, if this is just the way it is, here is my shopping list:

 

Lugo

Pierre

Abreu

Burnett or Milwood

 

How's this for a lineup?:

 

Pierre

Lugo

Abreu

Lee

Ramirez

Murton

Barrett

Cedeno (2B - Just say no to Neifi!)

 

Prior

Z

Woody

Burnett / Milwood

Maddux

 

=P~

 

The only thing that makes that lineup decent is Abreu. Pierre is a joke. If hendry overvalues speed to the extent that he thinks it makes up for his no-out-of-the-infield-hitting, noodle armed, poor range garbage, then he's on drugs.

[WrigleyinEngland]

I know that lugois attractive as a leadoff hitter check out his fielding stats. Compare them to Agon in 03. 24 errors for Lugo in '05 compared to 10 for agon in '03. fielding pct 962 compared to Agons 984 in '03. What i'm trying to say is that hendry is sticking round pegs in square holes. He is getting a SS for no other reason than he can leadoff cos he certainly can't catch the ball very well.

[WrigleyinEngland]

'The only thing that makes that lineup decent is Abreu. Pierre is a joke. If hendry overvalues speed to the extent that he thinks it makes up for his no-out-of-the-infield-hitting, noodle armed, poor range garbage, then he's on drugs'

 

Dont hold back meat, tell us what you really think!!!!

[Lefty]

I I guess there is a chance that every single reporter that quoted him on this subject was wrong in stating that the 3 he was talking about was Neifi, Ronny and Jerry, but I highly doubt it.

 

 

It never occurred to me that Walker wasn't one of the three.

[Bruce Miles]

I could be wrong, but I don't believe these are actual "meetings" that are gavelled into session. It's just a gathering of agents and executives in one place to facilitate discussions leading to transactions.

 

Actually, there are a lot of things that go on here. There are business-related meetings, and the minor leagues have a huge presence here. There's an exhibit hall with some cool stuff. My guess is that years ago, baseball people created these things as a way of drumming up publicity for the game in winter. Free agency has taken away from the meetings in recent years, and few trades have actually taken place. That may change this year.

[Lefty]

If we get two mid-priced outfielders from the Pierre/Wilkerson/Bradley/Nixon class, we'll still have $10-ish to spend.

 

If we don't get a pricey starting pitcher like Burnett or Zito, where are you going to spend it?

 

Soriano would be as good as anything, assuming they're dead set on trading Walker and the Rangers are in give-him-away mode.

 

I know it's hard for us mere mortals to conceive, but Soriano would make us worse. No defense, and he would lower the team OBP. Why would I pay anything for that?

 

Either save the money for next year or don't settle for mid-priced outfielders.

[JeffH]

Either save the money for next year

 

Can we please stay within the realm of reality?

[frostwyrm]

Other than Lugo, is there any SS available who could plausibly be portrayed as a significant upgrade over the in-house options?

[brfahey]

I fume every time I think of Neifi being a starter on this team. I personally think having Neifi as a starter in 2006 is a very bad thing. What's the point? We have Cedeno and as of now Walker. Walker is making the same amount of money as Neifi!! We should have never signed Neifi if you ask me.

 

I fume every time I hear about Walker possibly/probably being traded. we have one fee agent, ONE, over the 30 years I have followed baseball that took less money because he wanted to be a Cub. and he's a fine player, and exactly what the team needs.

 

so we send him packing.

 

Andre Dawson. And it wasn't like Walker walked away from large opportunities. As far as I recall, only Cleveland and the Cubs expressed interest in him after 2003.

[RynoRules]

8:40 AM CST Sportscenter update:

 

Bruce said Hendry has 4 goals for the offseason now that the bullpen has been addressed:

SS

CF

RF

Starting Pitcher

 

Why and why?

 

Dusty and Kerry.

 

OK, if this is just the way it is, here is my shopping list:

 

Lugo

Pierre

Abreu

Burnett or Milwood

 

How's this for a lineup?:

 

Pierre

Lugo

Abreu

Lee

Ramirez

Murton

Barrett

Cedeno (2B - Just say no to Neifi!)

 

Prior

Z

Woody

Burnett / Milwood

Maddux

 

=P~

 

The only thing that makes that lineup decent is Abreu. Pierre is a joke. If hendry overvalues speed to the extent that he thinks it makes up for his no-out-of-the-infield-hitting, noodle armed, poor range garbage, then he's on drugs.

 

You are ignoring Lugo, and I am trying to base that prospective lineup in some reality (i.e., Hendry's interest in both Lugo and Pierre). In order to follow through, sub in Dunn for Abreu. Keep the rest the same. I think that's a realistic possibility.

[Lefty]

Either save the money for next year

 

Can we please stay within the realm of reality?

 

Are you being facetious?

[CubinNY]

I fume every time I think of Neifi being a starter on this team. I personally think having Neifi as a starter in 2006 is a very bad thing. What's the point? We have Cedeno and as of now Walker. Walker is making the same amount of money as Neifi!! We should have never signed Neifi if you ask me.

 

I fume every time I hear about Walker possibly/probably being traded. we have one fee agent, ONE, over the 30 years I have followed baseball that took less money because he wanted to be a Cub. and he's a fine player, and exactly what the team needs.

 

so we send him packing.

 

Andre Dawson gave the Cubs a blank contract and told them to fill it in.

 

But I agree. For some reason they don't seem to like him. Maybe he speaks him mind to them. You can't have insubordination on a World Series callibur team.

[JeffH]

Either save the money for next year

 

Can we please stay within the realm of reality?

 

Are you being facetious?

 

No. The Cubs don't do that. Never have, never will. If it's not spent this year, it's gone.

[GaborBako]

I have no idea either , play cedeno bat him 8th upgrade OF. Without furcal is anyone more open to soriano?. His bat would look pretty good about now considering our OF situation.

 

Soriano will probably get 10 million this year in arbitration. I want no part of that, as he fills none of our needs.

 

Soriano road splits 2005: .224 .265 .374 .639

Soriano raod splits 2004: .244 .291 .444 .735

 

 

Scar-ee.

 

Don't put too much stock into his home/road splits. He put up the same numbers (better actually) in Yankee Stadium, and A-Rod's home/road splits with Texas were out of whack (though he was A-Rod so they were good, but he hit much better at home). That's not to say that Soriano's the answer to any of the Cubs' questions. But the home road stuff isn't that important in this case.

[Lefty]

Either save the money for next year

 

Can we please stay within the realm of reality?

 

Are you being facetious?

 

No. The Cubs don't do that. Never have, never will. If it's not spent this year, it's gone.

 

I don't believe a unit of a major corporation can't look one year ahead to see how money could be most efficiently employed in the long-term. It's the Cubs I guess.