Bruce Levine Reporting on Hendry's Priorities

[Cubzfan64]

I can't believe how asinine Hendry sounds in today's papers with his "we're happy with the 3 guys in the middle infield" talk. He blatantly lays it out there that Walker is not in their plans. He's once again undervaluing his own player, not even pretending there is a chance Walker could come back next season, when he is the best of the middle infield bunch. 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.

 

I've never agreed with Hendry's gameplan for building a team, but I always thought he was at least good enough to have some success with his innefficient style of spending for lots of mediocrity. But I still have to see some positive results before I give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

The Cubs are better off now that they didn't sign Furcal. It sounds funny that the Cubs are sort of whining that LA just offered an insanely overpriced contract, when the Cubs themselves were offering Furcal way more than he is worth. LA saved the Cubs from a bad contract. The question now is if Hendry can wisely spend all that money he has, and if he can get any production in a trade of all that talent he has in the minors.

 

Things still might work out for the Cubs, given their financial situation, but Hendry still has a ton of work. But, if this team ends up with Pierre in center, some Burnitz clone in RF, Neifi, Ronny and Jerry splitting time in the middle infield, and Rusch starting 20 games, the 2006 Cubs might be worse than the 2005 version.[/quote]

 

Goony - I don't know about you, but what really scares me is that I wouldn't be surprised at all to see what I bolded above from your post be exactly what it looks like next year.

 

I can only hope that what Hendry says publicly and what he does behind the scenes are two different things.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Getting Lugo is a good thing. Not "SS and leadoff hitter is our number one priority" good, but it keeps Cedeno out of the starting lineup(until Walker is traded away), and pushes Neifi further into oblivion. You know this word oblivion? It means to be completely forgotten by everyone, forever. And it's where Neifi would be right now if it were not for the stupidity of Jim Hendry.

[CubinNY]

Getting Lugo is a good thing. Not "SS and leadoff hitter is our number one priority" good, but it keeps Cedeno out of the starting lineup(until Walker is traded away), and pushes Neifi further into oblivion. You know this word oblivion? It means to be completely forgotten by everyone, forever. And it's where Neifi would be right now if it were not for the stupidity of Jim Hendry.

 

What makes you think that if the Cubs got Lugo Cedeno would start at 2nd?

[XZero771679666304]

Getting Lugo is a good thing. Not "SS and leadoff hitter is our number one priority" good, but it keeps Cedeno out of the starting lineup(until Walker is traded away), and pushes Neifi further into oblivion. You know this word oblivion? It means to be completely forgotten by everyone, forever. And it's where Neifi would be right now if it were not for the stupidity of Jim Hendry.

 

What makes you think that if the Cubs got Lugo Cedeno would start at 2nd?

 

Exactly. But if Perez is a stater at either SS or 2B, I want a proven commodity at the other position.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Getting Lugo is a good thing. Not "SS and leadoff hitter is our number one priority" good, but it keeps Cedeno out of the starting lineup(until Walker is traded away), and pushes Neifi further into oblivion. You know this word oblivion? It means to be completely forgotten by everyone, forever. And it's where Neifi would be right now if it were not for the stupidity of Jim Hendry.

 

What makes you think that if the Cubs got Lugo Cedeno would start at 2nd?

 

He and Neifi would be first in line, but that wasn't really part of the point I was making. Cedeno not starting because better players are in front of him = good. Cedeno not starting because the abomination formerly known as Neifi is in front of him = bad.

[gflore34]

Getting Lugo is a good thing. Not "SS and leadoff hitter is our number one priority" good, but it keeps Cedeno out of the starting lineup(until Walker is traded away), and pushes Neifi further into oblivion. You know this word oblivion? It means to be completely forgotten by everyone, forever. And it's where Neifi would be right now if it were not for the stupidity of Jim Hendry.

 

Unless Hendry addresses both 2b and SS I believe one of them is going to be left with Cedeno and Perez as options. And with Baker as the manager that means...

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

Getting Lugo is a good thing. Not "SS and leadoff hitter is our number one priority" good, but it keeps Cedeno out of the starting lineup(until Walker is traded away), and pushes Neifi further into oblivion. You know this word oblivion? It means to be completely forgotten by everyone, forever. And it's where Neifi would be right now if it were not for the stupidity of Jim Hendry.

 

What makes you think that if the Cubs got Lugo Cedeno would start at 2nd?

 

He and Neifi would be first in line, but that wasn't really part of the point I was making. Cedeno not starting because better players are in front of him = good. Cedeno not starting because the abomination formerly known as Neifi is in front of him = bad.

 

I agree, but getting Lugo just moves Neifi to starting 2B (once walker is gone). Cedeno still doesn't start b/c an inferior player is in front of him. Neifi pwns rooks.

[LoneStarCubFan]

In case anybody is interested, here is a brief agenda courtesy of minorleaguebaseball.com:

 

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/events/wintermeetings.jsp?mc=_agenda_events

[TheDude]

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

 

I don't think it's a matter not liking him. I think it has more to do with Hendry trying to build his team, which is likely pitching and defense.

 

Nomar and Walker are certainly both offensively qualified and improve this team offensively, but Hendry doesn't want to go that direction, otherwise he'd just sign Nomar and let those two man the middle.

[RynoRules]

In case anybody is interested, here is a brief agenda courtesy of minorleaguebaseball.com:

 

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/events/wintermeetings.jsp?mc=_agenda_events

 

I wish that I understood where "trade for players you need" fist in to that schedule. May be Jim should wait for the closing gala and start sending coktails to his colleagues..

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Anyone aware of any statistics on how many trades are made solely because one or both GM's get completely pie-eyed?

[Andy]

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.

I believe there were at least a couple of other non-contending teams that would've offered him a starting job.