HoopsCubs

Good guesses. All of those teams need some help at 2B. I wouldn't rule out Boston, Toronto or the Mets.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2099894 Somebody will probably trade for him in the next 10 days.

Hill was added to the 40-man when they released Crouthers.

Based on Enrique Wilson and Cliff Bartosh being outrighted to the minors and Joe Borowski being designated for assignment, the 40-man roster count is presently at 37 (according to my computation). 3 open spots give Hendry some flexibility here, both in the trade department as well as the rule 5 department. Any thoughts on how Hendry might fill these 3 spots? Still would like to see Hendry bring up Mike Fontenot and release Jose Macias to free up a 4th spot. Any new word on how Nomar's and Scott Williamson's re-habs are going? Hoops

Where do the Twins need to upgrade? 2B, 3B and SS look like opportunities to upgrade. 5th starter? Lefty in the bullpen to replace Mulholland? Hairston and Remlinger?

I've got two words to add to this post -- "Christian Guzman" I'm not mistaken, right? The Jimmy Rollins mentioned in this thread is the same Jimmy Rollins that has a sub .700 OPS? And the Christian Guzman you refer to is the same guy that has a sub .500 OPS? Ouch.

Took the words right out of my mouth Raw! Fantastic - now there is little chance we'll end up with him, which was a great fear of mine. Now, can we get Atlanta to give Furcal a multi-year extension deal?

Interesting note on Johnson: he has pitched into the seventh inning or later in all but one of his starts.

I'll kill myself if we trade Hill for the super overrated Millwood. You've made that empty threat before. Maybe if we would have traded Sisco and Guzman last year or the Year before for a closer we would have gone to the playoffs or even more... Instead we have nothing, make the trades that help your Major League team, not your triple A team..... Sisco and Guzman last year weren't Hill this year. Hill is performing at a high level, the other guys didn't do much. And Millwood isn't a difference maker. The Cubs are not a middle of the rotation starter away from winning big. Whats winning big? Staying in the WC race? We are what 7 back of the Cards, if we can't catch them soon should we start to unload then? I think Millwood would keep us competitive and give us a chance to win later.... Is Rich Hill that good? Is he one of the 5 or 6 prospects you would protect ...? What's a fair trade for a quality 3rd or 4th starter.... Bannor, I'm all for getting Millwood, but I wouldn't trade Hill back. I'd just take Millwood's remaining $3.5M salary and give them back a marginal prospect. The Indians need to save some dough more than they need a prospect - well, at least that's the attitude I'd take with them if I was negotiating.

If (1) Karonka and Mitre get lit up in their next respective starts, (2) Jerome Williams struggles when he ultimately makes his debut and (3) Wood is unable to come back before the All Star Break, I think Jim Hendry could become very active very quickly to acquire a veteran starting pitcher. This team has worked very hard in the last 15 days to get back into the race, so you'd think Hendry wouldn't want to go backwards now. It's abundantly clear that an OF bat is critically required, but I wouldn't be surprised if the next move is for a starter. Two guys, who might be worth a look are Jason Johnson and Kevin Millwood, of Detroit and Cleveland respectively. From an ERA and WHIP point of view, both have had good and fairly consistent seasons: in his last 8 starts, Johnson has pitched 60 innings and given up 20 earned runs (3.00 ERA); in his first 10 starts before going on the DL on May 26, Millwood has pitched 59 innings and given up 21 earned runs (3.20 ERA). He is due to come off the DL on Friday. Offensively, Cleveland and Detroit are in the lower third in the majors when it comes to team OPS, so it's fair to say a lot of good efforts by Millwood and Johnson have probably been wasted. Both play for teams, who are under .500 and are more than 10 games out of first - season over for all practical purposes. In addition, both are free agents at the end of the season, with Johnson making $4M and Millwood making $7M, and it's not clear that either will return next year, so the Tigers and Indians might be motivated to move them. Depending on how much salary Hendry is willing to take back, he might be able to get either without giving more than a mid-tier prospect or two. How do you feel about these two guys? Hoops

As you begin to think about trades (as either buyers or sellers), it might be beneficial to know what the Cubs guaranteed contract situation and arbitration eligibility situation is for 2006 to get an insight into payroll flexibility. Here's a quick update based on some research I did: The Cubs are presently locked into 8 contracts for 2006 totalling $51.6M: $12.00M - Wood $ 9.00M - Maddux (I made the assumption that his option would vest) $10.75M - Ramirez $ 8.67M - Lee $ 3.55M - Prior (I made the assumption that he wouldn't qualify to void his deal and go to arbitration) $ 4.13M - Barrett $ 2.00M - Rusch (assume bullpen in 2006) $ 1.50M - Blanco In addition, they will owe buyouts to 2 players totalling $5.0M: $ 0.50M - Burnitz $ 4.50M - Sosa (per the terms on the deal with Baltimore) The Cubs have 5 players eligible for arbitration, which include Zambrano, Patterson, Borowski, Hairston and Macias. Let's assume that all are locks to be back except Borowski. Those 4 are making $9.2M combined in 2005. Let's be generous and say they get a 50% increase next year, so the total will be $13.7M: $ 5.6M - Zambrano $ 4.2M - Patterson $ 2.7M - Hairston (assume utility guy) $ 1.2M - Macias (assume utility guy) So, the Cubs have 12 players, and they have committed $70.3M. Assuming $105M payroll (and 12 pitchers), that gives them $34.7M to spend on 13 players: 1 starting pitcher 2 starting corner OFs 1 starting SS 1 starting 2B 1 closer 2 bench players 5 relief pitchers Let's assume Bartosh, Ohman, Wellemeyer and Wuertz are 4 of the relief pitchers and Dubois is one of the starting OFs, each making the league minimum of ~$350K. Also assume that the Cubs re-sign Neifi Perez for a utility role at $1.95M. The Cubs now have $31M to spend on 7 key players: 1 starting pitcher 1 starting corner OF 1 starting SS 1 starting 2B 1 closer 1 relief pitcher 1 bench player Now, let the creativity flow in terms of midseason and offseason trades, signings, etc.... Enjoy! Hoops

Bruce, Thanks for taking our questions. (1) When do you anticipate the Cubs will go back to 11 pitchers and 6 reserve players as opposed to the 12/5 they are operating with now? Will that change be timed with Mark Grudzielanek's return? (2) I feel Jim Hendry unnecessarily rushed into the Juan Cruz deal with Atlanta. Was Richard Lewis the guy he wanted with Pratt as the throw-in, or vice versa? If it was Lewis, then I will withhold judgment. But if Pratt was the main guy, did Hendry really believe that Pratt would be any better than Jimmy Anderson or Glendon Rusch for the role he was looking to fill? (3) I am not an expert on the farm, but why is Ronny Cedeno on the 40 man roster? With Grudz, Walker, Ramon and Macias on board, wouldn't it have been smarter for Hendry to expose Cedeno to waivers, and use that 40th spot for Scott McClain, or the aforementioned Anderson or Rusch? Thanks, Hoops

Thanks for your notes, Hoops! Dang, I wish I could have squeezed in there; but the crowd was spilling into the hallway by the time I made it... I was looking for you, Mark. I had some seats saved for you and Smiley.

A few more observations about the "Meet the New Cubs" session, which I attended as well: (1) I think we as fans (and writers) are really going to like the Todds, Walker and Hollandsworth. They will keep the clubhouse loose. One fan asked Walker, why he gave up guaranteed money and a starting position to come here, and his response was dead-pan, "to win man, what else is there?" Another asked Hollandsworth to predict the winners of the 6 divisions in 2004, and he said, "well, the Cubs are going to win the World Series, so who gives a damn about the other 5 divisions." (2) Derrek Lee is just cool. No other adjective to describe him. I talked to him after the session as he was heading out, and you can just tell that his dad has planted Cubs seeds in him. He can't wait to put on the "blue uniform, run the bases with the ivy in the background, hit a building across the street, and make diving plays in the field with 40000 screaming fans." He sounds ready. (3) Nothing else to to add on Barrett or Hawkins tangibly in terms of what Mark and his friend Smiley already told you, other than LaTroy got the largest ovation when Dave Otto introduced each of the 5 new players, a clear sign that most fans in the room recognized building the bullpen as a key thing this offseason. I was sitting reasonably close to the front, and got a good look at each players eyes, as they were introduced. They all seemed thrilled with the crowd response, but LaTroy seemed especially mesmerized. That surprised me a bit considering he was raised in Gary, and grew up as a Cubs fan, the response really overwhelmed him. Again, a couple of Hollandsworth-isms: I heard him say after the session that when more people show up in January for a Cubs convention than people show up in July at Pro-Player Stadium, it's no wondr that players want to come here; second, when a fan asked him if the Marlins had a convention, he said, "oh yeah, it would be you and me." Later, Hoops

A couple of quick highlight snippets from the session with Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker on Saturday morning: (1) The funniest moment of the convention thus far (my opinion) is when one fan asked Dusty to re-live the decision of whether to take Prior out earlier in game 2 with a big lead. Dusty's response: "Well, first, as we found out in game 6 later, the Marlins do have an explosive offense, so I wanted Mark to go a little longer; second, he was not even close to his ceiling on pitch count; third, and most important, the bullpen was not in good shape: Remlinger and Borowski were hurt. Farnsworth had been overused. Guthrie was struggling. Veres was struggling. ALFONSECA - YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE KILLED ME IF I HAD BROUGHT HIM IN." Rip roaring laughter and claps for almost 30 seconds. Mark's Daytona Cubs shirt almost split from his laughter. (2) Second funniest moment was when a fan asked Dusty what surprised him the most about the Cubs, Cub fans, the city, etc... Of course, the fan was probably hoping he'd day something like, "well, I knew the fans here were great, but not this great, etc..." Dusty's actual response: "The strength and magnitude of this goat thing." People, this is an animal." (3) Mark and I each got our questions in. Mark asked Hendry about being a GM, what it takes, how do things work, how do things fall in place, etc..., and asked him specifically about the Derrek Lee deal. Hendry mentioned constant communication is the key. He had talked to Larry Beinfest about several things for several days. Suddenly, when the Baltimore deal hit a snag, Beinfest called Hendry, and the deal was done in 36 hours. Expect the unexpected, and be prepared. I asked Hendry if there were fundamental differences between scouting and developing pitchers vs. position players citing the great success he has had with bringing up pitchers vs. the overall lack of success of position players (other than Corey Patterson). Jim responded that it is easier to scout pitchers because you are focused on arm slot and arm speed. It's easy to project. Position players have to be great athletes in general, and they tend to be difficult to project because there is such a gap in performance level of hitting between high school/college level and the minor leagues, and then the major leagues. He did feel we would see another position player or two soon (I'm speculating after discussing with Mark that Hendry may have been referring to Brendan Harris). (4) Whether he was doing it on purpose or not, Dusty kept referring to Kenny Lofton. Even when a fan asked who would lead-off, he said either Grudz or Lofton. After hearing the chuckles from the crowd, he corrected himself and said he meant Goodwin. (5) Angel Guzman: Hendry said he is the top pitching prospect on the Cubs. He'll be at full strength by May 1. They will be cautious with him. (6) In his days as Twins GM, Cubs GM, Cubs President and Cubs CEO, no player under Andy MacPhail has ever gone to an arbitration hearing. Hendry is very proud of his boss' record. "Arbitration is a terrible thing: no good can come from it." He is still very thankful for his GM job, and said MacPhail was very generous to give up the GM title even when he knew the Cubs were about to get real good real soon. (7) Re-hash from Sports Central: Grudz is the starting 2B noo ifas, ands or buts; Walker was brought in for depth. (8) What if Maddux doesn't sign, who will be the 5th starter? Hendry said it probably would be Cruz, Wellemeyer or Mitre. (9) Future deals. Wood got his 1 year deal, and they are probably just 2-3 weeks away from finalizing the multi-year deal. No snags expected. Hendry has met with Derrek Lee's representatives, and they will probably give him a 1-year deal immediately, and in parallel work out the multi-year terms (same process as Kerry). Nothing being done with Aramis. Mark and I thought this was interesting on Aramis. There could be 3 explanations for Hendry's almost don't care tone: (1) The Cubs still have his rights in 2005, so there is no need for urgency; (2) With so many potential free agents at 3B after 2004, Hendry is reasonably confident about filling 3B with a quality, experienced player (either Aramis or someone else); (3) maybe Harris will play 3B. (10) A fan asked Where does Juan Cruz fit in? Dusty: "We are in a business of performance. Where Juan Cruz fits depends solely on Juan Cruz. If Maddux does not come here, he's got a gret shot to be the #5 guy. If Maddux does come, he has a shot to be the long guy in the bullpen." (11) A fan asked about the Cubs lack of fundamentals, especially bunting. Dusty: "Vince Coleman will be an instructor in the spring." (12) A fan stated Bako seemed to struggle behind the plate in the 2nd half especially with passed balls. Baker: "First he was banged up a little. Second, our staff is tough to catch. Wood throws 1000 miles an hour. Zambrano never throws a ball straight. For that matter, neither does Clement. Given all the factors, our catchers did a great job last year." (13) Who's the number 1 pitcher? Dusty: "You can make a case for Wood, Prior and even Zambrano." He had to be diplomatic there. (14) What influence has Moneyball and resurgence of Sabermetrics had on Hendry, like OBP? Jim: "Numbers are important, and I have people on staff who collect all that for me. Still, scouting is a people business. And no computer will tell you how a player will play in the 7th, 8th or 9th with the game on the line. Aramis Ramirez and Randall Simon didn't have the best of "Moneyball" numbers, but scouts told us that these 2 guys can help us win games, because they have tremendus heart and will, and that is what they did for us." (15) No speed on the team other than Corey. Dusty: "That's true, but we'll do a lot of hit and run, and movement stuff, and get the job done." Enjoy! Hoops

First of all, I'd like to sincerely thank Tim and Mark for the wonderful honor and great token. I was greatly touched by the gesture. I shall never forget it. More importantly, though, I'd like to thank Tim and Mark and the others who helped create this board. You are the real winners in my opinion! You have facilitated the most impressive community online I have ever had the pleasure of being part of - I can't begin to express what I feel about your contributions - in a word, amazing. Winning an honor is nice, but that's not why I participate here. I participate because I am a die hard baseball fan and a Cubs fan. I love baseball, and I love the Cubs. And I love talking about baseball and the Cubs. And all of you, my fellow posters, are the reason I spend quality time here. I learn so much from you every day about the game and the team and the organization. If I can come up with an insight or a topic or a discussion point that can lead to good-mannered and analytical debate, then I feel like I'm partially paying for all that knowledge you folks impart to me regularly. Here's hoping for a great year of chatting and a World Series ring in 2004. Thanks again, Hoops