CubinNY

I would love Tejada. I mean kiss Jim Hendry on the mouth love. But all I can think of is the Hershal Walker trade. I wish it weren't for such price. I would do Dope + Williams + Cedeno + Novoa

Ethier probably would've entered the season ranked as one of Oakland's top 2 or 3 prospects, no? Maybe just behind Daric Barton. He's not just some scrub. I can't see how this trade tells us anything about the Pierre deal. And it baffles me that anyone thinks we could have dealt for Bradley and thereby filled a hole in right field. His rates are nice, but he only plays half-seasons. He was just one of many lousy RF options, and now he's off the board. Eh. I agree. Bradley was a bigger upgrade then Pierre in CF but not so much in RF. In addition, LA got a good return on investment.

Very possible. Beane and Hendry work pretty well together. Not if Ned finds out.

Who revealed this and when? Baseball is a business. If the Cubs would have made a good offer the Dodgers would have took it. Look what they got for him.

That would be Jim Hendry. The Cubs have drafted position players plenty high. One of the major problems was and is player development of both pitchers and hitters. The buck has to stop somewhere, and it stops with Hendry.

It is funny but I am upset for different reasons. To me it seems as if Hendry didn't see RF as a problem at all. To me he went balls out to resign a back up SS and 6th starter. Then was bonkers over two pretty medicore middle releivers. Then tried to find a lead-off hitter, as if that position exists on a baseball team. He did upgrade in CF and in the bullpen. But all the while the chasem in RF has been there. And it is still there. It was there last year, when Hendry could have signed Beltran knowing full well that Sammy would be gone. And it is still there today.

Bruce, if you stop by and see this, I was just wondering what the reason for this might be. Is it that Baker came away from his meeting less than impressed with Bradley? Are the Dodgers now considering keeping him? Has the asking price by the Dodgers gotten to high? Is Bradley not willing to play rigthfield? I'm just curious as to what has now made Bradley a dim proposition to the point that we would begin to look at Jones. Let's remember that it takes two teams to make a trade. From everything I've heard, the Dodgers seem to be in no hurry to trade Bradley to the Cubs. So, it's on the Dodgers end then. Do you suspect the Dodgers will tender him a contract on December 20th? I'm not Bruce, nor do I pretend to have any information, but my opinion is that the Cubs didn't/wouldn't offer enough for Bradley to make LA interested. Even with all the bagage Bradley is a pretty productive CFer, when healthy. EDIT: Nor has anyone else for that matter. Maybe teams are waiting until the 20th to see if he is non-tendered? If that is the case the bidding for his services might get high.

You take it back, Bruce. You take it back. At least he can catch the ball.

Wow, I leave for a few hours to watch the lefty movie syriana and found that someone was upset with my vomit post. Excuse me. But that list was pathetic Wilkerson or Bradley- My top 2 are not really RFers and probably wouldn't prduce enough offense to make a meaningfull difference. The rest just, bleck Mr. Trueblue, just put me on ignore already. This will save all of some consternation, no?

Yes, all Card fans should be pissed. And I mean royally. In fact, I think all Cardinal fans should stay away from the ballpark in droves. And the ones who do go should refrain from wearing those ridiculus red shirts. In addition, the outrage should be such that every Cardinal fan in Illinois should raise their children to be Cub fans.

Welcome. Good first post! Cool poppa Bell? or Coll poppy Ortiz?

a turd pie.

I would rather throw out one of Dusty's used wrist bands than Jones. Don't we have enough French sounding names who cannot hit for power out there already?

Sammy Sosa circa 1998

I think its every bit as bad. the difference is the subtleties. everyone in the world can see when one team is hammering the other in the paint without foul calls, while there are touch fouls called on the other end. with home plate umpiring, it's often times a matter of 1/2 of an inch, and what is outrageous is the media encourages it. "well Roger Clemens is going to get that pitch called. the batter needs to take a hack" or "if you're around the plate all the time, you're going to get those calls" or "he's called that pitch earlier in the game." NONSENSE!!! it doesn't matter if it's Pujols in the ninth at Coors and the tieing runner is on. a strike is a strike and a ball is a ball. (you know what I'm talking about Card fans.) Not really. Who specifically on the Cards do you think gets preferential strike zone treatment? Although I find it highly distastefull, I have to agree with the Card fan here. :D I don't like the fact that the strike zone is whatever the ump behind the plate says it is. But I also don't think they give breaks to the all-stars either. I think they do the best job they can and they make mistakes. I would love to see a machine used to call balls and strikes like they have in tennis.

This list makes me want to vomit.

I like "stepchild" for Muton As in he will be treated as such if he doesn't come out of spring training hitting. and his is obviously red headed. That nickname was someone elses.

Pie will likely increase his power numbers. After all he was a malnurished kid when they found him. However, he likely won't put up power numbers for a while. In addition, he has to cut down on the Ks and start taking some walks if he wants to succeed in the major leagues. According to scouts and people that have seen him play Pie has the bat speed to generate very good power numbers (bat speed is much more important that muscle strenght in determining HR potential). I wouldn't rule out him becomming a RFer or hitting for good power too soon.

I agree with you to an extent. But the Cards are in a far better off position then the Cubs to begin with. When you have Albert, Scott, Edgar (in the past), and Jim it is much easier to fill the holes with the likes of Taguchi, Matheny, et al. In the recent past the Cubs had Sammy and not much else.

Or Cedeno starts off on the bench because Johnny B has to "pick his spots" and hits .353. And Johnny B takes credit for Cedeno's success and at the same time refuses to play him regularly because of said success in picked spots. Checkmate for Johnny B. He can never be wrong.The logic is irrefutable. :pukel:

That maybe because Leo doesn't pull any punches with them on the mound. A coach isn't there to be a buddy, confidant, babysitter, or an appologist. He/she is there to help the player reach his/her potential. No one can argue with Mazzone's success. I'll take him as my pitching coach any day.

Slappy Sidewayshat and the Murtonator

I think Hendry looks at the value that a player would bring to the entire organization, not unlike an investment banker managing a portfolio of loans and investments. The contracts with Rusch, Howry, Eyre, and Dempster allow Hendry to trade the organization's strength (pitching prospects) for established position players. Neifi! is a hedge in a market (SS) with few alternatives and high prices. The contracts with Neifi!, Howry, Rusch, and Eyre look overvalued individually but have more value when looking at the entire "portfolio" of players and prospects. By maximizing and storing value, Hendry can pounce on undervalued assets that become available during distress sales (e.g., Ramirez, DLee, now Tejada). I really, really, really, wish this were true. But Hendry has spent this entire off-season looking for a "lead-off hitter". Which means he overvalues the value of a lead off hitter and he overvalues speed. Because he has a guy on the team who is just about as good as a leadoff hitter as Slappy Pierre and he has let eveyone this side of Brisbane Austrila know he is looking to trade him (i.e., Todd Walker). Far too ofthen he seems to undervalue OBP and walks in general. In other words, he buys too high and sells too low (where is goony when you need him?). To me the entire portfolio looks like an 85 million dollar 75 to 80 win team. Likely, not a good return on investment But there is plenty of time for him to shore up his holdings and get some production for his dollar. Abrue or Tejada would go along way toward that.

Don....do you really think Baker is going to play Murton and Cedeno? I like Abreu too but IMO he is going to take a couple of major league ready players just to start the Phillies talking. Since the Cubs have 2 #1 starters and 3 number 5's I think that hurts the chance of this deal happening. supposedly Baker doesn't want an extension in Chicago, so there is only one more year left of his vet love. Where'd you hear that? from the San Francisco Chronicle. link Phil Rogers also had a scathing write up re: Johnny B. wherein he hinted that he thinks Baker is not too happy in Chicago. But it is Phil Rogers, so take it for what it is worth.

Given the contracts handed out to Perez, Rusch, Howry and Eyre I have to wonder. I can remember a couple of years ago the Cubs hired a guy to do statitical analysis but I cannot remember his name. In addition, Mr. Miles mentioned that Hughes is not anti-stat.