Jazz

So what happens if the talks never go anywhere and miss the deadline? Does the nextt highest bid get a chance? (By the way, it disgusts me that Boras wants 15 for 5 years for Daisuke, even though he'll probably get it.

Here's what I think. The only 2 pitchers that we can guarantee won't be moved are in fact the two guys we just signed, Lilly and Marquis for obvious reasons. Zambrano very likely won't be moved unless we cant extend him, in which case we would move him for top prospects or a big bat. After him if Prior, Miller, and Hill are all healthy, and performing near the level they are capable of, my guess is Miller would be the first to go as he is the oldest, and probably has the lowest "ceiling" when healthy. If we do end up having this luxury, Miller could net us a pretty nice bat when combined with a prospect.

changing pace then, if this is going to be the new market for average pitchers, what will the cubs payroll limit look like at the end of these contracts given inflation, and the fact that we'll be having a new owner. I'm really worried a new owner might lower payroll significantly making these contracts look uglier and uglier. On the other hand, Cuban.....

What's interesting to me is that in 2 years, when we are still in the middle of these overpriced contracts, we could have an entire staff worth of young pitchers who are being blocked that could produce well above these guys. Veal, Gallagher, Pawelek, etc...

You honestly think, as it stands now (thats for wolf :wink: ) the Cubs are a 3rd place team? Yup, if that. The Cubs have done very little to address the glaring weaknesses that made them fail in 2006 (and 2005) including OBP and starting pitching in general. Neifi Perez - .266 OBP, 236 AB's with the Cubs Juan Pierre - .330 OBP, 699 AB's with the Cubs John Mabry - .283 OBP, 210 AB's with the Cubs Ronny Cedeno - .271 OBP, 534 AB's with the Cubs along with a hoarde of other players that saw significant starting in the cubs lineup, that shouldnt see any this coming year.

Obviously i understand that, its just that it looks like now that if MacPhail had been ousted 3 years ago, Hendry could have gone all out and spend the kind of money necessary to fetch Beltran. I would have felt more comfortable giving him 8/136 than Soriano.

This deal kind of makes me sick because what we are paying Lilly and Marquis combined could have gone towards the salary of Carlos Beltran way back when. Oh well.

another tangential effect of this and the Lilly deal is it allows the Cubs to trade away some minor league pitching without worrying about the depth chart. A trade or two before April is inevitable. Good point. Nice issue spotting counselor. I've been wondering if Hendry is going to surprise everybody with a trade of Rich Hill at his high point. You might be able to get a serious offensive upgrade if you're willing to part with him in a package. This is when I'd try and overwhelm Florida with all the prospects they want for Cabrera, or you offer to restock the Yankees farm team with just about anybody for ARod. The Cubs aren't going to win many 2-1 games with this staff, they need to rack up the runs. The Cubs are going to have to play a rope a dope game this season, lulling the opponent to sleep with the incredibly boring pitching staff. 3/20 doesn't reak of terrible. Marquis does have a chance to have a good year, and if he does, and some internal options figure things out, he'd make great trade bait next season. Well, here's to Larry working some magic on the guy and getting something out of Marquis. You think the Marlins would bite at a package of Hill, Pie, Veal, Gallagher, and Murton for Cabrera? Or are we overpaying.

having a lot of high draft picks this year should help, especially with that #3 pick. Wieters/Price please

That trade still doesn't fill out our rotation I'm not saying that the trade is going to be the rest of his offseason, im saying its an optimistic avenue that Hendry could pursue if he is creative enough. He'd probably end up signing Marquis (if he already hasn't).

The offseason far for the cubs has been one of dollar amounds. Large ones. So far they have been racking up years, and millions of dollars to go with them. Whether or not those players that come with those contracts get us to the promised land remains to be seen. The Offseason so far: Nov 9 - Signed Wade Miller to 1 year/1 million dollar contract Nov 12 - Extended Aramis Ramirez to 5 year/73 million dollar contract Nov 14 - Signed Mark Derosa to 3 year/13 million dollar contract Nov 15 - Resigned Henry Blanco to 2 year/5.25 million dollar contract Nov 16 - Traded John Aardsma to White Sox for Neal Cotts Nov 20 - Signed Alfonso Soriano to 8 year/136 million dollar contract Dec 6 - Traded Freddie Bynum to Baltimore for PTBNL Dec 6 - Signed Ted Lilly to 4 year/40 million dollar contract Dec 7 - Signed Daryle Ward to 1 year/1.05 million dollar contract Free Agent Targets Missed out on: Daisuke Matsuzaka Jason Schmidt Gil Meche Randy Wolf JD Drew Right now we sit at an estimated a 105 million dollars (pending Lilly's rumored backloaded contract, could be around 2-3 mil less), with around 15 mil left to work with (maybe 20 mil if we are looking to go after Zito, or take on a huge contract like Manny Ramirez). This offseason, for the most part, has been scripted according to reports of what Hendry has said. He said he wouldn't be outbid by anyone for Soriano, he wasn't. He extended Ramirez like he said he wouuld (and slaved over for), and got one of the pitchers he was rumored to be after in Lilly. So if the past (the recent past anyway) is in indicative of the future, here is that path Hendry is looking to go on. 1. Sign cheap option for back end starter (Jason Marquis) or find suitor for Jacque Jones and trade him for a starter (Jennings, Westbrook, etc..) 2. Trade for left handed OF or Sign Cliff Floyd (he might end up doing both) 3. Sign or trade for speedy IF backup 4. Extend Zambrano I don't think much else will happen, but we as cubs fans do have room to optimistic, because of the stupidity of the Los Angeles Dodgers GM Colleti. The Dodgers have been loading up on OF's this offseason, and STILL hope to add another one in Vernon Wells. Right now theyre going to have an ENTIRELY new OF with Wells, Pierre, and Gonzalez,. The weaknesses for the Blue Jays at the moment are power hitting, and bullpen. They hope to acquire Wells to help with the latter, but they still are lacking with the former. This is where the cubs come in. Scott Eyre, Bob Howry, and Michael Wuertz are attractive options for any bullpen defficient team, and the Dodgers should jump at the chance to acquire them. A 3 Team Deal: Toronto Gets: Penny, Jones, Marshall, and Tomko Cubs get: Ethier, and Betemit Dodgers get: Wells, and Eyre Or something along those lines. That would quench Hendry's want for a left handed CF, and a backup IF. Toronto should be happy with that deal as they get the big time SP that they want, and a OF coming off a pretty good year as well as another young SP, and bullpen help. The Dodgers will love this deal. That is the pipedream.

we really needed a power bat off the bench. Hopefulyl its cheap, and Ward delivers.

To me this means if Lilly doesn't sign with anyone by the end of tommorow, he's almost guaranteed to be a Cub.

Sign me up for Jews for Church. He can hate my matzah eating arse all day as long as he puts up some numbers.

I really hope Hendry doesn't go after Jennings, either. He is not very impressive. You could have probably had him for next to nothing last year. He's a great option for the 4th Starter slot. Alot better than hoping guz, marshall, or some other young guy pans out.

I'd bet this gets done in the next 24 hours. Hopefully it doesn't cost us Schmidt. If the cubs had any intention of getting him in the first place, it shouldn't. If the lily deal does get done, I predict some other team scoops up meche shortly after leaving Jennings and Scmidt as our final two avenues for pitchers.

This defense is good enough to the point where that isn't necessarily true. Both of Seattle's TD came off turnovers or because of them.

HOLY COWW!!! Marshall is a beast

link /recalls hendry talking about sosa in 05' im just sayin... do you apply that same rationale when he talks about Izturis? of course not! The man can drive runs in with his glove!

because he can't hit lefties

IBL :)

link /recalls hendry talking about sosa in 05' im just sayin...

hahaha nice

What does this guy have to do to get people to realize he is just a horse? I mean the guy took a fungo bat to the arm and still went out and performed! But I do see, statistically, what you mean how his production could go way down if he lost some of his stuff, but with a pitcher like Z, who doesn't come often through the system, you have to take your chances.

Why not just sign both the Giants Big FA's and call it a day Jim?