Jazz

If thats the price, your looking at a 5 year deal in which you would be paying upwards of 15 mil per a year, maybe more. Wow.

lol imagine. yesterday we were calling the 2007 season over already. Now, if the above were to happen, wed be on our way to a World Series :p

Alright my first wishlist -Sign JD Drew (4 Year Contract) -Sign Ray Durham (2 Year Contract) -Trade for Vernon Wells -Trade Jones, and Dempster for Tim Hudson -Trade for Ryan Freel -Sign Vicente Padilla -Sign Zambrano to an Extension -Sign Sammy Sosa ( :) ) SS Freel RF Drew 1B Lee 3B Ramirez CF Wells LF Murton 2B Durham C Barrett Bench C Soto IF Izturis IF Moore IF Theriot OF Coats OF Sosa 1. Zambrano 2. Hill 3. Hudson 4. Padilla 5. Prior/Miller RP Prior/Miller RP Wuertz RP Ohman RP Howry RP Eyre RP Dempster

If you think about it, that kind of contract might not be all to suprising if Hendry really is changing his style. Last year he was the slowest GM in baseball, and made barely any moves at the beginning of the offseason. Now, he will make a quick strike at a top FA target. That would be his final offer. If Drew and Boras took to long to look at the offer, and weren't definitive on an answer, Hendry will have moved on to another target for the the OF in a week or so. At least im hoping thats what this kind of large offer would mean.

Wow. That's a sweet deal for Drew. I don't know many other teams that would match that in per year, maybe an extra year though for less money. If this rumor is true, than I am very pleased with Hendry today.

New updated payroll Miller - 1.5M Wood - 1.75M Dempster - 5.3M Eyre - 3.8M Howry - 4.5M Rusch - 3.3M Lee - 13M Izturis - 4.3M Ramirez - 14.6M Barrett - 4.5M Jones - 5.3M if you add in arbitration eligible estimates: Zambrano - 10M (hopefully with an extension) Prior - 4M Ohman - 1M and player's without a contract that have less than 3 years of MLB experience likely to be kept on the 25 man Murton - 350k Hill - 350k Theriot - 350k Wuertz - 350k Guzman - 350k Cedeno - 350k totals to rougly 79 Million. If the 110-115 payroll estimate is right, we have around 36-41 million to play with for 5 players.

Quoting myself since too many posts past to edit... Since Wood is back and likely in the pen, what about a Jones+Dempster for Hudson deal? Atlanta gets rid of any '09 obligation, as well as at least 10 million total salary, plus a serviceable OF and a bullpen project like they've taken on before(Sosa, Reitsma, etc). A Zambrano, Schmidt, Hudson, Hill, Prior/Miller/youngster rotation would be fun. Any chance you can swing that into a Jones, Dempster, and Pie for Jones and Hudson type deal?

So in the end, the hometown discount is basically the difference between a guaranteed year, and a mutual option at the end of the contract. Not bad. ...if you are to believe that report. I think we all know how credible all these reports are... True, but I do believe that could be a likely start point for the angels, give or take a few mil per year. In the end, that hometown discount only looks better and better.

I know Manny is going to be shopped. Are we a likely destination?

So in the end, the hometown discount is basically the difference between a guaranteed year, and a mutual option at the end of the contract. Not bad.

Are we even still in the race to get Daisuke? I thought he was all but certain to be a red sock.

I'd venture to guess that it was within the window, but was only reported this afternoon.

i definately thought i saw someone in this thread earlier say that Wood was gone too. Guess we were wrong about that one as well

Hahaha this is the greatest thread ever

do it. do it right fing now. Alright, I'll do it as if I was actually a badass like Black and was on the Daily Show. ahem Today in Chicagoland, it is a very joyous day. No, Sammy Sosa hasn't resigned with our beloved Cubbies (yet..), but oh yes, YOU GUESSED IT!. We are finally free from that god awful salary eating whore of a thirdbase man, Aramis Ramirez. No more well we have to see him merely trot to 2nd base on another one his doubles into deep left, and only jog across the bases as he hits one of his 35+ homers. NO MORE! Today in an interview, when asked about his recent success, Hendry had this to say. "Well you see, we offered him about as much as we would offer a premium 3-Bagger in today's market. Our highest paid player at the moment, Derrek Lee, who we feel is the best player since George Herman Ruth himself, and can even save us from losing even from the Disabled List without even bothering to find a suitable replacement, was not even given a salary as competitive as the one we game Aram. Also on another note, regarding Ramirez's name. Man won't that be nice not having to spell out that god awfully strange name anymore. Thats why we are trying to find a good guy with a nice, short, one syllable name. Remember Ron Coomer. Now THAT's a 3rd Baseman's name!" Ramirez, as many analyst's remember, was offered an opt out clause 2 year's ago when he signed his contract, an option that Hendry, being the NICE GUY he is, placed on the contract out his own free will. MAYBE, it was that masochistic devil inside of himself that got him to sign Neifi "Heysoose" Perez to a 2 year extension. This was the opt out clause he used to escape from the bottomless pit that is the Cubs, and be able to ex cerise the right to join a team who's fans that remember their last World Series victory aren't on life support. Don't worry Old Granny Edna! You'll always be able to the kids of when the Cubs didn't crush your dreams to the little ones for AGES! BUT DONT WORRY, there is a silver lining to this cloud. Oh yes, when the news of Ramirez's decision to test Free Agent waters, the little hearts of boys of Chucktown jumped with glee. OH YES JOHNNY, maybe some day you'll now get a chance to start at the hot corner for the CUBS. WHIPPIE!! Yes Johnny, thats right. But watch out. That Cubs farm system is brutal. If by some chance you are actually drafted, and make it into Rookie Ball, the demons of the Cubs Minor League coaching staff will try as hard as they can to preach you old outdated laurels like how NOT to clog up the bases with silly mindless walks, and how to bunt your way into oblivion. And if you do survive the Minors, and Maybe by some SHEAR stroke of luck, you actually get some playing time from Freddie Bynum Jr. the III, then with some luck, you can be the next shining star at 3rd. Jon, [look over smiling to the left]

gah kill me

I feel like going on a Lewis Black-eque tirade right now. Seriously, it would be the funniest thing to any cub fan ever, but also would make any fan feel even worse about their team.

I just don't get it. Hendry is on a shot leash after MacPhail has left, and new mangement is in. Hendry has this offseason to prove that he is worth a damn, and not even a month after the world series, he has already guaranteed failure for this franchise, and himself. I mean, even if he wasnt going to do anything else this offseason, he could have done THIS. He could have made up all the lame BS after he signed Ramirez about "well we retained the players we needed, and we feel we can compete with that". Right now, that outlook looks better than the one our status quo. I could live with. But instead, Hendry proves he is the most incompetent GM in all of baseball and puts up A MILLION steps backwards before he even takes a step forward. I am so sick of this team, and there outdated philosphies, the horribly put together teams, and the all around dysfuntion of this franchise. I honestly think Hendry wants to ruin the cubs.

All attendees of the convention, remember to bring rotten fruit and vegetables, and proper heckling lexicon. That is all .

I honest to god hate this team right now

the beginning of my awful sports saturday

god damnt :(

Man, so many plays by jackson that have ended in almost TD's

JACKSON!@!!!! YES!!!!! !!!! damn probably going to get called outta bounds. Still driving though

USC definitely will have a chance if they beat Cal and ND. Are you getting the Cal game? nope, unfortunately. They need to run Lynch more. He had an 80-yard touchdown wiped out on a block in the back penalty (the drive they got a FG on). The touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson was pretty, but besides those 3 plays, the offense hasn't looked great. Especially Longshore. hows the anemic Arizona O looking against cal's D?