Jazz

I'm hoping he doesn't pretend signing A-Ram is just as good as signing a top-tier FA, thereby washing his hands of any bats on the market. I Don't think we'll see that. If hendry has one thing well, it's keeping his own guys. But that 15 mil boost that the Tribune has given us means to me that we are going to see a significantly different team next year, and we won't be satisfied with adding a few extra spare parts.

I think whether or not we extend Ramirez will tell us if Hendry really wants to make a splash this offseason.

QFFT I think next year we'll see alot less parity, and the level of competition will balance out. No more 85 win division winners

He wasn't my first choice, but far from my last. I realize that he is very prejudiced against starting rookies but think about it this way. 1) This might be the last year for Hendry, I'm assuming that Lou is going to get a one year contract, so if we don't win this year, you'll see a complete regime change at least, and at best maybe even a new owner (Cuban anyone?) 2) Piniella is a much more fiery guy than Dusty. I understand that that fact is very overblown and doesn't mean much, but he IS an improvement, even if it is a small one. He also values plate patience and knows how to fill up a lineup card well. The one horrible thing that could happen is if Rothschild is reupped. We need a new pitching coach badly.

Would you do Prior for Dunn?

WHAT?! My thoughts as well. Now if it were Marshall, Veal, Jones for Andruw and Hudson...that's a good deal. I'm just trying to make a trade that seems plausible. Don't forget last year the Red Sox traded both Anibal Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett and the Red Sox took on Mike Lowell's contract. I think you guys may be a bit unrealistic on what you can obtain. If you switch in Cesar Izturis for Jacque Jones would the trade become more palatable? ONe more thing if you are willing to overpay for guys like Soriano and Lee in free agency why is not acceptable to overpay to get guys through a trade? If you want to build a winner immediately you are going ot have to overpay. but you're trading for a guy who is probably on the back end of productivity in his career, and has an albatross contract that might be the difference between us being able to sign our core players to extensions.

My Top 15 after tonight 1. Ohio State 2. Michigan 3. USC 4. West Virginia 5. Texas 6. Auburn 7. Louisville 8. Tennesee 9. California 10. Notre Dame 11. Clemson 12. Florida 13. Georgia Tech 14. LSU 15. Arkansas

not enough for hendry's taste. Better jack it up another 5M

This is huge. that extra 15 mil is the difference between only 1 impact player, and maybe 3. 1) Hire Piniella 2) Sign Daisuka Matsuzaka for 13 mil~ + posting fee 3) Sign Jason Schmidt for 12 mil~ 4)Trade Jones, Marmol, Soto, Sweeney, Gruzielanek, and Sisco to Dodgers Drew, and Emil Brown to Cubs Mateo, Izturis, and Dempster to Royals 5) Trade Prior, Eyre, Gallagher, and Veal to Yankees for A-Rod and Pavano 6) Trade Dopirak, Marshall, and Cedeno to Reds for Ryan Freel 7) Sign Tony Graffanino (3M~) 8) Sign Zambrano (10M) and Ramirez (13M) to Extensions 1 - Freel CF (1.5M) 2 - Murton LF (350k) 3 - Lee 1B (13M) 4 - Rodriguez SS (16M) 5 - Ramirez 3B (13M) 6 - Drew RF (11M) 7 - Barrett C (4M) 8 - Theriot 2B (350k) SP1 - Zambrano (10M) SP2 - Matsuzaka (13M~) SP3 - Schmidt (12M~) SP4 - Hill (350k) SP5 - Pavano (10M) Bullpen Wood (3M) Aardsma (350k) Ryu (350k) Ohman (750k) Howry (4M) Wuertz (350k) Guzman (350k) Bench C - Blanco (1M) IF - Graffanino (3M~) IF - Moore (350k) OF - Coats (350k) OF - Brown (1.4M)

i dont know much about pitch mechanics, throwing angle, etc.., but exactly why would a freakishly huge pitcher dominate a hitter like pujols. Sorry if that is a stupid question.

I think we might see listach as our new pitching coach if it isnt rothschild..

I think girardi would be stupid to take the cubs job over the yankees. I don't know why in the world you would ever think that. :^o I can understand it, in a way - working for Steinbrenner isn't easy. Like working for Al Davis before the senility - overbearing and intrusive, but basically pretty sharp. Still, I think Joe would take the Yankee job. Here's the rub, though - Joe is basically a Joe Torre protege'. Why would the Yanks fire Torre only to replace him with his star pupil? Piniella makes much more sense for them. Oh come on. All Georgy wants is a 162-0 record and a World Series, is that too much to ask for? :roll: There was little evil part of me that wanted to see a Marlins, yankees world series round 2 this year and the marlins to sweep the yankees to completely cause chaos in major league baseball. It would have an amazing affect on every team.

Was anyone likely to be on the cubs roster next year on the same 2002 team that Girardi was on?

This is going to be the first real clunker for NBC. Not if you're a Broncos fan. :) :) :) By the way if we lose to Oakland I won't be able to watch football for at least 2 weeks.

and over babe ruth's talking plaque

Here's the outline of the offseason with those perimeters 1) Dempster and cash for Emil Brown I've seen this rumor from a few places, and I like the idea of unloading Ryan anyway we can. I'd work on this deal to see if we can lower the amount of cash we be giving to 2Mil in 07 and 08. This deal saves 3.3 Mil total in 2007. Now we're at 28.3 mil available [the next two deals are the brainchild of fellow member goony, it's crazy but the deals he proposed are plausible with a few adjustments] 2) Jones, Eyre, Marmol, and Aardsma for A-Rod, Pavano, and Cash Believe it or not, the Yankees are right about at their limit spending wise. Theyll have Sheffield and Mussina coming off the books, but theyre going to want to sign all the best pitchers on the market, maybe even both Zito and Schmidt. Thats going to run them dry. In this deal theyll be able to free up enough breathing room reload for the next few years, and in the process get a DH/OF, a solid reliever, and 2 young pitchers. Cash wise theyd be giving us 9 mil in 07 and 08, and 4 mil in '09 and '10. The Yankees would be dumping approximately 17 mil in 2007 that we would be accountable for. We are now at 11.3 mil available 3) Pie, Veal, Guzman, Fox, and Moore for Willis, and Cabrera This is really putting all your eggs in one basket, but I believe it is worth it completely.The Marlins might want one more prospect to satisfy them, so I'd give them a choice of Shaver or Atkins. There really is no need to justify this deal. You get arguably the best hitter in baseball, and a pitcher who is just entering his prime. Done Deal. Monetary wise, all the prospects listed above would total to about 2 mil, while the Willis and Cabrera duo combined would go for 13 mil. There have been rumors that Loria would have to shop one of these guys to keep the payroll under 20 mil like he wants to, but there have been no indications that he would shop both, Willis being the most likely canidate. This might be a bit of a pipe dream, but it works from all other perspectives. This is the team you'd get C - Barrett - $4.30M (under contract) 1B - Lee - $13.00M (under contract) 2B - Theriot - $0.35 (less than 3 years of service - under control) 3B - Ramirez - $11.00M (under contract) SS - Rodriguez -$12M ($16M - $4M from NYY) LF - Murton - $0.35M (less than 3 years of service - under control) CF - Brown - $2.0M (estimate) RF - Cabrera - $6.5M (estimate) C - Blanco - $1.5M (signed to 1 year extension) IF - Fontentot - $0.35 (less than 3 years of service - under control) IF - Izturis - $4M (under contract) OF - Pagan - $0.35M (less than 3 years of service - under control) OF - Dave Roberts - 2.5M SP - Zambrano - $10.0M (estimate $3.5M raise from 2006) SP - Willis - $6.5M (estimate) SP - Hill - $0.35M (less than 3 years of service - under control) SP - Pavano - $6M ($10M - $4M from NYY) SP - Marshall - $0.35M (less than 3 years of service - under control) SP - Prior - $4.20M (estimate $0.55M raise) RP - Novoa - $0.35 (less than 3 years of service - under control) RP - Mateo - $0.35 (less than 3 years of service - under control) RP - Howry - $4.00M (under contract) RP - Ohman - $1.00M (estimate $0.39M raise) RP - Wuertz - $0.35M ( less than 3 years of service - under control) RP - Ryu - $0.35M ( less than 3 years of service - under control) "Buyout" - Rusch - 1.25 Buyout - Wood - $3M Total = 98.5

I think leyland alone deserves maybe 6 or 7 of those wins, but most of it came from those young guys improving so much.

This is the perfect oppurtunity to trade for Dunn. Maybe the cubs can learn something in trading for players when they're value is at their lowest and trading their own player at their highest value. Jones for Dunn would be a great deal for Hendry. As soon as that deal is made, I would then make sure we signed him to a 3-4 year deal for 8-10 mil a year to further exploit his low value right now.

The new USA Today poll is out 1. Ohio State (62) 6-0 1,574 2. USC 5-0 1,461 3. Florida (1) 6-0 1,412 4. West Virginia 5-0 1,398 5. Michigan 6-0 1,358 6. Texas 5-1 1,240 7. Louisville 5-0 1,207 8. Notre Dame 5-1 1,044 9. Tennessee 5-1 1,031 10. Auburn 5-1 958 11. California 5-1 911 12. Clemson 5-1 899 13. Iowa 5-1 672 14. Georgia 5-1 661 15. Georgia Tech 5-1 592 16. LSU 4-2 565 17. Virginia Tech 4-1 523 18. Oregon 4-1 510 19. Boise State 6-0 472 20. Nebraska 5-1 460 21. Missouri 6-0 387 22. Oklahoma 3-2 268 23. Arkansas 4-1 264 24. Rutgers 5-0 261 25. Boston College 4-1 108 Tennesee should be the top 1 loss team, and california deserved to be ahead of auburn (even though I'm not complaining that we just jumped 5 spots)

how do you know what the yankees want? Based on history alone I believe he is right. I can't even remember the last time the Yankees traded for a prospect as a centerpiece of a deal. The florida marlins fit the bill for what he is saying. Cubs get: A-Rod Marlins get: Pie, Guzman, and Marshall/Mateo Yankees get: Willis I can see the Yankees being very interested in Hill. They're also going to need a RF if they dont bring Sheffield back, so maybe Hill and Jones, and maybe throw in Eyre. I think that might be enough to get them interested. But I definitely think A-Rod will be moved this offseason, there's no way he wants to go back to NY. I have no problem moving Jones, but i think we're giving up to much if you also add in Hill to the deal i proposed

how do you know what the yankees want? Based on history alone I believe he is right. I can't even remember the last time the Yankees traded for a prospect as a centerpiece of a deal. The florida marlins fit the bill for what he is saying. Cubs get: A-Rod Marlins get: Pie, Guzman, and Marshall/Mateo Yankees get: Willis

how amazing was nate tonight? He almost had 4 Td's tonight. You think Cal has a chance to get back into the top 10 after tonight?

good call, Nostradamus I feel like i'm senile whenever i'm on here.

I think Cuban is the #1 canidate for Cubs owner should they be put up for sale. He has already went on record and said he would pay "any price", and the risk/reward of buying the Cubs from a financial standpoint is intriguing enough for him to go all out. That being said, the cubs will still be owned by the Tribune come the beginning of the 2007 spring training so none of this has much of an affect over this offseason, although they could be put up for sale in the near future, which would bode well for the 2007 offseason and beyond.