JeffH

I wonder if Fleita was in the Mets organization when Billy Beane was drafted. Probably not, since Oneri was just finishing up junior high school.

Getting called up doesn't use an option year, only being sent down. At the beginning of the year everyone who is on the 40 man roster that starts the year in the minors has used an option year by being "sent down" at the end of spring training" However, in a case where a guy is added to the 40 man roster in season, he doesn't burn an option until he is sent down. Say Bobby Scales (added to 40 man during the season simultaneously with his call up) never got sent down this year, he'd still have 3 full option years remaining. Good explanation. A good way to think about it is this: Any time a player is on the 40-man roster, but not on the active major league 25-man roster or on the major league disabled list, he's "burning" an option year. This is a slight oversimplification, but it's a very good rule of thumb.

I wonder if someone kicked Patton in the crotch.

I'm sure teams will be lining up to sign a .700-OPS corner outfielder to a $60/5 deal.

The Baker trade wasn't unnecessary. He was acquired (it appears) to be a platoon partner with Fontenot. Is Bobby Scales dead?

Wait, Blanco is out of options? I don't ever recall seeing him in a major league game before this year. A player can be out of options without ever having played a single day in the major leagues.

Fuld, Hart, and Samardzija.

Edit.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Barring a disaster, there's zero chance that Josh Vitters is the Cubs' primary third baseman in 2011.

Folks, you can't find this sort of quality, quality analysis just anywhere. Mind expanding on your thoughts? If Wells' current level of production continues, he'll be considered one of the very greatest pitchers of all-time. If his ERA goes up a run, it would be Hendry-level stupid to trade him for Heath Bell. If his ERA goes up a run and a half, it would be merely dumb to do so. Nobody in this thread is basing his objection to a Wells-Bell trade on Wells continuing his current level of production.

Folks, you can't find this sort of quality, quality analysis just anywhere.

Interesting...if nothing else. Maybe he's been released.

This would be a typical Hendry move. Can't score any runs? Let's get some more pitching!

Likely managerial candidates: Alan Trammel Bob Brenly Larry Rothschild Ryne Sandberg Steve Stone? Davey Johnson? Willie Randolph I'm sure there are some young candidates I'm not thinking of, but this would be the primary group, I suspect. Jody Davis.

It's time for completely new leadership.

There's not a single legitimate starting-caliber major league outfielder on the roster.

This is known as "rotating the trash".

That seems weird to me. His season has been slow start, extremely hot May, very bad June with one nice weekend at the end. Why not try and see if the guy can establish some sort of consistency? Are they thinking he's like the bored genius in school who struggles because he's not challenged and doesn't try? This has the signs of overaggressive Cubs promotions. A good half season in FSL means he'll almost certainly start 2010 in AA, and once that happens the pressure to call him up to the bigs will be large. I'm against the promotion, but, if called up under fan/media pressure, where would Vitters play? Assuming Aramis' separated shoulder doesn't render him useless.

The announcers on the Pirates broadcast last night referred to Von Joshua's Philadephia roots, or something to that effect. Why does everybody think our hitting coach is Von Hayes?

Schlitter? Is the league low on talent this year? He's been horrible.

The worst defensive outfield in MLB history?

Definitely. Wasn't Jimbo the director of the farm system at one point? For a brief period when the Cubs system was ranked near the top? Yeah, let's get a new GM and let him do that again. Not sure a farm system of nothing but starting pitching and .295 OBP athletic position players is the way to go again. Hendry's strength is starting pitching. I wouldn't let him touch any other aspect of drafting. I think this is one of the better snippets in this thread. Hendry's(and now apparently Wilken's) love affair with "toolsy" types instead of guys who demonstrate an actual ability to have some sort of clue at the plate has always been the biggest detriment to the Cubs ability to develop useful position players. As another poster has mentioned, it's forced them to the free agent market, and into some albatross contracts. Having said that, Hendry has started to show some evidence that he understands OBP and SLG are important as Bradley and Fukudome attest. (Now if they'd just perform as their previous numbers would suggest!!!). Drafting of guys like Tony Thomas in recent years indicated that as well. Now if we could start seeing more of a tools/approach emphasis on position players early in the draft rather than just tools, that would be great. Based on your screen name, I'm guessing that you're a former high draft choice of the Cubs.

Again, I won't dispute that. Yes, it ultimately falls on the group that reports up to him but as we all know Hendry has been pretty hands off recently related to the draft. It seems somewhat unfair to blast him, not blame him, for the draft failures. Why is it unfair? Hendry may or may not be RESPONSIBLE for the poor performance of the amateur player procurement and development organization, but, as the boss, he is most definitely ACCOUNTABLE for it. Or he would be in any other organization.

Folks, this is some rock-solid American comedy.