JeffH

Isn't it a shame that it took Lou Piniella to make Jim Hendry understand that offense counts?

This is looking WAY, WAY, WAY too far forward and doing so with an optimistic viewpoint (which, you may have noticed, is not my specialty), but here goes... DH in the AL park during the World Series.

Ibanez would also give us a legitimate, starter-quality major league hitter to rest Derrek Lee on occasion.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7876

Eyre!

Uh, no. They went from one of the best in the game (Hunsicker) to a guy so far in over his head that anyone with an ounce of compassion had to feel sorry for him (Purpura) to a Lynch-level GM (Wade).

Eyre to the Rays for Gabe Gross? Maybe have the Cubs pick up a few hundred thousand of Eyre's salary and have the Rays add in a Low-A arm strength guy to even things up a bit. If Gross can still play an acceptable CF, that is. Then put Jimmy on the DL and let him get his knees and feet healed up for the September run.

Eyre to the Rays for Gabe Gross? Maybe have the Cubs pick up a few hundred thousand of Eyre's salary and have the Rays add in a Low-A arm strength guy to even things up a bit. If Gross can still play an acceptable CF, that is. Then put Jimmy on the DL and let him get his knees and feet healed up for the September run.

Ted?

Because of the money he's owed, Marquis has EXTREME negative value for every major league club except the Cubs. For the Cubs, he has less negative value because the money is a sunk cost. The negative value he has for the Cubs lies in the degree to which Lou pitches him instead of better options.

I'm glad Samardzija's coming up. Since Chad Fox got hurt again and Michael Wuertz was demoted, the big league squad has been woefully short of ugly dudes.

What is "How can we turn Bob Howry into Francisco Rodriguez?", Alex.

The option year is already burned.

Box Jason Marquis up in a big crate and send it to MLB's offices. Include a note that reads, "Keep the change".

Nate Silver is very, very dumb.

I hope you take this in the spirit in which it's intended. Shut your dirty, dirty mouth RIGHT NOW!! Why would you tempt fate like this?

Ditto. Are we being transferred into the NL West?

It can't hurt, but I'd feel a lot better about it if we weren't playing our biggest nemesis, the Florida Marlins.

No, I can't say that I do. So you don't remember when we had the best record in baseball a few weeks ago? Did you have massive head trauma between then and now? Fluke. Minor blip on our long record of incompetence.

Well, once Selig's boy Canning buys us, we'll fall back into line like good, little losers should.

No, I can't say that I do.

Is it any wonder why this organization hasn't had a genuinely good offensive team in ages?

I'm confused as to why. The only two years he was optioned were 2005 and 2007. In 2006 he stayed with the major league club all year. I thought it was a similar situation to Corey Patterson who was in the minors and majors in 2001 and 2002, but spent the entire 2002, 2003, and 2004 years with the major league club and still was able to be optioned down in 2005. Is it because 2001 was just a September call up? So then you only get 2 options for players that spend at least a full year on the major league club? Damnit, I thought I had this all figured out. Ronny Cedeno was optioned to the minor leagues during spring training, 2004. Why would a team do this? Was he on the 40 man for a certain amount of time and they had to option him to keep him or something? I don't recall the exact details, but I do remember that when they added Cedeno to the 40-man roster it seemed to be an entirely unnecessary move, as there was little to no chance anybody would select him in the rule 5 and keep him all year. He was not the least bit productive at the time. It seemed at the time to serve only to start his option clock. He was added to the 40-man roster in November of 2003. As jersey says, it was almost certainly a foolish and unnecessary move. Regardless, when he was sent to the minors in March or April of 2004, he burned his first option year. But did they have to burn an option in 2004? Yes, of course. With a few specific exceptions, any time a player is on the 40-man roster, but not on the 25-man roster or the major league disabled list, said player is using an option year.

I'm confused as to why. The only two years he was optioned were 2005 and 2007. In 2006 he stayed with the major league club all year. I thought it was a similar situation to Corey Patterson who was in the minors and majors in 2001 and 2002, but spent the entire 2002, 2003, and 2004 years with the major league club and still was able to be optioned down in 2005. Is it because 2001 was just a September call up? So then you only get 2 options for players that spend at least a full year on the major league club? Damnit, I thought I had this all figured out. Ronny Cedeno was optioned to the minor leagues during spring training, 2004. Why would a team do this? Was he on the 40 man for a certain amount of time and they had to option him to keep him or something? I don't recall the exact details, but I do remember that when they added Cedeno to the 40-man roster it seemed to be an entirely unnecessary move, as there was little to no chance anybody would select him in the rule 5 and keep him all year. He was not the least bit productive at the time. It seemed at the time to serve only to start his option clock. He was added to the 40-man roster in November of 2003. As jersey says, it was almost certainly a foolish and unnecessary move. Regardless, when he was sent to the minors in March or April of 2004, he burned his first option year.

I'm confused as to why. The only two years he was optioned were 2005 and 2007. In 2006 he stayed with the major league club all year. I thought it was a similar situation to Corey Patterson who was in the minors and majors in 2001 and 2002, but spent the entire 2002, 2003, and 2004 years with the major league club and still was able to be optioned down in 2005. Is it because 2001 was just a September call up? So then you only get 2 options for players that spend at least a full year on the major league club? Damnit, I thought I had this all figured out. Ronny Cedeno was optioned to the minor leagues during spring training, 2004.