BigbadB

Unless Marquis and DeRosa were necessary to make room for Peavy, I don't like either one of those deals. If we don't get Peavy, this offseason will have been a complete disaster.

Outshined One seems to be expressing some interest. I emailed Chris through the Ripken website that NC provided and Chris quickly responded. He expressed interest in keeping the team, but that will be up to Juan at this point. I like Chris and really enjoyed his participation when he was around, but he has to be fully committed, IMO, if he wants to keep the team. I told Chris it was time to send in payment in my email.

If you look at his short career in the minor leagues, he definitely looks like a pretty good prospect. Very respectable WHIP, ERA, K/9, BB/K and HR. If I had the choice of Randy Wolf or Olson, I'd take Olson.

I'll make a post in the mod forum asking if anyone would like to run a team.

I'll get mine mailed off tomorrow. Do we have a back up plan for Chris' team?

The reason I'm okay with Spears not making it is because I know he'll never possess the talent that Ty Griffin has. I fully expect Griffin to man 2nd base for the next 15 years for the Cubs. The Cubs need to hurry up and call him up. Time is a wastin'.

I'm starting to believe the new owner will have been the candidate that sold the most Tribune subscriptions in the last month.

Which would differ from their winter plans, how? They enjoy a good Charger game in the winter.

I'm holding on to the Peavy theory for dear life. 1) The Cubs need another starter 2) The Padres still need to clear payroll 3) The Cubs have made all the same moves that were rumored to happen to make a Peavy deal happen (minus a Pie deal) 4) The Padres are completely sitting on their hands right now, with monster holes on the field and in the rotation. 5) Peavy's contract extension was under the premise that the Pads would remain competitive. Not only are they no longer competitive, but the Padres seem to have backed out of their end of the deal, burning bridges with Peavy along the way 6) The Cubs need to do something with Pie, Hill and Cedeno 7) Gathright's signing spells the end for Pie, and the rumors of signing Rich Aurilia spells the end for Cedeno. I find it extremely hard to believe that Hendry would just let Pie, Hill and Cedeno walk via the waiver wire. 8) Not that the talent from the Cubs side of a Peavy deal would make the Padres all that much better, but the talent pool via free agency is dwindling. John Moores made it pretty clear that he wanted payroll reduced to 40m during this offseason. By trading Khalil Greene and letting Trevor Hoffman walk, they've managed to reduce payroll by a lot, but it's still over 40m. By moving Peavy, they can get well under the magic number and have some money to spend to improve the team. By trading Peavy, they might be able to sign Orlando Cabrera to play SS and Orlando Hudson to play 2b. By keeping Peavy, they are looking at playing Luis Rodriguez at SS and Matt Antonelli or Craig Stansbury at 2b. Before people start wondering if Luis Rodriguez is some hot prospect, let me make it clear that Rodriguez has been in AAA since 2003. Antonelli was one of their top prospects, but he had a disastrous year between AAA and the bigs last year. Here is what the Padres look like right now: LF- Chase Headley CF- Scott Hairston, Jody Gerut, Will Venable RF- Brian Giles 3b- Kevin Kouzmanoff SS- Luis Rodriguez 2b- Matt Antonelli, Edgar Gonzalez 1b- Adrian Gonzalez C- Nick Hundley, Brad Ausmus SP- Jake Peavy SP- Chris Young SP- Cha Baek SP- Josh Banks SP- Wade LeBlanc Yes, it's really THAT bad. Even with Peavy, I think they are a 110 loss team. Padres fans are already making different summer plans this year.

I don't think he's said anything but I wouldn't be surprised if he took the year off/retired after what happened to his brother. Sad story, what a shame. I missed this. what happened? If I recall correctly, Henry's brother was kidnapped in a ransom plot, but was then later shot and killed.

If Hendry wastes money on LoDuca, I won't be happy. Just sign someone off the scrap heap that won't cut into Soto's playing time.

I know this guy, who knows the owner of this business, who has an employee at this business that sometimes stops into this one shoe store to buy shoes, and the salesman at the shoe store knows the brother of the best friend of the guy who made that post on Cubs.com, and he confirms that the story is legit. Can we officially move on to something else a bit more interesting now? Like Jake Peavy's shoe size or how often he mows his lawn?

It's too bad that Soriano has that NTC, otherwise I'd love to see this 3 way deal: Baltimore gets Michael Young and Felix Pie Texas gets Alfonso Soriano Cubs get Brian Roberts and Garrett Olson Baltimore can afford the contract and aren't they in dire need of a SS? Texas must be able to afford the contract, since Young's contract practically mirrors Soriano's. Cubs sign Roberts to an extension and then include Olson in a deal for Peavy. There's just this one slight problem. Soriano's NTC.

Unless you can stick at that position as a starter in MLB, you probably don't have much of a career in the big leagues. Utility infielders need to be able to play more than 1 position.

And your point would be?

Heilman would immediately be the Padres #2 starter in a deal for Peavy.

This thread is now complete.

I find it rather humorous that you used the word "horses" in relation to a team that Dusty Baker manages. That is all. Carry on.

In a perfect world, we trade Joey Gathright, Aaron Miles, Kevin Gregg, Paul Bako, Luis Vizcaino, and the trio of minor leaguers we got for DeRosa for Peavy. :D

Do they make out charts for pitchers? It sure seems to me that Hoffman got a lot of warning track fly ball outs in Petco. He still has one of the most wicked change ups in the game, but little else. His fastball is one of the most crushable pitches in MLB. I may end up being wrong, but I don't think this will have been a good signing by the Brewers.

You say that now, but will you still be saying that when in the bottom of the 9th of a crucial 3 game series with the Cardinals, Gathright is called on to pinch run for Paul Bako and in his attempt to steal 2nd base, a Ferrari Testarosa makes a sudden stop right in the middle of the base path.

I think this really comes down to Peavy. The Padres dangled him and I think he officially wants out. Peavy's contract extension was based on the Padres staying competitive. I wouldn't be surprised if Peavy forces the trade to the Cubs. I've held firm all offseason that this deal will happen. I'm also expecting it to happen sooner now than later. Both teams still have work to do if Peavy isn't going anywhere, and less and less players will be available to either team the longer this deal takes. How would he do that? By taking his gripes to the front office. He can express his disappointment with the organization for having a fire sale when his contract extension was based on the team staying competitive. Peavy acted in good faith to the organization and they crapped all over him. Granted, he can't actually force a trade. But, I would imagine the proper thing to do when you have burned that bridge is to trade the player. Kinda hard for Peavy to take a "you owe it to me to trade me" stance when he's got a NTC that he's using to tie the Padres' hands. I'm sure if Peavy was willing to waive the NTC then Towers would be more than happy to accomodate him. I would agree with you, except for the fact the Padres gave him that NTC. By trying to trade him when they know full well that he has an NTC, they've basically burned that bridge, not Peavy. Would Peavy have given the Padres that very fair extension if he knew that less than 12 months later, they were going to have a fire sale? If I was a betting man, somewhere in the extension negotiations, Peavy and his agent made it clear that the contract extension signed was based on the team staying competitive. Peavy has honored his end of the deal and the Padres have not.

Haha. You kicked Tyrant's butt with that one.

I think this really comes down to Peavy. The Padres dangled him and I think he officially wants out. Peavy's contract extension was based on the Padres staying competitive. I wouldn't be surprised if Peavy forces the trade to the Cubs. I've held firm all offseason that this deal will happen. I'm also expecting it to happen sooner now than later. Both teams still have work to do if Peavy isn't going anywhere, and less and less players will be available to either team the longer this deal takes. How would he do that? By taking his gripes to the front office. He can express his disappointment with the organization for having a fire sale when his contract extension was based on the team staying competitive. Peavy acted in good faith to the organization and they crapped all over him. Granted, he can't actually force a trade. But, I would imagine the proper thing to do when you have burned that bridge is to trade the player.

I'd take Rocco Baldelli over Joey Gathright every day. I'd take Rocco Badelli over Joey Gathright even if he wasn't misdiagnosed.