BigbadB

I really like the idea (I think it was yours) from the other thread where we sign Fukudome for CF, put Murton in RF, and trade Pie to SD for Greene and a prospect. That seems like a pretty realistic scenario that would help both teams if we included Cedeno and they sent back whatever decent guy(s) they've got in their system. I have high hopes for Pie, but I don't think there's any way possible that the Padres trade Khalil Greene and a prospect for Felix Pie. You might get them to bite if it was Pie and Cedeno for Greene, but I don't even think that would do it. Once the dust settles, San Diego will likely pick up someone cheap like Corey Patterson or Coco Crisp (after Boston picks up a significant portion of his deal) and just keep Greene. My idea was that Greene and Pie would be in the deal, but I didn't specify who else, propect-wise, would go to SD. But, yes, I think it would take more than Pie and Cedeno to get Greene... though that's not a bad place to start -- once you sign Fukudome. As for SD's plan, what you said could very well be the case. But, with a long-term deal coming for Peavy and $10M for Maddux... SD could afford to cut some payroll. They've done a good all-around job assembling their team and not locking down a ton of money, but Greene's heading into another arby year and he made $2.35M in '07. He can expect to make quite a bit more this year. San Diego can afford the payroll. They've been faking it the last several years. That new park is generating a ton of revenue. The owner is pocketing the profits rather than doing what is necessary to put a better line up on the field.

I strongly declare that Shapiro needs to trade Peralta to the Cubs. Does that help?

.659 career home OPS .849 career away OPS he swings at too much and doesn't draw enough walks, but he's still a mile better than any of the trash that we have available at SS. He might not be available, either. But upgrading SS is where I believe we can get the most bang for the buck. Even a marginally decent SS, like Alex Gonzalez from the Reds, is a huge step up from Theriot. Sometimes you can't get a superstar, but our SS production was so bad that we don't need a superstar to make upgrading worthwhile. I'd love to get Jhonny Peralta. Asdrubal Cabrera is SS and Cleveland needs to get Josh Barfield back on track at 2b. We just need to find what Cleveland needs to rid themselves of Peralta.

Yes. I wonder what that would take, though? Here's my idea: Marlins get Andy LaRoche, Sean Marshall, Felix Pie and Murton Dodgers get Miguel Cabrera and their choice of any 1 of Theriot, Cedeno or Infante Cubs get Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier. The money the Dodgers save on Furcal can be used to lock up Cabrera. Dodgers can also use Infante until Hu is ready, if he isn't ready already. Cubs sign Fukudome or Milton Bradley (assume Bradley because of Furcal's big dollar deal) and end up with: LF Soriano CF Ethier RF Bradley 3b Ramirez SS Furcal 2b DeRosa 1b Lee C Soto Edit: Nah. Dodgers are probably giving up too much with LaRoche, Ethier AND Furcal. But, it's not that far off.

I really like the idea (I think it was yours) from the other thread where we sign Fukudome for CF, put Murton in RF, and trade Pie to SD for Greene and a prospect. That seems like a pretty realistic scenario that would help both teams if we included Cedeno and they sent back whatever decent guy(s) they've got in their system. I have high hopes for Pie, but I don't think there's any way possible that the Padres trade Khalil Greene and a prospect for Felix Pie. You might get them to bite if it was Pie and Cedeno for Greene, but I don't even think that would do it. Once the dust settles, San Diego will likely pick up someone cheap like Corey Patterson or Coco Crisp (after Boston picks up a significant portion of his deal) and just keep Greene.

Yeah, that's probably more realistic. But, that's not how I read it the first time through.

They'd probably have to go up more than that to get ARod. The increases to Zambrano, Ramirez, Soriano, etc... and the increase in team salary for 2008 is probably a more realistic reason for the increase. Besides that, as often as the Cubs sell out and the limited ticket availability places Cub tickets in high demand. High demand brings higher prices.

I don't get it. His trade value is only that which people will give up for you. Whether you think he's worth something or not, his actual trade value is only the best package you can get. The way I read it, Baltimore didn't realize what they had with Bedard until they saw the talent that teams were willing to give up to get him. Now that they know what teams are willing to give up to get him, they want to sign him to an extension instead of trading him.

I find much humor in this quote from Rotoworld: According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles are hoping to sign Erik Bedard to a long-term contract extension after measuring his potential trade value earlier this month. Apparently, the Orioles don't have the capacity to evaluate their own players, therefore they need other teams to inform them exactly what it is that they have. :lol:

That has the potential to increase the gate by anywhere between 15-25 million.

Exactly. The Cubs don't have a "position of strength" where they can deal someone and still be strong at that position. Besides, Hendry clearly wants a lefty bat in RF.

how long is bradley out though? does he miss any time in 2008? From everything I've read, he hopes to be ready by Spring Training. But, that's probably a bit hopeful.

If the Cubs can't get Fukudome to cross the pond, #2 on my FA wish list would be Milton Bradley. Bradley will likely be cheaper and has much more upside. Jenkins is probably 3rd on my list, but I'd prefer the trade route rather than drop down to Jenkins. The money rumored to be offered up for Matsui would probably get the job done for Bradley. With Murton holding down the #4 outfield slot and Daryle Ward as a possible fill in until Bradley is ready, that's the route I'd probably go.

Words don't begin to describe how funny this really is. I liken it to the Jacque Jones/Omar Infante trade. Padres GM- Hey, we will give you a really crappy player for your starting CFer if you pay most of his salary. Cardinals GM- That offer is too good to pass up. You have yourself a deal.

It would be a brilliant move on the Cubs part to get a guy like Carlos Gonzalez, however, it will never happen. The Cubs aren't willing to give their own prospects a chance. How on Earth is someone else's prospect going to get that chance?

I don't think that's exactly what Bruce said. I think what he said sounded more like:

Rosenthal reported that the Cubs were likely to pick up Trachsel's option. Obviously, a few days later that turned out not to be true when the Cubs declined it, but there was a lot of hand wringing here during that time. :D Ah. I missed the sarcasm. Could have sworn I remember Tracshel getting his walking papers.

Bruce, please give Hendry my wish list. Thanks in advance! :D SS- Jhonny Peralta RF- Fukudome

Was I in sleep mode at one point? What's this business about picking up Tracshel's option?

Man I really hate ARod. Him and the Yankees were made for each other.

Did Chipper retire? Did the Braves find $55M Chipper's a FA?

Did Chipper retire?

There can't possibly be a market for Scott Rolen. Not that I think St. Louis has even a remote chance of signing Lowell anyway.

If I was confident that Hendry had the ability to land a decent RF, I might not be making nearly as much noise. I'm glad Jones is gone, but at the same time I wouldn't have minded him as a 4th outfielder if Murton could have been packaged in a deal to improve elsewhere, and as protection for Pie if Pie poops the bed. If I'm the GM, Jones is my insurance policy if I can't get Crawford or Fukudome. Once I have an upgrade in RF locked up, THEN I consider trading him, and only when I feel like I'm getting value in return. Only a day after Jones was traded, Minnesota traded us a PTBNL for Craig Monroe, the right handed version of Jacque Jones. Monroe is set to make nearly as much as Jones in 2008, and the Cubs aren't giving Minnesota any salary relief. Granted, Jones came from Minnesota, and they may not want him back. But, if you are a major league team in need of a cheap outfielder, you really aren't throwing yourself under the bus to trade for Jacque Jones. There will be many teams this offseason trying to position themselves for cheap outfield help like Corey Patterson, Geoff Jenkins, Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez. Those teams that aren't willing to pay the price or the years to grab what's left of the lousy free agent class towards the end of this offseason might have been willing to cough up a half way decent prospect for Jones. To trade him for the likes of Omar Infante is assinine. With the addition of Infante, the Cubs have now had every crappy utility middle infielder in baseball in the last 10 years. The list is actually quite scary. If that's the best he could get for Jones, then he was better off just keeping him. I'm certainly not convinced that the 2.5-3m savings of not having Jones will be spent wisely. If Prior and Wood are both back and Fukudome is in RF, I'll give Hendry a flyer. But, it will never change the fact Hendry gave Jones away for next to nothing.

Wow. A measily 25m bump from his original contract. Someone will come along and beat that soon enough, and boy won't ARod be upset. :D