BigbadB

I'm curious what Hendry might do if he loses out on Schmidt. Will he look at Drew some more since there won't be a top notch SP to add? In other words, what will be Plan B if Schmidt isn't doable?

Call me crazy, but I think I'd rather have Bynum. Watching Counsell's stance in the batters box makes me want to :pukel:

Schmidt hasn't been listed on many of my wish lists this offseason because I didn't think he was realistic. But, hey! If Hendry gets Schmidt, I'll freak!

I have to admit that I was very upset with the Jacque signing last year. I thought it would really handcuff the team in the coming years. I'm happy to say I was completely wrong about that. The Cubs are sitting pretty with Jones at this point. They can keep him or they can move him. If they elect to move him, he should net a really nice return. If GMJ is going to get 11-13m a year, what team wouldn't rather trade for Jones at 4-5m? The Cubs have some trade chips now. Jones, Izturis, Barrett, bullpen arms and pitching prospects. If they can't get what is needed on the FA market, they should be able to upgrade through trades.

If Lugo is going to be 8m per, I'm quite pleased we are out of the picture. I like the guy, but not that much.

Nevin will be looking for a starting job somewhere. If he can't get one, it's a possibility that he could end up back here. He's very versatile. He can fill in at 3b, 1b, COF, and catcher, none all that well. :D But, he does have a respectable bat. Klesko is another option. He probably won't be an A or B and a lot of teams might pass on him as well. Klesko would have to prove he's healthy, though. Both would be good bench options.

When did the splits feature get added to that site, or am I just an idiot for never noticing that before?

My lengthy post was not about DeRosa. It was about making the team better. It's debatable whether DeRosa will be better than Theriot. But, DeRosa at least has a large enough sample size to argue in his favor. DeRosa is most definitely better than either Izturis or Cedeno. I'm not so sure Hendry or Piniella value Theriot higher than either of those two, so is it an upgrade to have DeRosa at 2nd over Cedeno? ABSOLUTELY. DeRosa can play multiple positions. As a platoon with Jones in RF, he can be very valuable. As a 4th outfielder, he is valuable. As a back up for Ramirez or Lee, he's a whole heck of a lot more valuable than John Mabry. As a 2b, I'll agree with you that he isn't someone to get overly excited about. If it was going to cost much more for a better upgrade at 2b and Soriano and Drew or Soriano and Manny is no longer doable, who is upset now? The Cubs have made it clear that they still want 2 BIG bats and two arms. DeRosa isn't standing in the way. If EPatt shows he belongs in the big leagues anytime within the next 3 years, DeRosa isn't standing in the way. If Drew and Soriano ended up wearing a Cub uniform in 2007, DeRosa at 2nd is not going to hurt much. I fell into the Cedeno trap last year. I felt he could handle a starting job. I'm not so willing to play that game again without significant upgrades elsewhere. Theriot isn't Cedeno. But, he is still somewhat of an unknown. I can understand Hendry's hesitancy to do this also. His last offseason earned him a last place finish. My post wasn't about DeRosa. It was about getting better across the board. DeRosa is a better bench option already than any player that was a bench player last year. Maybe that won't be his true role, but I'm going to give Hendry the benefit of the doubt for the time being. If DeRosa ends up being our most significant addition, I'll be right there with you with the torches.

So a top free agent is going to sign because the cubs signed DeRosa? doubtful. I don't know if Hendry has a plan in place and is fitting the pieces together. I sure hope so. Hard to give him the benefit of the doubt after the last two offseasons though. I have said all along that the DeRosa move has to be put in context. Hendry definitely overpaid and I'm just praying he isn't the starting 2b. Active teams tend to get more attention. I wasn't really referring to DeRosa. But, since you mention it, I'm not really dogging DeRosa like everyone else is. He wasn't on my list of choices for 2b, but some of Hendry's bold past moves worked out fairly decent, so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one. Hendry has been busy. He managed to work a deal for Ramirez. He re-upped Miller and Wood, made a few trades and the Cubs seem to be listed as interested in every FA on the market. I like the vibe I'm hearing from the Cub camp this offseason. Can't say the same about previous years. Hendry, this offseason, kind of reminds me of a a player in the last year of their contract. They seem to always be better in that year where the fat, long term deal lurks. I can only hope we continue seeing this aggressiveness in the future. It's almost as if Hendry takes on the personality of his manager. Dusty was ho-hum, and Piniella is intense. Hendry was ho-hum the past few offseasons and this season he appears to be intense. There is no way you can sit there and say he's done nothing this offseason. Hendry has bid 30m on Mats, is rumored to have said he will not be outbid by ANYBODY for Soriano, has been mentioned as one of two teams serious about Drew, is mentioned in talks for pitching, like Westbrook and Marquis. Signed a guy to play 2b. Who is really signed at this point? Soriano? Nope. Drew? Nope. Bonds? Nope. The Cubs have arguably been the busiest team this offseason. I'll be first on the list to bash on him some more if he doesn't get some of the guys he's after. But, I'll hold off judgment for now, because he is not the same Hendry that went into the '04 and '05 offseasons at this point. I think he's actually waking from a 2 year coma.

I don't buy the rumor at all. Meanwhile, I get excited everytime I hear that Hendry is looking at one of the top FA. I'd be shocked if Drew signed that deal. If he did, it likely means he really wanted to play in Boston. In this money crazy market, he's worth more than that. As far as signing DeRosa and other role player moves, I hate to say it, but these guys typically get signed much earlier than the top tier guys. the semi-decent one's anyway. There's not nearly the market for these guys and if a good deal comes along, they are wise to take it. Plus, if Hendry sat on his hands waiting to spend all the dough on top free agents and not fixing the rest of the team, the top FA's might not see the team as a place to sign if they aren't serious about being competitive. I'm certainly not a Hendry apologist by any means. But, I'm not about to let this rumor get me all worked up. Hendry should be talking to all the agents of the top tier FA's. He needs to make them well aware how interested he is in each player, and to make sure they don't forget. Hopefully, he gets 1 or 2 of them.

Might as well be "Z". If he'll count towards a FA signing, I'll pass.

Florida got more in every trade they made last year, and they covet Willis much moreso than the guys they traded last year. I don't see any truth to this rumor.

I have to admit that I like his sound bites. A pleasant change from Dusty's nonchalant "we need some good players, I think I'll go fishing."

Let us not forget that Hendry has been quoted to say that no one will beat his bid for Soriano. Manny and Soriano would be a pretty big score.

Don't have time to read the whole thread and I'm absolutely amazed that every time I walk away from my computer for 5 minutes, more news echoes througout Cubville. I like the move. Aardsma didn't do enough to impress me. He's serviceable, which can be said of just about any reliever. LOOGY's seem to garner lots of attention. If this deal was to set up a Westbrook deal, I'm thrilled. There always seems to be a lack of LOOGY's on the market and everyone wants one. If it can net something good down the road this offseason with Eyre or Cotts, I'm cool.

And your thoughts? What's Marquis' Elias FA rating? A, B or C?

When WJ signs Miles to a 3 yr/13M contract, that might be a valid comparison. Well, you're a little late to the party if you think you are the first person to state that 3/13 is a bit over the top.

Who is Ben Maller? If the East Coast means Washington or Phily, Chicago HAS to be a more attractive option. I would be surprised to see Drew sign that quickly also.

Mark DeRosa career: .273 .331 .404 Aaron Miles career: .280 .322 .360 Don't you have your own crappy players to concern yourself with?

I'm not sure Hendry can get all those guys. There is a limit to how many A/B guys he can sign. DeRosa counts as 1 already.

I'll be happy with just one of them. I prefer Drew. Tremendous score if he figures out a way to get both, however.

Not once last year did I ever hear Hendry express any interest in Brian Giles.

Agreed. If he gets Soriano AND Drew, I'll be jumping for joy. I actually like how he's approaching the pitching. I think improving the offense has to be the main priority. While I agree that it's a very big gamble to end up relying on the rookies in the rotation, these rookies would have a confidence boost with a solid offense putting runs on the board. And only 1 or 2 of them (if any if Miller and Prior end up contributing) would need to step up. I'm still pretty high on Guzman.

Jones should be easy to move. San Diego has NO ONE to play LF. I hear SD is even looking at Bonds, though it's not clear whether they are serious or just attempting to drive up the price. Jones could play CF in Colorado. Jones would make for a nice platoon partner with Wily Mo. Jones could be included in a deal to Cleveland for Westbrook. Etc... If Boston is interested in Izturis, I'd send him there for a bag of balls.

<7/119 for Beltran. Live & learn. Yep, could have had him.