BigbadB

AARP Field? :D

Bellhorn, Bellhorn, Bellhorn! :cheers: Finally, a good Padres move. I'm not a Padres fan, but to know I only live a few blocks from "the Horn" is awesome!

Ha! This is like a bad dream on a carousel. It just keeps coming back around and around and around. Ya know. The Cubs could have just SIGNED Tejada when he was a FREE AGENT! :twak: Oh, wait. We still had a year left of Alex Gonzalez, so no, there was no way Hendry could do that. :roll: If the Cubs trade Prior for Tejada, I will be taking a long break from Cub baseball.

Well, since you brought up Dusty's "matchups", have you ever gotten a peak at Dusty's notes? If so, my only question would be..... Are they done in crayon and are they in Darren's writing? Nevermind. No need to respond. I think I already know the answer. :D

Anything you can share regarding Brian Giles? Was there no interest in him? Did Giles not want to play in Chicago? Did Hendry assume or have some sort of first hand knowledge Giles had no desire to leave San Diego? Any help on this would be appreciated.

Does Walker really switch teams anymore regularly than any other player? Grudz has been on just as many teams (if you include KC now). Lofton has always seemed like a pretty good guy, he's now on his 10th team. Mark Loretta is a really great guy, and he's now on his 4th team.

Interestingly enough, I never thought I saw Kerry Wood more frustrated with the Cubs than in 2003 when he got absolutely zero run support game after game after game. He easily should have eclipsed 20 wins that year. Instead, he settled for 14. April 23, 2003- 7 innings, 2 earned runs. Cubs shut out by Eaton May 4th-Left in tie game. Cubs win against Jason Jennings. May 10- 1 earned run in 7 innings. Cubs win 3-2 against St. Louis May 15- 7 innings, no runs. Cubs win 4-2 against Milwaukee May 26- 7 innings, 1 earned run. Cubs lose 10-0. Aug 11- 7 innings, 2 earned runs. Cubs lose 3-1. Aug 27-7 innings, no runs. Cubs lose 4-2 Sept. 2- 7 innings, 1 earned run. Cubs lose 2-0. Sept. 12- 6 innings, 1 earned run. Cubs win 7-6. These were games he either got a no decision or a loss. Wish loud enough, and your wish might come true. I hope the pitching staff appreciates the defense this year.

One major difference between Florida and Tampa is that Florida made their players available very early and had better players to offer. By the end of the offseason, most teams will have made their moves (whether they were good or bad) and won't feel a need to make a panic move (Jacque Jones anyone?) for a bad contract. By the end of the offseason, Tampa might be able to trade bad contracts, but I would think that would be the best they'll be able to do. Delgado is not a bad contract. Beckett is not a bad contract, and also allowed Florida to dump a bad contract to move him.

Tampa can pay Huff 7.5m for another year of: .261/.321/.749 And I side with JeffH that steroids cannot be ruled out.

To be fair, BBB didn't really say that would be sufficient. He said that's all he'd be willing to give. If that's all he'd be willing to give, he better be prepared to not get anything. Yep. I'm fine with that. Considering Neifi and Jones will be playing everyday for this team next year, I don't think Huff will make or break this team one way or another. I'd rather see if Guzman can break into the rotation next year. With Neifi and Jones making up 1/4 of the offense, the Cubs will need as many shut out capable pitchers they can get their hands on.

Would it involve heroin and needles and foreheads, or something much worse?

What did Sosa do the year they signed him to all that money?? 1.100 ops??? 60some homers?? The year the Cubs signed Sosa to that deal, they weren't in the playoffs. In 2003, they were. Giles at 15m would not have wiped out the entire budget. They would have had plenty of money and prospects to spare to upgrade any other positions. Also wasn't asking Hendry to give Giles a long term deal. How about a 15m signing bonus and 3/30m? I just want someone to ask Hendry in an open forum why he gave no evidence of showing any interest in Giles. I need to know the answer to that question.

Are we sure that TB is going to promote Young to start the season? He could stand a little more time at AAA. Remember that DKWG's report said that Guzman/Wellemeyer was Hendry's offer and that TB was holding out for more. DKWG's report was based out of KC. How much stock can be put into it? I recall reading a lot of aggression coming from the Tampa camp that they discussed keeping Upton and Young down another year. Lamar has since left and I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Chicago's leverage just became stronger now that they have filled an outfield hole. Nothing any of us are real proud of, mind you, but how many other teams are in a position to take on Huff's deal and would give up pitching prospects to do so? All I'm saying is we offer Koronka and Welly and that doesn't get it done, move on. I would not give up Guzman. It would be giving another player away when their value is at an all time low.

Waaaa? What in earth would give you that impression? One of my pet peeves this offseason has people throwing out ridiculously low-ball trade scenarios and then calling Hendry an idiot for not making that deal. If Huff is traded for anything equivalent to Koronka (a mediocre to bad lefty) and Wellemeyer (an inconsistant righty bullpen arm with a bit of upside) I'll eat my shoe. One of my pet peeves has been watching people throw out ridiculous overpay offers for a guy who isn't worth it. Tampa has no pitching. Wellemeyer is a very serviceable reliever or can be converted back into the rotation for a small market team. Koronka is a lefty who has had a decent winter. Neither are something to get really excited about. I'll admit it. However, Tampa doesn't have the budget to just sit a guy making 7.5m on their bench if he has another less than stellar year. Tampa needs pitching REALLY bad. Who's going to offer it to them? Who's going to take Huff's 7.5m off their hands AND give up good pitching prospects? Name one team that will do that. If Tampa would rather pay 7.5m for Huff to sit on the bench than add a couple of pitchers to their staff, that's their choice. I also wonder if Hendry made an offer like the one I suggested, and nothing got done because Tampa wouldn't back off on Guzman and Welly. Fine. Deals don't have to be worked out. But, Tampa wasn't able to move Lugo OR Huff OR Baez OR Gathright at this point, and I'd bet that the reason is because their demands have been too high. I'd also bet that there is way too much pressure on the new GM to find a way to get Upton and Young playing everyday. Until Lugo and Huff are moved, it's difficult to justify bringing up two players that are getting extremely disgruntled that they haven't received the permanent call at this juncture. JeffH is right. Tampa could wait until July. It's only my opinion, but I believe Tampa REALLY wants these guys gone and will eventually take whatever they can get for them because they won't want to pay their salaries when those guys won't make them any better one way or the other. Baez, Lugo and Huff make up over 15m in payroll. Rarely will you see a team give up really good prospects in exchange for a really bad contract. Tampa could probably move Huff for a good prospect if they pick up part of the contract. I would be surprised to see that happen, honestly. I'll be watching the wire. If Huff gets traded to someone for two guys no better than Koronka and Wellemeyer, I'll be wanting to see the video of you eating your shoe. By the way, I would have much rather given up Nolasco, Pinto, Mitre, Guzman, Koronka, Wellemeyer, Jermaine Van Buren and Novoa for all of or a combination of Gathright, Huff, Lugo and Baez rather than the less than stellar combination of Pierre and Jones. 15m spent and you got a CF who is very comparable to Pierre for league minimum, a power lefty RF bat to bat behind Aramis, a SS who compares to Furcal and a set up man.

Sosa in 2003 on a tight budget: 16m=.279/.358/.553/.911 Giles at 15m with a plenty of budget space and using his 2005 numbers: .301/.423/.483/.906

It's fair enough to believe that Giles wanted to stay in SD. Maybe Giles' perceived interest in other teams was just to drive up SD's offer. It is very possible. I won't deny that. But, Chicago had more money to spend this offseason than just about every other team. Would Giles REALLY tell Hendry "don't bother" if his main interest is to drive up his price? Who offered Giles 3/45m? No one. Seeing how Hendry has signed someone who is almost an exact opposite of Giles in Jacque Jones, has traded for a speed guy (does Hendry even know what OBP is?) in Pierre, and has allowed Dusty to give Neifi the starting nod over Walker at 2nd base before Spring Training even starts tells me that Hendry and Dusty have completely differing philosophies on how to build a team, and Giles doesn't fit their mold of what would make this team better. That's a more telling feature than "Giles just wasn't interested in leaving San Diego". When Neifi or Jones bats 2nd, we will honestly know for sure that Hendry and Dusty value speed above everything else, including OBP. Well, Neifi isn't speedy. But, we do already know that Dusty would bat him 2nd. I'll just be done arguing about this. Nothing will change the fact that Jacque Jones is in RF instead of Giles. It's wishful thinking that has no chance of coming to fruition. The damage is done. I couldn't be anymore disappointed in this offseason. Maybe it's better that way. I really do spend way too much time obsessing over the Cubs.

What was New York's offer? I don't recall them actually making one. Their offer also would have been to play CF. More than likely, he would have been DHing rather than playing the field when they saw how bad defensively an outfield of Sheffield, Giles and Matsui would have been. I don't recall any offers that were far superior to what the Padres caved in and offered. It is my belief that because there were no superior offers, Giles signed with the Padres so that he wouldn't be put in a position where he couldn't return to the Padres until May 1 at the earliest if he decided no offers were worth leaving for. You are welcome to believe that Giles had no interest in leaving San Diego. Hendry's mad love for Furcal (as well as his belief that no team could or would match his offer) leads me to believe he honestly had no desire for Giles. He only wanted Furcal. Until I hear differently, that will stay my belief. Call it assinine if you want, but it's no more assinine than believing that Giles called up Hendry prior to the bidding process and said "Jim, I want nothing to do with Chicago, so don't bother bidding". It wouldn't have behooved Giles in the slightest to so something like that. Whether he wanted to leave San Diego or not, why on Earth would a player decrease his value to return by telling teams not to bid on his services? Because he doesn't want to play there? Ridiculous. Do you think Toronto would have been a more favorable place than Chicago? Opposite league than the one he has spent his entire career. Lesser chance than the Cubs to win the division or make playoffs. A different country. Etc.... Was it foolish of Toronto to make an offer for Giles? Nope. Why not take a chance he'll like your deal better? Would it have been foolish for the Cubs to make an offer? Okay, you say "how do you know the Cubs didn't?" Based on how offseason's go, you basically hear about nearly every rumor that gets bandied about. NO ONE heard a thing about the Cubs having any interest whatsoever in Brian Giles. NO ONE! What we did hear is that Hendry claimed "I don't want to get into a bidding war for Giles". That's what we do know. He didn't want to get into a bidding war for the most obvious choice to fill the RF vacancy, the left handed power bat in the heart of the order that was available on the market. Yet, he didn't mind getting into a bidding war for Furcal and Jacque Jones. He didn't mind overpaying for Pierre. He basically overpaid every single player that has been added to this team this offseason, but he didn't want to overpay for the guy who could have helped this team more than any other player on the market? Nice! I hope this question gets asked at convention and the caravan. I really want to know the truth about whether Giles was even given an afterthought. I will be all ears for that question. From Brian Giles point of view: Why would he want to pack up and move his entire family to another city if no one is willing to cough up more money than the team he's currently playing for is willing to offer? If you answer nothing else, please provide the New York Yankee offer and prove that they did indeed offer much more than the Padres did.

Meh, I think Murton is as good as gone. With the announcement that Walker is 3rd on the depth chart, there is no way Dusty starts Cedeno and Murton. Murton will go in a 3 way deal that sends Gathright to Florida, Murton to Tampa and Huff to Chicago. My excitement for the 2006 season is completely in the toilet.

HAHA! Good stuff. I can totally see that happening. Well, not really. But, I would like to hear a better theory.

Uh, that would be a definite NO. But, nice try though. Can we now get back to the topic at hand, which I believe had something to do with Kerry Wood pitching in relief for no other apparent reason except Dusty felt the need to preserve a winning season for his own personal gain. Ding Ding Ding! I also think Dusty used the WC possibility as an excuse to meet his real goal: obtaining a .500 record for his own personal gain. Pitching him the day before surgery? I have no doubt about that. What other reason would you not try out Murton and/or Cedeno at the top of the order. What Dusty didn't know was that by putting Perez and Macias at the top of the order, he was only setting himself up for failure even more. His moves in September were pretty obvious that he wanted a .500 or better record. As a Cub fan, an 81-81 season is no more successful than a 65-97 record. Not being in the playoffs is what it is. To sacrifice reps of potential prospects for a guy you're just going to kick off the team when the season is over (Macias) is bad decision making. Putting Wood in the bullpen was about as far from brilliant as it gets.

I'd still like to see the Cubs get Huff. Do you agree with me that it shouldn't take anymore than say Koronka and Wellemeyer to land Huff? Tampa just signed Travis Lee, they have Crawford, Baldelli, Gomes, Young and Gathright. Huff will be making 7.5m coming off a bad year. There is no way I offer Hill, Williams or Guzman for him.

I don't see anything wrong with someone offering a positive spin on Jones. You don't have to buy what someone is selling. No locky.

2nd and 3rd were already gone because of Eyre and Howry. But, yeah, it's been mentioned. It's probably about 10 pages back now, so certainly bears repeating.

Using that "get out of jail free card" I gave you for Christmas already? :D

Uh, that would be a definite NO. But, nice try though. Can we now get back to the topic at hand, which I believe had something to do with Kerry Wood pitching in relief for no other apparent reason except Dusty felt the need to preserve a winning season for his own personal gain.