BigbadB

No Phil, it probably is a VERY BAD option. Although NOBODY wants to see a mediocre outfielder rob this team of years and dollars, this team can't survive with this cancer on the team. It's obvious by now Corey is neither wanting or willing to invest the time and effort it will take for him to realize his potential. Seemingly (how I have no idea), there are still some teams out there dumb enough to think they can coax it out of him. Could they? I suppose its plausible. But I'd like the Bears chances of beating the Colts in Super Bowl 100 times over. And thats not likely to happen. Quite frankly I'm sick and tired of idiotic journalists proposing such silly and preposterous ideas like this. Just because turd A stinks a little less than turd B doesn't mean that's a good option. Why would/should the Cubs settle for that??? IMO this scenario is a last resort and should only be explored if we can't get anybody else. If this happens it means Hendry has failed...demonstrably, and it should go a long way has to initiating his disposal. I agree with that. At this point, the Cubs need to sign Kevin Millwood since the arms are getting thin. With Millwood locked up, Jerome Williams becomes the necessary trade chip to get someone GOOD in RF. Millwood slots in quite nicely behind Zambrano, Prior and Wood, and just ahead of Maddux. Keep Hill and Guzman. Send Jerome Williams, Novoa/Welly and Corey Patterson to Texas for Brad Wilkerson. Money is probably about the same. If Tampa lowered their demand for Huff, add him as well. I really do believe they would let him go for a song if Travis Lee does get tendered. I can't imagine Tampa being even slightly interested in paying all of Huff's 7.5m contract for next year. Now you have an outfield of Murton, Pierre, Huff, Wilkerson, Hairston and Mabry. Huff can also play 1st and 3rd, Wilkerson and Hairston can play CF if Pierre is hurt or needs a day off. All it should REALLY cost for Huff (bad contract, coming off a bad year, where they have plenty of depth) is a guy like Brandon Sing mixed in with say Will Ohman/Welly/Novoa. If they would rather pay Huff 7.5m, be my guest. There is no way I offer Guzman and Wellemeyer for him, however. Not a chance. Call me a prospect lover if you wish, but Tampa's got unrealistic visions of way too much in return for a guy who is now officially a "bad" contract.

They have ivy at their stadium? What is it now anyway? PacBell? SBC? Rice-a-Roni Park? I believe it's AARP Park.

This doesn't make sense. Kolb does not "have to" be non-tendered just so the Brewers can sign him to a lower contract. The Brewers can resign him before the 20th to a lower rate than his 2005 contract. If he is non-tendered, he is free to negotiate with any team, including the Brewers, but that puts Kolb in a better bargaining position. :roll: I thought a team could only offer X percent lower then the last contract? It's true if the case goes before an arbitrator. If you decline to tender him, he becomes a free agent. You can offer him league minimum at that point, but you'll have to worry about someone else outbidding you. It sounds like Kolb and the Brewers have a deal in place to non tender and re-sign Kolb to something favorable to the player and the team.

Don't you need 1 TD before you can get 2? :wink:

HAHA! Good one. I don't know. Don't they have Olmedo Saenz too?

Bradley is good, but the excess baggage might make Oakland flinch. Plus, wouldn't the A's really rather have a Craig Wilson type than Bradley? Why didn't those two teams work a deal? Is Swisher really a horrible outfielder?

The As have not signed him since trading for him. Certainly makes one wonder if they don't sign him today, will they take a chance on what he might get by offering him arby? Yes, of course. This is a team that exercised a $4 million option on Jay Payton. They won't blink at paying Bradley a $4-ish contract. Interestingly enough, the Brewers just traded for Kolb, and now may non-tender him if they can't work out an agreement before the non-tender date. Would the A's do the same? I'm curious.

I had the Dodgers listed as the division winner for 2006 prior to the Mueller, Nomar and Lofton signings. They might have done a really foolish thing with giving Furcal ridiculous money, but apparently they put together a plan of action and went for the jugular. Not only do they have serious depth (especially if Sanders signs as well), but they have insurance at every position on the team. Nomar can play 1st, SS or 3rd or corner outfield. Mueller can play 2nd or 3rd. Furcal can play SS or 2nd. Kent can play 1b or 2b. Izturis can play 2b or SS. Cruz, Drew and Lofton can all play anywhere in the outfield. And they still have many complimentary parts beyond those guys. Repko, Robles, Werth, Choi.... And then they have the kids. Guzman, Navarro, Young and Loney, the kid they got from Oakland for Bradley, etc.... I won't even bring up the pitching prospects. Sorry San Diego. LA crushes you like a bug this coming year.

Why would the Giants trade Alou? Between Alou and Huff, you'd be paying more than it would have costed for Brian Giles by himself. Plus, it would cost the rest of the Cubs farm system to get them. I want nothing to do with Alou. Let him lazily kick the ball in the ivy in San Francisco for the rest of his lazy career.

Is that the sign of a good agent?

I believe the rumor was Wellemeyer and Guzman for Huff. I don't think the Cubs have plans for Lugo. They probably don't have the available guys to get Lugo AND Huff at this point, either.

Do you know something I don't? :D Whoops. Current or Former is what I should have written.

I wanted Lofton right next to Giles in the outfield. He makes for an awesome 4th or 5th outfielder if nothing else. A guy who can lead off if your only lead off hitter gets hurt. He can hit for a very decent AVG. He's patient and draws plenty of walks. He can steal bases. He can play any outfield spot. A horrible arm, but what do you want for under 2m? I wish him well.

Alright, I finally decided to vote. What do I win?

You recall correctly.

I'd certainly like to learn more about his "attitude". Does he get one when the team tanks and no one else appears to care that they are tanking? If his attitude comes from being mad they aren't winning, I could think of worse things to have an attitude over.

Not a chance, and he most definitely would have accepted. He received way too much money last year. I need more than a .435 SLG from a corner outfielder. Todd Walker's was .471. Interestingly enough, when Milwaukee originally traded Burnitz, that trade now is quite the who's who of former Cubs. Burnitz of course. Glendon Rusch, Todd Zeile, Lenny Harris and Ross Gload were all involved in that deal, but the Cubs themselves weren't. :P

Boy was it exciting to see a QB come in and move the ball. Now I think we are ready for the playoffs. Bring on whoever!

Just no, huh? Tampa can shoot for the moon if they want, but I find it hard to believe they would rather go into the season paying Huff and Lugo a combined 12m when they have depth at both positions, and major weaknesses on the mound. They are a small market team. They can't afford to pay 2 guys 12m. Especially when they can bring up Delmon Young and BJ Upton to replace those 2 for league minimum. Maybe my position is whacked. Maybe Tampa really would hold every team over a barrel at this point in the offseason for a guy who had a very bad year (Huff). If I'm Hendry, I look elsewhere. Prior to the first game of this season, I'm going to bet that Tampa backs way off on those demands. Is Tampa a playoff caliber team with these guys? No. Is the 12m better spent getting some pitching before they lose them to free agency? Yes. I would have much rather seen Hendry make a move like the one I suggested over WAY overpaying for Pierre in his walk year and then overpaying for Huff also in his walk year. Granted, because it is their walk year, we may get one of those contract year like seasons (Adrian Beltre). But, they could be gone next year, and all those prospects will be gone too. I'm not even sure these additions will make the Cubs a playoff caliber team. My Magic 8-Ball says "Outlook not good".

I've been a proponent of trading for Huff ever since it was clear Hendry had no interest in Giles. I like Huff. However, this is not a deal I would make with Tampa. Tampa would love nothing more than to be rid of Huff and his 5m+ price tag in his free agent year. Are they going to offer him a long term deal if they keep him? Are they going to sit a disgruntled Delmon Young another year because they couldn't move Huff? If scouts and medical staff believe that Guzman's arm will never get back to what it was, then I'd probably make the deal. However, if Guzman has any inkling of returning to form, there is no way I give Tampa a top prospect for a guy in the last year of his contract, makes as much as he does, AND is coming off a bad year. If the Cubs do this deal, I'm going to be upset with this entire offseason. To make up for lost opportunities, they continue to overspend for mediocrity. This would be Ed Lynch all over again, IMO. Is Ricky Nolasco, Angel Guzman, Renyel Pinto, Sergio Mitre, and Todd Wellemeyer worth Juan Pierre and Aubrey Huff? Seriously? 5 serviceable arms for two guys in their walk years, both coming off their worst seasons? Uggh. All 5 of them are starter material. Better yet, does anyone know that Aubrey Huff's contract will pay him 7.5m next year? Let Tampa pay him 7.5m to sit the bench next year. See if they'd rather do that than accept Wellemeyer and Koronka for him. I just want to go on record that if this deal happens, and Guzman turns into a stud starter and Nomar has an injury free year, I will be one very pissed off Cub fan. Wouldn't Mitre, Nolasco, Guzman, Pinto and Wellemeyer have been enough to get Julio Lugo, Aubrey Huff AND Joey Gathright, with Tampa picking up part of Lugo or Huff's contract for next year? Gathright is Pierre Jr.. Lugo is nearly identical to Furcal (minus a ridiculous contract), and Huff is a desperately needed LH power bat. These rumors make me absolutely sick to my stomach.

Yeah, I don't get the 1b option. Wouldn't it be a better idea to just stick him in LF and call it good. Drew in CF, Jose Cruz in RF. When Izturis comes back, Kent slides to 1b and Choi becomes trade deadline commodity.

So, your middle infield would be Neifi Perez and Jerry Hairston with no back ups. Yuck!

The Cardinals got Aaron Miles for 2nd. He put up a .281/.306/.355 line last year. In Coors Field. Good call. However, his .208/.247/.292 numbers outside of Coors probably doesn't guarantee him a back up role, let alone a starting job.

Anthony Reyes in the rotation. He's supposed to be really good. 2b, LF, RF- They could probably go with Luna, Rodriguez and Nunez respectively at those positions, and they would still have a better offense than the Cubs. All three had a .285 AVG or better, and all three had .343 OBP's or better. A healthy Rolen would make up for any lost power from Sanders. Of course, they could still make a trade or two, or could even pick up a free agent here or there, which could be an upgrade(s) over 1, 2 or even all 3 of those guys. They aren't nearly as challenged as we are. They are coming off of back to back division championships. We are barely over .500 combined over the last 2 seasons. Who needs to make something happen this year?

Who is saying their opinion is cut and dry? Using stats to support your opinion just gives that opinion a little more credence. Corey Patterson is lousy! It's an opinion, and anyone can argue that opinion. Corey Patterson is lousy because his SLG wasn't even as high as Walker's OBP, is an opinion supported by stats, which anyone can still argue that opinion. Are you asking that we all quit using stats to support our argument? *I was only using Corey as an example to prove my point. In no way am I declaring one way or another that Corey is lousy, even if the stats support that theory.