DurbanJer

The absolutely most awesome amazing thing about this is that we have an owner and management group that will be actually pursuing a defined, long-term strategy for success. I cannot believe what I'm seeing. I have read every page of this thread (been lurking for a while) and have enjoyed every minute - even the silly bits and the insane posts from the SOSH guys. On the issue of compensation, I'd be willing to bet that the teams have agreed to a form of binding arbitration. I believe that this most likely favors the Cubs, but it also allows Henry and co. to save a bit of face (if they have any honor left) with their fans. When they end up not getting major league ready (or close to it talent) they will be able to blame MLB and do the whole 'us against the world'-'chip on the shoulder' bit. It's a cynical strategy, but it's very effective when dealing with a tribal mentality.

Yeah we should probably target a legit WR in the offseason. It's too bad we didn't have the cap space to sign anyone good this year because there were quite a few good WRs out there. #-o

No suprise - Ron Turner was toast somewhere around week 9. But seriously, how Lovie and his defensive schemes - the same system that got this team shredded on more than one occasion - continues to get a pass is beyond me. This in on Jerry Angelo as much as anything - If it wasn't the coach or the scheme it was the players. If it was the players, then you have to hold the person responsible for the collection of talent responsible. JA should be canned. The Gaines Adams trade was a firable offense in and of itself, if you ask me. How can you go into what will likely be one of the best drafts in recent memory without a pick on day one? If true they better hire a sharp, up and coming OC with broad authority over the entire offense and a DC that gets to install his own scheme. What a mess. This is the least modern football organization in modern football.

The big-market teams that have had the kind of sustained success that you're talking about have the same sort of long-term deals on their books as the Cubs do (more, actually), and those teams are not trading away their expensive impact guys like you're suggesting. IMO the main thing that separates the Cubs from the likes of the NYY and Red Sox is that those teams are producing a regular influx of all-star caliber talent out of their farm system. Hopefully the Cubs have turned the corner on this one, and will be getting significant contributions at the ML level in the near future from their top prospects. Ironically, you think the Cubs should contend every year, yet your blueprint virtually ensures that they won't be for the next few years, at a minimum. A better plan would be to try and contend now with the core they've got, and contend later with the core they're developing -- which is just what they're doing. Sure, there are certainly examples of big market teams with unwieldy contracts, but I don't see them doing so year in and year out. And there's no doubt that one of the great benefits of being a big market team is the financial flexibility to miss on a signing. My dream would be to have a well run front office that was founded on an organizational philosophy that affected all levels. In terms of my plan ensuring that we won't be competitive the next few years, perhaps. If the talent return was appropriate and we had the payroll flexiblity we could do a lot more. I'm not entirely advocating blowing the whole thing up, but changing course for long term success. And we if we had that kind of philosophy, I'd love to see the Cubs swoop in on Adrian Gonzalez. Won't happen because of Lee's NTC, but he's much cheaper and would most certainly NOT be killing our chances next year and get a long term asset that will most probably be more productive over the next few years than Lee. There's a reason teams like Boston and NY are good every year beyond their resources - they're constantly looking to upgrade position by position.

Come on guys, this is not about what Theriot said or did not say. This is about a player who has perceived value that could be net some long-term benefit for the team (his value relative to his production is probably at its peak). There could be many teams who'd be willing to part with an useful piece in exchange for a productive, major-league caliber shortstop. The Cubs, under Ricketts, have expressed their desire to establish a plan such that they build a system that allows the major league team to fill its needs from within or to use the pieces they have to build long-term success. With the NTC contracts doled out to the likes of Zambrano, DLee, and Ramirez, those pieces are harder to move to execute that plan. I too, as others have mentioned, would love to see any one of those players shopped for talent that would: -build the farm system, or -start to stock the team with lower price replacements that are younger and likely to be more productive over the long term, or -free up some of the back-loaded contracts so that they have more financial flexiblity. I do not see JH conforming to this methodology. He, as I've noted before, is the classic short-term fix type manager. He doesn't seem to carry thorugh with a long term talent/payroll strategy that help make other teams successful over the long-haul. With a well run front office combined with the inherent financial benefit of a major-market franchise, there would be absolutely NO reason for this team to be a contender every year. To do that, you have to start recognizing the value of your assets and move them, reduce the impact of overhead on those stupid long-term deals, and be willing to move popular players. JH won't do this. But its a nice thought.

I don't know about him staying in Chicago or not, but bearing a major injury, he is opting out. No doubt. At the very least he can make the same amount as now but tack on a few extra years of guaranteed cash. In addition to the no-brainer move to get more money, I'm not sure how much more of this crap Aramis wants to deal with. He's still villified in some circles for being fat and lazy, for not being there when Lee went down and crap like that. He's dealt with lots of injuries in his career and probably thinks his chances for a title are dwindling. I do believe he honestly likes being a Cub, in general, but I think a potentially miserable 2010 could easily push him out the door to any number of more frequently competitive teams that could use a bat like his. Only way Ramirez doesn't opt out is if he's spends a lot of time on the DL this year. Which is of course bad for the Cubs. We lose perhaps our most productive player for chunks of 2010, he stays around for 2011, but at substantial risk to continued injury. Vitters development will be extremely important over the next two years. I doubt that JH has a 'Plan B' - if you could ever accuse JH of following and executing a plan.

Reverting to the topic at hand - sort of - and away from ruined TV weekends: Trading Z to a willing partner falls directly in-line with the exact kind of move that Hendry seemingly has no instinct for. He's done OK in picking up other teams' salary dumps in years past, for that I'll concede some credit. Not a lot, but a bit. But where I, and others here on this board, really have a beef is in his consistent mismanagement of the roster from the perspective of long-term planning and taking advantage of team assets to maximize the talent on the roster year-in and year-out. The maligned DeRosa trade aside (the only team I can recall a player being 'sold' at the peak of his value), Hendry consistently returns to talent who may have had value in years past and then overpays for it, seemingly becomes fixated on a set of ideas that change yearly, becomes enamored of his own players (and grants them NTC that completely handcuffs the organization), and hands out long-term contracts that fail to recognize that players, over time and on average, will decline in productivity. If there's a market for Zambrano, I'd be all-over a trade for a young, quality, position player from a team that is over-stocked in one position, or sees a quality pitcher as a missing piece to take them to the next level. Zambrano's value is certainly not at its peak (that was probably in the 2005-7 time frame), though it certainly hasn't tanked. Modern baseball (and all sports) demand constant re-imagining of rosters within financial constraints and long-term planning. Sadly, I can't identify what JH's long-term strategy for the Cubs is. Getting "more left-handed" or "athletic" is the short-sided baseball GM equivalant of a slapping a band-aid on a bleeding artery. Good organizations have a plan and execute to that plan. They don't change their systems every year and wonder why, yet again, they failed to catch lightning in a bottle and then go back to the drawing board. Speaking of peak value, as much as I admire the player and the person, Derek Lee would be a perfect sell-high opportunity. Adrian Gonzalez is available and is two years removed from his eventual big pay-out. The Padres are apparantly interested in trading him, I'd love a move that would make that possible. Sadly, Lee and Zambrano, will not be viewed by this organization as high-value assets that are likely to have diminishing value over the next two years. Instead - and until theire's a change in organizational philosophy that can only come if JH is gone - we'll see them on the roster for the next two years, they'll age past their prime years and either walk for nothing and we'll continue to have a time of over-paid, untradable (NTC) assets that could help this franchise establish itself year-in and year-out.

Bears should get unsportsmanlike conduct for stepping onto the field at this point.

=D> we rock

when did we become the Browns? Is this the same team that beat the Steelers? Really?

That's what is supposed to happen when you set up the run with the pass. more please

where's my defibrillator

:shock:

I'm so glad we traded our 2nd round pick. I mean the pass rush is so vastly improved.

over/under is now 48 on the Cardinals offense. I'll take the over. :banghead:

This is terrible. If the "d" can't hold, we need to keep the Cardinals off the field with a good mix of offense. Trick plays should be shelved. That reverse was an awful idea. Now we're back on our heels. How do you set up the run with the pass and then go reverse. God... 21-7

Trade Soriano to the Dodgers in a three team deal that gets the Cubs Peavy and sign Manny. Mwahahahaha!

In only partial jest, why couldn't we move Sori to CF?? He was signed to play that spot. He's a professional MLB player and should be able to make the adjustment.

Man, I'm going to miss having Kerry around. This is top of the line class, my friends. Top of the line.

I live 2100 miles away and I can tell you - it doesn't work.... I live 10,000 miles, 6 time zones away and it doesn't work. Heck, I got up in the middle of the freakin' night to watch this crap two years in a row -- only to get the fan equivalent of getting a Kerry Wood fastball in the cup. Thanks. :doh:

I doubt y'all are still posting here. But I wanted to drop in and get my belated opportunity to do so. I was on a transcontinental flight between Wash DC and South Africa for this flight. Rest assured I wore my GEO jersey for the flight and was asked - by south africans of all people - if the Cubs were going all the way this year. The answer? (and censors be damned). -- HELL YEAH

I can't think of 8 guys worthy of making this roster. Soriano - Stikes out too much on pitches in the dirt Theriot - Hitting .250 since July Lee - GIDP Machine Ramirez - prone to 0-25 slumps Soto - made Samardjiza give up 4 straight singles in the 6th inning DeRosa - boots DP grounders Fukudome - hit like .100 since the break Fontenot - too small Blanco - too many tatoos Edmonds - an [expletive] Reed Johnson - will probably kill himself trying to make a play; a lawsuit waiting to happen Cedeno - No baseball IQ And that's just the hitters Methinks Soto hath redeemed himself....

HA! The best part is the joke at the end about the White Sox --- "This next one's about the White Sox (booing and one wacko screaming 'yeah')..... It's called f*** em. Sweet.

Let him pitch the 8th and bring Shark in for the 9th and call it a ballgame. Now, I have to leave for the stupid airport. I hate not being able to watch the whole game. GO CUBS!!

Great work, Ted. Now, don't suck.