Rob

DeRosa can play SS, even if Lou refuses to put him there... but yeah, that's probably the best we can expect to get... and considering we have a DH, that's real sad.

We've traded Barrett for Rob Bowen and Kyler Burke. Rob Bowen is a backup C who was a nice prospect for the Twins about five years ago, but he's sorta flamed out... Still only 26 though. And he does have a nice walk rate with about average power. Problem is that he can't make any contact. And, ironically enough, depending on which metric is looked at, he might be worse defensively than Barrett (though no scouting reports back this up). Kyler Burke is a 19 year old right fielder in A ball who was drafted in the supplemental round last year (35th overall). He's about as toolsy as they come, but he hasn't put up anything even resembling good numbers (aside from his walk rate). His arm is strong enough that if he continues to flame out, he can be converted to a reliever. There's also money involved, but conflicting reports of who the money is going to. Though it has to be assumed it's going to the Padres.

That's why I brought it up. The Greg Maddux argument against Barrett is officially moot... which makes this trade look all the worse.

According to a poster on the Friar Fantatics message board, Kevin Towers was on the radio saying Maddux and Peavy told him to go get Barrett.

Is that before the year or now? Before the year... but still, it's a pretty stark difference.

Is that in comparison to other catchers only then? If memory serves, it was all major league players.

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif And this is Bowen's. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif Edit: The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

So what's the plan with our catching situation for the rest of the year? Just bend over and grab our ankles like we do at SS? Hey, that's a good poll. Are we worse with Izturis at SS or a Bowen/Hill combo at C?

Well, this would be just like Jim Hendry. Fire the jackass already.

Loudly.

I keep hearing rumors of Dunn going to the Yankees to play 1B, with Joba Chamberlain and spare parts going back.

Not just getting Kendall as a replacement catcher after we use Barrett and something else to trade for a position we actually need help at... but actually trying to sell him as a straight upgrade over Barrett. That's like trying to say the Phillies should trade Rollins + for Neifi since Neifi has hit .385/.429/.615 at Citizens Bank Park and he has a moderately better glove.

Yeah, no doubt about the right foot.

Well they changed a bunch of stuff related to the draft. Good article here: http://www.baseballdigestdaily.com/bullpen/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=161&Itemid=39. If you look towards the bottom, So i dont think Kendall would want to explore any further contract and hit the market to see what he could get. As a type B we would get a sandwich pick between rounds 3 and 4, so that is a little bit different too. I think the point is that he can accept the offer of arbitration. And if he does that, the lowest salary he can get is 10% less than his current one. In essence, that means he'd have to decline an offer of 11.7 mil for one year in order for us to get a compensation pick... something not bloody likely. So, yeah, we wouldn't be offering him arbitration... so no comp pick.

Yep, an upgrade at Catcher for us. We then trade Barrett to the AL. Clears 2 problems with 1 stone. No amount of wishcasting is going to have Kendall doing enough over the rest of the season to even come close to being as good as Barrett. The extremely slight defensive upgrade comes at a huge cost on offense, even if Barrett is struggling offensively. Kendall has fallen off the cliff... there's no climbing back up for him.

OMC = USA

I'd consider giving up Guzman, but not Marshall. Why would they want a guy with elbow problems? If he can throw a pitch out of the bullpen, Krivsky wants him. He's got a fetish.

I'll be filing this one under "duh."

Hey Fred, I don't suppose you have LD% for the players so we can get an idea of whether their BABIP is too far out of line?

If we could get Chris Iannetta for Barrett and Jones, I'd do it. Hell, I'd even throw in Cesar Izturis and Scott Eyre if they wanted em.

I appreciate the kind words, but no need to feel sorry for me. I just joined because it's fun. Win or lose, it's all good :D Holy crap... you're actually Butters.

Just recently, I made a pretty big trade. I gave up Nick Swisher (who was playing CF for me), AJ Pierzynski, and Jhonny Peralta for Joe Mauer and Julio Lugo (just to cover SS for me until I figure out who I want there). I had already snagged Vernon Wells to ride the pine, so I moved him out into CF... but I didn't realize exactly how bad Lugo was doing this season. So, do I stick with Julio Lugo and pray for a rebound, or do I grab one of Dustin Pedroia, Felipe Lopez, or Stephen Drew off the waiver wire? Lugo, Lopez, and Drew are all struggling mighty, but have decent upsides. Meanwhile, Pedroia is mashing but his upside is very limited. Thoughts?

I'm appalled by watching him play the game. That's funny. The last three years, he's been one of the very few reasons to watch the Cubs, and two bad months into the next season, everybody says they can't stand him. Barrett haters remind me way too much of Yankee fans... that whole "what have you done for me lately?" crap. It's disgusting... and it's certainly not befitting of a Cubs fan. And for two months Barrett has been crap. Who cares what he did in the past. That's not helping this team now. The point is that he has a recent track record of playing very good baseball. It's not that he can't play very good baseball anymore, it's simply that he's struggling. And this excessive negative attitude, and all the booing, and all the crap Lou Piniella is giving him is not going to do anything to help him out of this prolonged slump. And considering he's the only catcher on this staff who has the potential to be an asset to the team instead of a liability, I think we would be best suited to cut the man some slack. But instead we find ourselves just exacerbating the situation. You want to talk about what's not helping the team? It's the attitude espoused towards him... First off, never said he was the only reason... just one of the few. Besides, for his entire career Maddux has requested a personal catcher with a freaking cannon for an arm. Why? Because he's consistently clocked among the slowest in the entire game with his delivery to home plate, and he never bothers to hold the runners in the first place. And since Maddux has been a bloody superstar most of his career, the teams caved in. It doesn't make it the right idea... it's just the one that happened.

I'm appalled by watching him play the game. That's funny. The last three years, he's been one of the very few reasons to watch the Cubs, and two bad months into the next season, everybody says they can't stand him. Barrett haters remind me way too much of Yankee fans... that whole "what have you done for me lately?" crap. It's disgusting... and it's certainly not befitting of a Cubs fan.

I am appalled at how fast everybody has turned on Barrett...