C.C.

I think more likely the wrench comes from the Orioles side. On one hand, it's been said that Andy needed to trade other guys before he could trade Roberts. On the other hand, once Angelos gives the OK for trading Tejada and Bedard, he can probably justify saying, okay, that's enough, we have to keep Roberts for PR reasons. Is Roberts that popular in Baltimore?

I don't want him for any rational reason, I'll admit. I want him for the purely irrational desire to get Soriano out of the leadoff spot. I know that lineup positioning matters little, and that Soriano really isn't a terrible option as a leadoff hitter, but there's just a little bit of that conventional wisdom ingrained in me that wants him in the late-middle of the order. I feel like Roberts would play a big role in getting that done. Plus, if you really are so sure that DeRosa will regress to the mean next year, wouldn't Roberts be a pretty good upgrade there? All that said, I'd be more excited about a trade for a new SS than I would be about Roberts. Soriano will likely still leadoff, just now Roberts will hit second instead of Theriot. I don't think so, despite what the reports may or may not be saying. I guess we'd just have to wait and see on that, though. Soriano will not be leading off if we get Roberts. I'd be shocked if that was the case.

Eh. Those jokes are getting old. not a joke Okay. Now it's funny again!

FUKUDOME is the MANS NAME people but yea, that would be a very high selling jersey :) I'm just waiting what the street vendors selling t-shirts dream up.

Eh. Those jokes are getting old.

Did the fact that the white sox are going to suck it up behind Detroit and Cleveland for the next 5 years play a factor? Perhaps. Or maybe it's the allure of the Cubs. Didn't he play for a team that didn't win a championship for 50 years or so?

Now it's starting to make some sense.

This is even more interesting: According to a source with the Sox, they were told by Fukudome’s agent, Joe Urbon, that despite the higher bid by the Sox, the reasoning behind the decision was that Fukudome wanted to be an organization’s first Japanese player, as well as his desire to play his natural position of right field.

Nope. He so good he doesn't have to.

I won't boo him at all. The Cubs treated him like garbage. How? Any insinuations that he was soft either came from secondary sources or was hinted at by people like Dusty because Prior refused to tell anyone what was wrong with him. The Cubs gave him every chance and shielded him from a lot of media scrutiny. When stuff comes out from secondary sources, many of those are leaks from people within the organization. Prior was treated like garbage by a front office that never appreciated what they had, and are still living in the stone age when it comes to so many things, most notably that when a pitcher's hurt, he is hurt, and pitching through it only makes things worse. Then when the guy went ahead and pitched through the pain, he's thrown further under the bus and gets called a headcase. It's an ugly ugly divorce and it pisses me off to see just how incompetently the Cubs handled their best pitching talent since Maddux. Hendry seems to bend over backwards for every player and yet a pitcher of Prior's potential he's rough on him? It doesn't make any sense. That's what I don't get. Hendry is a players GM. Players love the guy. Why would Prior be the exception? I mean Wood's been hurt for the past decade and still gets chances after chances. Who knows if we'll ever know what really went down.

Okay I'm pumped!

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Am I nitpicking, or is that just a poorly written, very confusing phrase? Their contracts will average $60 per season suggests to me that there are 4 guys whose individuals contracts will be $60m per year on average. Or that combined they will cost $240 million per year. Perhaps he should have said, their contracts will combine to cost the Cubs $60 per year, on average over the course of the respective deals. Nitpicking a bit. I don't have a problem the way it's written. When he says average I assume he means the average of the 4 players.

Possible. The Jays might want to get out of that deal enough to accept less than normal. In today's standards it's not even a bad deal.

Manager Lou Piniella, who called Fukudome a cross between Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui, said last week he expected to bat the new Cub fourth or fifth in the order. Wow. I didn't think he had enough power to bat 4th. I always thought he was a leadoff or #2 guy. Just like OBP isnt the ONLY important thing out of a leadoff hitter, power isnt the ONLY important thing out of a middle of the order hitter. Also, while he doesn't have HR power, he definitely has great doubles power and will probably lead the team or be very close to the lead in 2bs. But it sure would be nice to have his OBP at the top of the order instead of a 330. Yeah I was thinking Roberts and Fukedome at the top too. I wonder if Soriano has made noise about being moved off the leadoff spot? Perhaps Lou hasn't had a chance to talk to Soriano yet? Lou's not going to make changes without talking to the player first.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say a Cub fan made up this trade. If you were the Jay's would you do this trade?

Very sexy...

I believe they cheer. We can do that.

Now lets get Roberts and Bedard and call it a season. BTW - This is from a Brewers message board that made me chuckle:

banned \:D/

Fukudome speaks!

Wow! 4/50! Very well done. Nice going Jimmy!

I don't believe it. No way the Pads outbid us. I just can't see that happening. I agree - but I don't think they have to, they just have to get close. It's very possible Kaz Matsui's awful experience in NY has soured his HS teammate on media-heavy, high-pressure US markets. Mind you, I don't think SD offered 5/70 - I think 4/44 is more likely - but it seems Hendry will for sure have to go 5 years and $12m per to be able to overcome the mitigating factors. And I'm okay with that. If he doesn't want to come here them screw'em!

I don't believe it. No way the Pads outbid us. I just can't see that happening.

Same here. Can't we make a adults only thread on here?