USSoccer

So you're saying he'll be able to keep that up, right? :D

We were already versatile with Cedeno, Izzy, and Theriot. Well, now they can lead the league in versatility. That should be good for 10 extra wins or so. :wink: only if DeRosa's ScrQ+ (Scrappiness Quotient Plus) is 517.4 or higher OMG! He could be the Look Again Player of the Year!!! :D He fits the profile...

Hendry's being proactive. I'm not much for DeRosa, but if it results in us trading Izturis as part of a package for Westbrook, I'll live. :D

Coors played as a pitcher's park in 2006. Also, Pie isn't a leadoff hitter. He's a run producer. I'm not sure Jennings is worth our best trading chip.

We're not going to see eye-to-eye here. You continue to use Giles career numbers and reputation over his current production. If you're allowed to devalue Jones for a 'career year', then I'm allowed to devalue Giles for a predictable major decline and a 'career worst year'. It goes both ways. I'm looking at Giles 2007 and 2008 projections as similar to, if not worse than 2006, while looking at Jones 2007 and 2008 projections as his 3-year split with slight decline. This is based on the traditional age/production bell-curve in a non-steriods influenced world. Just using historical precident, 35 year old OFs don't have 'down years' and rebound to earlier success. It's not a down year. At that age, the down year sets the trend. Jones at age 31 is close enough to the top of the curve that his production should remain relatively flat. When I consider those parameters for evaluation, removing my personal bias for Giles (I really am a big fan of his career), and add in salary as well, swapping Jones for Giles for 2007/2008 is an overall lateral move that costs the organization 10 million dollars. I'm going to agree with your general point about Giles declining, but his value for the next 2 years is going to depend on his role. Aging sluggers of Giles' type tend to keep their batting eye and plate discipline. If he maintained an OPB above .350, we could hit him leadoff and he'd be an upgrade over Jones in that regard. Also, Giles' salary is $10m, and Jones' is like $6m. It's only a net $4m investment.

I don't think one should have trepidations about dealing Pie, but it has to be in the right deal.

I really think Hendry is afraid to sign a guy like Drew because of past injury concerns.

I'd be severly upset if the Cubs traded Murton. It would be nice to get good production for league minimum out of at least one position on the field.

Pretty much. The only guy I'd miss from that list is Prior, but I really think that this is pretty fair all around.

Did anyone listen to the Levine update?

That's a real problem, though. Sports journalism mostly sounds like white noise now. Radio is nearly unlistenable now, and writers just keep writing the same story over and over, without doing any research to back up their CW talking points.

I'm somewhat fearful about what the media enviroment might be if the Cubs start slow and Ramirez struggles.

What about Burrell in LF, and Murton in CF?

You ask Burrell to play RF. I'm sure one of them can handle RF semi-good, and even if they're only passable RF's, your offensive output makes up for it.

The nice thing about it is that you can do it in steps, and if it breaks down at any point you've still improved the team, PLUS if you accomplished the first step, the second step would almost certainly go down, and then all you have to do is assemble a package and see if NY bites. You clear dead salary (Jones, Howry, Dempster) and you add productive salary in ARod and Burrell, and you still have budget room left to make a FA signing or 2.

We trade Jones, Howry and Dempster for Burrell and Rowand. We send Rowand to the White Sox for Freddy Garcia We send Freddy Garcia, Mark Prior, Scott Moore and Sean Marshall to NY for Alex Rodriguez. We end up with Burrell and Rodriguez The White Sox end up with Rowand and free up a spot for McCarthy The Yankees end up with 3 SP's and a potential 3B replacement. Philly gets salary relief from Burrell's deal, a RF replacement who they could sell to their fans, and 2 relievers, one of whom is a "proven closer". I think this is pretty darn fair on all sides. Everyone gets someone or something they want.

If you succeed in making your awful starting pitching average, all you have to do is improve your offense and you can contend for the NL pennant. It's not like St Louis had any good pitchers other than Carpenter. I'd take Padilla and Lilly, and you have: Z Hill Miller Padilla Lilly. If Prior can give you anything at all by June or July, that's a rotation than can contend (in the NL) provided the right moves are made on the offensive side.

Let me guess. Barry Rozner wrote the Herald article? No. It was Mike Imrem. Oh. Whatever. Aramis is a bad clubhouse guy in the sense that he's not Mark Grace with the media. I doubt his teamates have any issues with him.

Its funny that the same Chicago media who have been reading from the "How to bash Aramis" pamphlet haven't taken the time to realize that some of the invalid criticisms of Aramis are actually valid about Soriano: -He's the same guy who refused to play LF, only relenting when the Nats threatened to suspend him without pay -Whined about being traded to Texas -Put up 40/40 for a losing team. In Chicago sportswriter world, the losing should negate the 40 HR's since most would be "meaningless". -In September of 2005, with Texas still fighting for a playoff spot, put up a Neifi-esque .637 OPS. In September of 2006, with the Nats still technically alive for the WC in a pathetic NL, he OPS'd .641. Where's the clutchiness? I think Soriano is a good player, but he's not worth what he's going to get, and there shold be doubts about his attitude as well. I would probably chase Drew, a trade, and then come back to Sori if he's still there.

Let me guess. Barry Rozner wrote the Herald article?

Hmm. Would he throw a hissy fit about playing CF like he did over playing LF?

It would be low....I wouldn't mind Crisp that much... I'm betting we could get him for one of our redundant relievers.

I have no problem with that whatsoever. Big difference between giving a 28 year old an out, and a 32 year old an out.

Wow, that is absolutely ridiculous. I just cannot fathom paying that much for one unproven player in the MLB. That's insanity.

I'm not opposed to trading Barrett provided you're going to improve your offense enough. He's at the point that catchers begin to wear down, and he can't really play anywhere else.