USSoccer

You're right, we don't know if relieving would be worse. But what we do know is he can't start. He is not young, he'll turn 24 this winter, and he only has 400 pro innings. He makes Kerry Wood look reliable. Was this his 2nd year on the 40 man roster? Wouldn't that mean next year is the last chance he'll have? The Cubs can't afford to hope he proves he can stay healthy as a starter for a year. They certainly can't rely on that being the case. I think the only realistic option is throwing him into the pen next year. If he starts out well, call him up and give him a job. If he gets injured again, you can't blame it on the move to the pen, because he's got injured at every other turn. Boy, I'm glad someone around here has my back. :) RP, I don't follow the minors as seriously as some on NSBB do, so I appreciate the insight you and others bring to the table on our farm system. That said, a 24 year old who has suffered 3 arm injuries of one variety or another doesn't excite me, given the health issues at the ML level. Goony's point is an excellent one-Guzman has proven an inability to stay healthy dating back to when he was a KC farmhand. There's no harm in trying him in a different role in order to see if his body responds more positively to it. It would be an easier way to get him the 25 man roster and contributing to our ML team. If he stays healthy, maybe we move him into the rotation in 2007, or if he's really lights out, maybe he can close games for us. All I'm saying is that he's been hurt as a starter, and since his stuff is that good, why not try something different?

Seriously, though, I know that I'm not expert on the AFL, or the minors, but is Guzman's path to the big leagues really as a starter? That's a lot of arm issues in only a fwe years.

For me, my team isn't in the playoffs, and that's that. I have found myself regarding the White Sox as being in another city, because there's simply nothing there for me to care about. I don't like the team's fans, I don't like their players, and I cannot stand their management. I don't want them to win. St Louis, however, has a really good team with only one guy whom I would consider to be a complete tool, with a really good front office, but obnoxious fans. If that WS happened (WS/StL), I'd probably root for St Louis, because there is more for me to respect there. If the WS win, I'll be jealous, but it won't kill me. I won't like listening to the shirtless masses of Sox fans yammer on about it, but in the end, I just care about the Cubs winning. This is my team.

Ah. I was mistaken, or maybe my reading skills aren't up to par tonight. But I still think Guzman should be converted into a reliever. :P

Not to nitpick, but according to your chart, he started 24 games in 02. Your point still stands though. Yet, I disagree. I'd give him next year to try to be a starter. He's still very young, and according to those who have seen him, his stuff has not suffered despite the injuries. The chart is hard to read, but according to this link: http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/players/playerpage/390805 The most games appeared in is 16, and the most starts was 15. Regarding the AFL league as a "Who's Who" for prospects, it very well may be, but my point is, that Guzman is 2 years behind schedule, so it's difficult for me to be optimistic based on 5 innings in the AFL. He has ML talent in his arm, but if he cannot stay healthy, it doesn't mean much to me. I'm not trying to diminish Angel's talent, or th AFL in general, but someone of his talent should be in the big leagues by now. Thus, I don't think it's anything to get excited about, and the Cubs' insistence at keeping him as a starter is not a good move, IMO.

Just to back my bluster up: Year Team W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV INN H R ER HR HBP BB SO 2000 R-LA PRADERA 1 1 1.93 7 6 0 0 0 32.2 24 13 7 0 5 5 25 2001 A-BOISE 9 1 2.23 14 14 0 0 0 76.2 68 27 19 2 0 19 63 2002 A-DAYTONA 6 2 2.39 16 15 1 0 0 94.0 99 34 25 2 4 33 74 2002 A-LANSING 5 2 1.89 9 9 1 0 0 62.0 42 18 13 3 1 16 49 2003 AA-WEST TENN 3 3 2.81 15 15 0 0 0 89.2 83 30 28 8 2 26 87 2004 AA-WEST TENN 0 3 5.60 4 4 0 0 0 17.2 20 11 11 2 0 4 13 2004 A-DAYTONA 3 1 4.20 7 7 0 0 0 30.0 27 15 14 2 1 0 40 The most games he's started, ever, has been 15. He's had constant arm injuries. It's better for Angel and the Cubs to move him to the pen, and try and develop him like K-Rod.

Trading for Manny would be more difficult than trading for Abreu, though. We don't have the ML impact talent to trade for him, and unless you want to give up Pie and Pinto, it'd be hard to swing a 3 way deal.

Yeah, but that's NY. Plus, Beltran has a NTC. Why would he waive it to go to Boston, where the media is just as bad?

Against draft picks, and other rehabbing players, though. Actually this outing was in the AFL a couple of days ago. And who plays in the Arizona Fall League is my point. Angel Guzman has never pitched a full season at any level. Ever. Ever. Why on earth the Cubs insist on keeping him as a starter when he clearly cannot stay healthy is beyond me. It's going to take more than what's basically a sim game in AZ to convince me that Guzman can be counted on to give the 2006 Cubs anything.

I actually think that Beltran being traded is unlikely, but I do see the Mets being the only realistic option for Manny, unless Philly swaps Abreu for him.

They're a dark horse in the Nomar sweepstakes, imo. A big name signing like Nomar would be right up Bowden's alley, even if Nomar might not be able to play a full season at SS. However, considering they have a hole to fill in LF, that might be a possibility. They're also going to have to figure out what to do with Castilla and Zimmerman (who hit close to .400 in 20 games this season). Castilla's numbers were not all that great this season and he turns 39 next season. Moving him to LF would be ludicrous at his offensive production, but trading him could be out of the question due to his contract. Should be fun times, imo. I'm going on record saying Jim Bowden will do Cub Nation a favor and sign Neifi Perez to a 2 yr contract.

Against draft picks, and other rehabbing players, though.

If the Cubs want to get anything out of Angel, they should put him in the pen. I'd never again expect him to be an ML starter.

Good, if they threw in Majewski or something. Why is that? I'd say it's a fairly equal trade, as the Nats are getting one #3, one potential #4, Patterson to play CF in that gigantic park, and a 1B prospect. We're getting a fairly expensive #3 and a CF. It's a fair trade.

Going back to the proposed trade...if we're getting Livan Hernandez, I'd imagine Williams would be part of that deal, since he'd not be needed. So you could offer: Williams Nolasco Patterson Dopirak How would everyone feel about that?

What platoon is that? With Baker ther do you really believe that Murton would play 145 games? If Hendry has a warm bodied veteran OF on the 25 man roster he will get a lot of time in left....especially if he hits left handed. I don't know about that. Murton had 150 AB's, and started nearly every game in Sept. He hit well, and in Baker's eyes perhaps proved enough over the 2+ months to be treated differently than other young players we've had come through the past 2-3 years. It's different than with Dubois, because he only had a handful of AB's and the one big game, so Baker's distrust of him was, in hindsight, a bit more understandable (if you look at things through Dusty's eyes). It's also different than Choi, who was slowing down when he got hurt, and by then Baker had begun to trust Karros in the pennant race, and Choi never got untracked (parly due to Dusty's usage pattern-don't want to start a Choi debate!). I can see Murton sitting against really tough RHP, but I'd bet that, barring a totally crap spring, that Baker gives him more rope than he gave Choi, Hill, and Dubois.

What platoon is that? If you assume it's Murton and Grieve/Hairston, I think that 20-25 isn't out of the question.

Hill and Mitre come to mind. You can put Jerome Williams in that group too, but I'd save him for another deal or as back-up in case of injury in the rotation. I would bet money they'd ask for Pinto and Hill, or Nolasco and Hill. Mitre doesn't have that kind of value.

Who would the 2 near ML ready P be?

Vance, Look at how Crawford's OBP is almost entirely dependent on his BA. What happens if he goes into a slump? Given that, is that worth letting the DRays choose between Harvey and Dope? Crawford is really not ideal, but if he were a target, I'd only offer Dope and Mitre. That might border on overpaying right there, but I'd not offer more than that for the Shea Hillebrand of CF's.

Not Gomes, but maybe Huff. Huff is terrible. I would have taken him over the mess we had in LF in May, but I wouldn't take him on this team in 2006. There are better options for the OF, most notably in house. I'd bet that Murton puts up better numbers than Huff next year. I got $10 on that bet. I put down more than that. Murton will not approach a 30 HR season next year. Did you see Huff's numbers for 2005? He didn't approach 30 HR's either. I think Murton could hit 22 given 500 AB's, plus put up a better BA and OBP. Plus, the fact that he's 1/10 of the cost of Huff, and much better defensively cannot be discounted either. Huff's 2005 #'s. G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG 154 575 70 150 26 2 22 92 8 .261 .321 .428

Not Gomes, but maybe Huff. Huff is terrible. I would have taken him over the mess we had in LF in May, but I wouldn't take him on this team in 2006. There are better options for the OF, most notably in house. I'd bet that Murton puts up better numbers than Huff next year. I got $10 on that bet. You don't think Murton could put up these stats given 400-500 AB's? G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG 154 575 70 150 26 2 22 92 8 .261 .321 .428 at 1/10 of the cost? Without giving up prospects?

Not Gomes, but maybe Huff. Huff is terrible. I would have taken him over the mess we had in LF in May, but I wouldn't take him on this team in 2006. There are better options for the OF, most notably in house. I'd bet that Murton puts up better numbers than Huff next year.

That ought to make the guy who writes "Elephants in Oakland" happy. He hates Macha as much as we hate Baker.

I've said this in other threads, but in my opinion we don't have the prospects we would need to even get in the middle of a deal involving Abreu and Thome, much less Abreu on his own. Our P prospects are really not top rotation guys-other than Pinto we have a bunch of bulk 5th starters/relievers and one #3 in Nolasco. Our position prospects aren't much better. Pie is the best, Murton we should keep, and then we have a bunch of guys in the low minors that aren't real good trading chips. EPatt, Harvey and Dopirak probably aren't names that would make a GM salivate. Philly or a 3rd team would likely want Pinto or Nolasco, Pie, and then a bunch of other arms, and I don't think Abreu is worth his salary plus prospects when we could just sign Giles for money.