USSoccer

Tom, I'm leery of trading with Atlanta. They never seem to give up anything particularly useful. As far as selling players, I'd see what Burnitz, Dempster, Rusch, Mitre, Remmy, Perez, Walker and Hollandsworth could net us from a contender. That is, of course, if we'd be selling (which I'm not prepared to do at this point).

he went John Madden on everyone. Yeah, I heard that too, Serena. Brilliant analysis.

Harp away! I don't see Burroughs as a bench player long term. I think he can be an effective 2B with a .350 range OBP, ideal for 2-hole or 8-hole on a well disciplined team. I don't see Corey's future anymore in Cubbie Blue - Hendry is privately motivated to trade him ASAP. With such low value, Hendry needs to find a team that has a similar issue. I personally am open to any trade that gives the Cubs a player with upside potential. I am sick of Corey. He's just plain awful, and has single handedly killed this team with his incompetence in key situations. I'm not a big fan of Neifi either, so I want him cut ASAP. What other teams have disappointing young talent? Laynce Nix in Texas, Austin Kearns, Burroughs...I really can't think of anyone else... ...What about using Corey and a top prospect to net an impact player? Would Hendry see that as overpaying? Along those same lines, what would a package of Corey + Dope get us? I'd rather not trade pie because of how badly patterson is doing, he could be our savior one day. But with lee's stellar season, maybe we dont need dope as bad... Roast, Dope is exactly the kind of prospect we can afford to deal away. I'd bet Corey and Dope could get us something very good...

Harp away! I don't see Burroughs as a bench player long term. I think he can be an effective 2B with a .350 range OBP, ideal for 2-hole or 8-hole on a well disciplined team. I don't see Corey's future anymore in Cubbie Blue - Hendry is privately motivated to trade him ASAP. With such low value, Hendry needs to find a team that has a similar issue. I personally am open to any trade that gives the Cubs a player with upside potential. I am sick of Corey. He's just plain awful, and has single handedly killed this team with his incompetence in key situations. I'm not a big fan of Neifi either, so I want him cut ASAP. What other teams have disappointing young talent? Laynce Nix in Texas, Austin Kearns, Burroughs...I really can't think of anyone else... ...What about using Corey and a top prospect to net an impact player? Would Hendry see that as overpaying?

Hendry has made some good trades, but I don't know what is up with him with Dusty. Dusty has to be blackmailing him somehow... that's about the only way I can see this crap going on for as long as it has. Hendry has to support his guy. Dusty was his hire. Hendry's a bit too stand-up to just ditch Baker.

This garbage is getting old. Don't care if you're joking or pissed or what not. Amen, Serena. Chill on the shooting people scenario, plz. I just don't think there's a trade out there than can really fix the Cubs. Unless it's trading Dusty somewhere. I think you're probably right, but then again, I can't think of a manager that we could call in at this point to right the ship. Even if Dusty made perfect decisions, are we good enough? Having enough baseball sense to know or figure out Patterson and Perez at the top of the order is going to lend itself to prolonged offensive slumps is far from a perfect decision. gflore- I did say "if" dusty made perfect decisions.

Sledge is out for the season yeah i know... give me something to work with here people . Angel Guzman has no trade value, really.

He can play 3B and 2B. Even though he's been struggling, he would replace Macias on the roster as an upgrade, and then compete for the 2B job next year. I don't think Walker will re-sign with the Cubs. Unless we get a new manager, who actually plays him correctly, I dont think he will either. Either way, do you really think its to the point where we should trade patterson for a bench upgrade? Not harping, i'm actually wondering. I think that's selling Corey for 15 cents on the dollar. He'd be better used as part of a larger package, or even a multi team deal (Yankees?).

This garbage is getting old. Don't care if you're joking or pissed or what not. Amen, Serena. Chill on the shooting people scenario, plz. I just don't think there's a trade out there than can really fix the Cubs. Unless it's trading Dusty somewhere. I think you're probably right, but then again, I can't think of a manager that we could call in at this point to right the ship. Even if Dusty made perfect decisions, are we good enough?

Regarding the bench, I was one of many, maaaany posters to complain that we had too much redundancy in our bench players, ie, Perez AND Macias and Hairston, and then Wilson. That falls on Hendry. He did a poor job of constructing the bench. I'm not sure who's decision it is to carry an extra pitcher, but you saw tonight why you don't want to do that. In a bases-loaded situation that might be your last, best chance to get back in the game, you saw Jose Macias. If you aren't carrying the extra arm, you can throw Ben Grieve up there, a LH bat with power and patience. That's probably both Dusty and Hendry's fault. For some reason Hendry traded for Hairston, but Dusty won't/can't play him. Dusty seems to hate the guy. That's Dusty's fault. Hendry called up Cedeno, but Dusty won't sit Perez while he's free falling back to his career norms. Dusty's fault. The lineup in general has been usually awful-partly because of the lack of positional depth created by carrying at one point 4 utility IF's, but mostly because of the total failure of the 1-2 spots in the order, and the lack of urgency taken in fixing the problem. 95% Dusty. Overall, the team as constructed at the start of the season had the chance to win the Wild Card had it been healthy. However, we did not have the quality of depth, nor do we have a manager who is able to make the proper decisions to overcome this sort of adversity. As we stand today, about to fall 2 under and even with the Astros, we do not stand a legitamite chance to make the playoffs. We simply do not have the talent needed to sustain a winning streak, or even sustain a winning month. I'll repeat that: The Cubs, as currently constructed, are not a playoff contender. Unless the organization does something immediately to change either the fundemental philosiphies of the club on a daily level, or until our general manager replaces about half of our current positional players, we will struggle to play .500 ball. I'm not going to stop watching, or stop hoping, but the situation is about as hopeless as I've felt in 3 years of watching this team.

Have you seen Dubois bat? He would have struck out faster than Macias, generally Macias at least makes contact. Still pretty pathetic that Dusty's best option in that situtation is Macias. Macias usually strikes out, too. The difference is that with Dubois, you have a chance for a GS, or the remote chance of a walk. Macias is a poor, poor hitter. That was terrible managing.

You have to question why, even despite his struggles, Dubois isn't the PH here. You also have to wodner if the extra pitcher is worth not having Grieve on the bench. And as I'm typing, Macias K's. Very nice.

I'm also a bit tired of Hendry waiting, but I can see Cincinatti wanting to trade Dunn south rather than here. Houston's window is juuust about shut, so they figure Dunn realy can't hurt them long term the way he could in Chicago. What I'm steamed about is the lost opportunities in the past 2 offseasons, the poor bench construction, and the fact that if we make a trade, it might come 2 weeks too late.

Ditto Beane and the A's.

I might be one of the few here that wouldn't mind that trade, as it does make us better. Walker might be better than Alfie, , but does Soriano+ Delucci+Hairston make us better than Patterson+ Hollandsworth+Walker? I think it does. I think it makes us faster and a more productive offensive club. Is it fair for Texas? Probably. They give up a guy they want to give up anyway in Soriano and a spare OF in Delucci, and get 2 immediate rotation arms in return. They might ask for Wellemeyer instead of Rusch, and I might still be inclined to do it. Is it fair for us? I think so. Sergio isn't a reliever and is being wasted at the ML level. I could see Hendry balking at giving up 2 or his 3 5th starter candidates, b/c if we get another injury it's back to Koronka unless Hendry gives Hill the nod. But I see it as ultimately fair. So yeah, I'm for that trade!

That is completely awesome, and representative of why you rock, tree. Classic.

i'm so drunk, the nats are th e bes ever 11

unfortuantly, with our lineup today Prior basically needed to toss a shutout. Top to bottom, this is not a lineup that can contend.

I doubt Dusty would ever consider this, but could he consider skipping Maddux in September if he continues to be a 4+ run a game pitcher? It seems that despite his 7-5 record Maddux lives or dies by the wind in Wrigley or run support. In September you can't live with that. He did bench Estes in September after sucking the previous 5 months, and did skip Clement last season, so there is a bit of precedence. Would Williams have to throw lights out for this to be likely?

great, so he probably sits tomorrow.

I know he left as a precautionary measure, but was there any further word on it?

I just don't think the Reds would deal him in the division unless they are convinced that Mitre and Williams would make them competitive. Can you imagine selling that trade to the fans in Cincinatti? Trading your most valuable commodity to a divisional foe for two less-than-exciting pitchers and a middle reliever? That's part of what makes trading for Dunn so hard-we can't give them an impact "name".

I think top pitcher would be a description of Guzman if he wasn't hurt all the time. We don't really have any "top" pitching prospects, but a bunch of #2-4 starters in the system.

Nope. Not on a train, not on a plane, not near a mouse, not in a house do I deal Z for anyone except ARod.

I think you need more than that to get Mench. He's been an all-star caliber player, and there's no motivation for Texas to move him. If we offered them Williams or another arm in addition to that I'd bet they bite. Have you seen how Anaheim has been beating them down lately? They would use some pitching help. Not that I want to trade Williams, 'cause I don't. But I'm just saying.