sneakypower

Brett Jackson probably can't hit enough to justify a corner spot. maybe on a .500 team by this stupid (outdated) illogic, the team with the best record in the AL has two corner OFs who can't hit enough to justify a corner spot

1 - What's their profile of a CF? Jackson probably lags behind defensively what they want if that's what you're thinking, and I can agree with that. That said, they have very rangy OF guys with Jennings out there in LF and possibly Guyer out there in RF next year. 2 - The answer to your question is that trading Jackson does not make or break that ultra vague "build from within" plan, Jackson is pretty mid-range for a top prospect, and there are alot of guys who came from within the farm system that are now useable players here. Soto, Barney, the bullpen, and then one of the best young SSs in baseball sounds like within to me. It's such a vague and general description that it's possible to include trading away Cubs' prospects and players for better players when possible in the "build from within" category, isn't it? It's using what they have already to get what they don't have but want. Despite Tampa's supposed MO under Friedman, they are one of the more toolsy organizations in MLB. Jackson isn't athletic enough for what they look for in a CF. Joyce will out there in RF. The Cubs are in a rebuilding mode and while Tampa could very well unload Upton one year early rather than one year late, I still wonder why the Cubs would want to trade for another CF'er beyond valuing Upton more than Jackson (which on the surface, makes sense as Jackson likely won't duplicate Upton's ceiling). That includes factoring some of Upton's numbers falling short of expectations. CFs are allowed to play corner OF positions, too- it happens pretty often now

oh god, please please please don't invite him to make more posts

Gordon as of opening day 2011: 27 years old, career .244/.328/.405 Stewart as of opening day 2012: 27 years old, career .236/.323/.428

man, i was hoping against hope for like three years that we'd be able somehow to steal Gordon from the Royals, the countless times they had tired of his perceived failings

you must note he was a deplorable 2B and a bad OF, giving back 8 runs alone in his poor fielding at those spots (to say nothing of positional adjustments) assuming he had only played at his natural position, where he's been a plus fielder, he'd have been comfortably over 4 WAR in roughly 2 full seasons worth of PA to date

there's also Arenado, who's probably considered the long-term answer if they don't involve him in a trade for Wright (who then would be the answer there) there's red flags with Stewart, but playing it safe gets us nowhere; we lost 91 games last year and we'll need to take some gambles to right the ship - Stewart would have very little downside because he comes with such little cost, and immense potential upside for cost efficiency there were similarly flags with Cameron Maybin and Franklin Morales, for example, and i'm excited for co-GMs who have shown the willingness and foresight to capitalize on other GMs' impatience

Without putting much time into it, Ramirez: 2.5 WAR Baker full-time: 0 WAR Best available $2M stopgap (Betemit/Cairo/Hairston/Chavez): 1.0 WAR i hate all three of these options (well, Ramirez, much less so) the correct answer is signing Ian Stewart and getting 2-3 WAR for $4M(ish) -or- trading (McNutt? Vitters? Szczur?) for Headley and getting 3-4 WAR for $3M

source? is it just Dave Telep's post or something more concrete? edit: now i see the tweet from Clint Jackson (Rivals.com’s Duke, North Carolina and ACC Insider): http://www.umhoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/image_thumb.png SO [expletive]ing exciting if this happens; i'll start building a shrine for Beilein to go next to my ones for Mayhew and eventually Theo

dynamite drop-in, Monty

worth noting that DeJesus has played 51 fewer games in that timeframe; also, DeJesus fits in much better with Theo's philosophy of grinding out ABs than Byrd does i also like DeJesus because he has a predictably tilted platoon split; you could pair him with somebody like Baker or Darnell McDonald and get really good cheap corner OF production

swaim

my ideal/dream offseason: 6/135 to Prince or 6/200 +20m mutual option to Pujols trade Barney, Marmol for Liriano trade JJax, Gaub (Mateo?), Vitters for Headley or 2/22 to Ramirez or sign Ian Stewart (he might be non-tendered) 2/18 +6m player option to Kelly Johnson if you can get salary relief for Soriano somehow, i'd love DeJesus in LF on a 2/18 deal, trade Byrd 1/12 to Sizemore (gotta believe he won't demand much more than a prove-yourself Berkman/Beltre-esque contract); can keep Byrd as a 4th OF, Sizemore insurance send Grabow on a rocket to the moon ... you could very plausibly have something like this, without any added grand financial commitments, aside from 6 years to Fielder (ages 28-33): 2B K Johnson SS Castro RF Sizemore 1B Prince 3B Headley/Stewart LF DeJesus (Soriano) CF B Jackson C Soto/Castillo Bench: OF LaHair/Byrd OF Campana C Castillo/Clevenger MIF LeMahieu Util Flaherty/Baker SP Garza SP Liriano SP Dempster SP Zambrano (Bedard? Piniero?) SP R Wells Rusin/Coleman RP Russell RP Mateo (Carpenter?) RP Samardzija RP Marshall RP Wood RP Cashner

so do we get any credit now retroactively for dismantling the Chiefs in week 2? will people promise to never again predict teams to pick #1 overall after two [expletive] games?

he's had 3 straight -10 years at third, mostly due to a severe decrease in range; can he not field his position anymore? i somewhat suspect Headley to be our 3B next year, which would be great

trade for: Ian Stewart/Matt Carpenter/Conor Gillaspie still prefer resign him on a 2- or 3-year deal

"I don't know if we win the all-hype team," Ryan said. "That might have gone to someone else, but we're going to beat their ass when we play them."

awesome, Stephen Tulloch just Tebowed after a sack

YEah, he's totally lost it. Pissed off Chris Johnson owner. you can't even say that he took the money and ran

Vernon Davis and don't think twice about it

1.64 fWAR in 53 games, 247 PA since August 1

www.bodog.eu/

Just don't watch tonight. There's no way the Cardinals are losing. so then what are you doing on here? quit being a [expletive] and go put all your life's savings on the Cards winning tonight

at least i can go to bed now

i just asphyxiated on my own vomit