RammyFanny

Honestly, with how much Theo has harped on being unpredictable, I don't believe a word he says. Not that they are close on anything, but there's no way he's ever gong to say we're close on stuff.

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Might just be Boras trying to drive up the suitors/price.

As long as someone goes high enough to trump the Brewers. Sure, like everyone I'd prefer Pujols or Fielder come to the Cubs, but the next best scenerio is Pujols to the Marlins and Fielder to the Brewers, and there's really not much that they can do to make up for it judging by what's left on the FA market. This is great news for Reds in the immediate future, especially if they can trade Alonzo for a good starting pitcher. As for us, assuming those 2 are off the market, how would an opening day lineup of CF Jackson SS Castro 3B Headley (depending on the price: Marmol, Russell, LeMahieu centric) 1B Sanchez (depending on the price: perhaps something Zambrano-centric?) RF DeJesus 2B Hudson (acquired with Headley) LF Soriano/Byrd/some guy C Castillo SP Garza SP Dempster SP Niemann/Davis (acquired for Soto) SP Wells SP Samardzjia CL Cashner BP Marshall BP Wood BP Beliveau BP Dolis/Carpenter (the other traded along the way?) BP Gaub BP Guzman Bench C Clevenger Bench Baker Bench Barney Bench 2 of LaHair/Colvin/DeWitt/Campana/other Certainly wouldn't have a ton of power, but would be a balanced lineup with some high reward guys. Sanchez would be the toughest to get as is always the case when dealing with the Marlins, so we'd have to brace ourselves for LaHair at 1st as a backup plan unless of course we kept Z and tried to move Garza for a Alonzo or Montero centric package and try them at 1st. We'd be sitting on a crap ton of money in that situation. At least sign a big name pitcher or something. I don't feel like doing math, but we'd proabably be leaving like 35 million open if I had to make a random guess.

It was a tweeted rumor about a possible front runner for Fielder. They didn't actually sign the guy yet, lol.

You value Morrison higher than Gio Gonzalez? I go completely the other way....I say they get laughed at if they approach the A's and ask for Gonzalez in exchange for Zambrano and cash. He means Morrison would be dealt for Geo.

Trading Garza frees up about 9 million. Maybe save 4 million in a Soriano deal and boom, you can sign Kuroda for two years 27 million and likely get somewhat similar production without making a dent in the amount of money we currently have available to spend. In my scenaio, you'd still likely have around 51 million left (current 40 million available + 11 that would have been allocated to draft) to use on Darvish, Fielder, and likely another solid signing. You get a likely improved rotation (Darvish/Kuroda/Dempster/Zambrano/Wells), you get Fielder, and you get what is hopefully multiple top prospects (can I get a Wil Myers?). Still can trade for Headley. Just throwing that out there, as most people tend to forget the money we save in a Garza deal can go directly towards replacing him. Obviously, this is moot if we don't get the right offer of top prospects.

There's a guy named Marlin that's been right about quite a few things in the past. If I'm not mistaken, he called the Hayden Simpson pick long before he was ever heard of. I think he called Baez well before anyone else as well. I can't remember what trades or signings he's gotten right as well, but I'm pretty sure he has some of them as well. That said, it's not him talking about this Pujols offer, it's another guy. He's been around there a long time, has a ton of posts, but I'm not sure he's got a legit source. I think it's RammyFanny who actually posts over there as well, if he sees this, maybe he can shed some light on these guys. But, I do know the Marlin has legitimately broke news before. Just saw this. MarlinBystro is absolute money. In addition to the things you mentioned, he named the prospects in the Fukdome deal that we got back multiple hours before anyone else touched on it. There's a ton of other stuff as well that I can't think of off the top of my head. One was referring to Pena's deferred money like a week before anyone realized that it was in the contract. There was a point where we actually thought he was Jim Hendry, lol. I haven't seen him post much about anything juicy recently, so I don't know if he or his source left with the Hendry team. I doubt it...there's probably just not been a ton of news outside of the Theo thing which nobody knew about. I haven't checked PSD yet, but i'd guess the guy you're refferring to is "ABTY". Great poster and knowledgable, but I would take what he says with a grain of salt. I have no doubt he hears what he says from someone (he mentinoed he knows a scout in the past), but nothing has ever materialized that I remember. Not to say it was never discussed.

i am fairly confident that teams are not basing their appraisals of the guy on that stupid video It gave him a **** ton more publicity than before. I remember one GM being asked about him on MLBTR and he responded that "I have in fact seen the recent highlight video" or something of that sort. It might have been Cashman.

I don't think anyone really has a clue. That random video probably made him millions. I could show a Keith Bogans highlight video and make him look the like the 2 guard savior.

Moustakas. And also, http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-trading-garza-not-on-epsteins-mind-20111201,0,617160.story

I brought him up a page or two with no replies, and i'd definitely love to snag him. Though i'd probably still just keep him in the outfield.

Given the cap on the draft, we pretty much have around 12 million extra to spend on major league payroll assuming that's where they allocate it to. Essentially, we can pretty much get Cespedes and still not make a dent in what we assumed to be our original budget. Cespedes is obviously risky and may struggle, but we can conceivably have a Pujols/Fielder, Cespedes, Darvish winter. Grab someone like the previously mentioned DeJesus, maybe strike a deal for Headley (Sczcur? Considering CF will likely be blocked by one of Jackson or Cespedes), and all of a sudden I think you would be right in the thick of things. Dump Soriano and maybe save a few million. Dejesus Castro Pujols Headley Cespedes Soto BJax Barney Pitcher Garza Darvish Dempster Zambrano Wells Competes now and you still add a ton of young (for one offseason at least) cornerstones in Darvish, Cespedes, Headley, maybe Fielder.

I and I assume others thought he was saying we shouldn't care what minor leaguers we get becuase they haven't done anything in the majors yet

Not sure how big the KC interest actually is, but they'd be among my top choices to deal with. I'd love me some Wil Myers.

So...what's the consensus on Stewart's D at third?

You just beat me 8-)

https://twitter.com/#!/TroyRenck/status/141348277885997056 https://twitter.com/#!/georgeofman/status/141348104657051649

While Garza's worth his contract by all means, keep in mind it would also likely free up 9 more million to spend elsewhere (depending on who we get back) in addition to the talent coming in.

PSD Insider: http://www.prosportsdaily.com/forums/showthread.php?t=669909&page=15

MLBTR:

Not important, but do you mean Yi Jianlian?

Now they're saying possibly 8 years 60 million. On one hand 60 million is alot; on the other hand, that could be a flat out steal if he turns out to be really good and you have him locked in at 7 million a year for 8 straight years.