Ram1380

Interesting take & quite possible. When it comes to trades Hendry's no amateur. Sure, when it comes to taking salary dumps from other clubs, save the Hundley deal.....although insurance paid the majority of his contract during his time back in LA, Karros played ENTIRELY too much and Pudz was kept another year(too long) because of that trade as well. Color me unimpressed.

Bruce seems to disagree with you. I don't agree or disagree. I'm just pointing out what I know and what I've heard about the guy. (Marquis and I could wish each other a happy birthday on the same day, though. But I'm exactly 10 years older!) Fossil. :D

http://blogs.baltimoresun.com/sports_custom_maese/2005/12/tejada_still_un.html Keep Prior and Z out of the mix Hendry or let them keep him, he may force their hand.

The calm before the storm??

That would make the outfield Jones, Pierre and Burnitz?? Sweet Jebus thats ugly.

He mentioned adding another starter right out of the gates this offseason. How does he plan to add 2 if he moves Prior? How about we keep Prior, trade Hill and another prospect or two to Oakland for Zito and call it good? That'll free up the salary Oakland needs to sign the Big Skirt. Done! Zambrano, Prior, Zito, Wood, Maddux Prior and Zito probably get along pretty well since they pitched against each other in high school. Count me in.

Oh noes. This is where al hell breaks loose. I seen Mr. Miles popped in for a while there, hopefully just a coincedence and he hasn't heard this as well. Damn it Vance :x

I didn't get it all, but did get that he would trade Prior for Tejada. Kinda surprised(and dissapointed) me to hear him say that. I heard that, too, and my opinion of his baseball knowledge went down a bit. He knows better, which pisses me off a little. I have always been a big supporter of his, but he obviously still has problems with some in the organization(as do I).

I didn't get it all, but did get that he would trade Prior for Tejada. Kinda surprised(and dissapointed) me to hear him say that.

Those darned juvenile 18 to 35 year olds LOL. Let's say I am on the "extreme" end of your scale, and still pretty juvenile as well. :D I am though, thanful for his concern.

I'd like to go back to what a Cards' fan pointed out earlier in the discussion. If Prior qualified with enough innings at this point, he would rank 6th among active pitchers in ERA. Sixth! How on earth is that not dominant enough for you? I think I saw many posts go by that said they wouldnt trade Prior for anyone.....certainly no other pitcher. My point was that he needs to be the pitching stud of the next decade to live up to expectations. I wouldnt pretend to be the stats guy that many around here are......but if he's sixth....that means there are at least 5 better. Right? I'm sure age and many other things need to be factored in.......but he has a lot to prove. From a lot of the sentiment around here you would think that he has proved it already. Is it that unreasonable to be somewhat skeptical as to whether or not he can live up to expectations? I'd say that his numbers in 2003 at age 22 proved what he can do. It proved what he could do at age 22 in 2003. If the 2003 Prior is whats in the future...you dont trade him for anyone. Of course none of us know....but I don't see how people can be so sure that his future greatness is inevitable. It is possible that his 2003 performance will not happen again. I think its fair to say that we all hope that we will get more than just one year or occasional glimpses of greatness? I wouldnt trade him for another pticher. THe only reason I'd even think about it...is because we need offense....and a lineup of Lee, Ramirez, Tejada.....is something I would really enjoying watching. Granted.....might be a mistake.....but that lineup would keep me in front of my TV many hours at a time. I don't think the object is to keep you in front of the TV many hours at a time, or creating something that you would really enjoy watching. I think the goal is to create a team that wins. And if every single game ALL year was a 1-0, 2-1, 2-0, 3-2, 3-1, or 3-0 game, and we won 95 of them, and you were bored out of your mind, and didn't have fun watching them or spending hours in front of your tv, sign me up for an eternity of your boredom. Exactly Badger. That's what X box is for.

Oh yea, and Merry Christmas...Happy Channuka, God Bless you and yours Vance....and anyone else who stumbles across here. Now for Santa to fill hendry's stocking with that lump of coal, and drop it on his dink head before it's to late on the Prior front.

I think I'd move one of the prospects Tampa gets to Boston, they don't seem to be getting the correct return for Manny, Arroyo, and Marte. Probably move Hill to Boston. You may be right there....but they are getting three holes filled by moving Manny and Arroyo. I'm not sure that Tampa would give up those three for only Dopirak, Marte and Guzman. What about taking Marte out, removing Gathright and sending Patterson from the Cubs to Boston and Boston sending a lesser prospect to Tampa. The deal could look like this: Orioles get: Manny and Arroyo Cubs get Tejada Boston gets Patterson, Lugo, and Huff Devil Rays get: Dopirak, Guzman, Hill, and someone like David Murphy or Chad Spann. I would take Guzman out, and replace him with Harvey + $$$.

You can't be serious that you'd take Jeter but not Arod? :shock: Jeter is a nice player, but Arod is better by a large margin. FYI the difference between ARod and Jeter last year was the same difference between ARam and Vinny Castilla. Yeah but Vinny can really "pick it" down there.

In '05 overall, Prior went 11-7 with a 3.67 ERA in all of his *27* games started (the most GS was 35; Big Z started 33) with opposing batters hitting .227 and giving up 3.19 BB/9. There were only 3 pitchers who started more than 25 games in '05 with >9 Ks/9 -- Santana, Peavy and Prior. Prior does rank lousy #3 in that top 3 of '05 in K/BB, OppAvg and HR/9. He's also the only one of the top 3 who had his pitching elbow fractured during the season. Prior has only had one other season when opposing batters hit worse than .227. That was 2002, his rookie season. He has a career K/9 of 10.6. Among active starting pitchers, that puts him behind Randy Johnson. I've read that he has the second best K/9 ratio through the age of 24 of anyone in baseball history, but I don't know where to confirm (or disprove) that. He doesn't have 1000 IPs yet. I'd hate to see him get that somewhere else. 02 11.34 03 10.43 04 10.54 05 10.15 (and remember, he sucked in '04 and '05) It's not all about the Ks, though they come in handy. He has a career WHIP of 1.21, and that's with two "bad" years, one good year and his rookie year. 02 1.17 03 1.10 04 1.35 05 1.21 I'd love to see more offense and I'd love to see a stud position player at Wrigley. I just wish that Hendry would have obtained one at a position that the Cubs had virtually no one to fill (ie, RIGHT FIELD). Trading Prior would be a disaster. ETA: Santana is probably not showing up on the career leaderlist for K/9 yet, either, (and would have less than 1000 IPs) but I'm too tired right now to figure out where he is. Probably ahead of Prior, though. Great post. Couldn't agree more. Why do I have this horrible feeling that Prior is as good as gone?? And here I thought I was gonna freak-out when Walker is inevitably traded. ugh. I certainly couldn't blame Prior for being fed up with the dunce in the dugout/Hendry.

I personally would keep Zito. A top 3 of Z-Zito-Prior would be awfully intimidating, and if healthy, would nearly keep you in the race on their own. Put Jones back in left, sign Hidalgo and let he and Corey battle it out for playing time in Right. At the very least an outfield of LF- Jones, C-Pierre, RF-Hidalgo/CPunk would be fantastic defensively. If neither is panning out come June or so, THEN look to acquire a bat for rightfield again at that point(small market team looking to unload..ala ARam, Lee) Zambrano Zito Prior Wood Maddux Best case.....whoa Is Zito better than Jerome Williams? Not looking for a fight, but just asking. I certainly believe so, Zito is a horse, as well as being electric when really on, and can throw a lineup off for days(especially sandwiched between to righthanded fireballers) 86 wins...5 straight 200+inning seasons...3.50/1.22 career #'s in the AL.....CY Young.......post season experience. I like Williams, don't get me wrong, especially for the $$$.

I personally would keep Zito. A top 3 of Z-Zito-Prior would be awfully intimidating, and if healthy, would nearly keep you in the race on their own. Put Jones back in left, sign Hidalgo and let he and Corey battle it out for playing time in Right. At the very least an outfield of LF- Jones, C-Pierre, RF-Hidalgo/CPunk would be fantastic defensively. If neither is panning out come June or so, THEN look to acquire a bat for rightfield again at that point(small market team looking to unload..ala ARam, Lee) Zambrano Zito Prior Wood Maddux Best case.....whoa

They can afford it, dependent upon what/if anything else transpires. Wood is off the books after this season as well.

Walker is a Bean type of player, Hendry is hell-bent on getting rid of him, how about try and make a DIFFERENCE for once. Walker Murton Hill/Williams Ryu $$$ I'd rather do that then throwing big $$$ at Millwood etc... Gives you a hopeful rotation of: Zambrano Zito Prior Maddux Wood/Rusch Move Jones back over to left where he belongs, and is a plus defensively, platoon him with an Eduardo Perez, then get back to trying to find an acceptable rightfielder........ .....Or try and still get Tejada with whats left (Cedeno+Williams/Hill+Pie+Guz???), then going cheap in right(Hidalgo...Corey)

Platooning Pie with Jones? I don't see how that is anything close to the right plan. They are both lefties for one. So, you are either going to let Felix only hit against lefties or let Jones sit against the only group of pitchers he can hit. Pie needs to get more professional at bats in AAA. If he dominates the league, then call him up and let him take somebody's job full time. He doesn't need the Corey Patterson treatment. Sorry, meant platoon Pie with Murton, soft platoon--Murton plays against half the RHP (and of course, all the lefties), Pie gets half the RHP. Perez was my idea for a platoon partner with Jones. I think I'd still rather see Pie hit in AAA and Murton get a full season. Agreed. I want him dominating AAA before he sniffs the bigs, regardless of how long that takes.

Thanks. And maybe we can still get that big trade. Put a slug in someone's ear on behalf of all of us! :shock: I kid. :twisted:

Bruce, why is Hendry still set on moving Walker? If he were the trade chip for a rightfielder, I could understand...but that spot is filled. What beneift could the Cubs get from trading him? Is there something about him that we don't know, or is Hendry that clueless? Boy would I love to hear a candid answer tothat question. I always give candid answers, both here and in the newspaper. The Cubs, as Goony mentioned, are stressing defense, for better or worse. They don't seem to like the way Walker plays the position compared with other second baseman. There are pitchers who've also voiced concern about the defense behind them. The Cubs feel, again right or wrong, that if the defense can turn the double play instead of extending the inning, their pitchers will have a better chance. I, too, am dismayed by the Cubs' seeming lack of emphasis on OBP and OPS. From an offensive standpoint, Walker certainly would look good in the No. 2 spot. And for the money _ and considering what they spent for a lot of mid-level guys _ Walker is an absolute bargain. Walker might annoy them with some of his comments to the media from time to time, but that really has no bearing on them not wanting to keep him. It's interesting to note, however, that Walker has worn out his welcome with other teams. If he does go, I'll miss him, not only because he provides provocative and juicy quotes. He's one of the best guys I've dealt with. Thanks again for your insight Mr. Miles, always EXTREMELY appreciated. So the Cubs are "stressing" defense this year are they?? Hmmm, don't we still have the nit-wit, toothpick soaked in idiot juice, self-serving clown in the dugout on a daily basis?? You know the guy who had no problem running Trinidad Hubbard/Gremlin Macias out to play center, or penciling in a "heavy" career pinch hitter at 3rd base on a daily basis, in one Lenny Harris? But NOW, Dunsty(the organization) has a problem with Walkers defense at 2nd, amazing. How about stressing fundamentals.... pitchers/players covering bases......communication on the infield and in the outfield on pop flys(the kind that seem to fall in 6 or 8 times a year on the northside), hitting cuttoff men, running the bases WITHOUT your head up your ... for a change........fielding bunts and making the throw, making sure the base coaches eyes have been screened recently....Who's job is it again to see to it that all of this is tight??? Quoth the manager: "Go ask Larry." :D Bruce, you're the goods.

Bruce, why is Hendry still set on moving Walker? If he were the trade chip for a rightfielder, I could understand...but that spot is filled. What beneift could the Cubs get from trading him? Is there something about him that we don't know, or is Hendry that clueless? Boy would I love to hear a candid answer tothat question. I always give candid answers, both here and in the newspaper. The Cubs, as Goony mentioned, are stressing defense, for better or worse. They don't seem to like the way Walker plays the position compared with other second baseman. There are pitchers who've also voiced concern about the defense behind them. The Cubs feel, again right or wrong, that if the defense can turn the double play instead of extending the inning, their pitchers will have a better chance. I, too, am dismayed by the Cubs' seeming lack of emphasis on OBP and OPS. From an offensive standpoint, Walker certainly would look good in the No. 2 spot. And for the money _ and considering what they spent for a lot of mid-level guys _ Walker is an absolute bargain. Walker might annoy them with some of his comments to the media from time to time, but that really has no bearing on them not wanting to keep him. It's interesting to note, however, that Walker has worn out his welcome with other teams. If he does go, I'll miss him, not only because he provides provocative and juicy quotes. He's one of the best guys I've dealt with. Thanks again for your insight Mr. Miles, always EXTREMELY appreciated. So the Cubs are "stressing" defense this year are they?? Hmmm, don't we still have the nit-wit, toothpick soaked in idiot juice, self-serving clown in the dugout on a daily basis?? You know the guy who had no problem running Trinidad Hubbard/Gremlin Macias out to play center, or penciling in a "heavy" career pinch hitter at 3rd base on a daily basis, in one Lenny Harris? But NOW, Dunsty(the organization) has a problem with Walkers defense at 2nd, amazing. How about stressing fundamentals.... pitchers/players covering bases......communication on the infield and in the outfield on pop flys(the kind that seem to fall in 6 or 8 times a year on the northside), hitting cuttoff men, running the bases WITHOUT your head up your ... for a change........fielding bunts and making the throw, making sure the base coaches eyes have been screened recently....Who's job is it again to see to it that all of this is tight???

At this point, we can't afford to move Walker. We need his bat more than ever. Trading Walker now would be stupid. Which makes it all the more likely. ](*,)

Would love Perez for the bench/platoon as well(especially now), maybe it will serve to pacify Baker's "need" to put his fingerprints on everything and anything. Walker best be here batting 2nd opening day, unless used in a deal for a difference maker only.