Sammy Sofa

Byrd being traded isn't hinged on Colvin panning out. They could (and I hope they do) opt to trade him if Jackson has a great 2011.

Where are you seeing that it's a mutual option? BR has these details: Yes, they'll have enough money.

You are probably correct, but I really don't see a scenario where this team scores a ton of runs consistently. I do believe that their pitching will improve, and I sure hope they can correct the defencive lapses. That offence though, is going to have its struggles unless they add a big bat in the middle of the lineup. Eh, Pena's not likely to stay this cold. Even as bad/unlucky as he was last year he still hit for plenty of power. Sure, there's a chance that he has some lingering issue from last year given that his last month was by far his worst, but hopefully he'll likely rebound. If he does then the Cubs have a decent heart of the order to work with between him, Aramis and Soto what guys like Baker, Barney, Castro and Fukudome have shown they can do to get on base. But then you have the issue of Quade, who seems to be convinced that none of those 3 can or should hit #3. While Id prefer that the Cubs get it together and get in this thing, if we do fall out of it by June/July, we could really cash in with Ramirez, Fukudome, and Wood, as well as Pena if he can remember how to hit. We could maybe even get a fringe prospect or 2 for Grabow. Especially Ramirez, as there is a decent amount of contender who could use a 3rd baseman, and a potential shut down reliever like Woody is always in demand. I agree. My point is I think that the Cubs will rebound enough and the division is crappy enough that the front office won't sell. That's been their M.O., and I think with numbers down as much as they are in baseball they'll be afraid to project the image that they've thrown in the towel unless they're just hopelessly out of it really, really early. While I think guys like Fukudome and Pena would be moved if that was the case, I'd be surprised if a front office as historically timid as the Cubs moves a fan favorite like Wood even during a season that bad (especially with this latest signing seemingly being hinged on the idea of him retiring as a Cub, so you might as well stop fantasizing now), and I doubt (and actually kinda hope) they don't move Ramirez and and I think they'll exercise his option next year to back up whoever they go for as their big #3 signing.

You are probably correct, but I really don't see a scenario where this team scores a ton of runs consistently. I do believe that their pitching will improve, and I sure hope they can correct the defencive lapses. That offence though, is going to have its struggles unless they add a big bat in the middle of the lineup. Eh, Pena's not likely to stay this cold. Even as bad/unlucky as he was last year he still hit for plenty of power. Sure, there's a chance that he has some lingering issue from last year given that his last month was by far his worst, but hopefully he'll likely rebound. If he does then the Cubs have a decent heart of the order to work with between him, Aramis and Soto what guys like Baker, Barney, Castro and Fukudome have shown they can do to get on base. But then you have the issue of Quade, who seems to be convinced that none of those 3 can or should hit #3.

Why is it that when a pitcher stinks.....he's hurt? How about he just blows at the moment? Because pitchers get hurt a lot, and it's a logical conclusion to draw when a typically reliable pitcher falls off of a cliff.

I never understand why people bring the idea of the Cubs selling early. They're not going to trade anyone major until near the deadline unless a great deal is dumped in their laps, and that's if they sell at all. This division is, for better or for worse, crappy enough that Cashner and Wells coming back and being decent that they could technically be competitive long enough that the front office refuses to "quit" by selling.

I wonder what it is. His velocity seems to be there. The main problem is his slider seems to have failed him completely.

Blinded by rage.

He probably say something like "that monkey needs to knock off all of that jiggabooing," pelt him with banana chips, and then just stare at everyone with a really blank, dumb smile. And then davearm2 would bust in and go "oh, that crazy Luke Scott!" And then you'd hear the record scratch.

Oh, hey, way to suck, Quade.

It's like the five stages of trolling grief.

Well, whatever; he lost a [expletive]-ton of money because of Madoff. Actually, if the stories are true the Wilpons made money with Madoff and may have helpd perpatrate the scam so he could get cash from banks. But he ultimately lost around $700 million, right?

That's a really weird masochism thing you've got going there, champ.

Well, whatever; he lost a [expletive]-ton of money because of Madoff.

I just hope to God that Ricketts crying poor to the state is just posturing to get them to help with the stadium enhancements and not a sign that the Cubs could be on this list eventually. Aren't the Mets' trouble primarily due to Wilpon getting fleeced by Madoff? And the Dodgers' from Mcourt's divorce and general scumbaggery? For now it doesn't seem like we need to worry about such things from the Ricketts.

It's just going to move the 5 spot back a day. They can't really skip it. The good news is that the 5 spot only has to pitch once in the next 2 weeks. When are Wells and Cashner due back? Haven't they just started a throwing regimen recently?

As much as I want to like it from the sense of the old rivalry, this is not good for baseball at all. MLB really can't afford to have franchises like the Mets and the Dodgers this screwed up for a while with sales down across the board. Hopefully these situations get righted relatively soon.

4 game series in AZ Oh, nice! I was thinking they had all the Thursdays off this month.

Ugh, I forgot that tomorrow is an off-day, too.

If I had to guess probably something family-related. He doesn't have a history with any social anxiety stuff, does he? If not, wouldn't it be unusual for something like this to show up this late in his career/life?

The concern I have with Soto is that he appears to be one of those hitters that naturally hits into bad luck. It could be because he doesn't really have the ability to hit to all fields very well which makes him easy to defend against. He's also slow which hurts. His BABIP is low compared to his LD percentage but it's not that extreme. He's also hit 5 pop ups so far which is really bad this early. Soto has looked better when applying the eye test but he's really going to have to start hitting for some more power to really be productive and most of his bad luck has been on balls that would have been singles otherwise. I'm still willing to bank that 2008 and 2010 are closer to the "real Soto" than 2009, especially given how that's a much better alternative than Byrd even at his best.

No, those would be GREAT things.

Yup. Soto's hitting the ball on the screws and is just hitting into some real bad luck. Soriano is in somewhat the same situation, but even with his flaws he's actually producing runs. Like it was said, Byrd is just flailing away. Soto is much better bet to start hitting sooner, and he's just better at the plate. Put him between Aramis and Castro and I could see it leading to good things.

Really? He's a rightie, so I have no idea why you'd start Baker against him, much less in the #3 spot of all places.

He'll get one tomorrow. Has Quade batted Aramis #3 at all this year? No, and he's not going to. He said Aramis at #4 is the only spot in the batting order that is set in stone. What a jerk.