jmajew

What is the general consensus on Matthews? My guess is that he will get a deal too expensive and too long for his skills. Other opinions? I feel about him essentially the same way I felt about Jacque Jones. Yeah, he's an alright player. But he wont be worth the money or years he gets... and he's not the best thing on the market. Gary Matthews should be the type of guy we try to sign to one or two year deal when every other avenue is exhausted before the season. There's better targets to set our eyes on. My Guess woudl be that he woudl get Mike Cameron type money. They are pretty similar player, Matthews being a poor mans version of Cameron except for last year. So probably something like 3/21. Which is a bit high for him.

I think the reason people are clamoring for a deep rotation is because of the fact all of our pitchers seem to get injured. I would love to see the cubs with that lineup. However, i'd also love to have Hill. A rotation of Zambrano, Zito/Schmidt/Daisuke, Hill, and Prior/Miller in the postseason would be dominant. The big problem with the big two theory is the situation the Mets are in. Pedro got hurt and left them with Glavine. They now, in all likelyhood have no chance of winning the World Series. Having a big two is fine but you need a capably 3,4,5.

I think a deal of Jones/ Marshall for Burrell could work. Then you can reasonably expect them to pick up a third of his remaining contract. 3-6 of Lee, Burrell, Ramirez, Murton looks pretty solid for the next few years. If we can trade for Burrell and then sign lugo to play short we can put Pie in center and we got ourselves a nice little lineup. Lugo, Theriot, Lee, Burrell, Ramirez, Murton, Barrett, Pie. It would be a much more cost efficient plan. On a side note, I got a great story about Burrell. It was in the summer of 2002 and i was sitting in the bleachers on a hot summer day when were playing the phillies. Burrell was out there shagging some flyballs. Some really hot chicks were yelling for him to toss him a ball and he yells back only if you show me your $$$$, the girls were willing to oblige but Burrell told them to stop and tossed them the ball. Priceless.

So hows the shoulder now?

I just thought i'd toss this out there.

I want Eyre moved because I think his greatest value to the team is as trade bait. Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Reds, etc are usually willing to pay a premium for good relievers. Trade him while his value is high, especially if it doesn't seem like he will fit in with Piniella.

Here's a question: Will Lou's ability to speak fluent Spanish have any effect on the Aramis contract situation? I know it is a small part of what he does but I could see certain ballplayers liking that. All in all I think Lou did a pretty good job today. He said all the right things. However, he did get asked a single question about how he handles pitchers. I don't know if that is a good sign or not.

I doubt that the Padres will fail to exercise their option on Cameron. I didn't realize the Padres had a club option. There goes in my mind the easiest and quite possibly the most cost effective solution to our CF problems. Now, I'd really have to consider signing Soriano if he is willing to play CF. But I'd still not advocate him batting leadoff. Can anyone recall a time when a team got three of the top 5 free agents. I can remember quite a few when teams got two of the top 5. Blue Jays last year with Ryan and Burnett, Mariners signing Beltre and Sexson...

All I ask from the Cubs is to trade for A-rod, sign Mike Cameron, and sign eitehr Daz, Zito, or Scmidt. If you can't get A-rod then go after Julio Lugo. A lineup of Theriot, Murton, Lee, A-rod, Aram, Barrett, Cameron, Jones or Lugo, Theriot, Lee, Aram, Murton, Barrett, Cameron, Jones both look pretty good.

I think this, or something like it (key transactions are Willis to Yankees, A-Rod to Cubs and prospects to Florida) is the best and most realistic idea I've seen in this thread. My thing is I don't want to trade any of Aram, Lee, Zambrano, Hill, or Prior. I think if we can work out a three way deal in which we get a top of the rotation starter for prospects we will have what it takes to get A-rod. I'd consider trading Prior but Hill and Zambrano are off limits. If we want to win next year we will need both of them. A three way deal is the only way we can get A-Rod. We most likely will not be willing to trade what the yankees want.

Pie and Veal to the Marlins Dontrelle Willis to the Yankees A-rod to the Cubs Pie and Veal to the A's Prior and Eric Chavez to the Yankees A-rod to the Cubs Pie, Veal, Moore to the Braves Hudson and Prior to the Yankees A-rod and Andruw Jones to the Cubs Pie, Veal, Moore, Joe Crede to the Braves Freddy Garcia and Tim Hudson to the Yankees Andruw Jones to the White Sox A-rod to the Cubs Sorry my mind is just running wild.

I think Lou is a notch or two above Dusty. If Piniella knows how to contruct a lineup, I don't see how the offense cannot improve over what it was last year. I think he is smart enough to not bat Izturis or Neifi or Cedeno 2 in the lineup. Putting Murton or Barrett there would be a huge improvement over what we have had and alone should provide us with quite a few more runs. So right there would be about 3-5 more wins.

Where did you hear this?

You are an absolute genius, Derwood. Thanks. For my next trick, I'd also like to see the Super Bowl played in the stadium of one of the two teams playing in the game. Thats fine, hold the Super Bowl in Chicago That was a bit too bold for my liking.

I've done this already numerous times but i'm bored with no Bears game on so here I go. Re-sign Aram (4/56, 16,14,13,13), Re-sign Zambrano (5/75), Re-sign Wood 2 mil, Sign Mike Cameron (2/13, 7,6), Sign Julio Lugo (3/18), Sign Zito 4/56 (16,14,13,13), Trade Veal or Gallagher, Marshall, and Jacque Jones for Tim Hudson. Fill out bench from our system. Lineup SS Lugo 6 mil 2b Theriot .35 mil 1b DLee 13 mil 3b Aram 16 mil LF Murton .35 mil C Barrett 5 mil CF Cameron 7 mil RF Pie .33 mil Bench OF Restovich .35 OF Pagan .35 INF Izturis 4.15 INF Cedeno .35 1b/3b Moore .35 C Soto .35 Rotation Zambrano 13 mil Zito 16 mil Hudson 6 mil Hill .35 mil Prior 5 mil Pen Dempster 5 mil Eyre 3.5 Howry 4 Wuertz .5 Ohman .4 Wood 2 mil This would put us at 110 million for next season. The contracts of Zito and Aram are designed in such a way to allow us to take on the extra 7 million a year for 2008 and 2009 of Hudson's contract with a bit more ease.

WHAT?! My thoughts as well. Now if it were Marshall, Veal, Jones for Andruw and Hudson...that's a good deal. I'm just trying to make a trade that seems plausible. Don't forget last year the Red Sox traded both Anibal Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett and the Red Sox took on Mike Lowell's contract. I think you guys may be a bit unrealistic on what you can obtain. If you switch in Cesar Izturis for Jacque Jones would the trade become more palatable? ONe more thing if you are willing to overpay for guys like Soriano and Lee in free agency why is not acceptable to overpay to get guys through a trade? If you want to build a winner immediately you are going ot have to overpay. but you're trading for a guy who is probably on the back end of productivity in his career, and has an albatross contract that might be the difference between us being able to sign our core players to extensions. Every free agent we can sign is on the backend of his career. Carlos Lee is gonna be 32. Soriano is gonna be 31. Schmidt will be 33. I would rather pay Hudson 30 million over three years than Schmidt 48 million over 4.

WHAT?! My thoughts as well. Now if it were Marshall, Veal, Jones for Andruw and Hudson...that's a good deal. I'm just trying to make a trade that seems plausible. Don't forget last year the Red Sox traded both Anibal Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett and the Red Sox took on Mike Lowell's contract. I think you guys may be a bit unrealistic on what you can obtain. If you switch in Cesar Izturis for Jacque Jones would the trade become more palatable? ONe more thing if you are willing to overpay for guys like Soriano and Lee in free agency why is not acceptable to overpay to get guys through a trade? If you want to build a winner immediately you are going ot have to overpay.

Here is what I would do with that extra 15 million. 1) Sign Zito to 4/56, 16, 15, 13, 12. We will have to overpay. 2) Sign Cameron to 2/14. 3) Sign Lugo to 3/18 4) Trade Marshall, Veal, Jones for Hudson. 5) Resign Zambrano to 5/75. 6) Resign Ramirez to 4/56. This would put us right around 115 million.

Who says you can't have a great pitching staff, or a staff that gets hot, just because you've got a lot of all stars in the lineup? What is with this black and white world where everybody thinks it's either hitting or pitching. You need both. The Mets would be up a creek without their lineup. The Yankees lost because they spent millions on really old and/or broken down pitchers. It was very similar to the Cubs relying on already injured pitchers. You can have a great offense, and still have a pitching staff get hot. However, it is less likely. If you spend 60 million on 5 pitchers, who are worth the money, there is more of a chance the pitchign staff will get hot than if you spend 30 million on 5 then the other 30 million on an offense. I am not looking at this as black and white. I think I am being realistic in my approach. The Yankees have a 200 million dollar payroll and they built their team all wrong. IMO they have not spent the money wisely. IF you ahve 5 starters who make between 10 and 15 million odds are two will get hot. If you have 5 starters two of which make 3 million one at 6 and then two at 14 million odds aren't as likely that you will have two pitchers get hot. (All numbers used arbitrarily to help make my point, hopefully we will have some good young pitchers to help lower the actual numbers) Does my logic make no sense at all. It is the same philosophy as having tons of all-Stars on offense to help you to score more runs. I just want to overload on starting pitching. As I have said numerous times you also need to build an adequate offense....hopefully in the top ten in the league but top 15 is fine. Just to point this out about about the Mets their pitching staff has the 6th lowest ERA in baseball this year. So their pitchign staff isn't as bad as you made it out to be.

This is insane. No its not insane. It is being realistic. If you have all all-stars in yoru lineup and then have a crappy pitching staff you are up a creek. A great offense will get you to the playoffs year in and year out, however, it cannot win you a World Series. In order to win a World Series you have to have an extremely good pitching staff. Or atleast have your staff get hot at the right time. A hot pitching staff will always beat a great offense. Teams need an adequate offense, granted you should get the best one you possibly can, but pitching is what wins the World Series. The ideal situation woudl be to have the Yankees offense with the A's pitching staff. But if I had to choose I'd choos a pitching staff like the A's vs an offense like the Yankees. Yes, I know the A's have not won anything recently but that is because their offense has been so awful and barely average for the league.

I think an all-star studded lineup is not the way to go. A team has to have its share of all-stars but it also needs those role players. Guys like Matt Murton who can get on base, Endy Chavez for the Mets who plays incredible defense and has one of the most importatn roles on that team, and Placido Polanco on the Tigers all are extremely importatn pieces of teams. I think a group of guys who don't recieve tons of accolades on their own are more likely to win. Players who recieve tons of accolades tend to get complacent with their lives, and their number 1 goal is not to win the World Series, even though they say it is. Players like Polanco, Chavez, Jay Payton, Craig Monroe, Thames, Ronnie Belliard, David Eckstein, Jose Valentine, Paul LoDuca they all play to win the World Series and that is it. Those are the types of guys you need to fill in around your All-Stars.

I'm all for Andruw Jones and Tim Hudson. The extra 15 million would be huge. I was trying to configure ways to use the extra 20-25 million we were going to have and I kept coming to the conclusion that signing one premiere free agent, highly overpriced, was not the right moves to make. Because it woudl leave too many holes. But with the extra 15 million we can sign two premiere free agents. That extra 15 million will allow us not to have to be cost conscious in the players we sign. It gives us so many more options on what we can do in the offseason. The more options we have the less likely it is that Hendry can screw it up.

It seems like the Cubs would actually be giving up too much in that deal. I also do not see the Yankees trading A-Rod for prospects. They Yankees are a win now team. They want players who have proven themselves. The White Sox have the best shot of trading for A-Rod. They have an abundance of quality pitchers and a young 3b who could replace A-Rod admirably.

Bruce, I just want to thank you for answering all these questions. Your insight is really good to get for us fans. Keep up the good work.

I want nothing to do with Soriano if he wants more than 5/70. I think giving him a more than 4 years is a big mistake, espeically if he wants 15-16 a year. That means that last year of the contract will be a waste. With that said I also don't want Carlos Lee. My bet is he will get 5/60 - 5/75 and that is too much for him. I don't see either of their production being all that much better than a guy like Mike Cameron's. And Cameron would cost half the price. I'm going to say this...I'd much rather have a combination of a CF/2b of Cameron/Lugo/Durham/Loretta/Lofton than spend the money on guys like Soriano or Lee. If we can spend money on guys like A-Rod, Andruw Jones, and Vernon Wells that'd be fine but don't do it on highly overrated players. I don't know where to find this but could someone give me the winshares of a combo Cameron/Lugo and compare that to both Lee and Soriano. I wonder which would net you more. That is assuming if we get Lugo he will start at SS and Izturis/Theriot/Cedeno would battle it out for 2b.