ottawacubbie

He. Had. One. Good. Month. How hard is this to get? Yeah, good for him, he hustles down the line, and tries hard, and is short and white and whatever, but he's freaking terrible. He's below replacement level, and he's 28. He's not going to be better. He's the primary reason our offense sucks, and yet people like you defend him to the death for some inexplicable reason. People need to get over the Little White Guy crush. He's not a starter on a serious baseball team. I don't disagree. However, everyone here who doesn't want him starting has yet to give a decent affordable replacement who would be worth more than we'd have to give up to get him or try the free agent market of David Eckstein, Neifi Perez (Round 2) or Jorge Velandia. It isn't a video game where you can just create a player if the market doesn't have any of what you are looking for or need.

A K/BB ratio has absolutely nothing to do with production. It's meaningless to this discussion. You also can't merely replace Theriot's 2007 numbers with Greene's 2007 numbers. It's a fairly baseless comparison. You must take into account Greene's home park, and how much that hinders his overall numbers. We're talking about one 27 year old player with a career OPS+ of 101, and another 27 year old player with an OPS+ of 83. It's an enormous difference that the SB numbers don't even come close to compensating for. That is true, plus you have to believe that Greene would probably post 25 HR plus for the next 3 years. I agree, now is this increase in production worth trading Rich Hill for even if you were just playing for next year. Potential be damned Is the difference between Joe-SS and Greene => to the difference between Hill and Marquis or Dempster or Marshall whomever would replace him in the depth chart?

I am not going to disagree with you, you have valid points, but (and I am not trying to be a jerk here) the part I don't get is how we fix our biggest offensive hole by replacing. .266/.326/.346 7 HR, 28 SB and a K-ratio of 50/49 with .254/.291/.468 27 HR, 4 SB, and a K-ratio of 128/32. Please explain, is it his potential or am I misinterpreting his stats and again I am trying to write this post COMPLETELY void of snarkyness if that is a word.

I agree, but I also think he is our best option right now and he will continue to be until next year's FA market with Cabrera, Cintron, Furcal, maybe Guzman and Edgar Renteria are out there.

OK, but what are the other options. I don't think there is a reliable enough shortstop available for the price of Hill. A cheap young talent like him, developed from within for a change, is vital to an organziation's ongoing success. I am not as high on Greene as everyone else. I wouldn't give up a quality starter (hopefully on the rise for) .254/.291/.468 even if it comes with 20 more HRs. Especially for a right hander with a 128/32 K/BB ratio. So who do you think is available who might help.

Wasn't it similar situations that lead to bad contracts with Mo Vaughn and the Red Sox and Albert Belle in Baltimore or do I have my history wrong. Logic has no worse enemy then a GM scorned. All hail King Furcaldome!

That isn't too bad . . . as long as it is $50 over 12 years. That said, I say offer him the moon if you can do it through acheivable incentives. 600 PA, .280 BA, 20 HR, 100 BB etc. and then the usual ones (not as reachable) MVP, All Star Game and GG. However, with Hendry seeing this as the Fulcrum of our season he probably offered $50 a year with five years of player options increasing by 20 per cent.

I reallly, really like Theriot. Is he my dream SS, no. However, if we were to take the soother out of Soriano's mouth and force him to learn how to bat second or fifth and go with Theriot he is our best option. Maybe Pie by year's end, but that is it. Any trade will cost too much. If Theriot doesn't get tired in September he would have hit .280/.349/.711. I am not saying he will develop, but give him a shot at the start of the year, batting where he belongs and see if he can continue to hit Major League pitching and if he can sustain a full season. His July numbers ware crazy. He had 5Ks to 14BB hit .348/.437/.483/.920. and really only had a weak June (79 ab) and September (99 ab). I just think the price is too much right now for a solid SS. I would rather wait until the season and people start losing their jobs (Theriot included) before we go addressing a minor weakness when we have three or four major issues at hand.

Just curious if you would pull the trigger on this deal . . . SF Matt Cain (or Linceum whomever you like most . . . or least) Randy Winn CHC Murton Pie Marshall Fontenot I am not saying this would get it done. It may take Hill over Marshall. I am not saying I am in favor of it, but it gives Hendry his leftie (sort of as a SH with better right-handed stats) and a solid option for the pitching staff. I am not sure if other GMs are as high on Pie as we are and I may also overvalue Murton, but he is a young guy that gets on base and you figure the Giants would like both those qualities as well as the salary relief.

I know this is a long shot, but I am curious what level of baseball they have. The Ottawa Lynx left this year and as I was heart-broken about that for three months we have managed to land a deal with the Canadian-American League. I will be buying season tickets (because the average Canadian simply can't understand the nuances of baseball and someone needs to support it). However, I am curious what I am in for.

Check this site from last year. http://sturgeongeneral.wordpress.com/page/2/ It has Fuku at about .308/.375/.507 with 16 HR, 110 K, 60 BB and 40 2Bs. Would you guys be happy with these number? I like the 308. 40 doubles is solid, but 110/60 ratio is not that disiplined.

Check this site from last year. http://sturgeongeneral.wordpress.com/page/2/ It has Fuku at about .308/375/507 with 16 HR, 110 K, 60 BB and 40 2Bs.

On the Willis note. He had a .329 BABIP last year showing his defense was just not up to snuff. I know that most people don't subscribe to Sabremetrics, but I do find them to be interesting stats. Pitchers with abnormally high or low BABIPs are good bets to see their performances regress to the mean. A typical BABIP is about .290. I also noticed that Verlander's BABIP was .281. Moving to another tough(er?) hitters park, but against MUCH better hitting (although the NL East is at least as good as the AL Central) this leads me to think his overall ERA should drop back to where his career average is 3.50-4.25 and his wins should go up. Also, he won't be the ace anymore so he should face a lower calibre of starting pitching so more runs should go further this year. Also his career average is 18.8 HR a year. There is no way he gives up 29 HRs again this year. I think Willis would thrive playing the Astros, Reds and Pirates as much as playing the Mets, Braves and Phillies last year. I would like him if they were giving him away for 2nd tier prospects and if it didn't interfere with landing more offense, preferable in the form of OBP. I would like to enter spring training with 8-10 starting pitchers and Mark Prior. :lol: This way we should be able to field a constant rotation for a change.

I don't hate many people, but the closest I could come to someone who doesn't committ terrible crimes to children would be Jeffery Loria. I am an old Expos fan and I think that he should be forced out of MLB. There are a lot of rich people who have respect for the game who want teams. He wants to lose so he can move the team, take advantage of the honeymooon period and sell them off. I wish I had a couple billion dollars so that I could finagle some way to destroy his life. He is worthless.

Today reported in the always unbiased Trib: With the trade of Craig Monroe to Minnesota on Tuesday for a player to be named, the Cubs have shed three veteran outfielders who would have cost nearly $15 million if they had returned in 2008. Now general manager Jim Hendry is searching for a right fielder who can hit, field and keep baserunners from taking the extra base, a sore spot in right and center the last two seasons. Hendry's payroll is likely to be raised from $100 million to $120 million-$125 million, which should give him plenty of leeway to find the caliber of player he's seeking. So that means Fukudome. If we don't get him then what? The BEST, BEST option (outside of a trade) may be a Murton/Jenkins platoon. Personally I don't like platoons, but I don't see any other viable options out there. I like Guillen, but I am tired of RHs I'd rather Murton to get a shot personally. Am I missing something here? Maybe the 15 million is for ARod at SS. I doubt it but what else can it be for? With an infield like that + Soriano all you really need is a defensive C, LF, CF and DeRosa and you have a solid team. Any other offense is just gravy, but I know ARod will end up elsewhere and I am personally fine with that. My question is; are the Cubs painting themesleves into a (RF) corner or does Hendry have a plan that I am just not seeing?

Hey maybe the PTBNL will be Santana! :pig:

Check out these links in the career potential section. http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/players/Ronny_Cedeno/ http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/players/Ryan_Theriot/ http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/players/Mark_Derosa/ http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/players/Omar_Infante/ No word yet on E. Patterson or Fontenot, but it looks like Hendery has heard something about steady utility men. Like Pokemon collect all five. Sigh.

A Zambrano, Santana punch would be devastating in the playoffs. Plus it pushed Ted Lilly where he REALLY belongs in the rotation . . . 3rd. If TL pitched like he did last year in the third spot he could have won 18 games.

I have interest in him. However, I wouldn't want to give too much. I think he could be a great shortstop, but the average of 24 errors worries me. Then again I am STILL a Theriot fan so maybe I don't know as much as I like to think I know. Matt

Sorry who would be our closer then? I would like Mo, but at 37 he can't be relied upon and certainly not for more than a season.

I may be alone in this, but I wouldn't mind seeing Rivera in a Cubs uniform next year. I love his health line: Sep 22, 2006: Missed 14 games (right elbow injury). Sep 7, 2006: Right elbow injury, day-to-day. Jun 5, 2006: Missed 5 games (back injury). Jun 1, 2006: Back injury,day-to-day. Last year's 3+ era is a tough pill to swallow if your close doesn't have a 4+ era. Plus I'd love to have him if we happen to put together a playoff season where we can actually gain a lead in a playoff game.

At first I thought it was rates talent developed within organizations, but then I saw Coco Crisp listed under the Sox. There has to be some kind of catch here.

Just curious if you think the Cubs will make any moves outside of Free Agency this year? If they do will they be blockbuster or just tweaks? I would love to see a trade for Johan Santana who is said to be availible, but I don't know if we have what it would take to get him. Maybe Pie, Hill and another player would be enough? Just seeing what everyone else thinks.