RonnieWooWooSanto

Not very good.

So now the Cubs and Padres seem to be trading buddies. It would be nice if the Padres had a stronger minor league system(not that it matters in a Walker trade).

I don't think I'd watch another Sox game if they got Hawkins. Atleast not when he pitches.

I think it's pointless to look back and try and find good moves and bad moves. What matters is the big picture. A general manager's job is big picture. If the team sucks, it's his fault. You can't really get pissed at a GM who builds a 91 win team that falls a game short. But when you have an upper echelon payroll and build two consecutive horrible teams, you've done a horrible job. Trying to look at a deal or two that weren't all that bad on the surface is pointless. I agree with your first statement and the overall picture right now is bleak. That is why I willing to part with guys like Ramirez to obtain good young talent. I think to look to 2007 as the year as some do is not the way to go. I really think the Cubs could benfit from obtaining young talent preferably AAA players and young major leaguers. That is why I think if Santana and Aybar(assuming this rumor is true) would be a step in the right direction for the Cubs.

Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!

The mark on him is the fact that the 2005 and 2006 Cubs have sucked. The Pierre trade is hardly the only blemish. It's a big picture problem that started long ago and is tied directly to his philosophies. And no, faltering prospects will not make him smell like roses. I just meant smelling like roses as opposed to being railed for the Pierre trade(i.e. no ticker tape parades). Believe me I hate Jim Hendry. I find him to be smug and arrogant. And his philosophies screw the pooch. But, it is just unfair to throw out things he had sone well when looking at his track record. Just as it would be unfair to discount the times he screwed the pooch.

We get it. You love Ramirez. What is wrong about acquiring a pretty good MI prospect and getting a top of the rotation guy? I don't think Santana's a top of the rotation guy. I don't think Aybar is anything special. It's not a matter of me loving Ramirez. It's me thinking that it's not a wise deal. If you want to trade Aramis, it has to be in the right kind of deal. Santana & Aybar, IMO, isn't the right deal. It assumes that you can trade for a replacement 3B AND aquire a power hitter in the offseason. I have doubts as to Hendry's ability to do that. If Hendry's here, the safest course of action would be to keep Aramis and build around our current core, which isn't as bad as our record indicates this season. I think we contend more easily with Ramirez, Lee, Z, Prior and Barrett here to add pieces around. Why do you question Hendry's ability to get players(3b and power hitter) in the off season? He acquired three of the core guys you listed (Lee, Ramirez and Barrett) through trade. How many people were excited about bringing Michael Barrett in to be the Cubs starting catcher? He did a pretty nice job there. Gee, why would I question the ability of a GM who has completely wasted the last 2 seasons with his various FA signings and inconsequetial trades? Hendry has long passed the point where he can point to Ramirez & Lee (salary dumps) and Barrett and say "Look what I did!" He's made enough terrible decisions to warrant a total lack of trust. FA signings: Jacque Jones - decent signing(although the third year is problematic) Bob Howry - good Scott Eyre - good John Mabry - bat off the bench/versatile(not good or bad really) The mark on him is the Pierre deal. If those pitchers falter then he could still come up smelling like roses on that one. His major fault is retaining guys like Rusch and Perez. Overall, the trades are the problem with Hendry. So he gets no credit for acquiring Barrett, Lee, and Ramirez? Salary dump or not he got them. Like you said they have the "core" in place....so it is a bit unfair to discount them in Hendry's track record. All GMs make some inconsequential trades along the lines of Koronka for Bynum. Following you approach, how can he even obtain quality players via trade when you make anything of value off limits?

Reported reason for the breakdown in the Milledge for Zito talk.......... Edited to fix link

From Rotoworld.................

Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus had this bit of information in his trade/trade rumor piece, Will's Mill.

We get it. You love Ramirez. What is wrong about acquiring a pretty good MI prospect and getting a top of the rotation guy? I don't think Santana's a top of the rotation guy. I don't think Aybar is anything special. It's not a matter of me loving Ramirez. It's me thinking that it's not a wise deal. If you want to trade Aramis, it has to be in the right kind of deal. Santana & Aybar, IMO, isn't the right deal. It assumes that you can trade for a replacement 3B AND aquire a power hitter in the offseason. I have doubts as to Hendry's ability to do that. If Hendry's here, the safest course of action would be to keep Aramis and build around our current core, which isn't as bad as our record indicates this season. I think we contend more easily with Ramirez, Lee, Z, Prior and Barrett here to add pieces around. Why do you question Hendry's ability to get players(3b and power hitter) in the off season? He acquired three of the core guys you listed (Lee, Ramirez and Barrett) through trade. How many people were excited about bringing Michael Barrett in to be the Cubs starting catcher? He did a pretty nice job there.

With the wind expected to be blowing out at 15 miles per hour, it is a good day to for the D'backs to have Webb pitching. I hope to be wrong here, but I have a feeling the Cubs might get massacred. I like young players, so I'm interested in seeing Stephen Drew and Carlos Quentin(if he plays) at Wrigley.

If there is any fruition to this, it is a very good move for the Astros in my opinion. I believe the proposed deal was.................... Hank Blaylock to the Astros for Brad Lidge and then Ensberg to the Padres for Linebrink.

In terms of the Dodgers, I sort of hitched my wagon to Joel Guzman when I read the Dodgers have lost a little interest with the emergence of Ethier. But I didn't realize Aramis trade rumors would pop up.

Maybe LaRoche is part of that rumored Maddux deal. He very well could be the AAA position player that is rumored.

sounds like he's just the type of player LaRussa likes. he'll love the cornrolls too. Is it cornrolls or cornrows? I always though it was cornrows. hmm It's "rows" because it resembles the way a corn field looks.

If these rating are on target, then Aybar is better than Cedeno. More than "slightly" better.

IF this happens....... Things would need to play itself out in order to make that claim. It very well might be, but I wouldn't just right off highly touted prospects ahead of time and major leaguer Santana is pretty good. In terms of minor leaguers....... I wouldn't worry about their development and the Cubs systems inability to produce position players. Their skills have been honed elsewhere. Kind of like Barrett. If they have the talent they'll come into their own.

I read on the Cleveland Indians' message board that Belliard is none to happy about this trade atleast at the moment. I'm not sure if there is any merit to what this person reported, but I'll throw it out there anyway and see if a reputable source backs it.

They were swept in 4 games, so it was just like their World Series, too. :P :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

The Cubs actually have a winning record against the NL central. It's games against the other NL divisions(and interleague) that are a problem.

Pujols who????

Hopefully they can get the type of deal they got for Williamson(a low minor leaguer or two). Just something that has even a slim possibility to help the Cubs in the future.

Conditioned to use the carpet as he did in Minnesota.

The guy being Steve McMichael.