Backtobanks

I've said that all along. The pitchers we received would have either been part of the package or replacements for the prospects we were going to send. As for all of this Hendry bashing, he has made his share of mistakes, but some of us remember when the Cubs were never in contention as opposed to being favorites every year. Many posters favored Dunn or Ibanez over Bradley at the time, but NOBODY doubted he could hit. Everyone knew he had health issues (mental and physical), but he has yet to produce offensively. Most posters wanted Fontenot to get regular playing time, but he has not produced as hoped. Everybody's frustrated and disappointed, but hopefully things will straighten out in the 2nd half.

This team would be running away with the NL Central if they hit the ball half as often and half as hard as they hit the gatorade machine. :amen:

Morosi at Foxsports is writing that the Royals are willing to trade any "non-core" players and Teahen is mentioned as a trade candidate.

There goes his chances of being a first ballot Hall of Famer. =D>

Absolutely. We knew it was questionable if Fontenot could thrive as an everydaystarter, but Hendry still couldnt ship DeRosa out of town fast enough. Now, that move has come back to haunt us in a major way, and Hendry refuses to admit his error. It almost makes me wonder if when Hendry sayd he wants to wait and see what our needs are, he means wait and see if hes buying or selling. The Cubs won't be sellers for a variety of reasons, with the most obvious being the mediocrity of the NL Central. Waiting for other teams to decide if they're buyers or sellers could have something to do with it. The articles that I've read claim that right now there are only about 4 teams that are guaranteed to be sellers. I'm sure that by the deadline there will be more like 10 teams.

As I've posted before, I think Hendry is perfectly willing to ride out Ramirez' injury with current personnel and use his trade chips after assessing what the Cubs need and analyzing the moves made by other teams. The Cubs haven't hit diddly in the last month and are only 2 1/2 games back. If the Cards and/or the Brewers make a big move (Holliday, Peavy, etc.) and start to pull away, Hendry would be forced to pull off a big deal. Hendry's history has typically been more reactive instead of proactive, wouldn't you say?? In other years he was very proactive, but then he had the money and a stable ownership situation. This year he might have the resources and permission to make only one deal, so he has to be very careful about the player, the cost, and the timing of the deal.

As I've posted before, I think Hendry is perfectly willing to ride out Ramirez' injury with current personnel and use his trade chips after assessing what the Cubs need and analyzing the moves made by other teams. The Cubs haven't hit diddly in the last month and are only 2 1/2 games back. If the Cards and/or the Brewers make a big move (Holliday, Peavy, etc.) and start to pull away, Hendry would be forced to pull off a big deal.

Oh I agree completely that they'd be willing to deal him for the right package. The right package isn't likely to be fringe major league castoffs or old, expensive vets, though. Plus, if the assumption is that the Royals will try to contend (a reasonable assumption), then Cruz and Mahay will be important pieces to their pen. DeRosa is on the trade block because he's a valuable piece to a team - one that teams will be willing to pay good value for. Teahen is the same way. I think the Royals would be fine with keeping him or dealing him, but they have no immediate need to trade him, so he's not going to come dirt cheap. I think we agree that if the right package comes along, they would trade him. My problem with so many posters is that any package of Cubs' prospects is immediately labeled "garbage". As I have tried to point out (and seconded by Davearm) is that you never know what another GM is thinking or seeking.

This describes the DeRosa/Indians trade to a Tee. Who knows. Maybe the Royals have their own version of the Cubs' wanting to get more lefthanded. Heck everyone seems to be down on the Pirates for the McLouth trade too. Point being you never know what the other side might say yes to. The Teahen/DeRosa situations actually aren't all that similar. DeRo is 34 years old and costs $5.5 million a year. With his likelihood to decline (which I think is a bit overstated), the Cubs were selling high on him. Teahen, on the other hand, is making just over $3.5 million this year, is 27 and is still arbitration eligible after the season. He's cheaper and younger than DeRo and may still improve with the bat. There's far less reason to trade Teahen than DeRosa. Teahen will probably be making at least $4.3 and $4.8 over the next 2 years which might be more expensive than DeRosa if you take into account the budgets of the Indians and the Cubs. I stated earlier that Teahen underproduces for his 2 main positions (3B and RF - 90% of his games played). He is younger, but he isn't the solution to getting the Royals to the playoffs. As I stated earlier, his value comes as a versatile role player on a competitive team and not as a regular 3B/RF on a team trying to become competitive. That's why DeRosa is back on the trade block - his value is as a versatile role player on a competitive team. I think that the Royals will be willing to trade Teahen for the right package.

I think what Hendry is saying is that there's probably an okay to make one decent deal and he's going to wait as long as possible to assess the Cubs and other team's transactions to decide what move to make. Right now Wells has been doing great, but I might rather trade Wells than Marshall. I just have a hunch that teams will start getting to Wells the second time they see him.

We would all love to have DeRosa back, but you're offering way too much for him. Also, you're right in that Hendry would never bring him back and admit his mistake. The obvious reason it won't happen is that the Cubs supposedly don't have the money.

I would think that the odds of Freel being released are much better than the Cubs trading Miles.

We dont have many of these good prospects you speak of, We have Vitters, and hes pretty much untopuchable. We have Samrdzjia, who has a NTC and whose stock is falling. We have Jackson and Cashner who might generate some interest, but Hendrys generated something out of nothing in the past, and hopefully he can do it again without giving up too much as far as talent, so hopefully we can deal in quantity over quality. Nobody takes quantity over quality. This is one of the many reasons we are in a bad situation. I would think it all depends on who you're trading for. Nobody should be talking about a team's top prospect for someone like Teahen.

I'm not sure what it would take to get Teahen, because as I posted earlier nobody knows what value GMs place on a certain player or prospects they might get in return. I do know that Teahen would be a good role player on a contending team while being a versatile, moderately paid player on a non-contender. He is not the all-star some posters are making him out to be. He underproduces for his 2 major positions (3B and RF - 90% of his games), but remains a solid option because of his versatility. My 3-way trade proposal filled the Royals' glaring need (SS), but obviously we can't provide any prospects that would fill that void.

I've been suggesting for awhile that we use some of the prospects we were saving for Peavy (not needed) and go after Sanchez, Cantu, or Teahen. All of these players would be very good replacements for ARam and all of them can then slide over to 2B when he returns. Also, Fontenot might be a decent trade chip. The only problem is that this shoots down the "need more LH bats in the lineup" theory.

He has amazing stuff, but I think other teams have laid off swinging at pitches that they swung at last year leading to the increase in walks.

Is it just me, or does it look like Marmol's arm slot is off? It looks like he's changing it almost on a pitch by pitch basis. I was watching him the past few appearances, and it looks to me like he's all over the place. I think Marmol has 15 different arm slots and 275 different release points.

The time of need is now, and the need is a 2B or 3B who knows how to use a baseball bat. Basically said what we already knew: He's not going to overpay out of desperation for a temperary replacement for ARam and he's always on the phone monitoring what's available to help the team. As long as the Cubs stay close, he's going to wait for ARam's return to assess the team's needs and respond to other team's acquistions.

Doesn't it get old comparing a deal for Teahen to a deal for Teixiera, ARod, Ruth, Bay, and Beckett? I see outlandish trade proposals that aren't going to happen all the time on this site: trade DLee (NTC), get Adrian Gonzalez, etc. None of us (including the "experts") know what value a GM places on his team's talents or needs especially in this economy. The Harden and Garciaparra deals were both deals that nobody saw happening. The bottom line is that Teahen is a decent role player (not star) with an immediate replacement at 3B (Gordon) and the Royals have a big hole at SS which eliminates them from competing until it's filled.

Third base was never "closed" to Gordon; he's not playing because he's recovering from hip surgery. All the more proof that teahen doesn't have any future with the Royals.

Guzman gives them a SS for this year and next giving them time to develop or trade for a young SS, 3B opens up for Gordon, and Freel provides backup versatility for $0 (Orioles are paying his salary). They have a gigantic hole at SS and had hopes of competing this year and next in the AL Central. Teahen has no real future with the Royals except as a backup or trade bait. The loss of Mahay and Cruz is no big deal.

This is the first 3-way trade proposal that I've made trying to keep the money almost as close to equal as possible. I'm assuming the Nationals and the Royals are ready to raise the white flag. Royals need a SS, Nationals need pitching, Cubs need a 3B. Royals get: Freel and Christian Guzman Nationals get: Juan Cruz, Ron Mahay, Cotts, Miles, Hart/Patton Cubs get: Teahen, Beimel Obviously names like Cruz, Mahay, Freel, Miles, and Beimel are basically to balance the money situation. The money breakdown 2009 (half season): Nationals break even, Royals save .9 million, Cubs add .9 million. 2010 breakdown: Royals add 4.75 million, Nats save 2.05 million, Cubs save 2.7 million

I got up this morning to rain and thunder/lightning and actually hoped for a rainout. I figured the way the Cubs have been playing, they would be better off playing this game later in the year when Ramirez is back and possibly some of the other players might be back in the groove. You know you're struggling when you hope for a rainout.

A source of mine verified that the big change we were expecting actually happened: Lou went from boxers to briefs.