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Backtobanks

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  1. Backtobanks
    ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog post up. The Indians are "thoroughly scouting" eight teams that may be interested in C.C. Sabathia, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and Dodgers (the Mets may be another). Gammons agrees with Ken Rosenthal that Mark Shapiro may trade Sabathia soon to maximize his value. Gammons does not see the Yanks jumping in with Phil Hughes or a multi-prospect offer, unless Chien-Ming Wang's injury forces their hand. He does not think the Cubs or Phillies have the goods, but suggests the Rangers as a dark horse. If the Cubs don't have enough for Sabathia, Plan B could be Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux, or even Erik Bedard. The Padres and Mariners have been informed of the Cubs' interest.
  2. Backtobanks
    I love watching everything he does. He's very professional in every aspect of the game. It's kind of like watching Greg Maddux pitch. The other point that some people made is that this is his first year in a completely foreign country and he has been a solid contributor, wait until next year when he has a chance to feel more comfortable in the league and in this country.
  3. Backtobanks
    The Sporting News needs to pay more attention to baseball. Berkman has been a superstar in baseball for a number of years. I disagree with you on Berkman being a superstar for a number of years. My point was that he should be considered a superstar, but he's not. Part of the reason could be that he's not on either coast, but Bagwell and Biggio did get their share of publicity while playing in Houston. Who says he's not? You? He's on every all-star team, he makes the most money on his team and just about anybody who follows baseball knows he one of the best players in baseball. Calm down, I'm agreeing that he should be considered a superstar with a shot at the HOF, but he isn't given the recognition that he should get. He's been on 4 All-Star teams in 8 years and the list of comparable players includes some stars (Larry Walker, David Ortiz, etc.) and some others (Danny Tartabull, Mike Sweeny, etc.). Right now his numbers look a little short of HOF consideration at 40.3 (>50 = HOF probable) and 82.5 (>100 = HOF probable). There would be no doubt about his status if he played in NY, Boston, or LA.
  4. Backtobanks
    From Foxsports on top prospects that have turned out flops: 4. Felix Pie He's still quite young at 23, but he was a flop in his debut with the Cubs last season and was sent down this year in favor of the aged Jim Edmonds. He is starting to be eerily like Corey Patterson, who was equally as hyped but never reached the predicted stardom. The Orioles didn't want Patterson anymore and it's beginning to be clear why they didn't want Pie as part of any Brian Roberts trade. The excuse given for the Orioles is that they already had center field filled with Adam Jones, but Jones or Pie could have been moved if the Orioles had been impressed enough with Pie. The fact that the Cubs aren't just giving him the centerfield job, when they've had a crying need for one, is an indication of how unsure they are of Pie. With the addition of all-out gamer Reed Johnson, the days of Pie being in the Cubs' outfield may already be over. In 23 games with Triple-A Iowa, Pie is hitting .183/.232/.355.
  5. Backtobanks
    The Sporting News needs to pay more attention to baseball. Berkman has been a superstar in baseball for a number of years. I disagree with you on Berkman being a superstar for a number of years. My point was that he should be considered a superstar, but he's not. Part of the reason could be that he's not on either coast, but Bagwell and Biggio did get their share of publicity while playing in Houston.
  6. Backtobanks
    I've been a Cub fan for 54 years and I'm ready to see the Cubs win a WS. Another reason to "mortgage the future" is that our top prospects (Pie and Hill) are starting to look like flops. Maybe it's time to trade them while they still have some trade value.
  7. Backtobanks
    I think Soto is probably one of the most "untouchable" players in the league right now. Finding a young stud catcher only happens about once every 20 years, so I can't think of a realistic deal in which I would include Soto.
  8. Backtobanks
    The Indians are going to be more interested in Murton than Pie? This really gets to the heart of the matter though. The Indians really need more hitting than pitching, and the Cubs don't have any elite talent to trade to them in the minors. The Indians are not looking to restock a farm system like the Orioles were doing in the offseason. The Indians want guys who can be impact players, not a bunch of guys who might turn out to be serviceable players. The only way this really makes sense is if this becomes a three team trade where the Cubs move their "surplus" of young solid arms to another team for some impact position prospects to the Indians for Sabathia. How about a 3-way with the Pirates, sending them a bunch of prospects with them sending Bay or Nady to the Indians and Sabathia coming to the Cubs.
  9. Backtobanks
    Nobody ever downgraded Babe Ruth for the in Yankee Stadium with it's short RF fence.
  10. Backtobanks
    The latest Sporting News has an article about Lance Berkman and some of the numbers comparing him to all-time greats were amazing: Career OPS: 1. Babe Ruth 1.164 5. Albert Pujols 1.044 9. Todd Helton 1.007 10. Manny Ramirez 1.001 11. Lance Berkman .982 Career OPS, switch hitter: 1. Berkman .982 2. Mickey Mantle .977 3. Chipper Jones .957 Career ABs/RBI: 1. Babe Ruth 3.80 7. Manny Ramirez 4.41 25 Lance Berkman 4.96 Career OBP, active players: 1. Todd Helton .430 2. Albert Pujols .423 3. Frank Thomas .420 4. Lance Berkman .415 When you talk about superstars and future HOFers, I would venture that hardly anyone thinks of Berkman, but his numbers should put him in those discussions.
  11. Backtobanks
    I'm to the point where I can't see us landing a legit #2 or better without including someone like Lee or Aramis (obviously not going to happen). There's a greater chance of someone from within stepping up and performing like a #2 by the end of the year than there is of us acquiring one. I hope Hendry serves me a big ol' dish of crow on this one. Most teams trading for a legit #2 starter have given up on 2008 and are looking to the future, so they would want young players or prospects.
  12. Backtobanks
    yes, please. Its interesting. Can Hoff play LF? Can Bonds play LF? Can Dunn play LF? The answer is that any of the three would be standing in LF waiting to bat.
  13. Backtobanks
    Agreed. Even if Cook doesn't continue his current production, he's always been a very reliable starter even before the humidor era began. In both 2006 and 2007 his ERA+ was 116. Before that, he didn't have any full seasons, and I'm not sure if that's because of injuries or something else. Anyone know his history? His BABIP is .283 too. So it looks like he's not getting abnormally lucky either. I'd love to deal for Fuentes and Cook together. What would it cost? Neither figures to play prominently in the Rockies future, so I can't imagine it would be too much. Jose Ceda and Ronny Cedeno? I don't think Ceda and Cedeno would get you a callback if you're talking about Cook and Fuentes. I would think that they would get better offers than that for either pitcher.
  14. Backtobanks
    Murton has two strikes against him: he's not left-handed and he doesn't hit for power.
  15. Backtobanks
    From Ken Rosenthal: The Cubs not only will pursue the best available starting pitcher — C.C. Sabathia? — but they also have shown interest in Rockies closer Brian Fuentes, a left-hander who would help reduce the late-inning load on righties Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood. Fuentes, a free agent at the end of the season, could fill a variety of roles — matchup specialist, setup man, closer — making him appealing to virtually every contender . . .
  16. Backtobanks
    Also, Griffey is owed a ton of money from previous years in which he deferred part of his contract.
  17. Backtobanks
    Here's a deal that makes sense: Brian Roberts for Rickie Weeks. The Brewers, who recently had two scouts watching the Orioles, are interested in Roberts, but it remains to be seen whether they are ready to give up on Weeks. Roberts, a more accomplished leadoff hitter and better defender than Weeks, is a more natural fit for a contender. The Orioles, meanwhile, could be patient with Weeks defensively, much as the Twins are being patient with the erratic Carlos Gomez. Weeks would be another young, athletic building block to go with Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. A straight-up deal might be out of the question, considering that Roberts is a free agent after next season while Weeks is under club control through 2011. But the Orioles could add a young pitcher or even one of their veteran relievers while perhaps getting another piece back in return. One thing is certain: The Orioles no longer can get the same deal for Roberts that the Cubs offered during the off-season. One reported package included right-hander Sean Gallagher, shortstop Ronny Cedeno, Class AA left-hander Donald Veal and Class A righty Jose Ceda; another proposal substituted outfielder Matt Murton for Veal, according to a source. BRob plus a young pitcher for a career .240 hitter is quite a comedown from the Cubs' offer.
  18. Backtobanks
    Gallagher, meanwhile, is showing progress in the Cubs' rotation and drawing raves from new teammate Jim Edmonds. "He's the first guy I've seen in a while with Carpenter stuff," Edmonds says, referring to his former Cardinals teammate, Chris Carpenter.
  19. Backtobanks
    Burnett, Harden, and Lowe interest me, but Wolf, Meche, etc. aren't worth the cost. We need a pitcher that could dominate a game, not just back-of-the-rotation filler. We have enough #4 and #5 candidates with Marquis, Lieber, Gallagher, Marshall, Hill, and Hart.
  20. Backtobanks
    Haha, especially at the Hoffpauir part. I'm sure the Royals are just dying to unload a premium trading piece for a 28 year old career minor leaguer with a sub .800 career minor league OPS. Those other guys don't have much value either, unless they are throw in guys around a centerpiece. I was thinking of Marshall/Gallagher plus 2 of Hoffpauer, Cedeno, Murton, and Patterson. If that's not enough, add a 3rd player from the group. Just forget it. These days guys with Greinke's profile are being dealt for the likes of Delmon Young and Josh Hamilton. That's what is meant by "very good, cheap, young MLB-ready hitter," not the collection of benchwarmers you've assembled. The only guy we've got that fits the description is Geo Soto. I wouldn't make that trade, but it's certainly the right ballpark. One article suggested that the Royals have a ton of holes both at the ML level and at AAA. While none of those players are a "Josh Hamilton", they certainly would help both at the ML level and AAA. Basically, I'm suggesting overwhelming them with quantity over quality. It's certainly worth a try since all they can do is say no.
  21. Backtobanks
    Haha, especially at the Hoffpauir part. I'm sure the Royals are just dying to unload a premium trading piece for a 28 year old career minor leaguer with a sub .800 career minor league OPS. Those other guys don't have much value either, unless they are throw in guys around a centerpiece. I was thinking of Marshall/Gallagher plus 2 of Hoffpauer, Cedeno, Murton, and Patterson. If that's not enough, add a 3rd player from the group.
  22. Backtobanks
    MLBtraderumors.com in an article about the starting pitcher market mentions Greinke's name again: Zack Greinke, Royals. To trade him, the Royals would probably need a very good, cheap, young MLB-ready hitter. "very good, cheap, young MLB-ready hitter" could describe Hoffpaur, Cedeno, Murton, Patterson, or a combination of them. I mentioned before Greinke would be a great pickup as a pitcher with experience and youth (24). Some posters weren't enamored with the original discussion of DeJesus and Greinke, but getting Greinke without DeJesus should satisfy the naysayers.
  23. Backtobanks
    Presumably we'd get at the very least a strong indication of signability before making the deal. I don't think that will happen with the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, and Rangers willing to outbid each other. We're one of the big spending teams too. But we're not as desperate as some of those underachieving teams with deep pockets.
  24. Backtobanks
    If you can find a team with deep pockets and a great offense, you might be able to trade him for a low-level prospect. Don't forget that the team that gets him will get a draft pick if he leaves, so some team could take a chance on him if the Cubs eat part of his contract.
  25. Backtobanks
    Presumably we'd get at the very least a strong indication of signability before making the deal. I don't think that will happen with the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, and Rangers willing to outbid each other.
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