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Backtobanks

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Everything posted by Backtobanks

  1. Backtobanks
    Conine is old enough to have a son in the majors. Can't see this deal especially since Jones is doing okay lately.
  2. Backtobanks
    If I were the White Sox, I would be asking for Escobar or Salty instead of Renteria. Williams needs to quit thinking like the WS are contenders next year and go after prospects that will be a winning team in 2009-2010. The Sox have no chance with the Tigers, Indians, and Twins not only better, but in most cases younger than they are.
  3. Backtobanks
    Ben Maller is reporting: While the manager emphasizes today, Cards GM Walt Jocketty tilts toward the future. Though insisting there will be no "sell-off," Jocketty might have an opportunity to stir the market with right fielder Juan Encarnacion, pending free-agent shortstop David Eckstein or a righthanded reliever. Anthony Reyes, who Jocketty insisted last July was not introduced in trade talks with the Florida Marlins, can now be had. Kip Wells' two-hit performance against the Florida Marlins on Wednesday might create value where none previously existed. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch Encarnacion would certainly look good in RF for the Cubs. Of course the question is whether the Cards would deal inside the division and how much would they want for him. He is an interesting option.
  4. Backtobanks
    I'm not sure why the Cubs would want Garland. If you put his numbers so far this season on the Cubs, he'd be the 6th best starter for the Cubs. He's been a mid 4's ERA guy for most of his career besides 1 year. He is certainly no better than Lilly or Hill. He probably is a little better than Marquis, but that's not nearly worth what it would take in talent and salary to acquire him. I'm not making an argument for or against Garland, just pointing out that a "mid 4's ERA" in the AL translates into a pretty good pitcher in the NL without the DH.
  5. Backtobanks
    Garland would be great, but if Williams is seeking a king's ransom for players like Contreras and Dye, can you imagine what he'd want for Garland? Probably Hill, Pie, and Veal for starters.
  6. Backtobanks
    If they think Dopirak is an elite prospect, I'd do Dopirak for Dye. :) Sounds good :D I don't know what Williams is exactly thinking here. Dye is a FA after this year anyway. You have to move him now before you end up with absolutely nothing. And based on his potential from last season and his HR totals from this season (on a bum quad), there will definitely be teams that are interested in him. You're not going to get a top of the line prospect for Dye, so he can stop thinking that. How about Neal Cotts :wink: The funniest line that I've read in the last few weeks is Williams wasn't sure on whether the White Sox would be buyers or sellers. KW is hilarious.
  7. Backtobanks
    Let me start with a quick disclaimer: I'm only suggesting these moves as long-term suggestions, assuming they can be obtained very cheaply, and that they still have minor league options. The rumor mill has suggested that the Red Sox are basically willing to give up Willy Mo Pena for next to nothing and the Angels have already replaced Ervin Santana in the rotation. Perhaps some time at AAA with Joshua and spring training with Gerald Perry might straighten out Pena. He has shown the potential to be a .280 hitter with 40-50 HR power. As for Santana, he was wanted by a lot of teams last offseason and has a lot of potential to be a winning starter in the majors. Maybe Rothschild and the minor league pitching coaches can straighten him out. Both of these players are still young and have had some success in the majors, but are having terrible years and seemed to be "on the outs" with their current teams. Before I get blasted on these suggestions, remember the disclaimer at the beginning.
  8. Backtobanks
    Pretty much, but he's got the defensive ability/reputation to actually get playing time in RF. Fun fact about Ethier: His OBP and SLG are identical this year v. RHP and LHP. Only a 4 point difference in OPS last year too, so he's not a guy that needs a platoon partner. I mentioned trading for Vazquez and then using Marshall in a deal, but the Dodgers want starting pitching, what about a 3-way deal with Ethier/Murton/Vazquez as main components? yeah thats a good idea, since vazquez is the only guy performing this year who can be had (other than oswalt). how does Cubs get: Ethier, Vazquez Dodgers get: Marshall, and Petrick White Sox get: Murton, and Meloan sound? Picking up Vasquez adds a lot of salary.
  9. Backtobanks
    A 2-position platoon of Jones/Byrnes/Pagan in CF and Floyd/Byrnes/Derosa in RF with the leftovers on the bench would be pretty productive. I don't know how much he would cost as a rental, but my original post mentioned let him walk and getting the draft choices. I wouldn't mind getting Stairs, but Byrnes can play CF and platoon with Jones which stairs can't do.
  10. Backtobanks
    Eric Byrnes might be an interesting option for a rental for CF and RF. Obviously, Arizona doesn't think they're out of it, but I would think they aren't going to make the playoffs this year. With all of the talk about Hudson leaving Arizona at the end of the season, maybe a deal centered around Eric Patterson plus ??? for Byrnes. At the end of the season, let him walk and get the draft choices.
  11. Backtobanks
    This is actually an age-old debate which will continue as long as baseball is played. It usually is treated as a most outstanding player award, but given that it's called the Most VALUABLE Player, perhaps it shouldn't be. By definition, most VALUABLE means who made the most difference for their team, not who had the most outstanding individual performance. Given how it usually is looked at perhaps it should be re-named Player of the Year instead of Most Valuable Player. I've always thought that they should have a separate award for Player of the Year. The POY could be from any team, while the MVP would come from a team finishing 1st or 2nd.
  12. Backtobanks
    Assuming the Cubs win the NL Central and Aram keeps driving in clutch runs, that he has a legitimate shot at MVP? I know it's not the end of the season, but I have trouble believing that anybody has been more valuable to their team.
  13. Backtobanks
    That is true, but I think it also might have something to do with more playing time overall.
  14. Backtobanks
    I agree with the posters that say Bonds is a total jerk, but you do have to give him some credit as a great ballplayer. Before we get all excited about Arod breaking Bonds' HR record, do we have any proof that Arod isn't using something? We are in an era where every batting and pitching record has a cloud of suspicion hanging over it. His physique? Isn't that proof enough? Unless he is using a lean mass roid, but I believe that only benefits track athletes and such. There isn't an inkling that ARod has used roids. There's very solid evidence, almost to the level of total proof even, that Bonds did. If someone comes out with solid evidence ARod cheated, then of course I'll be against him breaking big time records. Of course. By the time this "era" is over, I think we will find out that many players were using something even though we don't have any inkling that they were. Many of the players caught in the steroid hysteria have been small thin players, not bulked up giants. The rumors are starting to spread to golf, and they sure don't have players that look like Bonds.
  15. Backtobanks
    I agree with the posters that say Bonds is a total jerk, but you do have to give him some credit as a great ballplayer. Before we get all excited about Arod breaking Bonds' HR record, do we have any proof that Arod isn't using something? We are in an era where every batting and pitching record has a cloud of suspicion hanging over it.
  16. Backtobanks
    I don't understand all of this talk about Dempster going to the rotation. How can he possibly be a starter this year without stretching out his innings. Basically he has been a one-inning pitcher for the last few years and he is supposed to jump right back into a 6-7 inning guy. Maybe for next year after building up his stamina in spring training.
  17. Backtobanks
    Does anyone know how the minor leagues handle the roster size for each team. With players moving up or down and major league players being sent out to rehab for a week (or a month), are there set rules for the size of the roster in the minors?
  18. Backtobanks
    Plays every game against the Brewers. Steroids or not, it's amazing to see a fat,old, crippled guy who can hit HRs against 25 mph wind. Time to root for Barry, but only during the Brewer series.
  19. Backtobanks
    Maybe they are considering that, if they're trying to trade Jack Wilson. which is hilarious, since izturis is more or less a hispanic version of jack wilson Yeah, but the Hispanic version has a much better contract than Jack Wilson. Wilson's contract is ridiculous.
  20. Backtobanks
    How exactly do you go about replacing Hill? He's a top 20-40 starter in the game under team control for the forseeable future. You don't trade Hill for Salty because Salty has the potential to be a true superstar, but at this point he is still a prospect.
  21. Backtobanks
    Just think of it as taking the pressure off of the team. Look what happened when Lou did it.
  22. Backtobanks
    It worked, Hendry is a genius.
  23. Backtobanks
    I'm pretty sure what we saw last night is what he is now. I think you're being a little rough on Kendall. Let's not forget that this guy just got traded, hopped on a plane, barely had time to meet everyone and discuss pitch selection, signs, etc, and was put in the starting lineup. Let's give him a week or two before we give up on him. I don't expect him to be they second coming of Johnny Bench, but let's give him a few games to acclimate himself to the pitching staff and field conditions.
  24. Backtobanks
    Where would Dunn play? I can't imagine him trying to play RF. He'd be a butcher out there, but imagine him in the middle of the lineup. And Soriano (and Pie if recalled to start) would cover enough ground and play good enough defense to make up for Dunn's miscues. They would not make up for Dunn's miscues. They would help. But they can't catch the balls hit at him or at his right. he's not a good defender, but I have faith that he can catch the balls himself if they hit him. Fixed
  25. Backtobanks
    I got a kick out of the line about Bowen being a better young catcher. The guy can't hit at all. Kendall is having a bad year, but has done good lately (.295). The Cubs are hoping to catch "lightning in a bottle" with Kendall for the next few months. The same would have true for many other possible acquisitions (Dye, Burrell, etc.) except they would have cost the Cubs more in young players. The Tribune makes it sound like the A's are picking up most of his salary, so the bottom line is the Cubs gave up next to nothing for a player that might provide a spark.
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