Backtobanks

I understand wanting to play close to home, but this will probably be Schmidt's last big payday and I wouldn't narrow the choices (or at least announce that I had). Let the Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox drive up the bidding before you make a decision.

Florida? Do you think his ego would accept the league minimum for a salary.

I'd steer clear of Mulder because of the injury. A personal anecdote about Mulder. My son played against him in high school and got two hits off of him. My son was never an offensive threat, so I feel that Mulder is nothing special.

Hopefully Derosa would be the Cubs' super utility sub.

These are the kind of players (Baldelli & Crawford) that the Cubs ought to be going after if they're available. Young players who can contribute next year and in the future. Forget the rumors about Bonds or Alou. An OF of Murton, Baldelli/Crawford, and Pie would be set for the next decade.

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make. There was a whole lot of people on this site clamoring to get Wilkerson when he was available.

What do you do with him after 2007? He'll be a free agent. Do you sign him to a deal comparable to Veritek's? Do you let him walk? There's an obvious way to handle it. Trade Barret and Z, who will be enormously expensive free agents after 2007. Their trade value is very high. Use it to get parts that will help in 2008. Forget about 2007. Not saying Hendry will do this, but I would. The parts you had better be talking about should include the likes of Cabrera, Liriano, Santana, etc. and not somebody's prospect that turns into a AAAA star.

I don't think Hendry is going to fill one hole by making another hole. I can't see Barrett going anywhere. As for people like Murton or Hill, I think you had better be talking about a real impact player (Cabrera, Arod, Tejada, etc.). With all of the holes the Cubs have, it doesn't make sense to fill a hole by opening another. I would think the Cubs would try to make trades using their young pitchers, their bullpen, Jones, Izturis/Cedeno, and prospects.

More pressure on Hendry to re-sign ARam now that one of his replacements is gone.

That's just his agent talking. I'm sure he goes from town to town drumming up business for his client.

Not needed in baseball. The quote in the Tribune did mention "diversity" in interviewing.

Probably because there's a good chance he will outproduce the 30 year-olds who are asking for $15-$20 million per year.

So much for the rumor of trading Sheffield for "next to nothing".

I agree with what you said about Wuertz, Eyre, and Howry. Heilman has some potential, but right now he is the Glendon Rusch of the Mets (filling in where needed and doing a mediocre job). One of our young pitchers or prospects ought to be enough. Trading them Izturis would be great.

While I like the idea of Heilman, depending on the cost, it does make me wonder if Hendry has other trade plans brewing. I understand that the Cubs would love to go into the season with 6-7 starters available, but early speculation had such names as Prior, Miller, Guzman, Ryu, Mateo, Marshall, and Marmol all in contention for the 5th position. Hopefully the targeting of Heilman means Hendry has something else brewing with a few of the players I have named.

Bellhorn/Theriot coming would provide Piniella with options for the middle infield and outfield late in the game and would cost less than a Millon between the two. This would allow Hendry to spend big on Craig Wilson. I want Wilson if Jones is with the Cubs next season or not. He's a big RH power bat off the bench that can RF/LF/1B/C/DH/PH he'll probably get around 4 million next season. We don't need a defensive wiz on the bench. I'd prefer they trade him, but otherwise he needs to play. I agree totally about Craig Wilson. He is the perfect platoon player if Jones is still the RF and would be great at giving DLee or Murton a day off. The problem is that he will probably go to a team that will offer him a starting position.

As frustrated as many people are with Prior, it has been stated many times, you can't trade him while he has almost zero trade value. I can imagine the posts berating Hendry after he trades Prior and then goes on to have a Hall Of Fame career. You have to keep Prior and hope for a complete recovery or find a trade partner who is willing to give you value based on Prior's potential.

The next question is: What if ARam leaves AND ARod really isn't going to be traded? Most of the speculation revolves around getting ARod to replace ARam. Maybe they're serious about not trading him.

There's no way I would pay Bonds $14 million in the NL. The AL is the perfect place for him so he can DH and stay healthy. By the way, I have trouble believing there's any collusion against Bonds when we're discussing $14 million per year.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/printedition/ny-spyanks314954810oct31,0,5248755.story?coll=ny-sports-print Not sure what I would give up for Sheffield but if we found a way to not give up much and find a way to peddle Jones for something of vaule it would be nice to take a gamble that Sheff can return to 30-35 homer glory. Does Sheffield still throw the ball well? I know he's not worse than Jones. Well, if it's the Cubs, good for them for staying firm in the Sheffield talks. I don't particularly want him, but if the team is going to get him, at least they are not caving it to the Yankees demands yet (and that's why the Yankees are waiting, hoping the market improves for him). Cashman has us over a barrel. Okay Bynum and Rusch for Sheffield.

Don, if Ramirez walks, you then have to sign or aquire 2 impact bats to improve. Thjat's going to be next to impossible this winter. As far as being the next Ron Santo in terms of fan support, I'd rather people be indifferent to him and he continue to outproduce every other 3B in team history than be popular. I am in the camp that believes that Ramirez NEEDS to be re-signed, but Hendry could sign Soriano and Carlos Lee and put Soriano at 2B, or sign Soriano and trade for Sheffield. If the Cubs sign Soriano (which I believe they will), there are a number of OF possibilities: Lee, Sheffield, Wells, Burrell, etc. Personally, I would re-sign Ramirez, sign Soriano and try and trade for Vernon Wells or sign Lee. On a semi-related note, I find myself wondering why people are assuming Soriano will be an OF next season. Sure he is a butcher at 2B, but with the lack of impact bats on the market this winter, he's going to play where he wants to. I agree. There are options if Ramirez walks. The hard part is-how would Hendry lure free agents to Chicago to a team now without Ramirez? If he could, here's about what he would have to do: Trade for A-rod Sign Soriano (CF) Sign Durham Sign Platoon Partner Leaving a lineup of Soriano Murton Lee A-Rod Jones/Platoon Partner Barrett Durham Izturis That lineup would be productive enough, and would still leave us some money for pitching (the loss of A-Ram coupled with the payroll increase and the salaries already gone would give us a ton of money to spend). I think the whole process is a great deal easier with re-signing Ramirez, and I certainly hope they do-but I still think there's a possibility, even if it be small, of fielding a good team without him next year. Everybody who claims there are options if ARam walks is forgetting that his replacement is going to cost the Cubs some players in trade. These players could be used to improve the Cubs by playing or being used in another deal to fill one of the other holes on the team. So ARod or Tejada could likely match ARam's production, but the team would be stripped of 3-4 prospects that could fill other holes. The only FA option would be Nomar and that include a huge decrease in power at 3B.

I thought the problem was with the owner and not the manager.

Wouldn't hurt to inquire. Re-sign ARam, put Soriano in CF, Young at SS, and all of a sudden your offense looks a whole lot better. Then you go after the pitching problems.

We mentioned all of the usual suspects when it comes to trades, but I have another name that Hendry ought to look at-----Michael Young. He was in the dog house late last year and would be a tremendous pickup. I'm suggesting Izturis, Marshall, plus ??? for Young. Young and Izturis make about the same money, so money shouldn't be a problem on either side. The Rangers have a few good pitching prospects along with a potent offense, so adding a defensive SS and a left-handed pitcher who appears to be major league ready might do the trick. Any thoughts?

That would be way too smart and logical for the Cubs.