jersey cubs fan

I wouldn't mind grilling some kibosh this weekend

Warner wasn't just helped out, he was a completely different QB than he was in recent years. I wouldn't consider taking Warner, in Chicago, over Cutler for one game, let alone one year. McNabb, maybe.

I hate the scout that insisted he was worth it and Hendry for insisting on going with that scouts feeling rather than the cold hard facts.

When I saw him say it I took those comments as more of a joke than anything.

That's a much more glowing review than every other account I've heard of that practice. Apparently, there were lots of drops. Receivers are having trouble adjusting to the heat on Cutler's throws. Not that it matters much, it's the first day of OTAs. Still a ways to go. I read that too, which seems completely contradictory to the Daily Herald article saying only one ball hit the ground. And the Daily Herald article is definitely wrong. There's footage of way more than one drop. Maybe he wrote that after only watching a part of practice or something. He wrote "of his first 40 or so passes" and said most were against air. I'm sure he was just talking about the beginning of practice.

yeah he elbowed the guy on the icing and then high sticked him in the face. Wasn't elbowing... didn't see the high stick. How was that not elbowing? He came in and purposefully nailed the guy in the head with his elbow. Is that not really a penalty?

I said "his entire career" because I meant his entire career. What phrase would you prefer I use? Entire career is something you say when talking about a retired player or somebody who has been around a long time. It's 2 years, his first two years in the league, or something like that.

I really don't understand using the phrase "entire career" when you are talking about a guy in his 2nd season. It's just overly dramatic, like saying Boston hasn't won a World Series since 2007.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200105050.shtml 4-1 going into bottom of 7.

Getting owned by the chief division rival which spent $55 million less than you tends to elecit these reactions. who is owning what now?

Yeah, all two years of it. Two years isn't enough sample size to draw a conclusion about what kind of player he is right now? No, but it's a bit short to use phrases like "entire career". You wouldn't make many conclusions about a 20 year old major leaguer, not sure why you seem so prepared to do so with Kane.

Yeah, all two years of it.

Really, you're going to complain about pithy responses and follow it up with that nonsense?

A few of those goals against were pretty blatantly the fault of careless defenders though.

Seriously? So you're saying that when a team expecting to contend loses one of its best hitters for what could very realistically be 2.5 to 3 months, they shouldn't look to fill that hole? I have heard 1.5 to 2 months(Ramirez had the same injury before and came back after 6 weeks) and if it happens this early in the season it's not much you can do. Teams out of the race might be just droping salary so you might get some average veteran to fill that role. But teams right now aren't giving away 3rd baseman and you can't go trade good propsects when Ramirez is coming back. Like I said before the Yankees had the same issue with A-Rod and the Mets would have the same issue with David Wright if he got hurt. When a guy gets hurt early in the season and is scheduled to come back you can't really do much. Sure if the Orioles wanna give up Huff or Wigginton or the Indians wanna give us Mark DeRosa for Kevin Hart and other crap in the minors. Then sure fill the hole, but teams at this time of the year just aren't giving away players for nothing. So like I said your just stuck and have to deal with having crap, unless you get really really lucky. The Yankees did not have the same situation with ARod. He missed 1 month, and they were a great hitting team without him. The Cubs are going to miss Aramis for a huge chunk of the middle of the season, and they kind of stink at hitting and scoring runs. And given that it was a serious shoulder injury that could very easily affect his very violent swing when he does come back, we don't even know what he'll produce upon returning. On top of that, given all his other health issues, there's no telling how long he'll stay healthy before going down again.

Beltre has an OPS+ of 44 right now. He's a big OBP liability. If Seattle was looking to deal him and the price was marginal, I guess he'd be nice. But he'd almost certainly be just a rental.

When I said this: I was referring to Aramis. I doubt he returns by early July, and I really don't think he'll return to form with that injury.

Durham is an option, but given his situation, I have to think there's a reason he's still available.

What's to like about Beltre?

Sure, but the guy he signed before last season sucked last season. The guy he signed this season sucks this season. And Soriano hasn't looked like an $17m/season player and that fact is just going to be more glaring every year. Overall, he's getting nice production, but he had to pay way more than "nice" money to do that. That has been the Hendry story, for the most part (except the years when he got piss poor production for big money).

Okay, your next assignment is to find that guy. The thing is, Peavy is available, and all reports indicate he'd prefer the Cubs over anybody. Utley and Kinsler aren't exactly available.

I don't see the need to assume that would be it for the offseason, but it's not like Hendry has been brilliant in the offseason anyway. His best attribute is probably in the trading game. Giving him money to burn doesn't really guarantee anything. No, it doesn't, but it does give him the flexibility to upgrade the position that actually needs upgrading. And Hendry has really been one of the better GM's in the league at signing guys to big deals (9-10 million+ per year). He has a good track record of that...it's the middle deals (2-7 million) that have mostly hurt him over the years. Plus, the Cubs are going to need a cheap player or two to slot in around the diamond over the next couple years if they plan to maintain their roster, and taking away from that pool for yet another high priced player is extremely risky. He's paying a whole heck of a lot across the board in the OF without getting all that great of production out there. I don't see that as being among the best at big ticket purchases.

I wonder if Hendry has feelings for Crede or if Minnesota would like to deal him. Personally I wouldn't want to trade for him.

Mora or Beltre.

That's some darn impressive analysis right there.