Little Slide Rooter

Theo also said Z would be given a chance to earn his way back onto the team, and then traded him to the Marlins. I'm not saying Theo can't get it done, and I'm not saying one way or the other if it'll be good for Kerry to be back on the team. I'm just saying that Theo's word can't be taken at 100%. Sure but Kerry's can due to the fact that he accepted a crapload less money to come back to the Cubs and has consistently stated his desire to stay on the Cubs and only the Cubs. There is really no benefit for Theo to lie about this. He's not trading Kerry or raising his value. Maybe to hold off the meatballs for a time, but eventually if he let Wood leave, he'd get crapped on for it. Any fan who doesn't understand why Kerry Wood isn't a fit for this team has yet to figure out the direction Theo and Jed are taking this team and are going to crap on most of what they do.

Even if we did sign him for 2-2.5 mil, while it would be a great value it's really not something we need considering our existing pen options. I'd be fine with him coming back anyway, but if someone else offered him more money and/or years I'd be perfectly fine with it. He owes The Cubs nothing and The Cubs owe him nothing. I'd prefer he not sign with a rival, although we did smack him around something terrible when we faced him when he was with the Indians. As long as he's willing to sign elsewhere, he should have no trouble finding at least a 2/8 deal.

What ever happened to Cubs or retirement? Why am I starting to think that he'll end up with the Cardinals thus negating everything else Theo and Jed have done and ever will do in the eyes of the meatball population?

They don't deserve anything really. It's not about deserving or not, it's that they must have made an agreement and Selig was somehow involved. As difficult as the process was, I doubt that it will ultimately end with us sending them junk. Either a respectable prospect or two or something that can help their big league club in the home stretch.

I still think they have to end up with something of use. When Selig finally came close to stepping in and Theo was granted his release from Boston it was with the understanding that they'd get something. Considering the likely direction of the 2 teams, it might make the most sense to wait until mid season when the Red Sox are likely right in the race if not in 1st place and the Cubs floundering somewhere toward the bottom and we can send them a big leaguer(s) or big league ready help depending on what they need at the time, be it a back end starter, a reliever, or a backup or even trade them Byrd or Dempster mid season at a beneficial price for them.

I wouldn't put it past Theo despite the fact that it's not something we need, but that doesn't seem to necessarily stop Theo. I certainly wouldn't hate it as a minor league deal.

I'd be perfectly content with Derrek Lees hitting and fielding. I see Rizzo as hitting for less average and more power than Lee. So, like Fielder. Lee has a career .281 avg. to Fielders .282. I know that it's a smaller size, but aside from one year, Fielders always hit for a pretty good average. Perhaps you're thinking Adam Dunn.

Considering we seemingly won big in this trade, I'll go with no.

the law doesn't distinguish much between using force and knowing someone can't consent: http://law.onecle.com/illinois/720ilcs5/12-13.html http://law.onecle.com/illinois/720ilcs5/12-15.html (and this lesser charge is still a class 4 felony if she was passed out...) Maybe you missed the part where I said I know drunk can't consent. But in the law you reference, 1 requires force or threatened force, 2 requires Castro to know that the victim couldn't consent. If he's so drunk, he doesn't remember much of the evening either, what did he know? Hey the law can be pretty strict on this point and maybe it should be. But I've struggled with 2 totally smashed people having sex and the guy being a rapist. Maybe I'm alone in that. Maybe every guy here that's had sex with a drunk woman is comfortable in the knowledge that he's a rapist. I doubt that though. I have a hard time believing he gets charged with something unless he was pretty sober or there was force involved. Anything else and this looks a lot more like a mutual mistake than a crime. We may rarely see eye to eye but you are very much not alone in that thinking. Starlin Castro may be a star athlete, and a hero to some but lest we forget, he's also a 21 year old kid. I don't know how many times I've heard about some drunk 18-early 20 somethings completely [expletive] up their own life and those of their families simply because they were too intoxicated to think clearly and when the smoke cleared both had a different interpretation of what happened and both probably legitimately feel that their story is the right one. Now if this girl awoke to find herself being groped that is vile and inexcusable no matter what, but nobody will ever truely know what happened besides the two people involved, an depending on how intoxicated they were maybe not even them.

I'd be perfectly content with Derrek Lees hitting and fielding.

Brian LaHair is our 1st baseman.

Does he really need to be to justify being really happy with this trade? Well the star players have to come from somewhere, and first base is a pretty good place to have one, especially since we don't have any other option. Baseball America begs to differ I apologize if that lead to anyones head exploding.

I do get what they're doing though. Looking for a few back end starters for the future? I understand that a pitching rotation can only hold 5 guys, but would you rather audition a handful of cheap options like Maholm, Sonnenstine, Wood, and Volstad at 1-3 mil each or sign someone like Kyle Lohse or Joel Pinearo to a multi year deal for 5-10 mil/year?

For one of the wiser and more level headed posters on this board, your over the top hatred toward LaHair is ammusing. And wasn't Jerome Williams half way decent for one year for us before he fell off a cliff re-emerging as half way decent again last year.

Mike Rizzo has never struck me as afraid to take risks. The fact is, if he is ready to stand by the Werth decision, then it'd be pretty logical to apply the same reasoning to Fielder. Fielder's 27 and already an elite player. The Werth signing was similar to the Soriano signing. He had 3 great years under his belt when he signed his big deal, but was already 30 and rather than being a true elite player, he was the best thing available to a team looking to make any kind of splash. Like Soriano, the contract given to Werth was a perfect case of a team bidding against themselves, and even if he could keep up his production for a few more years, I don't think there's anyone out there who though that Werth is the type of player that should be making $21 mil/year at ages 36-38, not that there are (m)any players that should be. I don't disagree, except my personal opinion is that there isn't a whole lot separating Fielder from the likes of Werth and Soriano. To me, the weight thing cancels a lot of Fielder's age advantage, and his production hasn't been head and shoulders better: what it's been is more volatile -- better great seasons, and worse down seasons. JMHO, but the term elite doesn't apply. I do think that any of these 8+ year deals are bizarre. It's one thing to lock up a young stud like Braun, Longoria, or Tulo at a young age at a somewhat team friendly price, but anytime you have a veteran, especially near 30 that 8 year deal you're basically paying for the last 4-5 years of the players prime and hoping that they don't fall off too steep of a cliff those last 3, and 21 mil is a lot to be paying for a guy who's more likely than not to be dead weight by then. As for Fielder, I do agree that his body type is an issue, so a 5 year deal is a smarter proposal, maybe a mutual option or 2 to make it look better. Now that The Cubs are lseemingly out narrowing the field to 3 teams who already have a 1st baseman(Nats, Mariners, Rangers) that's what's likely to happen. This being said, I have to wonder if the Brewers would be able to bring him back if they were able to move Hart('12: 9 mil, '13: 10 mil),Wolf(9.5 mil), and K Rod(12-13 mil?) and a portion of their salaries. They should be able to move all of Harts salary if they're willing to accept a weak player return, but the other two won't be as easy.

Mike Rizzo has never struck me as afraid to take risks. The fact is, if he is ready to stand by the Werth decision, then it'd be pretty logical to apply the same reasoning to Fielder. Fielder's 27 and already an elite player. The Werth signing was similar to the Soriano signing. He had 3 great years under his belt when he signed his big deal, but was already 30 and rather than being a true elite player, he was the best thing available to a team looking to make any kind of splash. Like Soriano, the contract given to Werth was a perfect case of a team bidding against themselves, and even if he could keep up his production for a few more years, I don't think there's anyone out there who though that Werth is the type of player that should be making $21 mil/year at ages 36-38, not that there are (m)any players that should be.

Who is playing 2B? Probably Barney. Maybe DeWitt or Stewart. Lake could be an option. The mythical slugging 2nd baseman isn't easy to come by. Brandon Phillips is a potential FA, but most signs point to an extension.

This looks like as good a fit as anything http://www.northsidebaseball.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=60426

With the uncertain state of our existing and recently departed starting pitchers, I'd thought that Cashner was a shoe in for the 2013 rotation. Guess not. In fact, nobody is. Beyond 2012: Zambrano Cashner Dempster Garza: I'd give him 50/50 at this point Travis Wood is a pretty safe bet to be in the rotation somwhere. Trey McNutt should get serious consideration with a strong 2012 in the minors Volstad, Wells, and Sonnenstine are all options, but if anything, 1 of the 3 will be. Next offseason, we'll have a lot of money to play with, and depending on who makes it to free agency, there will be some dandy options. If we did sign Cespedes and gave him LF, and assuming that Stewart or Vitters can hold down 3rd base our only real need for the next offseason would be starting pitching, and we should have enough money for 2 top shelf guys assuming they're available.

Hopefully Cespedes is hitting well enough that that won't happen 8-)

At this point, between now and July Byrd and Dempster should be moved for whatever we can get. Baker too if anyones interested, and utility infielders who are somewhat capable with the bat seem pretty popular these days. As far as Soto, I'd like to give Castillo at least half a season in Iowa to see if he's ready to take over.

Didn't we just trade him for Rizzo?

No, you aren't. Soler FTW. I don't know why people act like they're inter changeable. Cespedes should be in the big leagues sometime in 2012 if not opening day and Solar would be coming up with guys like Wells, Golden, Baez, Maples, Vogelsbach et. al. I say get em both. We have the money.

He's also said repeatedly how good of a guy Crane Kenney is. And didn't Ricketts say that Jim Hendry's job is safe? In this regime, a vote of confidence is the kiss of death.

This being said, we have a [expletive] load of extra money so lets throw it at Cespedes and Solar.