Little Slide Rooter

So in the end, it looks like the only interesting non tenders are Pete Moyland(I've always had an odd obsession with side armers), Micah Owings, who'd be a better 6th starter/swingman than Casey Coleman or Rodrigo Lopez, Joe Sanders if we needed another 5th starter option, and Ryan Spillborghs who'd be a better 4th outfielder than Montanez. Nothing I'd go out of my way to jump on but at the right price, why not.

The difference between Prince and all of the other options is that he is that youn player who can help us win now and in the future. Right now, aside from Castro our roster is full of 6-8 hitters. This is something that needs to be fixed. Of the guys mentioned by Rob, LoMo and Smoak have the best potential and Morales I the closest thing to someone who could help us win now. If we could get one of them and Cespedes, assuming he's ready to contribute in the next year or 2, it could work. All of the other options are either very risky for the young guys and for the older placeholders not worth spending the money on. I guess what it comes down to is that I understand the concerns about Fielders build and I understood the questions about Pujols age, but if we're going to operate like a big market team we can't jut sit around and wait for that perfect 27 year old specimen to pop up and keep picking up placeholders and high ceiling guys in between. Our farm system currently doesn't have anything with elite potential so eventually we'll have to start spending and/or trading and this is the time to start, especially when we can fill an existing hole.

I agree with you to an extent, but this team is at the point where they need an elite bat or 2 to have any hopes for the next 3-4 years. I like the idea of taking chances on the Ian Stewarts and Daric Bartons of the world, but at some,point you need a solid foundation to build upon. Our farm system is almost built to produce role players to be used as pieces to build around bigger guys to who would be aquired through trade or free agency. If we dont end up paying for Fielder, we'll have to pay for somebody, and I don't think that another Prince Fielde and certainly not another Albert Pujols will be hitting the market anybtime soon. If they do, they'll be just as expensive and there will be reasons not to give them what they're expected to get, however, there will always be someone willing to give it to them. Unless we want to watch Starlin Castro and Brett Jackson surrounded by various incarnations of Marlon Byrd, David DeJesus, and Jeff Baker until we can finally produce our own superstars we'll need to start adding some top players, and those aren't just going to fall into our lap for nothing.

Brewers were already long shot to re sign Fielder and have little to do with The Cubs prospects of signing him. I believe their final offer was 6/120. Even if he would have eventually accepted do to lack of better offers, with K Rod accepting arbitration and now the Aramis contract that must be off the table. Personally I think thats a fair offer. I could see The Cubs offering a higher dollar amount but I don't know if we'll go any higher in terms of years.

For clarification, Barton has been tendered a contract. He is not a FA. Yes, I know. I mistakenly wrote non tendered instead of tendered. Otherwise I wouldn't have suggested the possibility of trading for him. The shame I feel is far greater than anything you can say or do. And when I read it I assumed you had a brain fart and thought non-tendering was the same thing as DFA. If you don't want people to clarify your mistakes, edit them yourself. If I catch them, I edit them. If someone beats me to it, that's OK too.

Your tune will change when he has a good season or 2 and Pirates fans act like you sent them Babe Ruth until he falls off another cliff.

The nightmare ends when he's either signed with another team or saws off more fingers.

For clarification, Barton has been tendered a contract. He is not a FA. Yes, I know. I mistakenly wrote non tendered instead of tendered. Otherwise I wouldn't have suggested the possibility of trading for him. The shame I feel is far greater than anything you can say or do.

Circle of life I guess.

Do you read what you write before you hit submit? Ever? Tendered, non tendered same thing, only the opposite.

According to MLBTR, Barton has been non tendered. If Fielder doesn't happen I'd be willing to revisit to possibility through trade.

He re-upped for 1 year with Boston last week. Similarly, what ever happened with Andrew Brackman?

Ramirez takes a lot of unfair heat from multiple sources, but Wrigley Field has always buzzed positively for the guy. I think he'll get an ovation. Yeah, I'll be shocked if Wrigley views him as the bad guy here. He may get an ovation in every AB if we're winning. I could see some of the meatballs feeling slighted by the fact that he dared turn down his half of the mutual option and test the free agent market which heavily favored him.

I'm saddened that there's any question. I've been faced with tougher decisions when asked if I'd like fries and a drink with that.

Yeah, but he did get us our 3rd baseman of the future, assuming we're ready to give up on David Kelton.

Just trying to find an eqivalent to Brendan Harris in a fictitious proposal which is simply just proving that when it comes to a 3 team trade, it's virtually unpredictable and it is possible for 1 team to give up 1 top prospect and pile of garbage and get something of value in return.

Somewhat interested. Possible 1B or a LH platoon mate for Soriano. he can also throw banana chips at soriano in the locker room. It would be more entertaining if he did it to Zambrano.

Somewhat interested. Possible 1B or a LH platoon mate for Soriano.

Because he's still on the A's unless they decide they don't want to offer him a contract.

The guy does take a ton of walks and when he actually does manage to put the bat on the ball it tends to go pretty far. Sounds like a very poor mans Carlos Pena. However, would he really be any better of an option than LaHair, acknowledging that TT is probably the last guy to ask that question to? He's 3 years younger, has been good enough to get 1765 MLB PA's(Lahair: 219), plays great defense, and has a strong prospect background. You don't get him and say "welp, first base is fixed", but right now we have nothing resembling an option for 1B in the system. Our bench sets up well for a lefty bashing 1B/LF type, and Barton can fill that role if they also add a superior 1B option like Fielder or Morales. I definitely trust your analysis, so if we can't get Fielder, he could be a nice buy low option and use the extra cash for 1 or preferably 2 of Darvish, Cespedes, or Solar. If the A's NT him I can't see him being that expensive. If not, I'm sure he'd be much cheaper via trade than someone like Loney, Morales, or Trumbo. However, with LaHair, Stewart, and DeWitt we already have our share of questionable lefty bats and Bartons never had much power in the majors or minors and that's something that we're sorely lacking. The A's also have Kila LaHair and Chris Carter, so they could give one of them a shot at 1st if they've finally given up on Barton.

Last year he was 8-0 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.254 WHIP in 33 games, priamarily in relief but with 4 stars and the splits were pretty even as a starter and releiver so somebody is likely to take a chance on him as a pitcher.

You mean white?

The guy does take a ton of walks and when he actually does manage to put the bat on the ball it tends to go pretty far. Sounds like a very poor mans Carlos Pena. However, would he really be any better of an option than LaHair, acknowledging that TT is probably the last guy to ask that question to?

I wasn't actually suggesting this trade as realistic proposal, just saying that the Nomar trade, had someone randomly proposed such a thing where we got Nomar and a decent prospect while giving up 1 good pitching prospect and a sack of garbage and I was suggesting something similar that would be met with an equal reaction in which we get something and give up junk.

How does DeJesus at a 2-year-deal fit into that dichotomy? At the price, if they do chose to put something together in the next 2 years he's a good guy to have. You need someone in RF and at 4.5 mil a year I'm not sure you're going to do much better. However, if they don't plan to win in the next 2 years then they may as well have gone with Colvin anyway.