Little Slide Rooter

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7235842/aramis-ramirez-back-chicago-cubs Yes, yes, yes, yes, please. I was just getting worried that we hadn't heard about any meetings yet. We really havn't heard much of anything in regards to Prince yet with any team. It is great news to hear though.

Of all of the pitchers in the group, the one I'd take is Volstad without question. I really don't see him being NTd though. I don't really see any of the starting pitchers in the group being NTd. Even back of the rotation guys have decent trade value.

Seriously, can someone beat the [expletive] out of this person? I don't know, it might be quite interesting to see how things turn out if he throws banana chips at Big Z for acting like an animal.

Probably because that's what Theo told him when Aramis declined his part of the option.

=D>

Looks like Hendry has a beer. Or could be bacon grease in a glass, since it's Hendry. I don't follow. Because Hendrys fat and fat people like to drink straight bacon grease. Good God man does everything need to be written out?

What does he have to be nervous about? He either gets 18 mil to pitch for the Cubs or 18 mil to pitch for someone else.

Volsted, Parra, Saunders, and Sonnenstine all intrigue me if nice and cheap, mainly as 4-5 statrter options especially if Z is railroaded. I know nobody really wants Loney, but if we don't get Prince or Pujols, I'd be willing to take a flier out on him on a 1 year rather than give a multi year deal to Pena, Kotchman, or Cuddyer.

Did they sell the team? Last I heard, they were still bouncing checks.

Nor Rhee. Dolis definitely doesn't belong in the top 10. ETA: Why would Simpson even sniff the top 10? I don't think DeVoss is a top 20 prospect. Personally, unless we're talking a guy with closer stuff I don't think a reliever should never be amongst your top 10. If Rhee can build on the 2nd half of 2010, I expect him to be on the midseason lists. I also think that Struck should be given some consideration. Had he not been catapulted to AAA as quickly as he was, he may very well have made the list.

Most Chisseled Abs: Taiwan Easterling Best Bedroom Eyes: Taiwan Easterling Poutiest Lips: Taiwan Easterling

Jon Heyman is reporting that the Marlins have agreed to terms with SS Jose Reyes unless they have not.

Here's our current 40 man: Pitchers Alberto Cabrera Esmailin Caridad Chris Carpenter Andrew Cashner Casey Coleman Ryan Dempster Rafael Dolis Matt Garza John Gaub Scott Maine Carlos Marmol Sean Marshall Marcos Mateo James Russell Jeff Samardzija Kyle Smit Randy Wells Carlos Zambrano Catchers Welington Castillo Steve Clevenger Koyie Hill Geovany Soto Infielders Jeff Baker Darwin Barney Starlin Castro Blake DeWitt Bryan LaHair DJ LeMahieu Outfielders Marlon Byrd Tony Campana Tyler Colvin Lou Montanez Alfonso Soriano That's 33. Hills all but gone. If they want to add a few more spots, they can take off Caridad, Smit, and Montanez. I'd be fine removing Maine as well considering the depth of LH relievers we have. That would leave 11-12 open spots. Obviously that can change depending on trades and FAs. I think we'll have enough space to save the important guys: -Szczur -Flaherty -Lake(at one point I listed him as a guy who even if picked, he wouldn't stay on a roster long enough, but he might have turned enough heads last year and in Arizona for a team to take the chance and put him at the end of the bench) -Vitters -Beliveau -Rhee (if taken, I doubt he's make it to the end of the season, but I'd rather not chance it) -Jackson -Antigua I'm on the fence with Burke. I don't feel it necessary to protect him, but I'm very curious to see how he progresses as a pitcher. There are guys like Marwin, Marquez Smith, and Blake Parker that I could see claimed and kept on a roster, but I doubt that we'd be :banghead: ing over them anytime soon.

As for Marwin Gonzalez, i agree that someone would take him and keep him, but more power to them. We have plenty of MI depth all over the organization so Id be OK letting him go. Isn't there an existing thread where this entire discussion already lives? I'm quite certain.

No chance Ridling gets added. Jackson seems like an extreme longshot. I agree on Ridling. jackson on the other hand i thinkhe should be. As we learned the hard way last year our organization is thin on big league ready starting pitching. Jackson is a guy who if nothing else can step in so we dont 't have to cycle through another round of retread junkballers. He's also a possible candidate to be sent to Boston as compensation or used in a trade. His stock has fallen greatly but someone would very likely pick him and keep him around and I'd prefer he not go for nothing.

Dammit you had me excited that the list was out.

Sounds like one of those things to file in the take it for what it's worth bin, but still interesting news. Really can't base your offseason plans on a guy who possible won't even be posted for 2 months, but the good news for us is that there's really no rush, and worse case scenario, we open the season with an outfield of Soriano/Jackson/Byrd with Colvin or LaHair as the 5th. If we do sign this guy, then we can shop Byrd (or Soriano, but good luck with that) around or else give Jackson time in AAA and see if anyone bites on Byrd mid season.

If he doesn't, as far as career ending injuries go that's gotta be the worst way to go.

I cant see them trading Brown unless wowed, but assuming they plan on going forword with an outfield of Brown, Victorino, and Pence, I'd be interested to see if theyd be willing to move Mayberry for cheap. Maybe he just had a good year, or maybe hes a late bloomer. I wouldnt mind him as a platoon mate for Colvin if nothing else until something better comes along. I'm talking cheap, someone like Blake DeWitt or Jay Jackson and a minor league reliever.

Im assuming they have the right to grant permission for one team to interview him but not another.

It depends on the particular situtation, especially when there is a position without a clear front runner. I agree that the CF job should belong to Jackson. Marlon Byrd can either be shopped or shifted to right. Hypothetical scenerio: You go into ST with Baker/DeWitt slated to platoon at 3B but Marquez Smith has a dynamite spring training. Would you rather give him the starting job out of ST or go with the planned Baker/DeWitt platoon. Now I used Smith as an example instead of Vitters because they are not equal. Vitters is still legit prospect, and no matter what, you'd want to put him in Iowa to start the season. However with Smith, you can afford to handle differently. He's not a true prospect and if you have to option him back, you don't have to worry about what happens with him.

Jobs should never be "earned" in the spring. When it comes to your AAAA guys who happen to have a hot spring, I agree, and unless they fill an existing need send them to AAA until needed or if they really blow you away. However, when dealing with a top prospect who's the heir apparent to that particular position, he should either be given the opportunity to earn it or it should be his unless he really struggles through ST. He's 23, so he's definitely age appropriate.

Yay, an outfielder. That's exactly where our top priority should be. Depends on how ready you feel Brett Jackson is for mlb. He's definitely ready to be given the chance to earn the job in the spring. Personally, I think we do need an outfielder, but a corner outfielder with power. If this guy can be that, I'm all for him.

Yeah this was a Trib article 2 nights ago and discussed a few pages back. I think Theo is mostly humoring Francona here and he is not a serious candidate. I don't think that Theo would "humor" the guy he worked with for 9 year and supposedly has undying mutual respect for, and if he did, Tito would see through it. If Francona isn't a candidate now, he never was to begin with and he'd have known it a while ago and would be long since out of the discussion. True, but if Tito was a serious candidate, why hasn't he been hired already? Theo knows everything there is to know about Francona, so to even interview other candidates tells me that Francona isn't the idea candidate for this particular position. He's a candidate just like the rest. However, his candidacy probably depends on which way they decide to take the team over the next few years. During Titos time on the Red Sox, they were a big money, star studded team. If Theo and Hoyer chooses to go that way, Francona would be a good choice. However, there is a lot of indication that they might not go in that direction and when you take a guy who's used to having a star filled team and put them in a situation with a lot of young and hopefully up and coming players things probably won't turn out the same, and it's certainly not worth paying Tito whatever a "celebrity" manager makes rather than one of the other candidates who would come a lot cheaper.

I take it that they didn't break out the mythical 10/300 offer.