Little Slide Rooter

Question is, does this set the bar for a deal involving Jeff Baker? I dont know about Keppinger, but Baker still has a year or so under team control, so that could make his value a bit higher, but if Keppinger does as well, then yeah, Id say thats the type of package wed get for Baker. Not sure if its worth it depending on the prospects.

Castro 2-5 with a HR is as good as a win as far as I'm concerned, although I could have done without the Marshall meltdown.

That time of year again. Figure this can get the ball rolling on this.

DAMN HENDRY FOR NOT PAYING OVERSLOT FOR TIM LINCECUM!!!

The semantic argument is there, however, because if you word it that Josh Hamilton was drafted by the Cubs, then people get all up in arms that we didn't keep him. The fact is, we never had the opportunity to keep Hamilton because we didn't draft him, the Reds did in a previously agreed upon deal. However you want to word the semantics it doesn't change that the Cubs didn't possess Hamilton and there was no real reason to draft him in the first place. Never had the opportunity? Didn't draft him? Didn't possess him and there was no real reason to draft him? For somebody trying to justify the use of semantics you are doing a terrible job at arguing your point. If it makes anyone feel any better, I'm sure that The Reds wish they'd kept him. Granted Volquez was great in 2008, when the Reds sucked anyway, but he hasn't been anything special since. In fact, you could go as far as calling him bad. Phillips, Votto, Hamilton, and Bruce would be a pretty mean heart of the lineup.

Rollercoaster? I consider those examples speed bumps on the way to hell. It's that kiddie rollar coaster where you just go around in circles and occasionally go up a 1 foot incline while your child cries to get off and you lose your wallet while the kid in front of you pukes on your shoes. Then it gets stuck. Or one of those drops where your just free falling aside from a few times where it stops and your kind of suspended.

would that contract include the option to turn down the contract and go take a not-ridiculous offer from another major league team? I know, considering the fact that he's having an amazing season and the next best 3B options are Casey Blake and Wilson Betemit, Rammy should be looking at a large payday, one bigger than an injury prone 34 year would normally get. I just don't get why he wouldn't gladly move to a contender at this point. Yeah, his family is here, but he'd only be in Chicago half the time and I'm sure he has enough money to temporarily relocate them.

I dont consider it bad at all. Lilly was at the end of his contract on a dead team. Theriot had worn out his welcome. We got a 25 year old major league player with potential, which I think he still has in DeWitt as well as 2 fringe pitching prospects. I cant imagine we could have gotten anything better or those 2.

Because Im bored and have the day off, heres a list from MLBTR of contenders and there needs, and I thought Id add what we have in stock for them Contender Wish Lists By Tim Dierkes [July 19 at 7:56am CST] Here's what each contender appears to be looking for, as determined by reported rumors. Red Sox: Right-handed hitting right fielderMarlon Byrd, Reed Johnson, lefty reliever John Grabow, James Russell, starting pitcher possibly Carlos Zambrano, shortstop Yankees: Starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, lefty and righty reliever John Grabow, James Russell/Kerry Wood, Jeff Samardzjia, bench player capable of playing third base Jeff Baker, Blake DeWitt Rays: Reliever Grabow, Russell, Wood, Samardzjia Indians: Starting pitcher, outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, Marlon Byrd, Reed Johnson, infield help Jeff Baker, Blake DeWitt, general offense Carlos Pena Tigers: Starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, third baseman Baker, Aramis, outfielder Byrd, Reed, Kosuke, lefty reliever Russell, Grabow White Sox: Righty reliever Samardzjia (sorry, just cant do Wood in a Sox uni Twins: Middle reliever Any of the afore mentioned relievers Rangers: Reliever same, starting pitcher Angels: Third baseman Aramis, Baker outfielder, Kosuke, Byrd, Reed first baseman (preference for left-handed hitter) DUH! Phillies: Reliever,Wood, Shark, Grabow, Russell right-handed hitting outfielder (preference for non-rentals) Byrd Braves: Right-handed hitting outfielder, Byrd, Reed leadoff hitter, I guess it is a position after all bench player Baker, DeWitt Pirates: Right-handed hitter,Byrd, Reed, Baker reliever Grabow Russell, Samardzjia-cant see Wood agreeing to go to the Pirates. Cardinals: Starting pitcher, reliever Shark, Grabow, Russell Brewers: Third baseman,Baker, DeWitt, Aramis(maybe Milwaukees close enough to Chicago that hed agree to go there) shortstop Reds: Reliever, Shark, Russell, Grabow. Wood probably still wakes up in a cold sweat after Dusty-centric nightmares starting pitcher, Z? left fielder Byrd, Reed Giants: Corner outfielder, Byrd, Reed, Kosuke, Soriano?catcher Hill, second baseman, Baker, DeWitt shortstop Diamondbacks: Affordable reliever, Wood, Grabow, Russell, Shark starting pitcher

Just as Sergio Mitre and Jason Marquis before him. The Cubs beat Roy Halladay. I have no idea why, but they do, consistently. Im too lazy to look all up and specifics, but everyone has their bugaboo. Sometimes its a team that can never beat another team, sometimes its a pitcher who cant beat a certain team, sometimes its a team that can never beat a certain pitcher, or a hitter who always smokes a certain team or pitcher or vice versa and so on. I wouldnt look too much into it.

When was the last time The Pirates were in 1st, or even had a winning record this late in a season?

I noticed Canderelio was lifted after 1 AB. Wonder whats up with that.

none of the multitude of potential 2b in our system can play adequate shortstop, and barney serves as good insurance in case starlin gets hurt or needs a day off. i guess you could always bite the bullet and hope that flaherty or lemahieu hit enough at ss to negate their bad defense there. I don't know much about Marwin Gonzalez or Jonathon Motas defense, but would either of them be adequate backups?

I agree with you, but to add to it its how much he overpaid. As I recall, the top 2 contenders for Soriano at the time were the Angels and Phillies, both of whom had 5 year deals on the table until Hendry swooped in and outbid with the 8 year deal. Also, at the time, Soriano still had the tools to be a 30/30 guy before those 2 injuries, one baserunning vs. the Mets, and another doing his stupid hop, and yet another when some scrub Braves pitcher broke his hand. Those really couldnt have been predicted as until then, to my knowledge hed been pretty healthy throughout his career.

Wow, that just felt wrong.

Aramis has said that he'll veto any trade to any team. Aight Mr. Cub Jr., put your money where your mouth is. I say they void that 16 mil option and offer him a 3 year 25 mil deal with some decent incentives. Lets see once and for all if he really loves being a Cub or just isnt in the mood to relocate.

Hes also 25, plays OF, has 18 HR and a .477 SLG. If the plan is to let Aramis walk after this year, Id be very happy to get him.

Nolasco, Piggy and Willis for Pierre, right? I forgot about that one. No. Mitre, Nolasco, and Pinto. Willis was sent with Cueto, Tavarez, and Jorgensen for Alfonseca and Clement. I'd defend that trade as one that was pretty good for both teams. But it was a Lynch transaction, so isn't part of the conversation. I was about to say where the hell did you get Cueto from, but then looked back on the trade and there was indeed some guy named Jose Cueto in that trade. And Id completely forgot that Piggy ever existed. Whatever happened to that guy? Went to the same mysterious place that Jose Ascaino, Francis Beltran and many others go. The Land of Has Been and Never Were Middle Relievers. Billy Petrick.

And I have interest in Mark Trumbo. Lets talk.

Inge is in the back of the line behind Flaherty, LeMahieu, Vitters, Smith, Baker, and DeWitt for our 2012 3B, and looking at that Oliver guy on BBR, I have 0 interest. Next.

Nolasco, Piggy and Willis for Pierre, right? I forgot about that one. No. Mitre, Nolasco, and Pinto. Willis was sent with Cueto, Tavarez, and Jorgensen for Alfonseca and Clement. I'd defend that trade as one that was pretty good for both teams. But it was a Lynch transaction, so isn't part of the conversation. I was about to say where the hell did you get Cueto from, but then looked back on the trade and there was indeed some guy named Jose Cueto in that trade. And Id completely forgot that Piggy ever existed. Whatever happened to that guy?

So are we just ignoring the fact that we traded 3 solid pitching prospects, although only 1 panned out for 1 year of Juan Pierre, who much like Jacque Jones gave us Juan Pierre? Maybe Hendry just has a thing for black guys with french names.

Trading him or signing him? I never understand the Jacque Jones hate. We signed Jacque Jones and we got Jacque Jones. I think some people thought that when moved from the Metrodome to Wrigley, hed become something other than Jacque Jones, but he remained Jacque Jones. After giving us 2 solid years, Im still baffled as to how he completely fell off a cliff after the trade to Detroit.

I'm pretty sure that the Cubs did draft Hamilton in the R5 draft, then immediately sent him to the Reds for basically nothing. Jacque Jones has to be higher on the list IMO. I also disagree about "drafting like crap" - Castro, Hak Ju Lee, Cashner is a pretty good haul and his picks contributed to Derek Lee and Garza among others. I completely agree that Hendry has been crap though and should be gone along with the rest of this garbage team. Hamilton was never a Cub. Hamilton was never slated to be a Cub. The Cubs never had interest in Josh Hamilton. There was a deal in place from the get go that we drafted him for the sole purpose of sending him to the Reds. We can debate what would be if the Cubs did draft Josh Hamilton for the purpose of playing for the Cubs until were blue in the face, but it was never to be.

It all feels like so long ago, but I don't think I ever would have supported a trade for Prior. Yeah, by the time we knew that Priors time with the Cubs, and possibly in baseball was up, it was too late. No sane GM would have considered trading a Mark Prior who at the time was expected to come back at full strength for anything. As for Pie, Im more upset that they traded him for what they did and then turned around and signed Joey Gathright to take the spot. There was no reason to even trade the guy, especially when while we may not have expected the Milton Bradley Era to end the way it did, everyone knew how injury pron he was, and Pie would have been a perfectly good 4th outfielder.