abuck1220

there's no way this is true.

That's not the only choice available. I'm going to go ahead and post Maddux's ERA and WHIP from last season as a Cub: April (5 starts): 1.35 ERA, 0.88 WHIP May (6 starts): 5.94 ERA, 1.69 WHIP June (5 starts): 6.25 ERA, 1.31 WHIP July (6 starts): 5.21 ERA, 1.32 WHIP If that kind of production had any other name attached to it, you'd sceam bloody murder if Hendry signed that player. That's terrible, terrible production. yeah, but i'd rather pay 1 yr/5 mil for that production than 5 yr/50 mil for it. of course, i'd probably prefer marshall to either of those guys, but i doubt hendry would.

Bill James? The father of modern sabermetrics? I don't really know how to say this, but he's kind of a big deal. I will grant that his projection models aren't as wonderful as systems like PECOTA, but it's still a wonderful sign that his system sees Rich Hill as probably deserving at least some down-ballot Cy Young consideration. If I recall correctly, PECOTA had Hill putting up some outrageous numbers on the high end as well. you're correct. pecota's 'optimistic' projection for hill would make him the best starter in the NL.

i'd rather have one year of maddux at 5 mil than five years of meche at 50 mil.

i think it's funny that some people assumed ramirez would ditch the cubs the second he could so he could so he could take his lazy, hustleless baseball to the west coast where he could loaf for seven guaranteed years while basking in the warm california sun, while zambrano just bleeds cubbie blue to the point where he'd chain himself to wrigley field and play for peanuts.

that's the second time hill has been projected by someone other than me ( :D ) to put up a cy young caliber season in '07. good stuff.

welp, i'm sold.

i caught them talking about him on xm, though i didn't hear the interview. however, the interviewer repeatedly quoted hendry as saying "this will not be the team we field on opening day." :D

oh, i can't wait.

hey, now the dodgers can have that 1-2 "punch" dusty and hendry dreamed about. i'm sure it'll work out great for them.

wow! soriano's a steal!

This is a good point. Some of the contracts that seemed way out of line when they were signed, are looking better now. Player contracts are trending up so it might take some of the sting off this one, down the road. That's what people thought when Hampton, Giambi, Jeter, and A-Rod signed their contracts 5-7 years ago. and the yankees are getting along just fine toting the contracts of giambi, jeter and arod around. The average annual value of Giambi/Jeter/ARod represents about 31% of the Yankees projected 200 million budget. The average annual value of Soriano/Ramirez/Lee is going to be 35% of the Cubs budget if it hits 130 million...and I'm not sure it's going to get quite that high. Ok, so if the three contracts the Cubs have aren't as payroll friendly for them as the big three are for the Yankees...maybe they get better production out of their players to make up for it. [Career OPS+/3 year average OPS+/career high OPS+] ARod [145/147/167] Jeter [123/125/161] Giambi [150/155/202] Average Values [139/142/177] --------------------------- Soriano [115/113/132] Ramirez [109/133/137] Lee [123/146/177] Average Values [116/131/149] Factor in defense if you like, but I don't think that's going to come close to covering the gap...especially if ARod bounces back from his one year anomaly at third. Basically, the Cubs are spending a larger percentage of their payroll on their top three guys than the Yankees, and the return they're getting from those guys isn't as high...nor will it likely ever be as high. If you have worse payroll management than the Yankees (locked in for the next five years or so no less), you're going to have to work hard to make up the difference. i agree that the yankees are getting more bang for the buck than the cubs. but i still feel like the cubs will have ample $ to spend. even though they're getting more out of their money on those three guys, i don't think the cubs worst contracts equal the bad contracts the yankees have/had with pavano, wright, rj, etc. the cubs haven't set themselves up for a perfect next 10 years, but i don't think they're crippled by any means.

everybody should cut dusty some slack...after all, he was working with a $24 mil payroll last year.

i'd rather have murton than roberts. We'd still have Murton in left. i'd rather have jones than roberts.

i'd rather have murton than roberts.

poor angels fans must hate the cubs. the cubs stole two of their targets and now they're forced to fork over all their money to mediocre relievers.

This is a good point. Some of the contracts that seemed way out of line when they were signed, are looking better now. Player contracts are trending up so it might take some of the sting off this one, down the road. That's what people thought when Hampton, Giambi, Jeter, and A-Rod signed their contracts 5-7 years ago. and the yankees are getting along just fine toting the contracts of giambi, jeter and arod around.

but yet you only point out soriano's last two, leaving off his 2006. soriano's last three were 98, 110, and 132. and the two years before that, he was 131 and 128. 110 or higher four of the past five years, and around 130 for three of them. he's no beltran, and he's not worth $17 mil, but he's had some pretty productive seasons. like i've said before, whether this blows up in the cubs' face depends entirely on whether he turned the corner plate discipline wise in 2006. if he did, i think he's got a chance to repeat his 2006 for at least a couple seasons.

For #2, the Honorable Bruce Miles said with some certainty that he would be playing RF. Are they committed to J. Jones in CF or is that just smoke and mirrors? Sorry if this has been discussed. Heh, considering the thread size I'm sure it has. i think it's smoke and mirrors...i think he'll be gone soon.

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't. How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion. And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated. i think jacque jones is better than albert pujols. prove me wrong...oh, and please no stats involved. Pujols is the games best fastball hitter. He has great plate discipline, plays a solid D at 1B, gets on base, hits for power, hits for a high average, team player, and he runs the bases well. And he has a MVP award. hmm...i don't know...there's a lot of stats in there.

Pujols has an MVP. mmm...i think that's technically a stat. but anyway, kevin mitchell (who also has an mvp) is better than pujols. Nuh-uh...Pujols is the prettiest hitter on the planet. There. QED sorry, tim, but i saw him look bad on a swing once. i win.

Pujols has an MVP. mmm...i think that's technically a stat. but anyway, kevin mitchell (who also has an mvp) is better than pujols.

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't. How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion. And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated. i think jacque jones is better than albert pujols. prove me wrong...oh, and please no stats involved.

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

no, now it's just two stupid deals instead of one. someone else making an even worse move doesn't make the cubs' move any better.