abuck1220

The Cubs don't care about OBP and SLG, Walker's biggest strength. And they've been focusing on defense this year, Walker's biggest weakness. I think they want him gone. It's just like when they focused on chemistry last year and forced guys out no matter their production. the cubs went for a good clubhouse in '05 after the red sox won the WS and were the craziest bunch of bestest buddies you ever did see in the clubhouse. now the cubs are going after speed and defense after the white sox won the world series with dashing wizards who darted about the diamond faster than the eye can see and scooping up every ground ball in sight. of course, both teams hit a boatload of homers, but nevermind that.

but pierre and jones are both fast. does that help?

a team w/ a 100 mil payroll shouldn't need platoon buddies for their corner OFer's.

you're an idiot. Alright! We're going to be better defensively! And fast too! Nevermind the fact that we'll only score two runs a game, we're gonna have the awesomest defense ever!!! Way to go, Jimbo. this is track and field, right? the cubs should have an awesome 4x100.

yeah, we'll just improve at fourth base and longstop and oh wait those aren't real and in actuality we have no more positions where we have the chance to get better and we certainly aren't going to acquire a secondbaseman who is more productive than walker, so why trade him? I'm thinking more aong the lines of upgrading SS and moving Cedeno to 2B. Anyway, I didn't say I was in favor of trading him but if the MI can be improved (or we can use him to get another good SP) I'm all for it. unless that ss is tejada, i don't think new ss + cedeno is better than walker + cedeno.

you're an idiot.

Yeah, Jim, defense really is the key to victory. Look what a good defense has done for the other Chicago team...I'd say they've turned out alright. are you really so naive to buy into that? the white sox won because they hit a bunch of homers and had lights out pitching.

a team w/ a 100+ mil payroll shouldn't have to worry about role playing their corner OFers. a team w/ a payroll like that should have studs at their corner OF spots (or at least one of the corner OF spots)...the fact that you are concerned about whether the cubs will 'use him properly' just illustrates how sad a move like this is for a team like the cubs.

you're right...some people here are going waaaaay over the top.

even next year's draft will suck.

in all honesty, lee would probably bring a king's ransom on july 15th if the cubs wanted to trade him.

How do you feel about Hendry now? If his numbers revert back to or close to his 02-03 seasons, I'm fine with the signing. If he contniues to hit like he did in 04-05, not so much. However, He is an outstanding defensive OF. I'll wait & see how it works out. Unlike most people here, I feel he is an upgrade over Patterson & Burnitz. sure he is, but big deal. do you think the difference between 4th place and 1st place is the difference between burnitz and jones? this just proves what many have been saying all off-season. hendry honestly believes that the '05 team, which was a disaster, needed only minor tinkering to contend in '06. a leadoff hitter, two bullpen guys, john mabry and a slight upgrade over burnitz is all he thought the '05 team was lacking.

yeah, there will be 11 teams ahead of the cubs in the WC chase, but they'll think they're still in it. i'm guessing on a pie for reggie sanders deal, moving murton to the bench. or possibly a hill for jack wilson dealing, pushing cedeno to the bench.

oh no, murton's gonna put up a .400 obp. cedeno will hit .340. they did it last year, what makes you think they can't do it next year?

but hello to a pretty sweet first round pick.

that's the worst part of the whole thing. a panic move based on the fact that hendry couldn't find a rf has crippled the cubs' offense for the next three seasons. what a joke.

with the inevitable extension for pierre, the cubs have locked themselves into having one of the shittiest offensive outfields in baseball for the next few years. three years for jacque f'in jones is such a pathetic panic move it makes me sick. the cubs have just taken themselves out of the running for any decent outfield bat that becomes available for the next three seasons.

not only does this mean that the cubs will suck next year, it also means that they'll suck for a couple more years. hendry's gonna sign pierre to an extension, so the OF for the next three years is gonna be pie/murton + pierre + jones. you've not only locked yourself into one of the crappiest offensive outfields in baseball for 2006, but for 2007 and 2008. the cubs will never be players if guys like abreu, wilkerson, dunn, etc become available in the next three years. the unfortunate thing will be that the GM that takes over for hendry after this year will be stuck w/ hendry's mess for a couple of years.

Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, Mark Grudzelaniek,Eric Karros Juan Pierre, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano, Matt Clement, Moises Alou, Michael Barrett, Ryan Dempster,Jerome Williams, Matt Murton! Oh the pain!!! Jim you shouldn't have! How dare you!!! the best part is all the world series trophies those moves got the cubs!

Murton had a .342 BABIP in the big leagues last year(his AA BABIP was an obscene .376 by my calculations, completely unsustainable). Only 7 players in each league were able to do that last year and qualify for a batting title, and they are some of the best hitters in the game, or at least ones with styles conducive to a high BABIP(Wily Taveras doing his Juan Pierre impersonation). It's completely unreasonable to expect Murton to duplicate that. Murton is here to stay, and I'm guessing his OPS will be more in the 850-900 range consistently. I really don't see him struggling enough to give Dusty a reason to keep him out of the lineup. Murton is the type of hitter that this team has been lacking for too long (a good one). Remember, he was drafted by the BoSox, not the Cubs. He's bound to be good. how much do you want to bet that murton won't put up a .900 OPS next year? that's better than sheffield, burrell, kent, abreu, and tejada put up on 2005. putting up a .900 OPS would put him on the verge of the top 10 in the AL. if he posts a .370 OBP (which is optimistic, to say the least), he'd have to outslug the 2005 versions of berkman, david wright, kent, floyd, carlos lee and abreu to reach .900. i like the kid, and i think he should be starting in lf, but you are being a little more than optimistic w/ those projections. of course, if he does it, i'll be ecstatic. people here are as quick to hail a prospect a savior after a month of great big league play as they are to dismiss a prospect after a month of bad big league play.

For that alone Hendry, Baker, and Rothschild should be fired. you know, i wouldn't go so far as to say they should all be fired, but that was really inexcusable. of course, you'll hear nothing about it from them...they'll act like the whole thing never happened and that they never planned on wood being ready by april.

you're 15 question marks worth of excited about a reggie sanders signing?

ya think? you should be hendry's PR man when it's time to come up w/ stats to make jacque jones' three year deal look good.

how is it that this guy -- .255/.368/.497 -- is probably going to sign for less than a mil to be a back up, but jacque jones -- .249/.319/.438 -- is looking at 3-4 year offers for 5 mil/year? obviously age and position are big differences, but geez...

if choi is non-tendered, i'd like to see him back w/ the cubs.