davearm2

Or, perhaps the Cubs planned all along that the bullpen gig would be temporary.

How could you not miss Lee? He was awesome as a Cub. I'll miss him greatly. We've already been missing him for months.

Let's see what they end up doing with him next year first. Breaking SPs into MLB as relievers has been done effectively many times before. If they make him a starter after this year, but have to limit his innings in 2011 because they got him some MLB experience in 2010 rather than keeping him starting in AAA, that won't be terrible. But now the Cubs are limiting the number of innings he can throw next year or pushing him beyond his limits and risking injury. Or locking him into a set up role. And big league experience? He probably would have gotten quite a bit if he was called up instead of Coleman and Diamond when Lilly was traded and Silva got hurt. Hey I can see that side of it too. I just don't think doing what the Cubs did is the travesty it's being made out to be. The guy lost some IP, gained some experience, and helped the bigleague club (albeit in a lost year, but it wasn't lost back when the move was made).

Let's see what they end up doing with him next year first. Breaking SPs into MLB as relievers has been done effectively many times before. If they make him a starter after this year, but have to limit his innings in 2011 because they got him some MLB experience in 2010 rather than keeping him starting in AAA, that won't be terrible.

Yep it's all predicated on filling the 1B void and relieving the overstock of OFs, not on Soriano's skillset specifically. Watching him butcher throws in the dirt would certainly get old fast, though.

Nice timing on those HRs, Derrek

Frankly I think McDonalds should just completely cover their coffeecups with ridiculous warning labels: WARNING: Do not pour this on your child WARNING: Do not pour this on your cat WARNING: Do not pour this in your gastank WARNING: If spilled, the floor could become slippery WARNING: Contents not suitable for washing dishes etc. etc.

It's not better than Houston, San Antonio, or Dallas. Not even close. You couldn't pay me enough to live in Texas during the heat of the summer. Granted StL gets awfully hot too, but Texas is just stifling. When you're playing baseball with the roof closed on a typical summer afternoon, it's a problem.

Why couldn't he be stretched out in spring training? He could be stretched out to pitch a starter's share of innings in an individual game, but he can't magically jump 100 innings without seriously risking arm troubles. That would be true regardless of the AFL though, right? I guess what I'm thinking is, no matter what happens this fall, Cashner's innings will need to be limited in 2011. But there's no reason he can't build the arm strength needed to start during ST. Heck when February rolls around, his arm strength should be no different than Dempster, Wells, Z, etc. They'll all be starting fresh, essentially.

I doubt Samardzija has just one more shot with the big league team. For better or worse, he's signed through next year. I guess conceivably they could just let him rot in Iowa for all of 2011 but somehow that seems unlikely.

aren't they typically more specific to "dangerous activities" like doing a wheelie on your motorcycle? I'd be shocked if you could really fit punching someone into any of the out clauses in a MLB contract. Getting into a fight is absolutely a "dangerous activity". Even if he hadn't hurt his hand punching the other guy, if he gets into a fight injuries could be inflicted upon him by the other person. You might consider fighting a dangerous activity, and probably nobody here would disagree. But again, what is and isn't a "dangerous activity" is almost certainly laid out in black and white in the contract and/or CBA. For example motorcycling, parachuting, bullfighting, etc. are probably all expressly forbidden activities. Fighting may be another, although I find it doubtful.

Seems to me that it's too early to draw any meaningful conclusions about what is in store for the Cubs under Ricketts. Who they drafted, and who they did and didn't sign may have nothing to do with Ricketts, any budgetary constraints he may or may not have imposed, or whatever organizational philosophy he plans to instill. And what the future plan is for the bigleague payroll is just speculative right now.

I can't imagine the Cubs have insurance on this guy.

Why would they win in court? The Mets' options are spelled out by the CBA and the contract Rodriguez signed. I doubt either contains a stupidity clause that allows the Mets to void. They may threaten it, but it's just posturing. I just don't see how K-Rod could still stand to gain however much money he has coming this year (and whatever part of next year he misses, if any) due to his own stupidity. If it was a baseball-related injury, too bad. The Mets are out of luck. But they shouldn't be forced to pay substantial amounts of money to a player who is physically unable to perform due to his own off-field actions. Well if the Mets want to write a stupidity clause into their player contracts, then more power to them (provided it doesn't conflict with the CBA and players will agree to it). Absent that, though, they're SOL. Like I said, what the Mets can and can't do depends on what's written into the contract, not what you or I consider fair or common sense or whatever.

Easy to pass judgement when it's not your $30M

Why would they win in court? The Mets' options are spelled out by the CBA and the contract Rodriguez signed. I doubt either contains a stupidity clause that allows the Mets to void. They may threaten it, but it's just posturing.

The rule of thumb I've seen is that a "normal" BABIP is LD% + .140. So a guy hitting 20% line drives should be expected to have a BABIP of .340.

Everyone's going to have their own opinion about the frequency of missed calls required to justify installing replay.

Amazing that this is true in the proverbial information age. We're talking about a major American professional league and its primary player draft for cripes sake. You'd think every major sports/news outlet would have this information.

Sounds like you'd have ~40 reversed calls per team in a typical year... about one every fourth game. Leaguewide that'd come to ~600 reversals a year. Those start to look like meaningful numbers IMO.

Nothing against Ramirez specifically, but after this season and last, I'm ready for a radically different Cubs team. I like Ramirez, Z, Lee, etc. but it's time for a new direction. Out with the old, in with the new -- manager, GM, and core group of players. While I'm in total agreement on a new direction with new management and a core group of players, I don't see a reason to do anything with Ramirez. No team will want to give up much for him if 2012 vests at 16m. He's coming off a rough season. That's also ignoring he can still block any trade he wants to. I think the team would be better off showing support and not putting him on the market. Maybe he comes into 2012 better prepared and wanting to impress under new management. It is a free agent year, afterall. You are correct that the guy has virtually no trade value due to the 2012 vesting clause. The tide has turned in baseball such that $16M has become an enormous burden again. Ideally, Ramirez would opt out of his deal this fall, and the Cubs would then say thank you and good luck. Short of that I guess you just let him play it out next year and then move on. Or ideally we find a spot to keep him and his bat healthy. Aram can't stay healthy at 3rd, put him at 1st, grab Beltre or see if Znik in Seattle will give away Figgins + $. If we're keeping Hendry let's at least see if he can strike gold twice. The notion that playing 1B would keep Ramirez healthy is pretty silly. DH perhaps, but that obviously does the Cubs no good.

A 24 year old first baseman who hits for average, is developing patience, and is placing near the top of the league in doubles? I'd definitely want to be on board when some of those doubles start going over the fence as he hits his prime. Obviously there's been all kinds of hype around Butler and his potential, ever since his days of being an elite prospect. With 2000 MLB PA's under his belt, seems time to reconsider how much of that potential he's going to reach. Despite his age he very well may be settling into the player I described.

Papelbon @ $12 million is a better option than paying $12 million for Fukudome to play for another team. ...or sit the bench

Granted Billy Butler would fill an obvious need at 1B for the Cubs, but I'm not getting all the love. Low/mid .800s OPS with subpar defense doesn't sound that inspiring.

Nothing against Ramirez specifically, but after this season and last, I'm ready for a radically different Cubs team. I like Ramirez, Z, Lee, etc. but it's time for a new direction. Out with the old, in with the new -- manager, GM, and core group of players. While I'm in total agreement on a new direction with new management and a core group of players, I don't see a reason to do anything with Ramirez. No team will want to give up much for him if 2012 vests at 16m. He's coming off a rough season. That's also ignoring he can still block any trade he wants to. I think the team would be better off showing support and not putting him on the market. Maybe he comes into 2012 better prepared and wanting to impress under new management. It is a free agent year, afterall. You are correct that the guy has virtually no trade value due to the 2012 vesting clause. The tide has turned in baseball such that $16M has become an enormous burden again. Ideally, Ramirez would opt out of his deal this fall, and the Cubs would then say thank you and good luck. Short of that I guess you just let him play it out next year and then move on.