cubsfan26

Last season was the first time the Cubs really spent that much more money then the Cardinals/Astros. So even though the Cubs are a big market team,and Cards/Astros are a middle market teams. Payroll wise it was pretty close for the first 4 or 5 years Hendry was GM. 03 Cards-83m Cubs 79 m Astros 71m 04 Cubs 90m Cards 83m Astros 75m 05 Cardinals 92m Cubs 87m Astros 76m 06 Cubs 94m Astros 92m Cardinals 88m 07 Cubs 99m Cardinals-90m Astros 87m 08 Cubs 118m Cardinals- 99m Astros 88m

That article is BS, and sounds more like that writers opinion then anything else. I heard Ken Rosenthal just last night say talks are still on going with the Cubs/Padres, but moving slowly. Not to mention Kevin Towers told the media Monday the Cubs are still in talks for Peavy. I wouldn't be surprised if this writer is using the comments by Piniella last week for his reason that talks are all but dead with the Cubs.

Hahaha. Now, who knows if there is any truth to this, but I totally can believe that. OMG whats wrong with MacPhail? Hendry and Towers are probably sitting there having a good laugh at that request. How is MacPhail still so respected around the league? I thought MacPhail was already willing to swap Pie for Olson(who had a 6.65 era and 1.73 WHIP in 26 starts last year), and thats why the Orioles got involved in the first place. If MacPhail backed out of that offer, we should just find a different third team. There's no need, to waste anymore time with this guy, if this is true.

I hate Andy MacPhail, that a$$clown can never make up his mind. I can't believe he was in charge of the Cubs for so many years. One has to wonder how much of it is due to the owner. Angelos is a schmuck. Yeah thats possible, but I dunno if he would care all that much about Garrett Olson or their pitching prospects. Everything Andy MacPhail does is in slow motion. He's a little wimpy guy who is always scared about getting ripped off and takes forever to make a decision. I heard over the last month, that last offseason Andy MacPhail would tell the Cubs what it would cost to get Roberts. Hendry would try to get him for less, but then gave in and agreed to MacPhail package. Then MacPhail would change his mind, and decide it wasn't enough. Thats why we kept hearing reports that the Cubs were close to getting Roberts so often. Because plenty of Cubs sources probably thought they were gonna get him after agreeing to MacPhail price. I dunno if that rumor is true or not, but that makes me not wanna do business at all with MacPhail this offseason.

Are you comparing teams in, say, similar divisions? Nope in baseball because I was talking about W/L records, when I said teams have spent at the level we have and not been nearly as successful as us. I don't think people realize how many high payroll teams have bad or average seasons each year. Thats why I don't believe any GM with money can put a playoff team on the field, because you need to spend that money on the right players. Hendry has done a good job putting this team together, with back to back division titles(even though we were only 85-77 in 07), and us in a postion to be very good again next year. i think we should wait a few years until we determine how good of a job hendry did/has done. this team could be a mess in few years due to backloaded contracts and a depleted farm system. i think that has to be taken into account. I think thats a very good point, Hendry is gonna have alot to work to do after 2010. He will have to replace Lee, Lilly, and Ramirez could opt out. Marmol and Soto will start making good money. Hendry is either gonna have to start getting really good productive from the farm system, or make some very good trades(like he did with Lee/Ramirez when Sosa/Alou were getting old and on the way out) or signings, to keep this team good. Not to mention he will have to cross his fingers that Soriano doesn't age badly, and Zambrano doesn't lose it, even though he's still pretty young. He will also probably have to bring in a new manager as well. But all we can do is judge Hendry on what he has done so far, and if you look at the everything he's done, it's been overall a pretty solid job.

I hate Andy MacPhail, that a$$clown can never make up his mind. I can't believe he was in charge of the Cubs for so many years.

Are you comparing teams in, say, similar divisions? Nope in baseball because I was talking about W/L records, when I said teams have spent at the level we have and not been nearly as successful as us. I don't think people realize how many high payroll teams have bad or average seasons each year. Thats why I don't believe any GM with money can put a playoff team on the field, because you need to spend that money on the right players. Hendry has done a good job putting this team together, with back to back division titles(even though we were only 85-77 in 07), and us in a postion to be very good again next year.

Ok well maybe it's too soon to say we should try somebody new. But I haven't been impressed with what Wilkins has done so far. I understand not having 2-4 round picks was hard on Wilkins in 2006. But the fact that he took a risky guy with our 1st round pick in Colvin made things worse. Nobody else in that draft has really done anything besides Samardzija and we only got him because everybody thought he was gonna play football. The 2007 and 2008 drafts have seemed better though.

It's gonna be interesting to see how many guys end up being bargin free agents. I don't remember a year when so many teams were scared to offer big name players arbitration in fear they would have to come back at that price. In most years this would be a no-brainer because a player of Dunn level probably would get at least a 3-4 year deal at 13-15m per year. But with this market looking very bad so far, who knows if a player like Dunn will even get 9-10m per year. Guys like Dunn, Abreu, Ibanez and others might end up settling for alot less then we thought going into the offseason. Unless your CC Sabathia this isn't really a good year to be a free agent.

This is what is so amazing about the whole situation. Hendry was the primary guy responsible for the awesome farm system we had 5 years ago, he came up as a scout, that's where he cut his teeth. Why the farm that he basically built fell into such disrepair is something I can't rationalize. Thats because Hendry was finding the players in the past and probably drafted many of them. Hendry job now is the major league team and putting that together, the guys working under him are the ones who have failed with the farm system. But it's still up to Hendry to hire the right people to get the farm strong again. He did hire Tim Wilkins a few years ago, but he has not improve things really, and it looks like he's had 3 pretty average to below average drafts. So it's probably time for Hendry to make a change again, and try to find somebody else.

Then you're wrong, because other teams had simliar payrolls as us year after year without the same level of success. Saying Hendry has only done a good job, because he's had money to spend is a very lame excuse. From 03-08 I can find almost at least 3-4 teams besides 06, that spent more or simliar as the Cubs have, without the same success. Theo Epstein is a very good GM, probably one of the best in baseball. But he's also has his fair share of bad signings, that Cubs fans would kill Hendry for. Epstein also had more money to spend then the Cubs to cover up his mistakes. But what makes him such a good GM, is the way he developed the farm system. Thats Hendry biggest fault IMO, and if we had good players coming through the system year after year. Things would be so much easier right now.

I hear it's suppose to be Lillbridge, Flowers and either Morton or Reyes or possibly another prospect for Vazquez and Boone Logan.

Javy is a better pitcher then Marquis, but the Braves also gave up pretty good talent to get him. Not to mention Vazquez is signed for 2y at 23m. While I don't think the Cubs would ask for much in return for Marquis, and a team could probably have him at 1y -6-7m.

Big Blue Train http://i38.tinypic.com/264royb.png

no, that's not why he had a high era. not at all. Huh?? Marquis 07 12-9, 4.43 era in 33 starts in 191 IP On the last game of the season he pitched out of the pen and gave up 4 ER in 0.2 IP. So total era went up to 4.60 Marquis 08 11-9, 4.43 era in 28 starts in 166.2 IP On the second to last game of the season, Marquis pitched out of the pen and gave up 2 ER in 0.1 IP So total era went up to 4.53. Some GM is gonna look at that and see that Marquis era when starting was much better, and believe that his era was higher because he struggled in meaningless games out of the pen on the final few days of the season.

Plesac made the Cubs postgame shows fun with all his big blue train stuff. It sucks that he's leaving, I wonder who were gonna get to replace him.

To be fair the Cubs have won 85 plus games 4 of the 6 years Hendry has been the GM. Not to mention he has taken them to the postseason 3 of those 6 years. With probably one of the best teams he put together the 2004 Cubs missing the playoffs. Over the last six years only the Red Sox, Yankees(been in the playoffs 5 of 6 years), and Angels(been in playoffs 4 of 6 years) have made the postseason more then the Cubs and two of those teams spend at a much higher level. The Braves, Dodgers, and Cardinals are the only teams to make the playoffs as much as the Cubs have since Hendry took over. So some people might take what Hendry has done lightly, but it's actually pretty hard to do, especially for a GM in his first 6 years as a GM(which not many GM's have done recently either). My main problem with Hendry is the shape of the farm system. His job would be alot easier if we had a good system, but when it comes down to it he can only do so much. But so far it doesn't seem like he has hired the right people to run it.

Marquis has goen 23-18, with a 4.43 era in 61 starts the last two years. Yes his total era's were higher, but thats only because he got bombed out of the bullpen in meaningless games the last day or two of the season. Some GM is gonna look at the record and era when starting though and see Marquis is probably worth the risk at 1y 6-7m. I think it all depends on how the market ends up being for starting pitchers this offseason.

Wow some of you guys are really funny with your overreacting and Hendry bashing. Like I said earlier you people wouldn't be happy with any GM. Hendry has put a competive team on the field of 5 of 6 years, and has made the postseason 3 of those 6 years. What happens in the postseason isn't Hendry fault, because the teams we had were better then they played. As for the overpaid junk stopping us from spending 10m on a reliever? Whats that Fukudome? A year ago everybody on here wanted him, and for half the season everybody on here thought it was a good signing. So just because the guy struggled in the second half of his first year, now he's overpaid junk? I think he deserves a little more time before we label him that, but then how else would some bash Hendry? Even if Fukudome ends up being a bust, name me a team that had a 100m payroll last year, that doesn't have bad contracts on it? In big markets, teams are allowed to take more gambles, and sometimes it backfires. The only other potential "overpaid junk" is Jason Marquis, and he's gone 23-18 with a 4.43 era in 61 starts for us over the last two years, and has been a bargin at 11.2m. Yes he's very overpaid this season, but thats only because he was so cheap in 07. Also remember at the time the Cubs needed a guy who could give them innings as a number 4 starter, after 2006 blew up on us. Right now Marquis isn't really needed because we have a guy like Marshall and probably Gaudin who can do what he can do(and wanna upgrade even more). But still if you look at the pitching contracts signed over the last 3-4 years, Marquis has performed at a postive level. Yes that could all change depending on how Marquis pitches next year, but if we trade him this offseason and only eat a few million, his contract will end up actually being a good one, because we got good use out of him. Other then that he has DeRosa, Lilly, and Ramirez making below market value. Then Soriano, Lee(was a bargin before last year) and Zambrano are probably making market value these days. When you add everything up Hendry has done a good job putting this roster together. As for people saying the Cubs are only good because Hendry has had money to spend. Really? last year nine teams had a payroll of 117m or higher, and one of those teams won more games then us last year. Not to mention only one other team in that group won 90 games. So it's not how much money you spend, but spending it on the right players. When it comes down to it, people are just being dumb because it's Kerry Wood. Don't get me wrong not getting the draft picks was a poor move, but it's not poor enough to deserve this crazy overreaction. But if it's Francisco Cordero or Brian Fuentes, people aren't acting like this. Sure they might be upset we didn't get the picks, but they would understand that it wasn't worth the risk to be stuck with that player at 10m next year. But instead we have people calling Jim Hendry terrible after he's done a very good job the last two years. When the guy is only trying to make us better in 2009.

From everything I heard and read, had said that Gregg/Marmol will battle in spring training for the closer spot. The media has made Marmol the favorite, but I haven't heard Lou or Hendry say this. I wouldn't be surprised at all, if Lou values Marmol in the middle innings. Piniella isn't stupid and realizes how much of a weapon Marmol is coming out of the pen in the 7th or 8th. Of course he has to give Marmol a chance at closing, just to be fair to him. But in the long run, I wouldn't be surprised if Lou puts the best interest of the team first and keeps Marmol in the middle innings. If the Cubs were deadset on putting Marmol in the closer spot, I don't think Hendry would have added a reliever with closer experience. Not getting the draft picks for Wood was a bad move, but that just tells me there would have been a good chance Wood would have accepted it. So Hendry had no choice but to decline it, or he could have been stuck with Wood at 9-10m, when he needs that money to use on other things. As for Ceda possibly being as good as Gregg next year. Well thats very unlikely, and it's no sure thing Ceda will even be a effective reliever in the big leagues, let alone a mid 3's era pitcher in the big leagues next season. You can make that comment about any reliever who had success in Double A, but it rarely happens that fast. I think that trade should go down under wait and see IMO. As some mentioned last week, there have been plenty of trades Hendry made that people were unhappy about at first that ended up working out great for us. We all just need to relax right now,and see what happens. If saving money on Wood doesn't improve our team, then people have every right to complain. But seriously lets give the guy a chance to improve our team first, and not overreact on every move. I can only imagine how much crow Jim Hendry has made fans on here eat over the last two seasons.

I also mentioned this, that Lou and Hendry were throwing a hissy fit about Kerry's blister and wanted nothing to do with him. I really hate being right all the time If that is true, seriously wtf Lou. Stop holding grudges on all your players. It's not like Wood was telling himself to heal slowly. Anyone who has followed Wood's career even passively would know that Wood has pitched through pain quite a bit. You moran. I think that report is BS, I just seen Piniella do interviews the last week and he went out of his way to mention how he hated to see Wood go and he did a really nice job for the Cubs last year. I really doubt being out 3 weeks with a blister, made Lou use all faith in him. Before the Cubs traded for Gregg, Wood wasn't willing to accept a one year deal. Once we got Gregg it was too late, and Hendry already was counting on using the salary he saved on other parts of the roster. Like I said before the impact of swapping Wood/Gregg isn't nearly as big as swapping Peavy/Marquis or adding a good RF. Hendry had to get creative and he weakened the bullpen a bit(must have alot of faith in our young relievers), to upgrade other parts of the roster.

If Hendry doesn't have a contingency plan to come up with $5 million in an unlikely scenario at this point in the offseason, he is much worse at his job than almost anyone on here suspects. Isn't it obvious that Hendry's already busy working those "contingency plans" to come up with an extra $5M (or whatever the number is) so that he can trade for Peavy and/or sign a desirable RF? Now you've got him having to come up with another $5M on top of that. Trading Marquis and saving 5-7m would be a start. After that they could consider trading DeRosa 5.5m or Gaudin and Wuertz or Cotts(around 3-4m). Hendry is gonna have to get creative, and I think letting Wood go is just a start. It will be interesting to see how much the free agent RF end up costing, with the market looking so bad. It's not very often that quality players like Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, Bob Abreu, Rafael Furcal, and Kerry Wood don't get offered arbitration. After the top level free agents, I think this market has a very good chance of bottoming out and we could end up with some bargin free agents.

This all works if you ignore the two draft picks on the table, and the cost we are paying for Gregg (and that he probably wouldn't have gotten $10 million in arbitration). I'm not ignoring the picks. I simply realize that the upside of the picks is overshadowed by the downside of leaving other more pressing needs unaddressed because you had no money left after Wood accepted arb. There are quite a few ways to go in the unlikely event Wood accepts arbitration. Thats the one thing that upsets me about this whole thing is not getting the picks. I don't think Wood would have accepted arbitration, and screw the Cubs over. But Hendry probably has a better idea of how the market is. So for Hendry not to offer Wood arbitration tells me the market isn't what the players thought it would. The fact that were in December and the only free agents to sign with anybody are Mike Hampton and Jeremy Affeldt should tell us something.

If we can find a team to take on Marquis at 6-7m, then trading for Peavy becomes much easier for the Cubs. They might also have to trade Gaudin(would have to get a cheaper reliever in return) and Cotts to clear 3-4m to add a RF. When you factor in that they will probably have to sign a free agent if most of their good prospects are traded for Peavy. The Padres need to deal Peavy, and at some point I think they will agree on some type of middle ground three way type of deal, if the Cubs can fit him in their budget.

The team is stuck. I beleive Maddux did this with Atlanta. Leading to the Braves having to trade away Millwood. In our case, we'd have to trade away the irreplaceable Kevin Gregg. But it also makes it very very tough to get a good RF and Peavy. Gregg could potentially only make 4-4.5m next year, Wood could make as much as 9m or higher. Yes it could work out were Gregg makes 4 or 5m and Wood makes 7 or 8m. But there's also a very good chance that there's a 4-5m difference between the two next year, and thats a good chunk of money that could stop us from adding a good player. The only thing that upsets me about this is not getting the draft picks.(I don't think Wood accepts arbitration) Because I feel that money saved from Gregg and Wood could be used in better ways.