Cubswin11

What about Randy Winn? He isn't terribly expensive under $9 mil. He is a pretty versatile player, could bat leadoff or 5th. He plays good defense and has some speed.

That would be like Michael Wuertz or Neal Cotts pushing a deal over the top for the Cubs. Interesting that Peavy wants to go to the Cubs over the Braves, if thats true, maybe there is some hope of it falling through but I think I am dreaming.

I would rather be on the hook for 5@75 with Peavy than 4@55 with a 32 year old, one good season, Dempster. The offseason is not off to a good start. Hopefully this means we can spend some extra money in FA or make a trade for someone else.

Well that's a let down, we should expect a Dempster signing for 4+ years and 50ish mil. I don't really like that.

I haven't heard a word from Kaplan either I have tried listening in over the last week or so on his show to see if he had anything and not a mention of the Cubs, one night he talked about college basketball the whole time, the other time his show wasn't on, and one time he didn't even bring up the Cubs. I don't really listen to the score so I wouldn't know what they are sayin. I just want this to get resoled either way Cubs or Braves but I am sick of it dragging on.

I really hope not he is such a injury risk and the last two seasons when the Brewers needed him the most down the stretch run he got hurt and couldn't pitch. Last year was a little more sever with the tear or pull or whatever in his elbow but in 2007 he had a sore hamstring or something minor like that and he didn't pitch for the last month and a half of the season and it brought a lot of question surrounding his desire to get out there. I want no part of Sheets.

Rotoworld's take On one of the Braves boards I was reading that they don't want to give up Esobar and Flowers they would prefer just giving up one of them in a deal. You have to think the Braves are getting frustrated and you have to wonder if they might pull out of this deal and pursue other starting pitchers like Grienke, Cain or some of the FA.

Yeah I remember reading that too. They said they wanted a MI, a speedy OF, and close to/if not already major league ready pitching. Building a team based on power is never going to win in that park. Speed, defense, and pitching is what will win playing there.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8782170/Brewers'-veterans-could-be-dealt-for-pitching-help So now the Braves don't want to trade Grokys or the Padres don't want him? When they added him people were saying that was a deal maker. This just gets more interesting every hour :banghead:

If we acquire Peavy what do you think the Orioles are going to think when we basically were offering the same players to trade for Roberts that we are using/used to acquire Harden and Peavy in a 5 month span. If we acquire Peavy Angelos shenanigans for not allowing us to acquire Roberts may be the best non-trade ever for the Cubs.

If the Braves offer is so much greater than the Cubs why isn't it a done deal? I think the Cubs can compete with any offer from the Braves unless they offer up some of their top prospects (Hanson). If the general feeling is that the Braves can overwhelm a Cubs offer, then you have to think the Padres/Cubs/Third Team? are trying to get something worked out. Maybe with news now that Grienke may be out in Kansas City there could be a deal getting him to San Diego?

Maybe we get the Royals to be the third team in a Peavy deal? Find a way to get Greinke to San Diego?

He is making 6.5 million this year and had a awful season last year. He missed time with injury and only hit .213 in 389 AB's and only walked 22 times his OBP was .260 and he slugged .339. The only thing he did well was play defense. His power numbers were way down from last season as well, he also SO 100 times, even though high strike out rates are starting to become more acceptable.

I think exactly the opposite. I think we are being used as a decoy and the Pads are just trying to get that extra whatever they want from the Braves. I have to agree with Ryan. If you are limited on who you can trade a stud SP to, you certainly want to work a deal with the team with the best players available, and it's really not even close between the Braves and the Cubs. In a perfect world, Towers would be trading Peavy to the Braves for Escobar and Hanson, but the Braves aren't going to do that, and it's possible Peavy wouldn't even accept the trade there if they did. Towers is using the Cubs as leverage to try to get the Braves to cave. If the Braves don't cave, then the Padres probably view the Cubs offer as a better short term fix than what the Braves are offering. The Padres are really in a Howry spot. They have made it pretty well known that Peavy is going to be traded and the teams he will accept a trade to. It's also well known their owner is going through a nasty divorce and he needs to slash payroll. With the Padres pretty much forced to trade peavy and only being able to work with a fraction of the teams in baseball they probably aren't going to get a great return. Imagine what they would be getting if he didn't have a NTC or if he would go to more teams, the Cubs probably wouldn't have been able to even step into the same room with Towers at the GM meetings to discuss Peavy.

That's really only the way it would make sense is us taking on Greene, it would be pretty risky for Hendry to assume Furcal would sign with us and to have Cedeno as our only viable SS. If the minor leaguers being figured out are Ceda, Castillo, Atkins I could see it, but just Marshall, Pie and Theriot really would be a fleecing.

It could end up that way, but I doubt any of the Sesame Street characters had information this solid. I will believe just because I want to so badly, I thought I would have until at least mid December/January to get back into Cubs baseball, but they just always find a way to suck you in.

I could swear this is the Brian Roberts trade thread...

Defensively? Because offensively he's pretty good Ibanez to a one year deal would be OK but he's getting older. I don't expect the same type of numbers from him 1-2 years from now. A 1 year deal would be ideal but he probably will at least demand a 2 year deal and possibly at least a 3rd year option, I wouldn't be opposed to a 2 year 18-22 mil. deal. Now that Willingham got traded I doubt Hermida is available(unless we overpay). It looks like Ibanez is a real possibility, unless we open up the check book (unlikely) for Dunn or Abreu. Or take a big chance on Bradley as it is unlikely that he can make it through a full season healthy playing 150+ games in the field. Ibanez is probably my first choice of all the available FA even though I really want Hermida, but that is looking unlikely. Frankly I don't think Bradley represents that much injury risk at all, given the depth the Cubs have. I don't mind a scenario where Bradley puts up a 900-950 OPS but spends 30 or 40 games on the DL. That'd pave the way for some combination of Fontenot (DeRo to RF), and/or Hoffpaiur to play more regularly for a couple weeks at a time. Or you shift Fukudome over to RF and give Pie the extra ABs in the CF platoon. Plenty of decent short-term options there. IMO the risk Bradley represents is his combustability, but I'd feel ok about that with the Cubs' veteran clubhouse and Lou's no-nonsense approach. I would say missing 30-40 games would be considered a injury risk, that is roughly 1/5 of the games. I agree we do have great depth but Ibanez is the safer bet to stay healthy and therefore produce better numbers, however if Bradley is healthy for the full season he could put up some good numbers and I do like the fact he is a switch hitter. If we end up with either I would be happy. Perhaps I wasn't clear. Injury risk? Yes. But one that's easily and effectively manageable, thus negating most of the damage. Ibanez' defense is a scary thought. I think Bradley would be appreciably better in that regard but perhaps not. How bad is Ibanez' defense? Worse than Dunn? Like I said I really would like to have either and am not biased towards either. Just for reference here is Bradley's defensive line from last year 20 G 165.1 IN 50 TC 43 PO 4 A 3 E 3 DP .940 FP Here is Ibanez' 153 G 1340 IN 316 TC 302 PO 9 A 5 E 1 DP .984 FP Bradley played 19 of his 20 games in RF. All of Ibanez' games were in LF.

Defensively? Because offensively he's pretty good Ibanez to a one year deal would be OK but he's getting older. I don't expect the same type of numbers from him 1-2 years from now. A 1 year deal would be ideal but he probably will at least demand a 2 year deal and possibly at least a 3rd year option, I wouldn't be opposed to a 2 year 18-22 mil. deal. Now that Willingham got traded I doubt Hermida is available(unless we overpay). It looks like Ibanez is a real possibility, unless we open up the check book (unlikely) for Dunn or Abreu. Or take a big chance on Bradley as it is unlikely that he can make it through a full season healthy playing 150+ games in the field. Ibanez is probably my first choice of all the available FA even though I really want Hermida, but that is looking unlikely. Frankly I don't think Bradley represents that much injury risk at all, given the depth the Cubs have. I don't mind a scenario where Bradley puts up a 900-950 OPS but spends 30 or 40 games on the DL. That'd pave the way for some combination of Fontenot (DeRo to RF), and/or Hoffpaiur to play more regularly for a couple weeks at a time. Or you shift Fukudome over to RF and give Pie the extra ABs in the CF platoon. Plenty of decent short-term options there. IMO the risk Bradley represents is his combustability, but I'd feel ok about that with the Cubs' veteran clubhouse and Lou's no-nonsense approach. I would say missing 30-40 games would be considered a injury risk, that is roughly 1/5 of the games. I agree we do have great depth but Ibanez is the safer bet to stay healthy and therefore produce better numbers, however if Bradley is healthy for the full season he could put up some good numbers and I do like the fact he is a switch hitter. If we end up with either I would be happy.

Defensively? Because offensively he's pretty good Ibanez to a one year deal would be OK but he's getting older. I don't expect the same type of numbers from him 1-2 years from now. A 1 year deal would be ideal but he probably will at least demand a 2 year deal and possibly at least a 3rd year option, I wouldn't be opposed to a 2 year 18-22 mil. deal. Now that Willingham got traded I doubt Hermida is available(unless we overpay). It looks like Ibanez is a real possibility, unless we open up the check book (unlikely) for Dunn or Abreu. Or take a big chance on Bradley as it is unlikely that he can make it through a full season healthy playing 150+ games in the field. Ibanez is probably my first choice of all the available FA even though I really want Hermida, but that is looking unlikely.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3691653&name=olney_buster I might have to take some time off from following the Cubs if Gorkys hernandez is a deal maker. :banghead:

His defense is stellar, people have compared him to Pudge in that regard. The consensus is that his offense will come, and he should at least be an adequate bat in a lineup, probably not like Soto but certainly serviceable.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-peavydeal110608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns With this latest news, I would imagine the Cubs are the team looking at a 3 or 4 team trade, since the inclusion of Tommy Hanson and/or Jordan Shafer trumps any players we can offer. Only thing is, I don't see Atlanta doing this. Towers is playing poker with Atlanta and Chicago, hoping one of them ups the ante enough to pull the trigger. Luckily for Atlanta and Chicago, Peavy is the pit boss in this card game. How is Schafer any better than Pie. The guy is just like Pie (.605 OPS vs. lefties and can't walk), is probably slightly worse in the field than Felix, and just got suspended for hgh or something (I know it was something...not sure if it was hgh). In my eyes a Pie, Cedeno, Marshall, Ceda and 1 of Castillo/Hart/Atkins is just as good as anything the Braves offer outside of putting Hanson in a deal. Jo-Jo Reyes and Gorkys Hernandez are you kidding me. I'd have to agree. The Padres are getting what they want: a speedy CF, a middle infielder, a major league ready starter and some other good prospects. Castillo could be a nice get for them, coming off of that future's game appearance along with the fact that Hendry can probably say "we wouldn't trade him if we didn't have Soto". Yeah he is really turning into a nice prospect, I think either way he will be traded within the next 2 years just because of Soto. However I was thinking the other day that if we have no viable 1B options after Lee goes in 2010, would it be a crazy idea to move Soto to 1B and let Castillo catch? This would allow for Soto to play in more games and keep his bat in the lineup, I know he is great with the staff and a good defender, but all reports are that Castillo is even better. Just a thought and a little off topic, but it could be an interesting idea.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-peavydeal110608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns With this latest news, I would imagine the Cubs are the team looking at a 3 or 4 team trade, since the inclusion of Tommy Hanson and/or Jordan Shafer trumps any players we can offer. Only thing is, I don't see Atlanta doing this. Towers is playing poker with Atlanta and Chicago, hoping one of them ups the ante enough to pull the trigger. Luckily for Atlanta and Chicago, Peavy is the pit boss in this card game. How is Schafer any better than Pie. The guy is just like Pie (.605 OPS vs. lefties and can't walk), is probably slightly worse in the field than Felix, and just got suspended for hgh or something (I know it was something...not sure if it was hgh). In my eyes a Pie, Cedeno, Marshall, Ceda and 1 of Castillo/Hart/Atkins is just as good as anything the Braves offer outside of putting Hanson in a deal. Jo-Jo Reyes and Gorkys Hernandez are you kidding me.

Or possibly as a fall back to Peavy, I know Olsen isn't nearly the pitcher he is, but he is young and can still improve, he can eat up innings on a young staff and develop into a decent pitcher when they contend in 2-4 years.