Cubswin11

:D \:D/

yeah he gets lost in the excitement about jackson and szczur, but to do what he's done as a 20 year old is pretty nice. the boy needs to learn how to steal bases though (9 sb/12 cs). Where do you think Ha will rank in the Top 10 for the end of the year/start of next season? Is it possible he's a top 5? or more of a 7-10 guy?

Seconded

This is the part I'm not so sure on. Exactly, depends what teams get in on the bidding. If the Yankees feel they really need another 1/2 type they could really drive up his price if they get in on the bidding.

He hasn't hit well lately but this is his 3rd straight game with an XBH and 4th in 5 games. Did he ever get into better shape since showing up in the spring so overweight?

I think the Pirates are broken.

So is Selig/MLB going to investigate the 90% of players that are playing poker and doing other forms of gambling/betting in their teams own clubhouses?

I agree, unless he was running/organizing/financing the poker games, using/financing/helping distribute coke, or betting on/fixing baseball games there is nothing here. And all of those things don't seem to be the case here, seems like Selig and MLB caught wind of "A-Rod gambling again" after they scolded him not too and have their feelings hurt he didn't listen to them.

That comment on Ramirez makes absolutely zero sense

Joe Sheehan said Anthopoulos basically traded air for Rasmus. That's not far off. Anthopoulos tenure as the Blue Jays GM -Roy Halladay would only accept a trade to the Phillies, yet he managed to get 3 of their top 5 prospects in Drabek, d'Arnaud and Taylor. -Traded Brandon League for Brandon Morrow. -Traded Alex Gonzalez for Yunel Escobar. Extended Yunel for 4 years/$20M. -Traded Vernon Wells (and his entire contract) for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera -Extended Bautista for $13M a year. -Traded Octavio Dotel and a LH reliever for Colby Rasmus. He's pretty much GM Jesus. And yet with all those moves they still might not win the AL East anytime soon. Which is sad, because all those moves were/are genius.

The Cubs are just one big steaming pile of Howry this year

Ramirez + Byrd+ $$$$ to the Phillies for Dominic Brown and a prospect or throw in Polanco to take him off their hands.*** ***Runs and hides.

Well he has the #1 tool we look for in minor league position players, that being having no on base skills...

I would imagine Colvin will in RF batting 8th and Barney will probably get moved to lead off.

MLBTR had posted Colvin will be recalled to play RF. Depends on how long they were working on this deal, but he could potentially be in Milwaukee for the game today if they knew this was getting done. Or else it will probably be Johnson or Dewitt.

I would imagine it's possible, but not likely. He seemed to enjoy his time in Chicago and has said he wanted to stay here in the past (at least I am pretty sure??). Unless Colvin shows major improvements in RF the rest of the year I wouldn't be opposed to bringing Kosuke back for a 1 or 2 year deal. Especially since it seems Jackson/Szczur will need to start next year in the minors due to injuries and needing more time to work on things.

Keeping Marshall solves this problem, he is only making $3.1m next year and then is a FA. That's pretty cheap and if he has another good year the least we get are some draft picks if/when he leaves. It also keeps Hendry/whoever the new GM is from going out and giving a long term deal to a LH middle reliever in the offseason.

Haynesworth to the Patriots for a 5th round pick. Could be a genius move or a terrible move, he needs to pass a physical to make it official. Also it sounds like he will have to do whatever "condition test" prerequisites the Patriots have. Belichick is one of a handful of coaches that can get him back to where he used to be. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6811622/albert-haynesworth-washington-redskins-traded-new-england-patriots-sources-say

Soft-tossing middle reliever. As good as he is, the Cubs aren't likely to get enough of a return because he isn't a proven closer to justify trading him. In short you're proposing trading him just for the sake of trading him. If the ideal deal is out there, but again, there's zero reason for the Cubs to be in fire sale mode. As bad as they are they can easily compete again next year, and trading Byrd likely leaves a very large hole in the OF that can't be filled until 2012 since Fukudome will also be gone and potentially you're going to have to deal with a useless Soriano. See Marshall. A useful player, but ultimately too limited (in this case by actually ability, or the lack thereof when it comes to hitting righties, as opposed to lack of a reputation). No reason not to trade him if the right deal is there...but it's very unlikely to be there. Give the Cubs' questions at 2B and potentially at 3B he likely holds much more value on the team than via a low-level trade. Wait, what? I was probably the biggest Barney basher here, but he's turned out to be useful, young and cheap. Why ship him off when he's all of those things and the Cubs have no obvious answer at 2B? A Baker/Barney platoon at 2B next year has the very real shot of being very productive AND cost-effective. You'd be creating another hole in the rotation. Cashner and Wells both have big question marks right now, so subtracting a good pitcher from the rotation without an obvious replacement isn't a good idea. Yes, there's McNutt, but as we've seen this year you don't go shedding your pitching options just because you can. Besides, Dempster's player's option and his price tag likely preclude the Cubs getting a decent return short of them picking up too much of the tab. All of the guys I mentioned are fairly easily replaced with internal options. The one that isn't (Dempster) would free up money to get a great (and younger) replacement through free agency. Baker and Barney = DeWitt, LeMahieu, Flaherty Marshall = Russell and the other lefties in AAA Byrd = Jackson Dempster = CJ Wilson for example I don't want these guys traded just for the sake of trading them, and it should go without saying that if decent offers aren't out there, then you hold. But what we're hearing is that Hendry is making none of these guys available. Who knows if that really is true, but if so, I disagree with the approach. Specifically, I don't want the focus to be on cobbling together a mediocre team that might win a crappy division with a little luck. The focus should be on building a team that can dominate any division (short of the ALE), even if it takes more than a year to accomplish and involves some far-sighted trades that create a mini-youth movement in 2012. Marshall is more than just a lefty specialist/LOOGY. He'd be missed and not easily replaced. He has turned into a solid, almost elite, set up man over the last two seasons. While I agree Byrd shouldn't stand in the way of promoting Jackson, I don't think Jackson will be ready to take over the center field job full time from the start of the season next year and I don't think he capable of putting up a .775-.810 OPS like you know Byrd will.

And people don't complain about this? It makes me feel like I'm watching a video game (and I don't even like the strike zone graphic in video games). Graphics in the corners/top/bottom of the screen are one thing, but having one right in the middle of the viewing area is crazy. The graphic on FSN feeds is in the bottom right corner, not actually over the plate like ESPN. This image is from a few years ago and the graphic for this year looks a little more updated, but this is basically what they have on the FSN feeds this year. http://cdn0.sbnation.com/legacy_images/lookoutlanding/images/admin/sexson_kzone.JPG

Both. Red Sox would use him probably in all three spots, Braves and Rangers in CF, Tigers and Phillies in RF.

There's very good arguments as to why trading Byrd this year WOULD be stupid. I agree that there are very good arguments to not trading him. But with teams like the Phillies, Braves, Rangers, Red Sox, and Tigers all potentially looking to add an OF Hendry should at least be making him available to see what kind of return he can get.

Assuming this goes through, with Beltran and Rasmus off the board. This has to leave Byrd and Fukudome as two of the better options for OF help in the trade market. I know the early inclinations are that Byrd won't be traded, but Hendry would be stupid not be shopping him with those two guys already traded and 4 days left before the deadline.

I don't know if it's just stupid ESPN bantering, but apparently the Jets are very interested in Asomugha. Him and Revis on the same team is a scary thought. http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/6807998/new-york-jets-interested-top-db-nnamdi-asomugha

Rasmus to the Jays for Jackson, Dotel, and Rzepczynski. This trade makes me happy. :D :D http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/07/edwin-jackson-expected-to-be-flipped.html