soapy

i think that's likely. there is going to be a whole lot of rage around here if Hendry comes up a few million dollars short on Fukudome because he feels the need to over-pay the likes of Infante and K. Matsui (if that happens).

i'm going down to the IU v. GT game tonight. i hope IU sucks less than they did Saturday. i'd also love to see the rest of the big ten teams show up big.

If it has anything to do with getting Fukudome, or betters the chances of getting Fukudome - Kaz Matsui is not going to hurt this team. how does giving a three-year contract to a mediocre (putting it nicely) back-up infielder not hurt this team? Fukudome isn't Arod. it's not worth it. over-paying bad players to fill holes that don't exist most definitely hurts the team.

fantastic news. glad to hear it.

so i guess Cedeno isn't really playing any outfield?

That was a joke (by TT). I believe Rosenthal reported at one point that the Cubs were likely to pick up Trachsel's option. Everyone here freaked (myself included), but it wasn't true at all. ETA: What CCP said.

This is probably the way to go if they do sign Fukudome. Signing him allows them to hold on to Murton as a fourth outfielder or full-time RFer is Pie bombs. However, my guess is Murton is traded if they sign Fukudome. I don't have a problem with that, in the right scenario (which I don't expect Hendry to find).

it would be different if there were a far superior player blocking Cedeno at SS (i.e. not Theriot). i just don't get this move with the current personnel. "versatility" is the new "guys who can catch the ball". problem is, we've already tried this too (Neifi, Macias, Bynum, etc.).

i guess i don't see how having him work on learning a new position would help him relax as a hitter.

I haven't seen this posted anywhere, or mentioned in the Winter League thread, but Hendry is now mentioning Cedeno as a possiblity for the outfield. What a joke. Please...no...

haha...seriously? I'm really going to enjoy all the pathetic angst from Illinois fans this year.

Certainly interested, depending on what it costs to get him. Big bat to plug into the outfield. Soriano moves to RF, Pie in CF, Manny in LF. Done. Of course, he is 35, so there is some risk of (further) decline. I'd take the chance in a heartbeat.

this is about how i see it. i'd like to see him be able to play some SS and maybe see him used as an end of the bench type player.

I wanted to start a thread about people's opinions on Fontenot's future with the big club. There are many that are much more knowledgeable than me on the minor leagues (I mainly just pick up stuff from the minor league forums), but I had been under the impression the last few years that Fontenot was the slightly better prospect. I may be remembering wrong. I know he's not someone to rely on for production next year, but I'm bored and wanted to get people's thoughts on his future. He's put up the following lines in Iowa the last two years: 2006: 296/375/450 (111 games) 2007: 336/384/540 (55 games) Thoughts?

wait, i think i'm reading this wrong. are you comparing J. Jones to Beltran? you couldn't be. as to the idea of trading Jones; i'm for it in the right deal. i don't know about just dumping him and eating the salary just to get rid of thim. he could provide some value if used properly (platooning with Murton in RF or a fallback option for CF). the problem of course is that he may not be.

with out actually looking at what the Marlins did last year (when he managed), I always got the impression that he gave away too many outs (particularly with sac bunts and/or SB attempts).

Expects? I'm sure he's wrong here. I hope so. I'm trying to refrain from freaking out until/unless it actually happens (re: Trachsel, not Ward). This is exactly how you put together a mediocre (or worse) team with a $100+ payroll.

Can't wait until Arod (or whoever) becomes "too expensive" when we're staring at the bloated salaries of guys like Blanco, Eyre and Trachsel.

ugh. exactly the kind of thing i was afraid of. my fear of course being that this will prohibit Hendry from spending, not to mention the fact that he'll still be the one doing any spending.

Meh. Let him go. I wouldn't be bothered by it if he wasn't back next year. He was a step above Dusty, but wasn't that great IMO. i could go either way on that. i thought Lou was fine (slightly better than I expected). it really just depends on who they would bring in to replace him. that's what i would be afraid of more than losing Lou. probably Girardi, which I wouldn't really be a fan of.

agreed. that's great that mark cares. i'm sure the other 24 probably do too. some guys show it/express it differently than others. not to take anything away from mark. i like him a lot. i just don't see how this really affects that one way or the other. they're all people. they all care about winning. and i'm sure it would even be more special to all of them if they could be part of the team that ends the suffering of generations of cubs fans.

I assume the Lou to NY rumors will commense immediately upon Torre's departure.

I agree, unfortunately Interesting. I have to assume Marshall, Hart and Gallagher are the front runners unless traded. Ideally, Prior makes a comeback, but I won't hold my breath. Agreed on Marmol. Lou loves Theriot. If they don't upgrade externally, I have to believe has has a huge advantage over Cedeno to get the spot. I still think they need to upgrade at SS. Forgetting Arod for a moment, I really think Renteria is the best candidate once considering age, availability, cost (players and dollars) and production. I'd love to see the Cubs make a strong push for Renteria. I really don't expect Dempster to go in as the closer. I agree it will probably be Marmol, though that's not necessarily the route I would go. I'd also consider Wood for closer, keeping Marmol available for more high-leverage situations. There's also the possibility they may try to make Dempster a starter again. I think he's back, regardless of Dempster's situation. agreed. no-brainer It really would be benificial for them to move Jones this off-season. He only has one year left on his deal, and it's a dollar amount that probably looks reasonable to many owners. Plus, he's shown he can play CF if necessary. They've got to see what they have with Pie, or trade him (I obviously prefer the former). As you said, bring in a vet 4th/5th OF who can play CF. I think/hope that Floyd is done. I prefer one of the following: 1. If the Cubs upgrade at SS (Renteria, Tejada, Arod, etc) I'd love to see Murton in RF. Bring in a LH 4th OF (maybe even Floyd) as a back-up and potential platoon partner if Murton struggles against RHP, which I don't see any reason that he would; 2. If they go into next season with Theriot/Cedeno at SS, they need an upgrade in RF. My number one preference is probably Bobby Abreu. Murton becomes the 4th OF.

it's hard for me to have any kind of positive outlook at this point. the cubs actually got solid years from some guys that may not be capable of repeating their production next year. particularly guys like Lilly, Marquis, DeRosa and Jones (in the second half). i'd be surprised if Theriot improves too much in the off-season, though he may a little. the cubs don't seem content with Murton in RF, so i'd be surprised if he was a starter next year. not sure what to think about Pie and Soto. the sale doesn't give me much optimism for the immediate future simply because i fear it will consume most if not all of the off-season and prevent the team from making the necessary upgrades (particularly either RF or SS) to get this team to the next level. i'll allow that there are potential positives to consider, but it's difficult to do so right now.

He should probably start with his own (ass).