Deeg

Are you a trade the farm for Dunn guy, Don? Just curious.

The irony here is that - at least vs. RHP - Branyan is an almost identical offensive player to Adam Dunn, who Cub fans worldwide have a gargantuan lust for and would seemingly be willing to trade every decent prospect we have to obtain.

Either that, or Cub fans dramatically overvalue their own players...

And the fact that Tejada completely blew Jones out of the water the last two seasons is completely irrelevant?

Tejada is not one of the best defensive SS in baseball. There's a pretty good argument that he's pretty average defensively. While Tejada generated 24 errors in 2004, he still is considered one of the American League's top shortstops. His range is among the best in the league, especially going into the hole. Tejada has a plus arm and can make all the required throws. He's adept at turning the double play, recording a league-leading 118 at short last season. - Stats The shortstop sprints to his left, far left. To a spot behind second base and past it, almost to the outfield grass in pursuit of a ground ball that most times is a base hit. But not this time. For it's Miguel Tejada in pursuit, which is a bad thing for ground balls fancying themselves as base hits. Ozzie Smith did it better because Ozzie Smith did most everything in the field better than any other shortstop ever did it. Of today's shortstops, maybe Omar Vizquel is the Wizard's truest heir. But for pure acrobatics there is Tejada, who has sprinted so far left that when he catches this ground ball, second base is behind him. So ... As momentum carries him toward right field, Tejada somehow moves the ball to his bare hand. He somehow throws it behind him, backhanding it to Mark Ellis, whose own good work completes a double play that on your scorecard gets the game's sweetest numbers, 6-4-3, decorated with three stars and an exclamation point. Or, to quote an NL scout whose job calls for observation of the A's and Miguel Tejada, "It's one of his 'Did-you-see-THAT?' plays." "In the field, he knows which risks to take and when to take them. Pure defense, he may be better than A-Rod was. He gets to more balls, and he charges the ball better. His throwing has improved a full grade, maybe a grade and a half." - Sporting News

It's ludicrous to think Tejada is going to change positions in a couple of years. Right now he's arguably the best defensive SS in baseball, so could decline significantly in the next five years (hardly a given, and never mind a "couple" of years) and still be above average. Look at Vizquel, still playing outstanding D at 40...

Right on the money...

Where was the bad luck in the achilles/elbow mystery injury that kept him out for half a season? Fact is, Prior has never gone a full season healthy yet. There are numerous baseball people that have seriously raised the question of whether Prior pitched through injuries other players might have. Prior may just be unlucky - or he may not. Pitchers are inherently riskier than position players anyway, and while nobody is a sure thing Tejada is about as close as you can get. Nobody is saying trade Prior for peanuts. But the fact is, Tejada is one of the best players in the game. Prior has great value - that's why such a swap is even worthy of serious discussion (on message boards at least, if not between GMs). The Cubs are on a fast track to nowhere at the moment, and a move like this would seriously reshape the team. Risky? Hell, yes - but better a risk like that than a sure loser like guaranteeing $16 million to a 4th outfielder.

I guess I'm in the minority on this, but I'd gladly trade Prior for Tejada straight up - and I don't think Baltimore would do it. Tejada is one of the best everyday players in baseball - a sterling defensive SS who hits for power and average. Prior is all promise, but he's a considerable health risk and frankly, I question his toughness. Tejada, to me, is the more valuable player.

Perez has played exactly two games at RF in the last two years. I don't see that platoon happening.

Bruce, maybe this is a dumb question, but how in the world can the Cubs not see Jones as a platoon player? I know OPS seems to be off their radar, but surely they can see that his struggles - and we're talking really, really bad here - against lefties are not a one-year thing. He's pretty much been awful against them his whole career. Also - if indeed Jones is an everyday player in their view, where do you see this leaving Pie and Murton medium-term? It seems like a certainty that Pierre will be extended, as Hendry absolutely loves him. Jones will presumably be close to untradeable at that salary. Are Pie and Murton destined to be platooned, or will one of them be dealt? Pie isn't ready now, but we're locked into Jones for three years.

I'll take Burnitz' glove over Jones' in RF seven days a week. Better and more accurate arm, takes better routes, overall much more fundamentally sound. Jones is a fundamentally weak RF who gets by on above-average speed. In left his defense is a plus. In right he's average.

You can forget about Bradley. Beane loves him and had him targeted from day one, and there's no chance in hell of his being non-tendered.

Enough what??

Assuming they were DH's, I'd almost agree with you. Unfortunately for that analysis, though, SS is the most important defensive position in the game. And Lugo is a great defensive SS, no worse than Furcal. I don't know which of those statements is more ludicrous but if you believe either, I can't believe you've ever seen Lugo or Furcal play.

No. Assuming they were DH's, I'd almost agree with you. Unfortunately for that analysis, though, SS is the most important defensive position in the game.

I think a big part of this is that we value Huff differently. 1) I don't think his defensive skills are even close to average. 2) I think there are very legitimate concerns with him about the nature of his decline the past two years. I like Huff and I'd give up many of the guys in the system to get him. But I'd be reluctant to part with Guzman, Hill, Pie or Pawelek (though he's not yet eligible to be dealt) to get him. If we could target Gomes instead or if the deal could be expanded to include Lugo, then I'd be more comfortable with losing Angel. That said, the upside I can see with Huff that nobody has mentioned is that if Aramis goes down again, Huff could slide in at third and it would be easier to replace an OF with reasonable production than 3B. Umm... Nobody mentioned it?

Tim, if you're arguing that we shouldn't trade Guzman because his trade value is at a low ebb, fine - that's the case I make for Patterson. But my point is that getting Huff for him is a pretty damn good return - and I think TB's reluctance to accept such an offer (if it exists) would be the evidence of that. I think you're undervaluing Huff - he has the arm to play RF, his other defensive skills are average, and he's young enough to still have his best days ahead of him. He also gives you a viable option at 3B if (when) A-Ram gets hurt for an extended period.

I think it's remarkable that so many here have an inflated opinion of Guzman's trade value. He hasn't been an effective minor league pitcher for more than two years. In addition to the normal uncertaintly attached to a young arm, there's the questions of whether he'll ever have the same stuff he had pre-surgery and whether he can stay healthy. If you can turn a cipher like that into Huff, you should do it in a heartbeat. I think this a classic example of Cub fans overvaluing our own prospects.

I'd happily give them Guzman and Wellemeyer for Huff, but not Hill. And since Huff is closer to average than butcher defensively, I think he could be a very nice player for us.

This will surely be the first and last time anyone compares Jim Hendry to Superman...

Sign Jacque Jones already, you Royal People Thingies!

No way Patterson will be the starter in RF - Hendry is just playing the game. But I wouldn't non-tender him either - his value is at a low ebb now, but he could be a good 4th OF and if he has a decent rebound season, a very valuable trading chip.

You'd be crazy not to give up any four prospects in our system for Tejada - and the Os still wouldn't do it. If they'd take Cedeno, Guzman, Hill and Williams I'd do it in a heartbeat.

The key to this deal is, Vidro should now be available. With Hendry being so fat in cash, he'd be an interesting gamble.