don_kessinger_was_good

Gooz >> Marshall; if healthy, that is.

Our season is saved, we have our Macias/Neifi replacement. On Roto.

I think Jones is slightly better for the short-term, but I actually think Church is a better fit for the Cubs, then Jones, because of his ability to reach base consistantly. If you think Jones is slightly better for the short-term but Church is better because of his ability to reach base constantly, then are you saying that Jones' slugging advantage over Church slightly outweighs Church's OBP advantage? Because in a much worse hitting environment Church has outslugged Jones the past two years. Church has put up OPS+ of 120 and 128. Jones hasnt come close to that since his break out year in 2002. The only valid concern about Church is that he hasn't been a full time player, but I think that is more a reflection of an organization that just gave Nook Logan the starting CF job. I believe Bruce Miles stated before Christmas that the Cubs have no interest in Ryan Church.

Season hasn't started yet. I'm convinced both Rocco Baldelli and Andruw Jones will get traded at some point, just have to hope that Hendry gets himself involved in one of those deals. Baldelli is the one I'd prefer, because he's obtainable at what ought to be a more acceptable price, and he's signed I believe through 2008 or 2009, I forget which. That would give the Cubs protection in case Pie doesn't pan out. Sean Marshall, Scott Moore and.....? One other player should be enough to acquire Baldelli. The Rays need to make room for Dukes and Upton, otherwise they are wasting what value they have.

Suppose Samardzija picks baseball, and the Cubs draft Brackman. Where does each start the year? Peoria and Boise, respectively?

Trade for Andruw Jones, please.

Smart move by the Yanks, dumb move by AZ. Unit will be **45** years old at the end of his new deal, what is AZ thinking? They're already on the hook to him for $16MM for his LAST stint in the desert. Too bad Mark Prior is perma-damaged, because otherwise, a Unit trade screams to me....Zambrano for A-Rod? If we had a healthy Mark Prior, I'd do it.

Minor league filler. Every organization needs some.

I believe the Cubs signed Les Walrond to a minor league contract, he's available as AAA or AA filler. Chadd Blasko; finished? Luke Hagerty too? Piggy could start in Iowa, but it looks like he's been moved permanently to the bullpen--good thing for his chances of ever making the big leagues. I think Campusano gets returned to us; AAA or AA?

The "Hee Seop CHOI" chant at Wrigley was pretty cool. It was even cooler when a Korean friend tried to get a "Choi Hee SEOP" chant going, lol. Good times, I wish Choi would have panned out.

I'd like to trade all three of Dempster, Jones and Izturis because each is a mediocre player, and each is a waste of money. $14MM combined for those three. Dempster is replaceable by any of several of our current relievers, Izturis can be replaced by Theriot, and Jones can be replaced with Soriano in RF and TBD guy in CF via trade. Andruw Jones makes what, $12MM in 2007? I'm just sayin'....

Note: Sanders is signed for $5MM in 2007. That's a lot of money for a bench bat. And to reiterate, his health is not good.

:!: What, did he stand you up for dinner? How would you know? I met the guy at spring training a couple of years back and had a nice long talk with him. He seemed like a good guy. Now that doesn't mean that he is a good guy. So how do you know he's a jerk? I don't know him, I'm just repeating what I've read. There were several stories about Ohman being difficult in his contract negotiations last year, and the same stories said Hendry was none too pleased with it. There was also a report from Bruce Miles I believe, recently, that Will Ohman is a nasty guy in the clubhouse, particularly to reporters and "the little people" as it were. FWIW.

How could I leave Hill out of there? :oops: Craig, did you see Rapada's numbers from the AFL? I think his performance there, and correspondingly, Holdzkom's meltdown, is what led the Cubs to choose to protect Clay and let Holdzkom go. The Cubs do not have a track record of protecting pitchers that they don't think are near-term major league ready. I continue to believe that Ohman is nothing special, and Rapada (or Cotts) can do his job, in Clay's case, for $1MM a year less in salary.

My guess: Rapada has been brilliant, he's a wicked lefty and is ready. He's been almost as tough on righties, so you don't literally have to use him strictly as a loogy (though the Cubs probably will). Ohman OTOH is a jerk, there is surely still some bad feelings left over after last year's contract negotiations with Ohman, I think Hendry deals him. Hendry won't give up on Dempster--even though he probably should. If Wood can pitch, he must be on the roster, if for no other reason to begin building up his trade value. Marmol needs a full season in AAA, as does Mateo (who needs to build up arm strength, he always tires at around 70 pitches). Ryu is nowhere near ready. The wildcards are Prior and Guzman. If Gooz is finally 100%, he is clearly more talented than any of our other young pitchers, including Marshall. And of course, if/when Prior can pitch, you must give him a spot, but no way will he be ready in April, we all know that. DL city again. So Opening Day, I think the Cubs go with 12 pitchers: Zambrano, Lilly, Marquis, Miller, Marshall or Guzman (5) Dempster, Wood, Howry, Eyre, Wuertz, Cotts, Rapada (7) Novoa has an option left, you can put him in AAA, or if Wood is not ready, use him as your 12th pitcher. Iowa's staff will then feature Marshall or Guzman, Mateo, Ryu, probably Les Walrond, and Marmol as starters. Novoa and Carmen Pignatiello will be the main names in the bullpen, along with busted-prospect Bobby Brownlie. Lincoln Holdzkom should have been the AAA closer, but the Cubs chose not to protect him in the Rule 5 draft and he's now gone, a decision I think the Cubs will regret.

Sanders is even more broken-down than Floyd. No way.

I would trade Mark Prior once I got the first solid offer for him. I don't care how talented he is. I don't like wasting $4MM every year on a perpetual "maybe" ballplayer. I'd rather have an actual major leaguer, you know, someone who plays once in awhile. Make me an offer, any GM in baseball, and I'll listen.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the I-Cubs put Micah Hoffpauir at 1B, Casey at 3B, and move Scott Moore to the OF. Cubs love Moore's bat, but he's completely blocked by Lee and Ramirez in the bigs, and that won't change. I think the talk about Moore and SS is a non-starter, so LF would be the obvious place for Moore to get slotted in 07. I also think that if Jake Fox shows any of his bat prowess from this past summer, he will quickly get moved up to AAA, as Soto and Reyes have become non-prospects. Frankly, when you look at the Cubs position players in the minors, it really is extremely bleak. Pie, Patterson, Moore, Colvin, maybe Fox, maybe on his very best day Sam Fuld; these are the only kids that have shown even a glimmer of hope for being big leaguers. 2004 was a long time ago for Ryan Harvey and Dope, both of whom are busts in my book at this point.

I hope Prior is on the list so the Cubs' brass won't feel obligated to waste another $4MM on him in 2007 to watch his sorry butt sit on the DL all season. Proof that Prior juiced will take all the heat off of the front office and allow them to jettison ol' Mary.

Teams just can't resist available lefties, can they? Pignatiello was left unprotected, too, and I like Piggy more than either of these two, so I can live with the losses. Campusano is more than two levels away and is 24 years old, too much hype. I think he gets returned to us anyways. Cubs seemed to like Vasquez, but I like Neal Cotts since he can help now, rather than later. I was pumped to turn Welly into Holdzkom; I was irked to see the Cubs not protect him. He can be nearly Rick Ankiel-level wild one day, and Bobby Jenks-unhittable the next. I think we've lost him.

This is one of the best mental images of baseball I've had all offseason. Wrigley during this would rival Dodger Stadium in Gagné's heyday. No Metallica/AC-DC theme song needed, just the place going nuts. I believe Kerry is on record as being a big metalhead. So his theme music should be....??

A Jones/Sosa platoon would look mighty good. A Floyd/Sosa platoon would be even better. Hey, as bad as Sammy was with Baltimore, his splits were still perfectly fine against LHP-- 288/370/471, good for an 841 OPS in a ballpark not particularly friendly to RH hitters. In 2004 with the Cubs? Weird stats: 253/393/442 for an 835 OPS. Killer OBP, but all of his power was against RHP, where he posted a higher 850 OPS, but a sad 315 OBP. An 840 OPS against lefties would sure complement either Floyd or Jones against RHP. Plus, I love Sammy, I want a happy ending with that story. One final tidbit: Alfonso Soriano's hometown? San Pedro de Macoris. Aramis Ramirez and Felix Pie? Fellow Dominicans that IDOLIZE Sammy. I'm just sayin'....would a $1MM contract and a bench role kill the Cubs that bad? You can find room on the roster for the Freddy Bynum's and John Mabry's and Jose Macias' of the world in years past, but not Sammy Sosa? C'mon Hendry, lighten up.....

Restated for emphasis--if either of Wade Miller or Mark Prior is healthy and effective, the Cubs will likely have the best starting pitching in the division certainly, and outside the Dodgers, probably the best in the NL. I believe this to be the case even if the Mets sign Zito. Absent Prior returning to his earlier form, the Cubs will lack a real #2, this is true. But the rotation will potentially have as many as four #3's, I could live with that. And the bullpen will be solid, potentially great if Wood turns into the next Eric Gagne. Seems like all the best talent anymore, with a few exceptions, is in the AL, and that's fine by me. We'll take what help we can get!

Kerry Wood is so talented, he can and will be successful in any pitching role you can conjure up for him. With Kerry, it's always about his health, and always will be. If he's healthy, I guarantee he'll be the Cubs closer by June, because no one on the Chicago Cubs--and in fact, maybe only three or four guys in all of baseball--have the stuff that Kerry Wood has. And don't forget that as a reliever, Wood only needs two pitches, he can reduce future aggravation of the shoulder and elbow by retiring Uncle Charlie (though I'll miss the hook!) once and for all. Fastball, maybe the cut fastball too, and the changeup--that's all Woody will need to succeed. And I want him to succeed. I never warmed up to Prior, I don't think anyone really did. But I have man-love for Kerry Lee Wood. C'mon big guy....

I'd still trade Pie + Guzman for Rocco Baldelli, but that's just me. Pie is too raw and we need help now. I like the potential of a Murton, Baldelli, Soriano OF.