don_kessinger_was_good
-
Posts
1,496 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Joomla Posts 1
Chicago Cubs Videos
Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits
2026 Chicago Cubs Top Prospects Ranking
News
2023 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
Guides & Resources
2024 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
The Chicago Cubs Players Project
2025 Chicago Cubs Draft Pick Tracker
Blogs
Events
Forums
Store
Gallery
Everything posted by don_kessinger_was_good
-
Really? Berroa and LaRue are black holes, Grudz isn't any good, Sweeney's coming off a subpar half season, Brown's a platoon player, and Gordon doesn't have a single MLB at bat. It's not a lock to be terrible, but it's nothing admirable really. Wow, you're a bit harsh, there. Brown is full-time, and his numbers are quite respectable (Jock Jones-level production). Grudzielanek is always solid, if uninspiring. Sweeney when healthy is a monster bat. LaRue has been above average some years, lousy last year. Gordon is ready RIGHT NOW. Grudzy: 297/331/409, 7 HR, 52 RBI. League average at worst. Brown: 287/358/457, 15 HR, 81 RBI. 800+ OPS is not bad at all. Sweeney: lifetime 302/373/497, only 217 ABs '06 (787 OPS) LaRue: 806 OPS in '05; awful 663 OPS in '06 (just 191 ABs) Berroa is indeed the one that sucks (Cedeno-esque 592 OPS) Oh yeah, Alex Gordon in 2006 (AA)? 325/427/588, 29 HR, 101 RBI (486 ABs), with 22 SBs just for good measure. Yep, I'd say he's ready.
-
If it takes Hirsh + Wheeler to get Jennings, that means we'd need to offer something like Gallagher + Ohman. That seems pretty rich for Jason Jennings, IMO. If I have to give up that much talent, I want Tim Hudson or Brad Penny, their contracts be-damned.
-
Who else was looking at Payton? They become the immediate first choices for a trade deal with Jock.
-
Royals had to throw money at pitching, they were in dire straits. But they're going to be just fine on offense, and they had a good $15MM+ burning a hole in their pocket--with another $11MM about to come off the books next year with Sweeney off-contract. Even if the Royals don't immediately promote Butler (though I think they will), take a gander at this offense: there's only one truly bad bat in the bunch-- LF--Teahan, CF--DeJesus, RF--Brown (or Butler in LF, Teahan in RF) 3B--Gordon, SS--Berroa, 2B--Grudzielanek, 1B--Shealy, C--LaRue, DH--Sweeney Super-sub Esteban German and old man Reggie Sanders highlight the bench bats. That's a better offense than a lot of teams are going to put on the field in 2007.
-
Marquis must be a decent guy at least, because it seems like all his ex-Atlanta buds are eager to put in a good word for him. DeRosa, Maddux, Glavine. Still, I just can't get over that sub-100 ERA+ hurdle with Marquis, I've got to think we're better off taking a pass.
-
Do you really need another bullpen guy? Sure I do, every team is looking for bullpen help, that gives me an additional trade bullet to get a starting pitcher or an OF bat. If I had Gagne--purely for the sake of argument--I'd dangle Howry and I bet I'd get a lot of bites, too.
-
I just don't get the fascination for the Cubs with Marquis, the guy is a proven zero, there is near-100% probability that one of Marshall, Guzman or Mateo could put up at least as good numbers at the major league minimum salary. Absolutely inexcusable waste of resources by Hendry. Shoot, you want to throw away money like that, at least throw it away on someone with some potential upside, sign Eric Gagne for example.
-
Memo to Jim Hendry-- Just hang up the damn phone when Baltimore calls. Not. Worth. The Time. Jerks.
-
That's one less late inning reliever on the board, which will make Hendry's job of moving Dempster that much easier if he (hopefully) chooses to do so. Jock + Dempster for Adam Dunn, yeah, I'm still on that train.
-
We already have an upgrade for Izzy at SS, his name is Ryan Theriot.
-
Ethier screams "Adrian Beltre" to me, he's very talented, but I'm not so sure he won't flame out either. He likes to swing from the heels at times and is fundamental baseball skills are somewhat unpolished. I watched Loney several times, he has a big hole in his swing almost identical to where Hee Seop Choi did, high and inside he's helpless. But the kid has power, he COULD be Ryan Howard Lite. Question is, can he play the OF? I thought the Dodgers tried that and decided it was a no-go. Kemp is the winner of the bunch, and LAD knows it. He'd be too expensive for us.
-
You know, besides the age, I went and looked at Baldelli's stats. They look almost identical to Matt Murton's. I like Murton, so I'd like Baldelli, but shouldn't we be shooting higher for one of those two spots? And since we already have Murton, and he's cheap, I think the preference is clear. I still like the idea of pursuing a Ryan Church/Wily Mo Pena platoon if that were at all possible, and use Jock with someone like Ohman and Mateo to go get a Westbrook or Jennings. A bit off-topic, but since we're talking Tampa....is there any hope at this point for BJ Upton as a SS, or have they pretty much concluded that he needs to be in the OF?
-
Tampa is impossible to deal with, they always ask for the moon, that's why trades rarely get done with them. What happened to Jonny Gomes, he's the one I'd want from Tampa's OF if I had the choice.
-
The way this offseason has gone so far, I'll put stock into something once Ken Rosenthal mentions it, not until. He's been on top of everything and has pretty much scooped each deal out there.
-
Bump. Jennings has turned down the Rockies offer of a 3/24 extension, making it more likely he gets traded (per Roto). Can't say I blame him after seeing what the Royals just paid Gil Meche. Cubs need to go get Jennings if they are not going to be players for Hudson or Penny.
-
How far did we get? We replaced last year's $9m pitcher, Maddux, with a $10m Lilly, and added a utility player who takes on part of the Walker/Perez money, and Soriano. They've added Soriano. It's really not very far. Agreed it's not far, but there are a couple of other things that will help (overall, I think as-constructed this is a .500 team right now, no better): 1. No Dusty Baker. 2. Healthy Derrek Lee for 150+ games 3. Izturis sucks, but he's better than Cedeno 4. No Neifi freaking Perez, John Mabry, Freddie Bynum or other assorted stiffs. 5. Lilly > 2006 Greg Maddux 6. Additional year of experience and maturity for Marshall, Guzman and friends. Cubs need a bonafide #2 starter (Hudson or Penny are all I see out there) and a bat improvement in the OF or SS, then they could have a legitimate shot at a 85+ win season and a postseason chance.
-
Is Mark Mulder seriously hurt? Why aren't we showing some interest in him, he seems eminently gettable and when he's on, he's a much better pitcher than Suppan or Batista. Count me in as eager to make a trade for Tim Hudson or Brad Penny, too, we need to get a quality guy on the cheap, coming off a bad year for once, instead of a marginal guy coming off a rare great year. The Royals did us a VERY big favor in taking Meche away, IMO.
-
I'm disappointed Holdzkom was selected--though I expected it--but I'm very pleased that Carmen Pignatiello was not. I think Piggy could end up helping the big league Cubs sooner rather than later, he really had an excellent fall league performance. If Ohman gets dealt, Piggy will get to compete with Rapada for a roster spot in Arizona.
-
Daryle Ward?
don_kessinger_was_good replied to Mark_R's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
If true, nice pickup of Ward for the bench/PH, I like it. He'd be the 07 version of Randall Simon, you need a guy like that for the bench. Mashes RHP, power bat. Unlike Simon, a good eye at the plate and can play in the OF. Good job. Now, need a RH bat for the bench to complement him. If Pagan is the 5th OF (and I'm cool with that), it would need to be a reserve IF. We've got Theriot, Boom Boom is gone (yes!), so there's the slot. Who can we get that makes sense? Joe Randa--he can play 1B, 2B and 3B, I think his days as a starter are over. Esteban German--I would LOVE to get this guy from KC, talk about a masher. He plays 2B and 3B, there's no room for him in KC with Grudzy signed and Gordon on the way. Dempster for German and one of KC's AA-level pitchers like Billy Buckner? Mark Bellhorn--well, it was worth a mention at least. -
This is going to turn out bad for us.
-
I honestly don't see how Hendry can go more years to an inferior pitcher. What's the fascination with Ted freaking Lilly? He's not a slug, but 4/44 for a #4 starter is just too much if you can get a genuine #2 starter for roughly the same money over fewer years. Here's hoping that Toronto forces Hendry's hand and takes Lilly off the table. If he does, I think Hendry pretty much MUST go for broke with Schmidt, and that's what most all of us have wanted all along anyways.
-
Prediction: Drew in Boston is going to end up badly. On XM tonight driving home, they had Boston fans calling in screaming about the deal, how Theo was tight with Damon over a couple of million per year (Boston fans love Damon), and now they give more money for more years to a proven injury risk and questionable motivation guy like Drew. This just won't work out well, no way. Boston beat writers seem to think with Drew on board and Manny staying, Wily Mo is the one that will go, they'll keep Crisp, and no way do they bring back fan favorite Trot Nixon. Prediction II: Wily Mo ends up in Pittsburgh for Mike Gonzalez.
-
Hendry is going to need to pull a Soriano rabbit out of his hat wrt Schmidt and simply blow him (and the market) away with an offer he can't refuse. If he isn't interested in contract length, fine--make him happy with more $$ per year. Someone mentioned 2/36 with an option, why not? I believe Soriano only gets $9MM the first year (someone correct me if wrong), and if Hendry moves Dempster and Jones, that's $10MM in Schmidt money right there per year. Do it do it do it.....
-
Git er done Jim, git er done.
-
Nowadays, he's one of the beat reporters for the KC Royals. Kansas City's version of Paul Sullivan, if you will.