don_kessinger_was_good
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Everything posted by don_kessinger_was_good
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God I hope so.... The Cardinals will have no one worth a squat but Albert, Isringhausen, Ankiel, Wainwright and (if he returns healthy) Carpenter. Conversely, they'll feature Juan Pierre and Cesar Izturis in their lineup, are you kidding me? That's a last-place team, I think even the Pirates can match up with that. Even more sobering for the slobbering horde: Albert gets more banged-up every year, Isringhausen is always two shakes away from the DL, there is no guarantee that Carpenter will be the same guy when he returns, and the league will be ready for Ankiel in Round Two. The potential exists for St Louis to be really REALLY bad in 08. =D>
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For as long as Arizona still has Hudson, I'd imagine the role they envision for Burke is to be their super-sub. He can play 2B, 3B and the OF. Nice guy to have for the bench.
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A much more minor deal--but the player we could use from the Royals--is Joey Gathright. He'd be a much better 4th OF option than either Angel Pagan or Sam Fuld. That's the role he'll fill in KC too; he isn't going to start over Guillen, DeJesus or Teahan. I bet you could get KC interested in something like a Cedeno for Gathright deal; would you do it? The Cubs seem committed to Theriot over Cedeno at SS, so if you're looking at a bench player, wouldn't you rather have Gathright's speed and defense on your bench than Cedeno's spotty defense and marginally better SLG? I would.
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The Astros will need to out-hit everybody to win in 08, because that might be the worst pitching staff in the league. They have one great starter, one great but inconsistent closer, and everyone else is uninspiring, at best. Plus, they now have absolutely ZERO help in the minor leagues, so I would imagine they'll be in the market for every veteran has-been pitcher on the block. I think Houston has made enough moves to get themselves out of the Central cellar, but that's about it. Reds and Astros fight it out for 3rd and 4th in the division?
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Do we need more moves?
don_kessinger_was_good replied to Tim's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
I agree with some other posts--much as I'd like to see the Cubs acquire Greene for SS, what incentive do the Padres have to trade him? They don't have a similar quality replacement for SS that I can see. If we could convince them that Pie + Cedeno is a good deal, I'd go for it, but I can't believe Towers is that myopic. Supposing he were though....with Pie gone, the Cubs could always sign Mike Cameron for CF and call it an offseason. Soriano, Cameron, Kosuke, Ramirez, Greene, Roberts (I'm assuming Jim gets his man), Lee, and Soto. With Ward, DeRosa, Theriot, Blanco, and one of Fuld/Pagan for the bench. That's a helluva team. -
soriano-fukudome-murton outfield
don_kessinger_was_good replied to abuck1220's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
I'd rather have Pie's upside, speed, defense and youth than Matt Murton's dubious talents. He can hit a bit, fine--so can Kevin Mench and Geoff Jenkins. OTOH, Murton has little speed and is a truly awful defensive player. I'd much rather trade Murton + a pitcher for someone that can help this team and keep Pie in CF. SD needs outfielders, I'd be very pleased if we could get them to bite on say, Murton plus Marshall for Khalil Greene. As for Fukudome, there is NO chance he plays anywhere but RF. It's his position, and according to the articles I've read, he specifically chose the Cubs for the guarantee that he would get to stay in RF. I'm fine with that. Soriano-Pie-Fukudome outfield--now THAT's the speediest, best defense, strongest arm outfield I can ever remember on the Cubs, by a significant longshot. I like it. -
Do we need more moves?
don_kessinger_was_good replied to Tim's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
The Cubs have a lot of tradeable players of dubious quality, but they might be able to make up for in quantity what they lack in quality. Murton no longer has a role with this team, one of Theriot/Cedeno could certainly be moved, and at least one of Marshall, Marquis, Dempster, Gallagher and Eyre are moveable. The question should be (a) what teams might be interested in some of these guys, that also (b) have someone the Cubs could use? I will assume we do not have the talent quality (if Pie and Hill are untouchable) to put together a competitive package for either Bedard or Santana. -
You call Murton, Marshall and Cedeno a driven down price to get Roberts? :shock: Roberts AND a decent mid-minors prospect. Or kill the prospect and kill including Cedeno, I don't care, I was just including someone we won't use but that Baltimore likely could use with Tejada now gone. Yes, I think Murton (a part-time OF that can't play defense) and Marshall (a #5 starter) is a driven-down price for an All-Star quality 2B.
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This had better drive down the price of Roberts, else I'm not interested in him. Murton and Marshall, no higher. MAYBE Cedeno as well, if the Cubs get a meaningful minor leaguer back in exchange.
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People should quit mis-stating the amount of money the Cubs gave Prior. Unless I'm mistaken, he got not only $15MM, but also a (then-record) signing bonus of $10MM. That's $25MM to a guy that won 42 games for the Cubs spread over SIX major league service years (02-07). Yeah, I'd say he owes the Cubs something. Karma's a drag, Mark.
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Huh? Why are replacements needed for Howry, Dempster, Eyre, Blanco and Ward? Each is under contract for 2008. Also, Hendry may have spent $12MM on Fukudome, but he also saved $3.5MM in cutting Prior, another $3-4MM ( we don't know the exact figure) in cutting Jones, and with Barrett/Kendall out of the picture in favor of Soto, yet another $4MM (roughly). Granted, raises are due to some existing players already under contract, but those are sunk costs. So far this offseason, Hendry hasn't spent a single NEW dime of the new owners' money.
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What if the Reds include Homer Bailey in a deal to get Bedard, and then the Cubs somehow net Bailey and Roberts in their deal if they're willing to part with Pie? Bailey > Pie
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If the trade was ONLY Pie for Roberts, straightup--or perhaps with a nobody throw-in like Jake Fox or Juan Mateo--then I would support that. Moving Pie in such a deal implies (to me at least) the Cubs keep Gallagher and Veal, and that's a good thing. With Prior now gone and few of us having any confidence in Ryan Dempster, I think it's more important to keep our pitching prospects than it is to keep our only position player prospect.
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I can't believe all the hand-wringing over non-tendering Prior. Ridiculous. 1. By all accounts, he will not be ready to pitch again until mid-season, at the earliest. 2. Until that point, he would be drawing a fat salary, plus rehab costs, all on the Cubs' dime. 3. There is no question "The Employee" doesn't want to be a Cub. 4. There is no certainty he will even be ABLE to pitch again. 5. No team has/had an interest in trading for him. So....you know in advance you've got him for 2008 at the most, if you tender him a contract. IF he returns healthy enough to pitch, and IF he returns in time to make a difference late in the season, then he MIGHT be worth the $3.5MM he'd command in arbitration. Though even then, prorated to a full season, that's equivalent to anywhere from $8MM to $14MM/year depending on his exact return date. Do you have any CONFIDENCE, today, that Mark Prior v.2008 is an $8MM-$14MM/year pitcher? I don't. The risk/reward tradeoff stank from the Cubs perspective, and that's why Hendry let him walk. I think it was the right move. Now let's hope Hendry puts the $3.5MM of new money in the till to good use.
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WSCR Rumor?
don_kessinger_was_good replied to Hosak8's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
I hope it's Blanton, I think the cost in players would be more doable and the Cubs could keep Hill and Pie. Something like Sean Gallagher, Tyler Colvin and Eric Patterson might well be to Beane's liking. Two "toolsy" prospects and a promising (though unproven) young starting pitcher. Zambrano, Lilly, Blanton and Hill, I can dig that, I don't care WHO the 5th starter is in that scenario. Marquis, Dempster, Hart, Mateo....whatever. -
The disturbing thing I read in that quote is that, assuming the Cubs do get Roberts, Hendry and Piniella STILL think Soriano should leadoff. Dumb, dumb, dumb. This makes infinitely more sense: Roberts, Lee, Ramirez, Soriano, Fukudome, Soto, then others.
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I would support this as a fall-back strategy. It's certainly a better idea than Geoff Jenkins or Raul Ibanez. Green should come fairly cheap.
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Please explain to me the Fukudome-mania. I don't get it. There was talk that Prior could be moved for Josh Hamilton. You'll have to convince me that, assuming the Cubs acquire Brian Roberts, that a Hamilton/DeRosa platoon in RF couldn't equal (or better) Fukudome's likely production for a third of the money. Fukudome doesn't run like Ichiro, so he doesn't even bring that to the table. Where's the rationale for $12MM/year-worth of excitement? Add in the risk that he's just as likely to be another Kaz Matsui as he is another Hideki Matsui, and I think it's a bad move on the Cubs' part. Shoot, for $12MM/year, give me a sure thing instead. I'll take Aaron Rowand.
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I was thinking about this today, given the lame packages the Yankees and Red Sox are supposedly offering up for Santana. What if the Cubs offered Pie, Prior, Cedeno and Marshall? That package has bigger upside for the Twins than anything the other teams are offering. Minny gets an immediate 4/5 starter in Marshall, a young SS with upside in Cedeno, and all of Pie's potential. Plus, the huge upside of Prior if he returns to health. Cubs would have a rotation of Santana, Z, Lilly and Hill, with one of Marquis or Dempster or Gallagher/Hart. Holy cow, yes I'd do it. We need offense, yes, but it's hard to argue against a rotation with 4 potential 15+ win guys.
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Lee and Dempster for Loney and Kemp?
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That quote from earlier that said Hill, Patterson and a prospect? If the prospect is not one of our top 5 guys above A ball, and not one of the players from the recent draft, then I'd pull the trigger. Patterson has no future here and a prospect like Juan Mateo, or Florida's own Ryan Harvey, that's no less. Essentially it would be Hill for Crawford, and while I like Hill, he's older than Zambrano, Prior and Marshall, he has bouts of inconsistency, and he's a pitcher that goes out there once every 5 days. Crawford OTOH is in your lineup everyday, for a team that needs improved offense. I'd do it. Sign Fukudome and then trade Pie with a veteran (say, Dempster) for starting pitching help to replace Hill. An outfield of Soriano, Crawford and Fukudome? Yeah, I'd say that was a pretty good improvement.
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Let me see if I have this straight. Jim Hendry gave away Clay Rapada, Jerry Blevins, Rocky Cherry, Scott Moore, Jake Renshaw, Michael Barrett, Jacques Jones AND about $6MM cash. In exchange, the Cubs today have Omar Infante, low-A minor leaguer Kyler Burke, and a future PTBNL. Do I have that about right? How this joker keeps his job is beyond me. Gee, with the hot stove trades about to begin, do ya think you might have got some actual value out of a submariner lefty with 17 AAA saves in Rapada? A AA-lefty with a sub-2.00 ERA in Blevins? How about Renshaw, a kid that mowed them down in A ball? These are EXACTLY the kind of players you use to sweeten the pot in trade deals, but Hendry is so dumb and blind he literally doesn't seem capable of thinking 10 minutes ahead. Maybe the Tribune should dock his pay to get that $6MM back.
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If the Cubs non-tender Infante, they dumped Jones and get $5.5MM in salary relief, paying only Jones' deferred $1MM salary bonus. I'd say that's a shrewd move, considering the Cubs were prepared to pay millions to be rid of Jones this past July. Unfortunately, I don't think Hendry is smart enough to dump Infante and capture the savings, given his long-standing fetish for worthless middle infielders. And that makes this a dumb move. Smart GM--this deal, and then dumps Infante Cubs GM--sign Infante to a long-term deal!!!! Ugh.
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If you can dump Jones and his salary on the Tigers, I'd take Infante as a reserve infielder, but NOT as a starter, yikes. Using him as a reserve though, you clear out roughly $3.5MM in salary and fill a need. Infante would allow the Cubs to bail on Fontenot, and as bad as Infante is, I'd take him over Fontenot all day long. However, you can bet this would be one of Hendry's lousy "make-good" trades. He'd eat part of Jones salary to "make it a wash," and that would take away any advantage from doing this. I'll give up Jones to clear out some salary space, but if there is no salary reduction and I'm swapping Jones for Infante straight-up essentially, well.....that's just stupid.
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Not a bad fallback option at all, IF he is not grossly overpaid. Guillen has had attitude problems in the past (roid rage?), and he has been injury-prone (roids again?). But his numbers speak for themselves. We could use that kind of production in RF, batting 5th and providing protection for Aramis in the lineup. If I recall, Guillen has a cannon in RF too, always nice to shore up the defense.