don_kessinger_was_good

Cubs RF needs versus Brian Giles asset portfolio: Need--high OBP. Check. Need--contact hitter, high average. Check. Need--above average speed, above average defense. Check. Need--LH bat. Check. Need--run producing capablility. Check. Need--fundamentally sound baseball skills. Check. The only reason Hendry couldn't be interested in Giles would either have to be his age, the length of the contract he is demanding, and/or Hendry is brainwashed by the allure of HRs for HR's sake at corner OF, and he is scared by Giles drop in HR output in recent years. If the latter is his reason for not pursuing Giles, I will be very angry, but if it is one of the first two reasons, while I wouldn't necessarily be happy, I could understand the logic.

OO--It is no secret, and has been discussed in the press at length, that Dunn is unhappy in Cincinnati. He and Kearns have not had the right "organizational attitude", sound familiar? No one denies Dunn's talent and production, but given that he is a square peg in a round hole for them, and the money he is due, and the money they have tied up in Junior, Casey and Milton, he can be had. Funny thing is, Casey is the guy that should go, freeing up 1B for Dunn. But Casey is Cincinnati's Jeff Bagwell, the fan base LOVES Sean Casey. And to his credit, he's hardly a bad ballplayer, he's just not worth anything near what he gets paid. Anyway, on topic: in the right situation, the Reds will move Dunn or Kearns, or both. They are ready to move on, and at this point, seeing the resurgence of Milwaukee in particular, I think they are finally resigned to addressing their horrible, horrible pitching. They must recognize that moving Dunn is the quickest way to start addressing that problem.

Setting aside whether I'd actually want Garland or not--and I don't--there is zero probability the Sox trade him to the North Side. Zero. Zip. Nada. Absolutely not.

Geez, replying to my own post, but I should have given examples for each of my six points I think. 1. Sign FA Rafael Furcal for SS. I support this initiative completely. 2. Trade for Bobby Abreu. He's available. Because he's expensive, he's expendable. We can afford him. We have the talent to get him. We need a player exactly like him. Make it happen. 3. Trade for Juan Pierre for CF. I support this, but I won't cry if, after #1 is accomplished, we sign Kenny Lofton for CF instead. Or even better, trade for Coco Crisp. But unlike some, I like Pierre. 4. The MacDougal talk is disturbing, because we need to do better than that. Please use Todd Walker, in a 3-way trade if necessary, to get one of Cleveland or Minnesota's extra late inning men. Rafael Betancourt and Jesse Crain are the two I like the most. Given Minny's need for an OF with Jock Jones sure to leave and Torii Hunter perhaps on the block, they can use an OF, and definitely need the offense. How about Walker to Texas, Kevin Mench to Minnesota, and Jesse Crain to the Cubs?? 5. Dare I say it, but no one seems to like poor Hee Seop Choi in LA anymore, his number one supporter is gone (Depodesta). We can bring him back as our primary LH bat off the bench, as well as backup to Lee at 1B and Murton in LF. It shouldn't take more than say, Fez and Geovanny Soto to get Hee Seop back. 6. If you want to acquire MacDougal for this, OK.

Agreed, that's how I see it too. The priorities should be, in order: 1. Leadoff man at either SS or CF (or both) 2. Slugging, high OBP corner OF that can hit 3rd or 4th in the lineup, preferably with some speed and defense, preferably hits LH. 3. Solid defense, speedy, contact hitter at either SS or CF not filled in #1 above. 4. A dominant 8th inning setup man for the bullpen. 5. One quality, PH bat for the bench that hits for average and can hit the ball out of the ballpark. 6. A reliable, effective middle reliever for the 6th/7th inning area. And then, after those priorities, would I put getting another starting pitcher. I wouldn't hate on obtaining Millwood or Burnett, but short of that, it just isn't worth the $$ and/or players in trade given more pressing priorities.

As for Dunn, the Cubs are insane if they don't offer Pie, though like others I don't see how Pie is of use to the Reds, they need pitching. I would give the Reds their choice of ANY two pitchers in my minor league system, with Rich Hill, Jerome Williams and Roberto Novoa on the selection list too as major leaguers. Pick any two you like, and then if needed, we'll tweak the deal from there. Unlike others here, I am not convinced Murton can't play RF. His arm is weak, so what? Sammy Sosa's was strong, but he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it. All Murton needs to do is hit the cutoff man and he'll be fine. He has above average speed, so range is no issue. I would be very excited about a 1-5 lineup of Pierre, Furcal, Lee, Dunn and Ramirez, you better believe it!!

Being in Kansas City, I have no idea what Hendry sees in MacDougal, the guy is a stiff. Considering there are so many other, better relievers out there available in trade, I am hoping (but not hopeful) that this idea dies a quick death.

Furcal doesn't need to play 2B, and I doubt that he wants to. The Mets are just posturing. The latest Mets rumor that they'd be interested in Julio Lugo from Tampa, and moving HIM to 2B, that makes a lot more sense. Frankly, I don't think there are any serious bidders for Furcal other than us. The Yankees, that's pure 100% posturing, and I think Atlanta is ready to move on with Wilson Betemit, who tore up the Winter League and is ready to play. He's Atlanta's version of our own Ronny Cedeno. Let the young guy play and put the money elsewhere, which for Atlanta, means 1B and the bullpen. Here's a thought--if the Mets do get Lugo let's say, or someone else, would there be any interest in taking Kaz Matsui off their hands, if the Mets pick up most of the money? I'm thinking Kaz would be a more interesting bench option than Jerry Hairston, and who knows--maybe Kaz would help bring Godzilla here from New York, too?? That'd be cool...

Why not have someone who gets on base better than Pierre and has more power but less speed and plays better defense, ala Milton Bradley? I think the Cubs would prefer a leadoff guy that's ready to play 162 games, instead of spending part of the year either pouting in the dugout, or in jail. Just a thought.

When the stakes are high, Hendry manages to pull off the big trade. Since his future is at stake this offseason, I think he will do it again--I think he'll pull the trigger on the big trade for Bobby Abreu. Reading the tea leaves, I think he's gun shy on Giles because of his age and declining HR production. But you can't deny Abreu's assets, and his "5-tool" skill set must make Hendry's mouth water. So my complete expected team is: CF--Juan Pierre SS--Rafael Furcal 1B--Derrek Lee RF--Bobby Abreu 3B--Aramis Ramirez LF--Matt Murton C--Michael Barrett 2B--Ronny Cedeno Reserves: Neifi Perez, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Adam Greenberg, Russ Branyan, Henry Blanco Starters: Carlos Zambrano, Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Greg Maddux, Glendon Rusch Bullpen: Ryan Dempster, Jesse Crain, Michael Wuertz, Scott Williamson, Bobby Howry, Will Ohman, Jon Koronka or Jermaine Van Buren I don't think Hendry will make a big push for any of the FA starting pitchers, and I think Walker nets us Crain for setup (perhaps in a 3-way deal). I am earmarking Jerome Williams, Roberto Novoa and either Felix Pie or Rich Hill as the price for Abreu, and Corey Patterson and Brandon Sing as the price for Pierre. Whichever of Hill or Pie we do not trade I see spending a full season at AAA Iowa. I am now putting the dropcloth over my crystal ball....

Juan Pierre does not strike out. He runs very fast. He makes things happen during his at-bats. How many times have we watched Cubs players flail away without a plan at the plate, stranding runners, not moving the guy over. The money arguments being made are silly, we've already seen Hendry doesn't care about keeping a tight budget given the $$ he shelled out to Macias and Mercker and Neifi and Rusch and other deadbeats. So Juan Pierre costs you $6MM or $7MM for one year, big deal. The Cubs can afford it. And if you don't like what he brings to the team, let him walk to free agency for 2007. I don't deny that Milton Bradley, or Coco Crisp, or Grady Sizemore, or maybe even Mike Cameron would be better trade options for CF. But to argue Pierre wouldn't incrementally improve this Cubs team is just plain wrong. And there is the distinct possibility he could DRAMATICALLY improve this team. If Pierre is who Hendry wants, and he makes it happen, then I support that. Anything to keep Corey off the field, and Neifi out of the #2 hole, is a good thing. Assuming we sign Furcal, of course....

Since I'm holding back Pie and Williams to bring in Abreu, I don't think I can put together an attractive enough package to bring in Zito. I can start with Hill, but unless Beane is willing to take on younger prospects still two to three years away like Harvey, Gallagher and Dopirak--and so far, Beane has shown a preference for mature prospects at most a year away--then I don't think we can compete for both someone like Abreu, and Zito. Since I strongly feel the RF is a more critical need for the Cubs than another starting pitcher one year away from free agency, I regretfully take a pass on pursuing Barry Zito.

Petit is the real deal, if the Mets trade away both Kazmir AND Petit in a 2-year time frame, their minor league system should simply be shut down. I mean, we're bad with our prospects, but giving up on Kazmir and Petit is downright irresponsible.

Actually, "player relations" are one of the few explanations that can be given for re-signing Neifi, unless Hendry really is a 100% complete moron. By all accounts, Aramis Ramirez is an emotionally fragile guy, he was hurt by the departure of Sammy and particularly, Moises Alou. Now he has a countryman on the team in Neifi, and Furcal would complete the Dominican version of the Cub Musketeers. Some of these Caribbean players in the big leagues really struggle with life in The Show, and if it takes a couple compatriots to bring out the best in Aramis, then maybe that's why Hendry brought back Perez. That, and it might help bring in Furcal rather than see him go to the Mets. Makes sense actually--we all know from direct observation that Neifi seems to be everyone's "buddy" on the team, I guess Hendry didn't want to lose that. Crappy justification for the kind of money he paid him, but then, Hendry never has been smart with the wallet.

Thanks but now I'm confused. Hendry said that Perez and Cedeno would battle for 2nd base. Why is there no mention of Walker Bruce? I haven't seen any Hendry quotes regarding the Neifi signing. Did he really say that Cedeno would have to battle Neifi for the 2B job? If so, we are doomed, because the outcome is pre-ordained with Dustbag at the helm. Why must we be so tortured? Someone just pay the Trib, buy the team and clean house. Enough of this crap.

BBB, the Cubs don't care about fans like us. Haven't you recognized that by now? The same old crap, year in and year out, they just cash the checks and head to their comfy villas in Highland Park when the day is done. Real ownership would take the bull by the horns and fire the buffoons that are ruining our club right now. It's laughable that someone like Theo Epstein is available, and we sit tight with the laughingstock Jim Hendry.

Why waste your time thinking about these things? Hendry will trade Walker for Christian Guzman. Can't have enough guys "that can catch the ball", you know. Hey Jim, $2 on the Long Island Iced Teas for the rest of the afternoon, sidle up to the bar, buddy!

The more I let this sink in, the angrier and angrier I am getting. What kind of moron pays $5MM for the worst hitter in the big leagues? What chaps my hide is that you know darn well, when it comes down to bidding for GOOD players that make a difference, Hendry will let himself get outbid by a few million dollars and say "Well, X got too expensive, couldn't afford him." YOU COULDN'T AFFORD HIM BECAUSE YOU WASTED $5.5MM/YEAR ON GLENDON RUSCH AND NEIFI PEREZ, YOU TOTAL INCOMPETENT BUFFOON!!! Let's see here: you have $12MM to spend let's say, just for the sake of argument. On the one hand, you spend all that money on Brian Giles. On the other hand, you spend it on Glendon Rusch, Neifi Perez, and Juan Encarnacion (or Jacques Jones, or Jeromy Burnitz, or a similar stiff). Gee, I wonder which team will do better over the course of a season? Honestly, Hendry and Baker can't leave town fast enough for me. I am so so frustrated with this organization. Why can't we ever achieve excellence?

Yeah man he's bad. I just can't believe that these moves are actually taking place. What the heck is going on? No other GM would bring back Rusch and Macias. We'll probably be notified next that Hednry will give a 4year deal for 2mil per to Macias to be our super sub. If that happens, I'm leading the march of pitchforks down Michigan Avenue.

Honestly, what's the point with all the threads and all our ideas regarding creative trades to improve the team, when we have a drunk for GM that makes moves like giving Neifi F. Perez $5MM?? I mean, we are screwed from the get-go here. I can't believe how completely awful a GM Hendry has become in the last 12 months. He is Bowden-esque. Get. Him. Out of Here.

This ensures that within 12 months time, both Hendry and Baker will be out of here. Thank God. One more year of mediocrity, and then a new regime.

What "clubhouse problems" does Milton Bradley have? Other than Jeff Kent--a well-known jerk--I don't know of any clubhouse issues regarding Bradley. Now, incidents with the fans, incidents with the local police, these I am aware of. It's baseball, not the Vatican, Bradley can play and he's cheap. He's a legitimate option were I the GM.

Plenty of options there. I think it is important to nail down Furcal first, if that is Hendry's intent, so the leadoff hitter thing is resolved. That means the CF option no longer must be a leadoff man, opening up additional possibilities. There are the obvious choices: sign Kenny Lofton, trade for Milton Bradley, trade for Mike Cameron, trade for Juan Pierre. But my favorite choice would be a trade with Cleveland. How about: Walker + Rich Hill + Ricky Nolasco for Grady Sizemore and Rafael Betancourt? Or if that is a bit too rich for Cleveland, substitute Coco Crisp for Sizemore. Walker is expendable, Hill doesn't fit in the Cubs' rotation plans if they are going to sign a free agent like Burnett or Millwood, and Nolasco is a promising prospect, but still, a prospect. Cleveland solves their need for a 1B/2B option that can hit, they get a young starter to plug into their rotation (or use in the bullpen) in Hill, and they get the free option on Nolasco, who would likely pitch AAA for them in '06. Murton, Sizemore and Abreu in the OF, with Furcal and Cedeno up the middle, I really like that.... 8) Absolute pipe dream if you think Cleveland gives up Sizemore. I hope Pie ends up being as good as Sizemore appears to be. How many guys hit nearly .290, 111 runs scored, 70 XBH's and a .348 OBP at the age of 22? Tack on that he provides this kind of production from CF and will make 300K for a few more years yet, and you have what we like to call our top prospects, "untouchable". Like I said, if that's too rich for Cleveland, then Coco Crisp. They have some holes elsewhere--Walker makes a LOT of sense for them--and they have an extra outfielder. And there's more on the way from the minors, the Cleveland system is terrific, it's right up there with the Angels. It's not like we'd be giving them junk, either--Hill and Nolasco are arguably our top two pitching prospects, and then there's the eminently affordable Todd Walker. Milton Bradley is the more obvious and much cheaper option, granted, but I'm trying to figure how we can get Cleveland as a trade partner, since they've expressed an interest in the past about Walker, and have some extra players we might be interested in.

Plenty of options there. I think it is important to nail down Furcal first, if that is Hendry's intent, so the leadoff hitter thing is resolved. That means the CF option no longer must be a leadoff man, opening up additional possibilities. There are the obvious choices: sign Kenny Lofton, trade for Milton Bradley, trade for Mike Cameron, trade for Juan Pierre. But my favorite choice would be a trade with Cleveland. How about: Walker + Rich Hill + Ricky Nolasco for Grady Sizemore and Rafael Betancourt? Or if that is a bit too rich for Cleveland, substitute Coco Crisp for Sizemore. Walker is expendable, Hill doesn't fit in the Cubs' rotation plans if they are going to sign a free agent like Burnett or Millwood, and Nolasco is a promising prospect, but still, a prospect. Cleveland solves their need for a 1B/2B option that can hit, they get a young starter to plug into their rotation (or use in the bullpen) in Hill, and they get the free option on Nolasco, who would likely pitch AAA for them in '06. Murton, Sizemore and Abreu in the OF, with Furcal and Cedeno up the middle, I really like that.... 8)

Giving up Pie for Abreu, who's leaving his prime, wouldn't be sound. I'd try some other avenue short of giving him up. You've got to give value to get value. Again--Pie's ceiling, is where Abreu is already at. The Cubs desperately need a bat like Abreu right NOW, they can't wait three years to see if Pie gets to that point himself. You can argue you don't want to make that tradeoff, but that gets you right back to Brian Giles again, and I'm not confident he'll be a Cub. If you can make the Abreu trade, I think you must. If Pie turns out as good as Abreu, but Abreu helps you get to the World Series in the next year or two, then that is a tradeoff I think most Cub fans would be willing to make at this point, self included.