don_kessinger_was_good

Give me a break!! Starting pitchers: 5 to a team, dozens in the minor leagues (of varying quality levels), 30 big league teams. Good, young, slugging, catchers: What, maybe five in all of baseball? Cubs internal catching options: The Great Geovanny Soto? The just-drafted Josh Donaldson? Action: I would happily trade the replaceable Rich Hill, the replaceable Will Ohman (or if they preferred, Clay Rapada or Carmen Pignatiello from Iowa), **AND** Felix Pie for Saltalamacchia and an Atlanta top-10 minor league infielder prospect not on the 40-man. How would I replace the .500 pitcher Rich Hill? Sean Gallagher. Mark Holliman. Ryan Dempster to rotation. Trade for a castoff veteran.

Harry was entertaining with anybody, and I love Jack Brickhouse, even though he was a total homer. But watching the Cubs for many years, I definitely like and appreciate the Len/Bob combo, they're good. For other teams, Denny Matthews here in KC is just terrific, it is so easy to watch a Royals game. I could listen these guys broadcast every Cubs game and be perfectly content. Smoooooth. Vin Scully is so old now, but he was/is so very good. The last of the old-time broadcasters still working. I think it is ironic that our two most-hated rival teams (Cards and Sox) arguably have the two worst broadcast teams, as well.

I really don't understand some people's thought processes. Kendall cost the Cubs all of $500K cash over the big league minimum; Rob Bowen; and the Great Jerry Blevins, Minor League Superstar. We saw enough of what Bowen could and could not do. $500K cash is peanuts to the Cubs. So you take a flyer on whether Kendall is truly awful awful awful and finished, or maybe he had a lousy 1st half and could do something akin to recent years of posting 340+ OBPs; which would be a genuine improvement for the Cubs. You put him back in his comfort zone in the National League and see if he has something left. It's not like some veterans don't post horrible half-seasons, and then go nuts the second half....it seems to happen every year to someone. The evidence to date looks like Kendall can't deliver the goods, but the cost to find out was trivial. I am one of the biggest Hendry bashers around, but not on this deal. It was a very low risk gambit. If Kendall continues to reek, then so long as Lou forces him to grab perma-pine and/or Hendry waives him, then I say no harm, no foul.

Trade Mark Prior for him. :evil:

I suspect Kendall's next contract will not be very large. For example Mike Piazza signed for 1 year and $2M after underperforming the last few years of his 7/$91M deal. I don't think it will be very large but he'll get an extra mil or two per year because of his reputation as a good defensive player and a guy who works well with the pitching staff. Not saying its right but I think he will. Michael Barrett got $5MM/year after his career year (to that point) with the bat. Standard rate for a backup catcher nowadays seems to run at about $1MM/year (Blanco is overpaid by a comfortable margin). Taken together, given his performance, I'd be shocked if Kendall's next contract is more than $2MM/year at the most, and I'd be even more shocked if the Cubs are the team that gives it to him.

There are some pretty good players in Altoona. Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, Luis Munoz, Yoslan Herrera, Steve Pearce, , the resurrected corpse of Dewon Brazelton..... Herrera is on their 40-man, so no-go there......Munoz would be OK, though he doesn't look all that exciting. A whip of a guy, Juan Cruz-esque build. Not much of a strikeout guy, which bodes ill for projection as a starter. Good control though. A definite future middle reliever, so meh. Walker and McCutchen are the two choices that would be a steal for us. I'd be very surprised and pleased if either made their way here.

FWIW--I heard the Cubs are also scouting KC this week to look at both Reggie Sanders and Emil Brown. Neither is a difference maker, but both could be had for essentially nothing (other than salary pickup) if the Cubs wanted one of them. Victor Diaz was demoted by Texas to AAA, any interest in him? Bad OBP, but he hits for power. He killed us when he was in the NL. One of the other Cubs boards has been talking up Xavier Nady in Pittsburgh; I'd like that, but why would Pittsburgh want to move him? He's still young and produces with the bat, I guess I don't see the motivation for a trade on their part. I was a strong advocate for signing Matty Ballgame, the subject of this thread, when he was a FA a year and a half ago; Hendry went for John Mabry instead. :x I'm running out of possibilities here. If Los Angeles is committed to Luis Gonzalez and Juan Pierre because of their contracts, they can't find room to play both of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Wow, would I love to have either of them. Problem is, the pitcher we could send them in a fair trade (eg, Sean Marshall) does not address a weakness for them; LA has tons of pitching already. Wily Mo Pena is available, but he's no better than Emil Brown this year. Yankees won't move Abreu now that he's heating up some and they think they're still in the playoff hunt. Reds are asking too much for Griffey, the Dunn thing has been beaten to death here. Pat Burrell is a worse choice than Dunn given his contract and poorer production (though he's certainly available for a low price in trade). Not a lot of options here.

I would hope Sean takes all of this as a very positive experience. He was not on track for the big leagues in 2007; he was in high-A at the start of last year! But even though I'm sure the Cubs know that his upside is as a starter, and that development gets temporarily sidetracked with the trips to Chicago, he gets to see the big leagues for a taste of what he's working towards, that has to be incredible motivation. And he gets a big league save out of the experience to put on his resume, and in a roundabout way, earned himself a promotion from AA to AAA before midseason 2007. I'd say his progress is excellent! From high-A to AAA in one year is really moving quickly. And to top it off, Sean has likely put himself in the depth chart as the #7 or #8 starter for the big league Cubs, not bad! And finally, check out the Cubs team stats to-date: Gallagher leads the team in OBP.... :P

Have you ever seen the women that frequent bars in Des Moines? Yikes. And yes, I speak from experience, I went to Iowa State.

I think many are missing the potential strategy here. If you trade for Dotel, that would free up Dempster for the rotation (he has stated before he'd like to start again someday, and as we know, Lou entertained the thought earlier this year). Dempster in the rotation means either Rich Hill or Sean Marshall is available as a (valuable) trading chip to get the OF bat we desperately need. Or Salty at catcher. Strategy works just the same if Greinke is the target instead of Dotel, tradeoff to consider is which is better: Greinke in rotation, Dempster as closer? Or Dempster in rotation, Dotel as closer? Could go either way there.... Regardless, KC offers some interesting options for us, and some of you know I like to follow the Royals quite a bit, too. From a Cubs perspective, I like the fact that Dotel is the more proven commodity, and this works well from the Royals viewpoint, too--they get to keep the guy (Zack) with the long-term upside. So....here's my proposal. Royals get: Eric Patterson, Micah Hoffpauir, Rocky Cherry Cubs get: Octavio Dotel, Reggie Sanders, and some cash (~$1MM) Comments?? I fear this is too soft a package from KC's perspective, but it's a starter. Substitute Scott Moore for Rocky Cherry??

Please don't lose sight of the fact from this game that Will Ohman simply must go. Now.

Everybody on their feet...........

C'mon Howry, 4 hitters to get 3 outs and not have to face Barroid. Get it done. Throw strikes plz.

Jock Jones 4 for 5. Huh??

Will [expletive] Ohman. WORTHLESS PILE OF DUNG.

Jason Kendall: umm....he doesn't look any better than Hill or Bowen, does he? At least the price was cheap.

This is why Saltalamacchia is such a valuable trading chip for Atlanta. Not only is catching weak at the MLB level in the first place, but it is near-historically weak in the minors, as well. If/when Wieters signs, he immediately becomes the top catching prospect in MiLB. Note--so far, Donaldson is looking like an inspired pick, though. Nice, but he's at least 2-3 years away from helping, and that assumes he can progress.

Ditto. Yanks will be buyers. Again. I think Dmitri Young is headed to NY. With all that money, all that pressure to win, and being a mere 6/7 games out of the playoffs--in mid-July, no less--there is no chance they are sellers. The Cubs' best opportunities for trades will be with the usual suspects. Attention Jim Hendry: just hang up the phone when Baltimore calls. Please.

Wanna bet? Lou Piniella.

For crying out loud, if this isn't the most tired and beaten drum in the history of this board. Adam Dunn fetish, wow. For the umpteenth time: 1. Dunn is an enormous defensive liability, he can only play LF and 1B--and neither very well. 2. Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee are going nowhere. Neither is changing positions. 3. Therefore, there is zero chance the Cubs would want Adam Dunn, irregardless of what value he may or may not have as a hitter. None. Zip. How about some realistic options for once? A CF or a RF. A catcher. A middle infielder. Those are the Cubs' genuine needs. As for the Dunn/Brewers scenario, I like to think long-term. If the Brewers want to give away young, cheap, talent for 2 months of Adam Dunn's bat, so be it. Because there's no way they'll be able to afford him in free agency. If they sent Weeks and another young player to Cincy in this make-believe deal, Milwaukee would likely regret it for many years. So yes, I support this trade initiative. [For those that may not know, it is no secret that Adam Dunn wants to play for Houston, and the Astros will have a ton of money to spend this offseason if they choose to. Lance Berkman has played RF before--were I to guess, the Astros would keep Lee in LF, move Berkman to RF, and install Dunn at 1B. That would be three nice bats to rebuild their team around.]

I think your handwringing is juuuuuuust a little premature.

Do you have difficulty with reading comprehension, too? Or maybe you can find where I insulted you? I said your unfounded criticism of the Royals was idiotic, I did not call YOU an idiot. Read before you get on your high horse, please.

Wow, can't believe the venom regarding this trade. Cubs gave up a zero catcher and a middle reliever who had showed little before this year. Plus, the Cubs are taking on very little of Kendall's money, and he is a pure, 2.5 month rental. Given that we already know what Bowen and Hill can do with the bat--little--and the Cubs reluctance to give Soto much of a shot, then where is the risk in bringing in Kendall? He has the upside POSSIBILITY of giving you a strong OBP and he can still run a tiny bit. If he can't do it, then where is the big harm here? That we gave up the Great Jerry Blevins? Give the guy a chance and maybe he'll surprise us. Trades like this have worked out surprisingly well in the past (e.g., Gary Gaetti in 98).

He's a reliever now? I thought he a guy with ace potential at one point? He still does, but the Royals are idiots. Yes, please tell us about your inside knowledge of the Greinke situation and how the Royals are "idiots" in the matter. I'm not sure what I said that hurt your feelings, but it's a safe assumption that one of the more talented pitchers drafted in recent memory still has that talent at 23 given he's had no major surgeries. It's also a safe assumption that putting a pitcher with that much talent in the bullpen is idiotic. Sorry for running over your cat. No, what's idiotic is that you feel you have the knowledge to pass judgment on a situation that you have exactly zero familiarity with. Zack has social anxiety disorder, and loses focus--badly--in extended outings. It is in his best interest to pitch in short stints, hence the move to the bullpen. And he has responded. Just because the kid could once dial it up to 100 mph does not mean he must be a starting pitcher. For reference, see Harrington, Matt and Griffin, Colt as two recent examples. Now, would I trade for Greinke as a relief prospect? Probably not, because he does not fill a pressing need for the Cubs right now, and the unpredictability of Zack's situation is not worth the risk given our playoff chances. KC is a good place for him for now.

He's a reliever now? I thought he a guy with ace potential at one point? He still does, but the Royals are idiots. Yes, please tell us about your inside knowledge of the Greinke situation and how the Royals are "idiots" in the matter.