UMFan83

The idea is to not get swept in the postseason. The more good talent you add, the more likely it is to win - though that's certainly not the only factor. I'm mostly tongue-in-cheek on the "too much" thing, but the odds of any individual player being the difference in a five-game playoff series is almost nil. You're a big fan of regressions. How do we even know the Cubs will get into the playoffs without Peavy and Bradley? DeRosa should regress, Soto could regress, Theriot could regress, Ramirez should have an age related regression, Lee etc. The pen is already worse than last years shaky one, Dempster and Harden you said yourself should regress. Never take making the playoffs for granted.

You're complaining that they're trying to improve the team too much? I mean, you have a point, but as a fan, I'd have no problem with trying to field a team with all stars at every position. Sure, the playoffs are a crapshoot, but I'd rather be betting on the 6 or 8 than the 10.... I'm complaining about the team going a little too far in "win right now and screw the future" mode. If you can get Bradley, you are a playoff team in the NL to as certain of a degree as you can make it. Save Vitters and keep your payroll flexibility. True to an extent. I think most Cubs fans just want to win now and management is going overboard to give that to him. Leave no stone unturned in an effort to improve the team. If Bradley signs at 3/30, its not going to hurt us that much when he's getting 10 million at age 33 unless he gets seriously hurt or goes bonkers. If we take Peavy's 5 years left on his deal, its probably not that bad for long term. I understand the prospects side of things, but when have the Cubs ever been frugal with prospects? Vitters is probably as much of a sure thing as Felix Pie was supposed to be, and now Pie is just being used to facilitate a trade for Peavy and no one cares. OK, maybe Vitters is more of a sure thing since he grew up playing baseball, but my point stands.

I mean the Yankees tried to field an All Star at every position, but not all of their players were good fits. I don't necessarily think that's the case here. I'm not even sure if even with Bradley we have a dominant hitter, but I think if Bradley can put up .400/.550 he's the closest thing we have.

I'm actually more excited about Bradley than Peavy. I think Hendry is targeting the right person here.

He's not going to miss out. He's gonna have every opportunity to make a trade for Peavy on his terms. Towers has no other option. (*waits for another team to surface as an option*)

Peavy doesn't want to go to the AL, IIRC. And I'm not too upset if the Brewers sink 25% of their annual payroll into Sabathia. If he gets injured, that would completely destroy their chances. Agreed....They have many more problems then just losing Sabathia..The Brewers getting him back wouldn't be that big of a deal If they got him back, we have a contender for the NL Central next year. If they don't we might not. Although with the Cardinals getting Greene, and possibly in the mix for Burnett and someone else I forgot, they might be competing next year.

You let me know when IMB! breaks your heart. to be honest, every time he is mean to me and doesn't show me the respect of capital letters, a little piece of me dies inside. but then i think about how we both like shawshank redemption and its all good Peavy's 2006 is weird, I wonder what was happening there. He tried steroids but he was doing it wrong so it had the opposite effect.

Cubs were reluctant to get a deal done because the price was too steep. Padres are skeptical because they supposedly facilitated a 4 team deal and it looks like the Cubs rejected it.

Same five pitchers, cherrypicking the worst of their previous three seasons as starting pitchers: 46 innings,, 104 ERA+ 202 innings, 99 ERA+ 189 innings, 114 ERA+ 115 innings, 63 ERA+ 182 innings, 106 ERA+ I love you Kyle i love you too, but we can't be moviebuddies, that slot is taken You let me know when IMB! breaks your heart.

Same five pitchers, cherrypicking the worst of their previous three seasons as starting pitchers: 46 innings,, 104 ERA+ 202 innings, 99 ERA+ 189 innings, 114 ERA+ 115 innings, 63 ERA+ 182 innings, 106 ERA+ I love you Kyle

Just to tease everyone a little more, this would be our projected rotation based on their best big league seasons. The good news is that 4/5 pitchers had their best year within the last 2 seasons, and 4/5 had their best season at least partially with the Cubs: Peavy 19-6 2.54 ERA 1.06 WHIP (2007) Harden 10-2 2.07 ERA 1.06 WHIP (2008) Zambrano 16-8 2.75 ERA 1.21 WHIP (2004) Dempster 17-6 2.96 ERA 1.21 WHIP (2008) Lilly 15-8 3.83 ERA 1.14 WHIP (2007)

:scratch: I think he means the Zambrano extension signing Oh, that. It was similar. All season long, there were talks, and then it was tabled, and then silence, and then I remember listening to a game on the radio fairly late in the season, and they announced the extension. You forgot Jason Kendall. Boy was that trade a surprise. Kevin Gregg, Cotts for Aardsma, Barrett to SD, etc etc. I can't remember a deal that was rumored for awhile that eventually got done. I guess the Harden trade was reported before it went down, but when it actually went down, because of the timing everyone expected it to be a deadline deal if at all, it came as a huge shock to me.

:scratch: I think he means the Zambrano extension signing

Don't say I didn't tell you so when the Yankees surprisingly jump into the Peavy sweepstakes (but if they don't, please conveniently forget I said this) I somehow doubt Peavy would accept a trade to NY. The off hand rumor earlier was that if he didn't goto the Cubs, he thought he would end up with the Yankees.

Don't say I didn't tell you so when the Yankees surprisingly jump into the Peavy sweepstakes (but if they don't, please conveniently forget I said this)

F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5

Stop doing this to me. The whole thing

Fontenot hammers righties and Aurelia hammers lefties...makes sense to me. How's his glove?

Weird things about Milton Bradley -Bradley is named after his father, Milton Bradley, Sr., who filled out the birth certificate form without his wife's permission. As Milton's mother says of his father, "He wanted a Junior, and made damn sure he got one. -In 2003 a series against Kansas City typified the ill-feeling Bradley tends to breed wherever he goes. He incited the resurgent Royals by saying, "I know we're better than them," then called them "gutless" for throwing at rookie Brandon Phillips instead of him. (A teammate posted a sign in the clubhouse that read, "Shut up and play.") He jawed with Royals catcher Mike DeFelice, pointed his bat at center field to show where the next ball was headed, promptly roped one exactly there -- and stood and admired it, just to rub it in further. He later had another run-in with the Dodgers' Paul LoDuca, after which he issued this league-wide warning: "If you don't know me and I don't know you, don't approach me, and I won't approach you. Don't insult me, and I won't insult you, because you don't know what I will or won't do." -In 2005, Bradley accused teammate Jeff Kent of being racist. -On September 23, 2007, Bradley tore his right ACL while being restrained by Padres manager Bud Black during an altercation with first base umpire Mike Winters. Home plate umpire Brian Runge reportedly told Bradley that Winters said that Bradley had tossed his bat in Runge's direction in a previous at-bat. After Bradley reached first base, he questioned Winters about the alleged bat throwing and subsequent communication with Runge. According to Bradley and Padres first base coach Bobby Meacham, Winters used a profanity towards Bradley. Bradley then moved towards Winters. While restrained by Black, Bradley fell to the ground resulting in the injury. He missed the last week of the regular season in 2007. -According to the Dallas Morning News Bradley attempted to confront Kansas City Royals television announcer Ryan Lefebvre in the press box following a game due to what he believed were unfair comments made on the air. As the Rangers' designated hitter, Bradley was able to watch the broadcast when he wasn't on the field and took offense to a comparison Lefebrve made between him and Josh Hamilton. Manager Ron Washington and general manager Jon Daniels chased after him and stopped Bradley before he got to Lefebvre, at which point Bradley returned to the clubhouse in tears and said "All I want to do is play baseball and make a better life for my kid than I had, that's it," Bradley said to a quiet clubhouse. "I love all you guys. ... I'm strong, but I'm not that strong."

Meh, the Cubs can't throw all their eggs in one basket. They can be frontrunners for Ibanez but still have Bradley as their number 1 option.

Agreed, except that Bradley + Peavy while keeping DeRosa would be mine. Or if we gave up DeRosa, anyone but stupid Rich Aurilla would be to replace him. I can handle selling high on DeRosa, but boy thats a big loss in the order.

Of all the tidbits mentioned in that Sun Times article, this is the biggest news. All we've heard is that Jake will not revise his list of teams, and that the only team that he can be traded to is the Cubs, and now he says that he expects to land with NY if he doesn't go to the Cubs. Hopefully the Yankees don't hear about this, as they can offer the Padres a much better deal than the Cubs can, and they are much more desperate to find an ace starter, so they would probably overpay for him if CC goes elsewhere. Not that they don't have the resources, but don't you think the Yankees, who have a ton of money available, would rather just give up money for a CC/Burnett instead of a bunch of players for Peavy? Just a thought. I'm just thinking that CC doesn't want to come to NY and would rather go to LA or stay in Milwaukee (although the latest Yankees/CC meetings have seemed encouraging for NY), and I don't think the Yankees or anyone else view Burnett in the same level as Peavy/Sabathia.

True but by signing Type A FAs, he is losing draft picks he would have had. Either way hes mortgaging the future to get better now.

Of all the tidbits mentioned in that Sun Times article, this is the biggest news. All we've heard is that Jake will not revise his list of teams, and that the only team that he can be traded to is the Cubs, and now he says that he expects to land with NY if he doesn't go to the Cubs. Hopefully the Yankees don't hear about this, as they can offer the Padres a much better deal than the Cubs can, and they are much more desperate to find an ace starter, so they would probably overpay for him if CC goes elsewhere.

DeRosa, Pie, Marquis, and Marshall? Done, done, and done (and I wound't mind Dunn either). I'd be stunned if Vitters isn't included - he could easily not be mentioned in that blog and still be part of the deal since he's a minor leaguer. I agree I'm sure Vitters is included, but just playing Devil's Advocate maybe things changed after revealing that hand/wrist injury that he has, hence why the Phillies emerged and DeRosa's name is now being thrown around.