UMFan83

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=723612&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=468

Ric Bucher was on ESPN talking about the trade. Here is what he said: NOW Kirk isn't in latest iteration, but his source at one of the 3 teams said that deal currently NOT agreed upon. Also he said Gordon is in new (currently not agreed-up deal), but also that Wallace could be.

I think he is....very good at running the Bulls offense, very good passer, very good defender. The problem is, he doesnt shoot well, he sometimes has trouble handling the ball, he doesn't get to the line enough, and frankly he is too short. But the questions are, who will play point if Kirk is gone? Thabo or Gordon? How will Skiles handle managing a superstar like Kobe? How many bandwagoners will we pick up? Will the Bulls still seem like a fun enjoyable team now that they arent a group of talented team oriented players who grew up together?

Don't also forget that Magic is the Lakers VP and could easily be trying to gain leverage in trade negotiations. Kinda strange timing that he also mentioned that the Lakers are looking to trade for Jermaine O'Neal at the same time.

Put an asterisk next to his HR record!!! (single game HR record)

BCB posted this yesterday http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/story/2007/10/30/143451/76

Apologize if its a repost, I did not see this posted yet. http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=67739 He goes on to say that the Cubs payroll right now is $100 million for 21 players. Is this true? He says if we can move Dempster and Jones, we would have about $25 million to spend

I'd consider signing him, but $13 mil is just too much to address for starting pitching. I think we have bigger concerns.

I would love if the Reds roster included LaTroy Hawkins, Moises Alou, Kent Mercker, Sammy Sosa, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Ramon Martinez, Neifi Perez, and Jose Macais next year.

TNT says that not only isn't Kobe close to being traded (David Aldridge called it 'wild media speculation'), but the Lakers are reopening talks for Jermaine O'Neal in order to keep Kobe around

I'll put a month of premium against that spread. No way the Pats win by that much, if they win at all. You just pissed Belichick off. He is now telling his team to score 113 points this week, punctuated with Tom Brady purposely taking Delay of game penalties on 4th and goal from the 1 with 0:02 seconds left until he is backed up to his 1 yard line and then running 99 yards for the FU touchdown.

Between Kobe and ARod speculation, I can't handle anymore. I'll never be able to work today now.

Just waiting for this trade to go down. They have been speculating about it on the Score a ton today

Pats by 21+. I would put money on it.

So we would be the all-time World Series champions? I could live (or die) with that!

So take a pay cut and then give him an incentive that relies greatly on the other 24 players around him? Nah, I don't think that will happen.

Negative = Me, KC, Jon, TT, Navin, CubsinNY, Rob (might have missed a few) Positive= Everyone else From the Sori signing thread. Good times. I've been against it from day one thats for sure.

Wouldn't that be tampering? I don't know the rules, but yeah that does seem wrong. Mostly it seems like Rosenthal is popping off without a real clue what he's talking about. Yeah I have no idea what he is talking about. I'm sure Boras just knew the market well enough, and knew that he could get more than what the Yankees were offering. I doubt that some deal is imminent.

I don't understand why the Giants would garner any attention at all in the A-Rod sweepstakes. That team needs to rebuild more than any team in baseball. Outside of Zito, Cain and Lincecum, they have very little to build around. They are fresh off a last place finish that most certainly was not a fluke. They are a very bad and old team right now. Because they are replacing Bonds with a younger version of himself. They are getting $20m off their books this offseason and losing an icon that filled the ballpark night in and out for 15 years. The Giants finished in last, and yes it was no fluke, but they allowed the third least runs in the league behind the Cubs and Padres. The problem was offense, and they in fact scored the second least in the NL behind the Nationals. They have the pitching needed to field a competitive team. Most people would tell you that's the hard part. I think hitting can be built via FA, especially if the game's best player is available. Replacing Bonds with ARod would give you comparable power, much much better defense, much better durability, while taking a bit of a hit in OBP. I am not saying that this is the ideal solution for the Giants, but I think it makes sense that the Giants to go hard after him.

[/i][/b] As I said, I think they do. They have a great young rotation that will dominate the league for years most likely. All they need is offense, something that ARod will help a lot with. It is much cheaper to build an offense through FA than pitching. They get ARod and a couple of complementary pieces and they are solid. I think the Giants would have absolutely no problem convincing ARod of that fact

My odds: Giants - How is this not the most obvious destination? It has everything he wants/needs. West coast (will be less stressful than NY), big market, money available (with Bonds' departure), team in need of superstar to replace Bonds, and they even have the makings of a very good team with Lincecum, Cain, Zito, Lowry. Plus they are in the NL, which the Cubs and DBacks have proved you don't need much to compete. 30% Angels - Also with money to spend, also a big market, also in need of a big bat (they tried to throw a ton at ARam last year), also West Coast. LA loves its big names, and I bet the Angels throw a crapload at him to ensure a World Series. 25% Cubs - On the surface this looks like a good match. Big market, huge baseball following, big payroll, and Lou Piniella and his great relationship with ARod. But when you look at the fact that the Cubs free spending frenzy was last year, and the fact that the team is being sold, it makes it really hard that the Cubs will win a fierce bidding war and commit $200 million to ARod. Also, after being the scapegoat for years in NY, is he going to want to come to Chicago to be the figurehead for a franchise that is even more starving for a winner? 15% Red Sox - Gosh I hope he doesn't come here. I don't think he will. The Red Sox don't need to one-up the Yankees anymore. The Red Sox are now the alpha dog in the rivalry, and they know it. I think they will resign Lowell for 2-3 years and not even enter the ARod sweepstakes, unless they want to drive up the price if the Yankees balk on their stance to not go after ARod anymore. They have a balloning payroll already and have young players like Ellsbury and Bucholtz that they will look at to improve the team, not ARod. 10% Yankees - Yes, I believe that their claim to not negotiate with ARod was just a ploy to keep him from opting out. The Yankees need ARod, and cannot afford to lose him. ARod knows that the Yankees have the most assets available to sign him, but will they? My guess is they will offer ARod something (probably not much more than the extension that he turned down) and if the market goes higher, they will look other places. 10% Field - Some other teams that would stand a chance of getting ARod: Orioles, Braves, Tigers, Reds, Dodgers, Phillies, Cardinals, Nationals. Some or all of these teams will be involved, but I doubt that any of them stand a reasonable chance. 10%

How about we sign ARod and then trade Aramis, Prior, Veal, Marshall, Jones, Cedeno for Tejada and Bedard? 1. Soriano 2. DeRosa 3. Lee 4. Rodriguez 5. Tejada 6. Murton 7. Soto 8. Pie 1. Zambrano 2. Bedard 3. Lilly 4. Hill 5. Marquis BTW, I put very little thought into this post, just wanted to throw a crazy idea out there.

I don't think its tampering unless you can prove that he has talked to them about coming to the Reds

So we get Ramon Martinez and Tom Goodwin, and they get Mark Prior and Kerry Wood?

He is much more than a David Eckstein of the NBA. Nocioni is more of a Mark DeRosa. He won't kill you with scoring, he won't kill you with rebounding, he won't kill you with assists, etc. But he does almost everything above average, including the ability to play multiple positions (SF, PF, SG) even if he is not ideal for the position, he creates spacing on the floor, he can drive, drive and kick, hit a three. On the defensive end he gets into opponents heads (not as well as someone like Dennis Rodman did, but effective none the less), he is very physical, has no problem putting his body on the line. Best of all, he goes balls to the wall every play or every game. He'll never be a super star, but he is an essential piece for a winning team.