TheDude

C'mon Jimmy get your butt in on this one! Braves: Linebrink Cubs: Giles Padres: Maddux + Aardsma/Ohman/Wuertz So wait, now we want all 2B again ;)?

I'm not mistaking anything. This idea that the Cubs start rebuilding now by becoming buyers of high priced players is silly - no team is going to pay Abreu his current salary at 1/3 season for no reason whatsoever. You don't throw away 5 million dollars because you aren't patient enough to wait and rebuild during the offseason. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way.

Way out of it? That trade was in 2002, and as of the trade deadline in 2002 they were leading the division by 5 games. That was a classic buy from a buying team and has no relevence to the Cubs current situation.

Prior and Wood aren't Santana and Liriano. And none of those three outfielders is Lee or Prior either. There is not a relevent comparison here and the paper shouldn't bother trying.

The deadline is still 5 days away folks. You can wait 5 days before unleashing the hounds at least.

Why in the world would Hendry be in the running for Abreu now? This team is a seller, not a buyer. The buyers will will outbid Hendry at this stage of the game, so any interest the Cubs have in Abreu should wait until the offseason when the price is stabilized and not driven by playoff envy. Having Abreu for the last 60 games of 2006 is 100% irrelevent. I realize it's bash Hendry month, but have a little perspective at least.

Given the Angles current farm system, I could think of no better partner to get some really solid foundation pieces for next year and beyond. I'd seriously examine them as a trading partner.

He reached his prescribed pitch count. Dusty tried to let him finish the 6th, but he walked a batter so he pulled him. I haven't heard anything about an injury, other than a hand cramp, which is nothing.

Probably to see how he is holding up. He has hit his likely pitch-count limit, but he has a no hitter going...there is a dilema.

Dusty makes a mention of plate discipline and nobody cares...but there are still a half-dozen sarcastic insults at him :). Nothing like pre-defined responses. Dusty is right on this one.

Tejada is already 30, and quite bulky. His time at SS will not, or at least should not, be long, certainly nowhere near as long as Aramis at 3B. Plus, Ramirez has been the superior hitter the past two years, and is still in his prime, while Tejada is leaving his prime and likely to decline. I don't see the Cubs finding a good enough 3B to replace him in order to take advantage of their position differences. Plus, Tejada is more expensive, and would have the option of demanding a trade or getting to go to free agency again if he is traded. At best this trade is a push near-term, but it's almost assuredly a negative long-term. I have a hard time seeing that and the numbers back it up. Tejada + average 3B production > Ramirez + Cedeno (which is the current and future solution). Further, this idea that players at 30 decline significantly isn't true. For the remaining life on his contract (2.5 years), Tejada should produce the same as he is currently producing.

If hustling to first base is going to cause a 28 year old player to pull something as a regular concern when 100% healthy, then the player has no business being an athlete. It's absurd to think a player his age can never hustle due to lack of proper stretching and preparation. He's not Frank Thomas in the twilight of his career.

It would be nice to get Tejada or A-Rod. We would prolly have to give up ARam to get either of those two. If its A-rod that would be fine... because hes playing third right now... if its Tejada move him or Cedeno to third. The Orioles already have Mora, I am not sure ARam is a fit for them ARam to Baltimore for Tejada would be a pointless trade for the Cubs. Actually, probably worse than pointless as Tejada will decline sooner. I think it would be a fine trade. If you consider production-per-position, and consider that replacing Ramirez's production at 3rd is an easier task than digging up Tejada's production at short, it makes improving the team an easier task. In other words, the supply of power hitting 3rd basemen is greater than that of power hitting SS, and making a trade like that gives Hendry more options to improve this team. Not saying that it would happen, but I certainly wouldn't object to it.

I was annoyed, but the "free pass" was because he had produced before, and I expected his numbers to improve by the time all was said and done. In an interesting coincidence, the same can be said of Juan Pierre. Both players will likely end up with stats under career norms (but not by leaps and bounds), but Pierre's lack of productivity in the first half will be lamented far more than Ramirez's because of the standards set by those career norms. It goes back to the acceptable production line. But, one of the points I haven't seen expressed implicitly is Baker and Ramirez's lack of understanding of the fan perception. If you are a fan backing a losing team, a bottom 5 team no less, lack of hustle is simply unacceptable. It shows a lack of care for winning by that player (and coach), and if fans believe they care more about winning than players do, producitivty becomes irrelevent in determing whether they like that player. Fans don't think with their brains most times, they think with their hearts. And Ramirez has no heart whatsoever. He doesn't act like soeone who wants to win, just show up, hit a respectable number of homeruns, and collect a paycheck. He is easy to dislike. So for me personally, Ramirez is not a fit for this team. When it really matters, he doesn't show up or care. Bury him on a top 5 offensive team where he can fly under the radar. The Cubs need someone capable of being a carry-the-load guy behind Lee and they need a big time producer, so it has to come from 3B, LF, or RF next year.

Kind of. Although it's not really arbitrary. Basically, if you are productive, you are helping the team, and I don't care too much about all the side issues. If you are not productive, you are hurting the team and it's a lot harder to look past other flaws. Ramirez is far from ideal. The ideal player produces, hustles every play, fields flawlessly, is a tremendous teammates, always stays healthy, never complains, gets his teammates to work harder and play better, has a good relationship with the fans, etc. But there aren't too many "ideal players" out there. So, it's a lot smarter to concentrate on the overall productivity. I understand your point, though it's a little tough to swallow, especially with regards to Ramirez. He simply disappeared when the Cubs season was at it's crucial point (talking about productivity), which then enflamed fans who were already annoyed with lack of hustle. His productivity was below that line, but he seemed to still get a free pass, despite being the most uninspiring ballplayer on the team.

If someone could quantify Aramis's lack of hustle in number of runs not scored, the way they attempt to do with caught stolen bases, then maybe there could be some actual objective analysis. People want to dog Pierre for his arm in center, which costs a few runs per season, but give Aramis a free pass for his short-coming that likewise costs the team a few runs per season...I don't get it. What people are really saying is, if you're productivity is above arbitrary personal value XYZ, then we'll forgive your individual flaws. But if you're productivity isn't above that, then we'll rag on you mercilessly for every flaw you have.

No you wouldn't.

Christ, do we have to have this joke in every single thread? As for Marmol, he has the same issue as all Cubs pitchers. Some guys can win with the walks (Zambrano), but most cannot. Let's hope he is given the chance to figure it out either in AAA or the big leagues over the next two years.

I think that is a reflection of market status difference between the Cubs and Marlins. The Cubs under Hendry's watch haven't needed to trade off veterans for prospects.

I would. Hendry has shown to be far better at getting trade value than he has at outright signing free agents. 90% of Hendry's major successes as a GM have been in trades.

My suspicion is that Hendry won't go entirely young. So if he deals with the Dodgers, who seem to be an excellent trading partner at numerous positions, I see Hendry looking for names he knows plus a propsect rather than all prospects. Maddux + Walker + Williamson for Izturis + not-quite-Kemp-calibur prospect That looks like a deal Hendry would do, and that is the one I predict happening. If he got bold enough to deal Ramirez, then I think he would want Aybar or a Kemp-calibur prospect + an A/B+ pitching propsect as well.

Short-stops are notorious for slower development. If you really want to see what Ronny Cedeno is capable of in the big leagues, evaluate him at the end of next year. I think he might develop into a lighter Michael Young calibur SS. Look at Young's first 900 ABs in the big leagues - you are going to find Cedeno-esque production (though admittedly with a higher OPS if Ronny doesn't get back to the high .600s/low .700s by season's end). Ronny makes excellent contact with the ball and has a solid stroke. Alternatively, he might forever be an average SS. The only way we're going to know is to let the kid play and quit touting a short leash. I mean - Dusty Baker is letting this kid play everyday, which ordinarily opens eyes anyway. Now that a young player is finally getting the chance, let him have the chance.

I don't think Cedeno looks lost at plate, just frustrated . Last night against Roger future-hall-of-famer-living-baseball-legend Clemens he put a lot good swings on the ball. Lots of fouled off pitches. His trouble with Clemens was the shoulder high fastball, but Clemens has half the league swinging at that pitch. The trouble he is having is count related. I find Cedeno in more 0-2 counts than any other Cub hitter. But, pitchers are throwing strikes to him as well. If he doesn't swing at those first two pitches, odds are pretty high the count is still 0-2, maybe 1-1, because pitchers are challenging him in and around the strike zone. Everytime I watched Cedeno take a close borderline pitch the last two weeks (usually the first pitch on the inside or outside corner), it was called a strike. If he swings at it because it's a strike, he will get criticized for not being patient. If he takes it, he's down in the count and in trouble already. He might have it in his head right now that the strike zone is big, and that all corners and corners+ pitches are strikes, so when he gets 0-2 or 1-2, he feels he has to swing. The season is lost. Let the kid try to work it out.

What a total and complete non-issue. Talk about fishing for reasons to complain, sheesh.

How does that make any sense? Pierre doesn't have a reputation as a soft player under pressure.