Neuby

I would love back next year in a role off the bench, if he comes to camp knowing that role hopefully he can get some reps behind the plate and at third base and left field. It would be nice to know we have a third string catcher that we can run out there for a few games that can hit.

If the cubs continue to run Nevin and Mabry out there everyday we run the chance of getting a better draft pick come June. I wish Pagan could play some first , I want Pagan and Murton getting as many at-bats as possible with whats left for the season but Baker will continue to run Pierre and Jones out therer everyday.

Let's not forget that Joe also represented a nation of baseball fans when the Cubs returned to Wrigley post 9/11 and adressed the crowd.

Zambrano Schmidt Prior Marmol Marshall I would really like to give Wood another shot if the deal is for 3 million or less after the Cubs pay his buyout. With the health the Cubs staff have had over the last few years having Wood slotted as the sixth option for your rotation is needed.

The Cubs should jump in and get both Abreu and Lieber. They should be able to package Lieber to another team if they eat all of his salary. Hendry has to get creative to make this team competive for next season it's gonna need to be a good deadline for Hendry in terms of selling of his veterans and hopefully getting some pieces that can help now. Walker Perez Mabry Blanco Maddux Rusch Pierre Jones Nevin All of these guys could interest contedners and Hendry needs to sell these guys off now if not only to get talent in return but also to get the young talent we have a chance to play.

Lovely isn't it? Young pitchers often can not be judged by there numbers at very early stages in there devolpment thats why there's guys out there in baseball land called scouts and GMs. There main job is to evaulate talent and numbers are only one of the many tools they use to measure that talent.

Besides general business ethics, yes, the commissioner's office would most definitely get involved. Maddux to the Dodgers with everyone knowing that if Maddux intends to suit up next season at all it will be as a Cub is more likely.

If Sosa comes back and DH's in the right city he could get you 30 homers over the course of a season I'd bet.

Beat me by four minutes on that post Vance. Google is a wonderful thing.

Be happy to. A Google search for "Mark Prior not worth trading for" yielded no quotes from any GMs. It did bring up a Yankees message board in which a Yank-me fan talks about how he wouldn't give up Robinson Cano for Prior. LINK Did a couple of other searches. Still can't find any quotes from any GMs saying they wouldn't be willing to give up a B level prospect for Mark Prior. Lets try ProSportsDaily. They are a great source. They compile articles from newspapers all over the nation that even mention the Cubs or Cubs players. Here we go, from the Daily Southtown... No quotes from any GMs, but some solid sense. Given the fact that he has spent much of this season on the DL and is currently on the DL, it is highly unlikely anyone is going to make an eye-popping offer for Prior. I certainly agree with that. Getting rid of him along with Guzman and Wood for nothing in return. Not my idea of a smart move. I think Prior is going to have a long and successful career. Hopefully, it will be in a Cubs uniform. Here is why I think that. His recent performances showed that he was getting his stuff back. He was throwing again in the mid-90s and was regaining his location of his fastball. His breaking pitches were also sharpening up. He was looking to be fully recovered from his shoulder injury this spring. Many of his previous injuries were either fluky and having nothing to do with his pitching motion or relatively minor. And he has returned from them in good form each time. He is still quite young and quite good. Trading him now when his value is at its lowest would be a horrible mistake. Simply getting rid of him now would be an even worse mistake. Is it possible that Prior has fallen under the Cubs' curse and is also injury-prone like Kerry Wood? Yes. But its just as possible if not more so that he is not doomed to injury after injury until retirement. Let's try to keep that in mind. Okay? I remember reading the article he is talking about I will try to hunt it down.

Jones/Ramirez /Willamson/ Willams to- New York Cubs - ARod , some salary relief or low level A prospect from the Yankees. I am hoping Hendry takes a long look at this roster and knows that he has two years to get this team back to the playoffs. That is no small order. It is going to take some serious spending this offseason. Hendry can take a huge first step in getting this team rebuilt. Having added one of the best players in the game that happens to play gold glove shortstop still in his prime is a franchise changing move by Hendry.

I would rather run guys like Nova, Aardasma, Wuertz out there everday instead of Lightenberg. Pitching a guy like Lightenberg in the Majors right now is the same as playing Phil Nevin in left .Only difference is that Nevin still has some trade vaule.

Sadly I think it will take signing another Top of the rotation guy and 2 big time bats and it's going to take Hendry getting creative working out a cheap one year deal for Wood to see where his health will slot him terms of starting or relief. Schmidt or Zito? Clee and Soranio? These signings would be helped out a lot if we started trading these guys who are not in the plans for next year. Walker Williamson Blanco Nevin Perez Rusch Mabry Jones Pierre Maddux Walker is only on the list because I'm assuming he's gone. I don't mind if Jones stays and plays center and we can net some corner outfielders that can hit. If Hendry can sell now with the buyers having the advantage of having there midseason help a few weeks earlier he should be able to help out the big league club for next year. If Hendry can package a couple of these guys together to get top of the line talent back and get some major help in free agency it will be a miracle.

It would be great if the Cubs got Abreu, but I don't see the motivation/willingness to give up anything for him. Why would the Cubs make a deal for them when they are so hopelessly out of contention and JJ is maning RF for 2 more years? Maybe trade Pierre and move JJ to CF? But I can't see Hendry being that creative. Trade Pierre and move Jones to LF. I think the Cubs will probably toss Murton aside like Choi, Hill, and Dubois before him. Jones is better suited for LF anyway. I think the Cubs would be very interested, but I don't know if they have what the Phils would want. If Murtons sucess mirros that group and Hendry gets the return he got on those players Kudos to Hendry on another steal.

The irony is Stone wasn't as critical when it was a team 30 games under 500. He only became Steve Stone, defender of all truth and justice once he had beefs with the players. Stone was always the way he is now.

I know the Tiger are after Abreu and Dombrowski and the Tigers ownership I'm sure will make a big play to get that big lefty bat in the lineup.

Getting rid of Carlos Lee would defeat their purpose for acquiring Maddux (i.e. a playoff run). Plus, if they were to get rid of Carlos Lee before the trading deadline, I would think the Yankees would be a better option to trade with since they desperately outfielders/hitting. Corey Hart is projected to be just as good as Lee next year, and he'll be much, much cheaper. As for the Yankees, being desperate doesn't make their farm system any better. There are only a couple of guys that the Yankees have that Milwaukee would want. The Keyword to remember when talking about a guy like Corey Hart is projected. Lee is proven and wants to play in Chicago cheaper shouldn't matter because the Cubs are top tier in MLB in payroll with a ton of money coming off the books next year. Pierre, Willamson,Miller, Blanco,Wood, Maddux are all free agents.

Rothchild is one I hope see stay. He's a not a Baker boy. He's well regarded as one of the top five pitching coaches in the game. It's not his fault Hawkins was our closer last year. Not his fault Juan Cruz sucks. Clement is doing well in Boston? :roll: Wood and Prior getting is because of him since when? Is it his fault Baker is terrible at bullpen managment? I understand the Baker hate on this board has reached an all time high but lumping Rothchild in just isn't right.

With all the turnover in baseball if Davey Johnson was a premeier manger I'm pretty sure we hear his name more often I think there's some reasonss he's not in baseball right now.

actually this trade was tossed around by Barry Rozner. Just something he threw out there. Just like he just threw out all those Maddux hints long before he signed.

My Garnett dreams have been squashed.

I saw in an article recently by Phil Rogers where he asked the question"Is it time for him to be a utility man, not a primary catcher?" I can't think of any upgrades out for the Cubs to make at this postion considering how many other holes they have going into next season. I don't understand why we would turn Barrett in Brandon Inge.

You can never have enough pitching if he pitches well enough this season he might warrant another one year deal if you have to trade some guns for some bats.Hopefully Hendry can spin Rusch that makes it easier to keep a guy like Miller.

Hopefully Bruce will give us his take on rumor.

Hopefully the Cubs high spending keep going it would be nice to get most of draft picks signed and score big in Latin market .