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Agreed especially with the Cubs being a RH'ed dominated line-up and with that, the improved defense over Murton as well as a likely L/R switch most managers would make that move, I assume Ethier would make the decision less as obvious.

thanks, ping. Sounds more adequate than Murton. But average arm and sub-average range sounds like below-average overall. That's too bad. I admit my perceptin has Murton's range as more than slightly below average, so I've tended to view him as a double liability, both the noodle-arm and the range issues. I'm probably slightly overreacting to recent Cub history. But I really would like to assemble a team where all of the starters could qualify as 9-inning players. Last year for a while we'd have Fontenot as a 7-inning 2B who you'd replace ASAP, and Floyd/Murton as 7-inning RFers. That strains the bench, and I think also contributes to a GM/manager building their bench with hitting sacrificed to defense, since late-inning defense is one of the primary responsibilities. If you then do have an injury so that the bench guy is starting, defense-over-offense bench guys hurt the lineup more severely than might be necessary if you hadn't chosen those players with late-inning defense in mind. I'd kind of like to have a bench where you could fit a number of bat-first guys, like Ward and Murton and what I'd hoped Floyd would be if Murton and Jones had hit well from the start. I admit I also kind of like the idea of having every-day players as well as 9-inning players. From that standpoint, Ethier looks fairly interesting. Murton career has a .138-point split, whereas Ethier's is only 0.067. So it would seem that Ethier is not like Pie or Jones, guys who really fall off the table versus LHP. He could play every day, or at last stay in against LHP fairly often without it being a big problem. But if you did platoon, Ethier at .836 career vs RHP with Murton at .901 career vs LHP, that could be a pretty solid combo. I like the idea of getting Fukudome. But if Ethier/Murton could be basically an .850-OPS platoon pair, I'd have to guess that Fukudome will OPS under rather than over .850. If the Cubs keep Pie in CF, between him and Ethier, there's enough range there not to require Pagan/Fuld as a late defensive replacement.

Sounds similar to Jason Wylie before the arm injuries.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07342/840202-63.stm Torres is considering retirement rather than being away from his family for a year.

He's better defensively than Murton, prob. projects as avg. arm strength and accuracy. While he has prob. slightly below avg. range in the OF like Murton.

Without fleecing the farm, I don't that see that happening. I'm on the fence as far as Roberts becoming a Cub, expecting Fukudome to be a Cub, and not expecting Figgins to be on the Cubs. Roberts and Fukudome allows Pie to hit 8th (saves some $ and players) and gives the Cubs a very good defensive OF.

But apply it to the Cubs, they had Soriano at the top, in front of Theriot for much of the season. If they don't get someone like Roberts, it'll be costing them runs as Soriano isn't their best overall hitter so it doesn't utilize the lineup theory of giving your best hitter the most PAs and it puts a lower OBP guy in front of your best hitters. The Cubs need hitter(s) to get on base and another middle of the order hitter, hopefully Roberts and Fukudome answer the need of OBP and shifting Soriano down to the 5th spot (hopefully) solves the bat in the middle.

He's def. still worthwhile espec. in a park like Petco. That's part of the reason why I love Taveras so much in Coors, his range is the best in the game.

I put 2nd best in the NL. I'd put Granderson, Crisp, Hunter, and Ichiro ahead of Pie as well from the AL. Matthews Jr. has a very good case as well.

You are making far too much sense for this discussion. uh huh Really, Matt Murton is a better player than Brian Roberts. Because his OPS is higher. On a blank sheet of paper they are pretty similar as far as offensive production. For the Cubs, Roberts has more value. He would be the leadoff hitter putting a higher OBP at the top and pushing Soriano into a run producing role. Murton will play the role of a 4th OF'er on this team unless Pie is traded or they don't add another OF'er (unlikely).

Not really, those tools are there. His range and arm are as good as anyone in the game. Every new player coming to Wrigley will misplay them. I think right now, Taveras is the only one better. Maybe...I wasn't thinking just Wrigley, if just Wrigley you could be right. I still think he needs to make better reads though he over runs balls alot! If he overruns balls, that's not a bad thing. I'd rather have a CF'er that can overrun balls that most CF'ers can't get. The only ball I saw him overrun in the OF last year was a ball hit to the gap that was skidding on the ground. He was at full speed and did great just getting to the ball to stop it. He couldn't slow down to retrieve the ball, but the RF was able to pick it and throw it back to prevent a run scoring from first. K well than u obviously didn't see him overrun a bunch of balls this year and also get horrible reads on balls that should be routine to catch. don't get me wrong the guy is a good fielder and its his first year. Im just saying u guys are praising him a little to much for 40 games in the major leagues. You do know what Ping does for a living, right? I doubt being a financial analyst factors. NO I AM NOT A SCOUT!!!!

Not really, those tools are there. His range and arm are as good as anyone in the game. Every new player coming to Wrigley will misplay them. I think right now, Taveras is the only one better. Maybe...I wasn't thinking just Wrigley, if just Wrigley you could be right. I still think he needs to make better reads though he over runs balls alot! If he overruns balls, that's not a bad thing. I'd rather have a CF'er that can overrun balls that most CF'ers can't get. The only ball I saw him overrun in the OF last year was a ball hit to the gap that was skidding on the ground. He was at full speed and did great just getting to the ball to stop it. He couldn't slow down to retrieve the ball, but the RF was able to pick it and throw it back to prevent a run scoring from first. K well than u obviously didn't see him overrun a bunch of balls this year and also get horrible reads on balls that should be routine to catch. don't get me wrong the guy is a good fielder and its his first year. Im just saying u guys are praising him a little to much for 40 games in the major leagues. And his career in the minors as well.

Not really, those tools are there. His range and arm are as good as anyone in the game. Every new player coming to Wrigley will misplay them. I think right now, Taveras is the only one better. Maybe...I wasn't thinking just Wrigley, if just Wrigley you could be right. I still think he needs to make better reads though he over runs balls alot! If he overruns balls, that's not a bad thing. I'd rather have a CF'er that can overrun balls that most CF'ers can't get.

Not really, those tools are there. His range and arm are as good as anyone in the game. Every new player coming to Wrigley will misplay them. I think right now, Taveras is the only one better.

What's your opinion on Pie, based on what you've seen? Do you think the hype is legit or do we have another Corey Patterson on our hands? Right now, he's more Patterson than anything else. But, he's their best option in CF and until proven otherwise, should be given a shot to prove he capable of progressing. But, he has to work on shortnening that swing, centering the ball, and getting into hitter's counts. He fouled off way too many hittable pitches with one strike and then retired on breaking pitches or inside FBs. Defensively, he's one of the best in the game (2nd best CF'er in the NL).

If the Cubs do get Roberts, Derosa could get spot starts at 2B vs. tough lefties. I'd like the possibility of Roberts on this team, they obviously need someone at the top who can get on base. There's no reason not to expect Derosa not get 400ABs next year in a supersub role, even last year despite the Cubs staying unusually healthy, he would been in a position to get enough ABs to justify his undervalued contract. The question becomes would Pie be included and if he is, how much does that increase the importance of locking up Fukudome and poss. settling with Murton in RF?

I'm sure it does to Fuld, he's not the one if you lined up all of the AFl rosters to expect to be the MVP of the League. He doesn't have the highest ceiling of everyone in the League, but it's a feel good story that someone with his work ethic and character can become a MVP of a league like that.

What an amazing trade for both sides, I'm glad the Cubs don't have to face Detroit almost 20 games a year.

Jay Bruce is going to be a great player. I like him more then Lincecum as well. I'd also take him over Maybin, Pie, and Martinez (Mets). Cubs would never get him though. Maybin/Bruce is a tough one for me. They were very close last year at this time as I liked Maybin more, but Bruce took more steps, while Maybin has the higher ceiling but further to go than Bruce. Bruce is the better hitter while Maybin is the better overall player.

Fwiw, I like Bruce more than Lincecum and I love Lincecum.

There are definitely more factors not concerning the hitter in clutch situations than the actual hitter. Look at the HR that just circled my house that Pujols hit off of Lidge in '05, was that clutch? Sure, but he's the best hitter in the game and I could've thrown a slider with more break than that one.

It's up to you to believe me.

With Z, his pattern rarely changes either way, you get FB and FB and a frisbee slurve occasionally on the inner half which breaks across the plate during the rare times he actually stays on top of the pitch. It all depends on how bad the hitter's weakness is compared to how much a pitcher's strength is. Use a Marquis vs. Chris Young (AZ) matchup & say it's close in the 7th inning & Marquis is ahead in the count 0-2. Young is a good FB hitter at any level, Marquis' best pitch is the 2 seamer, if I'm calling pitches my next pitch is a curve from Marquis out of the zone, despite Marquis' curve being below avg. My hope is not to strike him out, but to get him to roll over to SS. If it was Webb or Z that Young was facing, I would have them challenge Young with FBs. If a hitter is clutch, he would be able to produce regardless of how the pitcher is pitching to him.

I'm friends with one of his former teammates at Durham, it's bad.

Dukes has done some stuff that never made it to the press.