Transmogrified Tiger

I'd like Polanco at either middle infield position, but Detroit inked him to a long term extension this season, so I doubt he'll be available.

Guaranteed in '06, then a team option for '07. If the option is picked up(it shouldn't be), then the same option appears for '08. Isn't the option for 07 and 08 vested on 450 PA's in 06? I'm sorry I missed the comment on my spreadsheet, yes they do. Also, they vest if he makes the All-Star team the year before the option. EDIT: For clarification, the '07 option vests with 450 PA's or ASG in '06. The '08 option vests with the same circumstances in '07.

I'll go even further, I don't know why he was ever re-signed. Oh definitely. There was a slimmest bit of purpose for Macias in not having a backup at 3rd, and that disappeared the day Fontenot played there at AAA, and Neifi filled in for a couple innings at the big league level.

Guaranteed in '06, then a team option for '07. If the option is picked up(it shouldn't be), then the same option appears for '08.

This is what happens when you refuse to even call up a guy that should've been in Macias's spot since about May. It's inexcusable for Fontenot not to be in Chicago.

Why would Atlanta want Patterson? I'd do that deal too, but I really doubt Atlanta would.

Cmon Ramirez >>> Walker. Give me Furcal and Cedeno up the middle. Ramirez is greater than Walker, but at a much greater cost. Both should be part of the Cubs plans this season. Also they are similar relative to their competition performance wise. Both are probably close to top 5 in the league for their position without looking it up. EDIT: Ramirez is 2nd in NL 3B in OPS, Walker is 3rd among NL 2B.

:scratch: What about his run-in with Carlos Lee? Though not serious, wasn't he also injured last year? Misworded, I meant it was his first season with an injury since 2000. I don't remember if he was hurt last year, but if it was it was really minor since he played in 129 games while Grudz played 81.

Looks to me like this is Walker's first injury since 2000. He's not falling apart at the seams at 32.

Whatever(about the language), just giving you a heads up. Yeah, the standard response has basically been proven true. That's why I'm not going to waste time searching game logs to prove some meaningless point. I also apologize for not taking your bait with regards to Grudz. If I say that I'd rather have Grudz, it somehow justifies your point that Walker is worthless. If I pick Walker, then I'm just a stat-hugging loony. But for the record, I'd probably take Walker, but they aren't incredibly far apart. And yes, I'd rather have Walker than Eckstein, I prefer the most productive player. What are your feelings on Scott Podsednik? I don't think much of Podesednik. He hurt the Cubs his first year but he is basically a slap .270 hitter who seems to steal an awful lot of bases for a team that struggles to score. Not much of an arm in the outfield. Didn't belong on the All-Star team. I love the reponse about game logs and my meaningless point. Baseball is a numbers game but not totally and metrics guys just can't accept that. Numbers give you some material, probably a lot of material. with which to analyze the game. But if you think that numbers give you everything you need you are way off. Why even play the game. Let's just turn baseball into a board game. Do you think Walker has done more to help his team win than Eckstein has this year? And while I am asking maybe you can answer me this: does the best or better "metric" team win a championship every year. If not how do you explain that? Yes, Walker has done more to help his team than Eckstein. There are several reasons why the best team statistically doesn't win it all. First of all, the differences in numbers between teams in the playoffs isn't that great, there's very rarely a clear cut team that SHOULD win it all. Also, the nature of the playoffs is a crapshoot. The best team won't always win in a short series, it's why the hottest team wins the majority of the time.

Whatever(about the language), just giving you a heads up. Yeah, the standard response has basically been proven true. That's why I'm not going to waste time searching game logs to prove some meaningless point. I also apologize for not taking your bait with regards to Grudz. If I say that I'd rather have Grudz, it somehow justifies your point that Walker is worthless. If I pick Walker, then I'm just a stat-hugging loony. But for the record, I'd probably take Walker, but they aren't incredibly far apart. And yes, I'd rather have Walker than Eckstein, I prefer the most productive player. What are your feelings on Scott Podsednik?

I think most if not all who were talking about Howry were talking about getting him in addition to keeping Dempster. I know I'm not extremely comfortable with any of our current setup/fireman options.

Not a Howry fan? I've heard that Cleveland wants to keep Howry as their closer next year, so he may never become available. Then maybe Wickman can be had. Guess who the worst pitcher in the Cleveland bullpen is. It's Wickman. I'd rather have Novoa/Welly/whoever than gambling on the 36 year old Wickman continuing his flukish success in the save department. Plus, someone is going to pay for those saves in Free Agency, it won't be worth it.

You're right, we should probably follow the example of other organizations. If they did it, then it's probably the right call. Why do you not think he's any good? Because of the number of teams he's played for? Because he's quoted a lot? Because other people like him? Because he plays horsecrap defense and rarely seems to get a hit that means much. Point out five or so big hits he's had this year that have put us ahead or won a game for us. I'll give you a head start: he got that one vs. the Reds in the ninth about two weeks ago. Which organization made a mistake in letting him go? Did Boston? I know you metric guys reject the concept of clutch hitting; you'd have to if you think Walker is a meaningfully productive player. Despite your (I think) reasoning, all runs are not created equal. And, finally, no one who responded to my initial post mentioned the Grudz point. Interesting. Please share with me their comparative numbers. I'm guessing Walker probbaly has better hiitng numbers, but nobody mentioned they would rather have Walker than Grudz. FYI, profanity is a no-no around here. Walker's defense isn't above average, but he's not even near bad enough where we should ship him out for it. If getting rid of Walker was the key to success, why don't the Rockies and Reds have trophy after trophy on their mantles? You know who the best "clutch" hitters are over their careers? They're the one's with the best numbers, because almost all situational numbers revert towards career numbers when you have enough of a sample. But, since it never SEEMS like Walker gets a big hit, he's not really any good.

Not a Howry fan? I've heard that Cleveland wants to keep Howry as their closer next year, so he may never become available.

If Todd was outspoken and didn't back it with the performance on the field, that is one thing, but Todd does produce, thus that entitles to be "outspoken." I have not heard one complain from his teammates, thus there isn't a problem. Stop insisting there is a problem, when in reality, there isn't a problem outside the manager and his "matchbox" collection of incredibly non-talented players. I'll check in with all the Walker lovers next year when he's on another team that doesn't win anything. Also. being quoted frequently doesn't make you outposken; it makes you a media ass-kisser like Mark Grace. Being outspoken would be him saying he hasn't done much to help this team despite his great "metrics." Maybe his teammates do like him. If so, do you really want a vote of confidence from this bunch of underachievers as evidence of your asset as a teammate. Why have so many teams given up on walker? What did these teams get in return for him when they let him go? Why wasn't he swimming in offers after 2003 when he had a great offensive season? You guys will be cluthcing his great metrics to your collective breast a year from now when he has another great "metric" year and does little or nothing to help his team win. You're right, we should probably follow the example of other organizations. If they did it, then it's probably the right call. Why do you not think he's any good? Because of the number of teams he's played for? Because he's quoted a lot? Because other people like him?

Haha, Pudge is at a .293 OBP this year? Sign him up!

5 walks for Williams though, but still not bad and no damage done. He's really finishing strong. He does very well when he gets more ground balls.

It's certainly not a bad thing. To me, it's just a bonus. But Corey's superb slugging percent for half of a season hardly makes him near the player that Pierre is. WARP1- Wins above replacement player 2003 Pierre: 4.2 in 746 PA's Patterson: 2.9 in 347 PA's Patterson was better, although he got hurt so he may not have kept it up. 2004 Pierre: 5.0 in 748 PA's Patterson: 4.8 in 687 PA's Again Patterson fares better when PT is equal(Pierre's extra PA's are due to him being a leadoff hitter). Now WARP1 takes into account fielding as well, so Patterson's clear advantage there may skew that a little, but Pierre is most certainly not clearly better offensively. And again, both are coming off terrible seasons, so neither should be a primary option for CF next season. If we want to put either in there, neither should be at the top of the order, and we should've upgraded both corner OF spots and SS.

Patterson has been fairly good for a CF in the past?? LOL!!! He's had one fluke six week stretch of good baseball in a 5-year career. The opposite holds true for Pierre because already in his career--he came up to the big leagues the same time as Patterson! (2000)--he has three times put more than 200 hits up in a year, three times put an OBP of 360 or better on the board out of the leadoff spot, and EVERY year (including this one) put 45 or more SBs on the board. He had an off year. The evidence suggests he's capable of much more, unlike Patterson. Kess, I do not often agree with you, but if the choice is between CPatt and Pierre, give me Pierre every day and twice on Sunday. That isn't what I was saying. Offensively, Pierre and Patterson have been nearly equivalent the past 2 years. Patterson was better(albeit for a shorter time) in '03, and Pierre was slightly better in '04. Now both have done TERRIBLY this season. Why are we clamoring to trade for one to hit leadoff, and trying to cut the other at all costs?

bradley is a major head case (not to mention a wife beater). no thanks. He's also one of the most productive CF in baseball, is reasonably cheap and pretty young, not to mention possibly available. 1. Lofton has been "in for a decline" for several years now, and it just hasn't happened. 2. You really think Hendry would go after a guy like Bradley after dumping all the "problem players" last year? I don't see it happening. I bet you eleventy billion dollars Lofton regresses next year. This year, and this year alone, is way out of whack with his BABIP numbers. His luck this year is masking his diminishing skills. I don't know if Hendry would/will go after a guy like Bradley, but I can always hope he will since it may/will be the best option.

You do not have to show that link. If a corporation repeatedly misses earnings estimates, but each time they do so there is a seemingly innocent reason why, do we say it's a healthy company. The trend is your friend. Anybody who was genuinely surprised that Nomar suffered a serious injury in 2005 should be ashamed of themselves. Then you cannot exclude Prior from your analysis. You can't call Prior's elbow "flukish" because he has a history as well. Tearing your muscle running is a bit different than a foreign object hitting and breaking your arm.

bradley is a major head case (not to mention a wife beater). no thanks. He's also one of the most productive CF in baseball, is reasonably cheap and pretty young, not to mention possibly available.

what's his LD% to go along with that? and i agree with the bradley thing. It's real high this year, but last year was 10% lower. Check out Diffusion's stuff in the Wilkerson v. Dunn thread about Lofton and his BABIP. It's WAY out of line with anything he's done in his career, and in recent years to go with it.

Lofton's in for a steep decline when his BABIP catches up to him. If LA really is interested in moving Bradley, we should be all over that.