David

I like your rumor, broseph.

I just don't understand why people can't just take rumors for what they are and not act betrayed or surprised when they turn out to be wrong or act like there's no chance that they're true.

Yes, just like all signs were pointing to Roberts becoming a Cub last year. One heavily reported and discussed rumor was wrong so now they all must be!

I'm not saying it is (and I understand that we have direct quotes from Towers on this matter)... but how could Peavy say he wouldn't accept a trade to Atlanta despite numerous reports that the Padres were working on/close to a deal with Atlanta? You get the idea....

Maybe he just thinks it's a good time to pretend he has a source after having read Donnie's story. I could start a blog and post that I hear it's a done deal right now, too, and I'd have a decent shot (relative to any other time). Of course, Donnie doesn't claim to live in PR, just that he's vacationing there, I'm pretty sure, but that's minor, I guess.

These are definitely my concerns as well. I really only feel the Dodgers and the Angels are our competition here. Even though some blurbs lately say that the Cubs offer is lacking, the fact that early on we were considered front-runners with a decent offer, I believe Towers' latest talk of looking elsewhere and needing a third team in order to deal with is, really is just posturing -- both to encourage us to add more, but mostly to make other teams to feel they have chance. Of course the early talk of the Cubs having been front-runners was probably just posturing as well, to take advantage of the Braves :) So who knows... Not if Peavy never intended on approving a trade to the Braves.

I see no way in hell the Padres don't trade him. Do the people who see this (Towers saying screw it and keeping him) as a realistic possibility realize what is going on with Padre ownership right now? Let's just hope he really doesn't want to go to an AL team and that Towers stands firm in not wanting to trade him within the division. If neither of them give on those positions, he's ours.

For anyone who doesn't realize it, the Bulls have played one of the hardest (as of the other night it was the hardest, but I'm not sure if that has changed or not) schedules in the NBA. They're 4-5. I had them starting 5-12. A lot of people did. The start they've had is a lot more impressive than people realize.

FWIW, I'm pretty sure the mods can confirm whether he was posting from Puerto Rico (for those of you that have doubts, that is... i don't think he'd take the time and effort to string us along and make something like this up). That's something. Not exactly stone cold proof, but it would support the story.

lol it really does.

bad from his perspective, not mine.

It's hilarious how you (flyeseye) called out my post in one of these Wood/Gregg threads when you're practically the only other person arguing almost the exact same position I am.

:-)) at the except for me part..

you wish bad things upon your favorite team because your feelings are hurt? what kind of backwards logic is that? because he wants their bad decisions to be punished instead of rewarded i still don't agree with the notion, but i don't think it has anything to do with his feelings being hurt... he was totally fine with letting wood go before this snippet about him being open to a one year deal came out. I don't know which is worse, the initial quoted post, or the 2nd reply. I cannot believe that some posters on this board either: (1) want to be right so badly that they wish ill upon members of their favorite team or, (2) Have such a man crush on Wood that they would wish ill upon a member of their favorite team. If Gregg comes over and accomplishes what ever Wood can accomplish at less than half the $$, then this is not a bad move,hurt feelings aside, correct ? I certainly do not see this as impossible, or even unlikely, as Wood was really not in the elite class last year in a position that most on this board feel is remarkably over rated to begin with. I liked Wood, but not for 10 mil. I hope Gregg has a great year as a Cub. I hope Wood has a great year for whoever he pitches for, except against the Cubs. ummmmm what exactly is wrong with the second reply? go ahead, explain it for the record, i said i didn't agree with him. (at all) i was, however, better explaining dexter's position since derwood obviously didn't see where he was coming from.

Those last two posts were exactly where I was gonna go. Damn you guys.

haha. I agree completely. Even though he's been decent, there's no way in hell I want this turkey closing games next year. He's a glorified Chad Gaudin. The big loss in this isn't Wood not closing games for us. The big loss is Marmol closing games, if it winds up that way.

Seriuly, it shouldnt be that hard. Trade Gregg and whatever else for Peavy. Re sign Wood. Sign Abreu or Ibanez. Let Dempster fly. lol

I bought up Randy the other day as an option at the back end of the rotation if he wanted to take a discount to play with Piniella again and contend. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8795106/Braves-out-of-Peavy-sweepstakes Depends on how much he'd cost, but it would be sort of interesting.

yeah, him...you figured it out (ha) Kenney's comment was dumb because he was on the receiving end. At least Towers is the guy holding the rights I think it's almost worse to say it when you're the one holding the coveted piece, although, in this case, everyone pretty much knows that they almost have to trade him... what is going on with their owner right now borders on hilarity

No, it's not an either/or. They should trade him before then. Letting valuable players go is a bad way to run a team. Yea, I was going to edit that. The first part I meant when it inevitably got to that point. Trading him would obviously be the far more prudent move.

you wish bad things upon your favorite team because your feelings are hurt? what kind of backwards logic is that? because he wants their bad decisions to be punished instead of rewarded i still don't agree with the notion, but i don't think it has anything to do with his feelings being hurt... he was totally fine with letting wood go before this snippet about him being open to a one year deal came out.

Or try to sign him to a reasonable deal through his arb years before those save numbers inflate his value. That way, if he continues to pitch well, you have him at a decent price. If you want to unload him at some point in the middle of that contract, his pricetag might not be so scary for a team looking for a closer. That would be a good plan, also, but one way too smart for the Cubs. Let's see if they at least try to do that with Geo.

I considered that as a possibility, too. But how could any logical person think that a save spot is higher pressure than plenty of the situations that Lou brought Marmol in for?

And Marmol should be let go when he starts commanding big money, too. Or we should trade him before then.

Except Hendry made it clear Marmol to closer is a very likely scenario. So, this series of unfortunate events is going to leave the Cubs without their 2nd best reliever, with their best reliever in less meanginful situations, and a very forgetable reliever taking over the important role. Sweet. All we need now is Melky and the offseason is looking brilliant. I didn't realize this was the case. If, in fact, he has said this, it's a shame. I do realize that, in terms of people's baseball logic or whatever, Marmol to closer is a likely scenario, and I realize there's a good chance that Marmol gets moved to the role next year. My only hope is that Lou realizes that he's most valuable coming in for the high leverage spots. Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think Lou thought for one second that Wood or Howry were better pitchers than Marmol this spring when he was considering all three as potential closers.