17 Seconds

Derosa actually ha a higher career RF at second. I realize discussing stats can become an endless debate but I show secondbase career numbers as follows: Roberts...FP=.987...Rfg=4.57...innings at position=6256 DeRosa...FP=.984...Rfg=4.09...innings at position=1564.7 Where did you get those numers from? ESPN.com has different ones. It has Deorsa as a 4.87 and Roberts as a 4.78. Anyways, my point was to show that Roberts isn't really an upgrade defensively.

Derosa actually ha a higher career RF at second.

Is he going to get any time in the field? What position?

Except with the 1.000 OBP, you have a .000 SLG. (approximately). That's not true. If he walked every at-bat, he wouldn't have a slugging percentage. It would not exist. Which...is the definition of Zero. Incorrect. If a guy doesn't log an at-bat, his slugging percentage can't be zero. It simply doesn't exist. If you say it's zero because he hasn't recorded a hit, then I can just as easily say it's 1.000 (at least) since he hasn't recorded an out. In reality, neither is true.

the Cubs clearly have the best line-up in the NL Central. Milwaukee is a close second. Are you joking? I think it's pretty obvious that the Brewers still have a better lineup. We ere a medicore offense last year and we've marginally upgraded. I think people are severly overestimating the upgrade that Fukudome brings. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the signing, but better thaan the Brewers? Get outta here. Even if Soto performs to his potential the Brewers likely still have the better offense. As has been said, I don't know where this "top 5 offense" stuff is coming from. We're not even a top 5 offense in the NL, let alone all of baseball.

From Jayson Stark:

I think the title of this thread needs to be renamed. It was just a prediciton from some writer who also doesn't know how to title his reports.

So what else did they say?

Crisp sucks, but at least we'd have the most delicious platoon of all time.

What is "inside info"? If you exchange e-mails with somebody like Bruce Miles (I don't, that's just an example) and he tells you things that aren't printed, does that mean you have "inside info". I don't think so, but whatever. "Inside info" is a term used for kids who want to act like they know stuff and feel special, kind of like a couple of the guys on OH. I shouldn't have even brought it up, but you can continue to make assumptions if you want.

Just forget it.

Except with the 1.000 OBP, you have a .000 SLG. (approximately). That's not true. If he walked every at-bat, he wouldn't have a slugging percentage. It would not exist.

PM.

Care to add anything to this? PM'd.

People have to remember that Baltimore hasn't really had any other interests in Roberts other then the Cubs. The burp with the Indians, was simply to drum up interests. False.

It wouldn't surprise me, one bit. Well, in fairness it's likely that MacPhail is as frustrated with his boss as the Cubs are with him. I mean the man obviously can't take a crap without approval. Completely and totally ridiculous way to run a ballclub. I think the Angelos stuff is a bunch of garbage. A couple of crappy radio reporters say that Angelos might be involved just because it's the trendy thing to say. Plenty of people have confirmed that Macphail has full control. This strategy of continously hollding out worked with Bavasi in the Bedard, and that's why MacPhail is doing it again. The talks have been going on for 3 months now, and Hendry hasn't cut talks off. What does that say? It says that AM can continue to hold out knowing that Hendry won't walk away. It's annoying and frustrating, but it worked with Bavasi, so why not do it to Hendry? Hendry has shown in the pas he'll overpay to get what he wants. I think MacPhail has a set price in his mind (probably a price way too high for Roberts) and won't budge unless Hendry caves and decides to overpay. If not, AM can just hold onto him and wait for someone to overpay. 1) If the Cubs offer is so disrespectful, or such a slap in the face to the O's, then don't you think other teams that were even quietly interested would think the same thing, make a better offer and snag Roberts by now? It doesn't take 3 months for another team to see what's been said about these discussions between Hendry and AM and figure that the Cubs are lowballing, if in fact, they agree that the Cubs are lowballing. 2) There is no other suitor for Roberts, and MacPhail is putting all his eggs in one basket hoping Hendry blinks. I don't think he will. I just sent you a private message answering these questions.

It wouldn't surprise me, one bit. Well, in fairness it's likely that MacPhail is as frustrated with his boss as the Cubs are with him. I mean the man obviously can't take a crap without approval. Completely and totally ridiculous way to run a ballclub. I think the Angelos stuff is a bunch of garbage. A couple of crappy radio reporters say that Angelos might be involved just because it's the trendy thing to say. Plenty of people have confirmed that Macphail has full control. This strategy of continously hollding out worked with Bavasi in the Bedard, and that's why MacPhail is doing it again. The talks have been going on for 3 months now, and Hendry hasn't cut talks off. What does that say? It says that AM can continue to hold out knowing that Hendry won't walk away. It's annoying and frustrating, but it worked with Bavasi, so why not do it to Hendry? Hendry has shown in the pas he'll overpay to get what he wants. I think MacPhail has a set price in his mind (probably a price way too high for Roberts) and won't budge unless Hendry caves and decides to overpay. If not, AM can just hold onto him and wait for someone to overpay.

A Cubs fan posted this on OH earlier today. He could be making it up though. Anybody hear this?

Lahey? Bleh.

And if Roberts REALLY wanted out of Balitmore, he would go publicly about wanting to be traded. That's not true. I think it's pretty obvious by his statements about the whole thing that he'd prefer to be traded, he's just not the type of guy that's going to come out and say "trade me". He said when the offseason started that he didn't want to be the "last man standing" in a rebuilding project.

Hilarious. All this is doing is pissing off Derosa.

Small update from Churchill at http://www.prospectinsider.com

It has been widely reported that Jim and Andy actually did reach an agreement and then Peter Angelos stepped in and did what he does best, he got involved. Also, would someone please, please, please, show me just one article besides Ken Rosenthal's in the beginning of January that even remotely sites any credible source of the Indians saying they are interested at all? Because all I can find is the Rosenthal piece, which is two months old, and there hasn't been one whisper anywhere else that I can find of them still having interest. When I look now, all I find is knucklehead O's fans making this junk up in forums. Someone please link an article or real rumor to this somewhere. Of course, now that I've said this, the Indians are tayloring Roberts' Indians jersey as we speak probably. IMHO that would be fine with me, I'm tired of MacPhail holding a ransom over us. Let's just move on, I'd much rather see Hendry go after Chone Figgins. Eww. No thanks on Chone Figgins.

Hendry denies that Roberts talks have heated up: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/825531,CST-SPT-cubnt05.article

Ok, he responded. Ugh.