neely crenshaw

wait, we probably don't want to give up 2 minor leaguers who may be years away from getting to the bigs, and "IF" they get there, may never be worth a crap for a proven young(23) major league slugger, who might hit 40+hrs a year at wrigley for the next 10 years. Sorry sign me up to pencil in that name in right and #4 for the foreseeable future! He's the type of bat that changes your entire order.

yep, all makes sense...

yeah, that could be a problem. I am not sure we would spend enough or give him enough control to get him to change his mind. Don't know why he would wait, he'll be pushing 60 in 4-5 years. Seems if he ever came back it would be soon.

It seems to me Cowher would be the best fit out there. Like it or not this team and organization is built on defense. If we happened to model it after the pIttsburgh legacy how could we be upset. He took over from Noll after they were mediocre for many years(1 playoff appearance in 7 years, sub .500 record for that span and 9 wins as the high win mark) He then took them to 10 playoffs in his 15 seasons, 2 superbowls, averaging 10 wins a season with starting quarterbacks named O'Donnell, Stewart, Tomczak, and Maddox(Tommy). Not to mention his offense always ranked in the top half, and 5 times they were in the top 10 with those guys. His team ranked 3rd in total offense with Kordell Stewart at QB. Wouldn't it just suck to be basically be a Superbowl contender every year and win the division 10 of the next 15 years, that would be awful. I think a bigger question would how would Emery even be able to lure a coach like that here...

clearly because there is no possible way that Lahair could hit 22 hrs, but we should feel there is a chance that Stewart hits .250 with 25 hrs....

well that too...

I don't see anyone making this move this year simply because Miami can hold on for that type of huge deal. I would think as next year comes around or even the deadline this year, they may go for this best they are offered. It sure seems that those deals would take a huge chunk of any near future talent those teams have for a couple of years of control. I would think it would make more sense to wait for a lesser deal or free agency. Texas may have the most immediate need but they are still right in the playoff hunt with their pitching alone. So for them to drop their drawers to match the angels off-season on paper probably isn't necessary right now.

BUT many of their young prospects are actually contributing at the major league level. So if you say minor leaguers...tough to find a deal, but add in the young pitching and a young position player or two and they could easily make a deal that more readily tempt the marlins because they would get young, cheap major league players that would be under their control for several years rather than hoping an unproven prospect turns out. Would you rather have 4 of your position player prospects starting in the majors(plus your 4th OF'er in Danks) along with being the ace of your staff(Sale), 2 other starters (santiago,quintana),a good set up man(jones) and a closer (reed) or have them in A/AA ball? Their farm may suck now, but they certainly have gotten much more help from theirs in the last few years...

I also worry that the "offensive minds" they are bringing in aren't exactly from juggernauts. Arians seems like the best on paper. I am not sure why anyone would fully believe that Emery will come through on this hire. He is from the Pat's tree of coaching/FO whihc has failed miserably everywhere else. He escaped the regime in KC months before they were sent packing. He got us Marshall but also hired Tice as a OC, which was awful and botched the draft-which is supposed to be his strength. I hope for the best, and will give him every opportunity to do his job but we should all have have doubts on how this will work out.

We are taking steps but we have a ways to go on both fronts. We look like we have no one ready for the bigs any time soon, maybe Jackson. Pitching help is at least 2 years out. Real offensive help is more than that. Don't get me wrong on Jackson, but he was the #5 starter on the nationals. Yes, right now he is our #2 but we didn't sign verlander. We are much improved over the end of last year but we are basically right back to where we started last season at, which did not play well. If things break right, (very right!) we could get to 75 wins.

My point was that there really weren't any RH options out there because those two shouldn't be thought of as options. Of course now that Wiggintin is with the cards he'll have a rebirth... I don't see where there is anything about delmon young that would help this team. The best value he has is his name recognition. His best year wasn't great (low 800's ops) and has been in 600's and low 700's since. Bad OB%, and his power stats are not what you would think. Add in he is such a bad fielder that they would rather have him DH and play Cabrera at 3rd...

I don't think it signals any doom or gloom. It was said they are not sure if Baker and/or Garza would 100% at the start of the season. These moves do many things for the Cubs. It covers them if there is a health issue at the start. (No repeats of last September). It puts the bottom half of the rotation in serious competition. It provides depth for possible trades for our serious needs. With FA market for 3b dried up, That could be a way to add a bat at the end of spring training or even before that.

That's not too bad if we are actually interested. They aren't much closer to contending so that's a even playing field. I wouldn't think that Bourn would bring enough of a buzz that it would cause either team to get in a bidding war for him.

Polanco signed a 1-year deal with Miami already. guess that's out then....

Swisher would help but it would have to be a short deal and I think at his age he's hoping for as long as possible. Not sure at 35 he's a regular contributor. Looking at what's out there, what about taking a flyer on polanco? Might go for a one year deal. He was hurt and had his first down year . he isn't the big bat that we might need but he is right handed, plays good defense, and usually has an ob% around .330 which is step up for us. If at a small cost and 1 year, would have more possibility of working out as opposed to just hoping for stewart to be healthy AND return to form of 4-5 years ago. Barring a trade, you only have Wiggintin and Rolen out there as RHer's at 3b.

It seems the market for bourn is drying up. Who else might be interested? I know with his agent and age, they'll want to make this as long and as lucrative a deal as possible because as a speed guy he isn't getting big money at 32 or 33. So I am guessing at least 4 and probably pushing for 5 years. Just don't know who is going to offer that.

I don't know if they were for it or just thought that was the way it would play out. I,for one, wasn't against signing someone but I didn't think they should or would sign someone just to be better right away. I thought it would be a careful approach, trying to get guys they thought would help now, and in the future. For example, they seem to have targeted sanchez and jackson, who are young enough to help down the road and not go after Lohse, who would be better this season and probably next but certainly drop off after that point.

I think this signing really means they are moving Wood to OF fulltime... and I have to agree Davell

I think signing him for 4 years shows that they will sign guys that they think will help and be around in 2015. Most of their deals have been low cost/ high possible reward short deals. I just think it's smart to not sign someone, just to sign someone. Why pay a guy you really don't want after this season, if it's going to take multiple years to get him. Cody Ross might help this year but do we want to be tied up in him for 4 years? Jackson may be at the top of our rotation now, but if he's 4 or 5 at the end of the deal, you have a pretty good staff.

By the way..is this for sure? Don't want a repeat of earlier deals.

I agree we don't have a huge hurdle to jump but most of that was because of the offense that is basically still here. Up until Aug1st, we had dempster,maholm, shark and garza plus volstad/wood. the first 4 were better than what any combo will probably bring this season. Dempster was leading the league in era, Maholm finIshed in the top 20 in era. Ordinarily I would say our pick ups match dempster/maholm but unfortunately they have to replace pitchers who probably had their best year of their career. We were on pace to win 66 games when Garza went down, and Dempster and Maholm were traded. we are better at one spot, even at 2, and not as good at 2. bullpen is better but again the main guys are the same, and fujikawa will help but is unproven The offense is the same. so i don't see the upgrade from the start of last year, but I do see filling the holes left from the deadline deals.

Offensively from the start last year what has changed? From the end of last season, we have basically 1 change in a lineup that was bottom 3 in runs and slugging, bottom 2 in ops and ob%. I am not sure nate schierholtz will be the big a fix. On the mound IF you call Shark and Garza even (questionable with health issues) from last year to this year then: Jackson replaces Dempster, usually I'd call it pretty even but Dempster was out of his mind last year. I don't see anyone on the staff putting up that 2.25 era over their 1st 18 starts. Maholm also was way above what I expected. 9-6 with a 3.74 era...I am not betting either feldman nor Baker matches that. Then some combo of the "scotts" ,villanueva or wood replaces volstad(obviously a step up) the bullpen looks better but is unproven especially fukikawa.Other than that the main guys are the same marmol,camp,and russell. So I would say on paper we aren't better than the start of last year. We really need a bat, and it probably needs to be at 3rd. We aren't building from what we had at the start of the season last year, we are building from the end. We gave away most of are veteran assets save for Soriano and Garza. We finished last year with 1 and 1/2 true major league starters, 1 more on the DL. 2 outfielders, no 3B, a young SS and 1B, a defensive 2b and unproven catchers. we at least now have 6 to 7 real options to fill the rotation and another major league outfielder. baby steps...

the problem is we are still recovering from the hole created at the deadline at the major league level. Truth is we have very little to no improvement in the line up and although this signing helps, we still aren't where we started had last year in the rotation. Jackson can fill dempster's normal role but he was an absolute out of his mind stud last year posting 2.25 era up to aug 1st. Maholm was better than anyone would have guessed and I'm not sure either scott will do that. Garza is a question mark, and shark has to build on what looks really good. Obviously villanueva, wood or one of the scotts is an upgrade over volstad /wood from last year. We have definitely made steps but on paper we aren't up to where we started last year. That being said at least we a glimmer of hope that something will be better this spring I do think this means some is going from the staff to get some lineup help, It would seem to be a couple from the 40 man

It's not like Wood turned into Cy Young last year. Someone might be throwing some prospects for a lefty that showed some re-newed promise last year or He very well could be battling these guys for a spot in the rotation this spring. You'd have to say that if they play out that Baker, Feldman, Villanueva would/could be better than Wood. Although we could use his bat...

In an offseason where not much is happening, I sure hope he is lots better! but he is definitely an upgrade, we just haven't done much else