Jehrico

I could see how Joe Morgan and a couple of other idiots could confuse steriods with insulin...

Exactly. The only reason I wouldn't be sad about giving up Dero would be that it's highly likely that last year was a career year. I like Dero a lot, but if it's going to land us Jake Peavy, I'll be okay with it. Even though I don't think Peavy will be as good outside of Petco, he's still one of the best pitchers in the game. I'll be ecstatic to give up DeRosa IF it enables us to get Peavy while keeping Marshall. I think that means Cedeno isn't going anywhere though if DeRosa is dealt. How long do they have to decide whether to tender Ronny or not?

I honestly dont believe that JH will be given the go ahead to spend any more money if this deal goes down. Maybe for something cheap, like Edmonds. As for Hermida, I highly, highly doubt that we'll have the young talent to trade for anything of use after this deal goes down. If Pie, Marshall, Cedeno, Atkins, Castillo, and Vitters are all invloved as rumored, we're pretty much out of tradeable assets. Granted, we still have some prospects that would be interesting throw ins, but there will be nothing left as a main pieve to build around. I agree that we probably won't have the talent to pull Hermida, but people don't understand what's going on for Peavy. Pie, Marshall, Cedeno, Atkins, Castillo, and Vitters are all names that are in play and have been thrown about in various configurations for Peavy, but I have yet to see anything that suggests all 6 have ever been entertained as being together in the same package at the same time. Just because three names are together in one package, then you hear another three names doesn't mean that all 6 could be moving out at the same time. The highest number that I've heard at one time is a 5 for 1. I could be wrong, but I don't think Marshall will be included if there is a total of 5 players involved. If the Phils jump in with Happ for DeRosa, I have to think that number goes down to 3 or 4 instead of 5. I don't think there's any chance we give up all 6 of those guys unless we get back more than Peavy.

yeah i tried asking this question about a year ago but people seemed apathetic. We all need to flood the boxes of all of the members. Screw the veterans committee, they should be permanently excluded from the process, bring in a different group of veterans.

5th or 6th greatest all-time at their position shouldn't be teetering on the border. 5th or 6th greatest all-time despite fighting diabetes back when we didn't know much about it or how to fight it. What he did under those circumstances is truly remarkable. I think we'd be talking about top three or better had diabetes not cut his career short.

Not quite. Zell bought the Trib, which owns the Cubs and is filing for bankruptcy. If they weren't already trying to spin the Cubs off for cash, then they could be forced to do so as part of the bankruptcy. The Cubs and Wrigley should be looked at as if they are simply assets that have a cash value on the market in this situation. Regardless of what happens to the trib, the Cubs are moving on.

Huh? Towers is in this mess because he already has full no-trade powers, otherwise we wouldn't even be in the conversation. Sherman doesn't know what he's talking about. edit...nm...I see he's referring to a change that will happen a few years later and not his NTC he has right now...

I'm not I understand the hold up. Couldn't we just send Pie to San Diego in the deal, then San Diego can send Pie to Baltimore for Olson? There's no hurry on the Padre's part. Plus, if you were Towers, would you really want Pie just so you would have to deal with Baltimore, and allow them the opportunity to possibily reneg and ask for more than Pie? Or have Angelos go stupid again and decide he's not trading Olson for anything less than Pie, Kouz and Adrian G?

What are you looking to get in return from the D-Backs? Just curious. Would Chad Tracy (if healthy) be of interest? For starters, anyone the Padres might want in the Peavy deal. Or Tracy would be a nice option for us, especially if Hendry can deal DLee.

You're right, he's [expletive]. http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hundlto01.shtml Look towards the bottom of Hundley's BR page where it lists all of the transactions in his career. He was traded with Chad Hermanson for Karros and Grudz. The only part that was wrong above was the trade technically happened in 02 (Dec 4).

I think they need to see how much money it will cost them so they can see where they stand financially. Either that, or Hendry's hesitant to deal Pie if we only have Hoff/Johnson/Fuku/Fonzie as options in the OF. Just a guess, because otherwise, you're right, it doesn't make too much sense.

Ronny is likely to be dealt one way or another. I think SD wants him, but if not, what about Oakland? They're serious about acquiring a SS this offseason, and were just spurned by Furcal. We have a good history trading with Beane, so I wonder what we could get from Oakland for Ronny in case he doesn't go to SD? Maybe they could be one of the darkhorse "3rd teams" in this deal...

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/132025 It looks like the DBacks need bullpen help. I wonder if they'd be interested in Hart, Wuertz, or someone like that? I have no confidence Hart will ever be a decent MLB reliever, and the Cubs have never shown any patience or belief in Mike Wuertz, so we may as well deal him before we lose him when he hits FA, as I wouldn't resign with the team when I became an FA if I were him. Or maybe they'd be interested in Gaudin if Lou and/or Hendry really are that disillusioned with him?

One less C option out there for the Padres. I'm surprised I hadn't heard them connected to Laird this offseason considering their woes at the position...I wonder if they're interested in Koyie Hill or Jake Fox for you-know-who... http://www.freep.com/article/20081207/SPORTS02/81207045/1050

No thx. I didn't want Aurillia back when we first hired Dusty and everyone thought Aurillia (as well as numerous other players) would want to follow Dusty to Chicago. Now he's just 6 years older. I can't believe that guy is still in the league.

In other words, Heyman has no clue, no real source, and is just pulling garbage out of his 4th point of contact.

Would he? I doubt it. I don't think the union gets involved in pressuring players to sign with one team over another. If I were a player and they were trying to pressure me into signing with a team I didn't really want to sign with because they offered a little more than someone else regardless of my own family and personal concerns, I'd take great offense to that. That would be incredibly inappropriate on the part of the union. Thats what unions are all about. not really.

Not really.

Meh that's a bunch of BS IMO. Towers said yesterday that he planned on meeting with Hendry today and said that they would talk to the othe teams in the 3 way, so I doubt that's already been done and completed by 1:10. SI, what do you expect...

Does Hendry know this? We can always use a 5th guy who can play 2nd.

Absolutely zero chance Kerry Wood signs for 4.5m Unless the second year on that deal is around $15 mil...

Just remember that Andy MacPhail has irrational love for former Cubs and Cubs prospects, and it makes perfect sense.

Will anyone miss Marquis? Yes. The Brewers and Cardinals would miss him.

Not sure you're going to get Abreu for $9 million since he made 12.5, 13, and 15 million over the last three years. Unless it's backloaded, I'm thinking he might get 3/35 from somebody. I still think the best way to handle it is the trade for Scott from the O's. He's cheap, easy to platoon, and has decent power. No way in hell anyone gives Abreu that. He's older, hasn't produced during that contract like he did before, his defense is in a serious decline, and the overall market is suppressed right now. That last contract was his last prime-years contract. My guess is he'll be working off of 1-2 year deals for the rest of his career unless he gives someone a decent discount for 3 or more years.

You're thinking of Crash Davis. No, there's been numerous reports that the Cubs think Henry has a future as a coach/mgr in the organization. He'd start in the minors, of course... I'd like for them to see if Maddux is interested in coaching now that he's officially hanging it up.