Banghart

See the Cubs aren't the only team that blow bases loaded less than two out chances.

Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts.

Now I see what you're referencing. Just wasn't clear how we got to Coco Crisp since it seemed to be more a debate about what if any value Lofton or Bonds would add to this club. The answer to either is not much since neither would have a true spot to play once Soriano comes back in little over a week.

This seems misplaced. Though I agree San Deigo needs Crisp much more than the Cubs do now.

But how can you know? And if you have to assume that his bad choices were potentially George-induced, don't you have to assume the same about his good ones? If you factor in George, then you really have no idea if Cashman is a good GM or a horrible one. Ultimately that is the bottom line with Cashman. We don't know what kind of GM he is, and until he is GM in a place where the final decisions are made by him alone then we won't know. I would prefer the Cubs take a chance on someone rather than fnd out how good Cashman is without others meddling and the Yankees' payroll.

If that is the big difference between Pie and Patterson, I hope the Cubs can talk Fukudome to moving into CF.

That you, Marty?

Post game addendumn to my earlier post, if Pie doesn't get the start against Figueroa tomorrow I am going to be upset. Fontenot is starting to revert back to the hitter he was most of last year. So move DeRosa back into the infield and let Johnson play LF.

I think one key point that has been mentioned, but overlooked is a common trend in Pie's career as he has been promoted. At AA and at AAA he struggled badly to adjust in the first half of the season, and after receiving consistent abs he adjusted and started to hit very well for a CF who plays outstanding defense. Yes this a major league team that needs to win in April as much as it does in September, but the track record of Felix Pie suggests that after early struggles he will adjust. We won't know the answer if he is kept on the bench. Reed Johnson starting today is very telling because I recall, though can't find anything to back this up, that Lou was looking to start Pie today. I am not sure what changed his mind, but I think it is looking more and more likely that Pie will find his way to Iowa sooner rather than later.

While I don't like all the handshake deals that the Cubs seem to make, it did help them in the case if you believe published reports at the time of the signing. The Cubs were according to those reports not the highest bidder, and that the Cubs promise to play him in RF was a big factor in signing with a non-coastal team for less money.

The rest of the article was okay, but I love this line.

Clearly Thames wouldn't be an option as a platoon partner in CF, but it seems like the Cubs are intent on trading Murton. I guess what I am trying to decide is Murton or Thames a better option as the right handed bench corner outfielder.

To try to redirect this thread to something more realistic than a Marmol for Renteria trade which neither Detroit or the Cubs are considering doing, am I the only one who thinks Thames would be a nice bench option. I mean the Cubs haven't had right handed thunder on the bench since Angel Echeverria (can't believe I speeled Echeverria right on the first try). And trading from a position of strength to fill that need would be nice for a change. Would a Thames for Wuertz trade be reasonable for each side? -Banghart

--Who's Dayton Moore? I'm serious. I've never heard of him. I assume the poster meant Drayton Moore the GM of the Royals, but forgot to put the r in the name. -Banghart

I always liked 29. -banghart

So why are we arguing then? I think I just showed how Guzman place is either going to be a fifth starter or the last man out of the pen, and that the Cubs have plenty of options to fill both of those spots next year if he isn't healthy. -Banghart

But that is just it. The Cubs have a full rotation going into next year. They have five guys who pitched at least a 100 innings this year that they control through at least next year. If Guzman, or Prior for that matter, show up and prove that they are healthy enough to take the ball every fifth day then Marshall can be moved into the bullpen as the long/swingman. The bullpen also has plenty of depth of players that the Cubs control next year. Unless I am inaccurate about the contract status of Wuertz the Cubs have Dempster, Howry, Eyre (player option), Marmol, and Wuertz. The Cubs have all kinds of options to fill the bottom of the pen with (Gallagher, Hart, Cotts, Ohman, Pignatello, and others). The Cubs aren't counting on these guys to be healthy. However, if either of Guzman or Prior can come back and pitch like they are capable it makes the Cubs that much better. These are low risk high reward type moves that this team should make. -Banghart

Nice catch by Jacque, but is there any communication between our outfielders. That is the closest play by far today, but there have been plenty of plays between Jacque and the other OFs right on top of each other to make the catch. -Banghart

Not saying that this is Marmol's future, but the Cubs were saying the same thing about Zambrano when he first came up. -Banghart

I actually thought they would abandon this after the first game where he went 0-4. Soriano by all reports had some agreement that he would only bat leadoff here with Hendry. He showed that he was willing to move around in the order, but unless hed had success right away it was just going to feed into the whole he can't hit anywhere but leadoff thing. My guess is that Soriano was reluctant to move to begin with, and without continuing to hit like he has in the leadoff spot he was going to want to move back. -Banghart

That alone makes it worthwhile to upgrade to premium. -Banghart

Cliff Floyd has been playing really well, but that last at bat was really maddening. Gorman was shrinking the strike zone even more on David Wells after all of his antics, and Cliff Floyd then swings over the top of two pitches in the dirt to let him off the hook. Oh well, at least the Padres are as inept on offense right now. -Banghart

So far I have six pages of discussion about Adam Dunn. If I can sum those pages up it is mostly SABR guys love him because he walks and hits homeruns. Traditional baseball people hate him because strikes out and is a butcher in the field. Both sides of the debate are right because he is all of that. I think the first question that has to be asked is would he help this team. The answer to that question has to be yes. A young left handed power hitter is something the Cubs have needed for a long time. I cannot recall a legitimate left handed RBI guy in the Cubs lineup during the past two decades apart from brief lightning-in-a-bottle acts for a year or two. The blanace that Dunn would bring to the lineup would be immense, and offer an improvement over the horrific production we are getting in RF currently. Dunn is a flawed player there is no doubt, but if he is available he is the best left handed bat available that would fill a legitimate need on this year's team. That brings us to the second important question. Is he really available. Indications right now point to yes, but in all actuality we won't know until he is dealt if he really was available. Dunn has been rumored to be available for several seasons now, but it does make some sense at this point that the Reds would move him. The third and final question that needs to be addressed is how much of an upgrade would Dunn provide. The Cubs production in RF is one of the worst in the league, and the addition of Dunn would make it above average. Dunn could be a long term solution for the Cubs which makes it a lot more intriguing to add him to this team than some other names been tossed about. Derrek Lee's loss of power might signal the end of him being witht he Cubs once his contract runs out, and Adam Dunn at first base would take a lot of pressure off of defense for him while keep a potent left handed bat in the Cubs lineup. Adam Dunn makes this a better a team this year and next year if he can be resigned. All of those questions have to be answered before Adam Dunn can be added to this team because who knows what the actual price for Adam Dunn might be. That being said it does make for an itneresting month and a half while we wait for the trade deadline to pass. -Banghart

All solid points, but the bolded part cannot be overlooked. Tejada is the most likely SS that would be an actual upgrade out there. The Cubs clearly could use another bat, and the upgrade of Tejada over Izturis/Theriot would be the biggest boost we could realistically hope for. That said I am not expecting another Nomar trade this year. -Banghart

Best Simpsons reference evar. -Banghart