TXCubsFan

While it would make some sense for the Orioles to reload, Angelos is afraid of the competition for area fans with the Washington Nationals. The impact of the Nats on his market is serious since we are talking about cable contracts etc. The Orioles would also need to unload Javier Lopez, Melvin Mora, Hernandez, etc. in an effort to rebuild. Agreed. I think picking from Raw's prospect trading list for Tejada would be a reasonable thing for the Os to do if they really want to compete in 2008.

Why? If Ronnyc isn't headed to Baltimore he's going to your starting second baseman most likely if Walker gets dealt or not. It would suck for RonnyC to watch Perez getting starts over him not one of the best shortstops in the majors if not the best in Miggy. You said it yourself. Do you really think Baker will play Ronny over Neifi? Yes, I do. What I do think will happen is that Ronnie will play 120-130 games, not 155 games.

The only reason that I could see the Cubs locking Neifi! into such a rich contract was a negotiating leverage (a hedge) when trying to sign or trade for a middle infielder this season. Hendry might have felt that overpaying Neifi! a couple of million over two years might save the Cubs a valued prospect in a trade or five million in a long-term contract.

There was speculation, yes. The facts appear to be that the O's asked for Prior or Z, and the Cubs have balked at that demand. Most are speculating now that the Cubs have offered a package of prospects, but the O's did not want it (at least initially). Rogers initimated as much in this morning's Trib. He also opined that whatever the least sensible deal is, the O's will likely do it. For once I agree with Phil. :lol:

Erik's quote was "Nothing good can come from having Marquis Grissom on this team. Nothing" A top character guy is something, isn't it? I highly respect the opinion of Mr. Miles, and I think he's one of the more valuable posters on this community. However, he and I must agree to disagree on this one. Grissom may be a good clubhouse guy. If Bruce says it, I believe it (kind of like Cronkite back in the day). However, I think that the extreme possibility of misuse by Dusty would greratly outweigh any potential good that Grissom could bring to the clubhouse. We had a bunch of "good chemistry" guys last year. It didn't work out that well. I disagree. Given Grissom's age, I don't think Dusty can misuse him badly. And if Grissom takes 75 ABs against LHP away from Jacque Jones, then Grissom will have earned his salary.

Found at : Link A player in the Cubs system who is grounded in the fundamentals. :shock:

Sounds about right.

I'd prefer to have Neifi! at SS and Cedeno at 2B rather than get Soriano. :lol:

I think he'd be great, but where would we put him?

A one-year contract with Wilson wouldn't be a bad thing if it allows Pie to develop at Iowa. A Murton/Jones platoon hitting second in the batting order would be very nice, as long as Wilson batted sixth. Would be much cheaper than two years of Gonzo.

Markakis and Hayden Penn, then, it had better be. Markakis and Loewen would be preferable, imo. Loewen is like Hill, only with a sinker and younger. Getting Markakis makes sense, but why trade Hill to get Loewen or Penn? Why not just trade Tejada and Markakis for Prior and Patterson?

not merely far from possible, this is a probable scenario IMHO. Or perhaps we'll see another scenario, where the Cub offense sucks like a bilge pump for the next two years because (1) they didn't get Tejada and (2) Pie flames out at AAA, so their great pitching goes to waste, especially since Hill tops out as a LOOGY. The 2003 WS Champs are now a AAA team, and the 2004 WS Champs may be playing for third in their division in 2006. Baseball is an unpredictable game.

If that's the case, then I'd rather Hendry cut out the middle man, lose his obsession with Tejada, and go after some of the Angels' best prospects. Not a bad idea in another situation, but the Cubs have Pierre, Ramirez, Barrett and Lee in their prime and are leaning on a couple of promising rookies in the starting lineup (Murton, Cedeno). That combination might be leading Hendry to get Tejada and Bedard for results now rather than some of the Angels' prospects who will bloom in two years.

Good question. Gotta figured New York and Boston will come a callin soon. Hopefully, Hendry keeps holding his cards for a while. If Prior can't handle being dangled as trade bait & his feelings are crushed, I don't want him anyway. He hasn't pitched well enough to be considered untouchable. Perhaps he's getting a little bit of a swollen head?? Who knows. Good catch on chemistry btw. Thanks. Also, I think its worth throwing around the notion that Prior has no intention of staying here once he hits his walk year. Could he be Giles-like in that he will be headed back to So Cal no matter what? Its possible, I guess, that JH knows this or strongly suspects it and therefore is trying to trade Prior before his bargaining position becomes weak or desperate (the opposite of what he did with Sammy). Or maybe Prior privately requested a trade too. He's had a run of bad luck here in Chicago, so he might want a fresh start. If he does want to return to SoCal long-term, nothing wrong with Hendry getting value for him now. He may spend a year in the purgatory that is Baltimore, but I bet Stockstill is checking out the farm systems of the Angels and Dodgers.

I think JH is counting on the rotation looking like this: Z Wood Maddux Williams Guzman I'd certainly rather it be that way than having Rusch in the rotation, so may be its wishful thinking on my part. Aside from Z the pitching rotation would be pathetic. Do you guys really expect Wood to be back and injury free? Maddux is likely going to regress again this year. Williams is a good #5 right now and Guzman is in the same category as Wood. TERRIBLE. So in the end we're going to lose Prior because we lost on Furcal. Jim.... settle down. Tejada is NOT worth Prior. Give them Hill, CPatt, Guz, and another. If they turn it down, it's their loss. Of course Baltimore is going to take this trade. They'd be idiots not to. I hate you, Jim. Honestly, truly hate you. You guys keep forgetting Bedard. He's a huge chip. Prior + Hill > Tejada + Bedard I disagree IF Guzman is healthy.

I think JH is counting on the rotation looking like this: Z Wood Maddux Williams Guzman I'd certainly rather it be that way than having Rusch in the rotation, so may be its wishful thinking on my part. Aside from Z the pitching rotation would be pathetic. Do you guys really expect Wood to be back and injury free? Maddux is likely going to regress again this year. Williams is a good #5 right now and Guzman is in the same category as Wood. TERRIBLE. Wouldn't the rotation be, Z Wood Maddux Bedard Williams It's hard for me to believe that Hendry could survive another offseason after trading away Sosa and Prior for less than full value in the previous 2. Sosa: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4344 Hairston: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6127 Looks to me that we got good value for Sosa. :wink:

The core question for the Orioles, it seems to me, is whether they are ready to rebuild or are they willing to limp along in mediocrity. If they want to rebuild, the only justification for asking for Prior rather than a Hill/Guzman combo is that they believe that they can spin Prior for better prospects in the Dodgers or Angels farm systems. Hendry might be better to sit pat and start with a Cedeno / Hairston middle infield with Neifi playing once or twice a week. If Guzman and Hill are the real thing, then other, more promising, trades will develop over time. The Cards and Astros have had weak offseasons, and I suspect the Brewers are a year away. No need for a panic trade.

The Cubs signing of Todd Hundley was one of the worst contracts ever. Even worse was the Dodgers trading Grudz and Karros for Hundley.

sorry, been out of it for a while, but maybe they have not pulled the trigger because it is a rumor. Just a rumor. I have failed to see anything of significant value than some reporters stating that the Cubs should do it. When does something cross that line from being a report from a rumor? Just wondering... All I want for Christmas is Prior in the rotation...I am getting sick thinking about trading him... Usually when this kind of thing happens, and its false, Hendry comes out of his lair to do some PR damage control. The fact that he isn't refuting the Prior trade discussions is alarming. Hendry rarely says anything when the media is talking, i don't see how this is any different. Is the rumor true, maybe and I am sure to some extent. ESPN an other news outlets are hitting this pretty hard. But lets look back at his history rather than judging him on a future that none of us have any clue about. I think the trade is possible, and I am sure the O's asked about Prior if the Cubs asked about Tejada. None of us have any other clue to what is going on outside of that, and its not Hendry's job to give us day to day updates. While there are valid criticisms of Hendry - not enough emphasis on OPS/OBP (as Mr. Miles as mentioned) - he is rational, patient, and not prone to panic. He has the misfortune of dealing with some owners or other GMs who are stupid, irrational, or both, which makes trading a real challenge. Offering Prior as trade bait makes sense if what he gets in return is worth the sacrifice (Tejada would qualify). It's also possible that Prior has told Hendry that he'd prefer to be in southern California in the long run, which could influence Hendry's decision to put him on the trading block for the right player, such as Tejada. I can only imagine that Stockstill is willing to get Prior to flip him to the Dodgers or Angels for prospects at a later date, as the Orioles really need to rebuild the way the Indians have done recently. Think of it as Stockstill and Hendry trying to deal with the crazy owner of the Orioles.

Someone at the Q has had too much Christmas eggnog. :lol:

I think Hendry wants Tejada, and the owner of the Orioles is stupid enough to want "a front-line" starter rather than rebuild the team for 2008. A smart owner would want a Guzman/Hill/Bedard combo rather than Prior.

If this trade happens, at some point the Cubs need a three-way trade centered on sending Wood to Texas (as a closer) and having the Dodgers send the Cubs Lowe. Good luck with that Wood trade. You'd have better luck trying to fold a piece of paper 8 times. He's not going to be traded. He's coming off an arm surgery, his best value is as a starter anyway, and he has a Full. No. Trade.Clause. He's not going to uproot his family and pregnant wife to go pitch for Texas, unless they offer hin an extension, which they'd be crazy to do, given his injury history. A trade to Texas isn't so far-fetched. He grew up in the DFW area.

sorry, been out of it for a while, but maybe they have not pulled the trigger because it is a rumor. Just a rumor. I have failed to see anything of significant value than some reporters stating that the Cubs should do it. When does something cross that line from being a report from a rumor? Just wondering... All I want for Christmas is Prior in the rotation...I am getting sick thinking about trading him... The O's ownership is not being smart by asking for Prior unless they plan to spin him into a trade with either the Dodgers or the Angels for prospects. Asking for Zambrano is just stupid and greedy, IMO.

If this trade happens, at some point the Cubs need a three-way trade centered on sending Wood to Texas (as a closer) and having the Dodgers send the Cubs Lowe.

I think you're right. Which is another reason this deal needs to be all prospects or non-core ML players, or we walk away. Can you minagine Prior with Mazzone? Prior will likely be traded to the Angels for prospects, don't you think?