vance_the_cubs_fan

This surely isn't good news. Not the Yankees!

1. Jim Edmonds- need I say more? 2. Craig Biggio- "Hey let me lean into another pitch since they let me wear a kevlar pad on my elbow." 3. Roy Oswalt- A punk. 4. A.J. Alphabet- A punk. Retired players: 1. Albert Belle 2. Dwight Gooden

There's no way we end up with Furcal, Burnett, and Giles. Hopefully we can get two of the three. With Dempster on board, Wagner is superfluous. We have other needs without throwing 10 million a year at Wagner.

all that sounds nice, but id rather not go with the pen you listed and try to squeeze money out of some of the positions youve listed. A little more organized view of what your saying C: Michael Barrett - 3 Mil 1B: Derrek Lee - 8.7 Mil 2B: Todd Walker - 2.5 Mil SS: 3B: Aramis Ramirez - 10.5 Mil LF: Matt Murton - 300k CF: RF: SP: Mark Prior - 3 Mil SP: Kerry Wood - 11 Mil SP: Greg Maddux - 9 Mil SP: Carlos Zambrano - 5.5 Mil SP: Pen RP: Glendon Rusch - 3 Mil RP: Scott Williamson - 500k RP: Michael Wuertz - 400k RP: Robert Novoa - 400k RP: Will Ohman - 400k RP: Rich Hill - 300k RP: Ryan Dempster - 5 Mil Bench C: Henry Blanco - 1.5 Mil IF: Ronny Cedeno - 300k IF: - 1.5 Mil OF: - 1.5 Mil OF: Hairston - 2.5 Mil Total (23 Players) : 70.1 Mil Total Left to Spend: 30-35 Mil So yes, we could field a lineup with 30 mil spread out to those 3 positions, but id rather spend a few more mil on the bullpen by signing a howry type player. Then trade some of our young arms, and trading chips (walker, cedeno, murton, etc..) for a starting pitcher/CF, sign Giles (for w/e it takes), sign furcal, and maybe ice the cake by trading for luis castillo? :) sound good to me. I wasn't necessarily advocating spending 30 million on those three, I was just demonstrating the possibility in doing so. If we could sign Furcal and Giles, I'd love to bring Patterson back to platoon with Hairston in CF and then use some of the cash to make a stronger bench and sign Dotel. I was primarily showing that the Cubs have the money to compete on about any FA they may have interest in acquiring.

The Padres have recinded their offer to Giles. Link. The article implies that this doesn't mean the Padres don't want him, only that they don't want him to shop the offer.

Isn't it about time to get this party started?

I'm going to stay in denial on this rumor until it actually happens. I want to enjoy the offseason a little longer, if possible.

Look at 2004, though. We had a team full of head-cases and look what happened to the team. Although I would've liked to have kept Moises. Look what happened in 2005. We had great chemistry in the club house and finished worse than in 2004. Give me the talent to win and hope the chemistry takes care of itself. AJ. Alphabet was supposedly a horrible clubhouse guy. The White Sox win and he's a now a great guy according to team mates. Winning usually fixes most problems. I think we'd have a better chance of winning with Bradley.

We signed Dusty as manager partially because he is supposed to be able to handle head-cases like Bradley. I say it's time for Dusty to earn his keep. If Bradley is being offered on the cheap, the Cubs should jump all over it.

If my numbers are correct, the Cubs have 10 players (Barrett, Blanco, Dempster, Lee, Prior, Ramirez, Wood, Walker,Williamson, Rusch and Maddux) for 63 million dollars. Add Zambrano for 5.5 million and that puts 11 players for 66.5 million dollars. If Rusch is in the pen and not the rotation, then we still need to add a fifth starter, a shortstop, three outfielders, 4-5 bullpen arms and 4-5 bench spots. Filling some of those with Murton (300 K), Cedeno (300 K), Ohman (400 K), Wuertz (400 K), Hill (300 K), and Novoa (400 K) I'm at 68.6 million and still need a SP,CF, RF, SS and three bench positions. If I keep Hairston for the bench and possible CF at 2.5 million, I end up at 71.1 million. Put aside 2.9 million to finish out the bench, and that puts the payroll at 74 million. If we have a 105 million payroll, I have 31 million to find my SS, RF, CF and SP. If I use Jerome Williams for the fifth starter or put him in the pen and shuttle Rusch to the fifth starter, then we'll have about 30 million to fill those three spots. We could conceivably throw 10 million each at SS, RF, and CF. We have the money to sign both Furcal, Giles, and make a deal for a high paid CF. If we throw money at Burnett, we could still get one of Furcal and Giles and possibly both if we shuffle money in the right spaces. If we keep Patterson around at roughly three million, we'll have a little less. I type all this to say that I don't think I'll be upset if we sign Furcal. We have the money to give him 10 million and still go after Giles or a premier RF via trade.

I have no problem with the Cubs signing Furcal. I just hope that isn't the only improvement we make. As I've said in another thread, the Cubs have more than enough money to sign two of the biggest free agents out there. I hope that we either sign Giles or make a trade for a legitimate rightfielder. Furcal does improve this team. He just doesn't improve it enough if we end up with Juan Encarnacion in right.

Not if you are a Cubs fan. It's all relative brah. Hey mods, how much is premium, and is the price worth it for the ignore list alone? Premium is worth it. Plus you get some really cool smileys...like this :starwars:

:shock: Washburn isn't as overrated and is a LEFTY. I believe that we need at least one lefty in the rotation. Don't get me wrong, I'd love Burnett but Washburn won't demand as much and probably won't want as many years as Burnett wants. Having one lefty in the rotation is what led us to sign Estes for 2003. Washburn's recent stat line. 2005: 3.20 ERA 274 BAA 2002-2004: 4.08 ERA, 266 BAA Burnett's recent stat line. 2005: 3.44 ERA, 237 BAA 2002-2004: 3.61 ERA, 234 BAA I'll take Burnett's numbers over Washburn.

Anaheim could use a DH if they keep Garrett Anderson in the OF. Baltimore or Texas also could be in the market for a DH.

The Cubs have the money to make a run at all three guys. I have the Cubs payroll at roughly 78 million for 11 players (Barrett, Blanco, Dempster, Lee, Maddux, Prior, Ramirez, Rusch, Walker, Williamson, Wood) Assume Murton is in LF at 300K, put Cedeno there at 300K, Zambrano at 5.5 million (he made 3.7 in 2005) and Hairston on the bench at 2.4 million and the payroll stands at 83 million for 15 players. If you fill out the bullpen with Novoa (350 K), Wuertz (350 K) and Ohman (350 K) and Hill (350), we'd be a little over 85 million and still need a SS, RF, CF and fifth starter if you don't use Rusch there along with a couple of bench players. If the Cubs operate with a 105 million payroll, there's still 20 million to pursue Giles, Furcal, and Burnett. While that's not enough for all three of those, it is surely enough to possibly get two. The best course is to pursue all three and take the first two to sign along the dotted line.

An injury prone pitcher and an overrated SS for 20-25m a year? I'd rather pay Furcal 9 million and Burnett 10-11 million than pay Jaque Jones 5 million or Preston Wilson 5 million. Considering Juan Encarnacion is likely to get 6 million in this market and Weaver is likely to get 7-8 million, I'm not that concerned. The lack of quality free agents is going to cause nearly everyone to be a little overpaid as people scrounge to fill holes. The Cubs have almost 40 million coming off the books, so I don't think fitting these guys into the budget is going to be that difficult.

:shock:

Free Dodgers prospects for everyone!!!!

If we do sign Burnett, we'll head into 2006 with a rotation of Prior, Zambrano, Wood Burnett, and Maddux. With Rusch already signed, you can bet there will be a trade involving Mitre and Williams and possibly Hill. If, and it's an If the size of Texas, that rotation stays healthy, it will be very good...if not the best in baseball.

Hoops, did Gammons specifically name the two 300K players as Murton and Cedeno, or is it possible the two 300K players are Murton and Pie?

With the money the Cubs have to spend along with the weak FA class, I would hope to see the Cubs mentioned with every top FA. I'd pursue Furcal, Giles, and Burnett. It isn't likely we sign all of them...probably not likely to sign even two of them, but if we heavily pursue all of them we greatly increase or chances of at least getting one of them. The Cubs probably could afford all three for this year; it would be affording them plus raises to Prior and Zambrano that could handcuff them in the future.

I think Mitre will be a part of a trade not because he's crappy. I like him, actually, but he's out of options and will have to remain on the 25 man roster or be exposed to waivers. It's obvious that the Cubs have other candidates ahead of him for the rotation and bullpen, so I fully expect him to be part of some trade in some form.

Does the fact it will take five years to get him change interest at all? The teams listed as interested in A.J. are the Blue Jays, Rangers, Red Sox, Orioles, and Mariners. This is just a negotiation ploy. Remember Beltran wanting 10 yrs? There's no way he gets five years from anyone - you can bank on it. In this weak market, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get it. Teams will have money to spend and few quality guys to spent it on. With his age and potential, he's one guy I could see getting a 5/50 deal.

I agree, and I certainly hadn't thought about the day games ending at at what? 5 PM? And 5 PM in Wrigleyville really is a bar scene. There's no denying it. Still, I really respect the fact that he didn't participate in the champaign. That is incredibly telling in my opinion. 4 years, 35 million....4 years, 35 million.....4 years, 35 million..... 4/38 or 5/45 is what it's going to take.

EspnInsider is reporting that Burnett is seeking a five-year deal. It doesn't state a dollar amount, but simply says he wants five years. Does the fact it will take five years to get him change interest at all? The teams listed as interested in A.J. are the Blue Jays, Rangers, Red Sox, Orioles, and Mariners.