vance_the_cubs_fan

I could go 4/52 if it would take that. I'm weary of adding the fifth year, but with the drought of great FA, I'm not sure this team with the payroll it will have would be handcuffed by it.

Teams don't like front loaded contracts. For the most part, they want to hang on to cash as long as they can for interest purposes, etc. Even with other contracts coming up, they can always pay the money aside if they know they have it in the early years and will be tighter in later years.

I think it's going to take 4/50, and I'd still do that. Here's what I do. 4 million signing bonus. 11 million in 2006 11 million in 2007 12 million in 2008 12 million in 2009

I'm hoping the Sox play embarrassingly bad tonight.

God, I hope the Angels sweep!

Nice try on the Nowitski trade :D I missed the draft, I don't like my team. (i thought it was tonight, doh) I might give you Duncan for Nowitzki

Rich Aurilia "backing up" Ronnie Cedeno. ...after all the good free agents are signed, because once again Hendry sits back and "waits for the dust to settle" before making any mobes That's actually a very inaccurate assessment of Hendry's MO. He always seems to move quickly on players he has targeted and much slower on players that he just has an interest in acquiring. Following the 2002 and 2003 seasons, bullpen was the target area. He moved quickly both times to sign Remlinger in 2002 and Hawkins in 2003. Last season, re-signing Nomar was his target and he did it relatively efficiently. While we may disagree with the targets (and I do again in the case of Furcal and not Giles being the target), Hendry has shown an ability to go hard and rapidly after the players he deems to be the ones needed or desired.

Can we reopen the shortstop discussion to include Arod?

I guess then the question is... Why? Head case. See yesterday and Mitch Williams for more. Judging a pitcher on one outing and not the overall numbers is a very ridiculous thing to do. However, one look at his career postseason numbers will show that is he a gutless choking dog when you need him most. Sample.Size. I could do that with Greg Maddux; He isn't all that great in October, does that diminish the pitcher he was? Greg Maddux is going into the Hall of Fame. Kyle Farnsworth is going into the Hall of Fame only if he buys a ticket. Advantage: Maddux. You can run out all the stats you want. I've watched baseball for 30 years, I know a gutless choking dog when I see one. And Farnsworth is a gutless choking dog. He's Calvin Schraldi in tight pants. I've watched a lot of baseball too, and I've learned sometimes the eyes can be decieving. Hell, I saw one game where I was sure Tuffy Rhodes was a HOFer. Three homeruns....wow! Farnsworth has his moments, but he's a hell of a pitcher and pitched better than anyone the Cubs had in the pen this year. Spin your meaningless metaphors all you want, they don't change the facts. Also, had the umpire not blown the double play call at first, this whole argument would've been moot.

First of all, I doubt the Marlins would trade Castillo and Pierre just to move Lowell. Remove Castillo from the deal and it might happen. Of course, the Cubs would not give up that much talent not to get Castilla. I proposed a deal that I felt was feasable, depending on how much you can build up Lowell's value to the Yankees.

I guess the silver lining, if there is one, is the entire coaching staff, including Baker, has one year on their contracts.

I don't think that deal stands a snowball's chance in hell of getting done. The Yankees are going to want a name player to give up Arod. Only if Stein and his cabal are calling the shots. If Cashman is, well, ARod is not the most popular Yankee, and he knows that they need some young, cheap pitching. I think it's a deal that could be considered. When it involves marquis players, Stein is always calling the shots.

So we would get Arod, Castillo, Mota, and Encarnacion for Wood, Cedeno, Walker and Welly. That looks nice...but let's see... The Yankees end up giving Arod for Pierre, Wood, and Lowell. They might do that. The Marlins give up Encarnacion, Castillo, Pierre, Lowell, and Mota and only get Patterson (bust and even a worse hitter in Dolphin Stadium), Cedeno (good), Walker (ok), and Welly (?). Even with shedding payroll, the Marlins could do ten times better if they wanted to unload that much. No way that deal happens.

I don't think that deal stands a snowball's chance in hell of getting done. The Yankees are going to want a name player to give up Arod.

Personally, I don't see any way the Braves can afford Furcal without dealing someone else's salary. They played with an 81 million payroll or somewhere around there this year. They're owned now by Time Warner, so the days of Turner over spending are over. They have the following burdensome contracts for 2006: (I'm not saying these are bad contracts, just the big money they owe players.) 1. Tim Hudson: 10 million 2. A Jones: 13.5 million 3. C. Jones: 17 million 4. J. Smoltz: 8 million 5. Mike Hampton: 13.5 million That's 62 million for five players, leaving them 20 million to complete the roster. That will be assisted with cheap outfield options in Francoer and Kelly Johnson. They'll have some decisions to make in the bullpen and with some of their arbitration eligible talent. I think they could fit Furcal in at 7-8 million, but it would take some manuevering. Marcus Giles made 2.5 million in arbitration last year and is likely to get 4-5 million for 2006. I don't see them being able to afford both Giles and Furcal unless they trade away another big contract.

I think this is the most important statement: If we sign Furcal, it will be a 4/36- 5/42 deal. How will that deal look four or five years down the road? Once again, we're mentioned as a suitor. Hendry has been known to get his targets. I have a strong feeling we'll end up with Furcal. Unfortunately, I believe that will be the totality of the splash we make and that our OF still will be uninspiring.

If the Yankees offered Wood a 1 or 2 year extension to his contract, there may be a shot of him waiving his no trade. Have to agree w/ Tim, ARam and Wood for ARod. Maybe get another minor player from NY. Ramirez and Wood would be overpaying. Rodriguez is better than Ramirez, but he's also paid more and Ramirez is younger. Well, Wood's trade value isn't that high and he could walk in the free agency next offseason w/ the Cubs getting nothing back. Like I said the Cubs can ask for a minor player back from NY. Not really sure who though. Wood's value may not be that high, but Ramirez is. He is a hellova hitter at a reduced price compared to Rodriguez. There's no way you offer the two of those for only one player who really helps you. I would love to have Rodriguez, especially if he can still handle short. I would offer Ramirez for him, but reluctantly. I would not trade Prior for him, and likely not Zambrano either, but I would be tempted. Much depends on whether or not Rodriguez can play short. The best course of action if the Cubs want Rodriguez is to try to invlove a third team that would be looking to shed payroll. How about the Marlins? Cubs get Rodriguez. Yankees get Wood, Patterson, and Lowell. Marlins get Cedeno and Wellemeyer. In essence the Cubs give up Wood, Patterson, Cedeno, and Wellemeyer for Rodriguez. Of those players, only Wood and Cedeno have any real value to the Cubs. The Marlins get to shed Lowell's contract and pick up a cheap infield option as well as a reliever. The real value for the Marlins is the salary relief. The Yankees recieve Lowell to play third, though you'd have to sell them that Lowell can return to his previous form, Wood who could be a dominant starter for them and a defensive CF who could flourish as many LHed hitters do in Yankee stadium. This is a deal I could live with. I'd love to substitute another prospect for Cedeno, but would include him if the deal hinged upon it. The hardest part of this deal is convincing the Yankees that Lowell has value.

If the Yankees offered Wood a 1 or 2 year extension to his contract, there may be a shot of him waiving his no trade. Have to agree w/ Tim, ARam and Wood for ARod. Maybe get another minor player from NY. Ramirez and Wood would be overpaying. Rodriguez is better than Ramirez, but he's also paid more and Ramirez is younger.

I think you'd have to include Ramirez in any deal to get ARod. There's no significant 3B on the market this offseason, so they'd have to make another trade to plug that hole if they trade ARod. Would Steinbrenner be crazy enough to sign Nomar for third?

No, no he's not. He's awful. The Cubs' RF position was 15th in OPS in the NL last year. Burnitz sucks and he can't come back. The only possible way you bring him back is if he's a $1.5 million 4th OF. That roster is terrible. Goony expressed the point much better than I did. Thanks, goony.

I think a comma or period or something is needed there.

The answer to that question is 18, and that was in a season in which he missed over a month of starts. Not that I think wins are any kind of measure, but since you asked, I thought I would share. An 18 win season by measure of wins is pretty damn good. I don't think you trade Prior, even for Rodriguez, and you especially don't trade Prior and other players for Rodriguez.

If Rodriguez is willing to play shortstop again, I'd take him without desiring the Yankees to eat any salary. I wouldn't likely trade Prior to get him though. I doubt we have the players that would make the Yankees bite on moving him, but I might offer Ramirez. If the Yankees were inclined to move Rodriguez, I'd definitely want to get in on those discussions. There aren't many teams that can afford a 16 million or more player, so if they want to send him packing, it could be fun to see where it could go. A couple of thoughts: Could Wood be persuaded to waive his no-trade clause and go to the Yankees? Would a Wood, Patterson, Hill deal interest the Yankees for Arod?

I think he'll trade Constanza to the Astros.

One year deal with an option? Yes. Guaranteed two years? No.