vance_the_cubs_fan

Why would we want a former roid user who wasn't good even when he was on the juice. He's Tom Goodwin, only worse.

Can we send them Pierre in exchange for this guy?

It's a little better than last year, but not much. It also doesn't include Walker, so I know the list is incomplete. It also has some players who have already been extended like Lee and Ortiz. There's more pitching, especially from the left side. Assume the Cubs have a core back of these guys: 1b Lee 2b: ? 3b: Ramirez SS: Cedeno LF: Murton CF: RF: Jones (though, I'm eager to replace him) SP: Zambrano SP: Prior SP: Marshall/Guzman/Hill The bullpen should be adequate to good next season with Dempster, Howry and Eyre all returning. The remaining three spots can be filled with guys like Ohman, Wuertz, Ryu, Novoa and possible Marmol or other arms on the farm. If we don't keep Maddux and let Wood go, we could have around 25 million or so to play with on the free agent market. If we use Theriot, Perez, and Pagan as the mainstays on the bench and Soto as the back-up catcher, we won't need to spend much on the bench. I'd call up Pie to play CF and try to deal Jones if possible. If I'm forced to keep Jones, I'd likely try to get a player like Craig Wilson to platoon with him. Jose Guillen could be another option there as well. If I'm able to deal Jones, I hope that Drew voids his option or if Sheffield's option isn't picked up, I try to get him on a one-year deal. The pickings are slim at secondbase. I'd love to keep Walker, but I assume he is gone. Adam Kennedy or Ronnie Belliard could be decent replacements as would be Luis Castillo if the Twins decline his option. I'd like to get one if not two veteran starting pitchers to anchor the rotation behind Zambrano, Prior and the youngsters. Mulder and Zito top the list, but I also would be interested in Schmidt as well. The Cubs will have the money to be players. A deal for a player like Abreu isn't entirely out of the question either.

Look at it this way: If we vote a team full of Cubs, they're sure to lose which once again screws the Cardinals in getting homefield advantage for the World Series.

Excuse my ignorance, but is Daric Barton a good player? I took my son to a minor league game here in Tucson and we ended up catching a Home Run Ball that he hit. Okay, maybe catching wasn't the right word, but the ball landed in front of us so I grabed it.... Sickels ranked him the 18th best hitting prospect in all of baseball in his 2006 book. I'd say he's a very good prospect. He's a much better AL prospect, though, as he has DH written all over him. Agreed, but if I could get him in a deal for a player like Maddux, I'd take him. He could be spun to an AL club in the offseason.

Considering that most of the tickets have already been sold, that shouldn't be a concern. When trying to trade to rebuild a franchise, it is imperative to trade any player that you don't control beyond this season if you can get anything of value. Holding on to them for sentimental reasons and then losing them for nothing does the team's long term future no good. I doubt we even get a draft pick for Maddux if we hold on to the end of the season. His contract is too high to offer him arbitration at his age. If the Cubs aren't contending this year, Maddux may be the most valuable trade chip we have to get future players. There's little difference in a 85 loss team and a 95 loss team. Neither are worth a crap.

Excuse my ignorance, but is Daric Barton a good player? I took my son to a minor league game here in Tucson and we ended up catching a Home Run Ball that he hit. Okay, maybe catching wasn't the right word, but the ball landed in front of us so I grabed it.... Sickels ranked him the 18th best hitting prospect in all of baseball in his 2006 book. I'd say he's a very good prospect.

You just hit the nail on the freaking head!

You know I've lost interest when I actually spent this morning grading papers.

I'm not sure Durazo can even play in the field any longer which would make me hesitant to give him a deal.

I say we give them Freddie Bynum for him. I think the Rockies need a fast, versatile player like Bynum. It's going to hurt to lose Bynum, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullett.

Buster Olney chimes in on his blog

Is Neifi in the lead at 2nd? Walker's my man there!

"Davey, how much would it take for you to manage again?"

Question for all: Do we overvalue Cedeno and Murton? Cedeno is currently ranked 15th among shortstops in VORP, so he's middle of the pack offensively, and he's slumping right now, so he could drop into the bottom third. Defensively, his range is great, but his throwing accuracy has been a problem. He's ranked as very below average defensively by Clay Davenport's fielding metric. As the season progresses, I expect him to get past the wildness, but it may not happen. His OBP has been extremely average-driven. He's in the bottom 9 in all of MLB in pitches per plate appearance, joining notorious free-swingers like Vlad Guerrero and Jeff Francoeur. PECOTA projects Ronny to be worth about 3 wins above a replacement player this year. That looks good to Cubs fans because it's better than Neifi Perez, but it's not that great, either. And PECOTA doesn't see him improving much if at all over the next 5 years. Murton has been a slightly below average fielder in left (his awkward fielding makes him look worse than he actually is). His OBP is great, but his slugging isn't what you want from a corner outfielder. He is among the league leaders in ground balls (last I heard, he was right behind Juan Pierre). Like Cedeno, Cubs fans support Murton because he's so much better than what we saw in LF for much of last year. If Murton can keep his OBP up, he might make a good leadoff hitter, but if he's a starter, the Cubs would need to pick up some power at a position in which power is not normally expected (SS, 2B, CF, etc). It's not that I overvalue Murton and Cedeno, but they're cheap and under team control for the foreseeable future. That's why I don't deal them in any trade this year. If the Cubs decide they can upgrade those positions down the road, then great. Neither player is going to walk at the end of the season and neither costs a great deal of cash so dealing either one doesn't make much sense. Now, in November as the Cubs are constructing a roster in hopes of contending again, then a further evaluation of both players is needed.

Definitely a mystery to me, too. I weep daily that Hendry wouldn't trade Hill for Dunn. Daily, I tell you.

Too much time on your hands? I've voted over 7000 times for the ASG. That's too much time. :)

I think there was an emotional let down when Lee got hurt. That coupled with inconsistent pitching, an inept offense, a long grueling road trip, and a bad approach at the plate have all led to the demise. I don't know that the players quit, but I think it is getting to that point.

I may start watching more Texas Rangers games.

re-signs or resigns? I think Vance means resigns in this situation. I do. My mistake.

I'm not sure I agree. Barrett is the best offensive catcher in the NL right now. I'd hold on to him, but if trading him was part of a larger plan to rebuild this franchise, I wouldn't object. That's an excellent point. I included Barrett as part of the core because he's signed beyond this year, is not a drag on the team, and seems to be part of the team's plan. That doesn't mean he shouldn't be moved, but moving him isn't a priority. The only guy in the "core" that I'm not real keen on right now is Ramirez, but that's largely based on his recent play. If I try judging objectively, he's one of the real good 3rd baseman in the league and has solidified a position that's been a trouble spot for the Cubs for as long as I've been alive. Even still, I'm not real happy with him right now. and it is possible to blow the whole thing up...and if I had heard any rumblings that Ramirez would opt out of his contract, I'd probably trade him too. One thing that must be considered is that outside of some starting pitching, next year's FA class is as weak if not weaker than last year's. The Cubs aren't going to be able to completely rebuild through free agency. Having these contracts (Wood's 11 million, Maddux's 9 million, Walker's 2.5) come off the books will not be enough to position the team in a good place, yet it will help some. We need to acquire players who will help or players whom we can trade for players that can help. That's what this firesale should accomplish.

Dusty looked battered in the post-game press conference. I know he has prided himself in never quitting, but I'm not sure he wants to play this one out. I could see him working out an agreement in which he re-signs but yet keeps a portion of his salary for this year. I'm not sure he really wants an extension. He's made enough money, so he could sit out and go fishing until some desperate team called him to manage. Davey Johnson, please!

I'm not sure I agree. Barrett is the best offensive catcher in the NL right now. I'd hold on to him, but if trading him was part of a larger plan to rebuild this franchise, I wouldn't object. That's an excellent point. I included Barrett as part of the core because he's signed beyond this year, is not a drag on the team, and seems to be part of the team's plan. That doesn't mean he shouldn't be moved, but moving him isn't a priority.

I'm not saying we should make the trades as soon as possibe, but I think the offers, etc should begin now. If a team makes a great offer now, then take it. In some cases, waiting is best. A team might get more and more desperate closer to the deadline. On the other hand, sometimes teams might pay more now because they will have the player over a longer period of time. Either is just as likely as the other, but it is imperative that the shop open and the Cubs see what the offers are. This is a flawed team, yet it still has a strong core. Getting pieces that can augment that core in 2007 or be used to acquire better pieces is essiential if the Cubs are to move forward.

I think Maddux has to go. If you like Maddux, just outbid everyone for him this fall. His agent is Boras so you won't get any deals by signing him early. Furthermore, by sending him to another team, the Cubs could increase the liklihood of re-signing him as they won't have to worry with the pesky arbitration deadline if they don't offer and they won't I would handle Maddux differently, even letting him have some say as to where he is traded. While Quentin might could be had for a Ryu or Marmol, I'd rather have all three. Maddux is an impending FA, so that means he's considered lost for this season unless he signs the extension NOW. In doing a firesale correctly, emotional ties cannot cloud the judgement. Any player not signed for 2007 must be offered to maximize the returns. I love Walker, but with his contract up after 2006, he's gone if I'm the GM. I might try to get him back in 2007, but I'd trade him without hesitation now.