CuseCubFan69

Is it possible that the Cubs think they won't be able to afford both Z and Prior? Isn't Boras both of their agents and they are going to be quite expensive in a couple of years. Trust me, somebody will be willing to offer each of these guys 14 or more a year.

I think they would want a more impact bat then Murton now that they have so many holes to fill. It's possible that a Patterson, Pie, Cedeno and Murton could work depending on how high on Cedeno they would be.

Gammons just said that the Red Sox shold look at Glaus....don't they already have 2 3rd baseman?

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around your characterization of a possible future event as a fact ??? :wink: Maybe I'm just too optimistic for my own good, but I kind of believed Bruce Miles yesterday when he said Neifi wouldn't be starting. If Baker were fired today I would think that would be the greatest move Hendry could make. Who are you going to believe about Perez....some guy that spends all his time with the Cubs or some guy in Syracuse? :wink: I remember the Dubois thing last off season and him starting in left last year and no way do I see Baker starting Cedeno over Perez. The only way Cedeno starts is if Perez is the SS or Cedeno is the SS and Perez is starting 2nd. What really worries me is who is going to bat second on this team the way it is now. Walkers is as good as gone.

Welcome to my world. Try living in NY. I'm up to here listening to this stupid signing. Since when did Damon become a God?

I advocated signed Mark Sweeney as the LH'ed bat off the bench at the beg. of the off-season, but looking at the '05 numbers of Sweeney and Perez for a platoon situation. Sweeney vs. RH'ers/Perez vs. LH'ers combined 336ABs 96H 18DB 1TR 18HRs 3HBP 57BB 77Ks .286/.386/.506 Just food for thought. Adjusted 05' OPS for J. Jones-.736. Adjusted 05' OPS for a Sweeney/Perez platoon-.938 Jones is a better defensive OF then they are, what does that translate into numbers when you combine offense and defense? Also, Bruce mentioned that the Cub pitchers got quite annoyed at blown DP's by Walker wouldn't they be even more upset about missed flyballs?

So you don't think Baker and/or Hendry should get extension's? :D

I agree Cuse, and at the risk of going against the "groupthink" that peolpe erroneously assert goes on here, I think Bedard + Tejada for Prior + top prospect is a fair trade. Now, I don't know if I would do the trade, but I would think hard about it. The Cubs need to shake things up. Hendry cannot think that this team is a playoff contender as it stands right now. The time to win for the Cubs is now. If I'm Hendry I talk to my people and ask if Prior can get back his pin point control. I also ask about Tejada's age and try to get stats for comparable players his age to try to project towards the future. There is a lot to think about. But that is why the GM makes the big bucks. IMO it is nowhere near as bad a trade ideas as people are making it out to be. I agree that Tejada's real age is a worry along with the possible steroid allegations. Maybe it's a guilty by association but he was teammates with Giambi and Raffy. If Miggy just puts up 20/80/275 numbers I'm not sure he is worth it. But as you say if the Cubs can work a deal that helps them get better and it's a fair trade I have no problem with it. It'll be a gamble but to get quality you have to give up quality. I still have issues on what Hendry thinks is quality and the worries about Tejada that I mentioned above.

Still denying the fact that Perez is going to get 500 or more AB's Fred? You do have Baker as the manager of this team...right? :D

I have no problem with the Cubs trading Prior if it makes the team better. What worries me is that I no longer trust Hendry to do so.

I'm happy atleast one reporter is saying it. I hope it starts to come out in the Chicago Media. Some guy from Baseball Prospectus that was interviewed on ESPNews said about the same thing. "The Cubs still don't understand the value of OBP."

Bruce, why is Hendry still set on moving Walker? If he were the trade chip for a rightfielder, I could understand...but that spot is filled. What beneift could the Cubs get from trading him? Is there something about him that we don't know, or is Hendry that clueless? Boy would I love to hear a candid answer tothat question. I always give candid answers, both here and in the newspaper. The Cubs, as Goony mentioned, are stressing defense, for better or worse. They don't seem to like the way Walker plays the position compared with other second baseman. There are pitchers who've also voiced concern about the defense behind them. The Cubs feel, again right or wrong, that if the defense can turn the double play instead of extending the inning, their pitchers will have a better chance. I, too, am dismayed by the Cubs' seeming lack of emphasis on OBP and OPS. From an offensive standpoint, Walker certainly would look good in the No. 2 spot. And for the money _ and considering what they spent for a lot of mid-level guys _ Walker is an absolute bargain. Walker might annoy them with some of his comments to the media from time to time, but that really has no bearing on them not wanting to keep him. It's interesting to note, however, that Walker has worn out his welcome with other teams. If he does go, I'll miss him, not only because he provides provocative and juicy quotes. He's one of the best guys I've dealt with. Thanks Bruce....very interesting stuff.

The Cubs did hire Jerry Lewis as the European Scout and he has helped sign Pierre and Jacque.

This is a no brainer...Alex Escobar. He's a toolsy player and isn't very good so he's got Hendry written all over him. What do I win?

Mike Kiley wrote that Walker is behind Neifi on the depth chart right now. I really think people have to come to terms with the idea of Neifi getting 500 plate appearances, or more. This lineup will not be good. It might not be terrible, but it's certainly capable of it. Absolutely. Perez will start at 2nd or SS and bat 2nd unless Baker sees Jones as a 2 hitter and the Cubs will have a huge hole at the 5 spot....along with the 2.

And they became a great team after adding Jimmy. :D

I'm hoping that jones was signed due to an imminent trade for Tejada or dunn or Manny or any player that would be a significant upgrade over a current Cub position player. Anyone else severly depressed today? I didn't have one drink last night and yet I feel hungover. Nope. I'm ready to go to work and think of ways to help the Cubs win games! :D Wait a minute, you're drunk now, aren't you??? Delrious perhaps but I still think there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I wonder what Baltimore would really ask Hendry for? I'd like the Cubs to sing Weaver and Byrnes would be a nice choice to have as an extra OF. I wonder what the compitition is going to be like for him? How much longer are Z and Prior under Cub control?

Would Bynes sign a contract for a team he would just platoon for? He is a free agent and has the choice to go anywhere he wants now, right?

With the wind at Wrigley isn't being a linedrive hitter a good thing?

I'm hoping that jones was signed due to an imminent trade for Tejada or dunn or Manny or any player that would be a significant upgrade over a current Cub position player. Anyone else severly depressed today? I didn't have one drink last night and yet I feel hungover. Nope. I'm ready to go to work and think of ways to help the Cubs win games! :D

This is a message board. When Hendry signed Nomar people were happy. When Hendry got Barrett people were happy. When Hendry traded Sosa people were happy. When Hendry signed Burnitz people where unhappy. It is completly unreasonable for people to be happy about Jones given his career arc, the Cubs payroll, and need. A little optimism does go a long way. Blindness however, only gets one to walk into walls over and over again. Being unhappy about the way the offseason has gone is one thing, but the level of melodramatic overreaction and blanket criticism in recent weeks has been ridiculous. Sure Jones sucks, and it is disappointing we didn't do better. Hendry has done a poor job, and I think we could do better than him, too. The upcoming season is going to be harder than it needed to be. But people are dismissing even the hint of optimism as lunacy and declaring Hendry the antichrist and the 2006 season as dead already. It's just silly. It's like mob panic. Welcome to Springfield U.S.A!

That sounds like a nice plan. If the Red Sox don't have bad feelings for Walker I see him going in that move too.

I know the Cubs have lost their 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks for 2006 so do these signings hurt the future as well as the present? These middle relief guys better be lights out along with Jones playing decent baseball.

I did hear on ESPN that the Red Sox were hoping that Patterson was going to be non-tendered. I wonder if Hendry can still look into that.