CuseCubFan69

I'll take blame for starting this "war of words" though I didn't expect it. I was trying to point out that the $3M saved by trading Ohman and Infante could be used to sign Prior for 2008. Sorry. No need to apologize hoops! I wonder what the Braves are going to do with Infante?

I think this is true for any fans for their GM.

Can he still play OF or handle right at Wrigley?

It's $135 plus fees. I'm not sure how much the Ticketmaster fees are. The cheapest I've found is StubHub and they have a few tickets at $398. Sideline tickets are going for $700 - $1000 per. Wow, that's a lot of money. What did they go for originally? $135 Yikes....I'm in the wrong business. I wonder what the hottest ticket is this bowl season.

Did Cotts turn it around at Iowa or did he continue to be wild?

How many times have we seen this before with Hendry? Trade player A for Player B( plus other crap) then turn around and trade player B for Player C, who is even worse than B+the crap thrown in. I can think of at least a couple of times in the last 2-3 years. If Hendry can use the cash to get an Impact player, I think it would be a solid move. I hope so, but, I'll still look at it as a big IF until he actually makes a quality trade or signing. If that happens, then I agree, it's a good move. I'll regain some semblance of trust in Hendry if he already has a couple things worked out( ie Fukudome) and just needed to clear some salary to finalize them. Well it looks as if he's clearing the path for something to happen. What that is, should be a very interesting topic.

Does anyone have McLouth's numbers? What does he project to be...player wise?

The Maddux trade bugged me a lot more than the Jones one did.

That's my guess too. The Cubs are most likely making a phoney show of faith in Dempster's ability to start in the hope that it will inflate his trade value enough to make him movable without having to eat any salary. Purely from a business standpoint it's not a bad idea, though it's kinda sleazy to mislead Dempster with false promises. As sleazy as it may sound, I'd prefer Cubs management take a more sleazy route than just give players away. Like Beck?

I guess it comes down to who you believe more, Sullivan or Levine? Is there an option C? Pagan.

I disagree. Willis has a perceived value that would likely net them some young talent. I think they could get more by dealing them separately. That perceived value is why he is going to make a ton of cash in arbitration. Cash Florida probably has very little interest in paying. And some team will be willing to pay that ton of cash in arbitration AND give up talent to get him. I would probably compare any Cabrera/Willis deal to the Beckett/Lowell deal. Taking Lowell and his salary was a condition to getting Beckett. The package Boston put together was geared towards Beckett. They didn't add pieces to get Lowell. Same thing here, probably. I think Willis has a lot more value to teams than Lowell did though. A lefty that can give you innings and keep you in a game is pretty desired.

How many times have we seen this before with Hendry? Trade player A for Player B( plus other crap) then turn around and trade player B for Player C, who is even worse than B+the crap thrown in. I can think of at least a couple of times in the last 2-3 years. If Hendry can use the cash to get an Impact player, I think it would be a solid move.

I just think it's important to be honest and point out the very obvious personel vendetta you have against Mark Prior and his so-called lack of toughness, when you try and claim it's just about making a smart business move. Personal vendetta? Wow. I see the Cubs wasting money on a guy that I think isn't going to help them and this is a personal vendetta. Let me go to the stable and find a horse head, I'll be right back. It really does seem like you feel the need to chime in with a cheap shot (or at least some sort of negative comment) at Mark Prior at every single mention of his name. I'm not trying to attack or anything, I'm just saying. Goony seems to have a point. Only after Hoops mentioned that the money saved could be spent on Prior. It just made no sense to me to make all these moves to save this money and then spend it on a guy on the DL. It's just crazy to me.

I am attacking the argument. The argument is that Prior is a wuss that was never really injured and just didn't try, and was a steroid abuser. Now Cuse claims it's business. I don't believe that is true. His business decision is based on that very lengthy history of personal distaste for Mark Prior. The injury just adds to what I feel is a poor asset and a waste of even more money if the Cubs sign him to a 1 year deal.

I just think it's important to be honest and point out the very obvious personel vendetta you have against Mark Prior and his so-called lack of toughness, when you try and claim it's just about making a smart business move. Personal vendetta? Wow. I see the Cubs wasting money on a guy that I think isn't going to help them and this is a personal vendetta. Let me go to the stable and find a horse head, I'll be right back.

I disagree. Willis has a perceived value that would likely net them some young talent. I think they could get more by dealing them separately. If the Yanks miss out on Santana, I wonder if they would move to Willis? Would that bring them more than what the Tigers are offering?

I believe you are the one judging this based on emotions. I believe you've insinuated in the past you that Prior's problem is about body language and emotion, as opposed to any real injury. You've insinuated he's a steroids abuser and other things. I believe you have a grudge against Prior and just want him gone, thinking there's some sort of "cord cutting" benefit to moving on from the Prior era. I also said he wasn't going to pitch last year but you disagreed. Who was right? Considering the incredibly inaccurate reports about Prior's condition going into this year's spring training (2003 form, anyone), can you blame him? At the time that people here were optimistic about Prior's chances this year, the reports coming out of camp were incredibly bright. Then we saw him pitch and we knew that the guy (was it AZ Phil or Al Yellon or one of those bloggers?) was full of crap or didn't know what he was seeing. Now, Prior 9 or 10 months removed from the major surgery that he probably needed a couple years ago, and the first real diagnosis of his problems. There was never a chance for him to recover because nothing was done to fix the problem. Now there has been. The Cubs at least need to see if that works out. This is just rehashing old news. You guys think what you want and this thread should be about the new guy that Hendry acquired.

I'm still hoping they sign Garvey or IRod!

I believe you are the one judging this based on emotions. I believe you've insinuated in the past you that Prior's problem is about body language and emotion, as opposed to any real injury. You've insinuated he's a steroids abuser and other things. I believe you have a grudge against Prior and just want him gone, thinking there's some sort of "cord cutting" benefit to moving on from the Prior era. I also said he wasn't going to pitch last year but you disagreed. Who was right? But you thought it was because he's a nancy boy that doesn't try hard enough. He had surgery, which can be kind of tough to predict. Oh I do think he's not mentally tough I don't deny that but I also saw that he had nothing when he pitched. I made the right decision then as I am now. All the pieces fit.

I believe you are the one judging this based on emotions. I believe you've insinuated in the past you that Prior's problem is about body language and emotion, as opposed to any real injury. You've insinuated he's a steroids abuser and other things. I believe you have a grudge against Prior and just want him gone, thinking there's some sort of "cord cutting" benefit to moving on from the Prior era. I also said he wasn't going to pitch last year but you disagreed. Who was right?

That's the rumor. If so, I'm assuming Bowden is leaving Clemson because (1) he's feeling the heat in Clemson and (2) Arkansas is paying him a lot. It's much, much easier to win at Clemson than Arkansas; Bowden would be downgrading jobs. IMO he's the same kind of coach Nutt was. A 9-3 good year 5-7 bad year type of guy. I don't see the attraction to him.

It's $135 plus fees. I'm not sure how much the Ticketmaster fees are. The cheapest I've found is StubHub and they have a few tickets at $398. Sideline tickets are going for $700 - $1000 per. Wow, that's a lot of money. What did they go for originally?

If the Pats do go undefeated maybe the 72 Fins can suit up one more time on the NFL Network and play them for all the marbles!

No, no ... this makes too much sense. I understand the desire to cut the cord, but I think it will be a mistake when the Cubs trade him. Any animosity can be soothed over, but some smarter GM (and there are, oh, several out there) will make Hendry an offer he thinks is good enough and Prior's gone. I don't want to make this about Prior so I'll just cut it out after this. The Cubs are making some deals to cut down the payroll but it's ok to have a guy on the payroll that isn't going to pitch because he had potential. I think too many here are just too attached to this guy to make a unemotional decision. Again, I like Prior but I think it would be a good BUSINESS move to trade him. You all seem to think it's better to pay him to recoup and hope he returns to pitch like he did, I simply think he never will. How is that hate? I said the same thing about Miller too, I must have hated him as well.

I'd love Cabrera but I'd stay away from Willis. Imo, he's a time bomb waiting to explode injury wise.