anemic offense

Good god. As much as I want to see KKKKPat out of here, he's still probabaly twice as valuable as Meche. Ugghhh...I can't believe I said that (but I think its true).

Yes. Thanks.

No Millwood please. Though I got nothing to back this up, I think Williams would provide similar performance for significantly less dollars. Especially when you consider Millwood is a Boras client. If the Cubs are DUMB enough to outbid other suitors for his services I'm ready to pack it in. The years and dollars he'll command will be grossly disproportionate to his career performance. Which in and of itself isn't very reassuring. Lineup looks plausible though I sure hope I won't have to see Neifi at second. And if Cedeno bats 8th (which he pry will) I'd go insane. That is if I'm not there already.

No way. Can teams even offer arbitration though if an option is on the table?? And that was for what 6-7 million bucks?? 2-3 mil. may not be bad (considering the current situation) , but anything more is a misallocation of resources. Grudz got $4 mill and he's much better at what he does than Burny is (and at a comparable age too). Burny should only get less.

No Phil, it probably is a VERY BAD option. Although NOBODY wants to see a mediocre outfielder rob this team of years and dollars, this team can't survive with this cancer on the team. It's obvious by now Corey is neither wanting or willing to invest the time and effort it will take for him to realize his potential. Seemingly (how I have no idea), there are still some teams out there dumb enough to think they can coax it out of him. Could they? I suppose its plausible. But I'd like the Bears chances of beating the Colts in Super Bowl 100 times over. And thats not likely to happen. Quite frankly I'm sick and tired of idiotic journalists proposing such silly and preposterous ideas like this. Just because turd A stinks a little less than turd B doesn't mean that's a good option. Why would/should the Cubs settle for that??? IMO this scenario is a last resort and should only be explored if we can't get anybody else. If this happens it means Hendry has failed...demonstrably, and it should go a long way has to initiating his disposal. I agree with that. At this point, the Cubs need to sign Kevin Millwood since the arms are getting thin. With Millwood locked up, Jerome Williams becomes the necessary trade chip to get someone GOOD in RF. Millwood slots in quite nicely behind Zambrano, Prior and Wood, and just ahead of Maddux. Keep Hill and Guzman. Send Jerome Williams, Novoa/Welly and Corey Patterson to Texas for Brad Wilkerson. Money is probably about the same. If Tampa lowered their demand for Huff, add him as well. I really do believe they would let him go for a song if Travis Lee does get tendered. I can't imagine Tampa being even slightly interested in paying all of Huff's 7.5m contract for next year. Now you have an outfield of Murton, Pierre, Huff, Wilkerson, Hairston and Mabry. Huff can also play 1st and 3rd, Wilkerson and Hairston can play CF if Pierre is hurt or needs a day off. All it should REALLY cost for Huff (bad contract, coming off a bad year, where they have plenty of depth) is a guy like Brandon Sing mixed in with say Will Ohman/Welly/Novoa. If they would rather pay Huff 7.5m, be my guest. There is no way I offer Guzman and Wellemeyer for him, however. Not a chance. Call me a prospect lover if you wish, but Tampa's got unrealistic visions of way too much in return for a guy who is now officially a "bad" contract. Good points although I would NEVER sign Kevin Millwood. He had a great year last year, but his peripherils are screaming for an immediate regression. But the two things that scare me the most are his stint in Philly and the fact he's a Boras client. For a player who absolutely CANNOT be considered anything better than a true #3 starter, we know Boras is going to command the years and dollars of (at least) a #2. And honestly that frightens me. IMO he's just as likely to become a bust as he is to be (mildly successful). Do these odds warrant that kind of investment. No, although some team will be dumb enough to meet Boras' demands.

The advantage of trading Guzman to the D-Rays is that it's almost as though he's not even in pro baseball. As far as Sing goes, he was left unprotected in the rule 5 draft and no one wanted him. Why would any team trade for him now? I'd like to see Sing make the team as a 4th OF/ PH type which might be possible if Hairston is still around to back up CF. Yeah, I know that. Williams has what...3 years of MlB service time??? That obviously makes him more attractive although my main point was both can't fit into the rotation. The Cubs need to pick their faovorite of the two and ship the other one off. At this point it likely is Guz. Wow...I didn't realize Sing was left unprotected. My rule 5 knowledge is rather limitied (while some, pry even you have it down pat), but wouldn't Sing have to "stick" on the MLB roster for him not to be returned?? Point is it seems much less likely for him to stick on a MLB roster this year, so the odds of him being returned are high (hence teams went with other players, though maybe - and I stress - less talented, they had a better chance to stick on the roster). But I don't think this necessarily means he doesn't have trade value. He obviously couldn't be a centerpiece, but I think he could be a nice add on to somebody. Then again it would all depend on the rule 5 status for next year, that is if he was traded this year would he be eligible next?? That means he would have to prove his meddle this year, or by SP next year at the latest. But as I stated, I'm not all that clear how that works.

Burnitz was just as responsible for the disaster in the outfield as the rest of the partcipants. 258/322/435 is pretty much horrible. Point taken. But at least Burny wasn't killing this team in other areas of his game. Personally, I'd rather watch Bernie's futility at the plate, than Alou's evrywhere else. Though neither option is the obvious pereference. :)

No Phil, it probably is a VERY BAD option. Although NOBODY wants to see a mediocre outfielder rob this team of years and dollars, this team can't survive with this cancer on the team. It's obvious by now Corey is neither wanting or willing to invest the time and effort it will take for him to realize his potential. Seemingly (how I have no idea), there are still some teams out there dumb enough to think they can coax it out of him. Could they? I suppose its plausible. But I'd like the Bears chances of beating the Colts in Super Bowl 100 times over. And thats not likely to happen. Quite frankly I'm sick and tired of idiotic journalists proposing such silly and preposterous ideas like this. Just because turd A stinks a little less than turd B doesn't mean that's a good option. Why would/should the Cubs settle for that??? IMO this scenario is a last resort and should only be explored if we can't get anybody else. If this happens it means Hendry has failed...demonstrably, and it should go a long way has to initiating his disposal.

No way. Although Alou was adept at handling the bat he was MORIBUND at every thing else. He had possibly the worst OF range in the MLBs, and his routine misplays on balls led to a plethora of extra bases and runs. His deterorating speed also made him an EASY (on both ends) DP target. Not to mention, he was picked off or run down on the bases even more than Corey Patterson (is that possible). And how many times did he inexcusably overthrow the cutoff man???? Simply put, you can take at least 25 -30 runs of his RBI totals with all his miscues and lapses. IMO resigning Bernie would be a better option. Not that HE was great, but it wasn't his fault the rest of the OF was a disaster.

IMO this would be a good move for the Cubs. The outlook on Guzman is iffy at best and if any teams are still high on him they (the Cubs) might as well trade him while he has some value left. One more injury and he's pretty much done. In my mind, the Cubs should be pressing teams hard to take either Williams or Guzman (instead of Hill). With this rotation (and looming insertion of Hill) there's not going to be a place for both those guys. The BP signing make the pen crowded, at the very least, and neither of those two guys has (much if..) any experience there anyways. As for Todd I really don't think he's that big a loss. He definately has the major league arm but either he's having a hard time harnessing his control (we've got too many wild ones in the pen as it is) or Larry "Overrated" Rothschild isn't the right PC for him. A change of scenery would do both teams some good, especially if there's a market for his services. I'd be all for it. One thing that has been somewhat surprising is the lack of mention of Brandon Sing in a deal. He may be a little "old" for a prospect, but he definately hasn't done much to disappoint. He's mashed at every single level with the only excpetion being the 1 - 1.5 year stretch where he was battling mono. Looking at this team currently, and considering future plans there's not much of a place for him to play. I think he has the potential to be a good MLB and could be extremely valuable (if not this year possibly in 07) as a young, cheap DH alternative. This could hold true for the DRays. They may be after ptiching but Sing could maaayybbee put the deal over the top. Kind of the icing on the cake.

And probably one of Wainright and Reyes. If they don't get injured and/or traded first.

The Cubs really did nuke those guys down the stretch. They finished #1 and #2 in the major leagues in pitches per game for the season, and the pitch counts down the stretch were especially brutal. They haven't been the same since then. Coincidence? You have to wonder. I used to think the whole pitch count thing was overrated. But when Prior, Wood, Jason Schmidt, and Livan Hernandezall expereinced arm problems in the last year, its more than enough for me to reconsider my earlier thinking. The workload probably played a factor in everyone of those pithcers demise. Exactly how much can be attributed to this is still a big question mark. Both Wood and Schmidt have poor mechanics (both fall wildly off the mound). Livan had been fairly healthy for much of his career. Prior was maybe a case of too much too early. In the end, its nothing more than guesswork when considering which factors are the contributors or the cause. In Wood's case I've never liked the way he's pitched. Aside from the 7-8 game stretch at the end of the '03 season, I thought his best (pitching wise) years were under Acosta's tutelage. His walks were extremely alarming after the surgery, but the one thing Acosta made Wood do was maintain consistent mechanics. I always thought it was obvious how annoyed Wood was by this (and a major reason Oscar was run out of town). Once Oscar got booted, in comes Rothschild. But instead of maintain the rigourous mechanics Oscar emplored, Larry let him rever back to his free wheeling style of sloppiness. With his horrendous follow through, Wood's been an injury to happen virtually his whole career. This (I think) is an example of the workload exacerbating the injury, while the poor mechanics was the cause. IMO, when you've got a pitcher such as Wood you have to be extra cognizant of the workload and the stress. While the big, burly, effortless throwing pitchers (like Z and Clemens) tend to be able to take more. Then again this is just my observation. No facts or first hand knowledge to back it up.

Not to take anything away from the Cardinals, but they have been one of the luckiest (although much has been created out of Jocketty's intelligence) teams in all of baseball. Aside from the Rolen injury, what hasn't gone their way? Sanders stayed healthy and produced at an old age. Carpenter became a stud. Marquis has been tremendous. Edmonds has remained productive. Their pithing has stayed healthy. Tavares has been solid out of the pen. Womack had one of the flukiest seasons in MLB history. Eckstein recovered nicely. What I'm trying to say is (without a constant infusion of farm talent like the Braves) this team is bound to abide from the law of averages. They're due for more injuries. Some players are bound to decline. Others are bound to have off years. This luck simply can't conitune. At least I hope and don't think so. The exact opposite of which can be said about the Cubs. Aside from Derek Lee, virtually everything that could have gone wrong has. Every bullpen acquisition has been a complete disaster (even the ones that were, at the time, good sigining - LT). Prior and Wood have been slowed by injuries. Rookies haven't produced. Corey's regression was stunning even to this lifelong detractor. Our closers have been injured and inconsistent. Although some of this can be chalked up to shoddy coaching, and/or shoddy talent evaluation by our GM, a lot of it was simply bad luck. Could this bad luck continue on into next year? Sure it could. But based on the amount of misfortune the Cubs had last year I'd expect '06 to bring significantly less. In saying this I am by no means trying to diminish what the Cardinals have done, or excuse the self created poor play the Cubs have perpetrated. What I am saying, though is that the gap between the Cardinals and the Cubs isn't as wide as people think it is. Just think what would happen if both teams fortunes reversed themselves next year. Carpenter goes down. Mulder misses significant time. The Cards bullpen (which may be the BIGGEST reason for their succes the last few years) goes up in flames. Molina regresses. Edmonds (in Madduxesque fashion) declines. The second base option is a disaster. Reyes torches his shoulder (in Guzman fashion. Definately a lot of ifs, but it COULD happen (as it did to us). You can't tell me a team with this amount of attrition would finish with anything more than 84-85 wins (which would be EXTREMELY lucky). On the flip side look at what our team would have. Wood and Prior healthy. One of our rookies blossoms while the other is serviceable. At least one of our ? (RF and 2B) are solid. Our bullpen, for the first time since 01 (and the single BIGGEST reason for this teams failure) isn't a complete disaster. Corey (if still here) plays to even half his potential. Again a lot of ifs, but you couldn't tell me this team (under this scenario) wouldn't easily attain 92+ wins. With the improved pen we'd have at LEAST 3 15 game winners. Our 1 + 2 hitters would score a lot of runs. Lee's production numbers (RBI and runs) would surge because of it. This would be a very good baseball team. Now I definately wouldn't bank on this to happen (whit this team I don't count on anything), but I wouldn't be shocked (or even surprised) if it did.

Platoons should always be the last line of defense. They make it EXTREMELY difficult for the players to find rhythm and I don't think the team benefits much from them anyways. What I've always failed to understand about platoons is the whole stigma (moreso with young players) a particular player can't hit right/left-handed pitching. Well how is that player supposed to get any better if you don't allow him to work on his weaknesses??? Many a young player have been improperly used in this manner and I was extremely disappointed when Baker did this with Murton. At some point these players have to learn and they're going to have to do so at the major league level. If teams were so apt to shy away from young players and their struggles we' NEVER see infusions of young talent into this league. Glad everyone doesn't think like Baker.

:?: : http://www.baseballreference.com/b/burrepa01.shtml Other than that one season, doesn't look enigmatic to me. I'll take him. He's not truly enigmatic, but that one season has got to make you wonder a littel bit. See the post above.

Is that really true, or just assumed because of his one off year? From 23-25 he got better every year. He had a bad age 26 season, then rebounded at 27, and was even better at 28. His 2003 really weighs on his career averages. Without it he's probably somewhere around .270/.370/.500, with an OPS+ around 120. Over the next three years I think he's a pretty safe bet to be around those numbers, which are good. But in 07 and 08 he'll be overpaid. My whole Abreu idea sprung from the fact that Bobby and Pat combine to make a large percentage of the Philly total payroll, and the team has not had as much success as they had hoped with those two guys (because they have no pitching). If Pat was a free agent, I'd rather pay him 3/36.5 than sign any of the available players out there. However, he has a full NTC, he's younger than Abreu and is their sole source of RH power. I'm guessing Philly wants to keep Pat and deal Abreu. And I still think that Philly will come off their demands for Abreu once they realize nobody is offering up a pitcher like Zambrano or Prior, and many other teams will already have their payrolls maxed out soon. That one year is exactly what I was talking about. Although it hasn't shown to be a recurring problem throughout his career, it HAS GOT TO BE in the back of every GMs mind. We're not just talking about an off year, we're talking about a year that was so bad it made Cpat's '05 look good. Doesnt' that make you shudder just a liiiittttttlle bit??

I don't know, that's a tough call. Although Hendry has DEFINATELY made some moves he shouldn't have the last few years, you can't blame him for everything. In all honesty, who would have though LT would turn out to be the disaster he was?? Who would have though Corey would regress to rookie season numbers (not even I, a notorious Corey detractor, saw that coming)? Who would have thought Nomar would tear his groin at the beginning of the season? And finally, who would have though we'd have the pitching woes we did last season? A lot fo these things that happend were out of pure sh*tty luck. But then you have the Maddux signing (a waste of money), the inability to mold an even AVERAGE pen, and the retardation by CHOICE which was displayed when Dusty and his entire worthless coaching staff was retained. IN particular the highly overrated Larry Rothschild. IMO, the problem with gauging this team is it could literally go one way or another. I'm not being optimistically naive by saying the Cubs have a very good core. We've got Aram, Lee, Barret, Zambrano, Prior, and maybe Dempster. That, if properly builty around, is good enough to win. We've got a couple young kids who hold the most true promise since Choi, and they don't have the accompanying holes in their swing. The Cubs signed two relievers who could be really good, or complete disasters. Our bench doesnt' figure to be too bad with Neifi (if this team uses him for his true bench role) and Mabry but you really never know. Then there's Patterson. A guy who has the chance to be pretty good, but also figures to equally be pretty bad. Maybe this is asking a lot, but this team can be good if we win even half these "battles". Then again, there hasn't been a significant infusion of outsourced talent to guarantee they won't be pretty bad either. Much of this depends on these outcomes and health. You guys may be writing them off, but I'm sure not. Then again, I'm not jumping up and down in joy either. IMO, the most DISAPPOINTING aspect of the offseason was the retainance of the entire coaching staff. Although the players are ultimately repsonsible for their actions (or lack thereof) the coaching staff should share equal culpibility as well. For the umpteenth straight year our offense was the most fundamentally inept in all of baseaball. Someone should have paid for it. For the third straight year we had a manager who made so many inexplicable and logically devoid decisions that he should have punched his ticket out of town. But he's still here. Then there's the much ballyhooed Rothschild. In EVERY season he's been here the bullpen has underacheived (which is where I think good PCs can have the most impact). He's also been the head of some of the most talented SPs in baseball yet the only one who's shown significant improvement under his tutelage has been Z (you could throw Clement in there too). Simply put, this coaching staff has UTTERLY FAILED at successfully executing every phase of the game. So why are they still here??? If there is ANYTHING Hendry should be blasted for its this. IMO, our coaching staff is the number one reason why my enthusiasm for this team is lacking. And with the voids which have currently been left unanswered that's saying something. And it's not good.

The downfall with Burrell is that he extremely enigmatic. You never know exactly what you're going to get. However, if he could produce on the high end of the spectrum then I wouldn't have a problem with it (it's not going to happen though, because obviously Phillie's not going to get rid of Burrell if they're making Abreu available). But with the Cubs record with these such players we'd pry be seeing the worst of his play.

I'd put Ronnie in the #2 hole (though you're pry right, cause Baker won't do it) and Corey eighth. Until Corey shows some semblance that he knows and CARES what's going on out there (in all phases of the game), that's where he's the least liablity on this team. When Zambrano is pitching I'd bat him 9th.

You're kidding, right? Just in case you misinterpreted the above, it's suppose to be collectively not separately. And that's not just offense. I'm talking offense, defense, speed, and overall intagibles. In particular Cedeno. The dimension he were to add is much more important to THIS team than what Cabrera would. REALLY? What demension is that? He isn't particularly fast and his offense is nowhere near Cabreras. It's a joke to even compare the two. You guys are misinterpreting what I'm saying. Although I stated Cedeno + Murton > than Cabrera its not just based on the stats or on the numbers, rather the overall importance they'd have on THIS team. What I'm saying is, Cedeno and Murton fulfill a greater overall need than does Cabrera. Ask yourselves, what were the greatest deficiencies (offesively) of this team last year? It sure as hell wasn't power, rather it was a lack of speed, OBP, lead off presence, and the abilitly to perform situational contact. Although Cabrera fulfills the first need, he certainly doesn't fulfill the latter. More importantly, his impact on this lineup would be far less than it is in Florida. There he and Delgado were THE ONLY consistent power sources. However this lineup already has a bonafide 3 and 4 hitter, while Barrett (if Dusty would quit misusing him in the 8th) would be a good 5 or 6 hitter. Even though this lineup should be less powerful than last years, it should be more than suffucient, especially if we find a capable RFer. Again its not that I don't think Cabrera COULDN't work in our lineup, rather he just doesn't provide a necessital upgrade to constiute giving away two young players that do. In the end I feel this team needed to add more speed, OBP, guys fundamentally sound, and a little bit of youth. Although Cedeno and Murton are both relative unprovens, I feel they give this team its BEST chance at providing that (while allowing for payroll flexibilit). And if you think this team truly needs another big bopper just look at the WS champs over the last several years. Although the Red Sox had a pretty powerful lineup, the rest one because they had a properly constructed lineup. They had speed and OBP at the top, capable mid order sluggers, and were able to do the fundamentals that give you a run or two. Unfortunately, for the last several years, this team has been inept in 2 of these 3 categories. Maybe their not the PERFECT solutions, but I think they're a start. I'm also willing to bet a lot of you underestimate the impact these 2 will have on THIS TEAM. For all our sakes I hope I'm right.

You're kidding, right? Just in case you misinterpreted the above, it's suppose to be collectively not separately. And that's not just offense. I'm talking offense, defense, speed, and overall intagibles. In particular Cedeno. The dimension he were to add is much more important to THIS team than what Cabrera would.

You're kidding, right? No. Cedeno's gonna be a star.

I haven't seem the details for the deal yet, but as long as it isn't ridiculous this looks to be a good move for the Dodgers. With Izturis out unitl around June, Mueller looks to be a good short range option, if not a viable long term (as in this year and the next) solution. First impressions are sometimes misleading but you have to like what Coletti's done so far. In only a weeks time he landed the best FA player on the market and added a servicable vet. With the infusion of young talent which figures to take place over the next few years the Dodgers look to be in an enviable position. With their payroll, young talent, and a weak division they should be division favs for at least the next five years. The other 3 teams sure aren't scaring anybody.

I wouldn't do that trade. As great a hitter Cabrera is his attitude stinks and he can't play defense. In addition, I'm willing to bet (if given the proper chance) Cedeno + Murton > Cabrera for 06. Not to mention (although it would be a plus for an OF), this team doesn't need the substantial power anyways. Sure it helps, but as we saw last year, there comes a point to where additional power is worthless (especially if guys aren't on base). I just don't think Cabrera is the type of player the Cubs should sell the farm on, even if he is young. Dtrain is a different story. He's a tremendous pitcher, a good hitter, is left'handed, has a tremedous attitude, and brings marketing $$$$$$ galore. But as the other posters say, Florida is in no way, shape, or form willing to trade a cheap marketable star. Besides, do any of you think Hendry is willing to like a bigger fool than he already has by trading for him back?? Then again the way things are going for this team who knows.

Personally I don't like it at all. The Cubs have arlready given away 2 near major league ready pitchers to the Marlins, and our system isn't exactly loaded with talented, major league ready prospects. If you throw Cedeno, Guzman, and Hill in there, about the only prospects who could make an impact on this club (in the next year or two) are Murton, Pie, and E Pat. Conventional wisdom tells me that at least one (maybe 2 ) will never be better than average so that leaves this team with one impact young player. Now factor in the fact the Cubs have SEVERAL key players with contract years/big rasies in the offing (Pierre - if they keep him, DLee, Prior, Zambrano, A-Ram, Wood - if they keep him, possibly Barrett, etc.) and you realize they simpley CAN'T afford to make this trade. That would mean (assuming DLee is extended) a good $30 mil would be allocated to the infield, with RF still being a gaping hole. Although TribCo Could find the money if they wanted to, we all know that they limit their spending. What I'm trying to say is at some point the Cubs (I'm talking to you Dusty) have to bite the bullet and play some of their younger players. You simply can't afford to have no infusion of young talent and expect to succeed. The Cardinals may be an exception, but look at the Yankees. Although we all know they've spent their money rather foolishly, much of their demise is associated with their inability to groom and foster their young talent. Once their mid 90s prospects began to age (and decline), we've seen the toll its taken on this team. Now they're to the point where even THEY can't afford to keep signing the "best" free agents out there. It's pretty much ruined there team. And, believe it or not, the Cubs are quickly approaching the quagmire. In 2 years most of our current key players (Lee, Aram close, Pierre, Walker - if he stays, Miggy - if he comes, possibly RF) will be on the wrong side of 30. Imo we need young players and we need some NOW. Besides, I have the feeling Cedeno is going to be the real deal. It would be a shame to throw him in a deal now.