YearofDaCubs

4 year extension is extreme in my eyes.

Shark, Marshall and Colvin or Pie for Peavy

Tallon won't be here if the team doesn't improve quickly. I am surprise Tallon wasn't fired first, only because he's the one that signed two average goalies to above average contracts, traded a solid 2nd line centre and had to send down a young talented DMan to "clear cap" to fit Huet and Habby into the salary cap. The Hawks are still an immensely talented team, but it was Tallon he put the Hawks behind, not Savard. Look Savard isn't a great caoch, but for the org to "scapegoat" a Hawks legend like they just did reminds alot of the olds days of Wirtz/Pulford. If the Hawks don' turned it around then Tallon will be gone. When the Hawks signed Khabi he was not average. Hadn't he just won the Stanley Cup and had a great season? Huet was one of the best goalies last year wasn't he? Both goalies were good for a short period of time. There's no ways around it both signings were bad.

Savard is gone. Is Quennville going to be a good coach though?

As long as we don't see Marmol out there again I'll be happy. It made no sense last offseason to have him pitch extra innings before spring training.

Per CubFanPhilly: UPDATED 1/9: *Assumes modest raises for pre-arb. players and pro-rates signing bonuses. The Tribune stated 2007 payroll was $120 mil. This comes within $2 mil. under these same assumptions. This total includes $6 mil. in signing bonuses. If signing bonuses are not pro-rated but included in the year signed, the total is $2 mil. lower (-$6M/+$4M for Dempster). Media has reported 2009 payroll to be around $140 mil. (with one report as high as $150 mil.). Under Contract C - Soto $0.5M (probable Super Two in 2010) 1B - Lee $13.0M (NTC) 2B - Fontenot $0.45M SS - Theriot $0.5M (2 MiL options) 3B - Ramirez $16.65M (NTC thru 2010, 10/5 rights after, player option 2011, club option 2012) LF - Soriano $17.0M (NTC) CF - Fukudome $12.5M (limited NTC) RF - Bradley $7.0M IF - Miles $2.2M IF/OF - ??? (Cedeno, Hoffpauir) OF - R. Johnson $3.00M (FA in 2010) OF - Gathright $0.8M C - ??? (Bako, Blanco, K. Hill) S - Zambrano $18.75 (NTC) S - Harden $7.0M (team option exercised, FA in 2010) S - Dempster $9.0M (player option 2012) S - Lilly $13.0M (limited NTC) S - Marshall $0.5M (1 MiL option) BP - Marmol $0.5M (1 MiL option) BP - Vicaino $3.5M (team option in 2010, $0.5M buyout) BP - Cotts $1.1M BP - Gaudin $2.0M BP - Samardzija $1.8M (NTC, club options 2012, 2013 / 2 MiL options) BP - Guzman $0.45M (1 MiL option) BP - ???? (Gregg, Wuertz, Patton, Hart, Ascanio) Buy-outs/Cash in Trades - $1.30M ($0.30m Blanco; $1.0M Marquis) COMMITTED: $132.45M (11 position players, 5 starters, 6 bullpen) Arbitration Eligible / Arbitration-Contract Estimates (based on 2008 comparable players & service time) BP - Gregg (2008 $2.5M; Arb. Est. $4.5-$6.0M) BP - Wuertz (2008 $0.86M; Arb. Est. $1.0-$1.4M) (no MiL options) IF - Cedeno (2008 $0.45M; Arb. Est. $0.6-$0.75) (no MiL options) PAYROLL w/ Arb. Elg. Estimates: $138.55M to $140.6M (12 position players, 5 starters, 7 bullpen) No MiL Options/Rule 5 (to be rostered in ST, traded, exposed to waivers or released) BP - Wuertz (2008 $0.86M; Arb. Est. $1.0-$1.4M) (no MiL options) IF - Cedeno (2008 $0.45M; Arb. Est. $0.6-$0.75) (no MiL options) OF - Pie $0.4M (no MiL options) OF - Snyder $0.4M (no MiL options) C - K. Hill $0.55 (no MiL options) S - R. Hill $0.55M (no MiL options) BP - Patton $0.4 (Rule 5 pick) Others on the 40-Man (est. salaries if optioned to 25-Man) S - M. Atkins $0.4M (3 MiL options) S - J. Berg $0.4M (3 MiL options) S/BP - Hart $0.4M (2 MiL options) S/BP - Wells $0.4M (3 MiL options) BP - M. Mateo $0.4M (3 MiL options) BP - Ascanio $0.4M (1 MiL option) BP - Stevens $0.4M (3 MiL options) OF/1B - Hoffpauir $0.4M (2 MiL options) OF/1B/C - J. Fox $0.4M (1 MiL option) OF - Fuld $0.4M (2 MiL options) (Current 40-man roster is full) Free Agents / Arbitration Declined for all A&B FAs BP - Lieber CF - Edmonds 1B/OF - Ward C - Blanco BP - K. Wood (Cleveland) BP - Howry (San Francisco)

Who would you rather have? Dempster and Lowe or Sabathia for the same amount of money? I think I would rather have Sabathia. We don't need 5 top starters, we were good with 4.

Cubs started out 1-3 and the Brewers 3-1 and we turned out ok. Different sports, different season lengths, different spread between good and bad teams. And a very large spread between teams that make the playoffs and teams that don't. A slow start in MLB can make it nearly impossible to be one of the 4 teams in your league to win it, not so in NHL, with double the playoff participants. However, they are doing everything possible to eliminate the momentum from last season. The red carpet thing was tacky. They signed a purported #1 goalie in the offseason and can't allow the fans to rally around him because they are stuck with their last ill-advised goalie signing (probably) taking half the starts. They have scored just 2 goals a game after emphasizing goal scoring all offseason, and don't play well on defense. Blackhawks fans have had the rug ripped out from under them before, and I have to believe they may very well fear the same thing is happening now. A lot of people coughed up a big chunk of change in a tough economic climate, and if they aren't a winning team by November, they could completely lose everything they built from a fan excitement standpoint. As bad as Habby has been Huet has actually been worse so far this year. I'm not blaming all the goals on them but we paid top dollar for both of them and both are mediocre.

Sabathia. just as likely to get hurt IMO. and will cost probably double the amount. Doesn't Sheets have some sort of muscle tear in his arm? Doesn't sound too good to me.

I'd rather have Bradley over Abreu as well.

I REALLY hope they don't resign Blanco. He's getting older, not that great offensively and we can use a much cheaper option like K Hill. I don't think we need to go crazy on a backup catcher.

What I don't like about this situation is how Harden assured the team he was taking it easy and not throwing as hard to make it to the playoffs in 1 piece. When he did start in the playoffs his velocity was where it was at before(89-92mph). So where did all that velocity go from when he was first traded to us?

OK, it was a bad pitch. You can't just disregard circumstance, though. The Dodgers pitchers made bad pitches too. They didn't have a bunch of baserunners on base for theirs because of their defense though. yep. 4 infielders. 4 errors. I'm very comfortable with the reason I think we lost game 2. And it wasn't Zambrano. I also think Theriot not using the glove should have been an error too. He should have made that.

The Bears win this one. Probably will be tougher than expected but they should win.

Our payroll is so high already I kinda doubt the Cubs will up the payroll that much more.

Is hermida a free agent?

I'm not too concerned in that aspect..from what I have seen teams have been blizting Orton just as much as Grossman, the difference being Orton does a much better job of hanging in the pocket and getting rid of the ball. Oh yeah no doubt. Orton knows when to step up a bit to avoid the sack and he doesn't panic like Grossman did with pressure around him. I gotta tell you, I've been very pleased with Orton. I think he can actually be an average NFL qb.

I don't even want to hear about the freaking fans. Jesus the excuses are in full force this Monday. This team choked, period. Let's stop blaming it on short series and fans not being involved enough.

It's not just Soriano that I'm pissed at it's also Ramirez. Those two clowns take the cake the past 2 years. They are the highest paid players, arguably our best hitters and both of them offered nothing in the playoffs.

Soriano's is a moron. I dislike him even more now.

Yeah for Bears fans like us :)

Ha Ha

OMG! What a catch by Booker

That was dumb of Hester

Orton looking good!