Chicago Cubs

[DMBZeppelin]

Keith Law Blog

Marlins get a steal for Gregg

Getting Jose Ceda (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3700730) for one year of Kevin Gregg (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5641) is a heist for Florida, and could really end up as a disaster for the Cubs, given how they intend to realign their pen.

The Cubs say they're going to move Carlos Marmol (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=28486) into the closer role, removing him from the seventh-eighth inning role where Lou Piniella was willing to stretch him out to get more than three outs in a single appearance. It also increases the chance that Marmol will be wasted in save situations where the Cubs have a three-run lead (that is, a relatively low-leverage save situation).

They may use Gregg in the setup role, even though there's not much reason to anticipate he'll be more than a middle reliever in performance. Gregg has an average arsenal, sinker-slider-split, and other than occasionally running the fastball up to 94 doesn't have a plus pitch. His control is below-average, with 72 unintentional walks over the last two years in 152 innings, and only a fluky-low home run rate in 2008 kept his ERA under 4. He's not quite Antonio Alfonseca (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3674) redux, but he's no replacement for Kerry Wood (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3821), either.

The Marlins, meanwhile, have picked up another free arm for a player they simply didn't want or need for 2009, and this arm is very good. Ceda sits in the mid-90s with a sharp slider with hard diving action, and he has a good track record of missing bats in the minors, including 42 strikeouts in 30 AA innings this year. His stuff would play in the majors right now, and the Marlins aren't afraid to promote guys with big velocity quickly.

You don't give arms like Ceda away for one year of a middle reliever's time. Nothing is guaranteed with pitchers and especially not with pitching prospects, but I could see Gregg posting a 4.50 ERA and leaving as a free agent while Ceda becomes a star reliever in Florida for the next six years.
Ugh, seriously... just :BANG

[gocubsgo3822]

fucking i kinda want randy....

[DMBZeppelin]

From ESPN Rumor Central

Big Unit could land with Cubs

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs would be interested in signing Randy Johnson (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2131) if Ryan Dempster (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3845) decides to sign with another team left and their bid to trade for the Padres' Jake Peavy (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5019) gets rejected.

The Cubs are said to have offered a four-year deal in the $50 million range to Dempster, but the Blue Jays and Braves and at least two other teams are looking at the veteran right-hander.

Johnson's agent, Alan Nero, said his client "would seem to be a perfect fit" for the Cubs.

"First, there is the Lou factor," Nero said, referring to Lou Piniella, who managed Johnson in Seattle. "And second, it's the National League. There's no question the Cubs would be on his short list."
I hope if we do get him, it's only a 1 year deal.

[Ev42]

From ESPN Rumor Central


I hope if we do get him, it's only a 1 year deal.

agree. i don't really trusted him at 45

[gocubsgo3822]

it wouldnt be any longer than a year

[bothedmbfan]

It couldn't be any longer than a year, Randy Johnson is close to turning to fucking dust.

[DMBZeppelin]

It couldn't be any longer than a year, Randy Johnson is close to turning to fucking dust.
Nope, his stache is the reason he will live forever. It's basically holding him together.

[Sou1 So1di3r]

Page 2? Don't think so.

[ajgdrums7814]

Randy is still a very effective pitcher, especially if he stays in the NL. I think picking him up for a year could be a very nice deal for whoever lands him.

[DMBZeppelin]

Page 2? Don't think so.
huh?

[DMBZeppelin]

Cubs who got MVP votes:

Aramis Ramirez, Cubs, 66
Geovanny Soto, Cubs 41
Derrek Lee, Cubs, 10

Just so you have something to compare that with. Pujols got 369 to finish in 1st, Howard got 308 for 2nd, and Braun got 139 for 3rd.

[devilandthelord]

Well thats not really a suprise.
Cuz we don't really have that one guy.
That superstar.
We have a collection of good players, but no great players. Well hitters at least.

[funksoul]

So the Cubs are officially opening up new Yankee Stadium with a pair of preseason games...

...not sure how I feel about this.

[gocubsgo3822]

i dont like it... not at all

[DMBZeppelin]

i dont like it... not at all

Why? Games are on the 3rd and 4th. Season starts on the 6th.

[gocubsgo3822]

cubs are bout ready to resign dempster!!!! Love this move. He was fucking awesome last year and is truly in the prime of his career. Great move if it goes through..

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8812098/Cubs-close-to-re-signing-righty-Dempster?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49

[devilandthelord]

cubs are bout ready to resign dempster!!!! Love this move. He was fucking awesome last year and is truly in the prime of his career. Great move if it goes through..

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8812098/Cubs-close-to-re-signing-righty-Dempster?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49

I would be willing maybe not to bet the house, but I would bet the garage that he will never be as good again as he was this year.
Glad to have him back, but we are gonna be paying him a shitload I assume.
Mixed feelings.

[gocubsgo3822]

its official

[UCFish]

Nice.

Glad to have him back although I am skeptical he will be as good next year.

[funksoul]

I think this is huge beyond just the signing. What this does now is give the Cubs a little leverage in any Peavy talks. Now, rather than seeming like team who NEEDED Peavy before the Dempster re-sign, we are a team seeking Peavy as a luxury. Big difference when the other team knows you're not entirely desperate.

[gocubsgo3822]

I think this is huge beyond just the signing. What this does now is give the Cubs a little leverage in any Peavy talks. Now, rather than seeming like team who NEEDED Peavy before the Dempster re-sign, we are a team seeking Peavy as a luxury. Big difference when the other team knows you're not entirely desperate.

agree with this and the post from the idiot above 100%... i think he will be very good though.. We are also probably paying under market value which makes it IMO a good signing

[HolyCow]

Glad we signed Demp.

[gocubsgo3822]

Royce just curious OU national title or Cubs world series?

[HolyCow]

Royce just curious OU national title or Cubs world series?
OU National Title.

While I bleed Cubbie blue and love the team dearly, I am Sooner born and Sooner bred.

Oklahoma football is my soul.

[gocubsgo3822]

:thumbsup

fiar enough... i cant wait to watch yall and tech battle it out... SHits gonna be insane

[devilandthelord]

OU National Title.

While I bleed Cubbie blue and love the team dearly, I am Sooner born and Sooner bred.

Oklahoma football is my soul.

That's lamesauce.
OU won the national title like 5 years ago, right?
The Cubs haven't wont the WS in 100 years!

[Bron Yr Aur]

Just glad we still have Dempster.

[Bron Yr Aur]

While we would have the greatest starting pitching rotation in the history of baseball if we got Peavy, I'm not sure we shouldn't start focusing on getting a good left-handed hitter at this point. That's what we've really lacked for a while now, and getting rid of Cliff Floyd for Kosuke last year actually worsened the situation.

[gocubsgo3822]

i think we will end up with dunn or abreu... whcih would make me happy..

[Sou1 So1di3r]

Yay for Dempster

[Bron Yr Aur]

i think we will end up with dunn or abreu... whcih would make me happy..

Dunn? Are you kiddin me? He is terrible. He would hurt this team more than help it. I was thinking more like Raul Ibanez...

[ajgdrums7814]

Dunn? Are you kiddin me? He is terrible. He would hurt this team more than help it. I was thinking more like Raul Ibanez...

You think Dunn is terrible but want Ibanez? :confused

[DMBZeppelin]

cubs are bout ready to resign dempster!!!! Love this move. He was fucking awesome last year and is truly in the prime of his career. Great move if it goes through..

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8812098/Cubs-close-to-re-signing-righty-Dempster?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49
This is a horrible deal and contradicts the logic of letting Wood go. How the hell is Dempster in the prime of his career?
While we would have the greatest starting pitching rotation in the history of baseball if we got Peavy, I'm not sure we shouldn't start focusing on getting a good left-handed hitter at this point. That's what we've really lacked for a while now, and getting rid of Cliff Floyd for Kosuke last year actually worsened the situation.
I think signing Dempster kind of kills any chance of getting Peavy.

[DMBZeppelin]

Dunn? Are you kiddin me? He is terrible. He would hurt this team more than help it. I was thinking more like Raul Ibanez...
They're both terrible.

[ajgdrums7814]

They're both terrible.

Dunn is 29 years old and produces a .900 OPS year in and year out. He's far from terrible.


I do think the Cubs will wind up with Abreu, though.

[Ev42]

i would rather have Abreu

[gocubsgo3822]

we are going after the royals mar teahen gross... Dempster is 31 and healthy and just was the fifth place cy young getter... I swera to god zep u love the people on this team that i hate dome and theriot and the one person i loved but wont pay becuase he isnt worth in Kerry... i dont get it..

[devilandthelord]

i would rather have Abreu

:thumbsup I would like him very well too.
I think a 2 year contract would be great.

[Bron Yr Aur]

we are going after the royals mar teahen gross... Dempster is 31 and healthy and just was the fifth place cy young getter... I swera to god zep u love the people on this team that i hate dome and theriot and the one person i loved but wont pay becuase he isnt worth in Kerry... i dont get it..

Dempster > Wood. He's a starter. It's hard to get starting pitching. So what if he's not going to have another season as remarkable as this one? Would you be upset if he got 15 wins and had a 3.50 ERA next year?

Hopefully we can shore up this bullpen a bit...does Bob Howry stay? I mean, he was pathetic last year. It looked like he was just...done.

They're both terrible.

Huh? Ibanez fits right in with the rest of the offense. He just came off a season with 110 RBI's on the worst team in the league...he hit .293 with a decent .837 OPS. I would love to know why Ibanez wouldn't be a great fit for this team. His stats from last season are virtually identical to Abreu's.

We already leave a shitload of people on base. It would be even worse with Adam Dunn.

And I really hope they aren't serious about going after Teahen. He had a horrible season and wouldn't be an improvement over Kosuke.

[Ev42]

:thumbsup I would like him very well too.
I think a 2 year contract would be great.

he's still got a great arm, and a great eye at the plate. i hear they are going after miltion bradley which makes me sick to my stomach

[Bron Yr Aur]

he's still got a great arm, and a great eye at the plate. i hear they are going after miltion bradley which makes me sick to my stomach

He's a pretty damn good player. Better than Abreu.

[devilandthelord]

He's a pretty damn good player. Better than Abreu.

I'd be worried about 2 things if they got him.
His fielding and his head.
He DH'd a lot last year and even though he behaved for the most part last season anything could set him off at any time.

Abreu's still hits around .300, will hit you about 20 homers, knock in 100 RBI, get on base a ton, score about 100 runs, still steal 20 or more bases per year, and fields his position well and has a good arm.

I'll take him over Bradley in a second.

[DMBZeppelin]

we are going after the royals mar teahen gross... Dempster is 31 and healthy and just was the fifth place cy young getter... I swera to god zep u love the people on this team that i hate dome and theriot and the one person i loved but wont pay becuase he isnt worth in Kerry... i dont get it..
Dempster is 31 and healthy, but he's also gotten hurt as a starter before when he needed Tommy John. Look at Wood, he had all sorts of arm problems as a starter. As a reliever he's had ZERO arm problems. Dempster put a lot of miles on that arm last year.

Dempster sucked at 30, great at 31, and at 32 what's he going to be in 09'? He could EASILY be a flash in the pan. Yet he's going to make about $13 mil a year for 4 years, with a $14 mil 5th year option. Plus he can make up to $10 mil more if he has one great year in all of this.

Here's something to ponder. If Dempster was so great, why didn't anyone else go after him? They have front office guys, and scouts. They saw what we saw. Yet no one wanted to offer Dempster that type of money, despite him begging for it. We basically outbid ourselves there.

You can hate Theriot all you want. He had a .307 AVG with a .387 OBP, you'd have to be baseball retarded not to think he's good. I don't love Fuk, and he sucked at the end of last year. Difference between you and me. I believe Fuk could bounce back. Someone who hit .305 with a .416 OBP in April, and .293 with a .388 OBP in May is in there somewhere. Good coaching can fix him, do we have it? I don't know.

You're stupid if you don't think Kerry Wood is worth a 1 year deal. How can you not think Wood is worth a 1 year deal? Especially since he didn't want a lot. You're trying to win a World Series, and an All-Star is willing to give you every home town discount in the world. You don't think he's worth it? Not to mention what he means to that locker room. Lets destroy the chemistry they had.
Dempster > Wood. He's a starter. It's hard to get starting pitching. So what if he's not going to have another season as remarkable as this one? Would you be upset if he got 15 wins and had a 3.50 ERA next year?
Dempster is NOT better then Wood. Seriously Dempster had a great year, but he's not close to Wood in terms of talent. Shark, Gaudin, and Marshall. We have starters to replace Dempster. We don't have anyone to replace Wood.
Hopefully we can shore up this bullpen a bit...does Bob Howry stay? I mean, he was pathetic last year. It looked like he was just...done.
EXACTLY! Minus Wood the pen is a problem now, but somehow it makes sense to let go of a guy who'd have done anything to stay? He wanted ONE FRICKIN YEAR. I mean so much for trying to win a World Series in 2009.[/quote]

[DMBZeppelin]

Dunn is 29 years old and produces a .900 OPS year in and year out. He's far from terrible.


I do think the Cubs will wind up with Abreu, though.
I don't think Dunn wouldn't contribute. He might put us over the 100 win mark, well hard to say how good we'll be without Wood. Marmol is our only stud back there now.

But Dunn doesn't hit for a high average, in fact it's very very low. He hit .236 this year, .233 the year before. Why does this matter? Because that usually means a guy CAN'T HIT GOOD PITCHING. In the playoffs Soriano strikes out A LOT more because he hits mistakes. Except in the playoffs, he's going against some of the best pitchers.

A guy like Soriano dominates 4 and 5 starters and middle relievers. You're telling me a low contact guy like Dunn, is going to do damage in the playoffs? He's not going to get a lot to hit in the playoffs, will he be able to come through? I doubt it. He doesn't seem like a guy who's going to help us IN THE PLAYOFFS. Which is what kind of players we need.

Look at Dempster, he sucked in the playoffs. Something to watch with him next year, how does he do against elite offenses? When you get to the playoffs, you play those type of lineups. Dempster can shut down the Pirates, but can he the Phillies? That's why many scouts liked the Cubs. They had two guys in Zambrano and Harden who had the stuff to dominate AL lineups.

[funksoul]

Dempster is 31 and healthy, but he's also gotten hurt as a starter before when he needed Tommy John. Look at Wood, he had all sorts of arm problems as a starter. As a reliever he's had ZERO arm problems. Dempster put a lot of miles on that arm last year.

Dempster sucked at 30, great at 31, and at 32 what's he going to be in 09'? He could EASILY be a flash in the pan. Yet he's going to make about $13 mil a year for 4 years, with a $14 mil 5th year option. Plus he can make up to $10 mil more if he has one great year in all of this.

Here's something to ponder. If Dempster was so great, why didn't anyone else go after him? They have front office guys, and scouts. They saw what we saw. Yet no one wanted to offer Dempster that type of money, despite him begging for it. We basically outbid ourselves there.

You can hate Theriot all you want. He had a .307 AVG with a .387 OBP, you'd have to be baseball retarded not to think he's good. I don't love Fuk, and he sucked at the end of last year. Difference between you and me. I believe Fuk could bounce back. Someone who hit .305 with a .416 OBP in April, and .293 with a .388 OBP in May is in there somewhere. Good coaching can fix him, do we have it? I don't know.

You're stupid if you don't think Kerry Wood is worth a 1 year deal. How can you not think Wood is worth a 1 year deal? Especially since he didn't want a lot. You're trying to win a World Series, and an All-Star is willing to give you every home town discount in the world. You don't think he's worth it? Not to mention what he means to that locker room. Lets destroy the chemistry they had.
Dempster is NOT better then Wood. Seriously Dempster had a great year, but he's not close to Wood in terms of talent. Shark, Gaudin, and Marshall. We have starters to replace Dempster. We don't have anyone to replace Wood.

EXACTLY! Minus Wood the pen is a problem now, but somehow it makes sense to let go of a guy who'd have done anything to stay? He wanted ONE FRICKIN YEAR. I mean so much for trying to win a World Series in 2009.[/QUOTE]

That chemistry has gotten us swept out of the first round in consecutive years. Chemistry is an overrated/overused term anyway. Does a good team ever have bad chemistry or vice versa? No. When you're good, you give the portrayal of good chemistry, when you're bad you don't.

If you're going to tell me that replacing Wood with Marmol is somehow worse than reaplcing Ryan Dempster with Chad Gaudin...well then I will say congratulations on being drunk at 9am sir :lol

[funksoul]

This is a horrible deal and contradicts the logic of letting Wood go. How the hell is Dempster in the prime of his career?

I think signing Dempster kind of kills any chance of getting Peavy.


Why? Dempster cost you cash. Peavy costs you players and eventually big cash. He would make less then Dempster in 2009 under his current salary which is about the same as Jason Marquis makes, around $11M If you can somehow get him off of your hands it's a wash financially.

I actually thinks it helps as it puts the Cubs in a better bargaining position. As I said above, we aren't desperate now and that is a considerably better position to be in at the negotiating table.

[gocubsgo3822]

we still going after peavy and unit and furcal

[ajgdrums7814]

Chemistry is a myth. Did the Oakland A's of the early 70's have chemistry when they were brawling with each other in the locker room? How about the Bronx Zoo in 1978?

Winning breeds chemistry. If a team is winning, we say they have good chemistry. If they lose, it must have been bad chemistry. It's a myth.

[gocubsgo3822]

Chemistry is a myth. Did the Oakland A's of the early 70's have chemistry when they were brawling with each other in the locker room? How about the Bronx Zoo in 1978?

Winning breeds chemistry. If a team is winning, we say they have good chemistry. If they lose, it must have been bad chemistry. It's a myth.
i agree with this for the most part

[DMBZeppelin]

That chemistry has gotten us swept out of the first round in consecutive years. Chemistry is an overrated/overused term anyway. Does a good team ever have bad chemistry or vice versa? No. When you're good, you give the portrayal of good chemistry, when you're bad you don't.
Having guys like Soriano who can't hit good pitching got us swept. Maybe a guy like Dempster who can't pitch to good lineups, I don't know and that reamins to be seen.

If you're going to tell me that replacing Wood with Marmol is somehow worse than reaplcing Ryan Dempster with Chad Gaudin...well then I will say congratulations on being drunk at 9am sir :lolAll I was saying is we're deep at starter. Not so much the pen. The comparison is just given how talented Gaudin is. If Dempster is Dempster of 08', then ya we're good, but you can't guarantee he wasn't a flash in a pan. Other teams seemed to think so. Hence he's a Cub still.

we still going after peavy and unit and furcal
Unit and Furcall I don't doubt. Where did you hear we were still going after Peavy? I've heard the opposite.
Why? Dempster cost you cash. Peavy costs you players and eventually big cash. He would make less then Dempster in 2009 under his current salary which is about the same as Jason Marquis makes, around $11M If you can somehow get him off of your hands it's a wash financially.

I actually thinks it helps as it puts the Cubs in a better bargaining position. As I said above, we aren't desperate now and that is a considerably better position to be in at the negotiating table.
Peavy cost you players. Well in an attempt to replace Wood, when we could have given him a cheap 1 year deal. We traded Ceda someone the Padres wanted.

Marquis does make $11M. Peavy makes $8 million. Dempster makes $8 million with a $4 million signing bonus. Dempster averages $13 mil per year. After Peavy makes $8 million this year, he's up to $15 million next year.

It's nice to think someone will want Marquis, but WHO!?

[gocubsgo3822]

Having guys like Soriano who can't hit good pitching got us swept. Maybe a guy like Dempster who can't pitch to good lineups, I don't know and that reamins to be seen.

All I was saying is we're deep at starter. Not so much the pen. The comparison is just given how talented Gaudin is. If Dempster is Dempster of 08', then ya we're good, but you can't guarantee he wasn't a flash in a pan. Other teams seemed to think so. Hence he's a Cub still.


Unit and Furcall I don't doubt. Where did you hear we were still going after Peavy? I've heard the opposite.

Peavy cost you players. Well in an attempt to replace Wood, when we could have given him a cheap 1 year deal. We traded Ceda someone the Padres wanted.

Marquis does make $11M. Peavy makes $8 million. Dempster makes $8 million with a $4 million signing bonus. Dempster averages $13 mil per year. After Peavy makes $8 million this year, he's up to $15 million next year.

It's nice to think someone will want Marquis, but WHO!?

tribune from today

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-19-cubs-whats-next-chicagonov19,0,2344641.story

[DMBZeppelin]

Chemistry is a myth. Did the Oakland A's of the early 70's have chemistry when they were brawling with each other in the locker room? How about the Bronx Zoo in 1978?

Winning breeds chemistry. If a team is winning, we say they have good chemistry. If they lose, it must have been bad chemistry. It's a myth.
I do agree winning breeds chemistry, but what happens when we're losing? The team we had last year stuck together in the rought spots and didn't turn on each other. That's important. Remember when we lost almost like every game 2 weeks down the stretch? This clubhouse has guys who actually get along, which is rare.

You also have to worry about what kind of guys we're going to bring in this offseason. What if someone is a clubhouse cancer? That's also when it's nice to have your leaders to take a bat to their boom box *cough* Kerry *cough*

[gocubsgo3822]

A name that has been mentioned as a possible fit this winter for the Cubs in right field is Milton Bradley....and on Tuesday, the rumor picked up a little more steam. According to Bruce Levine the Cubs are looking at Bradley to fill the need for a left-handed bat in right field, not Raul Ibanez. Levine said the Cubs are interested in Bradley but are not sure if he can still play the field.

A report on Cubs.com indicated, "the Cubs have to determine if Milton Bradley can stay healthy and whether he would be motivated."

[DMBZeppelin]

tribune from today

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-19-cubs-whats-next-chicagonov19,0,2344641.story
Well if that is true, I don't like the chances of finding a 3rd and/or 4th team.

Though I do hope we get Furcal this time around. It allow us to move Theriot over to 2B, where he's pretty good defensively. Plus that lineup is better.

1. Furcal (SS)
2. Theriot (2B)
3. Lee (1B)
4. Ramirez (3B)
5. Soriano (LF)
6. Soto (C)
7. DeRosa/Free Agent (RF)
8. Pie/Johnson (CF)

[gocubsgo3822]

if we get Furcal my favorite lineup is

Furcal
Lee
Soriano
Ramirez
Fukudome/ Mystery Right Field Man (Maybe one more shot for Dome)
Soto
Pie/Johnson
Derosa

[Bron Yr Aur]

Well if that is true, I don't like the chances of finding a 3rd and/or 4th team.

Though I do hope we get Furcal this time around. It allow us to move Theriot over to 2B, where he's pretty good defensively. Plus that lineup is better.

1. Furcal (SS)
2. Theriot (2B)
3. Lee (1B)
4. Ramirez (3B)
5. Soriano (LF)
6. Soto (C)
7. DeRosa/Free Agent (RF)
8. Pie/Johnson (CF)

Rather have DeRosa playing second base over Theriot if we had a full-time right fielder. Theriot is decent but DeRosa gives us more punch.

And I think you are underestimating Dempster. He had one bad game against the Dodgers (hardly a killer offense) and you're writing him off because you think somehow that game showed how he does against good offensive teams? That's a head scratcher. He had one bad game where he got nervous and walked everybody and their mother.

Like I said, he probably won't have another year with a sub-3 ERA. But I think Dempster is very capable of turning in Zambrano-like numbers year in and year out. He was so solid this year...he had less than a handful of bad outings. He was just so consistent, I just don't see that really changing much.

Don't forget that Kerry Wood had some rough patches where he was struggling to get those last outs. I agree with you that it was a horrible decision to let him walk without just paying the man for a one-year contract. However, Marmol is no slouch. He made it through that rough patch he had last year...I think he's ready to go as a closer.

[bothedmbfan]

Having guys like Soriano who can't hit good pitching got us swept. Maybe a guy like Dempster who can't pitch to good lineups, I don't know and that reamins to be seen.

All I was saying is we're deep at starter. Not so much the pen. The comparison is just given how talented Gaudin is. If Dempster is Dempster of 08', then ya we're good, but you can't guarantee he wasn't a flash in a pan. Other teams seemed to think so. Hence he's a Cub still.


Unit and Furcall I don't doubt. Where did you hear we were still going after Peavy? I've heard the opposite.

Peavy cost you players. Well in an attempt to replace Wood, when we could have given him a cheap 1 year deal. We traded Ceda someone the Padres wanted.

Marquis does make $11M. Peavy makes $8 million. Dempster makes $8 million with a $4 million signing bonus. Dempster averages $13 mil per year. After Peavy makes $8 million this year, he's up to $15 million next year.

It's nice to think someone will want Marquis, but WHO!?

The Royals.

[DMBZeppelin]

Don't forget that Kerry Wood had some rough patches where he was struggling to get those last outs. I agree with you that it was a horrible decision to let him walk without just paying the man for a one-year contract. However, Marmol is no slouch. He made it through that rough patch he had last year...I think he's ready to go as a closer.
Wood struggled in April, when he never closed and after he got off the DL when he was rusty from not pitching in a while. Marmol just plain lost his command. It was weird, and a head scratcher. Hopefully it doesn't happen again. While Marmol very much has the ability to close, we're trying to win a World Series. Wood & Marmol in the bullpen increases the chances as oppose to just Marmol.

Again Wood or whoever would need to perform to keep the job, but you basically had two BAMF's (as Samuel L's wallet says) back there. I feel confident with Marmol in the 9th. But before I felt like we get a lead late in the game, and it was ours.

Hell the only reason you over pay for Dempster is because even if you accept he may suck at the end of it. You're trying to win a championship the next couple years. Wood had every right to be apart of it. You had an All-Star who was begging to stay. Considering how little he'd have accepted to stay. LET HIM! I'd rather have a Wood/Marmol dilemma with too many guys who can close while trying to win it all.

Then being "Oh well Marmol is struggling again, what do we do now?"

[gocubsgo3822]

marmol>>>>>>> Wood.... there i said it Wood = 8 mil at least even if he takes a one year deal Marmol = 450,000....

Wood = 66.3 IP at ... with a 3.26 ERA 84 K
Dempster= 206.7IP with a 2.96 ERA 187 K
Marmol= 2.68 ERA 87.3 IP 114 K


I prefer dempster and marmol...

[UCFish]

I prefer all three.

[gocubsgo3822]

Happy birthday Michael eastern time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i will call you tomorrow :)

[gocubsgo3822]

BTW i found a site maybe better than bleedcubbie blue for cubs info.. its chicagocubsonline.com it updates all radio information throughout the day.. Its amazing check it out!!!

[DMBZeppelin]

marmol>>>>>>> Wood.... there i said it Wood = 8 mil at least even if he takes a one year deal Marmol = 450,000....

Wood = 66.3 IP at ... with a 3.26 ERA 84 K
Dempster= 206.7IP with a 2.96 ERA 187 K
Marmol= 2.68 ERA 87.3 IP 114 K


I prefer dempster and marmol...
I don't think Marmol is that much better then Wood, but it wouldn't have costed $8 mil for just one year of Wood. He'd have taken it if offered, but he'd have done anything to stay here. Lets indulge your fantasy he wanted $8 mil. You're trying to win a championship in 2009, you can afford the $8 mil because you're losing Howry. Guys like Gregg are going to be making around $3 mil.

I also don't think Marmol being better then Wood is a valid point. Because Wood>>>>>>>>The rest of the bullpen. You need more then one guy in a pen to win a World Series. You're not going to win it all with just Marmol. Gaudin wasn't the same after injury, Shark has no control, and Gregg isn't that good.

[DMBZeppelin]

Piniella said the Cubs are currently focusing on finding a left-handed hitter and a veteran reliever.

"And that’s probably as good as we can accomplish," he said, referring to the Cubs self-imposed budgetary limitations.
All you Wood nay sayers can shutup now. We're still looking for a bullpen guy. So obviously we have the money for Wood.

[gocubsgo3822]

no we dont have the money for wood.... wood is not signng for thre emillion or less..

[funksoul]

All you Wood nay sayers can shutup now. We're still looking for a bullpen guy. So obviously we have the money for Wood.

Wood does not throw left handed!!

[DMBZeppelin]

no we dont have the money for wood.... wood is not signng for thre emillion or less..
You know this how? Not to mention Gregg will make AT LEAST 3 million.
Wood does not throw left handed!!
What are you talking about?

[funksoul]

I'm saying we are still looking for a bullpen guy but I would presume that guy would be a lefty.

[DMBZeppelin]

I'm saying we are still looking for a bullpen guy but I would presume that guy would be a lefty.
Lou just said a veteran reliever, he said nothing about a lefty. I'm sure if he can find a lefty he'd take him, but it's not like Marshall is all that bad.

[Bron Yr Aur]

All you Wood nay sayers can shutup now. We're still looking for a bullpen guy. So obviously we have the money for Wood.

Wait...has Kerry Wood signed with another team yet?

I mean, it is basically retarded what they've done here. Now we need a veteran reliever....

....uhh....

Kerry Wood is a veteran and a reliever. And you're right, it's not like he would've been that expensive for another year. It's definitely 5-8 million that we could afford considering what we're paying other guys.

[devilandthelord]

No he hasn't I don't believe.
But why would he take 5-8 from us, if somebody would offer him 10+.
Although I don't know what Wood's market value is at or what the interest has been.
Maybe a lot of teams are scared off because of his injury history.

[DMBZeppelin]

No he hasn't I don't believe.
But why would he take 5-8 from us, if somebody would offer him 10+.
Although I don't know what Wood's market value is at or what the interest has been.
Maybe a lot of teams are scared off because of his injury history.
The reason he'd take $5 million from us and not $10 from another team is EXACTLY why he should still be on the team. He didn't want to become a free agent. Ya he wanted a long term deal of 3-4 years. The Cubs said no. So he was like "Ok I'll do a 1 year deal." he literally said he would do ANYTHING he could to stay.

The Cubs are the only team he's ever known. His family is here, and he just wants to stay here and play here. He said he wanted to retire here, and then start taking his kids to games. The man bleeds Cubbie Blue. He also said he's talked to people who've been here and left, and they all tell him nothing else is like it is here.

I mean I don't know how else I can put this. From Kerry's own mouth. He's not in this for the money. He would have done ANYTHING to stay here with the Cubs. We basically had to kick him out. I guess that's where we're at now though. We're so good that we can tell All-Star's begging to stay here "Nah! We don't want to go in that direction."

It's not a money issue. Because we have money to go after Furcal, take on Robert's salary if we work out a trade, take on Peavy's salary if we work out a trade. Even if we signed Dempster, early in FA we were suppose to look into getting Sabathia.

The Cubs just didn't want Kerry Wood.

[devilandthelord]

^ I've heard.
Thats so messed up man.

[Ev42]

hendry fucked up with wood. the bullpen will be a weakness this season

[devilandthelord]

Whenever Kerry has been healthy, he has been a very effective if not top-shelf pitcher, whether it was as a starter or reliever.
I can't figure out why we don't want him even for another year. :(

[gocubsgo3822]

zep u are borderline retarded kery isnt singing for less than two relievers..

i love u zep but seriously wow...

[devilandthelord]

^ What you don't love is spelling or grammar.

[DMBZeppelin]

zep u are borderline retarded kery isnt singing for less than two relievers..

i love u zep but seriously wow...
Wait so you're telling me since we're spending $3+ mil on Gregg, and probably $3-5 mil on another guy. We couldn't use that money to sign Wood? :ugh

And again, Wood has CONSTANTLY taken a hometown discount. He'd have done whatever it took to stay here, even take a shitty 1 year deal. While you can say "NO HE WOULDN'T HE WANTED $10 MILLION!" which I think is bullshit. Guess what? We'll never fucking no because the Cubs wouldn't even MAKE AN OFFER!

I'd have ZERO problem with the Cubs saying "Ok Kerry, this is all we can offer. Not much, but we understand if you want to go else where." but they wouldn't even do that. They wouldn't even offer him a 1 year deal. Just keep drinking the Jim Hendry Kool-aid.

[Bron Yr Aur]

zep u are borderline retarded kery isnt singing for less than two relievers..

i love u zep but seriously wow...

Except Woody even said he would take a 1-year deal or discount to stay with the Cubs...

...so, nice argument.

[Ev42]

zep u are borderline retarded kery isnt singing for less than two relievers..

i love u zep but seriously wow...

dumb fucking post. but it's like all or your other post.

[gocubsgo3822]

dumb fucking post. but it's like all or your other post.

we have a fucking budget. i love kerr as much as the rest of society but seirously we cant afford him. end of discussion...

[41ravens]

we have a fucking budget. i love kerr as much as the rest of society but seirously we cant afford him. end of discussion...

i think what you're not understanding is the cubs didn't even try. how do you know they can't afford him when they didn't even offer him a deal?

[DMBZeppelin]

we have a fucking budget. i love kerr as much as the rest of society but seirously we cant afford him. end of discussion...
:lol Can't afford him?

Teams that win, but that the Cub look to for a business model, in the Red Sox aren't raising ticket prices. Guess who is? The Cubs. They make a lot of money off Cubs nation.

Regardless we have money to go after Peavy, Furcal/Roberts, Dunn/Abreu, and a veteran reliever... so there's money there. It really kind of kills your budget argument. This was never about money, because Wood never demanded a lot of it.

[Jack7238]

When it comes down to it here's what the cubs need to do (in order):

1. Sign Furcal or Ibanez...if they sign either Dunn or Abreu or get these royals guys it will be a complete bust as both Dunn and Abreu are washed up and neither is good in the field. My preference would be to sign Furcal move Theriot to second like the old days and have DeRosa be the everyday right fielder.

2(if possible) Trade for Peavy
I think we can all agree that this could be the most dynamic team we've ever seen if the Cubs find a way to bring this guy in. When you have 5 pitchers like that, it will be very hard for all 4 starters in the playoffs to fuck up like we did this year.

3. Add a veteran in the bullpen...I know we all hated seeing Kerry go...but the fact of the matter is the guy is going to get a lot of money to come somewhere and we have a lot of talent (in my opinion) in the bullpen as well as the minors...I'm not quite sure who this would be, but I imagine we won't be after Fuentes or Hoffman either

Here's the ideal if everything works out for the Cubs:
1. Furcal SS
2. Theriot 2B
3. Soriano LF
4. Ramirez 3B
5. Lee 1B
6. Soto C
7. DeRosa RF
8. Johnson/Fukudome CF

Starters:
Zambrano
Peavy
Lilly
Dempster
Harden

Honestly if that was our rotation...you could pitch any of those 5 guys as the ace and be satisfied...what a team it would be.

[Bron Yr Aur]

When it comes down to it here's what the cubs need to do (in order):

1. Sign Furcal or Ibanez...if they sign either Dunn or Abreu or get these royals guys it will be a complete bust as both Dunn and Abreu are washed up and neither is good in the field. My preference would be to sign Furcal move Theriot to second like the old days and have DeRosa be the everyday right fielder.

2(if possible) Trade for Peavy
I think we can all agree that this could be the most dynamic team we've ever seen if the Cubs find a way to bring this guy in. When you have 5 pitchers like that, it will be very hard for all 4 starters in the playoffs to fuck up like we did this year.

3. Add a veteran in the bullpen...I know we all hated seeing Kerry go...but the fact of the matter is the guy is going to get a lot of money to come somewhere and we have a lot of talent (in my opinion) in the bullpen as well as the minors...I'm not quite sure who this would be, but I imagine we won't be after Fuentes or Hoffman either

Here's the ideal if everything works out for the Cubs:
1. Furcal SS
2. Theriot 2B
3. Soriano LF
4. Ramirez 3B
5. Lee 1B
6. Soto C
7. DeRosa RF
8. Johnson/Fukudome CF

Starters:
Zambrano
Peavy
Lilly
Dempster
Harden

Honestly if that was our rotation...you could pitch any of those 5 guys as the ace and be satisfied...what a team it would be.

Seriously. If we had THAT starting rotation, nothing else would matter. The playoffs would be an absolute lock.

[gocubsgo3822]

When it comes down to it here's what the cubs need to do (in order):

1. Sign Furcal or Ibanez...if they sign either Dunn or Abreu or get these royals guys it will be a complete bust as both Dunn and Abreu are washed up and neither is good in the field. My preference would be to sign Furcal move Theriot to second like the old days and have DeRosa be the everyday right fielder.

2(if possible) Trade for Peavy
I think we can all agree that this could be the most dynamic team we've ever seen if the Cubs find a way to bring this guy in. When you have 5 pitchers like that, it will be very hard for all 4 starters in the playoffs to fuck up like we did this year.

3. Add a veteran in the bullpen...I know we all hated seeing Kerry go...but the fact of the matter is the guy is going to get a lot of money to come somewhere and we have a lot of talent (in my opinion) in the bullpen as well as the minors...I'm not quite sure who this would be, but I imagine we won't be after Fuentes or Hoffman either

Here's the ideal if everything works out for the Cubs:
1. Furcal SS
2. Theriot 2B
3. Soriano LF
4. Ramirez 3B
5. Lee 1B
6. Soto C
7. DeRosa RF
8. Johnson/Fukudome CF

Starters:
Zambrano
Peavy
Lilly
Dempster
Harden

Honestly if that was our rotation...you could pitch any of those 5 guys as the ace and be satisfied...what a team it would be.

this is the duymbest post i have ever read... Adam Dunn washed up???? Are you out of your fucking mind he is 28. He has posted an OPS of .900+ over his career... You want Ibanez.. Ibanez is good but Dunn is a once and a life time type of slugger.... I dont get it.. People hate Dunn because he has 200 K's a year but so fucking what his lowest OBP since 2003 is .365..... I mean the man doesnt chase pitchers pitches.. and he tears the cover off the ball...

and the answer to the budget debate is when you have a better relief pitcher in amrmol you dont resign wood.... i think wood will be back becasue i think he will accept arbritration... its stupid to pay him the money he is worth as a FA..... Peavy and Furcal are significant difference makers.. Peavy pitches 200 innings furcal can play everyday. end of discussion

[bothedmbfan]

Seriously. If we had THAT starting rotation, nothing else would matter. The playoffs would be an absolute lock.

No, this is still Chicago.

[DMBZeppelin]

3. Add a veteran in the bullpen...I know we all hated seeing Kerry go...but the fact of the matter is the guy is going to get a lot of money to come somewhere and we have a lot of talent (in my opinion) in the bullpen as well as the minors...I'm not quite sure who this would be, but I imagine we won't be after Fuentes or Hoffman either
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA are people taking stupid pills? Listen EVERYONE KNOWS Kerry pitched well enough to get a pretty big contract. He could go get 3-4 years at $8-12 million a year perhaps. No one is denying that, or saying he's not worth that.

We could of had him for 1 year, at a hometown discount. He said so himself, he'd have left all the money on the table again. He doesn't care about his pay day. We do not have ANYONE in that pen who you can expect to perform at Wood's level last year that isn't Marmol. We've weakened the pen.

Fuentes... Hoffman!? These guys will cost more then Wood.
and the answer to the budget debate is when you have a better relief pitcher in amrmol you dont resign wood.... i think wood will be back becasue i think he will accept arbritration... its stupid to pay him the money he is worth as a FA..... Peavy and Furcal are significant difference makers.. Peavy pitches 200 innings furcal can play everyday. end of discussion
:ugh :BANG No one is DENYING MARMOL'S TALENT! That statement makes ZERO sense. Why sign anyone then? Why get another veteran reliever? Never sign any pen arm again because we have Marmol.

I love Marmol, but if you want a championship bullpen YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE THEN ONE GUY! MARMOL CAN'T PITCH EVERY SINGLE GAME! Then follow it up with another statement that makes no sense. FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY HIM WHAT HE'S WORTH!!!!

If you don't think Wood is a significant difference maker, you may be borderline retarded. Hell using the Cy Young formula that was on ESPN.com, Wood came in 10th place with his numbers from last year. He's only going to get better. Peavy is breaking down, and Furcal would be nice. But neither would take hometown discounts.

You've even said before Wood might take arbitration, but you don't think he'd just sign before then for the same or less 1 year deal? Honestly I just don't understand you when it comes to Wood. I know you claim to like him, but you have every excuse in the world why we don't need him or how you think he'll cost a lot when he won't.

[Ev42]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA are people taking stupid pills? Listen EVERYONE KNOWS Kerry pitched well enough to get a pretty big contract. He could go get 3-4 years at $8-12 million a year perhaps. No one is denying that, or saying he's not worth that.

We could of had him for 1 year, at a hometown discount. He said so himself, he'd have left all the money on the table again. He doesn't care about his pay day. We do not have ANYONE in that pen who you can expect to perform at Wood's level last year that isn't Marmol. We've weakened the pen.

Fuentes... Hoffman!? These guys will cost more then Wood.

:ugh :BANG No one is DENYING MARMOL'S TALENT! That statement makes ZERO sense. Why sign anyone then? Why get another veteran reliever? Never sign any pen arm again because we have Marmol.

I love Marmol, but if you want a championship bullpen YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE THEN ONE GUY! MARMOL CAN'T PITCH EVERY SINGLE GAME! Then follow it up with another statement that makes no sense. FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY HIM WHAT HE'S WORTH!!!!

If you don't think Wood is a significant difference maker, you may be borderline retarded. Hell using the Cy Young formula that was on ESPN.com, Wood came in 10th place with his numbers from last year. He's only going to get better. Peavy is breaking down, and Furcal would be nice. But neither would take hometown discounts.

You've even said before Wood might take arbitration, but you don't think he'd just sign before then for the same or less 1 year deal? Honestly I just don't understand you when it comes to Wood. I know you claim to like him, but you have every excuse in the world why we don't need him or how you think he'll cost a lot when he won't.

right on as always Zep. it makes me sick knowing we just tossed woody on his ass.

[funksoul]

So let's really get to the heart of this...if the Cubs could have signed Wood for a one year deal at a reasonable cost, then why SPECIFICALLY didn't they? I mean serioulsy think about this...why would they not do it? Hendry considered Wood a son...so it's not a case of bad blood. There is something else here. I don't need answers like they are the Cubs or Hendry is an idiot...that doesn't make sense. Put your personal feelings aside and think why did this happen?

[funksoul]

So let's really get to the heart of this...if the Cubs could have signed Wood for a one year deal at a reasonable cost, then why SPECIFICALLY didn't they? I mean serioulsy think about this...why would they not do it? Hendry considered Wood a son...so it's not a case of bad blood. There is something else here. I don't need answers like they are the Cubs or Hendry is an idiot...that doesn't make sense. Put your personal feelings aside and think why did this happen?


Either Kerry wood is fabricating the truth a bit and the Cubs won;t call him out on it or the Cubs simply have no faith in him staying healthy for another full year. That's what I got as my two viable options right now.

[DMBZeppelin]

So let's really get to the heart of this...if the Cubs could have signed Wood for a one year deal at a reasonable cost, then why SPECIFICALLY didn't they? I mean serioulsy think about this...why would they not do it? Hendry considered Wood a son...so it's not a case of bad blood. There is something else here. I don't need answers like they are the Cubs or Hendry is an idiot...that doesn't make sense. Put your personal feelings aside and think why did this happen?
Ok you only know what Hendry views "Wood as a son" because he went on 670 the Score to try and get some good press for the Cubs. Hendry hates doing the radio show interviews. But the Cubs didn't want to seem like they were kicking Wood to the curb, so to speak. But he made it clear one of the reasons they weren't bringing Wood back is because while he had constantly taken a hometown discount, he wanted a 3-4 year deal. You can download this interview on iTunes.

Well none of that made sense once the press asked Wood about leaving the Cubs. Because just as he always had. He was willing to leave money on the table in the past, and he was willing to do it again. His goal was to win a ring with the Cubs, not to get his pay day.

Why this happen though? Re-read this quote:
"That was an avenue we kind of approached," he said. "But they’ve got some issues they've got to take care of, and at the end I wasn't as important as lot of other aspects of the team. (Carlos) Marmol, we all know what he's capable of doing… it is what it is."
The team obviously has some agenda with Marmol. I think keeping Wood around complicates that. I don't think they want Marmol to have to compete for the spot in Spring Training. I think Lou and Hendry are going to decide, even if they go with Gregg at closer at first, that at some point this season they'll have Marmol pitching the 9th.

Or they want Gregg to pitch his way out of the closer role, something Wood might not do. The thing about it is, they gave Dempster a lot more then anyone else was willing. Which is fine if you're trying to win a championship the next few years. You may be kicking yourself in the back of the head the last few years of it, but if we win it all it's worth over paying to keep someone who will contribute.

Which is why letting Wood go makes ZERO sense. Are we a better team without Wood in 2009, a team that is trying to win a World Series? No we're not. Wood/Marmol is a better late inning combo then Gregg/Marmol and it's not even close. But again veterans on the club don't like it when guys get handed jobs, so bringing back Woody and just saying "Wood you're not the closer" probably wouldn't fly too well.

Even if they brought Wood back, and he agreed to come back as the setup guy. What happens if Marmol struggles, and everyone is yelling for Wood to go back into the closers role. I doubt the same thing would happen with Gregg, and a lot of this move seems to be the politics of it.
Either Kerry wood is fabricating the truth a bit and the Cubs won;t call him out on it or the Cubs simply have no faith in him staying healthy for another full year. That's what I got as my two viable options right now.
If they didn't think he could stay healthy, they wouldn't have re-signed him the last two years. One year deal doesn't kill you with just about anyone. It's low risk, high reward. Especially at a reasonable cost.

[gocubsgo3822]

i for one believe kerry will be back

[funksoul]

i for one believe kerry will be back

I wouldn't be shocked. If Lance Briggs can come back to the Bears, Kerry Wood sure as hell can come back to the Cubs.

.

[bothedmbfan]

i for one believe kerry will be back

You're also an idjut...

[funksoul]

If they didn't think he could stay healthy, they wouldn't have re-signed him the last two years. One year deal doesn't kill you with just about anyone. It's low risk, high reward. Especially at a reasonable cost.

I guess my point is that there is no other team in baseball that knows Kerry Wood better than the Cubs. Maybe they know something?

[clcfball11]

Delino DeShields.

[UCFish]

Marquis Grisssom.

[gocubsgo3822]

why are we naming these people??

and the reason kerry will be back is we will offer him arbritration and he will accept i am sure of it...

Then we will ahve a sick nasty bullpen of

Wood
Marmol
Gregg
Shark
Cotts
Marshall
someone else...


meanwhile i pray that someone signs howry quickly so we can get two first rounders

[DMBZeppelin]

I guess my point is that there is no other team in baseball that knows Kerry Wood better than the Cubs. Maybe they know something?
Ok but think logically about that. He finished the season healthy. If Wood and the Cubs both know he's not healthy. They probably give him a 1 year deal that's incentive laden. We'll give you a base salary, and you'll make money if you actually pitch.

But he's been healthy since 2007, and nothing at the end of the season looked any difference. Him arm has been fine.

[saygdbye4134]

Delino DeShields.

Marquis Grisssom.


dan pasqua

[DMBZeppelin]

From ESPN Insider's Rumor Central:
Cubs' interest in Teahen resurfaces

The Royals are looking at second baseman Mike Fontenot (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=6098) and pitcher Sean Marshall (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=6489) as compensation from the Cubs in a possible trade for Mark Teahen (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=6011), the Chicago Tribune reported.

The newspaper said that "Kansas City is focused" on Fontenot on Marshall, a left-hander.

The Kansas City Star reported last week that the Cubs' pursuit of Teahen would intensify now that the Cubs have signed free agent pitcher Ryan Dempster (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3845). The newspaper reported that the Cubs remain interested in free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3504), but are also "searching for low-cost alternatives."

The Cubs would then be open to Teahen, who is projected to make $3-million plus either through arbitration or a negotiated deal.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella recently cited the acquisition of a left-handed bat as one of the team's offseason priorities.

[gocubsgo3822]

gross...that report is dramatically inaccurate... we would never give up either of those two for teahen form my undersrtanding. the front page of bleedcubbie blue discusses it

[DMBZeppelin]

I thought ChicagoCubs.com had some interesting tidbits in their mailbag. Usually offical websites have crappy content, because they'd never post anything close to a rumor or anything to stir the pot, well...
With Ryan Dempster back, why would the Cubs stop the Jake Peavy trade talks with San Diego? You could trade Jason Marquis and have, no doubt, the best pitching staff in MLB. I think they do have the best pitching staff, but it would be even better with Peavy.
-- Justin P., Davenport, Iowa

The Padres are trying to cut costs, and acquiring Marquis wouldn't do that. He's owed $9.875 million in 2009. The Cubs headed into the offseason knowing they could afford either Dempster or Peavy, but not both.


After signing Dempster, I feel our rotation is fine where it is. What I believe we need to make a push to the World Series is a veteran like Manny Ramirez. It's the same atmosphere as Boston. If we can sign him, we can plug him into left, move Soriano to second, and as for Mark DeRosa, we can place him in right. For the left-handed hitter, we could maybe trade for David DeJesus from Kansas City in center. Do you think this can be a possibility?
-- James M., Berwyn, Ill.

No. Just as there is no room in the Cubs' payroll for Peavy, there is definitely no room for Ramirez. And Soriano is in the outfield for a reason. In five seasons as a second baseman, he averaged 21 errors. DeRosa is a good outfielder, but he'll be the first to tell you he's a better second baseman.
I'll say this, with no one chasing after Dempster. Why didn't we wait and see if we could get the better pitcher in Peavy? :BANG

[DMBZeppelin]

Hell this was on ChicagoCubs.com as well, so it must be getting serious.
Kansas City "is focused" on Cubs left-hander Sean Marshall and infielder Mike Fontenot while discussing a possible trade for outfielder Mark Teahen, according to the Chicago Tribune.

At 26, Marshall compiled a 3.86 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings in 2008, splitting time as a starter and a reliever.

The left-handed Fontenot hit .306 last season as a reserve, including .360 after the All-Star break.

By re-signing Ryan Dempster, the club is set with four-fifths of its rotation, leaving Jason Marquis and Marshall to battle it out for the fifth spot.
I will say it's RETARDED if we trade those two for Teahen. I can't believe we'd try making such a trade. We don't need more outfielders unless they are proven young stars. Being a swing guy as a pitcher is a tough role, and Marshall pitched big innings in big games for us. He'd usually give us solid 5 before tiring out in the 6th everytime he got a spot start, and couldn't have been more pleased with what he did.

I don't think sneaky power is an everyday player. When he played everyday in 07' he wore down. He's still VERY VERY VERY VAULEABLE as a bench player. Like it said he hit .360 after the all star break. What the hell has Teahen done?

[gocubsgo3822]

zep go to bleedcubbie blue to check out why those teahen rumors are stuopid....

i think we will be ble to afford wood and peavy and our bat come december 1st when we have an idea who will own us...

[devilandthelord]

I thought ChicagoCubs.com had some interesting tidbits in their mailbag. Usually offical websites have crappy content, because they'd never post anything close to a rumor or anything to stir the pot, well...

I'll say this, with no one chasing after Dempster. Why didn't we wait and see if we could get the better pitcher in Peavy? :BANG

Don't forget younger, but already more proven too. :(

[DMBZeppelin]

zep go to bleedcubbie blue to check out why those teahen rumors are stuopid....

i think we will be ble to afford wood and peavy and our bat come december 1st when we have an idea who will own us...
While rumors can be started in such ways. Keep in mind that while the guy had no proof of the matter, Wood was taking a plane to NYC. While the report on Teahen may have been bogus from the Tribune. I REALLY doubt ChicagoCubs.com would report a rumor. They've never really done that before, unless it's based in some sort of truth. The offical website is not a rumor mill that's meant to fuel false reports.

[gocubsgo3822]

right i agree with you i just dont believe that we would give either of those two up for those clowns from KC much less both of them....

interesting article from chicagocubsonline today...

"Towers disagreed with me that the best chance for a deal might still be the Braves. At the moment, he appears to be favoring the Cubs' chances.


"I think there's a chance of maybe putting together a deal with Chicago,'' Towers said. "At least I know he's willing to go there.''


But in the same breath, Towers added that he didn't anticipate anything happen anytime soon, and explained why.


Towers mentioned two complications. One is that the Cubs' ownership situation is unsettled (there could be a sale, though there's a lot of doubt now whether anyone interested will want to come up with the cash in this economy). The other complication is that they will probably need a third team to do a deal with the Cubs."

we still have a chance.... Now i would consider the offseason doneskies if we could get peavy and then all u gotta really do is offer wood arbritration he will accept and then we will have the deepest pithching...

Peavy
Z
Demps
Lilly
Harden

Wood
Marmol
Gregg
Shark
Cotts
Gaudin
Marshall

With that pitching staff you dont need that crazy LH bat.. In fact what i would do if we got Peavy is emphasize defense a little bit and go with a lineup of this vs. RH/LH

1.Soriano/SORIANO
2. Pie/Johnson
3. Lee/Lee
4. Ramirez/Ramirez
5.Fukudome/Soto
6. Soto/DeRosa (RF)
7.DeRosa (/Cedeno (SS)
8.Theriot/ Theriot (2B)

with a bench of Blanco,Fontenot, Cedeno, Hoffpauir, Johnson

25 man=Wood,Marmol,Gaudin,Cotts,Marshall,Shark,Gregg, Peavy,Z,Demps,Harden,Lilly,Lee,Hoffpauir,Cedeno,De Rosa,Lil Babe Ruth,Rammy,Scrappy,soto,Blanco,Soriano,pie,RJ,Dome

[gocubsgo3822]

Appearently according to Gordon Wittenmeyer in the Suntimes today we are going to give Lil Babe Ruth time in Spring Training to see if he can handle SS....

That would be awesome if Fontenot could handle SS but i believe we tried this before in 2007 and he couldnt... A lineup with Fonenot at SS against Righties would look so much better..

Soriano
Fontenot
Lee
Rmairez
Dome
Soto
Pie
DerRosa

BTW Pie cant hit eighth.. pitchers will do nothing more than throw him junk.. If you give him someone behind him that can hit he will see more FB's and do a better job IMO

[DMBZeppelin]

with a bench of Blanco,Fontenot, Cedeno, Hoffpauir, Johnson
Why aren't we trying to move Hoffpauir in the Peavy trade? He's got value as clubs seem to like him. He's not an NL player though. His defense is the suck.
That would be awesome if Fontenot could handle SS but i believe we tried this before in 2007 and he couldnt... A lineup with Fonenot at SS against Righties would look so much better..
Given that in terms of 2B the ones with the best range are:
1. Cedeno
2. Theriot
3. DeRosa
4. Fotenot

I imagine it translates to SS in that very same way. With Cedeno having the best range, Theriot being just average, DeRosa could probably field it but his range wouldn't be great, and Fotenot I just see being horrible.

[Sou1 So1di3r]

Piniella: Cubs are done seeking Peavy
With rotation set, manager says club looking for left-handed bat

If there were any lingering questions about whether the Cubs had pulled back from pursuing San Diego ace Jake Peavy in a trade, manager Lou Piniella answered them this week.
The Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer asked Piniella at an event in Chicago on Sunday whether the Cubs were still pursuing starting pitching in the wake of their four-year contract extension with free agent right-hander Ryan Dempster.

"No," Piniella was quoted as saying in Tuesday's Sun-Times. "Starting we don't need. We're set. We've got six good starters, and they're all experienced. Getting Dempster back was the key. We're in good shape with our starting pitching. Bullpen-wise, [we're looking for] possibly one more experienced pitcher. We've got a lot of young kids out there."

He was referring to starters Dempster, Rich Harden, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Carlos Zambrano, each of whom reached double-digit wins in 2008 (if you include Harden's first half in Oakland), plus left-hander Sean Marshall, who bounced between the rotation and the bullpen.

Marshall, though, has been mentioned in reports out of both Chicago and Kansas City as one Cubs player who could be used to acquire outfielder Mark Teahen from the Royals.

Piniella's comments make the Cubs the second team to publicly distance itself from rumors about Peavy, who is being shopped by the San Diego Padres. The Braves, considered at the time the leading contender to land Peavy's services, stopped actively pursuing the right-hander on Nov. 14.

Cubs starters were 69-40 in 2008 with a National League-best 3.75 ERA and a Major League-best .237 batting average against.


In the same Sun-Times article, Piniella seemed to offer an endorsement for free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez, who played for Piniella in Seattle from 1996-2000. The Cubs are looking for a left-handed bat to hit in the middle of the order, and Ibanez has been mentioned as one possibility.

"Raul can hit, there's no question," Piniella told the newspaper. "He's a professional bat, and he's that type of hitter that we're alluding to. ... And he's a great guy, no question. I like the guy. He's a professional hitter; he plays hard; he's a good player."

[funksoul]

Piniella: Cubs are done seeking Peavy
With rotation set, manager says club looking for left-handed bat


I'm not sure how much credence I put in this...a couple of weeks ago he was unaware we were even going after Peavy.

[DMBZeppelin]

I'll be upset if we don't get Peavy all because of Ryan Dempster.

[Sou1 So1di3r]

I'm not sure how much credence I put in this...a couple of weeks ago he was unaware we were even going after Peavy.

It's Lou Pinella saying this.... you mean he is lying?

[gocubsgo3822]

Why aren't we trying to move Hoffpauir in the Peavy trade? He's got value as clubs seem to like him. He's not an NL player though. His defense is the suck.

Given that in terms of 2B the ones with the best range are:
1. Cedeno
2. Theriot
3. DeRosa
4. Fotenot

I imagine it translates to SS in that very same way. With Cedeno having the best range, Theriot being just average, DeRosa could probably field it but his range wouldn't be great, and Fotenot I just see being horrible.

they have an awesome first basemen in gonzalez and dont need hoffpauir...

2. i would say theriot has the worst range of all of them.. DeRosa definitely has better range then him..

Cedeno
DeRosa
Theriot/FOntenot are probably about equal

[Tiduwho]

FYI, Henry Blanco was retiring last I heard.

[Tiduwho]

Mark Teahan for Marshall and Fontenot? Why? I would welcome Raul Ibanez. But Teahan isn't that great....at all.

[funksoul]

It's Lou Pinella saying this.... you mean he is lying?

No I'm just saying he didn't even know we were going after Peavy originally after it was all over the place.
My point is that I'm not sure if he's saying we don't need any more starters or we are not going after Jake Peavy anymore...nor do I know if that's his call. We're talking Lou here...he's probably sipping pina coladas on a pool floatie in Tampa as we speak.

[DMBZeppelin]

No I'm just saying he didn't even know we were going after Peavy originally after it was all over the place.
My point is that I'm not sure if he's saying we don't need any more starters or we are not going after Jake Peavy anymore...nor do I know if that's his call. We're talking Lou here...he's probably sipping pina coladas on a pool floatie in Tampa as we speak.
There's very very little that goes on with the Cubs that Piniella doesn't know about. A trade that would involve a star player, and possibly take guys from the big league clubs like Cedeno, and Marshall. Not to mention at one point Ceda was involved, who Piniella sees during the spring and with him being about MLB ready, Piniella probably has an opinion about him.

Thing is Hendry isn't going to re-arrange with the club without Lou's approval. This has been the case the whole time he's been here, and I doubt that change now. If Lou doesn't know about Peavy talks, that tells you how serious it is. Though Lou might just being coy, since he didn't know how much info is out there and you're not suppose to talk about other teams players.

[funksoul]

There's very very little that goes on with the Cubs that Piniella doesn't know about. A trade that would involve a star player, and possibly take guys from the big league clubs like Cedeno, and Marshall. Not to mention at one point Ceda was involved, who Piniella sees during the spring and with him being about MLB ready, Piniella probably has an opinion about him.

Thing is Hendry isn't going to re-arrange with the club without Lou's approval. This has been the case the whole time he's been here, and I doubt that change now. If Lou doesn't know about Peavy talks, that tells you how serious it is. Though Lou might just being coy, since he didn't know how much info is out there and you're not suppose to talk about other teams players.

No I agree with you. Lou might be playing crafty old man to bring down the asking price for Peavy. The Padres have made it dumbly clear that they want to move Peavy. Simple supply and demand tells you that when the demand falls so too might the asking "price." So maybe the Cubs aren't and maybe they are. Maybe the Padres call the Cubs and say...hey we've reconsiders our asking price. who knows?

I'm sure Lou gets consulted but he may not even know who Jake Peavy is. He has a tough enough time remembering his own players names. :lol

[devilandthelord]

Heard today on the radio that the Padres said the possibility of Peavy to the Cubs is still very much alive, however they may need to get a 3rd team involved for it to take place.

[DMBZeppelin]

Heard today on the radio that the Padres said the possibility of Peavy to the Cubs is still very much alive, however they may need to get a 3rd team involved for it to take place.

That's been the rumor forever. The only thing I can think of is:

Peavy to Cubs
Marshall and Fotenot to KC
Tehean, Cedeno, and specs to SD

[devilandthelord]

^ Works for me.

[gocubsgo3822]

Happy turkey day yall

[DMBZeppelin]

Happy turkey day yall

It's only 11 where we live, or did you head east for the holidays.

[gocubsgo3822]

It's only 11 where we live, or did you head east for the holidays.


i am at orlando for now....

interesting article i just saw... http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-peavycubs112608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[Jack7238]

i am at orlando for now....

interesting article i just saw... http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-peavycubs112608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Wow looks like we all, and not to mention lou, might be wrong about this...very interesting and i believe it, especially because i've seen the same kind of info today on different sites as well

[DMBZeppelin]

i am at orlando for now....

interesting article i just saw... http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-peavycubs112608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
I could see it being the Royals, as I mentioned earlier.

1.) What NL team would want Peavy on the Cubs?
2.) What other teams have the Cubs been mentioned with recently?

So I honestly think it could be the Royals, or maybe even the O's. The Cubs still want Roberts. The O's are finally willing to deal him, and the Cubs want a lefty/switch hitting lead off hitter.

It's been stated the Cubs probably wouldn't have enough to get Peavy and Roberts. In a three team deal though, they might be able to get both. Since the Cubs would get two players they covet. I really could see them willing to then part with someone like Vitters.

Though I really do hope we manage to keep Marshall out of any trade, even if it meant giving up a Veal, ect. Though if we do pull off a three team deal, it really makes me mad we gave up Ceda who was worth a lot.

[Ev42]

i am at orlando for now....

interesting article i just saw... http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-peavycubs112608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

thanks for the article. good news

[Ev42]

I could see it being the Royals, as I mentioned earlier.

1.) What NL team would want Peavy on the Cubs?
2.) What other teams have the Cubs been mentioned with recently?

So I honestly think it could be the Royals, or maybe even the O's. The Cubs still want Roberts. The O's are finally willing to deal him, and the Cubs want a lefty/switch hitting lead off hitter.

It's been stated the Cubs probably wouldn't have enough to get Peavy and Roberts. In a three team deal though, they might be able to get both. Since the Cubs would get two players they covet. I really could see them willing to then part with someone like Vitters.

Though I really do hope we manage to keep Marshall out of any trade, even if it meant giving up a Veal, ect. Though if we do pull off a three team deal, it really makes me mad we gave up Ceda who was worth a lot.



yeah that pissed me off.

[Jack7238]

I could see it being the Royals, as I mentioned earlier.

1.) What NL team would want Peavy on the Cubs?
2.) What other teams have the Cubs been mentioned with recently?

So I honestly think it could be the Royals, or maybe even the O's. The Cubs still want Roberts. The O's are finally willing to deal him, and the Cubs want a lefty/switch hitting lead off hitter.

It's been stated the Cubs probably wouldn't have enough to get Peavy and Roberts. In a three team deal though, they might be able to get both. Since the Cubs would get two players they covet. I really could see them willing to then part with someone like Vitters.

Though I really do hope we manage to keep Marshall out of any trade, even if it meant giving up a Veal, ect. Though if we do pull off a three team deal, it really makes me mad we gave up Ceda who was worth a lot.

While I see where your coming from and it makes a lot of sense...i think the problem with the royals is that the Padres have said they are looking at pitching in a great sense as well. Maybe that is where the orioles could come in with young pitching

[gocubsgo3822]

we dont have what it takes to get any of he orioles really good young pitching.... their pitchign is really good.. maybe we could get arrieta for vitters but that is it..

[DMBZeppelin]

we dont have what it takes to get any of he orioles really good young pitching.... their pitchign is really good.. maybe we could get arrieta for vitters but that is it..
You forget one thing... Andy McPhail.

He's VERY capable of making a horrible deal. We know he probably over values Cubs prospects as he was around them so long.

[gocubsgo3822]

yea he was never around vitters though and that team loves their pitching.. they ahve three really good arms n matusz arrieta and tillman.. they are all top 50 prospects... we could probably get arrieta but that is it...

i have no idea who the third team is but they have to have pitching...

[DMBZeppelin]

yea he was never around vitters though and that team loves their pitching.. they ahve three really good arms n matusz arrieta and tillman.. they are all top 50 prospects... we could probably get arrieta but that is it...

i have no idea who the third team is but they have to have pitching...
The only reason it was even hard to get Roberts last offseason is because the owner loves him like a son. He'll be an FA after this season though, so they're ready to move him if they can't extend him.

It wouldn't have to be just Vitters going. Keep in mind SD could send some specs to the O's as well. I could also see Hoffpauir fitting in nicely with the O's. Not sure if they like him though. But he'd kill in that park.

[gocubsgo3822]

yea hoffpauir is an intriguing guy to go to baltimore.. they are going big after tex righ now but i doubt they will land him.. i jsut dont think hoffpauir has much value since he is 28 and looks to me that he has trouble hitting major league pitching

[DMBZeppelin]

yea hoffpauir is an intriguing guy to go to baltimore.. they are going big after tex righ now but i doubt they will land him.. i jsut dont think hoffpauir has much value since he is 28 and looks to me that he has trouble hitting major league pitching
He had a .342 AVG with a .400 OBP, lets not forget his 5 for 5 night. He did that in 33 games, 73 AB's.

He's a left handed hitter which people like to have, and also in AAA Iowa he hit: .362 AVG, .393 OBP, 1.145 OPS, 25 HR's, 100 RBI, 105 Hits, 34 Doubles, 2 Triples in only 71 Games, 290 AB's.

His stock will never be higher then it is right now.

[gocubsgo3822]

^agreed

[DMBZeppelin]

^agreed
And we don't need last years fiasco, remember our 4 untouchables last offseason?

1. Jeff Samardzija - :thumbsup
2. Felix Pie - I love Pie's skill set, and hope he does develop. But I'd have made Pie available in the right mega deal.
3. Tyler Colvin - He's had a shitty minor league career, but he finally got some surgery he needed. He's been playing hurt his whole career, and might have a break out year next year. Regardless, he hasn't done anything to make himself untouchable.
4. Sam Fuld - :BANG WHY!? :BANG WHY!? :BANG WHY!? For whatever reason there actually was interest in this guy last year. That all ended after Spring Training this year. Horrible move to call this guy untouchable and hang on to him like he was some hidden gem. If you could get ANYTHING for this guy, it's a win. Just... :BANG

[gocubsgo3822]

i think that pie will hi well this year if given the AB's... However we know damn well that Lou wont give him the AB'S.. he is tearing the shit out of the ball in the DWL right now.. He is he left handed speed bat we need... he could do some good shit

[DMBZeppelin]

i think that pie will hi well this year if given the AB's... However we know damn well that Lou wont give him the AB'S.. he is tearing the shit out of the ball in the DWL right now.. He is he left handed speed bat we need... he could do some good shit
Ya he impressed me in Sept by hitting .300 AVG with a .391 OBP despite getting spot AB's from Lou. He keeps getting better, but ya he needs the AB's. We didn't do him any favors by only using him as a defensive replacement late in games in 07', and then adjusting his swing on the fly in 08' and not letting him start even when he started to hit.

I know some people have given up on Pie, but truth be told we really haven't seen him. How you don't give him a full season to see what he does, is beyond me. For his defense alone he's worth putting in center and hitting 8th.

[gocubsgo3822]

i want him in center but i dont want him hitting 8th.. hes not nearly patient enough to have the ptcher behind him he wont see anything to hit from there

[gocubsgo3822]

cubs....

we were getting awful close to page 2

[Jack7238]

New article up on cubs.com...looks like orioles are the team because of felix...this could be for real now!

[gocubsgo3822]

The Cubs' Ryan Theriot was the only major-leaguer to reach double figures in errors (14), grounded into double plays (19) and caught stealing (13) last season.

[devilandthelord]

The Cubs' Ryan Theriot was the only major-leaguer to reach double figures in errors (14), grounded into double plays (19) and caught stealing (13) last season.

Just sayin? :lol

[gocubsgo3822]

i have come to the conclusion that i dont want peavy... he is goign to cost us our only trading chip that we have left and will completely decimate us in terms of starting pitching depth... just too many ifs.. i will be all for it though when we get it :lol.. but seriously i want to keep vitters..

[gocubsgo3822]

Just sayin? :lol

just letting it be fucking known.... interesting statistic about good old scrappy doo.. the man who hits a ball to right field on a weak liner with the best of them in baseball

[DMBZeppelin]

New article up on cubs.com...looks like orioles are the team because of felix...this could be for real now!
The Orioles may end up as a third team in a three-way deal that would send Padres right-hander Jake Peavy to the Cubs, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun.


The paper reported that the Orioles have started up trade talks again with the Cubs about outfielder Felix Pie, who -- with Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts -- was part of a rumored deal discussed between the two teams last offseason.
Sources told the Sun that Chicago would like a young pitcher in return for Pie, which could lead to the Orioles sending starter Garrett Olson to the Cubs, who would then trade the lefty to the Padres as part of a deal to land Peavy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd really hate to see Pie go, but I feel good for bringing up the O's as a possible 3rd team before this came about.
The Cubs' Ryan Theriot was the only major-leaguer to reach double figures in errors (14), grounded into double plays (19) and caught stealing (13) last season.
His pluses outweight any of those negatives. While he may have been the only one in double digist, none are insanely bad. Again he's not a true short stop, he's really a second basemen. But they like Theriot and DeRosa's bats better then Cedeno and Theriot's. Theriot has a lot better range then DeRosa, so not much you can do.
i have come to the conclusion that i dont want peavy... he is goign to cost us our only trading chip that we have left and will completely decimate us in terms of starting pitching depth... just too many ifs.. i will be all for it though when we get it :lol.. but seriously i want to keep vitters..
Damnit it says the Pads wanted Olson in the past. You get him and send them Ceda... who we no longer have and you fill two big needs for them.
just letting it be fucking known.... interesting statistic about good old scrappy doo.. the man who hits a ball to right field on a weak liner with the best of them in baseball
His stats still say he's damn good. How you like someone like Cedeno over him is just weird. Because you couldn't build a case for him being better.

[gocubsgo3822]

i will be able to prove it its jsut a matter of me having some down time... Give me some time zep :)

[DMBZeppelin]

i will be able to prove it its jsut a matter of me having some down time... Give me some time zep :)
I look forward to it.

[UCFish]

Don't hold your breath.

[DMBZeppelin]

Don't hold your breath.
On your bro building a case against Theriot?

[UCFish]

Yep he is worthless. (Bro)

I like Theriot for the record

[DMBZeppelin]

As the conclusion of the long Holiday weekend approaches, all of baseball has begun focusing their attention on Monday's arbitration deadline and the Winter Meetings that begin in nine days in Las Vegas.

On the Cubs front, the next two weeks should be anything but slow and boring. From Kerry Wood to Bobby Howry to Ron Santo to Jake Peavy to Monday's deadline to submit bids to buy the club...and then there is the unknown that Jim Hendry is working on that will undoubtedly catch many by surprise. Here's the latest, including Jim Hendry on Talkin' Baseball....


Jake Peavy
Dave Kaplan mentioned Jake Peavy briefly on Friday night and said he doesn't see the Cubs landing Peavy because of the money. The Cubs need a left-handed bat and a leadoff hitter according to Kaplan and if they use all of their bullets to acquire Peavy they would bankrupt the farm system and would have nothing else to trade in order to improve the offense....adding a left-handed bat and lead-off hitter. Kaplan is hearing the Cubs are still involved but does not think he will end up in Chicago.

Bruce Levine thinks there will be progress made on the Jake Peavy trade in Las Vegas. He said that Peavy is not staying in San Diego because of the money that is owed and the divorce of John Moores. Levine added the pending divorce of John Moores is why Kevin Towers has been so vocal. Levine described the Moores' divorce as a messy one and because of that is the reason Towers is doing the best he can to keep the fans informed and talking so publicly.

According to Levine the Cubs have never been out of the running to land Jake Peavy and have been one of the top two teams since the beginning. Levine said it is purely a money issue at this point. Jim Hendry is waiting on the new owner to find out if and how he can increase the payroll.

Paul DePodesta, current Special Assistant of the Padres and former Dodgers' GM, joined Casey Stern Saturday afternoon on MLB Live Weekend (XM Radio). DePodesta discussed several topics surrounding the Padres....but the biggest was Jake Peavy.

Stern started the interview by saying Jake Peavy is one of the hottest topics in all of baseball because of the career Peavy has put together. Stern asked DePodesta what goes on behind the scenes in preparation for the Winter Meetings. DePodesta said a lot of the talk about the Padres has been blown out of proportion.

According to DePodesta the Padres lost 99 games in 2008 with Jake Peavy and they must explore all ways to get better this off-season....and that includes trading Jake Peavy. DePodesta added after the statement about improving the club in reference to trading Peavy by stating, "If we end up doing it."

The Padres are not of the mindset that they absolutely have to move him (Peavy) according to DePodesta. The Padres' front office is aggressively trying to improve the club and it does not necessarily mean they will move Peavy in order to do so. The Padres are trying to balance improvements for short term versus long term and are as focused as they can be on two, three or four years from now.

DePodesta added the Padres are in a conundrum because in 2007 they were one game away from making the playoffs and won the division in both 2005 and 2006. He did state 2008 was just an awful season. The Padres feel they have certain pieces in place and by trading Jake Peavy for the right players they could accelerate the process.

According to Peter Gammons (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=gammons_peter), the Padres "absolutely believe Cubs GM Jim Hendry can make this a three-way trade to get the Padres the pitching they need in addition to third base prospect Josh Vitters."

[UCFish]

Give the prospect.

I am for it.

[DMBZeppelin]

Jim Hendry on Talkin' Baseball
Jim Hendry joined Carmen DeFalco and Bruce Levine on Saturday morning. Hendry said they are getting ready for the Winter Meetings and DeFalco asked him what is at the top of his list. Hendry answered with the fact he feels he has a very good club right now and their priorities for this off-season have not changed. They are looking for a left-handed bat in the lineup.

It was a very quiet couple days according to Hendry because of the holidays and he thinks after Monday's arbitration deadline talks will pick-up. The Cubs are planning a lot of meetings between Tuesday and Friday in preparation of the Winter Meetings, which begin a week from Monday. Hendry said the goal of next week's meetings will be to get their 'ducks in a row' before leaving for Vegas.

Hendry hopes more teams will be in the trading mode once they arrive in Las Vegas. He said he feels like the Cubs "need to make a couple of key moves to get better" but did not elaborate.

Bruce Levine asked Hendry about continuing to talk to Kevin Towers and began the line of questioning by saying he realizes that Hendry cannot talk about a specific player. Hendry laughed and agreed that he has continued to speak with Kevin Towers but added that he talks to Towers on a regular basis whether they are working on a deal or not. Towers is quite vocal according to Hendry and Hendry reiterated the fact he has a good relationship with the Padres' GM.

Hendry said this is a different winter for the Cubs because of the ownership change...and hopefully it will be coming to a conclusion. Hendry did not specifically point to the Monday deadline, but it was implied.

The Cubs have a significant payroll according to Hendry and has been increased for next season. Hendry did not say how much he has to spend on improving the club but did say that the way Sam Zell has handled the payroll is very admirable. Hendry added because of the flexibility during the ownership change the Cubs have not had to cut any positions.

Hendry was asked about Raul Ibanez and Milton Bradley. Hendry told Levine that the Cubs discussed all possible moves that could be made at the organizational meetings and made a board that listed all of the possible left handed bats and switch hitters that could help the club...either free agents or through possible trades. Hendry added hopefully in the next couple of weeks they will be able to add the pieces they feel like will make the club better next season.

Hendry used the word 'fortunate' to describe the addition of Kevin Gregg. He said Carlos Marmol and Gregg will battle it out in the spring for the closer's job.

The feeling from the interview with Jim Hendry was the pending ownership change has effected the off-season. The Cubs should have a better idea on Monday who will own the club and that will give Hendry an idea of what he can or cannot do this off-season. Levine thinks Hendry will be given parameters by the new ownership group despite the fact the change over might not be complete for a few months. Levine said the Ricketts Group still appears to be the leader in the clubhouse and the switchover should be completed by mid 2009.
If the Ricketts or whoever get the Cubs, first order of business should be bringing Wood back. That get the new owners a lot of good will with the fans.

[UCFish]

Agreed.


Sign Wood and I will be very happy with the new guy.

[DMBZeppelin]

Mark Teahen
Bill Althaus from the Kansas City Independence Examiner joined Dave Kaplan Friday night on Sports Central and talked about the rumored interest in Mark Teahen. Althaus told Kaplan that the rumors surrounding Teahen possibly being traded to the Cubs is all of the talk in Kansas City. Althaus described Teahen as a very good clubhouse guy and a community leader. And despite what he has done in and around the team, Teahen has been a big disappointment for the Royals.

Althaus spoke highly of Teahan's versatility and labeled him a 'Lou Piniella guy' because of the flexibility he would give the Cubs. He feels it is time for Mark Teahen to leave the Royals because of the label of a disappointment. Basically the old cliché of a 'change of scenery' would probably do Teahen a lot of good.

Kaplan asked Althaus about Teahen being a run producer and he feels Teahen could be in the right situation. Althaus was extremely complimentary of Teahen throughout the entire segment...the overwhelming theme was 'in the right situation' or 'change of scenery' and on the negative side, 'disappointment'.

David DeJesus was discussed briefly and Althaus confirmed he has heard that the Cubs have been interested in DeJesus for the last couple of years. Althaus said DeJesus would be a very good number one or number two guy and on a better team he would have a 'bigger name' throughout the league. He added the team has pushed DeJesus around and used the acquisition of Coco Crisp as an example. Last year DeJesus played center and this year he figures to be used in left and the lack of stability has not helped his development.

Althaus said of the two he would rather see Mark Teahen traded. He agreed with Kaplan that he is a left-handed version of Mark DeRosa to a certain extent. The Royals thought they were acquiring a .290 hitter that would hit around 30 home runs and drive in 110 to 120 runs a year when they acquired him from the Oakland A's. Teahen has not put up those type of numbers and had a bad season a year ago....hence the label of disappointment. Althaus thinks Teahen can hit around .290 in the right situation and be the run producer the Royals thought they were getting...again in a lineup that will have guys on for him to drive in.

Kaplan added after the interview with Bill Althaus that he doesn't see the Cubs going out and spending big money on an aging veteran. He said that David DeJesus is 29 and Mark Teahen just turned 27 last September and those are the type of players the Cubs are more focused on acquiring this winter.

Brian Roberts
Dave Kaplan mentioned on Friday night that the Cubs, along with the White Sox, are expected to be in hot pursuit for Brian Roberts if and when he is put on the trading block this winter.

Derrek Lee
Bruce Levine reiterated the fact that the Cubs approached Derrek Lee after the season about waiving his no trade clause. Lee does not want to leave Chicago and will remain with the Cubs for the final two years of his contract.

Carlos Marmol
Bruce Levine and Carmen DeFalco talked about relief pitching pretty extensively on Saturday morning. Carlos Marmol was discussed and Levine recalled a conversation he had with Marmol last season. Marmol has a great changeup according to Levine and th