rod wrote:
Whatever Couch. You talk the talk. Big deal. As most Cub fans have finally realized, regular seasons mean nothing. Just like all other sports, baseball is now a sport where it’s about what you can do in the playoffs. Two years straight, the Cubs, and their so-called great manager have done nothing. I repeat Couch, NOTHING. The same core group of players will be back next season. They will be managed by the so-called great manager again. So, even if they feast on the regular season chumps, and make the playoffs again, you know, i know, everyone knows, and most importantly the Cub players know, they’ll do NOTHING. You talk about what they can do this off season. The fact is, Lou Pinella is a suckup manager in regards to veterans. Soriano wants to bat leadoff, and will continue to bat leadoff. You know it, i know it, every Cub fan knows it. So, if Cub fans are finally tired of giving everything they got for 162 games, only to watch unbearable baseball played by guys whose knees must be shaking, then so be it. Fortunately, Chicago is in America, and as Americans, we can like who we want, whether you think we should or not.
10/9/2008 9:25 AM CDT on suntimes.com

I am sorry. I just won’t be able to stop posting these until they stop being written.

is 20M really a lot?  That’s what, Mark Texeira for a year or CC?  Not that neither wouldn’t help but depending on the plans the Cubs may have to pare some payroll.

I think it is.  It’s about $36 or $37 million to spend on free agents.  I assume a couple of those will be Wood and Dempster.  That essentially brings the same team back from 2008 with about $15-20 million to spend depending on whether or not you backload the deals for Wood and Dempster.  $15-20 million is about 4 wins.  So if we take the 2008 Cubs as a 92-win team we’ve improved them by a decent amount with 4 wins. 

While the annual average for a guy like Teixeira or CC would be about $20 million, Hendry will backload almost any deal so even a deal like that would probably only add $8-10 million in payroll in 2009. 

The more I think about it, the more I think letting Wood walk is the best move.  I’ll hate to see him on another team, but Marmol might be arbitration eligible this year, and even if he isn’t, his salary is going to increase significantly by the time Wood’s new contract would expire.  Do you really want to pay 2 guys closer money?  I wouldn’t.  Marmol is more than capable of taking over the closer role.  Between Gaudin, Wuertz, Guzman, Cotts, Veal and Marshall, the bullpen should be just fine.

So, if Cub fans are finally tired of giving everything they got for 162 games, only to watch unbearable baseball played by guys whose knees must be shaking, then so be it.

What is this guy talking about?  Only a retarded Cubs fan would be tired of watching playoff baseball.  He acts like the Cubs are there every single year and have done nothing.  Jesus Christ.  Does he remember what organization this is?

Wood and Dempster are Type A’s. Howry is a Type B. And I don’t mean that Wood and Dempster are high-strung while Howry is laid back.

When talking about pitching depth, I forgot about Gaudin. I also forgot that Rich Hill might remember how to pitch.

Hill is out of options so he’ll either make the club or be traded.  I’m guessing he’ll be traded.  When you consider the season he had in 2007 and how quickly Lou pulled the plug in 2008, I just don’t see Lou giving him another chance.

he’ll either make the club or be traded.

I’d like to think he still has some value.

I’d like to think he still has some value.

He definitely does.  A lefty who can strike people out, doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his arm.  I’m sure some teams see him as a reliever at this point, but some others would still see him as a mid-rotation starter with the upside of a number 2 or even a poor man’s number 1.

Jim Callis’ mock draft has WAS taking college righties Stephen Strasburg and Kyle Gibson. If that happens, look for WAS to have a dynamite rotation by 2011.

Welington Castillo will have a ton of value and a lot of interest in teams that Hendry tries to deal with this offseason.  With Soto, you can afford to deal him. 

The Cubs have some interesting trade pieces in Marmol, Hill, Pie, Castillo and even throw in Lee with that group.

The Cubs could trade Mitch Atkins.

I doubt Lee will be traded as well, but one of the beat reporters mentioned he could be traded to a team on the west coast.  Probably just making shit up, but maybe not.

Mike Fontenot is a tradable commodity as well.  The Mets could really use a 2B as well.  Particularly at the price Mike Fontenot will be at.

I don’t completely understand the options process, but AZ Phil shows Fukudome has 4 options left (which is absolutely correct), but I wonder if he can refuse an option.

The local radio guys here in Des Moines yesterday mentioned that Fukudome has a clause in his contract that his Japan league time counts as MLB service time.  Therefore, he’d have to approve being sent to AAA.

I doubt Lee will be traded as well, but one of the beat reporters mentioned he could be traded to a team on the west coast.  Probably just making shit up, but maybe not.

Lee’s not going anywhere unless he wants to go, since he’s got a no-trade clause.

IMO, if you let Wood go, they have to find someone as good as him. He’s not better than Marmol, but he’s better than most. I think a 2nd dominating option is a must for the bullpen in the playoffs, even if it only matters 3 or 4 times in an entire World Series run (or none like this year).

Lee’s not going anywhere unless he wants to go, since he’s got a no-trade clause.

How many players use that clause?  5%?  15%?  Lee’s not sticking around if the Cubs don’t want him.  If the Cubs try to trade Lee, all he’ll do is use that clause to try to get the Cubs to trade him to a team he wants to go to.

The local radio guys here in Des Moines yesterday mentioned that Fukudome has a clause in his contract that his Japan league time counts as MLB service time.  Therefore, he’d have to approve being sent to AAA.

That makes some sense or that he negotiated that he can’t be optioned without his approval.

Ok… Options

if you are “Optioned” that means you go from the 25 man roster down to the 40 man roster (the bottom 15 if you will) correct?

I get this… so now every player starts with 3(?) options or 4? And how exactly do they work? Are they per trip, or per year? IE if you option a player in may, bring him back in june, then send him back down in july, is that two options?

so now every player starts with 3(?) options or 4? And how exactly do they work?

You get optioned if you’re hispanic and you get drunk and yell at people.

Sincerely,

AZ Phil

If the Cubs try to trade Lee, all he’ll do is use that clause to try to get the Cubs to trade him to a team he wants to go to.

That’s true but it also cuts down the number of teams you can deal with. I’d be surprised if he goes anywhere.

Oh, and Lee is from Sacramento. If he wants to go “home,“ he won’t go to LA or SD. He’ll go to OAK or SF.

Oh, and Lee is from Sacramento. If he wants to go “home,” he won’t go to LA or SD. He’ll go to OAK or SF.

Neither of those teams will be contenders so I can’t imagine either of them having interest. 

I could see the Angels having interest assuming they won’t be able to re-sign Tex.

Hudson is pretty much worthless against righties.

Neither of those teams will be contenders so I can’t imagine either of them having interest.

That’s fine, but I just get sick of seeing how DLee might want to go home to LA. That would be like me going home to Mexico… Actually it would be like me going home to LA since I’m originally from Sacramento.

Who has said Lee wants to go home?  I haven’t read that, but I don’t read much from these buffoons anymore.

Tim’s a pretty good pitcher and Kate is two boob jobs away from being really hot.

Fixed.

Agreed, snley.

Tim’s a pretty good pitcher and Kate is two boob jobs away from having boobs.

Fixed.

you like chicks whose boobs sag down to their knees.

I just like a woman to clearly be a woman. I have bigger boobs than Kate Hudson.

If you have bigger boobs than Kate Hudson, you’re a chick, Ryno.

If you have bigger boobs than Kate Hudson, you exist.

Fixed.

I dont get the whole sign dunn thing. he’s a guess hitting hack just like soriano. we dont need another.

I BELIEVE!!!! GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!!!

by cubsluver22 on Oct 9, 2008 4:06 PM CDT up reply   0 recs

Awesome. Just, awesome.

Why’d you remove the seizure inducer, Maddog?

Because I actually have epilepsy.  No amount of medicine was going to control it with that image.

It was a picture of Kate Hudson and then the stupid-ass hotlink protection that some sites do changed it to that.

Olney also says that the Yankees could sign him and move Cano to first.

And no, I’m not kidding.

he’s a guess hitting hack just like soriano.

Wow, that’s some stoopid.  Dunn is half as likely as Soriano to chase a pitch out of the zone.  And he’s even a little less likely to swing in the zone.  Overall, they are at opposite ends of the swing rate and chase rates.  Here’s some more on Cubs trade/sign targets/pipe-dreams.

http://www.cubsfx.com/2008/10/getting-stove-ready-cubs-rumors.html

Nice chart Harry.  I think I know what most of those categories mean.  Dunn is an interesting subject because if he’d lower his Watch rate he’d probably have the BA teams/fans clamor after.

the “watch” rate is takes in the zone, “chase” is swings out of it.  So, yes, he’d be more Theriot like.

With his power that probably isn’t the worst thing.

Furcal’s like Theriot, except he’s faster and stronger. What’s ISZ and PAINT?

i don’t like the way you blog. you don’t blog the right way. we should ship you out of town.

I just added Beltran and Edmonds.
http://www.cubsfx.com/2008/10/getting-stove-ready-cubs-rumors.html

What other stats do you guys want to see, pitchf/x or otherwise, on this running list?

R+RBI

too esoteric