Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
- Kevin Towers did a radio interview and basically said the Cubs are the only team the Padres are talking to right now. The Braves are out, he hasn't spoken to the Angels at all and has barely spoken to the Yankees. That's the good news. The bad news is the Cubs do have some interesting pieces but not exactly what the Padres want, so a third or possibly fourth team will be needed to finish the deal. There's also an online version of the story from Tom Krasovic.
- I didn't hear it myself, but some folks claim to have heard a report from Bruce Levine that Ryan Dempster will decide in the next 48 hours on the Cubs offer...whatever it may be. Supposedy in this BP article from yesterday, it says he turned down a 4/52 offer already. Rosenthal mentions "the next day or two" as a potential time frame as well.
- Speaking of Dempster, on an XM radio update either Gary Hughes or Randy Bush said signing Dempster is still their top priority but that Randy Johnson would be a great fallback.
- Beyond the rumors...the folks who ran Thunder Matt's Saloon have rebranded to Pomp Culture - less Cubs, more pop culture, no Matt Murton on the Cubs.
I also wanted to mention one of our new advertisers that you may have noticed at the top of the site. Bob Horsch has been taking pictures of Chicago for over 30 years including a huge collection of Chicago Cubs photos. A rather pleasant fella I might add, so if you're looking for some gift ideas with the holidays approaching, be sure to visit his website.
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#1 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
"It's really come down to one club now –- the Cubs," he (Towers) said. "It's going to take awhile. They have a couple of players to pick from that we are interested in but anything with them is going to potentially involve a third team or fourth team. We're focusing only on them."
neat.
#2 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Bob Horsch has been taking pictures of Chicago for over 30 years including a huge collection of Chicago Cubs photos. A rather pleasant fella I might add, so if you're looking for some gift ideas with the holidays approaching, be sure to visit his website.
You mean the mutant creatures from POXNORA? Is this Horsch character someone you've actually met or does he fall into the Trans, Ruz category?
#3 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/11/brave...
Someone's allegedly offered Furcal 3 years for $39 million.
Pass.
#4 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
I really hope Dempster goes somewhere else...at 32 years old, surgical history paying him 4/52 or more is ridiculous. He's bound to break down or revert back to the mean. This past year was a statistical anomally. Someone please outbid us....I would rather spend money on a proven guy who can win in the playoffs. Lowe for 2 years or trade the kitchen bare for Peavy.
On another note...unless we can get a proven CF lead off man why not put Pie in the 8th/9th slot in the line up and put him out there...instead of kicking him to the curb. Ibanez, Dunn can't field in right. I'll pass on the aging Furcal as well.
It should be interesting....now that Cuban is gone....what are we going to talk about regarding our future owner?
#6 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
The Cubs need a leadoff man at SOME position if for no other reason that it would force Lou's hand to FINALLY move Alf and Lee down in the order where they belong. DeRosa would be fine in the 2 spot, and Ramirez should be hitting 3rd, he's the best hitter on the team.
#8 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
I disagree. I think we need Furcal, especially if we're trying to trade all our kids for Peavy. Axe Cedeno, move Theriot to super-utility guy and let DeRosa and occasionally Fontenot play 2nd. Move Soriano down to 3 and keep Ramirez at 4 -- with ARam behind Soriano, he should see a lot of fastballs, and hopefully have men on base in front of him.
#45 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Soriano could have Babe Ruth batting behind him and he wouldn't see any more fastballs. Until he shows he can lay off sliders in the dirt, that's all anyone's going to throw him.
#46 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Maybe, but it's better than Ryan Theriot. He's not threatening anyone with meatballs down the middle.
#48 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Particularly since Babe Ruth's dead.
#11 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Agree with both your points, about Dempster and about Pie. But Piniella is famously impatient. He won't play a guy who is still learning how to hit. I was hoping Pie would turn the corner in the Dominican this winter, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Pie has been out of the lineup the past couple of games. They get impatient down there, too.
Meanwhile Jake Fox is leading the league in BA. Last night he had a home run and 4 more RBI. At least he's restoring Licey's confidence in Cub prospects.
#15 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
I agree on Dempster. 4/52 is WAY TOO MUCH for that guy. Take the draft picks and move along.
As for Pie. I don't think we should be penciling him into anything. His defense and left-handedness will be useful on the roster. But he needs to win the job from Kfuk or Johnson before he is given the starting gig.
Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen would look really good on this roster about right now.FWIW
#5 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Towers says "there are a couple of their (Cubs) prospects that we like..." I've gotta think those couple are likely Vitters and Castillo. If he also wants an ML-now pitcher and hitter, as he was reported to be after during the Braves reports, I guess that's where the 3rd team comes into play. He doesn't think Marshall is enough of a pitcher nor Pie or Cedeno enough of a now-hitter. Guess I can't blame him.
So basically, Hendry would need to find a third team that DOES put some value on Marshall and friends, and turn them into two younger players that are more to Towers' liking. How likely is that? Answer=not very. Maybe you could get Hermida from Florida and send him along to SD, but you're still a pitcher short. And that assumes the Marlins would find Marshall + Pie worth Hermida in the first place.
Meh.
#9 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
I'm not so sure. I'd bet Towers would like Marshall and Pie, if nothing else because both should play well to Petco (a flyball lefty and a speedy, gap-hitting ace OF). If Hendry were to throw in Vitters, I think this deal would be done right now. In my mind, Hendry has said that Vitters is the only untouchable and that's why the deal's clearly unacceptable. A package of Vitters, Marshall, and Pie (plus another player or two, like Hart or Castillo) should be good enough to get it done.
I agree though that the likelihood including another team and somehow not trading Vitters or at least Veal is highly highly unlikely.
#13 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Just trade Derrek Lee to a third team for whatever Towers wants.
How hard is it to understand that Vitters is more important to the Cubs right now than Derrek Lee?
#16 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Lee has a no-trade clause and has said he won't waive it.
#17 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Three letters: NTC
As much as it makes sense (and would allow for a run at Texiera) it wont happen. DLee wants to be here and he'll stay here.
#18 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Unless Vitters can hit ML pitching now (he can't) then Derrek Lee is a hell of a lot more valuable.
#43 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
If I were Jim Hendry, unless my doctor told me I had twelve months to live, I would not trade Josh Vitters.
#19 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
I love how within 40 minutes of a post you already have 3 people replying and say this, that, and the other. TCR is sweet
#7 Now in the Dictionary
"Meh."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081117/ts_alt_afp/br...
#10 Re: Now in the Dictionary
Who cares what the Collins English Dictionary says? "Jargonaut" and "Frenemy" and "Huggles" are not words. The OED is the standard for what is and is not English.
#12 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
from Rotoworld...
Jose Ascanio recorded his sixth save in the VWL with a hitless inning on Sunday.
After struggling early, Ascanio has given up three hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings this month. The Cubs gave the former Braves prospect a couple of quick looks in the first half of last season, but never promoted him in September with his ERA right around 5.00 at Triple-A Iowa. The 23-year-old has the talent to become a quality setup man or maybe even something more, but he's probably not going to be in the Cubs' plans for the beginning of 2009.
#14 Re: Pie
If LaRussa had this team, wouldn't Pie already have gone through a year at lead off, having him bunt every 3-4 times up? If Randy Johnson goes to the Cubs, wouldn't opp's bunt to make him move his aged bones? In short, Lou doesn't use the tools the players have. Reed tried a few times last season and got benched mostly. D. Ward and Cliff Floyd? Whoa, there's the answer! Let's get a hitting coach who can teach how to lay off the major league slider Lowe (pun intended) and outside.
#20 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8812098/Cubs-cl...
Shorty Rosenthal says the signing of Dempster by the Cubs is imminent
"...are close to re-signing free-agent right-hander Ryan Dempster to a four- year contract, according to major-league sources."
#21 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Rotoworld has picked up Rosenthal's column.
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playe...
#22 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
the bad news is Rosenthal's source is Chad's Boss
#28 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
HAHA!
Good one!
Re: Dempster - aren't a high-percentage of starters going to have surgery at some point in their careers? So - I am reading many that say - "Why give him the money when he [Demp] is one injury away from having surgery again?"
CC and Maddux are really the extreme exceptions it would seem. So, what is the best way to limit the risk? Does Hendry feel with a "successful" surgery under his belt - will Demp be "surgery-free" for the next 3-4 years?
And, re: Woody - I have read on a couple boards that, "...he would have accepted a one year deal, but Hendry passed." If that is true - why?
#23 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
I'm back!
I've missed you guys-I still haven't gotten over the way the year ended-oh well, the life of a Cubs fan...
Here's a couple trade ideas:
1. Dlee and Marquis for JD Drew and Coco Crisp
2. Marquis and Wuertz for Hank Blaylock
3. Marquis and Felix Pie for Brad Hawpe
#24 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Rosenthal now saying the Dempster deal is expected to be 4/North of $50M
#27 Re: Tuesday Cubs Hot Stove Round-Up
Bruce Levine confirms also, expects deal to be announced in next 24 hours.
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