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PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
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Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
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Jameson Taillon
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Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
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Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
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Porter Hodge, P 
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Cubs Get Cotts for Aardvark

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Cubs have acquired LHP Neal Cotts from the White Sox for RHP David Aardsma and LHP Carlos Vasquez. The 26-year old Cotts attended Illinois State University, and was selected by the Oakland A's in the second round of the 2001 June Draft. He was traded to the White Sox four years ago in a multi-player deal where Keith Foulke went to Oakland and Billy Koch came to Chicago. Cotts has spent the last three seasons in the White Sox bullpen, and had (by far) his best year in the Sox World Series Championship season of 2005 (when he was virtually unhittable and probably one of the three best lefty relievers in baseball), but he struggled this past season. Cotts will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this off-season A 25-year old hard-throwing right-handed reliever with a mid-90's fastball, Aardsma was the closer for the 2003 NCAA National Champion Rice University team, before being selected by the San Francisco Giants in the first round (22nd overall pick) of the '03 June Draft. "Aardvark" and Jerome Williams were the two pitchers acquired by the Cubs from the Giants for LaTroy Hawkins in May 2005. The 23-year old Vasquez was a one-time member of the Cubs 40-man roster (2004-05) who underwent shoulder surgery in 2005 before returning to action as a LOOGY at AA this past season. Vasquez was eligible to be a six-year minor league FA on October 15th, but he signed a minor league contract with the Cubs for 2007. Vasquez is currently pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League, and will be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to the White Sox 40-man roster by next Monday. Acquiring Cotts gives the Cubs three (possibly four) left-handers in their bullpen for 2007. Besides Cotts, the Cubs pen now features Scott Eyre and Will Ohman, and quite possibly Clay Rapada (who has been the best reliever in the Arizona Fall,League). With the hassle Jim Hendry had negotiating a contract with Will Ohman last off-season, I would imagine Ohman (who once again will be eligible for salary arbitration) will now almost certainly be traded. That is, unless the Cubs intend to use Cotts as a rotation starter. Prior to the 2004 season, Baseball America had Cotts rated as the White Sox #3 prospect--and as a STARTING PITCHER, not as a reliever. Cotts was converted to a relief pitcher by the White Sox in 2004.

Comments

Cotts is pretty good but this has to be a setup for another deal involving Ohman or Eyre. Interesting...

Oh, man. I saw Neal Cotts through four wild pitches in one inning in 2004. This guy is, at best, the second coming of Matt Karchner.

Rather kept Aardsma. But maybe Eyre and or Ohman is on his way for Figgins or Giles...... Bah, who am I kidding.

#2 of 2: By Urbs in Horto (November 16, 2006 01:40 PM) Oh, man. I saw Neal Cotts through four wild pitches in one inning in 2004. This guy is, at best, the second coming of Matt Karchner. - Yes, because one inning is usually a pretty good way to value someones talent over the course of their career. God, was that Matt Karchner trade dumb though....

"Oh, man. I saw Neal Cotts through four wild pitches in one inning in 2004. This guy is, at best, the second coming of Matt Karchner." So does that mean you think Aardsma will be the second coming of Jon Garland? God, I hope not.

Cotts looks to me like he needs shoulder surgery and possibly tommy john

Some of the Desipio guys have been hearing that the Cubs are supposedly in the mix for Cliff Lee or Jake Westbrook and Eyre being part of the deal. Take it with a grain of salt. Just thought it was interesting.

Anyone afraid aardsema will turn into a dominant closer in years to come?

Well Marcus Giles isn't coming, Derosa was promised the 2b job. But our current bullpen (assuming that is Cott's role and not a starter) is: Dumpster Eyre Howry Wood Ohman Cotts Novoa Wuertz Not to mention.... Marshall Mateo Marmol Ryu Rapada Wells Guzman Pignatiello Rusch (likely to retire though) Miller Prior Considering the empty middle relief market right now, there's some trading chips right there.

Did you really put John Garland in the same thought as Dennis Eckersly and Lou Brock? HA! The day Garland goes to the Hall of Fame I'll buy you a Lincoln Park Brownstone. Hell, if the guy goes back the the all star game, I'll buy you dinner at Gibson's.

Yep, he has a limited no trade clause for 10 teams. No idea what teams those are, but I think he said after '05 that he didn't want to be on the left coast any more.

Aardsma had excellent velocity on his fast ball, the Sox will almost certainly get the best out of that. I really hope we don't trade Eyre. If the Indians want a lefty in the deal, I hope it is Cotts (and that the Sox refused to deal him).

Full no trade last year, limited for 2007, 2008 (really Hendry stop handing out no-trade clauses like they are candy) to 10 teams. Eyre also recieves a bonus if named to the closers role. I doubt he would block a trade to the Indians as he stands a better shot of becoming a closer with them than with us.

Scott Eyre has a limited "no trade" where he can block a deal to ten teams. If I had to guess, I would say the ten would probably be CIN, CLE, COL, FLA, KC, MIL, PIT, TB, TEX, and WAS, but I could be wrong. If I remember correctly, I believe Eyre said the main reason he signed with the Cubs (besides the money) was because he liked the fact that Dusty Baker didn't make his pitchers run. And that he had the "closer" bonus in his contract not because he wanted to be a closer, but rather to protect himself in case he had to be the closer in case of injury to Ryan Dempster.

"Yes, because one inning is usually a pretty good way to value someones talent over the course of their career." As many others have pointed out, Cotts has had one very impressive season, and two seasons that are lackluster at best. But Cotts performance that day was the single worst inning I've seen from a relief pitcher in the last several years. It does not inspire confidence. "So does that mean you think Aardsma will be the second coming of Jon Garland?" No. But once again, we'll have traded to the White Sox a young pitcher with some promise for an expensive reliever with a proven record of mediocrity.

other notes from Ben Maller and some other sources.... Soriano is said to prefer the East Coast Drew and RSox possibly close to a 4/48 deal Mets were thinking of offering Milledge/Heilman for Wells but Bjays would probably want more than that Jennings to Twins rumors Giants offered 3/30 to both Pierre and Matthews Jr...first come, first serve Cubs did ask about Lugo and Durham before signing Derosa, and of course the Lugo CF/leadoff rumor or SS is still out there Maddux wants 2 yrs, Dodgers only offering one, Padres seem to be the only other interested team at the moment

No trades the first year of deals don't bother me, how often do you want to trade a guy the first year after signing him? Eyre had a 5.49 ERA in the 2nd half last year in only 19.2 IP 2.38 the first half in 41.2 IP Get back on the meds, Eyre... Eyre for Lee or Westbrook is a slam dunk deal in my opinion. A middle reliever for a decent starter, hell yeah. I'd prefer Lee but I'm guessing he'd cost more.

anyone with Insider access want to tell us what Olney said about the Cubs today? Someone in the other thread mentioned a Manny/3 prospect swap...

Losing Eyre would mean that Howry would be the only option once Demp starts blowing saves. (I don't quite believe the Woods as a closer hype yet.) That's fine but set-up roles look slightly thinner...

Rob G.: "Eyre for Lee or Westbrook is a slam dunk deal in my opinion." Absolutely. Darryl Dawkins "Chocolate Thunder" style slam dunk!!

Westbrook had his option for 2007 picked up, Lee signed a 3/14 deal in august with a 2010 option. I highly doubt Lee is on the block unless we're coughing up Sean Marshall and Eyre.

Olney-- **Modified by Rob G.** (Please do not post full articles, thanks) Imagine if you are the Cubs, or the Mets, or the Astros, and you are looking for offensive help. You will bid heavily on Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Lee, and either may cost you somewhere in the range of $80 million to $120 million. Say that price scares you. Say that six- or seven-year commitment scares you. And say that you are desperate to add an impact-type bat. Do you go with Soriano at seven years, at $120 million? Or do you look at an alternative who is much cheaper and yet somehow more accomplished: Ramirez, who might cost you a couple of prospects and $42 million over three years. Ramirez, who has driven in 100 or more runs in 11 of the last 12 seasons. "A no-brainer," an American League executive said yesterday. "Manny looks much better in this market."

#22 of 22: By jacos (November 16, 2006 02:14 PM) Didn't Lee just get contract extension from Indians? =============================== JACOS: Cliff Lee is signed through 2009 (with a club option for 2010), and he is not going to be making all that much money in the next few years ($2.75M in 2007, $3.75M in 2008, and $5.75M in 2009, plus $8M in 2010 or a $1M buy-out). Jake Westbrook is making $6.1M in 2007, and then will be a FA. If the Indians trade one of the two, I would think they would MUCH prefer to deal Westbrook--or even C. C. Sabathia (who is making $17.75m over the next two seasons)--than Cliff Lee. Personally, I would prefer Westbrook. With his excellent sinker and being something of a "horse," I think he would a good fit for the Cubs. Same goes for Jason Jennings (COL), who is also an excellent hitter BTW, and who would give the Cubs a 9th bat in the lineup on days when he is pitching. I would think a package of Sean Marshall, Angel Guzman or Jae-kuk Ryu, and Will Ohman might be enough to get either Westbrook or Jennings, especially since both will FAs after next season.

"eyre for lee or westbrook" that's just absurd. that's like a rumor i heard on the east coast about lieber/gordon/rowand for zambrano....yeah it's a slam dunk....for one team only... lee and westbrook are serious starters that have had 200 IP several years in a row, and as mentioned above just got an extension. AZ Phil didn't put him on his list of possible trade targets bc his contract is great for the indians for the next couple years.

Thanks for the info Dawson08, really do appreciate it, but I edited your comment for just the Cubs info, we really shouldn't paste entire articles particularly of premium content. I was just looking for a quick summary...thanks though.

DAMN. Let's sign her to fluff the boys before day games.

Aardsma would have been the #3 or #4 RHP out of the pen, after Wuertz, Howry and Dempster (and maybe Wood). He may develop into a stud, but he's not one now. Cotts should help cut down Eyre's workload, and may be Oh-NO!-Man's ticket out of town. In all, a solid deal, I think. It should improve the team.

that pic in the link for "Rockets" isn't actually Matsuzaka's wife if you read the post....

supposedly the Indians deal is Marshall and Eyre for Westbrook. Again, taken while holding a salt shaker.

Rob G., you read the post? Actually it's pretty funny.

One nagging concern on the Cotts deal -- who would you rather play poker against -- Jim Hendry or Kenny Williams?

Hey is there actually talk anout this deal Aaronb? I like Eyre but would do this like a Dwight Howard goriila style dunk.

What is wrong with Will Ohman? He has been very good out of the pen for the last 2 years. Opposing batters have only hit .200ish off him in that time. With our teams lack of developing players Wuertz and Ohman have develop very nicely into quality bullpen arms. Basically they are Eyre and Howry for about 7 million less.

Rob G., you read the post? I did, just wanted to make sure everyone didn't just go to the link and see the pic and assume it was her and them be disappointed later. Funny stuff though...

BOGEY: Thanks for the information. First unanimous winner since?

Crasnick on the radio supposedly is reporting a Giles, Ramirez, Saltamalamacchia to Peavy trade rumor that is (very close).. ESPN radio in Boston saying Matsuzaka signed for 3/45

Hendry sound bite on the SCORE said that they would consider Cotts as a "swingman", as one of their Chicago-based scouts had followed Cotts since college and highly recommended him. Hendry said that they had not yet spoken to him to see what his preference was.

ESPN Radio has to be wrong. I don't see any way (even taking into account Japanese revenue) that Matsuzaka is worth around 31 million a year to the Sox? Is Ichiro worth that to the Mariners? It all seems crazy money.

Well if he is in the swingman role, that's a great deal because he's Rusch with talent. Also might mean that Ohman and Eyre are going nowhere. What the hell is Wade Miller going to do on this team next year?

"supposedly the Indians deal is Marshall and Eyre for Westbrook" Trigger pulled!!!! Rob G- Reading is for suckers. '-)

"Crasnick on the radio supposedly is reporting a Giles, Ramirez, Saltamalamacchia to Peavy trade rumor that is (very close).." Now, that would be a slam dunk. Salta has no place whatsoever with the Braves and also had a pretty bad year in AA. RamÌrez is a decent pitcher who's never, never healthy. And Giles, although I like him a lot, wasn't even an average 2B last year (and I know that because I held on to him on Fantasy until September, thinking he'd hit someday); Peavy, as we know, is probably the second best pitcher in the NL.

"who would you rather play poker against -- Jim Hendry or Kenny Williams" If I have to have a food spread, Williams.

Why are the Padres trading Peavy though? his year wasn't great last year, but most of his peripherals stayed the same and at 25, no way in hell am I trading a guy who's put ERA's under 3, twice already in his career and still has 2 years of club control I believe. Do the Padres have some fountain of pitching I don't know about? Unless they're certain they're going to land Zito...

Every move Kevin Towers has made this past week has left me thinking. First Barfield, then Johnson and Peavy might be next... sigh.

peavy makes *nothing* relative to his tallent and is locked up through 08...essentially though 09 if healthy cuz he's got a 8m 09 option. i seriously doubt he'd be going anywhere...but stranger things have happened.

Peavy is one of the best pitchers in the NL. God if he was traded for Giles that would be a steal for the Braves.

MikeC: "Peavy is one of the best pitchers in the NL. God if he was traded for Giles that would be a steal for the Braves." Yeah, if the rumors are true, why wouldn't Hendry put together a better deal? A top-tier SP signed for a few years, no brainer...

Ummmm because we don't have anything better than Giles that we are willing to trade.

it is hard to believe that no one could put together a better offer than that for peavy. doesn't smell right to me. obviously the pads need a 2B after the barfield trade but there are plenty of those. saltalamacchia a year ago this time was viewed as a god but had a shaky year in AAA. this deal could be improved upon by lots of team....who doesn't need really young pitching?! doubt that this is true.

Over the past 3 seasons, Cotts has been equally effective against both lefties and righties. Last year he got hammered by the long ball (12 in only 54 IP). So he would appear to be better suited for a non-LOOGY role, either as a starter or swingman. Which means that if we deal Ohman, Rapada (or someone else) had better be able to come in and get lefties out.

i still dont believe that atl/sd trade rumor. peavy's owed 10.5m for *2* years...and a club option for 8m in 09. peavy's value runs laps around that braves offer unless peavy is banged up with lingering issues.

Let's see... All-Star second baseman coming off a down year Big time catching prospect Marginal backend rotation guy No idea how Hendry couldn't pummel that package with Cedeno or Theriot, Wade Miller and Jake Fox.

Does anyone know how Cotts got on as a starter and why the switch to reliever?

and yes, it's nothing more than a rumor. Anyone notice BR.com's new player pages. Game logs and splits by years and career splits....

Manny, with Santana winning yet another Cy Young, do you still think the Twins were foolish to lock him up to a long term deal a couple years ago?

cotts was a minor league starter moved to the pen after breaking with the team in 04 rather than going to AAA. he's just kinda stuck around there. he throws 3 pitches, so he has the "basic" tools for an average starter off the bat. that said, he's never shown he's the type of guy who's gonna pull long outtings even if he remained a starter. he's a little wild, etc. not tragically imparing wild...he manages to mix his fastall/curve/change like he has a clue what he's doing.

...And most importantly, Cotts pitched at Camp Redbird in scenic Normal Illinois....whoooo-hoooooooo!!!!!! C'mon down to Normal, where the men are men, and the women ignore them...

Cotts was two different pitchers last year, there was the 2.95 era in the first half and the 9.87 era in the second. But if you look closer he really only had a bad August and September. He had an 11.57 era in 7 ip in Aug and a 15.75 era in 4 ip in Sept. Look at the other months... April 3.27 May 2.53 June 2.89 July 3.75 http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/psplit.cgi?n1=cottsne01&year=2006 in 2004 he was consistenly bad, but since the start of 2005 he's only had 2 bad months out of 12. In the other 10 months of 2005/06 his worst monthly era was 3.86 and six of the ten months he had era's under 3.00. For the question mark that is Aardsma, as well Vasquez, who as a lower level pitcher is more of a question mark, this is good deal.

reading through mlbtraderumors comments, some are claiming that someone started this rumor somewhere else (attributing it to Crasnick on the radio) and it's bogus. It doesn't seem to be on Crasnick's page either at espn... Psyche...

MikeC: "Ummmm because we don't have anything better than Giles that we are willing to trade." We don't? That is pretty sad. Giles is a declining 2B, who was basically mediocre last year. Hell, DeRosa had a much better year than him last year. I would think we could offer him a package of youngters that would be better than what ATL offered (Hill, Pie, Guzman, Murton, Theriot, Cedeno, whoever, etc.). But maybe not...

makes me wonder where this discussion started. imagine it had something to do with the wsox excess starters unless cotts was specifically targeted. wsox need to clear loot off the payroll (well, not need, but need to if they want money) and this fits the bill for them.

Which rumor, Rob, the Westbrook one?

Peavy rumor....

and MLB Trade rumors didn't start the rumor, just reported what others told them.

Yeah, that Peavy rumor just doesn't make sense. Especially that the Padres should be able to do better. I half wonder if the Cubs could beat it....

me and adam dunn started the rumor...get off your high horse rob.

I'm very comfortable on my high horse...thanks a bunch. :)

Interesting news from WSCR's George Offman, without citing any sources he just said Hendry might make a deal for Jake Westbrook but they might be closer to signing Jason Marquis.

Bleeding Blue (Mr. V): "Manny, with Santana winning yet another Cy Young, do you still think the Twins were foolish to lock him up to a long term deal a couple years ago?" I would love to see how much I would be criticized for bringing up an argument from 2 years ago to try and prove I am right... But anyway, like I believe I said at the time, I would of waited one more year before locking him up long term and considering he had a "off year" in 2005 for Santana's standards, the Twins might of made out better on his contract. They signed him when he still had 2 years of club control and coming off a Cy Young year, when they didnít have to. I still stand by that...

Well considering Johan would have been coming off another Cy Young year (one that was robbed from him by Bartolo), there's no doubt in anyone's mind but yours Manny, that Johan would have been a hell of a lot more expensive last offseaon. That being said, let's not drudge up 2 year old arguments....

Crunch: "wsox need to clear loot off the payroll (well, not need, but need to if they want money) and this fits the bill for them." How much money do you think they going to save with this trade? Maybe $200K-$250K. Not even worth talking about.

Speaking of 2 year old arguments, when are the Cubs going to fire Wendell Kim? :)

As for Marquis, I hope it's about a $2-$3 mil deal for a year or two. No matter what mechanical flaws he may have corrected, he needs a very strong D behind him and is very homer happy. But he makes his starts... Z's going to have some competition for best-hitting pitcher though. Was there a rule I missed where the roster got expanded to 28 guys or something? Where the hell are all these guys going to pitch?

"How much money do you think they going to save with this trade? Maybe $200K-$250K. Not even worth talking about." 1-1.5m or so i'd imagine. he only made 400K last year.

How much money do you think they going to save with this trade? Maybe $200K-$250K. Not even worth talking about. I don't think so. I think Cotts is in line for a raise to over $1 mil because of arbitration. (maybe even more because of how crazy the salaries are) The White Sox, according to both Chicago papers, are at about 90 mil in payroll for only 12 guys. Even if you figure just an average of 2 mil each for another 10 guys, and 3 guys at or near the league minimum to get to a 25 man roster, that puts them up over 110 million. So every million here or there they can save I would expect them to go for. Especially if Williams was unhappy with how Cotts pitched down the stretch and his scouts are telling him good things about Aardsma and Vasquez. I wouldn't rule out that Aardsma gets around a real pitching coach and suddenly becomes a much better pitcher, maybe even vying for the closer, but under Larry the Red Nosed Reindeer that wouldn't have happened.

wsox have almost all of their payroll devoted to their roster without a raise somewhere. between arb-eligable guys and existing contracts going up, there's not a lotta free loot for the whitesox. the good thing for them is that almost all of those guys are good and not payroll drains vs. their performance.

Aardvark seemed to really like Larry fwiw, all kinds of praise for helping him when he came back up the 2nd time.

As for Marquis, I hope it's about a $2-$3 mil deal for a year or two. Maybe I've just seen him melt down in person too many times, but frankly I'm not even interested in him for that price. The guy is a total headcase. Where the hell are all these guys going to pitch? I've a feeling a bunch of them are about to get shipped out of town.

Rob G.: "there's no doubt in anyone's mind but yours Manny, that Johan would have been a hell of a lot more expensive last offseaon." You think he would of gotten much more than what he got if he signed before 2006 season than when he did? He couldn't of gotten much more... But I am sure if he blew his arm out like Liriano did, Mr Blue wouldn't of said a peep. And, if I recall that is another reason I said to hold off another year, to protect from a major injury in 2005. And again I still stand by holding off. Just like Hendry did with Z. I wouldn't of wanted him to sign him long term last year.

Crunch: "1-1.5m or so i'd imagine. he only made 400K last year." Jacskon: "I think Cotts is in line for a raise to over $1 mil because of arbitration." If that is the case, then that just adds more reason to me not liking the trade.

Rogers "reported" in the Trib this morning that the Cubs think they can correct a flaw in Marquis' mechanics. The Cubs source apparently did not let how severe the problem was. This would, in turn, tell us what kind of towel (beach, bath, dish or hand) would be used in drills to correct the problem.

Cotts at something like 1-1.5 mil is a better choice than Rusch at 2.5-3 mil. If Rusch has to retire then I would expect the Cubs insurance will cover the rest of his contract.

I'm not too interested in Marquis either but $2-$3 mil is all he's worth in my opinion.

Jackson: "Cotts at something like 1-1.5 mil is a better choice than Rusch at 2.5-3 mil." Yeah, no crap...That's like saying a stubbed toe is better than a gunshot wound to the head. "If Rusch has to retire then I would expect the Cubs insurance will cover the rest of his contract." Why would he "retire"? Just stay on DL all next year and collect his money and then retire after the season.

IF LaRussa and Duncan couldn't fix a mecahnical flaw in Marquis' mechanics neither will Rothschild. He might be the worst person in the world to be in charge of fixing someone's mechanics.

Gutsy trade on the wsox part, IMO. He was one of the few good things out of the sox pen.

said mechanical flaw was supposedly fixed by some other coach already in Marquis's offseason workouts..

everytime I read this board, I get depressed. My gut reaction to these trades are usually blown away by the stats and experience of you all. However, I'm not quite sure why it is a bad thing to have a swingman--Rusch is done. Cotts isn't Terry Muhallund, but that model is an important one. Stever Stone suggested that Mateo would be a "terrific bullpen guy." As for a bigger deal, who knows...If so, I will read about it and get depressed (if not factual info). Finally, My theory is that Eyre is hurt. Dusty destroyed his arm (hence that ERA). He told the Score last month that he was happy that Pinella was coming, a complete flip flop. Dusty's wake will leave Eyre, perhaps Howry, and of course, the flaming career of the $32milliondollarman in AZ. No need to mention the name--I don't wnat to disturb him. Another reason Dusty will never manage again and should be sued by his former players for lost wages.

some reports on Cotts: Assets Has a deceptive delivery that makes his 90-mph fastball look hotter. He backs that up with a strong change-up and solid curve. Has learned to keep the ball low and in the park. Flaws His command can get him into trouble at times and he doesn't have one truly dominant pitch. Career potential Solid left-handed reliever. from STATS, probably before 2004 season.. A starter his whole career, Cotts struggled last year to set up his changeup, his best pitch. His fastball doesn't get much above 90 and his deceptive motion was not a big issue for lefthanded batters, who hit him surprisingly hard. Cotts was up with too many pitches last season, allowing more homers than he had in his minor-league career. He needs to work on his move to first base as he was easy to run on a year ago

If we did sign Marquis, we would probably have the best hitting pitchers in baseball, not that it means anything.

Apparently the Peavy to the Braves rumors are indeed false, for any still wondering.

Dante- Thanks for the comic relief. This site, and me in particular, does need it every now and again.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ycw29g "We felt it was a good gamble," Hendry said of the move. "[Cotts] could be outstanding for us in the 'pen, or maybe we'll give him a shot in the rotation." "We won 66 ballgames," he said of the 2006 record of 66-96. "We darn sure better be aggressive. That's what we told people we were going to do. We started with the manager we hired. We'll do whatever we can that's good for the ballclub. "I thought it was essential that we bring back Aramis," he said. "From being down here, Kerry Wood walked away from a lot more money. I think it's a great story in the modern day world. Not too many guys chose to be that loyal.

"everytime I read this board, I get depressed." -- DANTE Comment of the year?

Cubs acquired LHP Neal Cotts from the White Sox for RHP David Aardsma and LHP Carlos Vasquez. So not only did the crosstown rivals pull of a trade, but Jim Hendry appears to have gotten the better of it? Cotts' ERA jumped from 1.94 to 5.17 last season, but he didn't lose any stuff. It'd be great if the Cubs got him with the idea of putting him in the rotation along with Carlos Zambrano and Rich Hill. If it turns out he can't handle it, he can always be shifted back to the pen later. However, the talent is there for him to be a third or fourth starter. Nov. 16 - 12:46 pm et

"From being down here, Kerry Wood walked away from a lot more money. I think it's a great story in the modern day world. Not too many guys chose to be that loyal." Kerry made 12,000,000 last year, and threw 20 innings. So, he was paid 600K per inning; that doesn't count the buyout money he was paid early in the offseason. If we count that, he was paid 775K per inning pitched. But yeah, the good thing is that he's loyal to the Cubs!

is That the Steve Wilson that came over in the Palmeiro/Williams trade in 88?

#62 of 102: By Bleeding Blue (November 16, 2006 03:29 PM) Manny, with Santana winning yet another Cy Young, do you still think the Twins were foolish to lock him up to a long term deal a couple years ago? -- Bringing up a 2 year old argument on an internet message board? Wow, thats pretty lame. With that being said, who's still pissed about letting Matt Clement go? Suckers. (sarcasm - please don't respond)

I didnt post it as "breaking News". I posted it because Rotoworld stated that Cotts could be an effective 3rd or 4th starter.

possible radio report out of Philly that they offered 6/98 for Soriano with a 7th yr club option Westbrook for Marshall/Eyre rumor seems to be coming from Pro SPorts Daily forum...

"If it turns out he can't handle it, he can always be shifted back to the pen later." But then who takes his place in the rotation? Who gets bumped out of the pen? Make him a bullpen guy and go with it. Get starters to be starters. The "If" word go the Cubs 66 wins last year.

Why is the Government so dead set on persecuting Barry Bonds? Gary Sheffield said the exact same thing that Bonds did. Yet no one has said a word about that.

LNL: "With that being said, who's still pissed about letting Matt Clement go? Suckers." Nah, the protecting Andy Sisco argument is still the best...

BP.com's Top 10 Cubs prospects are..... ---- Excellent Prospects None Very Good Prospects 1. Donald Veal, LHP 2. Felix Pie, CF Good Prospects 3. Sean Gallagher, RHP 4. Eric Patterson, 2B 5. Tyler Colvin, OF 6. Mark Pawelek, LHP 7. Jeff Samardzija, RHP 8. Chris Huseby, RHP Average Prospects 9. Scott Moore, 3B 10. Ryan Harvey, RF ---- Top 10 25 and younger Cubs 1. Carlos Zambrano, RHP 2. Donald Veal, LHP 3. Felix Pie, CF 4. Carlos Marmol, RHP 5. Sean Gallagher, RHP 6. Angel Guzman, RHP 7. Eric Patterson, 2B 8. Tyler Colvin, OF 9. Mark Pawalek, LHP 10. Jeff Samardzija, RHP

#117 of 117: By The Joe (November 16, 2006 05:26 PM) Then cite your source. Are you my 8th grade english teacher?

Jacos: "Make him a bullpen guy and go with it. Get starters to be starters." I agree. Why can't we sign proven players to play their positions/roles? And couldn't Wade Miller fill the role that Cotts appears to be set in? Didn't we just give him a new contract, if not for that role, than what for? Hell, we got Mateo/Marshall/Guzman too that could fill the long relief/swingman role.

"Why is the Government so dead set on persecuting Barry Bonds? Gary Sheffield said the exact same thing that Bonds did. Yet no one has said a word about that." Obviously it's because Barry is black. Oh wait...

Hmm. Should I answer rhetorical questions?

Rob G.: "Excellent Prospects...None" Is that going to be the 2007 Cubs slogan?

I think any talk of Cotts "role" is a bit premature. November 16th.... November 16th

Rob G.- How many prospects throughout MLB were rated "Excellent" and "Very Good"? Do you know? Just trying to get a feel where BP thinks the Cubs farm system is at. Thanks!!

Gary Sheffield said that he used the "cream" and the "clear" but he didnt know what it was. He thought it was Flaxseed oil. Barry Bonds testified to the EXACT same thing. That he used the "cream" and the "clear" not knowing that they were steroids. It just seems really hypocritical that the government is spending all this money to investigate. And presumably prosecute Barry Bonds for whatever they can get him on.

Gary Sheffield said the exact same thing that Bonds did. Yet no one has said a word about that. How many HR's away is Sheffield from breaking Ruth's carreer record?

Manny: The BP article was just Cubs prospects. Didn't do all of MLB...

Thanks IM... And I think you meant Aaron career record in your previous post.

Sorry Rob, gotta do it: November 15, 2006 Future Shock Chicago Cubs Top Ten Prospects ---- http://preview.tinyurl.com/ymdqax ***Pretty please with sugar on top, do not post full articles, particularly of premium content. (Rob G.)***

oh yeah.

Did Sheffield also fail to pay his taxes? Did he perjure himself?

#116 of 126: By mannytrillo (November 16, 2006 05:25 PM) LNL: "With that being said, who's still pissed about letting Matt Clement go? Suckers." Nah, the protecting Andy Sisco argument is still the best... -- haha, how did I overlook that one? How about having the audacity to trade away Jody Gerut? We truly had no idea what kind of talent we had on our hands......

I think they just started the prospect rankings at BP.com.... I would guess the Cubs will be in the bottom half, possibly bottom third overall. here's some stuff on E-Pat and his D since it's a hot topic around here.. The Good: Athletic second baseman with leadoff tools and skills, hitting for average, drawing walks, and utilizing his plus-plus speed on the base paths. Fundamentally sound defender with dependable hands and arm. The Bad: Struggles against good lefties; not especially rangy at second base due to a slow first step; needs to focus on making contact as opposed to trying to muscle every pitch

Aaronb apparently has very little regard for copyright laws...

best I can tell is they've done 3 of these so far at BP and Braves had no excellent prospects, Dbacks had 3 so far. Dbacks though had zero very good prospects.

IM Slacker: We've been searching for his English teacher. Might that be you?

LNL: "How about having the audacity to trade away Jody Gerut?" I think Gerut has had as many knee injuries as Steve Howe had drug busts.

Actually, TCR can be sued by BP just because you posted that article on its integrity. Please refrain from doing so. Where are we going to post if TCR disappears? Bleed Cubbie Blue?!

#136 of 137: By IM Slacker (November 16, 2006 05:38 PM) Aaronb apparently has very little regard for copyright laws... Your observation is correct

and I'm going to have to edit it Aaron...sorry. everyone better copy and paste it quick before I remove most of it..

No busybody reporters have written a tell all book about Sheffield yet either.

I knew you werent going to keep it. I just wanted everyone to have a look at it 1st. Apparently the copywrite police regularly post on the site. I download music to. Take that.

If anyone had the real goods on Bonds, it would of come out by now... Hell, he has passed all of MLB's drug tests the past 3 years and still hit 76 HR's in 291 games. The man will break Aaron's record next year as long as he can play most of the season.

It's Trash for Trash. I'm just mad because the cubs no longer have a #1 in the record books... David Aardsma, first player listed alphabetically in MLB record books. A spot previously held by some guy named Hank Aaron Damn it Hendry!!

With all the problems we have in this country. Why does the government spend so much time chasing Barry Bonds and hassleing the Internet Gambling community? Its not like we have a war going on right now or anything.

was the grand jury testimony by Bonds, the eyewitness accounts and written records not "real goods"? the copyright stuff is one thing and I would certainly not like TCR to get sued, but the full articles make the comments a horror to go through...

If anyone had the real goods on Bonds, it would of come out by now This trainer they keep throwing the clink may have the goods. He seems to be amazingly loyal though.

how could we get rid of vasquez? he's had shoulder surgery which makes him a perfect fit in a Jim Hendry Rotation... surprised we didn't lock him and his surgically repaired shoulder up in a long term deal!!!

Bonds isn't facing an indictment because of the sterioid use, per se; the potential indictments stem from tax evasion and allegedly lying under oath during his Grand Jury testimony on the sterioid issue.

Since Cotts is eligible for arbitration, it would be pretty dumb for Hendry to trumpet Cotts as a new member of the rotation, as Cotts' agent would then demand that Cotts be paid as a starter, not as a LOOGY or a swingman.

it wouldn't matter Seamhead, you can only bring up past performance into an arbitration hearing, not a future role. And it'll never go to arbitration anyway, Cubs don't do that....

Rob G.: "was the grand jury testimony by Bonds, the eyewitness accounts and written records not "real goods"?" I guess not. He is still playing baseball, not in jail and not convicted of anything. Hell, he isn't even charged with anything.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/yfeq3d Wood's new contract with the Cubs includes several incentives. Among them are monetary rewards for appearances, ranging from $300,000 for appearing in 40 games to $500,000 if he appears in 60 games. There's also incentives for games finished that range from $200,000 for 25 games finished to $500,000 for 50 games finished. And if Wood is on the active roster for 90 days, he'll pick up an additional $250,000. Also more Lilly talk from his agent....

"And if Wood is on the active roster for 90 days, he'll pick up an additional $250,000." Hehe...

by my math, that's $1.25 mil in incentives, still about $3 mil more somewhere in there.

So the Cubs hired outside pitching coaches for AAA and AA. What happened to the pitching coach from last year at AAA, the guy Rich Hill said turned his big league career around after he was sent down in mid season? If I recall, other young pitchers were also raving about the guy.

Alan Dunn is the minor league pitching coordinator, I think that was his role before last year when he took over for Rick Kranitz who went to Florida last year with Girardi to be their pitching coach.

I would love to see how much I would be criticized for bringing up an argument from 2 years ago to try and prove I am right... That's right, Manny, because you've never actually done that. You're just an innocent victim. Someone posting that Santana won the Cy Young just reminded me of all the times you used to post about how Santana was just average pitcher except who had a couple of good months. And dude, if you are going to bring up examples of dead horses, then how could you leave out the infamous Choi/Lee trade?

Thanks Rob

Rather late to the party here, but: yeah, this has to be a precursor either towards re-converting Cotts to a SP (bad idea) or trading Will Ohman or Eyre as part of some larger deal (good idea.) If there ISN'T a bigger picture to this, then I'd rather have Aardsma. But there's got to be a bigger picture.

It's cool Bleeding Blue, if you were to read the thread that you are talking about, we actually agree on most of the idea of Santana's contract at the time. BB: "I'd suggest going over to twinsgeek.com...John Bonnes take, and its one that I tend to agree with, is that for a team with a payroll of the Twins, its a longer term and more expensive deal than necessary." MT: "Thanks for the link, that guy was thinking the exact same way I was. And he is a Twins fan!!"

just speculation, but i doubt the cubs went to the wsox looking cotts. they were probally in negotiation for something else, probally some of their excess starting, and cotts/aardvark's names got thrown around enough until a side-deal became out of it. whether its left in an area open for further trade or just a trade that made sense for both teams at the time...no idea to even speculate safely.

Cotts as just a swingman isn't so horrible imo... Dempster Howry Eyre Wood Ohman Wuertz Cotts nice bullpen... You can replace Wood with half a dozen of the guys I listed in comment #9. Most everyone in that list has options left as well. The only problems will be what to do with Miller and Prior if they do acquire 3 starting pitchers. And actually Cotts probably has some options left too. Of course, the money line favors an upcoming trade. Once we signed Wood, Aardvark was basically an injury replacement or the backup plan to Wuertz. You have about 4-5 guys who can be brought up next year if needed or break camp (assuming all stays the same).

"#149 of 163: By IM Slacker (November 16, 2006 05:50 PM) If anyone had the real goods on Bonds, it would of come out by now This trainer they keep throwing the clink may have the goods. He seems to be amazingly loyal though." You think that the makers/distributors of illicit drugs are a nice group of people. Maybe Greg Anderson would rather be alive then NOT in prison.

if you check out the link in #103 crunch, Hendry talks about how the deal came about. No mention about SP, but he probably wouldn't say anything in regards to that.

Jim better get his offer in on Soriano before it's too late.

speaking of that, if anyone is listenting to Levine on the radio, did he say anything about Lou and/or Hendry saying they're willing to meet Soriano's contract demands? just asking, read it somewhere else, wanted to know if it was true

Man imagine Soriano in Minute Maid with the short porch in left. A dead pull righty in a ballpark with a 315 porch in left could put up sixty homers.

Cards keep bringing back the pieces of that 83-win team... Spiezio for 2 years, I'm sure he'll top his career OPS once again.

"Man imagine Soriano in Minute Maid with the short porch in left. A dead pull righty in a ballpark with a 315 porch in left could put up sixty homers." Well, it sure didn't help Preston Wilson!

I could see Hendry grabbing Wilson like the idiot he is. Just watched the news here in St. Louis and they are acting like they won another World Series because of the Spezio signing, makes me sick.

I could see Hendry grabbing Wilson like the idiot he is. Just watched the news here in St. Louis and they are acting like they won another World Series because of the Spezio signing, makes me sick.

I personally find it pretty hard to critique and make much of an argument against a team that has made the playoffs 6 of the last 7 years and are the defending World Champs. Whatever Jocketty does, hard to argue against...

#177 of 177: By steve (November 16, 2006 07:40 PM) I could see Hendry grabbing Wilson like the idiot he is. - I can't. I hope I'm right and you are wrong.

did speizio's agent check the market before he let him sign a 4.5m/2yr deal? at the very least wes helms' deal...he can't even play 3rd well.

could we have critiqued before he won the World Series?

I hope I'm wrong too. I wouldn't mind Craig Wilson however.

manny...do you really believe that just because a gm has won that we cannot criticize their current decisions?

Dandy Andy won 2 WS. So everyone take back everything bad you said about his moves during his tenure

The only decent players the Cards have are Pujols, Carpenter, Rolen, maybe Edmonds or Eckstein. Jocketty hasn't really spent the money needed to win but they always do. It seems like the Cardinals take risks on some players like Wilson, Weaver, and Duncan and they somehow pay off. I can't explain why players like Suppan and Eckstein and Mabry (when he was there) get it done when they play in St. Louis. Maybe luck or good coaching causes the washed up players to become great players for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals keep getting worse, not better. They lucked out this year by being in a crappy division and then sucked less than the Padres in the first round, got by a Mets team with Jose Valentin and Endy Chavez playing significant roles, and then Larussa threatened to break up with Jim Leyland if the Tigers beat the Cardinals. I think there was also some voodoo involved in the World Series which caused their outfielders to fall down and their pitchers to forget how to throw to anywhere not home plate. They are so over.

Dave: "manny...do you really believe that just because a gm has won that we cannot criticize their current decisions?" YOU can do whatever you like to do. But I said: "I personally find it pretty hard..." Just like I would have a hard time questioning Shuerholz. Both of them know how to build winners and do it pretty much year in and year out. They both get lots of rope with me.

got by a Mets team with Jose Valentin and Endy Chavez playing significant roles Don't leave out the fact that the Mets were missing 2 of their top 3 pitchers.

Just like I would have a hard time questioning Shuerholz. Both of them know how to build winners and do it pretty much year in and year out. They both get lots of rope with me. But Beane is fair game, right?

I don't see the Cards getting more wins next year than they did this year. They are pretty old and there is no way their rotation will produce like this year. Still I believe they didn't win the World Series, Detroit lost it.

Rob G.: "But Beane is fair game, right?" The A's have missed the playoffs 2 of the last 3 years AND have only won 1 playoff series under Beane (and no WS). But Beane has done pretty well. I think he is overrated, but he is clearly upper tier of GM's.

Teflon Walt!!!

don't see the Cards getting more wins next year than they did this year. They are pretty old and there is no way their rotation will produce like this year. I agree that the Cards were damn lucky to win it all, but it's hard to say they'll be worse next year when 3/5 of their rotation is still undecided. If they land Adam Eaton and Ted Lilly (unlikely, I know) to go with Reyes and Carp, they'll be nasty. Let's hope Jocketty keeps on the path he's been on though. Edmonds and Spiezio should both decline next year, perhaps dramatically.

Schuerholz has missed the playoffs 1 out of 1 year, see I can shorten the time period to fit my argument too. Terry Ryan is pretty bad too, I mean one lousy playoff series win the last 6 years.

Vorare: "Teflon Walt!!!" HA HA, Yeah I guess so. With his track record the last 7 years, he at least earned that nickname. Of course, he doesn't get a free pass in my book for ever.

#192 of 195: By vorare (November 16, 2006 08:40 PM) Teflon Walt!!! - Haha, thats pretty good vorare.

I think he is overrated, Yea...I mean who would think highly of a GM who has his team contending each and every year with a minuscule budget. He must really suck. And shouldn't you also discredit Schuerholtz for his lack of WS rings?

Rob G.: "Schuerholz has missed the playoffs 1 out of 1 year, see I can shorten the time period to fit my argument too." It's not really an argument, it is my OPINION. But, YOU can do whatever you want man. IF you want to try and diminish Jocketty's accomplishments, be my guest. Not me though...

Dave: "He must really suck." Where did I say he sucked? In fact, I just said I think "Beane has done pretty well". I just said in my opinion he is overrated. There is a big difference from being overrated and sucking.

Classic Manny, tries to change the point by saying I'm "diminishing Jocketty's accomplishments" although that has nothing to do with the argument.

No one is diminishing his accomplishments. But we are saying that just because he was won does not mean that we cannot criticize his moves.

Manny thought Dustbag was great. Frankly, I could care less about his opinion of managers/executives. No offense, Manny.

Can anyone else believe that sean casey only got a one year deal?

I wouldn't describe their rotation as nasty, but maybe solid even if they get Eaton or Lilly. They won't spend the money, they never have, they never will. Teams are starting to catch up with them. Astros are trying to land somebody, Reds will be competitive, Hendry's trying, and the Brewers have good young talent. This isn't the Central of the late 90s or early 2000s they can't dominate like they are used to.

Rob G.: "Manny, tries to change the point by saying I'm "diminishing Jocketty's accomplishments" although that has nothing to do with the argument." Dave:"No one is diminishing his accomplishments." True, maybe that was a bad choice of words on my part. But I don't think giving him a pass (at least a wait and see) on any signings or moves in the near future is unfair considering what he has done the last 7 years. Dave: "But we are saying that just because he was won does not mean that we cannot criticize his moves." And like I said from the beginning, YOU can do whatever you want, but I personally will not. I will give him a free pass and wait and see.

Andrew: "Manny thought Dustbag was great." HA HA...Typical TCR!!

schuerholz and his scouts are the dons of the block. he knows how to stay in the background, do his work, have the right people to do good scouting, and the knowlege/trust to read what he's fed. he's got an oldschool approach of having your strongest guys close to you. they scout the southeast, esp. georgia, like noone's business (but a lotta people could do well making it their business).

Crunch: "schuerholz and his scouts are the dons of the block." Do you know any of Schuerholz's decipels (sp?) that are GM's or high levels with any other teams?

disciples

Dayton Moore - Royals I'm sure a few more out there.... Jocketty is actually an Alderson disciple along with Beane, former WSox GM Schueler and a few others.

manny...download firefox. built in spell checker just for you.

I do have firefox... How do I turn on the spell check? (not that its a big deal)

Geren named new A's manager... Everyone get over the shock....

the built in spell check is actually quite cool - have you downloaded 2.0? It is automatically on if you have 2.0. You need install a plug-in if you don't have 2.0.

spell check is in firefox 2.0 whenever you type anything if it is spelled incorrectly a red line appears underneath it, like word processing software. Then right click on the word and it will give suggestions with correct spelling. It's very nice.

its in firefox 2.0...direct download, not update. side rant: firefox is getting larger and more expansive in features kinda getting away from the early focus on a fast/clean browser that doesnt eat too many resources. its not bad, but its not getting any better on the issue as it keeps bloating.

Geren named new A's manager... What the heck took so long?

Firefox has a spell checker? Where? Not like I need one, graduated from Colgate University and have since written numerous bestselling books...just wondering.

Rob G.: "Geren named new A's manager..." I think you had a typo there Rob. I think you meant "new A's puppet..." :)

Dave: "the built in spell check is actually quite cool - have you downloaded 2.0? It is automatically on if you have 2.0. You need install a plug-in if you don't have 2.0." Not sure which version I have, but I will go over there and download the newest version now. Thanks!!

Firefox has a spell checker? Where? Again...download 2.0. And crunch...you are right, it is getting bulky. But it is still far superior to anything else out there. But I do think that in turn the development people at mozilla have gotten a little lazy.

What the heck took so long? negotiations between A's and Dusty dragged out too long, A's went with Plan B.

So, I guess Dusty's gonna sit this one out? Maybe he'll be offered a minor league gig before this spring.

(I like Safari)

I'm sure Dusty will get his gig next year, was rather sad how badly he wanted a new gig just to show up Cubs and Hendry though.

Dave, Crunch and Jackson- Thanks guys!! I downloaded it and now all my "teh"'s will be "the"'s. NICE!!!

I download 2.0... Very nice, great success!!! HIGH FIVE

BJS: "So, I guess Dusty's gonna sit this one out?" Yeah, him and Girardi will be the two highly sought after guys so far next season. With two very good managing possibilities already on the market, current managers may feel a little more heat.

It's good for his massive ego. A time-out from MLB. He can use the year off to think about what he's done. Go get humble and read a baseball strategy book, you fraud.

"Yeah, him and Girardi will be the two highly sought after guys so far next season. With two very good managing possibilities already on the market, current managers may feel a little more heat" HAHAHAHAHA Thanks for the "Dusty being highly sought after" humor Manny. I needed a laugh

He will be, dude. He's a proven winner, dude. The losing wasn't even his fault, dude.

One of these things is not like the other... #206 of 230: By mannytrillo (November 16, 2006 09:03 PM) Andrew: "Manny thought Dustbag was great." HA HA...Typical TCR!! #229 of 230: By mannytrillo (November 16, 2006 09:52 PM) Yeah, him and Girardi will be the two highly sought after guys so far next season. With two very good managing possibilities already on the market, current managers may feel a little more heat. 49 minutes and 23 posts after denying he thought Dusty was great, he posts that. Brilliant!

F.FOX 2.0 on the Mac side? Yes? Currentlly, every time I launch it, it places a large graphic pop-up on the desltop, behing the browser windows. Really annoying.

We all know Dusty is a joke, but in my opinion, there is little doubt Dusty will get another job, and probably not in the too distant future. Calling him a "very good managing possibility" is pretty funny though, but what do you expect? It is Manny. At least the guy is consistent.

I am hoping the Cubs sign FA pitcher Jeff Suppan or is he going to be a Yankee.

So for the past 3 years Manny made excuses for every idiotic move Dusty made, and complained every time anyone said anything even remotely negative about Dusty, yet now he's saying he doesn't think Dusty is a great manager? God, I'd hate to think what Manny would do if he found a manger he did think was great.

The losing wasn't even Dusty's fault, dude? No, I am sure Dusty had absolutely nothing to do with it. On a scale of 1-100, with 100 being the manager was totally to blame and 1 being the manager was not to blame at all, Dusty surely had to be a zero. The guy was an absolute victim while he was here. At worst, Dusty was simply misunderstood. At best, he should have gotten some votes for manager of the year last year for somehow eeking out 66 victories while being forced to play guys like Neifi Perez. Oh yeah, I forgot, that was Dusty's decision to use Neifi.

Getting off the above topic for a minute. It has been reported that Boston has offered JD Drew a huge contract, and the Cubs have matched it. Gosh look at Drew's number in 2006, BA .283, HR 20, Rbi's 100. Matt Murton is very capable of putting up those same numbers, he he could have come close if he had more runners on base in 2006 to up his rbi's. The only positive side to signing Drew is that he bats left, and the Cubs do need another left bat, all they have is J. Jones, and whoever they get for centerfield. Drew is injury prone, I wouldn't sign him to a huge contract, let Boston have him.

Jerry, The Cubs, most likely, would want Drew for center. He hits well enough, though, that you could move him to a corner if Pie ever develops.

Geez! Get off Dusty's back, will ya? Personally I think the only reason Cub fans seem to hate him so much is because of 2003. If they hadn't made the playoffs that year, everyone would be saying things like: "Gee, those aren't necessarily the best in-game decisions, but at least he's not the worst manager in all of baseball." It reminds me a lot of those way-too-intense little league parents. The guy's gone! Leave him alone!

Marshall, Cubs fans hate Dusty because of 2004 and 2005. It took a uniquely talented man to keep the 2004 Cubs out of the playoffs.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

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  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).