Some links for Thursday afternoon as the Cubs host the Tigers at Wrigley Field…
- Ryan Dempster and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein discussed potential trades yesterday, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports. As many as ten teams have interest in Dempster, who earns $14MM this year and can block any trade. "We discussed a lot of things and obviously there are a lot of things being talked about," Dempster said. I looked at the right-hander’s trade value earlier today.
- Matt Garza said he enjoys playing in Chicago but will embrace the challenge of pitching for another club if necessary, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports. "I just want to keep playing. It doesn’t matter where. I’ll pitch on the freaking moon," he said. "The AL East doesn't scare me a bit,” Garza added.
- The Cubs designated catcher Koyie Hill for assignment earlier today, in case you missed it.
With a no trade clause the Cubs are going to want to see who he’d accept trades too. I would see the Dodgers as a top pick of Dempsters. He can play with fellow teammate Lilly and more important showcase for a winning team with deep pockets in hopes of being retained.
It’s tough because Dempster is probably best off staying in the NL, but there are fewer suitors. I’m not sure the Dodgers even need him and the Braves probably won’t give up much for him. Cardinals could use some pitching all of a sudden, but I’m sure the Cubs would make them pay extra.
Most of the AL East teams could use more pitching, but I’m not sure how well he holds up against those lineups. Toronto would be interesting since they’ve got plenty of prospects to trade and Dempster is Canadian.
Somebody needs to tell Matt Garza that the only ball club on the moon is single-A. He probably wouldn’t like that very much. Plus, it’s really hard to get any sink on your curveball.
there are no ball clubs on the moon because there isnt enough oxygen
Oxygen is a fixable problem the main problem is gravity. You could literally hit your ball into space.
Great, we can trade Dempster and Garza and get more quality like Travis Wood, Ian Stewart, Chris Volstad, Michael Bowden, Koyie Hill, and Adrian Cardenas. They will be managed by the great “Mayday, Mayday” Dale Sveum. Please, don’t tell me to trust Theo, there’s a plan, be patient, it’s going to take some time, and we are going to build the right way, blah, blah.
Don’t tell me we wouldn’t be better off with Marshall, Colvin, and Zambrano.
Someone with knowledge of baseball and the Cubs, please tell me what has Theo and Hoyer done as a Cub thus far, to make me think he can do this rebuilding job? Anthony Rizzo is the only maybe, and we don’t know what he’s going to do when he gets to Chicago. Dejesus, eh, well at least he isn’t that terrible.
Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.
You measure his success in less than a year by three guys with no trade value…
you must have read my post from yesterday, because I am with you 100%. I’m not criticizing theo and jed as much as you might be, but i am sick of those gung-ho theo worshippers (like baseball52, below) who think every move they’ve made is an improvement. Show me the evidence. btw Colvin batted .476 with 4 HR’s in the last week, while Stewart…never mind.
So if the Cubs had Colvin, Marshall, and Zambrano they would win the Central? Why the heck do you even want to win right now? It’s a great year to snag last place in the league. You may be saying to yourself ‘This guy is nuts!?!’ but I’ll tell you why. The Cubs will get the best draft pick in a much better year than this year. They will get a dominant pitcher or player with the first pick. Also since the playoffs have been expanded, more teams are buyers at the deadline, and less are sellers. I’d say the Cubs are some of the biggest sellers around, and they should turn some decent value for bad players. Who cares if the Cubs traded away 3-5 wins during the season for marginal players. Epstein and Hoyer went out and signed a projected top 100 prospect. The Yankees wanted him, and the Cubs snatched him away. He may pan out, or he may not. It doesn’t matter, the fact is that he added potential talent. Money is not an issue with the Ricketts. So why not take a chance? He has improved the farm system by far, and will continue to do so at the deadline.
not talking about winning the central, I’m talking about 1) valuing your trade chips in terms of what they’re worth to other teams, not what they’re not worth to you, and 2) being a little critical, not declaring that everything theo and jed do is a solid move. Marshall: a hood ornament on a Yugo for the cubs, but worth a heckuva lot more to another team than a failed 5th starter and two throw-in fillers. Zambrano: a head case that needed to get out of Wrigley, but one with a million dollar arm and who should have netted better than another DFA-candidate-failed 5th starter. Colvin: keep him, trade him, whatever – but why for a guy still bothered by the injury that hobbled him all of last year? Inamteprof is legitmately skeptical of what Theo and jed might settle for in return for Demp and Garza – more 5th starters? More guys we can release in a couple of months?
Marshall had little value. He was gone the next season. We are lucky the Reds gave up what they did for him. It’s just unlucky they didn’t pan out. Wood was not a failed 5th starter… he pitched decently until he came to the Cubs. There is no way Zambrano gets more than what Jed/Theo got. He did not want to pitch for the Cubs, and when he threw at the Braves, none of the Cubs wanted to play with him. No one backed him up when the Braves cleared the dugout. I don’t care if the Cubs got one pack of Big League Chew for him, they got rid of him for a ground ball pitcher who didn’t pan out. And come on… Jed/Epstein will not trade Garza unless they get premium with him. Now Dempster, they may have to settle for, but be sure that Epstein will be looking toward the future. I’m just saying that there really isn’t anyone who would have got more than Theo and Jed did.
I’m with you. I mean I think throwing all of our hopes and dreams on Epstein and Hoyer is dangerous. I wasn’t expecting to win the Central, but if you are going to gut the team, get some better value. They haven’t gotten any value on any trade. So yes, I am looking at three months of work to evaluate these guys. They’ve made 7-10 transactions that have not improved the Cubs now or in the future. Stop worshipping the new regime and hold them accountable.
Good old Jim Hendry had a mess here in Chicago. You can’t blame Theo for trying to fix a system where Hendry destroyed it. There are hardly any prospects in the minor system and Theo and Jed are trying to build up down there so we can compete in a couple years. Think about the contracts that they are trying to get rid of right now. If everything falls in place like they are trying to accomplish, 2014 and 2015 should be the years to start watching the improvement at the earliest. We have players that are ready but we need to get rid of a couple to get it done. Vitters is defensively awful. I would welcome Ian over Vitters right now for 3rd base. I just can’t wait to see the line up in the futre. Clevenger or Castillo at C, Rizzo at 1st, Barney at 2nd, Castro at SS, Vitters at 3rd (if he gets better at D), Soler (if he is actually a Cubbie), Jackson and LaHair in the OF with Campana as back up.
Hate to burst your little dream, but there is no way Darwin Barney is the future 2nd basemen for the Cubs. I wouldn’t mind if he is the backup SS or 2nd basemen, but he is not the future at 2nd.
AL East..The Moon…How about @ Coors Field Mr Garza? Does that scare you?
Dear Graza, Come to the Orioles.
Yours truley.