What do you think?

[The Sheik]

I think we have raped and pillaged our farm enough this off-season and last summer in the Harden deal. Heilman isnt a superstar, but considering he wont be asked to be a set-up or closer he might be a decent pick up. He can also replace Marshall as the long relief guy.

I say we look for a lefty out of the bullpen, perhaps one more bench bat and then call it quits.

Z
Dempster
Lilly
Harden
Marshall

CL: Gregg/Marmol
SU: Gregg/Marmol
7th: Shark
Cotts
Heilman
Gaudin
Guzman/Wuertz/Vizcaino/Hart

Soriano
Fontenot
Aramis
Bradley
Lee
Soto
RJ
Riot

Miles, Gathwright, Bako, Fukudome, ???

[hermes]

looks good to me

[SportsWorld]

At this point we're an 85 win, 1st round exit team.

[The Sheik]

At this point we're an 85 win, 1st round exit team.

and with Peavy we are a 95 win NLCS exit team. There is nothing we can do at this point to put us over the top. Is Marshall and Vitters worth Peavy? What if we dont win a WS and 3 yrs from now when D-Lee and Soriano are done and we have nothing to build on for the future. Hendry put is in this mess and I dont want to see him ruin our farm system too.

[CR Reina]

I would rather have the Cubs go for broke and try to win one in the next three-year cycle than take half measures, while making sure they are consistently competitive. I think they're plenty good enough to win it all without Peavy though.

[Posey H8er]

At this point we're an 85 win, 1st round exit team.

and with Peavy we are a 95 win NLCS exit team. There is nothing we can do at this point to put us over the top. Is Marshall and Vitters worth Peavy? What if we dont win a WS and 3 yrs from now when D-Lee and Soriano are done and we have nothing to build on for the future. Hendry put is in this mess and I dont want to see him ruin our farm system too.

It is indeed a huge dilemma. I do not want to see Vitters dealt to San Diego because this team is good enough to go to a World Series. Josh Vitters could be a huge star in the majors. Of course if the Cubs do win a World Series this year having made that trade then I would no longer care about the loss.

The best option is to try to find a deal with San Diego that does not include Vitters. If there is no deal, then the Cubs can still go about their business competitively.

If we had a halfway decent farm system then it would be great to trade some of the current Cubs who contracts are ending for minor league talent. Unfortunately there isn't much in our system to do that. My dream scenario is to trade someone like Derrek Lee in his final year for some prospects and let Vitters (who will hopefully be a stud) take over.

[SportsWorld]

I would rather have the Cubs go for broke and try to win one in the next three-year cycle than take half measures, while making sure they are consistently competitive. I think they're plenty good enough to win it all without Peavy though.

I think this team is good enough to win it all without Peavy too. Maybe change is what this team needed. This team may not be better than last season but maybe Hendry built this team more for a playoff series than for the whole season. There's no doubt we're winning the Central this year barring injuries.

[DanTown8587]

Basically, Jim Hendry has gone one to panic and made some BAD trades that just cripple the team and signed Alfonso Soriano to an eight year deal. I mean Soriano is only in year 3 and he is talking about not being to steal bases anymore. I mean basically the past three years:

CUBS OUT
Sergio Mitre
Ricky Nolasco
Renyel Pinto
Sean Gallagher
Rich Hill
Felix Pie
Ronny Cedeno
Mark DeRosa
Jose Ceda
Eric Patterson
Matt Murton

Cubs IN
Aaron Heilman
Rich Harden
Kevin Gregg

I mean why trade all your young players AFTER they have crippled their trade value? Add to it the Cubs are basically locked into a Lee-Ramirez-Soriano trio leading them and can't trade them for any decent replacements.

Hypothetical 1: Cubs sign Carlos Lee over Alfonso Soriano. Less years to commit and the Cubs get a more middle of the lineup hitter.
Hypothetical 2: Cubs trade Pie, Ceda, Gallagher for Brian Roberts
Hypothetical 3: Cubs keep Josh Hamilton in Rule 5 draft

Roberts 2B
Theriot SS
Ramirez 3B
Hamilton CF
C. Lee LF
D. Lee 1B
Soto C
Murton RF

Zambrano/Dempster/Lilly/Nolasco/Marshall rotation


Obviously greatly aided by the Josh Hamilton thing, but even if you take him out and you have Roberts lead off and a 3-4-5 of Lee-Ramirez-Lee you have a better lineup. And the team is greatly cheaper today (no Harden, Kosuke, Bradley) and younger (Nolasco, Marshall decent starters)

[GYBE]

I know you are just talking in hypotheticals, but at no point did the team have any interest in Hamilton. They only picked him because of a pre-arranged deal. If that wasn't in place they probably would've passed on picking someone. Obviously that was the wrong call, but c'mon. The Rule V draft is ridiculously random. We could've had Johan Santana awhile ago too, but 99% of the players never do anything.

I'm not so sure that team is any better than the one we have. Lee is a slightly better hitter, but he's much worse defensively. Soriano had a higher WARP last year.

Harden > Nolasco, obviously. Besides, Nolasco's a huge injury concern. Maybe not quite as much as Harden, but Ricky's arm is due for a surgery.

Murton instead of Bradley is a huge downgrade too.

While obviously that fantasy team is much cheaper, I don't think it's any better. The only real improvement is has is Hamilton, who was never really a possibility for us anyways.

[DanTown8587]

^ the only thing is though: the Cubs could have been bidders on other FA that they never went after. I mean they could have gone after other guys in the rotation. I mean instead of Nolasco they could have Sabathia. And Harden is 10X more expensive than Nolasco and they have the same arm problems.

Its hard to say because I basically saved the team so much money, but they could spend it elsewhere.

And I agree, Josh Hamilton was NEVER an option here and as a Rays fan that upset me. I mean what was worse case scenario for a guy who is probably the most talented prep player in the past 10-15 years? You send him back?