Countdown to the Trade Deadline (The Last Day)
Today's 4 p.m. deadline will mark the final opportunity for teams to make non-waiver upgrades to their rosters. Up until now, there has been little to no activity, with the exception of Bobby Abreu being sent to the Yankees. I was actually at the Phillies game yesterday when it was announced. Abreu was still in the dugout and wearing a Philadelphia uniform as the news was relayed to him. He came out, saluted the crowd, and was given a 5 minute standing ovation. If you were a Phillies fan, it was either a special or depressing moment, depending on your viewpoint. On one hand, they dumped a truckload of salary by demanding that the Yankees assume the rest of Abreu's contract. On the other hand, they did not receive the Yankee's best prospect, soon-to-be-star Phillip Hughes, or anything close to major league-ready talent for that matter. Oh yeah, and by the way, Corey Lidle was also sent to New York in that deal.
I understand that in order for the Phillies to be major players in the free agent market this off-season, they have to unburden themselves of some ugly contracts, and basically giving Abreu away was the first step in this process, but, come on, the guy's a perennial all-star. Couldn't the Phillies at least have asked for OF Melky Cabrera? The Yankees have an extremely crowded outfield, with Damon, Matsui, Sheffield, Abreu, Bernie Williams, and Cabrera all looking for playing time and it was a mistake for the Phillies not to capitalize on this. I have no clue what New York is going to do with all these players, perhaps they will send Cabrera to triple-A, but that still makes five, and I can't see Jason Giambi playing anything but DH, leaving one less spot to fill. So who sits when Matsui and Sheffield return healthy? There's no way that Abreu is the odd man out because then there would be no way that the Yankees could justify trading for him and absorbing all that money. Matsui, along with Derek Jeter, is the heart and soul of the team, and I can just hear Sheffield whining when he gets the news that he will be platooned in right field. In fact, that's the only way I can see this working. Envision this if you will: Matsui's a lefty and the majority of starting pitchers are right handed, so it appears that he won't have to share much time in LF. That said, Sheffield bats from the right side, Abreu from the left, so the only logical thing to do would be to platoon them together, with Abreu playing against righties and Sheffield against lefties. Abreu has also played some CF, so when Damon needs a breather, manager Joe Torre could pencil him in there. In addition, I could possibly see Sheffield being moved to 1B in order to get all the big bats in the lineup at the same time. At the very least, it'll be interesting to see the fallout from all of this. Anyway, my prediction is that after the Yankee's rental of Abreu has expired, he will resign with Philadelphia. From what I saw, he loves it there, and the feeling, from the point of view of the fans, is mutual. Remember, the only reason he agreed to waive his no trade clause is because New York is a two hour drive from Philly, making it easier for him to spend time with his family, then, say, if he was dealt to Detroit.
Anyway, with only hours until the deadline, let's review the latest rumblings and grumblings which involve players on the Cubs:
Greg Maddux
As of right now, ESPN.com is reporting that Maddux being traded, is no better than a 50-50 proposition. As of Sunday night, San Diego appears to be in the lead to acquire his services. The Padres have been actively trying to shop RP Scott Linebrink, in hopes of receiving a top-notch third baseman. They would then use Maddux to fill the pitching void left by Linebrink’s departure. However, considering the respect that Dodgers’ GM Ned Colletti has for Maddux, this could all change by 4 p.m. this afternoon. I say, if San Diego needs a starter and a third baseman, they should look no further than the Cubs. I’m picturing a larger deal, which would expand to include Aramis Ramirez. It could look something like this: Greg Maddux, Aramis Ramirez, and Todd Walker for Scott Linebrink, Adrian Gonzalez, and Mike Cameron. Just a thought...
Todd Walker
Speaking of Walker, the Seattle Mariners, looking for a left-handed DH, have sent scouts to watch him play. The Mariners think Walker could give them a reliable veteran bat from the left side. Carl Everett, who began the years as Seattle’s DH, is batting .172 in the months of June and July. It is being reported that the Rangers are also in serious discussions with the Cubs regarding Walker. It is hard to say exactly what the Cubs would receive in either case but more than likely, trading Walker, would yield no more than a C-level prospect. However, Chicago has asked the Mariners for SP Gil Meche in return, and if they refuse to lower their demands, the deal might fall through. If the Cubs were to deal Walker to Texas, the consensus around the league is that they would ask the Rangers for Mark DeRosa.
As for the other Cubs, such as Michael Barrett, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood, and Mark Prior, who make up my list of tradable players, I have yet to hear anything at all regarding potential deals. But, again, things can change very quickly from now, 12:18 p.m., until the 4 p.m. deadline. And by the way, phase one, the dumping of unwanted salaries, of my "plan to fix the Cubs" has yet to be put into motion, but to be fair, it could be done in the off-season, so no reason to panic in that regard.
On a side note, I wanted to talk a little bit about a minor altercation that I had at the first game of a Phillies-Marlins doubleheader this Sunday. The reason for the whole situation is a topic that I have been wanting to discuss for some time now and I would like to take this opportunity to do so. Allow me to describe the scene for you: My girlfriend, her sister, her father, and I, took our seats on the third base-side of the lower section about 30 minutes before the first pitch. The weather forecast called for rain, which, as usual was off the mark, and a high of 96 degrees. Fortunately, the row which we sat in was far enough back that the sun was blocked, so the weather was bearable.
Anyway, the Marlins go one-two-three in the top of the first inning and the Phillies come up to bat, when at which time, a small child, maybe six or seven years old, sitting directly behind us, begins shrieking, at the top of his lungs, every time a Phillies player swings the bat. For example, when Ryan Howard walked to the plate, this kid would scream, over and over, "LETS GO HOWARD!" right in our ears. Let me quickly say that this kind of chant is heard a thousand times a game, but it always involves a huge number of people cheering simultaneously, not one kid blatantly screaming. Now, at first, I thought nothing of it because I figured that he would wear himself out and get tired of yelling at the top of his lungs, oh, say by the third inning. As the game goes on, I begin to notice, more and more, that people, including other small children mind you, are turning around to give the kid’s parents dirty looks, hoping that this will force them to put an end to the noise. No such luck. In fact, one time I looked behind me only to see the mother and father laughing hysterically about how loud their son is being.
So, it’s around the sixth inning now, and people are becoming so irritated with this kid, that I begin to hear nasty remarks being made out loud, to no one in particular. "Will someone get that kid a muzzle," you know, things of that nature. It’s at this point when I turn to the parents and say, "Will you please act like parents and control your child. He’s being obnoxious and ruining the game for everyone" The father replies, "No, he’s not obnoxious, he’s just an excited Phillies fan." I then begin to realize that these are the type of people, who will go out of their way to make the situation worse if you argue with them, so I drop it, and turn my attention back to the game. Just as I thought, the kid restarts his routine, only louder, most likely acting on instructions from the parents. Well, at that point, I lost all patience and I say, "I don’t understand how the government let’s people like you even have children. I wouldn’t trust you with a guinea pig, let alone to teach a child the right way to act in public." Yeah, I know that was a little harsh, but, hey, the kid stopped, which, by the way, I began to feel awful about because in no way did I ever blame the little boy.
Children will act like children, it’s just what they do. I was happy that he was an excited Phillies fan, but there’s a thin line between excited and completely obnoxious. I never said "Can you please tell your kid to shut up" or anything remotely close to that. I simply asked for the parents to be just that, parents, and control their child. I only requested that they tone it down so that everyone could enjoy the game, and not feel like they wasted $180 to come to the park. Anyway, the kid turns into a mute, which, again, I felt really bad about, and the family decides to leave around the 8th inning, instead of watching the game in its entirety. As the mother is passing me, she taps me on the shoulder, and says "It was obnoxious of you to tell us that." I replied that I was not the only one in the section who felt that way, at which time I pointed to all the different people who shared my opinion. As I motioned to each individual they nodded, as to say that I was right, and it was then that the father became red in the face and scurried off in embarrassment.
But here’s my point: there are no parents anymore, only babies raising babies. The announced attendance that day was around 31,000. I cannot imagine taking my child to somewhere where there are thousands of people, and not explaining to him ahead of time, the proper way to cheer for your team without ruining the experience for those around you. In fact, I would be downright ashamed of myself for knowing that, as a parent, I failed my kid. But it was my fault that the game was ruined for this little boy? Nobody takes any kind of responsibility anymore. The parents have no one to blame but themselves for what happened because if it wasn’t me who spoke up, there were about fifty others waiting in line for their shot. And what worries me the most, is that when this kid has children of his own, he’ll teach them the same thing; that this type of behavior is OK. The trend of parents acting irresponsibly needs to stop. Allowing a child to act that way, is not only disrespectful to the game of baseball itself, but it also shows an complete disregard for the comfort and happiness of the fans around you.
Update: It appears that the Padres are set to acquire Walker, not Maddux, as it was previously reported. Apparently they want him to move to 3B. So in my opinion, nothing should change just because it’s Walker in the deal and not Ramirez. Package Walker and Maddux for Linebrink and Gonzalez. Walker would hold less value than Ramirez, so asking for Cameron in the deal would be expecting too much.
I understand that in order for the Phillies to be major players in the free agent market this off-season, they have to unburden themselves of some ugly contracts, and basically giving Abreu away was the first step in this process, but, come on, the guy's a perennial all-star. Couldn't the Phillies at least have asked for OF Melky Cabrera? The Yankees have an extremely crowded outfield, with Damon, Matsui, Sheffield, Abreu, Bernie Williams, and Cabrera all looking for playing time and it was a mistake for the Phillies not to capitalize on this. I have no clue what New York is going to do with all these players, perhaps they will send Cabrera to triple-A, but that still makes five, and I can't see Jason Giambi playing anything but DH, leaving one less spot to fill. So who sits when Matsui and Sheffield return healthy? There's no way that Abreu is the odd man out because then there would be no way that the Yankees could justify trading for him and absorbing all that money. Matsui, along with Derek Jeter, is the heart and soul of the team, and I can just hear Sheffield whining when he gets the news that he will be platooned in right field. In fact, that's the only way I can see this working. Envision this if you will: Matsui's a lefty and the majority of starting pitchers are right handed, so it appears that he won't have to share much time in LF. That said, Sheffield bats from the right side, Abreu from the left, so the only logical thing to do would be to platoon them together, with Abreu playing against righties and Sheffield against lefties. Abreu has also played some CF, so when Damon needs a breather, manager Joe Torre could pencil him in there. In addition, I could possibly see Sheffield being moved to 1B in order to get all the big bats in the lineup at the same time. At the very least, it'll be interesting to see the fallout from all of this. Anyway, my prediction is that after the Yankee's rental of Abreu has expired, he will resign with Philadelphia. From what I saw, he loves it there, and the feeling, from the point of view of the fans, is mutual. Remember, the only reason he agreed to waive his no trade clause is because New York is a two hour drive from Philly, making it easier for him to spend time with his family, then, say, if he was dealt to Detroit.
Anyway, with only hours until the deadline, let's review the latest rumblings and grumblings which involve players on the Cubs:
Greg Maddux
As of right now, ESPN.com is reporting that Maddux being traded, is no better than a 50-50 proposition. As of Sunday night, San Diego appears to be in the lead to acquire his services. The Padres have been actively trying to shop RP Scott Linebrink, in hopes of receiving a top-notch third baseman. They would then use Maddux to fill the pitching void left by Linebrink’s departure. However, considering the respect that Dodgers’ GM Ned Colletti has for Maddux, this could all change by 4 p.m. this afternoon. I say, if San Diego needs a starter and a third baseman, they should look no further than the Cubs. I’m picturing a larger deal, which would expand to include Aramis Ramirez. It could look something like this: Greg Maddux, Aramis Ramirez, and Todd Walker for Scott Linebrink, Adrian Gonzalez, and Mike Cameron. Just a thought...
Todd Walker
Speaking of Walker, the Seattle Mariners, looking for a left-handed DH, have sent scouts to watch him play. The Mariners think Walker could give them a reliable veteran bat from the left side. Carl Everett, who began the years as Seattle’s DH, is batting .172 in the months of June and July. It is being reported that the Rangers are also in serious discussions with the Cubs regarding Walker. It is hard to say exactly what the Cubs would receive in either case but more than likely, trading Walker, would yield no more than a C-level prospect. However, Chicago has asked the Mariners for SP Gil Meche in return, and if they refuse to lower their demands, the deal might fall through. If the Cubs were to deal Walker to Texas, the consensus around the league is that they would ask the Rangers for Mark DeRosa.
As for the other Cubs, such as Michael Barrett, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood, and Mark Prior, who make up my list of tradable players, I have yet to hear anything at all regarding potential deals. But, again, things can change very quickly from now, 12:18 p.m., until the 4 p.m. deadline. And by the way, phase one, the dumping of unwanted salaries, of my "plan to fix the Cubs" has yet to be put into motion, but to be fair, it could be done in the off-season, so no reason to panic in that regard.
On a side note, I wanted to talk a little bit about a minor altercation that I had at the first game of a Phillies-Marlins doubleheader this Sunday. The reason for the whole situation is a topic that I have been wanting to discuss for some time now and I would like to take this opportunity to do so. Allow me to describe the scene for you: My girlfriend, her sister, her father, and I, took our seats on the third base-side of the lower section about 30 minutes before the first pitch. The weather forecast called for rain, which, as usual was off the mark, and a high of 96 degrees. Fortunately, the row which we sat in was far enough back that the sun was blocked, so the weather was bearable.
Anyway, the Marlins go one-two-three in the top of the first inning and the Phillies come up to bat, when at which time, a small child, maybe six or seven years old, sitting directly behind us, begins shrieking, at the top of his lungs, every time a Phillies player swings the bat. For example, when Ryan Howard walked to the plate, this kid would scream, over and over, "LETS GO HOWARD!" right in our ears. Let me quickly say that this kind of chant is heard a thousand times a game, but it always involves a huge number of people cheering simultaneously, not one kid blatantly screaming. Now, at first, I thought nothing of it because I figured that he would wear himself out and get tired of yelling at the top of his lungs, oh, say by the third inning. As the game goes on, I begin to notice, more and more, that people, including other small children mind you, are turning around to give the kid’s parents dirty looks, hoping that this will force them to put an end to the noise. No such luck. In fact, one time I looked behind me only to see the mother and father laughing hysterically about how loud their son is being.
So, it’s around the sixth inning now, and people are becoming so irritated with this kid, that I begin to hear nasty remarks being made out loud, to no one in particular. "Will someone get that kid a muzzle," you know, things of that nature. It’s at this point when I turn to the parents and say, "Will you please act like parents and control your child. He’s being obnoxious and ruining the game for everyone" The father replies, "No, he’s not obnoxious, he’s just an excited Phillies fan." I then begin to realize that these are the type of people, who will go out of their way to make the situation worse if you argue with them, so I drop it, and turn my attention back to the game. Just as I thought, the kid restarts his routine, only louder, most likely acting on instructions from the parents. Well, at that point, I lost all patience and I say, "I don’t understand how the government let’s people like you even have children. I wouldn’t trust you with a guinea pig, let alone to teach a child the right way to act in public." Yeah, I know that was a little harsh, but, hey, the kid stopped, which, by the way, I began to feel awful about because in no way did I ever blame the little boy.
Children will act like children, it’s just what they do. I was happy that he was an excited Phillies fan, but there’s a thin line between excited and completely obnoxious. I never said "Can you please tell your kid to shut up" or anything remotely close to that. I simply asked for the parents to be just that, parents, and control their child. I only requested that they tone it down so that everyone could enjoy the game, and not feel like they wasted $180 to come to the park. Anyway, the kid turns into a mute, which, again, I felt really bad about, and the family decides to leave around the 8th inning, instead of watching the game in its entirety. As the mother is passing me, she taps me on the shoulder, and says "It was obnoxious of you to tell us that." I replied that I was not the only one in the section who felt that way, at which time I pointed to all the different people who shared my opinion. As I motioned to each individual they nodded, as to say that I was right, and it was then that the father became red in the face and scurried off in embarrassment.
But here’s my point: there are no parents anymore, only babies raising babies. The announced attendance that day was around 31,000. I cannot imagine taking my child to somewhere where there are thousands of people, and not explaining to him ahead of time, the proper way to cheer for your team without ruining the experience for those around you. In fact, I would be downright ashamed of myself for knowing that, as a parent, I failed my kid. But it was my fault that the game was ruined for this little boy? Nobody takes any kind of responsibility anymore. The parents have no one to blame but themselves for what happened because if it wasn’t me who spoke up, there were about fifty others waiting in line for their shot. And what worries me the most, is that when this kid has children of his own, he’ll teach them the same thing; that this type of behavior is OK. The trend of parents acting irresponsibly needs to stop. Allowing a child to act that way, is not only disrespectful to the game of baseball itself, but it also shows an complete disregard for the comfort and happiness of the fans around you.
Update: It appears that the Padres are set to acquire Walker, not Maddux, as it was previously reported. Apparently they want him to move to 3B. So in my opinion, nothing should change just because it’s Walker in the deal and not Ramirez. Package Walker and Maddux for Linebrink and Gonzalez. Walker would hold less value than Ramirez, so asking for Cameron in the deal would be expecting too much.
posted by Ryan Anthony Dreyer at
12:04 PM
2 Comments:
Good blog. Too bad you are not
sitting on Hendry's perch. You
would definitely do a better job.
But, do not expect anything more
than a Walker transfer and this is
really sad because Walker is one
of the most supported, most
popular player on the Cubs'.
And, given the emotional quagmire that Frick and Frack, Baker and
Hendry, have thrown Walker into,
I too have become a Walker fan_____
because I would have broke under such pressure, but not Walker who has actually had a very productive
season, befitting the professional
that he is, in stark contrast to
Mr Frick and Mrs Frack. Thank you
Todd. From one of many supportive
Cubs fan.
OK, I agree. Do something positive
before its too late:
I hear you, but I would add that if we hurry we could get Sammy
and Moises back before the trade deadline. Give Wood to one of
the teams and Prior to the Domican to do charity work and the deals could be swung before the gate closes altogether on the next 10 years. For sid's sake, please
convince Mr Hendry to do something.
Thanks much for your intuitive Cub blogs.
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