Cubs Making Strides to Improve

[B. Brian Brunzell]

The Cubs and Dodgers have reached a tentative agreement for a trade. The Cubs would ship C Todd Hundley to the Dodgers in exchange for 1B Eric Karros and 2B Mark Grudzilanek.

 

It seems as if the Cubs are actually TRYING to become a contender this year, with the hiring of Dusty Baker, this trade, the possible singing of I-Rod, Maddux, and the signing of Mike Remlinger.

 

 

Also, for us Southside fans, the White Sox traded CP Keith Foulke and C Mark Johnson to the A's for CP Billy Koch. FINALLY! Mark Johnson is gone. REJOICE! Josh Paul will at last get his playing time.

[Guest bob_barron]

They're going after Maddux???

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Hmm

 

They are still the Cubs..

 

At least they are trying this year, it looks like its their "Were gonna try once a decade" year..

[Guest bob_barron]

Getting Remlinger is a good move. I'll miss him for sure

[Guest CanadianChris]

Did the Tribune sell the team when no one was looking? Because I'm having a hard time believing it's them spending all this money.

 

Of course, if they hold true to recent form, they'll *almost* sign Maddux, *almost* sign I-Rod, then throw up their hands and say, "Well, we tried."

[B. Brian Brunzell]

Good point Chris.

The Cubs are serious about getting the Doctor, as I like to call Maddux. They went out and signed one of his old personal catchers in Paul Baco. Not a bad move.

 

There is a point when you're so good you're above everyone else in the rotation. That point is when you get your own personal catcher. God I love The Doctor.

[Guest DrTom]

The Cubs and Dodgers have reached a tentative agreement for a trade. The Cubs would ship C Todd Hundley to the Dodgers in exchange for 1B Eric Karros and 2B Mark Grudzilanek.

How can anyone be excited by this? Getting rid of Hundley was a good move, since he's been trading off that one good year for far too long. However, the Dodgers were begging someone to take Karros and Grudzilanek off their hands, and the Cubs stepped up to play sucker. Karros had better hope Wrigley gives his career a second win, or he's DONE. Grudzilanek is a serviceable second baseman, but what happened to Bobby Hill? Grudzy isn't getting any younger, and it's not like he was a world-beater to begin with.

 

Basically, the Cubs traded one scrub for two, and added about $7 million to their payroll this year. Brilliant...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Doesn't Maddux want to play close to Las Vegas?

 

The Cubs overpaid for Remlinger. 10.5 for 3 years is too much for a middle reliever.

 

This is the Cubs so count on Prior getting hurt, and Sosa going down with a knee injury on opening day.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Fuckin' Cubs. I love 'em but they suck.

[Guest alkeiper]

How can anyone be excited by this? Getting rid of Hundley was a good move, since he's been trading off that one good year for far too long. However, the Dodgers were begging someone to take Karros and Grudzilanek off their hands, and the Cubs stepped up to play sucker. Karros had better hope Wrigley gives his career a second win, or he's DONE. Grudzilanek is a serviceable second baseman, but what happened to Bobby Hill? Grudzy isn't getting any younger, and it's not like he was a world-beater to begin with.

 

Hill's still around, and should start this year. The Cubs also have Heep Soo Choi coming up fast. So basically they traded for two players they don't need.

[Guest geniusMoment]

Okay so the central division in the national league will once again be a laughing stock.

St. Louis has morris, williams, and simontacci in their rotation and williams is injury prone and simontacci is an unproven second year player

Milwaukee just sucks in every way possible

Pittsburgh will be worse this year thanks to some horrible contracts and might even trade Giles. Kip wells showed in the last half of last year he isn't that good

Houston with bagpipes and biggio aging and Shane reynolds gone this team will not be a contender this year unless Hernandez pitches well, even though Oswalt rocks

Cincinnati is actually pretty interesting. Their rotation of Graves, Dessens, Dempster, Haynes and one of their prospects such as Reitsma or Basham has the chance to be good. Graves is a perfect starter, did someone say Derrick Lowe. Their bullpen with Williamson back closing, sullivan, White and Riedling is one of the best in baseball.

If Griffey stays healthy with Casey, dunn, Kearns and boone in the middle of their lineup it could be a good year, not to mention the fact they are moving into a new stadium

[Guest DrTom]

Hill's still around, and should start this year. The Cubs also have Heep Soo Choi coming up fast. So basically they traded for two players they don't need.

I forgot about Choi, actually, but you're absolutely right. For some reason, people in Chicago seem to be excited about this deal, despite the Cubs taking on two hefty contracts for aging veterans who won't be any better than their young players. I watched the Orioles make moves like that a few years ago, and you can see how well it turned out for them.

[Guest ant_7000]

Im thinking the same way about the Cubs deal they got aging scrubs for the price of one. But they are trying to get I-Rod but who knows if he ever going to get back to his old self. Its all about the CUBS this CUBS that and im from Chicago and they force damn Cubs down your throat, but the White Sox (my team) are after thought and they win more consistently than the Cubs. ChiSOx made a good deal by trading Foulke for Koch because Foulke wasn't getting the job done anymore and plus he wanted to be a starter. Mark Johnson is finally gone so Josh Paul or Miguel Olivo will get a crack at starting catcher, and now we need someone to take Frank Thomas by Saturday and get a 2nd Starter and we're settled.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Houston will be a contender. They've got one of the best young staffs in baseball, Ward has a full year of experience, and Bags should be healthy next season. If they can avoid a bad start than they should battle the Cardnials for the Central title.