I’d be taller, richer, heavier and male but still live in the same town.

But seriously I agree with a lot of what you say would be nicebut a lot of it is I’m as likely to grow wings and fly.

your not jim hendry

LMAO, Thank god your not Hendry.

Listen Soriano is not going to be traded, and we’d significantly hurt our teams chances just to get TO the post season (granted his failures there) much less win the World Series.

Folks this isnt fantasy baseball or MLB 2008 The Show, your not going to trade for Beltran.

but this is getting out of control, this is like the 5th “what should we do in 2009?” post……
bottom line is no one in their right mind would trade for Soriano

The Royals wouldnt take Theriot b/c they already have a young SS in Aviles.

Mannys is going to want at least a five year deal, and with the way he quit on the Red Sox, why give him what he wants so he can start sulking in four months. Say want you want about Soriano, but he loves to play, and he plays hard.

And Bobby Abreu no longer has speed, or much power.

I do think youre right about Lee, that he will look more palatable to those teams who miss out on Teixeira.

Dempsters coming back, like it or not, he and Hendry are simpatico.

is kind of pointless…he is ours at least for a while…take it and like lit. Thats it. Don’t bitch about it, just hope that he is pushed down in the lineup where he would be most effective.

Hendry could try the following:

1) Resign Kerry Wood – 3 years, $22 mil with incentives based on appearances/health to take it up to $30mil, 4th year mutual option at $10mil that kicks in automatically if he can accrue 100 saves over the first 3 years of the deal.

2) Resign Dempster but stick to a price. If he is willing to take something in the neighborhood of $10-$12 per year for 4-3 years, do it. The more years, the slightly lower average salary. 3 years/$36 mil, 4 years/$44 mil.

3) Sign Mark Teixeira for 6 years, $105 mil. That averages out to $17.5 mil a year which is pretty good in this current economic climate. It might not be enough to beat the Yankees offer, and he is a Boras client so all signs right now point to him taking the highest offer. BUT…if he wants to buck the trend or the Yankees throw their money at CC, its possible. Toss in an extra $5mil for Boras to not sign or leak the signing until #4 is complete and toss in a $5mil penalty if it does.

4) Trade Derrek Lee to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California of the United States of America on Earth in the Milky Way for Chone Figgins. It might not work straight up and honestly, I think the Cubs might have to toss in a bullpen arm. Someone in the range of Wuertz or Cotts who is serviceable and can be very effective if they’re coached properly.

These next two are entirely fantasy based but stranger things have happened and would be the coup de gras on an off-season for the ages to remake the team entirely.

5) Trade Alfonso Soriano and Josh Vitters to the NY Yankees for Alex Rodriguez. They’ve already been traded for each other once. The money isn’t an issue going to the Yankees and it definitely is coming to the Cubs. I’m not saying he’s available or that the Yankees would even consider it…BUT…by all accounts the fans are merely lukewarm about him. They surely haven’t won with him. They could play Soriano in LF, moving Matsui to RF to replace Abreau…or if the Yankees want to move Cano for pitching and aren’t able to get Orlando Hudson they could move Soriano back to 2B and have the lineup be Soriano/Jeter again. Vitters would now become their 3B of the future. And they could sign a guy like Crede to fill in until then.

6) Trade Kosuke Fukudome, Koyie Hill, Ryan Theriot, Micah Hoffpauir, and a minor leaguer or two to Seattle for Ichiro Suzuki. Same as ARod in that they haven’t won with him and they’re clearly not in a position to win while he’s still going to be productive. You would have to approach him about it BUT…he’d get a chance to win, the Mariners would get a Japanese player back if that is important for them. They’d get an average SS to replace a below average Betancourt, a backup C to maybe push Johjima, and Hoffpauir would get a shot in the league where he belongs. Playing 1B and DH.

7) Minor tweaks would include bringing back Reed Johnson on a 2 year deal with a 3rd year option to split time with Pie. Pie needs his shot at a guaranteed 2 months straight of starting if not the entire season. Against both righty and lefties. How else does anyone expect him to improve against lefties if he never sees them? You can attempt to trade Marquis but as a #5 he is more than serviceable and at this point a known quantity. Heck, he outpitched Z the last part of this season. A possible destination is NY as the Mets need pitching and Marquis is a native NYer so he may like to try pitching there. Also bring back Hank White in whatever manner you can. Either as the backup C or as a bench coach of some kind. I really do think he has helped Soto tremendously and can only be an assett. Let Daryle Ward go and see if a guy like Kevin Millar would be amenable to that role. Keep Fontenot and get him in at 2B on days you want to give either DeRosa a break, and on days you want Figgins to get a break you can move DeRosa to LF. Let Edmonds walk.

The lineup would be:

1) L – Ichiro – RF
2) S – Figgins – LF
3) R – Rodriguez – SS
4) S – Teixeira – 1B
5) R – Ramirez – 3B
6) R – Soto – C
7) R – DeRosa – 2B
8) L – Pie/R – Johnson – CF
9) Zambrano, Dempster, Harden, Lilly, Marquis/Marshall/Samalphabet/Hill?

Bench: Blanco, Fontenot, Millar, Cedeno, Johnson, OF Player to be determined.

You are trying but you are not going to get this kind of BLOW UP the team.

This is simple: FA, I do go for talent in CC Sabathia period. I go for talent with Wood in resigning.

Dempster is a strict $ situation according to the budget.

As for trading your problem with the offense are two players—-Soriano and Ramirez in the playoffs——they are psuedo stars—-fool’s gold——-

Trade them. You can trade Ramirez to CO for Holiday with an additional arm (starter) and you can trade Soriano and Seattle would give up Ichiro.

Move DeRosa to 3rd and you have a new OF

I have nagging worry that long-term contract to Ryan Dempster will be deeply regretted. I am also unwilling to go more than two year on an incentive laden deal for Kerry Wood because of the tenous condition of his arm.

It’s easy for Hendry to keep spending money like a drunken sailor given the apparent green light he has to do so. That’s not the strategy I at all endorse however. Hendry needs to engage his brain and his baseball smarts. He got burned big time on the deal for Alfonso Soriano and again on Kosuke Fukudome.

but i would trade d-lee at all costs and try to sign Dunn to play first. Dunn does everything better except for defense and average.. But average is stupid when you look at Dunns OBP. Instead of being Derek Lee and GIDP Dunn takes those pitches…. He also scores more runs than Derek and i think is faster… I could be wrong about that…

Soriano is untradeable that being said….

1. Furcal (flip Theriot somewhere or anywhere or make him a bench player again. I hate him and tink he is the most overrated player on the team)
2. DeRosa 2B (love him he stays)
3. Rammy 3B
4. Manny LF/RF
5. Dunn 1B
6. Soriano LF/RF
7. Soto C
8. Pie CF (someone has to play between Manny and Soriano lol)

Z,Cain,Harden,Lilly, Shark/Marshall/Marquis/Mystery man/The crazy lefty with the killer curve

Flame away… I think D Lee Theriot and Ceda can get you Matt Cain….

And i think Manny could play Left or Right field

all start being sensible with the wants for the offseason?

Most of what was said was wishful thinking…
but if we’re playing the wishing game… can we toss the great lost hope i.e. Pie under the bus…
for the last 3 years he’s been just about to break out…

He’s a mess… he plays great in 3A, gets called up, plays good for a few weeks and
then goes back into the tank…

I’m tired of seeing the Felix Pie marry-go-round…

I wouldn’t pay any attention to this post.