al you leaving??

… but for a certain amount of money. IMO, $50m over four years is TOO much money, especially in light of the fact that Jim Hendry has really boxed this team in financially. With the albatrosses given to Soriano and Fukudome along with other really big dollars given to Ramirez, Lee, Zamrano, Lilly and Marquis, the Cubs cannot afford to make a financial mistake. Its great that Dempster did so well last year but the odds of him maintaining that level of performance over the next 4-5 years, considering his career numbers, is not great. The Cubs cannot afford to have another contractual white elephant. They can’t.

I have long been a fan of Dempster, before this season, during his up and down tenure as closer. I really like having him around. But he is a bigger risk than many other pitchers on this market. I believe Dempster, signed at or more than the rumored dollars that Hendry has offered, just adds to the fiscal mess that our GM has created.

We need Demp for his arm, his baseball smarts, his work ethic & also for his clubhouse presence.

How far are the Cubs willing to go? First offers are usually a starting point, however with the endless sale of this club who knows what money is available for Dempster.
 He is worth the risk. Any feel what he wants? 5 years 60 is that the Dempster starting point?
 If he leaves along with Wood, I feel it would hurt there chances dramaticaly to get into the playoffs.

With Kerry going elsewhere, the Cubs really need to hold on to Dempster. How many guys would be so willing to go to the starting rotation after being a fairly successful closer? He has done everything the Cubs have asked of him. Pitchers like Dempster are hard to find.

We can speculate all we want that other teams are going to throw big money at Demp, but I just don’t see it. This past year was his first year back as a starter, and he needs to show that he can maintain his level of performance. Demp is valuable not only as a starter though… he can also pitch effectively out of the bullpen. I am of the opinion that Demp will find that no other team will give him the money he/his agent really want, and he will come back to the Cubs for 3 yrs guaranteed, and a mutual option for a fourth year. Any deal with Demp will have to include generous incentives for innings pitched, complete games, wins, etc., etc…

But to say a pitcher is on the upswing at age 31 is a bit far fetched.

I think youre right, a guy like this does matter, for the simple fact that the season is so long, someone who can bring some levity is a welcome addition.

Al, with all due respect, I’m beginning to scratch my head over your fierce embrace of all things warm and fuzzy with the Cubs. Seems that objective analysis has been thrown out the window in deference to drippy sentimentality over various players. The objective is to WIN baby !! Not make sure we keep everybody’s favorites. Heck, we needed to invite Dr. Phil to run an encounter group because the masses around here were in danger of harming themselves having received the news Matt Murton was gone in the Oakland deal.

Cubs will live to regret the day they handed Ryan Dempster $12 to $13 million a season for four years. I FAR prefer taking a flyer on a Brad Penny type or even Ben Sheets versus committing $52 friggin million on a pitcher that I am not confident can have an ERA under 4.50 ever again in his career. Dempster is a swell guy. A pitcher I would like to have. But not at these prices. Good God no.

I love Dempster almost as much as I love Kerry.

But I’m waiting to see what kind of money people give him,

The Red Sox won many, many games for two thirds of 2008 with what appears now to be one of the most dysfunctional clubhouses in recent history. They traded Manny Ramirez, cleaned up the clubhouse, and… didn’t get back to the World Series.

I like to root for players like Dempster and I appreciate that he does bring something to the table. However, these guys are professionals paid 6-8 figure salaries; they should be able to produce no matter what the clubhouse chemistry is.

Rather than focus on Dempster himself, we should focus on what brought Dempster to the Cubs and what made his 5 years here so special to watch. Dempster was a guy many doubted, even just this time last year. Jim Hendry, however, believed in Dempster – first to be a closer, then to be a starter. Dempster lived up to that belief.

Rather than bet than Demp can keep this up over the next 3-5 years, Jim Hendry should follow the same hunches that led him to Dempster. We’ve got Harden, Zambrano, and Lilly. Maybe we can even add Randy Johnson for less money than we’re paying Marquis. I’d like to see Hendry follow his hunches with that last rotation spot. Bring in someone we here at BCB are going to groan about — just like we groaned about Dempster last year.

… he needs to remember how he threw when it counted most, Game 1 NLCS. He choked. The grand slam to loney set the tone for the rest of the series.

I agree with Al. While 50 million to me isunthinkable money, that’s the market we’re in. If he can get more that thatOK, but we still need top of the rotation guys and I’ll put my money on Demp having four more pretty good years.

… that Dempster will sign in the next 48 hours. But no details as to where?!?

If he is going that quickly, especially before the GM meetings in early December, that’s gotta be a good sign, right?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/82881-latest-jake-peavy-to-chicago-cubs-trade-rumbling has the proposed trade:

To Cubs – Jake Peavy SD, Khalil Greene SD and Jermaine Dye CWS.

To White Sox – Kevin Hart CHC, Kyle Blanks SD. Plus other prospects from both sides.

To Padres – Josh Vitters CHC, Felix Pie CHC, Donald Veal CHC, Ronny Cedeno CHC, John Ely CWS, and outfield prospects from the White Sox.

He is a class act and a very hard worker, not to mention hilarious. I love the guy and hope to see him back next year.

I cannot get comfortable with a 4 year deal in this dollar neighborhood. Dempster has a career year in 2008 that included a lot of good fortune. Those of you who embrace bringing him back had better damn well not be the first in line to bitch when he is sub .500 pitcher with an ERA in the mid 4’s.

Blank Check Jim is about to strike again. Ugh.

terms for Dempster. He seems like a great teammate, it’s too bad that the Cubs are now tight on money. I think he’ll have a harder time being as effective of a SP in 2009 then Wood will have as a closer, so if I were told I could only make a run for one of them then I choose Wood. It’s too bad that our budget situation and the decision that Marmol is the closer are driving these two guys out of town.

The Cubs will need to pick up both better players and good teammates to replace Wood & Dempster.

Gee Dougie, what did you expect was going to happen with CC Sabathia? For the rest of baseball to roll over for the benefit of the Milwaukee Brewers.

he is coming off of a career year. The first season he was a full time starter since Tommy John Surgery, he will regress next year.

All the good guys in the world doesn’t matter for a team. The Reds had Sean Casey for 8 years, and only had 2 winning seasons. Yeah it is nice to to personally like the players on your team, but I would take a team of assholes who win, over a team of nice guys who lose.