Big Unit to the Giants

by Schwa on Dec 26, 2008 8:48 PM CST

Just saw 'breaking news' on ESPNews that Randy Johnson is signing with the Giants. Didn't catch any contract terms but I'm safely assuming it's a 1 year deal. Can't find a link yet, either. SF continues their trend of signing aging veterans. If the Cubs do deal Marquis now it appears Gaudin or Marshall will man the 5th spot with the other going to the bullpen. I'm kind of bummed because I was firmly in favor of signing the Unit to a 1 year deal as the 5th starter, but oh well.

Edit:

1 year, $8MM

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great news here

now if only they would sign bradley so we dont get stuck with him either!

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Dec 26, 2008 8:56 PM CST reply actions

Sweet

Now the Cubs can’t get him.

Peavy, Peavy, Peavy!

by illini23 on Dec 26, 2008 9:02 PM CST reply actions

Dont count out Lowe

If Marquis is dealt, I think he’d be worth the 15M or so

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Dec 26, 2008 9:08 PM CST reply actions

Pretty Good Rotation for SF incidentally

Lincecum, Cain, Johnson, Sanchez, Zito

If they can get a shred of offense, they might make some noise in that crap fest of a division

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Dec 26, 2008 9:11 PM CST reply actions

LMAO!

“Crap fest of a division”

I love it

by Galvan316 on Dec 26, 2008 9:15 PM CST up reply actions

I'd have taken him for the 1yr 8 mil the Giants gave up

HERE’S a link.

"Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... now you tell me what you know. " ~Groucho Marx

by Jettero2112 on Dec 26, 2008 9:31 PM CST reply actions

Here's another link

Link

by Jettero2112 on Dec 26, 2008 9:33 PM CST up reply actions

Johnson

I think it would have been a really questionable proposition to sign Johnson, with his back problems, to pitch at Wrigley early and late in the season. The cold isn’t going to help his cause and while he may be a #5 pitcher, with Rich Harden’s tribulations the Cubs can’t sign someone to be a starter who is unlikely to pitch 30 games.

by dmlichte on Dec 26, 2008 9:39 PM CST reply actions

Well San Fran

isn’t exactly a tropical paradise in the spring either

"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella

by El Borto on Dec 27, 2008 8:19 AM CST up reply actions

Or the summer, either.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 27, 2008 12:12 PM CST up reply actions

Randy goes Home -

He grew up 30 miles from San Francisco, and probably wanted to “go home” to win #300.

Big Unit to SF + Marquis to Colorado = get the Peavy deal done SOON!

by paul_reuschel on Dec 26, 2008 9:53 PM CST reply actions

Fascinating Club they are putting together

If some of their young bats, like Sandoval/Lewis improve, they suddenly have a solid club that has playoff potential. They probably need one more bat, probably preferably at first or third, as Sandoval can handle either, and maybe a solid pen arm, but they could be a scary team. Won’t be great, but honestly, would you want to face a rotation of Lincecum/Cain/Johnson/Sanchez in the playoffs? I wouldn’t.

by toonsterwu on Dec 26, 2008 10:03 PM CST reply actions

It amazes me how many of you still think we can get Peavy

It’s dead, gone, fiinished, done! Towers and Hendry both said so..

BCB Works Miracles: It saved my English grade!

by Chanman25 on Dec 26, 2008 10:53 PM CST reply actions

nope...

… Towers did not say that. He’s been quoted recently saying that a deal is possible, but if it happens, it likely will be out of the media’s eye.

by dmlichte on Dec 26, 2008 11:10 PM CST up reply actions

Lets not forget...

…that the Nomar deal happend with little media info being leaked until just hours before the deal happend. The same can be said with the Harden deal.

Here’s why I feel the Cubs will land Peavy before spring training…

Axelrod described Peavy as being “frustrated and disappointed” after the trade talks with the Cubs came to a halt, at least temporarily.

What does this statement do for Peavy and his agent?
1.) Backs the Padres into a corner, in that if Peavy has shwon he really wants to be a Cub.
2.) It paints Peavy as the bad guy if he returns to San Diego… which leads me to believe that Peavy’s agent wont let this happen.

I am obviously no more informed than any of you, but I honestly think that Peavy will be a Cub. In fact, here’s how the rest of the offseason plays out…

Cubs sign thumper bat… perhaps Adam Dunn. I’d hate to make an educated guess (lies) but I’m guessing that the Cubs land him at 2/24 or 3/35, which I think is fair given the current market.

Cubs trade Marquis… (Just for fun: to the Tigers, along with some cash and Michael Wuertz, for Brandon Inge and a pitching prospect… seems logical given that the Cubs have made more trades with the Tigers than any other team not named the Orioles, who gave the Cubs crap and PTBNL in return)

Cubs trade prospects (including pitching prospect from Tigers) to the Padres for Peavy… Specifically I think the Cubs can get it down to Peavy for Wellington Castillo, Angel Guzman, Kevin Hart, Felix Pie, and Ronny Cedeno. (I think the Cubs wait out Towers and he comes to them with this package, which the Cubs would HAVE to accept if offered… IMHO)

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Dec 26, 2008 11:27 PM CST up reply actions

The problem with your Peavy proposal..

… is this: I think that’s pretty close to what Towers was asking for, and Hendry rejected.

I think we can all give this up. You can all say it’s “posturing”, but when Towers and Alderson both say (as they have) that Hendry was moving on, I think you can believe them.

But I agree with you on the Adam Dunn possibility. It might not even cost that much.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 27, 2008 3:48 AM CST up reply actions

Why would Dunn accept a 2 or 3 year deal?

He is remarkable consistent, played 150+ games every year and is 29 year old. Surely he will be trying to land something in the 5 year range

"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella

by El Borto on Dec 27, 2008 8:24 AM CST up reply actions

Four years seems more likely for Dunn.

Though you might be able to get him for three years and an option year.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 27, 2008 12:12 PM CST up reply actions

Under normal circumstances, yes.

But with the market as it is, it’s possible players will try to get hold-over contracts for 2 years or so, so that they can re-enter free-agency when the market is more conducive to big pay-days.

Big time players don’t have to worry about that, but guys who can’t automatically command big money may. In Dunn’s case he might be able to get big money and so he’ll go with a longer contract. But if he doesn’t like the money, he may try to cut down on the years.

by CubsWin!Oregon on Dec 27, 2008 4:56 PM CST up reply actions

I know I'm in the minority

But how crazy would it be of a risk giving a 2yr deal to Ben Sheets?

It serves 3 purposes:
1) He’s pretty good when he’s healthy.
2) Keeps him away from any other team in the NL Central.
3) Piss off Brewer fans :)

by ak123 on Dec 26, 2008 11:53 PM CST reply actions

I honestly thought about this earlier today

But, he was crap down the stretch. He is another Rich Harden. Sheets would need to pitch every 7th or 8th day, but we already have one of those “luxury” type pitchers in Harden. 2yrs, 20mil probably will get it done, but He is the next man that will pop up after Lowe signs, so his rate depends primarily on what Derek gets.

My guess for the remainder of the off-season goes as follows. Bradley signs with the Mariners, Hendry once again doesn’t get his man (minus Fuke, but we would all like to forget that one). We trade Marquis to the Mets for young pitching. We push for one of the remaining free agent pitchers (Sheets, Lowe, Perez, Pettite, or whoever), but we drive up the interest in Peavy again. We trade our Pie, Cedeno, Guzman, and the previously mentioned young pitching from the Mets, to the Padres for Peavy. We sign Ron Vilone as the lefty stopper in the pen. That an offseason makes.

"How's your mother?"
"She's on her way out."
"We all are. Act accordingly."

by louslovechild on Dec 27, 2008 1:37 AM CST up reply actions

Oh Forgot

We sign Dunn. In between the Bradley not being signed and trading Marquis.

"How's your mother?"
"She's on her way out."
"We all are. Act accordingly."

by louslovechild on Dec 27, 2008 1:38 AM CST up reply actions

sheets

no more injury prone pitchers.with the wood/prior era over let,s concentrate on getting pitchers that actually pitch rather than spending the season on the d.l.

by NOMAR on Dec 27, 2008 5:27 AM CST reply actions

heres the 2 pitchers were targeting

link ,so the article says.

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Dec 27, 2008 6:24 AM CST reply actions

Important part being...

Shark being a starting pitcher in Spring Training. Interesting.

Whoever said you can't mix business with pleasure never owned a PuttPutt course---Andy Bernard

by carmen_fanzone on Dec 27, 2008 8:14 AM CST up reply actions

As I noted elsewhere....

… I think that’s Sullivan speculating, not anything Hendry or Lou have said.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 27, 2008 12:12 PM CST up reply actions

two guys that were released in Japan?

so let me get this straight…. our offseason priority is to scoop up players recently released from the Royals and the Japanese Leagues?????

really?

by DartmouthCubsFan on Dec 27, 2008 9:33 AM CST up reply actions

Don't think we could have afforded that price.....

He’s got another $5 million in incentive clauses w/ the Giants.

I was thinking we could offer him 5 million plus incentives, but not only did the Giants pay what he was probably asking, but they had the “hometown” advantage. Oh well.

Whoever said you can't mix business with pleasure never owned a PuttPutt course---Andy Bernard

by carmen_fanzone on Dec 27, 2008 8:17 AM CST reply actions

Addition of Randy Johnson might mean Matt Cain is available....

I wonder if Prince Fielder may be headed to San Francisco for Matt Cain???

by BLou on Dec 28, 2008 6:05 PM CST reply actions

Very possibly.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 28, 2008 8:02 PM CST up reply actions

I think they'll shop Jon Sanchez first

perhaps for an IF. They should be able to net a pretty good one, enough for their purposes.

by toonsterwu on Dec 29, 2008 11:53 AM CST up reply actions

Huh?

How does signing a 45 year old pitcher at the end of his career make a 24 year old ace available?

by kanderber on Dec 29, 2008 1:39 PM CST up reply actions

Because the Giants need hitters.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 29, 2008 4:12 PM CST up reply actions

And the Giants have more good pitching in the pipeline...

I bet Brian Sabean is actively shopping Matt Cain. And like I said I will not be surprised to see him swing a deal for Prince Fielder. It’s a move that makes great sense for both ballclubs. Brewers have a God-awful pitching situation plus are very doubtful to be able to sign Prince to a long-term contract.

by BLou on Dec 29, 2008 4:17 PM CST up reply actions

He must want to end the career close to home

That is the only reason I can see this signing. He had to have a few suitors. The NL West might be a suckfest this year, but I don’t see the Giants being any better and making a run for it. It might be September before Johnson wins 6 games.

by Nibbles on Dec 28, 2008 8:49 PM CST reply actions