One of things about negotiations is that the current ownership will say they will hold new liabilities to a certain point otherwise there is a subtraction to the final price.

Peavy would undoubtedly fall in that since his 2010-2012 liability is $52M, so it goes further than merely finding a way to fit Peavy into 2009’s budget ($11M). This gets cleared up when there is a final bid and final negotiations where the T’s are crossed and i’s dotted.

Perhaps that is all that is required, and if that can be done in the next month or so, perhaps payroll can be increased. Or maybe they would simply ask the finalists to approve of any payroll adjustments.

here is how you rate players:

A level stars, (Cy Young pitchers are in this class) they are difference makers potential HOF players, not replaceable (another year like last year and Soto & Marmol are in this category)

A- very good players who compliment or support star or difference makers, hard to replace. Cubs have many of these, Soriano, Ramirez, Lee, Zambrano, Soto

B players, replaceable but good support players; Dempster, Lilly, DeRosa, Harden, Wood

C players, interchangable support players; Theriot, Fontenot, Reed, Fukudome, Marquis, Samardz,

D players expendable support players; Cedeno, Blanco, Gregg, Cotts, Wuertz, Guzman, Marshall

D- Marginal roster players, Ward, Pie,

Now when you trade marginal (albeit young), expendable, interchangeable, even replaceable players by definition you can replace them—-the question for the club is at what cost. When you trade league minimums who are at this level productivity can vary—-
Let us look at Theriot who had the best OBP and BA on the team and yet he scored ONLY 85 Runs——and his fielding was quite suspect with the lowest Range Factor although his ZR was just below average.

With half as many bats Fontenot had the same Run average but with more pop and if Theriot played his natural position they are interchangeable—their value is that they only cost $450,000 +/- Trading either one will result in the Cubs having to probably spend more money but productivity changes will be marginal.

Extend that up and down the process categories and you see how $$ effects productivity—-look at Manny Ramirez he was a HOF A player where they got Nady who was very good and hit HR’s and fielded his position but Manny goes to LA and they get into the NLCS….Nady would not done that for LAD.

Peavy is that kind of player…he immediately makes Z, Dempster, Lilly and Harden better…..where each face the lower rotation pitcher more often and dominate the game as Peavy will also.

… ever since these rumors got started.

Today in a meeting with the Governor’s Office we discussed what appears to be the potential that this Recession we are in since Dec 2007 has actually been going on since the 2nd quarter of 2007….but masked by a number of things including BS economic reporting——go figure…

And that this Recession that is now going to be longer than any other since WWII might already be as long as 1981 and will go far deeper. What if MLB goes into the contraction that all feared….teams like Florida, Pittsburgh, KC and Det fail under bankruptcy …. there will be a reverse draft and teams will get infusion of young talent and MLB ready talent.

This could be what is in store…..

and the decision to go that route was made by one man.

With the addition of Eljaua yesterday, I have hopes (and see glimmerings) that Hendry is beginning to correct some of his mistakes in neglecting/abusing the farm system. The real question I have is whether it’s too little too late or whether they can get this thing turned around in time.

Where did it get us this past season? Nowhere. Fast. I want the Cubs to build a strong organization that’s in contention – or at the very least competitive – every year. Part of that is at least maintaining the current farm system in the hopes of strengthening it in the future – as opposed to completely eviscerating it just because a sexy name like “Jake Peavy” comes along. Sure, maybe Vitters is merely a token at this point. A single star prospect in an otherwise foggy sky. But I’d prefer Hendry leave him off the table. Of course, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Which probably isn’t much. It certainly hasn’t gone up, given that he couldn’t stay healthy here either.

Giles turned down the trade to the Bosox because he’d sit. He wasn’t going to start. He’d then be traded again.

Last year, this premise was true — Giles wouldn’t leave. It no longer is. There have been intimations from his camp that he’d go, if traded to the right team. He’d waive that clause.
I keep repeating this here, but nobody seems to want to accept this turn of events.

He’s no longer married to the Padres. Surfing isn’t that much fun when your team blows.

Seems his loud mouth has gotten boxed into a corner.

Everyone loves bashing MacPhail but he had the biggest one sided deal of the 2007 offseason with the Bedard steal.

Right now, we’re paying our rotation 50 M or so. The only one of those pitchers you replace with Peavy who ups the budget more than change is Harden. Swap Lilly and Peavy and you actually save money.

In Wood’s case, we supposedly save 4-8 M dollars by downgrading to the DFATBNL.

your saying kerry wood is of equal value or has more value than a cy young award winning 27 yr old starter than you are very very wrong. wow!! that statement you made was hysterical and/or sickening I cant decide which. since when do we not expand payroll for a #1 starter?? omg

you dont know where peavy will be on opening day! unless you can give me some sorta proof.

the deal the Sox just made with the Braves for Vazquez, I am thoroughly convinced we can dump Marquis. Maybe not for much in return, but I think we can get someone to take on that 1 year commitment.

that reads a lot differently now that you say that

The Gospel according to Lou says that the Cubs’ RF must be a LHB.