I Am Such A Tease

by Al Yellon on Nov 28, 2005 4:22 PM CST in Chicago Cubs News

I did some checking around today.

The John Mabry rumor that was originally posted on a St. Louis-area message board (and hat tip to Viva El Birdos for the link), has legs.

The usual "informed sources" say that it could very well happen.

If Mabry takes over the Jose F. Macias roster spot, then it's worth it.

Also, from MLB Trade Rumors, get a load of what the Orioles are supposedly offering for Bobby Abreu -- Erik Bedard and Jay Gibbons.

I don't think the Cubs could match that, do you?

Finally, a late surge of votes has rescued the left-sidebar clock from oblivion -- 77 people voted "keep it", 53 said "lose it", and 105 apathetic souls said "don't care". I like it myself (otherwise, why would I have put it there in the first place?), so it stays.

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Is this you Al?

"You never tire of posting baseless rumors, do you?

Posted by: You Suck | November 28, 2005 at 04:16 PM"

-taken from MLBtraderumors.com

by DTJchris on Nov 28, 2005 4:33 PM CST reply actions

LOL!

No, that wasn't me.

This one, I did dismiss as baseless, until I got some confirmation from a source I trust.

by Al Yellon on Nov 28, 2005 4:40 PM CST up reply actions

Bedard and Gibbons

is ridiculous for the Phillies, maybe if Ed Wade was still there, but didnt they just get two young lefty studs from the White Sox. They already have one lefty coming back from Tommy John in Randy Wolf, do they need another one in Erik Bedard.

"You know what God told the cubs. Don't do anything until I get back!" Pete Rose

by Will71081 @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 28, 2005 6:25 PM CST up reply actions

By the way

I am boycotting that site, because they deleted my comments that were critical of their false rumors.

Such as the pierre deal being completed as of November 23rd.

"You know what God told the cubs. Don't do anything until I get back!" Pete Rose

by Will71081 @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 28, 2005 6:26 PM CST up reply actions

C'mon now....

You're killin' me Al, you know I only supply the good stuff!

That baseless rumor comment was in reference to a guy saying the Cubs were on the verge of acquiring both Adam Dunn and Manny Ramirez. You be the judge.

by Tim Dierkes on Nov 28, 2005 4:44 PM CST reply actions

I love rumors...

they are so fun!

sPaRkLe Hendry sPaRkLe!

by sparkles721 on Nov 28, 2005 4:50 PM CST reply actions

Actually,

He was calling the Abreu rumor baseless and telling me I suck. Ah well, you can't please 'em all.

by Tim Dierkes on Nov 28, 2005 4:51 PM CST reply actions

LOL!

Nope, you sure can't!

Actually, that Abreu rumor makes some sense, at least in terms of value received, if the Phillies are willing to do it.

My sources say the Mabry thing is more than just a rumor. But, I wanted to check it out before I posted.

by Al Yellon on Nov 28, 2005 4:53 PM CST up reply actions

I wish...

I had informed sources.

The Abreu rumor does make sense talent wise, which is why it would be so hard to trade for him.

sPaRkLe Hendry sPaRkLe!

by sparkles721 on Nov 28, 2005 5:03 PM CST up reply actions

yeah

share the wealth, Al.

I want informed sources too!

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 28, 2005 5:10 PM CST reply actions

Well...

... I'm not going to use the old 'if I tell you, I'd have to kill you' line...

but I will say, if I reveal my sources, then they probably won't tell me stuff any more.

by Al Yellon on Nov 28, 2005 5:20 PM CST up reply actions

Ok...

can you ask your sources then if Jim Hendry is done talking to A.J. Burnett? :)

Ken Rosenthal wrote that the Cubs were unwilling to go five years with him, which means that they made the list of 10 teams that A.J. supposedly has. Hendry needs to stay far away from Burnett.

Rosenthal also wrote: "The market for lesser free-agent outfielders like Wilson, Jeromy Burnitz and Juan Encarnacion isn't expected to take shape until after the Giles and Johnny Damon sign their new deals. The Cubs and Rangers are among the clubs that have expressed interest in Wilson. The Cubs have not pursued Giles, preferring to focus on Furcal. They also have yet to learn what the Marlins might want in a trade for center fielder Juan Pierre."

sPaRkLe Hendry sPaRkLe!

by sparkles721 on Nov 28, 2005 5:48 PM CST up reply actions

I wouldn't...

... give Burnett five years either, or sign him at all, actually.

I know many people here want Giles, but I think the Cubs are correctly focusing on Furcal. That signing would solve two problems -- SS and leadoff.

Then attention can be turned to RF.

But maybe that's not fast enough for Chuck.

by Al Yellon on Nov 28, 2005 7:12 PM CST up reply actions

And what's going to happen...

...when they don't get Furcal? There's no reason they shouldn't be pursuing both. BTW, WGN has been reporting the Mabry deal is as good as done.

by jolietconvict on Nov 28, 2005 10:03 PM CST up reply actions

you say it like

they're not going to get Furcal at all. Wouldn't be that sure this soon.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 28, 2005 11:02 PM CST up reply actions

the point is...

...there's no guarantees that they'll get Furcal and even if they do they have 1 outfielder right now.

by jolietconvict on Nov 29, 2005 8:58 AM CST up reply actions

ahhh

I see what you're sayin.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 29, 2005 11:25 AM CST up reply actions

hmmm

well, since you put it that way, let's just be happy with the status quo.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 28, 2005 6:13 PM CST up reply actions

I've got a man-crush

on Abreu, so I say that if that's what the Orioles are offering for him, I'd be on the phone in the next minute asking what it would take to top that.

I'll also make everyone a deal. If the Cubs get Bobby Abreu, I promise to shut up about Milton Bradley.

Mabry's a decent left-handed bat off the bench coming off a poor year. If he can play like he did in 2004, he's a great pick-up. If he plays like 2005, not so much.

I never travel far without a little Big Star

by Josh Timmers on Nov 28, 2005 5:50 PM CST reply actions

And yet

still better than JFM.

"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" -Homer J. Simpson

by Whitebacon on Nov 28, 2005 5:58 PM CST up reply actions

JFM!!

Awsome, just awsome

"I love winning, you know it's like, better than losing" -- Nuke Lalouche

by AlabamaCubFan on Nov 29, 2005 8:34 AM CST up reply actions

doesn't abreu

look just a little too much like another former cub right fielder for comfort?

he has to be some kind of love child of sosa and somebody, i'm just not sure who that somebody is.

he does have a nice obp, and you can't find 30-30 guys everywhere, so if i were hendry i'd at least place a call and see what it would take.

by tomas21 on Nov 28, 2005 6:18 PM CST reply actions

I have

A feeling that Dusty might bat Abreu leadoff.

According to the Chicago Tribune: "The Oakland A's are 32-0 when they have scored more runs than their opponents.

by Carlos on Nov 28, 2005 7:01 PM CST reply actions

At least...

... Abreu would get on base fairly often.

Unlike some other Cub leadoff men.

by Al Yellon on Nov 28, 2005 7:11 PM CST up reply actions

More like

ALL cub leadoff men.

by cubbie08 on Nov 28, 2005 9:45 PM CST up reply actions

maybe if we don't get Furcal

If we got Furcal, Abreu would make a terrific fit in the second slot. No Furcal, then sure why not?

by DTJchris on Nov 28, 2005 11:32 PM CST up reply actions

I think...

I would get on base more than ahem...our so called 2005 leadoff men! I am on board with inquiring about Abreu...he is solid any way you look at it.

C'mon now...anyone can have a bad century...

by Kinky Reggae on Nov 28, 2005 8:53 PM CST reply actions

It seems like Furcal

is stuck in the mud. After Chipper gave the $$ back I thought that would move Furcal one way or the other but nada.

It feels like there's a real "stand-off" atmosphere among the GM's -- Minaya being the exception. We get a BJ Ryan (WAY too much), and the Mets spending spree (you had to see it coming right?), but nothing big...yet.

It makes me nervous.

"I love winning, you know it's like, better than losing" -- Nuke Lalouche

by AlabamaCubFan on Nov 29, 2005 8:44 AM CST reply actions

No new post this morning from Al this morning

Even though there is some news today.....sounds like Al is holding something back. What gets triggered today when Howry and Mabry take their places on the full 40-man?

by JohnM on Nov 29, 2005 9:30 AM CST reply actions

Well...

... I wouldn't expect a Mabry announcement today.

But yes, someone will have to be removed from the 40-man when Howry's signing is made official.

I would expect someone to be DFA'd. That would give 10 days to make a deal.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 10:13 AM CST up reply actions

speaking of DFA...

The grace period the Cubs had to make a deal involving Adam Greenberg is over. Looks like he was either moved to Iowa, released, or was picked up on waivers.

The Cubs will thrive in twenty-oh-five... or sometime thereafter!

by Shawn Domagal-Goldman on Nov 29, 2005 1:11 PM CST up reply actions

Well..

... something will be announced, obviously. Maybe he's part of a larger deal.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 1:25 PM CST up reply actions

my understanding...

is that the larger deal would have been announced already. The only possibilities are he is currently on waivers, and the Cubs aren't announcing what happens to him until he clears them or is picked up by another team, or that they haven't announced that he already cleared waivers and is already on the AAA roster.

The Cubs will thrive in twenty-oh-five... or sometime thereafter!

by Shawn Domagal-Goldman on Nov 29, 2005 2:29 PM CST up reply actions

Why would...

... the larger deal have had to be announced yet?

IIRC Greenberg was DFA'd on the 18th; depending on exactly when the paperwork was filed, the DFA period might have ended yesterday or today.

We shall see.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 2:32 PM CST up reply actions

The obvious idea

Is that he's part of the Pierre deal, though if the Bradley one happens first, I don't really know where Greenberg might end up. I think, though I'm not sure, that he's major league ready and could become a Youkilis/Mueller kind of player, obviously in the outfield.

According to the Chicago Tribune: "The Oakland A's are 32-0 when they have scored more runs than their opponents.

by Carlos on Nov 29, 2005 8:42 PM CST up reply actions