The 2010 Cubs Free Agent and Roster Moves Thread: SAVEENG OUR KUBBEEZ!!11

[Quality Start Machine]

I hope to god I can trust these stupid canadians..

The Blue Jays will have a scout at tomorrow's workout by free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets, but he's all but signed by the Chicago Cubs

As long as he's not making the $12 million he wanted, I'm perfectly fine with this.

What did you budget for him?

[Internet Apex]

I hope to god I can trust these stupid canadians..

The Blue Jays will have a scout at tomorrow's workout by free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets, but he's all but signed by the Chicago Cubs

As long as he's not making the $12 million he wanted, I'm perfectly fine with this.

Two years, 6 million + INCENTIVES????

What did you budget for him?

[Oleg]

I hope to god I can trust these stupid canadians..

The Blue Jays will have a scout at tomorrow's workout by free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets, but he's all but signed by the Chicago Cubs

As long as he's not making the $12 million he wanted, I'm perfectly fine with this.

What did you budget for him?

I think he means that his brother can get a better deal on a knock-off Ben Sheets.

[Weebs]

I think it's fine if he gets an incentives-laden deal, but he was asking for $11-13 million annually, and hasn't pitched in a game since 2008.  That's the sort of contract only Jim Hendry would be dumb enough to sign.

[Yeti]

I have no diea where to put shit like this any more.

Cleveland Indians sign veteran Mark Grudzielanek to a minor-league deal.

I have no diea either.

You don't really have to put that anywhere.

If it's not about Eric Byrnes, Pen ain't interested.

He sucks.

I'll admit I looked at his BABiP on time when you JO'd to him and thought he was just an unlucky hitter who could bounce back, but then I was set straight

So, if the core skills are still in place and BABIP can be driven by luck, it’s feasible that Byrnes could bounce back and become a solid offensive contributor again.

Maybe. But he is an example of why you can’t just look at a hitters BABIP and regress to a league average mean, because Byrnes has one particular skill that destroys his ability to get hits on balls in play; he is the master of the infield fly.

We cannot look at Byrnes’ low BABIP and conclude that he’s gotten unlucky. His BABIP is a reflection of the fact that he is constantly hitting 100 foot flies that are easily grabbed by an infielder and have no real possibility of becoming a hit. He’s not hitting lasers at people. This isn’t bad luck. This is bad hitting.

[PenFoe]

I have no diea where to put shit like this any more.

Cleveland Indians sign veteran Mark Grudzielanek to a minor-league deal.

I have no diea either.

You don't really have to put that anywhere.

If it's not about Eric Byrnes, Pen ain't interested.

He sucks.

I'll admit I looked at his BABiP on time when you JO'd to him and thought he was just an unlucky hitter who could bounce back, but then I was set straight

So, if the core skills are still in place and BABIP can be driven by luck, it's feasible that Byrnes could bounce back and become a solid offensive contributor again.

Maybe. But he is an example of why you can't just look at a hitters BABIP and regress to a league average mean, because Byrnes has one particular skill that destroys his ability to get hits on balls in play; he is the master of the infield fly.

We cannot look at Byrnes' low BABIP and conclude that he's gotten unlucky. His BABIP is a reflection of the fact that he is constantly hitting 100 foot flies that are easily grabbed by an infielder and have no real possibility of becoming a hit. He's not hitting lasers at people. This isn't bad luck. This is bad hitting.

Not to point out the obvious, but I don't actually like Eric Byrnes at all.

[Jon]

I have no diea where to put shit like this any more.

Cleveland Indians sign veteran Mark Grudzielanek to a minor-league deal.

I have no diea either.

You don't really have to put that anywhere.

If it's not about Eric Byrnes, Pen ain't interested.

He sucks.

I'll admit I looked at his BABiP on time when you JO'd to him and thought he was just an unlucky hitter who could bounce back, but then I was set straight

So, if the core skills are still in place and BABIP can be driven by luck, it's feasible that Byrnes could bounce back and become a solid offensive contributor again.

Maybe. But he is an example of why you can't just look at a hitters BABIP and regress to a league average mean, because Byrnes has one particular skill that destroys his ability to get hits on balls in play; he is the master of the infield fly.

We cannot look at Byrnes' low BABIP and conclude that he's gotten unlucky. His BABIP is a reflection of the fact that he is constantly hitting 100 foot flies that are easily grabbed by an infielder and have no real possibility of becoming a hit. He's not hitting lasers at people. This isn't bad luck. This is bad hitting.

Not to point out the obvious, but I don't actually like Eric Byrnes at all.

Way to backpedal.

[Saul Goodman]

Arbitration is fun!

These dudes were smart enough to take what they can get:
Baker gets a raise to $975k from $415k
Guzman gets $825k, from $421.5k
Gorzelanny gets $800k from $433k
Fontenot gets $1M from $430k (?!)
Hill gets $700k from $475k

These dudes are greedy gutless assholes:
Theriot asked for $3.4MM (!), Cubs offered $2.6MM
Marmol wanted $2.5MM, Cubs offered $1.75MM
Marshall requested $1.175M, Cubs offered $800k (same as Gorzelanny)

[CBStew]

Fontenot has the negatives of Hendry's Cosmopolitan shoot.

[Saul Goodman]

The Cubs are currently engaged in negotiations with free agent reliever Kiko Calero, one major-league source told FOXSports.com.

Calero is asking for a two-year deal, the source said. So far, the team has resisted budging from a one-year offer.

The Cubs are wary of the history of injuries to Calero's right (throwing) shoulder. He was sidelined by a torn rotator cuff in 2008, when he made only five big-league appearances with Oakland. His 60 innings with Florida last year were a career high, but he missed roughly three weeks with inflammation in the shoulder.

Calero, 35, is an intriguing free agent after putting together a very good 2009 season with the Marlins. He went 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 67 appearances.

While the Cubs are committed to Carlos Marmol as their closer, they have placed a high priority on adding a late-inning reliever, sources have said.

[Quality Start Machine]

The Cubs are currently engaged in negotiations with free agent reliever Kiko Calero, one major-league source told FOXSports.com.

Calero is asking for a two-year deal, the source said. So far, the team has resisted budging from a one-year offer.

The Cubs are wary of the history of injuries to Calero's right (throwing) shoulder. He was sidelined by a torn rotator cuff in 2008, when he made only five big-league appearances with Oakland. His 60 innings with Florida last year were a career high, but he missed roughly three weeks with inflammation in the shoulder.

Calero, 35, is an intriguing free agent after putting together a very good 2009 season with the Marlins. He went 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 67 appearances.

While the Cubs are committed to Carlos Marmol as their closer, they have placed a high priority on adding a late-inning reliever, sources have said.

Picking up a reliever from the Marlins? How can that possibly go wrong?

[Powdered Toast Man]

Arbitration is fun!

These dudes were smart enough to take what they can get:
Baker gets a raise to $975k from $415k
Guzman gets $825k, from $421.5k
Gorzelanny gets $800k from $433k
Fontenot gets $1M from $430k (?!)
Hill gets $700k from $475k

These dudes are greedy gutless assholes:
Theriot asked for $3.4MM (!), Cubs offered $2.6MM
Marmol wanted $2.5MM, Cubs offered $1.75MM
Marshall requested $1.175M, Cubs offered $800k (same as Gorzelanny)

I love SeanBearPig.  Pay the man.

[Andy]

I have no diea where to put shit like this any more.

Cleveland Indians sign veteran Mark Grudzielanek to a minor-league deal.

I have no diea either.

You don't really have to put that anywhere.

If it's not about Eric Byrnes, Pen ain't interested.

He sucks.

I'll admit I looked at his BABiP on time when you JO'd to him and thought he was just an unlucky hitter who could bounce back, but then I was set straight

So, if the core skills are still in place and BABIP can be driven by luck, it's feasible that Byrnes could bounce back and become a solid offensive contributor again.

Maybe. But he is an example of why you can't just look at a hitters BABIP and regress to a league average mean, because Byrnes has one particular skill that destroys his ability to get hits on balls in play; he is the master of the infield fly.

We cannot look at Byrnes' low BABIP and conclude that he's gotten unlucky. His BABIP is a reflection of the fact that he is constantly hitting 100 foot flies that are easily grabbed by an infielder and have no real possibility of becoming a hit. He's not hitting lasers at people. This isn't bad luck. This is bad hitting.

Not to point out the obvious, but I don't actually like Eric Byrnes at all.

He'd be a perfect Cub.  See, they play lots of day games, and it's easy to lose those really high fly balls in the sun.  It happens a couple of times a season and bam!  Two more hits!

[Yeti]

Booo

Conversely, the Cubs' interest in Sheets is overblown. GM Jim Hendry's biggest objectives are finding a late-inning reliever and a bat for the bench. The Cubs are set with Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells in the first four spots, with Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Samardzija set to compete for the fifth spot. Sheets would look great in Cubbie blue, but he's more of an extravagance than a necessity.

And fuck him for saying "Cubbie blue"

[PenFoe]

Booo

Conversely, the Cubs' interest in Sheets is overblown. GM Jim Hendry's biggest objectives are finding a late-inning reliever and a bat for the bench. The Cubs are set with Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells in the first four spots, with Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Samardzija set to compete for the fifth spot. Sheets would look great in Cubbie blue, but he's more of an extravagance than a necessity.

And fuck him for saying "Cubbie blue"

Marshall isn't even an option for the 5th spot?