McPhail left this morning

[hoosiers]

If this is basically the same team come ST, yea i will seriously consider it.

It would show me that they still have no direction and there is no end in sight...That is not something that a fan wants to have.

I am not saying I will definitely abandon them but i thin, at the very least, I will stop caring as much.

I hear you. I want big time prospects for EB and BRob too. I expect what we hope for will still happen.

Just because we are sellers doesn't mean we have no leverage.

Other GMs were hoping to go back to their fans and ownership with a prize like EB. It's all negotiations.

[Optimum O]

We always walk away.

Seriously, i hate this team. If they come back next year with basically the same team, i may just be done with them.

You won't be done...that is why AA and Narcotics Anonymous are so profitable!

[blueberryale77]

I hear you. I want big time prospects for EB and BRob too. I expect what we hope for will still happen.

Just because we are sellers doesn't mean we have no leverage.

Other GMs were hoping to go back to their fans and ownership with a prize like EB. It's all negotiations.

If we give up Roberts for pennies on the dollar, our leverage in the Bedard negotiations will take a big hit. MacPhail needs to balance his desire to appear free from Angelos interference with the need to show he's not a pushover or worse yet still in bed with one of his old teams. The Cubs should NOT get Roberts without at least adding Pie or Hill. The current offer is so weak, it should entice teams like the Rockies who are trying to fill 2B with in-house options to submit their own lowball offers. Of course, the fact that MacPhail is even discussing such a lame package ensures that those teams offers will be lowball.

[Sports Guy]

I hear you. I want big time prospects for EB and BRob too. I expect what we hope for will still happen.

Just because we are sellers doesn't mean we have no leverage.

Other GMs were hoping to go back to their fans and ownership with a prize like EB. It's all negotiations.

But trading those guys isn't the only way.

Guys like LaRoche, Anthony Reyes, Baldelli and many others have seemingly fallen out of favor with their current teams.

I do not want them to trade just trade these guys for the hell of it...For the info that we know, there isn't a trade out there that I would make for the big 3...However, last time I checked, these aren't the only 3 guys on the team and there is a lot that has to be done.

So I don't want to hear the other whining.

This team, FOR TEN YEARS, has been piss poor in the trade market...It is the NUMBER ONE reason why this organization sucks.

Plenty of OTHER things can be done while trying to get the best offers for our key guys.

Again, if things are done, then great...This is only saying nothing changes.

I am glad AM has a better direction and seems to have a clue. But if he doesn't get anything done, his words are absolutely f'ing worthless.

[Sports Guy]

If we give up Roberts for pennies on the dollar, our leverage in the Bedard negotiations will take a big hit. MacPhail needs to balance his desire to appear free from Angelos interference with the need to show he's not a pushover or worse yet still in bed with one of his old teams. The Cubs should NOT get Roberts without at least adding Pie or Hill. The current offer is so weak, it should entice teams like the Rockies who are trying to fill 2B with in-house options to submit their own lowball offers. Of course, the fact that MacPhail is even discussing such a lame package ensures that those teams offers will be lowball.

Veal, Murton and Gallagher is a good offer as well but I get what you are saying.

The current offer is horrendous.

[Joe'sO's]

The problem isn't that nothing got done but there doesn't seem to be any sense of direction in filling holes.Theo Epstein and co. have a record of doing things at some point, the O's don't .The whole off season was set up on trading Tejada and that was about it. Nothing on free agents or maybe trading a Liz,Olson or Penn for an outfielder for example.Very very narrow approach to getting something done.Only trading Roberts for some overhyped Cubs prospects would have been a complete disaster and maybe it's good he left before he did something this stupid.

[blueberryale77]

Veal, Murton and Gallagher is a good offer as well but I get what you are saying.

The current offer is horrendous.

Veal, Murton and Gallagher might be acceptable if we get to late January, have moved Bedard, Tejada and hopefully a couple of the lesser veterans, and haven't gotten any better offers, but it's not something that should be jumped on right away without at least shaking other trees. Regardless of whether Roberts ends up getting traded to the Cubs, I think MacPhail has made a huge tactical mistake by letting the idea get around that he considers Gallagher and Murton a "serious" offer. He needed to make a scene of walking out of that meeting... not just to get more value for Roberts but to avoid the appearance of being weak and desperate in general.

[Frobby]

This team, FOR TEN YEARS, has been piss poor in the trade market...It is the NUMBER ONE reason why this organization sucks.

The number one reason the organization has sucked for the last 10 years is drafting, acquisition of foreign players and player development. On a scale of 1 to 100, that reason is 100 and poor trading is about a 12. If you don't have talent in your organization, you aren't going to fool too many teams into just giving it to you in trades.

[Sports Guy]

The number one reason the organization has sucked for the last 10 years is drafting, acquisition of foreign players and player development. On a scale of 1 to 100, that reason is 100 and poor trading is about a 12. If you don't have talent in your organization, you aren't going to fool too many teams into just giving it to you in trades.

They should have traded for talent...They should have gotten guys who could have netted them picks. The A's have done a great job in doing this.

Trades can't just be looked at in a vaccum.

[Optimum O]

What seems to be lost in alot of this is the simple fact that the trade deadline is July 31st, 2008 and not December 6th, 2007 as some here tend to believe.

[bigbird]

But trading those guys isn't the only way.

Guys like LaRoche, Anthony Reyes, Baldelli and many others have seemingly fallen out of favor with their current teams.

I do not want them to trade just trade these guys for the hell of it...For the info that we know, there isn't a trade out there that I would make for the big 3...However, last time I checked, these aren't the only 3 guys on the team and there is a lot that has to be done.

So I don't want to hear the other whining.

This team, FOR TEN YEARS, has been piss poor in the trade market...It is the NUMBER ONE reason why this organization sucks.

Plenty of OTHER things can be done while trying to get the best offers for our key guys.

Again, if things are done, then great...This is only saying nothing changes.

I am glad AM has a better direction and seems to have a clue. But if he doesn't get anything done, his words are absolutely f'ing worthless.

Got to disagree with you on this one sport. Our pre Jordan drafting is the #1 reason we suck.

[Sports Guy]

What seems to be lost in alot of this is the simple fact that the trade deadline is July 31st, 2008 and not December 6th, 2007 as some here tend to believe.

But we risk poor performance and injury.

[Rocky1983]

Got to disagree with you on this one sport. Our pre Jordan drafting is the #1 reason we suck.

You got it! Plus the fact that when we did a "rebuild job" under Foghorn Leghorn, I mean, Syd Thrift, the trades resulted in nothing except Mora. I appreciate that we are taking our time this go around, even though I am anxious to see something happen.

[hoosiers]

Got to disagree with you on this one sport. Our pre Jordan drafting is the #1 reason we suck.

Agree almost 100%. DeMacio did decent in 2002 and 2003.

PA and Rittersbusch blew up the entire 2004 draft and DeMacio and whoever else blew something like 14 first round/supplemental first round picks between 1998 and 2001 with only Brian Roberts to show for it. And there was some wasted service time with Roberts when he was promoted too soon and injured, I believe.

Even if we had only two other first rounders between 1998-2001 pan out and two guys from the 2004 draft, we'd be in much better shape than today and that would still be considered poor, but not awful drafting.

[Gurgi]

I am very unhappy with the comments on this thread. Lots of knee jerk attacks against AM and some inane comments about his sleep schedule.

Wasnt Bigbird the guy suppossed to lose his insider when Duquette left?

I tell you the "insiders" are posting stuff for their own amusement and our detriment.