I have returned (with info on Roberts)

[Sports Guy]

Several people have mentioned Patterson's poor defense.

Do you have any sources confirming this ?

I have read several sources (BP for one) that say he defense is fine at 2B.

No link but I will quote you what BA said about his defense in their 2007 prospect handbook:

There are a lot of questions about whether Patterson can play second base in the major leagues. He has made improvements but still has a long way to go. He relies on his speed rather than reading balls off the bat, and he doesn't have great range to his right.

Also, according to BA, he seems to have the Jerry Hairston syndrome(my words, not theirs)...Tries to hit homers too much and it compromises his on base ability and he doesn't use his speed enough at times....Fair plate discipline.

[thundercleetz]

No thanks! Roberts is a two-time All Star, and has even more value to this team than he would have to any other team. A package with the Cubs starts with Pie or no deal!

But then again, I am not making the deals here!

[Sports Guy]

The thing is, we do need quantity over quality. We don't have all the pieces in our farm system in order to compete in the future. So we need to acquire more depth in different areas and just hope some of the pan out. I feel as if we hold onto players like Mora and Roberts, they'll be too old or their skills will have declined in three or four years when we hope to be competitive.

Actually, we need a combination of the 2....Getting just quantity is a bad way to go.

[SteveA]

Several people in this thread have said to wait for better because this deal will stay on the table for a while.

The Cubs clearly want a 2Bman (and lefty bat to complemet all the righties in their lineup). I'm not saying we have to jump on this deal like a live hand grenade, but I dont think they are going to sit there waiting for us forever and not pursue other options to fill their needs.

[BaltimOrioles]

Tries to hit homers too much and it compromises his on base ability...

After all, he is Corey's brother...it's in the blood.

[FallingBeverage]

The thing is, we do need quantity over quality. We don't have all the pieces in our farm system in order to compete in the future. So we need to acquire more depth in different areas and just hope some of the pan out. I feel as if we hold onto players like Mora and Roberts, they'll be too old or their skills will have declined in three or four years when we hope to be competitive.

But what good is quantity if they just pan out to be average joe's? We need some can't miss prospects that we can build a team around. With some key FA signings in future offseasons and a core of young talent we will see the good side of .500.

[Why Not?]

Well I'll tell you one thing. Brian Roberts' butt can turn the double play better than Eric Patterson's entire body (and it can show up to practice on time too).

Still, when you add the other two butts, it's hard to turn down. We're talking about six cheeks here. That's a LOT of butt.

[BaltimOrioles]

Why not Prior?

[Sports Guy]

Here is BA's take(summarized) on Gallagher, also from their 2007 PH:

1) Great fastball command...Can put his fastball wherever he wants to.

2) His fastball went from 88-90 in 2005 to 90-94 in 2006.

3) Curveball remains his best pitch.

4) Improved changeup

5) Ceiling of a #3 starter

6) Needs to watch his weight but is a good athlete.

7) Good mindset on the mound.

[Sports Guy]

What about EPat in LF or CF?

If he can play very good defense, he may be ok in CF...But I would like to add others that are better hitters who have more experience out there.

[UMterp08]

Several people in this thread have said to wait for better because this deal will stay on the table for a while.

The Cubs clearly want a 2Bman (and lefty bat to complemet all the righties in their lineup). I'm not saying we have to jump on this deal like a live hand grenade, but I dont think they are going to sit there waiting for us forever and not pursue other options to fill their needs.

There aren't a whole lot of alternatives out there. And Pinella apparently really wants Roberts. I think Macphail tells them unless they include Pie, we're not going to trade Roberts before Bedard and Tejada. I'm sure he'll also make them aware that we can always trade Roberts elsewhere. I'm sure the M's wouldn't mind having him along with Bedard.

[Big Mac]

But what good in quantity if they just pan out to be average joe's? We need some can't miss prospects that we can build a team around. With some key FA signings in future offseasons and a core of young talent we will see the good side of .500.

I think a lot of people on here are also undervalueing Murton.

He does have an .820 career OPS, compared to Markakis's .826. Although he is three years older than Nick, and has about 400 fewer at-bats.

Now, I'm not by any means saying that he is close in value to Markakis, but he is a very good player. You can probably expect his production to be around the same level as Nick's first two seasons.

[BaltBird 24]

Gallagher would be a great get. Patterson would be nice also, but wouldn't be of much use if he couldn't handle 2B. Murton is the questionable one. Is he going to be the power bat that we'd need in LF, or is he just another medicore LFer?

[UMterp08]

Here is BA's take(summarized) on Gallagher, also from their 2007 PH:

1) Great fastball command...Can put his fastball wherever he wants to.

2) His fastball went from 88-90 in 2005 to 90-94 in 2006.

3) Curveball remains his best pitch.

4) Improved changeup

5) Ceiling of a #3 starter

6) Needs to watch his weight but is a good athlete.

7) Good mindset on the mound.

hmm. Interesting. Those are good things. Guys who put pitches where they want them are hard to find. No fans know that like we do. Add a good curve? Puzzling then why they say his ceiling is as a #3.

[24fps]

It's been a while but I decided to stop lurking and get back into chatting and debating about my O's.

I spoke with my Cubs guy today. For those that have been here for a while this is the same guy that helped me break the Sosa, Patterson trades.

As of 6:00 pm this is what they were offering for Roberts:

Gallagher, Patterson, Murton.

Pie and Hill off limits unless we add a prospect.

This is a good deal for the Orioles IMO. If we could also get Pie without giving up Tejada (Penn?) that would be fantastic. Probably too much to expect, though.