For What it's worth.....

[Number5]

I am afraid we will end up with Marquis...Just horrible.

I really hope we aren't even considering Marquis. How helpful is he going to be with our young pitchers? He has been a problem in the clubhouse in Atlanta, St. Louis, and now Chicago. He is signed at $16 million for the next 2 years. Why would we want him? Here is a thread on Cards Clubhouse about him:

http://www.cardsclubhouse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20368

It seems to me that getting Marquis would be "subtraction by addition."

[Fan4Life]

Jason Marquis rhp

3 years/$21M (2007-09)

signed as a free agent 12/06

07:$4.75M, 08:$6.375M, 09:$9.875M

Swapping him for Payton is a net loss.

[JTrea81]

Jason Marquis rhp

3 years/$21M (2007-09)

signed as a free agent 12/06

07:$4.75M, 08:$6.375M, 09:$9.875M

So the question is are the players we are going to get back extra for including Payton and taking back Marquis worth an extra 11.25 million? What prospect or prospects would you be willing to pay 11.25 million for from the Cubs?

[Time2Win]

Bruce Levine was just on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. Levine is in Mesa with the cubs and is generally regarded as the top cubs media insider. He said talks with the Orioles are hot and he is starting to feel that the deal may become bigger with possibly marquis going to O's and payton coming to the cubs in the potential roberts trade. He said the o's have one of their top scouts in Mesa with the cubs and another is joining on Saturday.

This past Saturday, on his saturday baseball show "Talking baseball," Levine said the O's were paying attention to Eric Patterson, and also said his American League sources said the O's made the decision that they would trade roberts. He did not say to whom or when.

Do the O's insiders have any new info?

Another week of this? Are they really waiting for a scout to arrive next weekend?

[Fan4Life]

So the question is are the players we are going to get back extra for including Payton and taking back Marquis worth an extra 11.25 million? What prospect or prospects would you be willing to pay 11.25 million for from the Cubs?

Only one, Pie.

[brvn52]

So the question is are the players we are going to get back extra for including Payton and taking back Marquis worth an extra 11.25 million? What prospect or prospects would you be willing to hand over 11.25 million for from the Cubs?

Yeah an untouchable would have to become touchable. I think Ceda would have to become available for me to do that.

Roberts and Payton for Gallagher, Marquis, Ceda, Cedeno, Murton

[brvn52]

Only one, Pie.

I think we could work out a deal without Pie. Just Ceda/Colvin/etc. are going to have to be involved.

The more and more I look at this, however, the more I think the Indians are such a better fit.

[Fan4Life]

Yeah an untouchable would have to become touchable. I think Ceda would have to become available for me to do that.

Roberts and Payton for Gallagher, Marquis, Ceda, Cedeno, Murton

We'd need EPat instead of Cedeno and either way, we'd be adding 4 guys to the 25 man roster and only losing 2. In that scenario, I don't see how Moore and Costanzo would get much playing time if any. As well as some of pitchers we'd like to see have a shot at starting, would get pushed back. This should be a rebuilding season where the young guys play, period. I don't see the value in sending Olson, Penn back to AAA in that even if they dominate there, will have proven little if anything at the MLB level. Let them learn here...

[redwhitenblue]

Will this have any impact on the proposed Cubs/O's trade?

Here is the article...

Felix Pie is not out, he already missed his time and is back (hit a HR yesterday and walked) playing

No impact on anything

[Hazmat]

Only one, Pie.

After Pie's latest injury, this statement may become an accurate description of his manhood.

[Sports Guy]

Would you take Marquis if it meant getting rid of Payton and better prospects? Without knowing the contract situation I think I would. Anyone know Marquis's contract? Thanks

Payton's contract sucks but its not Marquis' contract.

I would much rather keep Payton.

Marquis is owed 16 million over the next 2 years.

[Cubsfan]

I mentioned Marquis to the O's as a possibility awhile ago. I'm not going to pretend he's the greatest pitcher around, but there is another side to point out. Marquis has been a very good first-half pitcher during his career. Also, he's an inning eater. If he came over in the Roberts deal and pitched well for the first half, he could be traded at the trade deadline. Teams will be looking for starters at the deadline. Whatever prospect(s) you get for Marquis would be a bonus to the other players acquired for Roberts (and Payton?). Again, I'm just pointing out that it might not be as bad as it seems at first. Obviously, the O's would not want to keep him for the whole two years.

[brvn52]

We'd need EPat instead of Cedeno and either way, we'd be adding 4 guys to the 25 man roster and only losing 2. In that scenario, I don't see how Moore and Costanzo would get much playing time if any. As well as some of pitchers we'd like to see have a shot at starting, would get pushed back. This should be a rebuilding season where the young guys play, period. I don't see the value in sending Olson, Penn back to AAA in that even if they dominate there, will have proven little if anything at the MLB level. Let them learn here...

I hear ya, but who said competition is a bad thing. So Moore and Costanzo have to prove they are better 2 players (EPat/Cedeno and Murton), but there will also be 2 open roster spots from Roberts and Payton. The added pitching won't affect the number of position players we have. As far as the rotation goes, I'd love to see Penn/Olson/Albers at the beginning of the year in and Oriole uniform, but it's not a bad thing if they're in Norfolk for 2 months, dominate, and force a promotion to the O's.

[JTrea81]

Payton's contract sucks but its not Marquis' contract.

I would much rather keep Payton.

Marquis is owed 16 million over the next 2 years.

Who would you rather have, Kyle Lohse and Payton or Jason Marquis and Eric Patterson?

Marquis and Lohse are very similar...

[blueberryale77]

Payton's contract sucks but its not Marquis' contract.

I would much rather keep Payton.

Marquis is owed 16 million over the next 2 years.

I still can't for the life of me understand why getting rid of Jay Payton should require taking on a much worse contract or accepting lesser value for Roberts. How hard can it be to eat $3 or $4 million of his contract and swap him for an A ball player who might be mildly useful a couple years down the road? Is his clubhouse cancer reputation that bad? I mean we all know he's a whiner and a curmudgeon but it's not like he's killed anybody.