Sun: Cubs Offer Ceden, Gallagher, Veal and maybe a 4th player - For Roberts

[wildcard]

I agree he is more versatile than Demp and Lieber. Lieber is coming off of a foot injury. Demp in 2003 had a serious arm injury. We signed him rehabbed him and then put him in the pen.

Lieber and Demp have better stuff. I think that Lou thinks that if not getting innings out of Demp and Lieber is the issue he has enough depth with either a Marquis, Marshall, Gallagher, etc...

I think one of the two (Lieber or Demp) will have very solid seasons. If both do it could a really fun year.

Marshall will probably be a long guy in the pen due to having two other lefties in the rotation.

Good analysis. Thanks

[Number5]

I agree he is more versatile than Demp and Lieber. Lieber is coming off of a foot injury. Demp in 2003 had a serious arm injury. We signed him rehabbed him and then put him in the pen.

Lieber and Demp have better stuff. I think that Lou thinks that if not getting innings out of Demp and Lieber is the issue he has enough depth with either a Marquis, Marshall, Gallagher, etc...

I think one of the two (Lieber or Demp) will have very solid seasons. If both do it could be a really fun year.

Marshall will probably be a long guy in the pen due to having two other lefties in the rotation.

Lieber sure looked great yesterday. It sure would be great if he proves to be back to the pitcher he was before. Throws strikes and works fast. Gotta love that.

[Bloopandablast]

Lieber sure looked great yesterday. It sure would be great if he proves to be back to the pitcher he was before. Throws strikes and works fast. Gotta love that.

I was very happy with how he performed yesterday. If he can stay healthy and do that this year he will be a major factor.

[hatepaste]

Seems far more likely that the Sox want Marquis as insurance with Beckett's injury, and the Cubs want Crisp to be that versatile 4th OF they've been after all offseason.

Usually the simplest explanation is the correct one.

Wouldn't you consider Murton to be a better 4th outfielder then Pie, atleast at this point? Has a little more experience then Pie at this point? No way Pie goes back to AAA though, right? Seems like he's done it all there.

[Owatcher]

Good question. Personally, I don't get it. I'm not saying Cedeno will be great. Just saying I don't see why they seem to like Whathisname better. Seems like Cedno's got all the D-tools, just makes bad throws (bad judgment, not a bad arm, so try him at 2B just to buy him a split-second on the throws). He hit like crazy in Iowa, and he did that twice. So, what's up? Maybe he's a kid from nowhere, and he just got blinded at first by the big city lights and the big city ladies? I wonder if Dusty liked vets, and then Lou got in a snit about the kid. Don't know, just wondering. The whole thing just doesn't add up to me.

Plus, if we have LH and Cedeno as the MI, then we've got an all-Venezuela MI... if they do OK, maybe Chavez will ship some cheap gas to MD, just to PO the US gov't ;-)

Yeah, just want the O's want for Roberts. Another experiment. Let the Cubs try him at 2nd on their dime. As for "makes bad throws". What?? We want that?? Why again?

[Owatcher]

Colleti maybe? If he actually thought out that Juan Pierre contract then that was pretty sad...

That's why snap decisions are stupid. Who cares about a persons ability to make snap decisions or not. In the MLB GM biz, nobody should have gotten themselves in a position to make a snap decision. If the did, then they are already a loser and on the short end of the stick.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Yeah, just want the O's want for Roberts. Another experiment. Let the Cubs try him at 2nd on their dime. As for "makes bad throws". What?? We want that?? Why again?

All prospects are experiments, so yes, that's what we want for Roberts...

[Owatcher]

Several posters have already answered this as well or better than I could have.

The Cubs' commitment to several other rookies, coupled with their their positioning themselves as a contender makes it abundantly clear why DeRosa > Patterson. The O's, by contrast, present an ideal situation for Patterson to sink or swim, so to speak. And if he swims, right away the 3rd or 4th guy in the deal matches (or comes close to matching) Roberts' production -- all the rest is gravy.

And the Cubs' reasoning behind valuing Roberts > DeRosa has been discussed ad nauseum.

I've discussed many times how Murton came to be in his current situation, despite the Cubs liking him and believing he will be a solid everyday LF.

On Cedeno, most everyone agrees he should be given every opportunity to be the Cubs' everyday SS.

Here's an idea. Cedeno (or Patterson) could be the Cubs everyday CF and Pie could be the O's CF. How about that? That way the Cubbies would be replacing one rookie with another one as to not upset the balance, and the Cubs fans get to see their beloved Cedeno and Patterson be the MLB stars they think they're going to be. It's a win win for everyone.

[RShack]

Yeah, just want the O's want for Roberts. Another experiment. Let the Cubs try him at 2nd on their dime. As for "makes bad throws". What?? We want that?? Why again?

Oh, I'm not crazy about trading BRob, and especially not for those guys. I've been consistent about that. My only point was that *if* BRob goes to the Cubs, then I think Cedeno is worth a shot at 2B. Looks better to me than EPat, just based on what I read about them both. But, then again, I'm one of those silly people who think MI-D matters.

[Owatcher]

Roberts had an .809 OPS last season.

If you're asking me if I think Patterson has the potential to match that, then my answer is an unequivocal yes.

Now whether or not that garners an all-star invite, I couldn't care less, as that's a wholly irrelevant consideration.

Then its' setteled. Just start him at 2nd base and forget about Roberts. Why should the Cubs give up this gem + 3 others for Roberts if he'll do just as well as Robert? Doesn't sound very smart to me.

[Owatcher]

Because Roberts has an established level of production at the major league level. Patterson could be better, or he could be worse. And moreover, he's going to require time and patience to reach his potential.

The Cubs want the safer bet, and don't have time for another rookie learning OTJ while they're trying to contend.

Frankly I thought all of this was easily understood common knowledge.

There! You nailed it on the head. Congratulations! The O's feel the same way. Get it now?

[Owatcher]

Ah, there is a guy named Adam Jones who will hopefully be patrolling CF for the Orioles for quite some time.

AJ would slide over to LF if Pie was acquired.

[Owatcher]

Marquis wants to be a starter too.

The Cubs are going to have a less-than-happy player on their hands either way.

At least Crisp is cheaper and fills a role. Marquis in the bullpen would be a much worse situation.

Regardless of the Roberts deal happening or not. Let's say it does. The Cubs, having the "we want to win now" mindset, would be much better off with Crisp in centerfield THIS year than Pie. He'd be another example of a "safer bet".

[ugadawg38]

From Peter Gammons and his free blog on ESPN today, "The Cubs are eventually going to get Brian Roberts. Andy MacPhail has to decide whom he wants. But the Cubs are convinced it will happen."

[davearm]

There! You nailed it on the head. Congratulations! The O's feel the same way. Get it now?

The O's are being foolish then.

You don't approach a rebuilding year the same way you approach a contending year.

The O's are just wasting time with Roberts at 2B. He's not going to be there by the time they're good. So the smart thing to do is to move him and look ahead to finding a replacement 2B that can be part of the next good O's team.