Cubs trade DeRosa to Indians; Does this mean Pie for Olson back on??

[El Gordo]

If you can get Garko for Penn, you pull the trigger before Cleveland figures out their mistake.

We have plenty of pitching depth to absorb a Penn "loss"

I disaagree, you can never have enough pitching depth.

[tywright]

I disaagree, you can never have enough pitching depth.

Well considering we don't have any position player depth, you make the trade. Penn is on the outside looking in when it comes to predicting the 2010/11 rotation. He's clearly expendable.

[Guest rochester]

I'd trade Penn with no second thoughts if we could get Garko

Same here....

[clapdiddy]

My point is, the plan, weither you agree with it or not, is to develop SP and trade draft and sign FA's for position players. Penn as a SP prospect with a decent upside fits the plan IMO better than Garko. I don't think the O's should be s]trading any SP untill they feel they have a surplus.

At this point, I'd consider any contribution by Penn a "surplus". We've been waiting on this guy almost as long as we waited on Cabrera.

Garko may not be a stud, but he's better than anyone we have right now in our system at first base, and he's only 27 years old. He's been productive at the MLB level, while Penn has been hurt a lot and may never pan out.

I'd much rather package Penn and someone else and get a higher quality player. Right now, though, I'd do this deal.

[Fairfax Bird]

What hasn't he done that he should have done?

We all agree that not enough has been done to help set us up for the future. We need more moves. But what pieces didn't he acquire that we now no longer can go after? Why are you so convinced that he is not looking to make the moves that need to be done?

What he said.

[Shopay]

1. The Markakis extension should have been wrapped up last summer.

2. We should have made some trades at the deadline but opted not to.

3. We allowed our early success of the season blur our vision.

4. Bradford doesnt get dealt for nothing.

5. Making Roberts out to be a bad guy.

1. If the Markakis deal gets done, does it really matter when it happens?

2. Did you hear about any offers that the O's turned down that would have made a noticeble difference for the team? Perhaps the BRob/Cubs deal, but that is debatable. Moreover, until we actually lose a player, how can you judge if we are better or worse off. In other words, if we had traded Huff last year for one decent prospect, how do you know we wouldn't have gotten more value in a trade this year, perhaps at the trade deadline, or from future draft picks. This isn't even taking into consideration that we receive some value from Huff's play on the field as I don't believe he is currently blocking any of our younger players.

3. Not sure what this means.

4. You have a point here. Although we would have to see how the money that we appear to be getting back is used.

5. Just because the O's don't want to pay Brian $48 million for 4 years equates into making Brian out to be a bad guy? I like Roberts a lot, and respect what he has done for the organization, but I would not give him that much money either. The bottom line is that Brian has to do what he believes is best for him and his family, which it appears he is doing if that is the money he wants, and AM has to do what he believe is in the best interest of the O's going forward. It's just business.

Any rebuilding effort is going to involve pain as players are traded, not resigned, ect. That's just a necessary and natural step of the process.

You noticeably failed to mention some very positive things that have been accomplished under AM. I won't regurgitate the list, as I'm sure you know it, but, IMO, it outweighs the list that you provided, and that doesn't even take in consideration that AM hasn't locked us into any bad contracts like his predecessors did.

[Fairfax Bird]

I would rather have Ryan Shealy playing 1B on this team than Millar, Sexson or Hinske.

You would rather have Shealy than Hinske + Hernandez? Hinske is basically the same age as Shealy and has 7 years playing time. Why do you think Shealy has never really played regularly in the majors and is now 29?

[Scrat1]

I would definitely take that Penn for Garko trade that people are proposing. Not that we'd ever be offered that.

[Fairfax Bird]

That's not true. There are many here who believe all is well and that AM is spon on with what he's doing. We have to be trying to acquire pieces anytime we can. Let me ask this, as of right now we are without a 1B, 2B,

3B, DH for 2010. How do we get this players???

I know you aren't talking about me. I have never said this. I just don't feel the need to bash him every day.

[Fairfax Bird]

I would definitely take that Penn for Garko trade that people are proposing. Not that we'd ever be offered that.

Why would reality have anything to do with this?

[Cubsfan]

Man, you are going over the edge here BB. You are starting to act very strange at times and I am not going to just give the ignore because you have some great points but the personal hatred is not good for you...

I still can not understand all of the love for Hendry (not just BB)....where has that ~$140-145 they are projected to pay in 2009.

What has Hendry done for the past 12+ months besides the Harden trade, which he gave up a decent amount for (but does make sense.) Actually, his history is not all that great in hindsight, except for the spending spree. Heck, he sold Josh Hamilton to The Reds for cash?!?!/

Hendry signed Edmonds and Reed Johnson for bargain-basement contracts, re-signed Dempster, and re-signed Wood (last year). He did not sell Hamilton to the Reds for cash, it was a prearranged deal that the Cubs would draft Hamilton for the Reds.

[JTrea81]

We're definitely in much better shape as a franchise since MacPhail got here then before. Each GM since Thrift has improved the franchise, IMO, and MacPhail has continued that. He's brought in more young talent than anyone prior to him had done. He's continued what Flanny started in spending extra on guys who slip in the draft. He's improved international scouting tremendously.

The MLB record is worse under him, but thats not really important at this point. Had we kept continuing to simply get to .500 like Duquette and Flanny wanted to do, rather than rebuild into a team that can actually contend, things would have never turned around.

I think this is the key. MacPhail needs to sub out the ML duties somehow to a more aggressive GM. He's got the organization back on track but as far as day to day operations of the MLB club, he's been pretty lousy at trying to acquire pieces for the future aside from the two offseason trades he made before the 2008 season...

But if he wanted the ML club to tank for two years straight, then I'd say he's done his job. The Bradford trade or give away pretty much put the nail in the coffin of the 2008 Orioles and not allowing any more reinforcements from Bowie didn't help either...

[bigbird]

I know you aren't talking about me. I have never said this. I just don't feel the need to bash him every day.

\Didn't say it was you but you read the same posts I do. He needs to do more. Is that too much to ask?

[Fairfax Bird]

Would you trade Hayden Penn for Ryan Garko right now???

Probably a good risk. Penn's star has fallen and he is out of options, which is exactly why the Indians won't make this trade. Garko's o.k., definitely better than Millar, but not really an upgrade over Huff at 1st and Reimold in LF, which the Orioles won't do anyway.

[Fairfax Bird]

\Didn't say it was you but you read the same posts I do. He needs to do more. Is that too much to ask?

No, but it is too much to ask over and over and over and over again every single day. Find some peace with it.