Carlos Silva.

[SkullKey]

It appears the Cubs may (or may not) acquire Carlos Silva - RH pitcher. If they get him they don't intend to actually use him in games do they ?

[SkullKey]

(I thought it was the job of the coaches to throw batting practice ?)

[SkullKey]

I g-guess it's really happened - Carlos Silva is a Cub !!!

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091218&content_id=7828862&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

WE HAVE THE WORLD'S BEST BATTING PRACTICE PITCHER PITCHER !

[Bockstock]

apparently Carlos Silva needed a 'mental coach' to get him through the tough times he had in Seattle.

At least the cubs beat down my expectations even before Spring Training starts. Now all they have to do is blow the rest of the money on a relief pitcher and Marlon Byrd/Rick Ankiel and the quest to assemble the worst $140+ million dollar team ever will be complete.

Do you think the Cubs are paying attention to the money they should save and use for a big FA after next season when it will be the best FA class in some time(Mauer, Jeter, Carl Crawford, Bonderman, Brandon Webb, A-Gonz, Cliff Lee, Carlos Pena)???

My money says no. They'll spend this money piece-meal on a bunch of mediocre players.

[HEYHEY]

awesome, got rid of that pos. now they can move on.

what did you guys really expect?

[Bockstock]

awesome, got rid of that pos. now they can move on.

what did you guys really expect?

Carlos Silva is a bigger a-hole than Bradley, not only that he sucks at baseball.

This is robbery plain and simple by Seattle. The Cubs would be better off cutting Bradley loose, because the Cubs have 3-4 guys on the team right now then are better than he is, and he is going to get an extra long-leash because he was part of this trade. I guess at least the idiot fans have an easy scapegoat to blame things on.

The Cubs problems are bigger than Milton Bradley. He's just a scapegoat again, like Sammy was in 2005. If people honestly believe he was the biggest problem the Cubs have, they are obviously not paying enough attention.

A self-proclaimed Cub fan buying and owning the team could turn out to the be the worse thing that ever happened to this team. Does anyone honestly think Mark Cuban would be doing the stupid @#$# that Ricketss has done so far??

[LeeEila's/rant]

apparently Carlos Silva needed a 'mental coach' to get him through the tough times he had in Seattle.




How long will it take Lou to make him want to hang himself in the clubhouse doorway ?


Lou and his impatients with pitchers + RothSSSSSSSSchild's hunched-shouldered -indifference x and mentally unstable pitcher = 3 weeks

[SkullKey]

$6, 000, 000. That's what Seattle is tossing into the deal. We come out, I think, about $3, 000, 000 ahead.

WOO HOO !!! Let's go shopping. (Let's see - that'll get us : RICK ANKEIL - and Jimmy can see if he can still pitch !)

According to Baseball References "most similar" formula Ankeil's most similar player is a former Cub: Brant Brown. Anybody remember him ?

[SkullKey]

Cheer up everybody !!! While researching the details of this trade I discovered this dandy recipe for Ginger Sugar Cookies (just in time for the holidays :D ):

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2010515754_gingerbread16.html?cmpid=2628

So far it's the best I can make out of this trade (whole wheat too - get your grains and everything. So very West Coast).

(They don't really intend to put Silva into games do they?)

[TRIPLE PLAY]

I didn't care if the Cubs got rid of Bradley for a back-up 1st base coach! X-mas came early in Chi-town! Addition by subtraction.....Silva is what he is, but ANYTHING is better than Milton taking up a spot on the bench!
Amen..congrats J.Hendry ....I mean thanks!

[SkullKey]

Now all we need to do is get out from under that $48, 000, 000 (I thought the idea was to save money, and untimately improve the team on the field?).

.....

(Heck. That's a pretty pile of cash. I could throw a sweet party with that. Can Jim Hendry?)

[ICcubfan]

We aren't going to do anything this year but try and shed bad contracts
Step one is done we need soriano to go which might be impossible unless
Someone is desparate at trade deadline
No amount of money is going to fix this nightmare hendry has put together because there are not free agents available to fill our holes. Two years on a row I have no hope before we even start

[SkullKey]

awesome, got rid of that pos. now they can move on.

what did you guys really expect?

More.

Improvement.

[SkullKey]

Something to give me hope - a reason to believe tomorrow might - just might - be better than yesterday. Next year might - just might - be better than last year.

How many years has it been - I know it's well over 100.

As a Cub fan I have lived through the untimely and premature death of ROY Ken Hubbs - "Brock For Broglio" (don't get me started on that krap) - 1966 and "The Lip's" bold announcement: ""I am not the manager of an eighth place team." (of 10). Leo was right - the Cubs finished 10th. The first team ever to finish behind the pathetic Mets (In literary terms this is called "fore-shadowing") - the 1969 debacle - the depressing wretchedness of most of the '70's and the early '80's.

I held my Cub flag high and bravo'd magnificent hopes as TribCo took over and the Dallas Green regime commenced.

Then came 1984 and and after that Dallas's resign-ment to the fact that TribCo's heart (wallet) perhaps wasn't really in it.

The frustration of 1989 (and the top two vote-getters for ROY - who came to nothing).

The 21st Century has actually started off as a fine century (relatively) for the Cubs. Is it burning out already ?

[SkullKey]

What is the Cubs plan for the future ?

[SkullKey]

This is 2010 for you and you know it as well as I do:

The Cubs are hoping against hope that essentially the entire team will:

> Stay healthy (essentially an absurd fantasy)
> Have career year or near career years.

GOOD F'N LUCK !!!

This "built to win now" team is aging rapidly - it has positioned itself into a corner financially - it has a mediocre farm system:

It has a bleak future:

I'm pissed !!!

[SkullKey]

Let's talk about the Silva acquisition. It was a step forward wasn't it ? How ?

We needed to free up money: was that accomlished ?

Certainly we had a reasonably even exchange of talent - was that accomplished ?:

Let's see.

I predict (fool that I can be) that the "Toy Boy" may very well challenge for the AL "slash-line" (AVE/OBP/SLG/OPS) "championship" just like he did in 2008 with Texas.

What will Carlos do for us for his $48,000,000?

His career slash-line against (what hitters have accomplished against him) is: .290/.321/.426/.727 - NOT encouraging numbers. That's against right-handed batters.

Against left-handers?: .319/.357/.510/.867. Yea - he's a lefty specialist!

This guy brings what? - other that $48, 000 , 000 in indebtedness.

[Bockstock]

This is 2010 for you and you know it as well as I do:

The Cubs are hoping against hope that essentially the entire team will:

> Stay healthy (essentially an absurd fantasy)
> Have career year or near career years.

GOOD F'N LUCK !!!

This "built to win now" team is aging rapidly - it has positioned itself into a corner financially - it has a mediocre farm system:

It has a bleak future:

I'm pissed !!!

I'm glad someone is as pissed about this as me:), although I had to spend 4 hours trying to get my neighbors cat out of my tree and then drive all over Denver, so I'm exhausted.

These moves wouldn't be so disappointing if the new owner didn't look like such a clueless moron!!!

I'm afraid of the same things you are, Hendry is going to be allowed to blow the rest of the $$ on guys like Capps and Byrd and extend Lee and Lilly, leaving the Cubs with little to no money to improve next year when they are some awesome names out there.

[TheBenjamin]

Look, Cubs had to get rid of Bradley. They did. What did you expect to get back? A good player? No. The Cubs, everyone knew, would have to eat a lot of money to get rid of Bradley and take on another bad contract.

But guess what, things didnt exactly happen that way.

1. The Cubs did have to take on another bad contract
2. The Cubs did NOT have to eat ANYTHING from Bradley's contract
3. The Cubs got $9 million dollars. So they are saving $5 million dollars on the over all deal.

What are you surprised about?

That we got a bad contract and a bad player in return? No
That we save money? Yes.

Why the anger? Did you think we would trade Bradley, eating his contract and get a great player? If so, you were only fooling yourself.

[LeeEila's/rant]

I'm glad someone is as pissed about this as me:), although I had to spend 4 hours trying to get my neighbors cat out of my tree and then drive all over Denver, so I'm exhausted.

These moves wouldn't be so disappointing if the new owner didn't look like such a clueless moron!!!

I'm afraid of the same things you are, Hendry is going to be allowed to blow the rest of the $$ on guys like Capps and Byrd and extend Lee and Lilly, leaving the Cubs with little to no money to improve next year when they are some awesome names out there.

First off , it would not take me four hours to get a cat out of a tree , I am a much better shot with a pellet gun than that :eek:.


You are all seeing now why I was wanting Lou fired at the end of '08 and the beginning of '09. We had a small window , weak division , older players at what should be their peak , and contract commitments that would lock us up in the next year. That window has just fell shut . The division is going to be much better , the Brewers are fixing the pitching , the Cards have found someone that can protect Pujoils , and Reds have Price now who may straighten out Dusty on his pitching.
If Ricketts is going to move the spring training to his personal convenience , we may not even see a five year plan and it may look like what this team was in the 50's -80's :(

[SkullKey]

" ..... Cubs had to get rid of Bradley ..... "

Why ?

Did the State of Illinmois legislature pass a law I missed ?

Are the Chicago Cubs millionaires so juvenile they can not work with a fellow they don't like ? America business would collapse if that were true, we all have jerks at work. Frankly I was annoyed at the remaining Cubs players who spoke out after it was announced that Bradley was on the way out. Very unprofessional. Speak amongst yourselves - sure. But to talk to the press ? - especially the Chicago foam-at-the-mouth crowd ? Stupid and unprofessional.

Why did Bradley have to go ? One thing that bothered me a great deal about the Bradley saga was Jim hendry's approach and attitude. It seemed to me that it had become a personal thing for him. Very unprofessional.

Here's one good reason to retain Bradley; if he returned and did well his trade value goes up enormously. Theoretically Hendry could have moved Bradley with no loss whatsoever 'round about mid-season if he still felt the need. Git rid of the total contract and get s solid player in return. Hendry forced the situation and moved himself into a position of extreme weakness. He created a no-win situation and lost.

[Bockstock]

3. The Cubs got $9 million dollars. So they are saving $5 million dollars on the over all deal.

5 million Hendry is going to blow on players like Matt Capps and Marlon Byrd. Remember last year when all those decent players were available for cheap prices in January and February?? Jim apparently doesn't.
I'd rather save money for next year than spend it now just because it's there.

Why the anger? Did you think we would trade Bradley, eating his contract and get a great player? If so, you were only fooling yourself.

The Cubs were better off just cutting Bradley loose. Silva sucks, but because he was a part of this trade, he's going to cost the Cubs alot of games because he is going to get an extra long leash, games the Cubs can't really afford to lose at this point. I guess the Cubs could cut Silva loose, but I doubt that's going to happen.

[SkullKey]

This guy isn't a clubhouse cancer ?:

http://www.cubsfx.com/2009/12/carlos-silva-to-cubs-baggage-included.html

[Bockstock]

This guy isn't a clubhouse cancer ?:

http://www.cubsfx.com/2009/12/carlos-silva-to-cubs-baggage-included.html

Yea, I've been looking for something like that

For all his 'distractions', Bradley was pretty good at Wrigley, 400 OBP, 890 OPS. Good luck replacing that Cubs. Well they probably did replace it, since thats more than likely going to be opposing batters line against Silva.

[SkullKey]

I am trying - I swear to God I am trying - to find something that gives me optimism about Silva. But then I keep running across analysis like this from the demon-woman of Baseball Prospectus (Christina you bad girl):

(This article is copyrighted and I stole it. It's for subscribing members only actually (a mere $5/ month or $40/year) and I'm hoping they don't kill me.)

http://baseballprospectus.com/

" ..... Acquired RHP Carlos Silva and $6 million from the Mariners for OF-S Milton Bradley. [12/18]

So, we all knew that Milton Bradley was going to be an ex-Cub, and everyone knew that we all knew it, and knowing that, nobody who knew much about anything was going to give anything up to get him, which Jim Hendry knew. Or found out, because, let's face it, he's not telepathic. So he wound up making a turkey swap, ditching one regret for another, and instead of winding up achieving any of the innumerable rumors involving the Rays for Pat Burrell, or the Rangers for a pan of brownies and a hug, he went with the most easily convertible currency possible: pitching.

Whatever Silva's for, if healthy, he's no prize. The contract's no cause for joy, even with a $6 million payoff to help defray the expense: $25 million, spread out as $11.5 million for 2010 and again in 2011, followed by an inevitable $2 million buyout of his 2012 option. Since Bradley was due $21 million, they've netted $2 million over the next two years, not much as such things go. The question, did they get anything beyond the $2 million and a re-purposed roster spot? In Silva's last full season in a rotation back in '08, his first and last as a Mariners regular, he produced a .396 SNWP, which is merely the worst-ever rotation starter season in Seattle Mariners history for a hurler with 150 IP. Keep in mind what that means: these are the Mariners, an expansion team, once upon a time a paragon of patsydom, and this man was their worst. Admittedly, Silva's a pitch-to-contact pitcher who probably wasn't helped much by the Mariners defense the team was at such pains to repair before 2009, but that can't be a good thing to have.

Even assuming he's fixable or adds a couple of ticks on his fastball in a bullpen role he's initially likely to be stranded in, at best we're still talking about a low-90s guy who doesn't fool people with it or his changeup; maybe relief work makes it easier for him to rely on his slider, as that's his best pitch. He's relatively effective at keeping runners close, so at least he has that going for him, but why play for peanuts when the guy on the mound's passing out cookies? Oh, and he's coming to the easier league, although if he's in the pen, it isn't like he's going to get the benefit of facing pitchers. However, it's worth nothing that there's a very real chance/threat that he could wind up in the rotation, because there's plenty of uncertainty in the unit, between Carlos Zambrano's decline, the question of whether or what Randy Wells can do for an encore, and the inconsistency of the currently penciled-in occupant of the fifth slot, Tom Gorzelanny. I suppose that's the double-savior role Silva might fill: making Wrigleyville safe from both the menace of Milton Bradley and the equally demoralizing menace of the odd Jeff Samardzija start.

The new dilemma is what this means for the Cubs' outfield, but we really sort of already know the answer: Kosuke Fukudome is going to right, which is why the Burrell rumor had about as much leg as Toulouse-Lautrec, and about as much attraction to the Cubs as a Caribbean Cruise with Hawk Harrelson. It seems unlikely that they'd really just run with Sam Fuld as their everyday center fielder, but I supposed it's possible, in that they'd wind up with a lefty bat and a guy who swipe a few bases, but with negligible power and an OBP that might bounce around .320, turning to Fuld would be like enlisting the lefty doppelganger of the Bobby Dernier experience. This lineup might be able to afford that if Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto and Mike Fontenot (in a part-time role) all bounce back, and if Aramis Ramirez gives them a full season. More likely, I expect this means they're calling Marlon Byrd's agent, which won't really improve matters much, but they just found $6 million, and that just gotta spent somehow, right? Milton who?

So now there's no more Milton Bradley; no doubt his games will go on, just on different boards. There's no consolation in having made him go away, and the question as to what they were thinking when, as Joe Sheehan put it last spring, they tried to make Milton do the things he cannot do simultaneously (play outfield, hit, and stay healthy). I don't think Hendry takes any special pride in learning that the hard, up-close way, even if his gamble that Bradley could be the first player to ever manage a jump from DHing in the American League one year to playing a full season in the outfield in the National.

The Cubs aren't the first team to have been burned by the Milton Bradley experience, of course. They're just the ones who spent the most for the rare pleasure of finding out they're not the right fit for this generation's Richie Allen. You can blame Hendry for making a mistake in trying to find what wasn't there in last winter's market at the point he'd swung into action, and land a premium bat from the left side to stick into the middle of the order; acting earlier to get in on Raul Ibanez wouldn't have guaranteed a happy result, however, since that still would have forced either the DH-ly Ibanez or the routinely frightening Alfonso Soriano to move to right field. But that option was already off the table in January, and taking that hit on defense, was one already implicit in their trying Bradley. Simply going for Adam Dunn is the big miss of last winter, but it's worth remembering that Dunn has managed to alienate and annoy his share of people as well. That wouldn't have helped them with Fukudome's limitations in center, however, but trying to peg what one decision you could undo to "fix" the Cubs' current situation and shunt them down the trunk of a much happier decision tree is a fool's errand; this far down the rabbit hole, these stories usually end with cries of "off with his head!"

So, the Cubs tried something crazy and expensive, and it wound up being crazy and expensive. The disappointment that they achieved in building up their fractious relationship with Bradley and then fracturing it is that, having decided he was a waste of a roster spot, they made absolutely sure of it by trading him for Silva.

Christina Kahrl is an author of Baseball Prospectus. ..... "

I think the worst possible scenario regarding Bradley would have been to simply cut him and absorb the financial losses. They came real close.

...........

By the way B.P. offers a free e-mail newsletter that's worth at least checking out. If you subscribe I'm betting you'll seriously consider the Premium package. Do it and save SkullKey's life.